Michael Jackson was murdered for his back catalogue, claims sister LaToya

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/06/24/michael-jackson-was-murdered-for-his-back-catalogue-claims-sister-latoya-115875-22356116/

Michael Jackson was murdered for his back catalogue, claims sister LaToya
24/06/2010

Michael Jackson was murdered because he was "worth so much more dead than alive", his sister said today.

In a television interview, LaToya Jackson insisted the Thriller singer's relatives and fans now deserve "the truth" about his death.

Asked whether she believed the star was murdered, she said: "I never had a doubt. You must remember from the day that I found out that Michael was no longer with us, when my mother screamed 'he's dead' on the phone, I just went into this, 'Who did it?"'

The singer's death, on June 25 last year, sparked a litany of conspiracy theories.

But his sister insisted: "Michael was murdered for his catalogue - that's the bottom line.

"He was murdered for his catalogue and they knew that, and they knew Michael was much more, worth so much more dead than alive.

"His children deserve the truth. I think his parents deserve the truth, his family and his fans.

"Personally I think it is a slap in the face, not just to Michael but to the entire family. It's totally unfair, it's wrong and it was not an accident."

LaToya once caused a storm by publicly distancing herself from the star and condemning him for his alleged behaviour with children.

But she now claims her "management" made her read a statement out to the world's press, without knowing what it said.

This morning she told GMTV: "I always wanted the world to see Michael the way we did. He was such a good-living, caring, kind person."

Describing her mother's grief after Jackson's death at the age of 50, she added: "I could see the pain and the sorrow in her eyes. But she was strong - she chose not to cry and I think she chose that for the children."

Jackson named his mother as his first choice to raise children Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, eight, in a 2002 will.

Michael Jackson Dominates Billboard Charts

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1615461/20090708/jackson_michael.jhtml

Jul 8 2009
Michael Jackson Dominates Billboard Charts
In the second week after his death, King of Pop's records flew off shelves.
By Gil Kaufman

Michael Jackson fans paid tribute to the King of Pop the best way they knew how last week: by buying his music. In the first full week following the death of Jackson at age 50, and with retailers fully prepared for the onslaught of buyers, the fallen pop idol sold an astonishing 800,000 solo albums, dominating the charts in a way not seen since his heyday in the early 1980s.

According to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, Jackson's sales nearly doubled from the week before, with his music occupying all 10 spots on the Top Catalog Albums chart, led by Number Ones, which sold 339,000 copies, a 215 percent increase from the previous week. Unlike the reporting period ending June 28 (just four days after Jackson's death), this time retailers had a chance to stock up, so physical albums represented 82 percent of MJ's sales, nearly double the figure from the previous one, according to Billboard.

Jackson's iconic Thriller album sold 187,000 copies (an 86 percent increase from the week before). The Essential Michael Jackson comes in at #3 with sales of 125,000, followed by Off the Wall (51,000), Dangerous (26,000), Bad (23,000), a Jackson 5 compilation (10,000), a solo Ultimate Collection (just under 10,000), his final solo album, Invincible (8,000), and Greatest Hits HIStory, Vol. 1 at #10 (close to 8,000).

Jackson's albums dominated the Top Pop Catalog charts, which tracks albums that are more than 18 months old and don't have a current single on the radio. Though the discs were not eligible for inclusion on the Top 200 albums chart, the top two Jackson titles easily bested that chart's top album, the Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 31 compilation, which logged 169,000 in sales.

Jackson also dominated on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, with five out of the top 10 slots. The song that has become Jackson's unofficial theme in death, "Man in the Mirror," sold 159,000 copies, coming in just behind the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling." Overall, Jackson songs sold at a clip of 2.2 million downloads over the past week, just a shade under the 2.6 million that moved in the days after his death. In light of the all-star tribute to Jackson on Tuesday at Los Angeles' Staples Center, the singer's music is likely to dominate the charts again next week, especially if digital singles of performances from Mariah Carey, Usher, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson are released this week.

Jacko doc: I donated sperm

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2525359/Dr-Arnold-Klein-admits-to-donating-sperm-in-the-past-but-denies-being-the-dad-of-Michael-Jacksons-children.html

Jacko doc: I donated sperm
By PETE SAMSON
US Editor
10 Jul 2009

THE man rumoured to be the biological dad of two of Michael Jackson's children admitted yesterday: "I did give sperm."

Dr Arnold Klein, the late superstar's dermatologist, said he did not know whether he was the father of son Prince Michael, 12, and 11-year-old daughter Paris.

Their mum Debbie Rowe was his nurse and met Jacko at his surgery. They married in 1996 before divorcing in 1999.

A source revealed: "Arnie and Debbie were very close. Along with Michael, all three of them spent lots of time as a trio. Although Arnie and Debbie are not so tight now they still talk and have had conversations since Michael's death.

"He has also been speaking out in support of her potential custody bid, saying she could be the best person to look after the children."

Dr Klein, who has admitted giving the star painkiller Demerol, was known to Jackson's children as Uncle Arnold.

He believes 50-year-old Debbie is the source of the rumours about him being the dad of Prince Michael and Paris.

Dr Klein said: "I still can't answer it absolutely one way or the other. I once donated sperm. I once donated sperm to a sperm bank. I think to the best of my knowledge I am not the father. If they want a DNA test they can have my DNA.

"My concern is his kids because I have never met children like it. They are the brightest and best behaved children I have ever met.

"I know how deeply he loved them and how deeply they loved him.

"No matter what I will protect these children.

Addiction

"Here's the most important thing. Michael loved those children as a father, those children loved him as a father. The most important thing about the father is who their children want him to be. The most important thing to these children is how Michael loved them and how they loved him."
Dr Klein, who was Jacko's dermatologist for 20 years, spoke of giving the star Demerol, which he took on the day he died two weeks ago.

He said: "I occasionally gave him Demerol to sedate him and that was the strongest medication I ever used.

"Michael once had an addiction and he went to England and withdrew that addiction at a secure setting."

Dr Klein also said he knew there were other doctors who gave Jacko Diprivan - the powerful sedative also believed to have been taken by the singer before his death - to help him sleep while he was on tour.

Dr Klein said: "I know for a fact he was using Diprivan when he was on tour in Germany. He was using it to go to sleep at night.

"I told him he was absolutely insane. I told him that this drug was very dangerous. He assured me he'd stopped."

Jacko will be buried wearing one of his iconic white gloves, it was revealed last night.

He had numerous gloves made during his career. But his family picked out his favourite - a crystal-encrusted mitt created more than a decade ago, for his final journey.

It also emerged yesterday that the city of Los Angeles faces a bill of $1.4million (£850,000) for providing security for Jacko's memorial on Tuesday.

That included overtime for the 4,173 cops who worked to secure the Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery and other areas that attracted fans.

BRITISH stage show Thriller Live, which celebrates Michael Jackson's music, will go on a 12-month world tour in response to demand from his fans, the producers announced yesterday.

p.samson@the-sun.co.uk

Michael Jackson Shatters Billboard Records

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1615071/20090701/jackson_michael.jhtml

Jul 1 2009
Michael Jackson Shatters Billboard Records
Jackson's music dominates the Top Pop Catalog, Digital Albums, Digital Songs and Top Comprehensive Albums charts.
By James Montgomery

Given the news all week of his posthumous sales surge, it comes as no surprise that Michael Jackson is officially the King of Pop charts again.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Michael Jackson albums and Jackson-related compilations hold the top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart, all posting remarkable jumps in sales in the days following the singer's death. (SoundScan tracks sales through the close of business on Sunday.)

Jackson himself holds a record eight of the top 10 spots, while a Jackson 5 compilation also landed in the upper tier of the chart. His Number Ones greatest hits package leads the pack at #1, selling more than 108,000 copies, a staggering 2,340 percent sales increase. The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller follow at #2 and #3, selling more than 102,000 and 101,000 copies, respectively.

His breakthrough Off the Wall album is at #4, selling more than 33,000 copies nearly 30 years after it was initially released. The Jackson 5's Ultimate Collection is next at #5, with sales of more than 18,000 copies. His 1987 Bad album returns at #6 (17,000 sold); Dangerous is at #7 (14,000); HIStory — Volume 1 is at #8 (12,000); and the 2004 Jackson box set, The Ultimate Collection, lands at #9 (11,000).

The lone non-Jackson album in the top 10 is a reissue of the "Woodstock" movie soundtrack, which sold 8,000 copies to snag the #10 spot.

All in all, Jackson's solo albums sold more than 415,000 copies this past week, according to SoundScan, an amazing number, considering his titles sold a combined 10,000 copies in the week prior to his death. The one-week total is also nearly 40 percent more than what his catalog had sold in all of 2009.

Of the 415,000 albums sold, 58 percent were digital downloads, which means Jackson has set another record: He's the first artist to hold six of the top 10 slots on the Digital Albums chart, including the top four spots. He also holds a staggering 25 songs on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, smashing a record set by David Cook last year.

Early SoundScan reports have the Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. claiming the top spot on next week's Billboard's Top 200, with sales of more than 88,000 copies. If that figure holds true, this week marks the first time that a catalog album has sold more copies than the album that sits at #1 on the Top 200.

Catalog albums — defined by Billboard as being albums that are more than 18 months old and have fallen below position 100 on the Billboard Top 200 chart — are ineligible to appear on the Top 200 albums chart. They can chart on the all-encompassing Top Comprehensive Albums list, where, once again, Jackson is on top, holding the top three positions on the chart, followed by The E.N.D. at #4.

How Jackson Did It

How Jackson Did It
JULY 1, 2009
By JIM FUSILLI
Wall Street Journal

At the heart of Michael Jackson's musical legacy are two albums that total less than an hour-and-a-quarter's worth of music. Both are rightfully considered among the best pop albums of their era.

"Off the Wall," released in 1979, and "Thriller," issued three years later, turned Jackson from a teenybopper into an adult pop entertainer and ushered in his international superstardom. Both were overseen by Quincy Jones, already a much-admired musician, composer, arranger, conductor and producer who'd worked with Count Basie, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton and Frank Sinatra. The two first discussed working together while Mr. Jones was supervising the music for the 1978 film "The Wiz," in which Jackson played the Scarecrow.

"I saw his sensitivity and his focus," said Mr. Jones, age 76, who called yesterday from London. "There was such an innocence, but he didn't miss a thing."

Epic, Jackson's label, thought Mr. Jones was too steeped in jazz to produce what became "Off the Wall." But Jackson and his management team insisted, and Epic relented. When the project began, Jackson had demos of two songs; Mr. Jones had a track from the funk band the Brothers Johnson that needed a melody and lyrics. Everything else came together once they became part of a team.

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," the album opener composed by Jackson, is set up by the syncopated percussion that Jackson, his sister Janet and brother Randy played on a casaba, cowbell and glass bottle and had recorded for the demo version. Suddenly, Jackson screams and the orchestra explodes: Sweeping strings; punchy horns; bass, drums and handclaps form the foundation under Jackson's vocal. Single notes plucked on electric guitar fold into the Jacksons' percussion, creating a signature sound for the singer.

It's a busy track, but not cluttered. Mr. Jones told me his big-band experience helped him organize all the sounds.

"Workin' Day and Night," the album's third song, also rises from percussion that Jackson had recorded earlier with his siblings. Plucked guitars are its core too. Mr. Jones omitted orchestral strings this time, but Jerry Hey and Greg Phillinganes did the horn and rhythm charts, respectively, as on "Don't Stop."

The two remaining tunes on side one reveal a maturing Jackson. "Rock With You," written by Rod Temperton, a composer Mr. Jones still favors, and "Get On the Floor," built on a riff by bassist Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson. On the former, the mood is airy and seductive; on the latter, bold and assertive. Mr. Johnson dominates "Get On the Floor," which is also driven by Mr. Hey's horns, John Robinson's cymbal work and Latin percussion by Paulinho Da Costa -- and a forceful vocal by Jackson.

"Rock With You" and the title track are cut from comparable cloth. In "Rock With You," a trombone and two tenor saxophones add warmth to the bottom, while lilting synthesizers and chopping guitar chords fill the midrange. Once again, Mr. Robinson's drumming shines as he shifts the cymbal pattern to deliver the song to its chorus. A synthesizer plays staccato notes, recasting the plucked guitar notes of the opening song, one of the many pull-throughs that Mr. Jones preferred and that give the album its unity.

The arrangement for "Off the Wall" foreshadows the title track of "Thriller," with its bass synth, cymbals, insistent backbeat and plucked guitar as the rhythmic platform. Mr. Temperton wrote both songs and had a hand in arranging their rhythm tracks. While "Thriller" lives in the memory as the soundtrack to a long-form music video, it's also an expert piece of pop -- and so is its predecessor.

Throughout the "Off the Wall" album, Mr. Jones challenged Jackson to expand his vocal range. "I wanted him to sing down low," he recalled. "A lot of his habits came from Motown. They wanted him to sing high, but by then we had a relationship of trust, an honesty with each other."

Of the remaining songs of Jackson's solo debut, only the Carol Bayer Sager tune "It's the Falling in Love" seems stuck in the late '70s. Johnny Mandel, who arranged for Basie, Sinatra and others, did the string charts for "She's Out of My Life," Jackson's successful attempt at a big, romantic ballad. Mr. Jones said he had intended to give the song, written by Tom Bahler, to Sinatra to record.

Jackson and Mr. Jones reunited for "Thriller," using key members of the "Off the Wall" team -- engineer Bruce Swedien (who Mr. Jones credits for what he still considers both albums' unsurpassed sound), Mr. Temperton, Mr. Hey and Mr. Phillinganes among them. "The collective is always more powerful than the individual," Mr. Jones told me. Of course, Jackson's enormous talent and unbridled ambition were the major drivers.

By now, the bass synthesizer had become part of the pop vocabulary, and it introduces the album's opener, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." A dance tune with horns arranged by Mr. Hey that was originally proposed for "Off the Wall," it serves as a bridge from the earlier album, but it has a leaner, more biting feel. It ends with a long vocal recitation of a line from Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa."

After the pop gem "Baby Be Mine," written by Mr. Temperton, and the Jackson-Paul McCartney duet, "The Girl is Mine," comes a four-song stretch as strong as any in pop history: "Thriller," which ends side one with its ghoulish narration by Vincent Price, "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Human Nature."

A drum machine's steady rhythm introduces "Beat It," which was written by Jackson and is immediately cast as a rock song by Steve Lukather's guitar and a brief hint of the coming guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen, who Mr. Jones brought to the project. Jeff Porcaro, who, like Mr. Lukather, was a member of the band Toto, plays drums. Mr. Jones said that he and Jackson, determined to expand the performer's base, had their eyes on a rock audience.

"Billie Jean" also was a Jackson composition. Sung with icy fire, its melody rests on what may be the deepest groove in pop history, formed by a battery of synths, N'dugu Chancler on drums and Mr. Johnson on bass. At the chorus, Mr. Jones opens the track, allowing in a chiming guitar to leaven the relentless, bottom-heavy rhythm. Lush synthesizers add movement to the backdrop.

"When you come out of 'Billie Jean,' which is just three chords, you need a kaleidoscopic harmonic structure," Mr. Jones said. "You know, the ear wants that."

Steve Porcaro composed the music for the next tune, a lovely ballad. "Toto sent over a demo and Rod Temperton and I listened to it, but the first two songs didn't do much for us," he told me. "Then the third song came out and I said, 'Yeah!" The next day, Mr. Jones asked John Bettis to write the lyrics to what became "Human Nature."

The performance floats on guitar and bass notes; at first, the brass is barely noticeable. Mr. Jones allows the chorus to arrive without additional fanfare, thus drawing in the listener. Jackson sings it beautifully, allowing his voice to meld with the whole.

"Thriller" concludes with the snappy "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," which brought Jackson together with his sisters Janet and LaToya, and "The Lady in My Life," a gorgeous ballad written by Mr. Temperton featuring Paul Jackson on guitar.

Five years after the release of "Thriller," Jackson and Mr. Jones went on to make "Bad," with many of the same musicians who played and arranged parts for their breakthrough recordings. By then, though, the template for presenting the music of Michael Jackson was set. He had become the King of Pop.

"We put this all together behind Michael's energy and sensitivity," Mr. Jones said. "It was a team effort. I swear to you, it was like divinity put us all together."

Mr. Fusilli is the Journal's rock and pop music critic. Email him at jfusilli@wsj.com or follow him on Twitter@wsjrock.

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page D7

The addiction to pills that took over his life

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1195626/Did-painkiller-addiction-pressure-building-sullied-reputation-kill-Michael-Jackson.html

The addiction to pills that took over his life... and which finally destroyed him
By Alison Boshoff
26th June 2009

His death may have stunned the world of music, but those who knew Michael Jackson say the warning signs of his fading health were clear.

They claim his long-term addiction to painkillers is the obvious underlying health issue which – combined with the considerable pressure of attempting a showbusiness comeback - may just have claimed his life.

Only last month, the Daily Mail reported that Jackson was struggling to make even a handful of the rehearsals for the comeback tour which was due to start in July at the O2 in London.

He had been to just two out of more than 45 rehearsals.

At the time, due to the sensitivities involved, I said that Jackson had some problems with painkiller use. In fact, according to my Jackson family source, he was 'just not able to pick himself up out of the painkiller stupor' that he was in.

The source, who asked not to be named, said: 'He has pain in his back and that is the reason for the drugs, but it is obvious that the painkillers have taken over his life.' He added: 'His family is telling him to ditch the medications and get on with the tour.'

Sadly there were no signs that Jackson was able to conquer his dependencies, believed to be to over the counter prescription opiates such as Dialudid.

And one consequence of an incautious overdose of these drugs is cardiac arrest.

We will know more once there has been an autopsy, but the family had been gravely concerned about Michael's dependency on these drugs which had been a serious issue since at least 2005 when he went on trial for child abuse.

According to most sources, his addictions actually dated back to the accident he had when filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984, when a stunt went badly wrong.

It is also widely accepted that he became hooked on the prescription painkiller Demerol after an accident in rehearsals for a 1993 tour.

He also was said at this time to have been dependent on the anti-anxiety medications Valium, Xanax and Ativan, and entered rehab.

Many Jackson observers think he did not fully recover from these dependencies.

Certainly, since he emerged from a self-imposed exile following the end of his trial for child abuse, Jackson had been much preoccupied with his health.

As recently as 12 months ago, he was frail enough to ask for a wheelchair when on a shopping trip.

He also said that the repeated operations on his nose left him struggling to breathe.

He was extremely thin – he never ate lunch and seemed to have serious issues about food and how it might age his body – Jackson had, of course, a horror of growing up which never abated.

The idea that he would be physically strong enough to perform at his forthcoming world tour always owed more to hope than expectation.

But he needed the money and was in the habit of making promises he had no intention of fulfilling.

His last days were certainly extremely pressured.

The tour promoters AEG were trying very hard to salvage the £65 million comeback concerts which – given that it is largely uninsured – may yet cause them serious financial difficulties.

They knew it was a risk, and organised the tour schedule so that he would have not had to perform on consecutive.

Even so, ever since Jackson's family heard of the full scale of the plans, they have felt that Michael will not be physically up to it.

Jackson and AEG denied reports that he was suffering from skin cancer, and promoter Randy Phillips said: 'I would trade my body for his tomorrow. He's in fantastic shape.'

But the truth is that Jackson was destroyed emotionally and physically by his trial on charges of sex abuse in 2005 (a trial, incidentally, during which he spent much of the time in a wheelchair, claiming to be in serious pain from a broken vertebra in his back).

Though he was cleared of all charges, the sordid details that emerged during the trial left him mentally and physically broken.

Since then, Jackson lived in his own bubble, surrounded by staff and protected by a permanent security team of five. His staff bill was said to top £2.5 million a year.

Most days were spent earnestly playing with his children Prince Michael, Paris Katherine and Prince Michael II (known as Blanket) - created to order with Debbie Rowe and an unnamed surrogate mother. What on earth will now become of them?

The family had moved last year to a rented home in Los Angeles but had hardly any social life beyond the odd lunch with a family member, because Michael just was not up to it.

His chief hobby was shopping for books or furniture, and he would drop £50,000 on bronze sculptures, urns and paintings in just ten or 15 minutes.

At the time he died, he was deeply in debt and embroiled in a whole series of lawsuits, including one from his former manager and PR, Raymone Bain, who was suing him for £29million.

He moved out of his Neverland ranch in 2005 and since then has lived a rootless existence, staying in hotels and temporary accommodation around the world.

He had missed a string of planned appearances at various music industry events and didn’t show up in public on his 50th birthday last summer, or feel up to plugging his Thriller 25 album.

He desperately wanted to show the world - and particularly his children - what he was capable of.
The irony is, of course, that he was a born performer whose fluency and charisma made him a star when he was only a child.

Born in Gary, Indiana, Michael was the seventh child of the Jackson family. He began singing professionally aged 11 as a member of the Jackson 5.

His solo career started in 1971 when he was still a member of the group, but it was with the albums Off The Wall (1979) and Thriller (1982) that he carved for himself a place in the history of pop music.

It wasn’t just the Moonwalk which made him special, nor the lavish videos which made him the undisputed star of the first MTV generation.

Jackson was an astonishing performer, a brilliant dancer, a distinctive and original singer, and the most successful entertainer of all time.

He notched up 13 Grammy awards and sold more than 750 albums worldwide.

Jackson was raised a Jehovah’s witness and has told of being whipped and mentally abused by his father.

He said in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey that during his childhood he often cried from loneliness and would sometimes get upon seeing his father.

The Jackson 5 signed for Motown in 1968.

Rolling Stone magazine described the young Michael as 'a prodigy' with 'overwhelming musical gifts'.

Hits like I Want You Back and ABC followed.

The Jackson 5 moved to a new record label and were renamed the Jacksons - Michael wrote hits such as Shake Your Body and Can You Feel It.

He went on to team up with legendary producer Quincy Jones to make Off The Wall - which generated four American No 1 hits including Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough and Rock with You.

Thriller, his next album broke all records staying in the charts in America for 80 consecutive weeks.

He also had negotiated the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point, earning him a fortune once estimate at more than $750million.

Yet no sooner had he reached the height of popular success than stories began to circulate about Jackson's reclusiveness and eccentricity: it was said that he slept in an oxygen chamber.

He also a pet chimp called Bubbles whom he doted on like a child - and the name Wacko Jacko was coined.

Over the ensuing years, his skin began to appear lighter - later blamed on a the skin disease vitiligo - and he had multiple plastic surgeries, most notably to his nose.

Sexual abuse allegations first surfaced in 1993, concerning a child named Jordan Chandler who Jackson had befriended. Neverland was searched, but Jacko protested his innocence.

The case was eventually resolved when Jackson paid off the child’s father, giving him $22 million out of court.

Later that year, he surprised everyone by marrying Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley.

They divorced two years later, and Presley later said that at times Jackson was high, incoherent and delusional.

Jackson went back on tour with the History album and married nurse Debbie Rowe, who was then pregnant with his child, Prince. She went on to give him a second child, Paris but they were divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving up all custody rights.

There was a last album, Invincible, and a third child Blanket, born to a surrogate mother who has never been identified but in truth, Jackson was now spirally into a decline from which he would never recover.

His final disgrace came at the hands of Martin Bashir, who filmed an ITV documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson.

In the film, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with a 15 year old boy, Gavin Arvizo, who would later accuse the star of child sexual abuse.

The case ended in May 2005, with Jackson being acquitted on all counts. But the details that had emerged during the trial sullied his reputation forever.

Even so, he never gave up hope of rebuilding his reputation, and once again proving what a unique talent he had. Last night, that hope was extinguished forever.

Michael Jackson, a man apart

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/25/michael.jackson.legacy/

Michael Jackson, a man apart
Story Highlights
Michael Jackson was a towering figure in entertainment
Singer led the way in establishing music video, revitalizing pop music
Songs, including "I Want You Back" and "Billie Jean," are part of enduring legacy
By Todd Leopold
CNN
6-25-9

(CNN) -- He was lauded and ridiculed. He broke down barriers and built them around himself. He soared to heights unimaginable with his music, and he made the ignominious front page of gutter tabloids worldwide.

Michael Jackson broke down musical and cultural barriers his entire life.

For Michael Jackson, the spotlight was always present, and the rest of the world followed.

With "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" -- the latter with Eddie Van Halen's scorching guitar solo -- he was almost single-handedly responsible for getting videos by African-American artists on MTV and helped revitalize the moribund Top 40 format in the early 1980s.

"Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a friend. "Michael did with music what they later did in sports, and in politics and in television. No controversy will erase the historic impact."

"Thriller," a 14-minute video extravaganza directed by John Landis, paved the way for the elaborate music videos to follow -- including Jackson's "Scream," recorded with sister Janet in 1995, which cost a reported $7 million and may be the most expensive video ever. Audio slide show: Michael Jackson and his music »

His incredible dance talent, a modern twist on the Motown moves he witnessed as a child, led to a heightened focus on choreography in pop music videos and stage shows.

His 1982 album "Thriller" smashed records. It was No. 1 for 37 weeks and, at its peak, sold a million copies a week. To date, it has sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide. The achievement set a high bar for Jackson; when his 1995 greatest-hits CD, "HIStory," sold 7 million copies, it was considered a relative failure.

Jackson was also a fashion icon, his heavily zippered leather jackets a de rigueur 1980s fashion accessory, his single, spangled glove beyond compare.

On the down side, Jackson also led in making pop stars the subject of the paparazzi and tabloids in a way, perhaps, equaled only by such icons as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the pre-"Sgt. Pepper" Beatles. Rumors abounded, from his pets to his sleeping habits to his cosmetic surgery, all fodder for the press. After stories arose of possible child molestation, he never got back in the media's good graces; he was treated as a traveling circus. Watch reaction to his death

From the time he was a child, it was obvious Michael Jackson was something special. In 1966, when he was 8, he joined his brothers in the band his father put together and started singing lead with brother Jermaine.

Though Motown Records was the top label of the 1960s, inventing what it called "the Sound of Young America," by 1969 -- when Jackson and his brothers in the Jackson 5 first hit the charts -- the label was finding itself out of step with the psychedelic and hard-soul sounds of the times. Watch reaction from Motown »

Enter the quintet from Gary, Indiana.

Motown signed the group in 1968 and poured its all into the Jackson 5's first single, "I Want You Back" -- the writing and production team were credited as "The Corporation" -- and Jackson's imploring, dramatic vocal rocked America. The song hit No. 1 in January 1970, and was followed by three more No. 1s in quick succession.

Thanks to their squeaky-clean image, the Jackson 5 became teen idols, unusual for a group of African-American youngsters. Michael Jackson's face appeared on the covers of teen magazines; the band even became the subject of an animated Saturday-morning TV show, another first for an African-American group.

But it was in the 1980s, when Jackson became a worldwide phenomenon, that his impact really began to be felt.

He was much imitated, from his hair to his clothes to his dance moves. The music was superbly crafted pop, produced by Quincy Jones and often written by Jackson himself. Even rock critics approved; the album "Thriller" earned an A from the picky Robert Christgau, among others.

There came a moment, around that time, when pop music went into a Jackson era. "Thriller" had nine songs; seven of them became singles. Jackson teamed with Lionel Richie to write the fundraising song "We Are the World"; it was his presence, as much as that of Richie, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, that propelled the song to No. 1.

Jackson reteamed with his brothers for an album, "Destiny," and accompanying tour. It was the hottest tour of the year, despite complaints about sales practices. (Partly because of the controversy, Jackson announced publicly he was donating all his money from the tour to charity.)

He was a role model. At the peak of his fame, there were reports of a humbly dressed Jackson ringing doorbells as part of his Jehovah's Witness faith.

Though Jackson's image eventually became sullied by the molestation allegations and stories of eccentricity, there was never any doubt about his entertainment legacy. "Thriller" and "Bad" are still among the top sellers of all time. His fluid dance moves and stage presence set standards that rising stars -- often compared to Jackson -- struggle to equal.

"Of all the thousands of entertainers I have worked with, Michael was the most outstanding. Many have tried and will try to copy him, but his talent will never be matched. He was truly one-of-a-kind," said Dick Clark, who would know.

And then there's the music, from the early, explosive joy of the Jackson 5 hits to the elegant ballads, down-and-dirty grooves and ecstatic dance hits of his solo years. "The Love You Save," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Bad" -- they are pop music boiled down to its best essence, with a good beat, an engrossing melody and even, sometimes, a message of love and fellowship.

It's enough to take a listener to the moon.

Michael Jackson And MTV

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1614763/20090626/jackson_michael.jhtml

Jun 26 2009
Michael Jackson And MTV: From Epic Videos To Show-Stealing Performances
MTV News was also there for the not-so-light moments, such as his legal battles and divorce from Lisa Marie Presley.
By James Montgomery

By a stroke of luck (or, perhaps, fate), MTV was fortunate to launch just before Michael Jackson went supernova.

Back in 1981, he wasn't yet a global brand or a cultural icon — he wasn't even the King of Pop. Rather, he was just ascending to the throne. He'd had some hits (1972's "Ben," the first two cuts — "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You" — from 1979's Off the Wall), and he was ready to forever distance himself from his early years with the Jackson 5, but no one knew what to expect from him next.

Needless to say, we were all blown away with that next step. Released in 1983, Thriller was ... well, it was everything: a milestone release, a decade-defining collection of tunes, the biggest-selling album of all time and — most importantly — Michael's coronation. He was officially and forever the King of Pop, a title he held until his death Thursday (June 25) at the age of 50 and one that will probably be his forever.

And, again, whether it was due to luck or fate, MTV was there for that meteoric rise and everything that followed. Of course, there were his videos, which were not so much promotional vehicles for his songs as they were mini-movies, big-budget showcases for Michael Jackson: The Icon.

But MTV's relationship with Jackson didn't just end with his videos. The King of Pop was always there to raise the bar at the Video Music Awards, including his epic medley during the '95 show — which began with him stripping out of his jacket and breaking into "The Way You Make Me Feel," climaxed with him belting out "You Are Not Alone" backed by a full gospel choir and featured renditions of hits like "Scream," "Beat It," "Black or White" (complete with fret-bending mega solo from Slash) and "Billie Jean" in between. He also showed young guns 'NSYNC how it was really done in a surprise performance at the '01 awards. Jackson eternally brought the house down.

There were also legendary non-performance moments, all of which became pop-culture touchstones, like his awkward kiss with then-wife Lisa Marie Presley that opened the 1994 VMAs, which was intended to ward off the couple's detractors but didn't quite succeed. Or the legendary exchange at the '02 awards, where Britney Spears presented Jackson with a birthday cake, which Jackson mistook as an award proclaiming him to be the Artist of the Millennium.

MTV News was there for the less-than-light moments too. We were outside the Santa Maria, California, courthouse in November 2003 when Jackson was charged with 10 felony charges related to lewd acts with a minor, and we were there again in 2005 when Jackson was acquitted on all charges. We covered his 1996 divorce from Presley, the 2002 baby-dangling incident from the balcony of a Berlin hotel and the drama surrounding his 50-date run at London's O2 arena, which now, sadly, will never take place.

It was, to say the least, an eventful relationship, and now, sadly, it's come to an end. We'll miss Michael Jackson in every conceivable way, not just as an entertainer and a generator of headlines, but as an icon, an innovator and a legend. There will truly never be another like him.

Michael Jackson dies at age 50

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/06/michael-jackson-dies.html

Michael Jackson dies at age 50
Jun 25, 2009
Clark Collis

One of music’s most successful and influential artists, Michael Jackson died earlier today in Los Angeles at the age of 50, the L.A. County coroner's office confirms. No cause of death is available yet. During his nearly half-century career, Jackson recorded a series of pop classics as part of the Jackson 5 and then became a massive solo star. His 1982 album Thriller has been certified platinum 28 times in the U.S. and is the best-selling original collection ever released.

Jackson was born in Gary, Ind., on Aug. 29, 1958, and by the age of 6 the prodigiously talented singer and dancer was performing alongside his brothers. The Jackson 5 signed to Motown in 1968 and released a string of huge hits including “ABC” and “I Want You Back.” Jackson entered the charts as a solo artist in 1972 with the song “Ben,” and in 1978 he appeared in the big screen musical The Wiz alongside Diana Ross. The following year, his album Off The Wall established Jackson as a solo superstar. Yet, even the success of that release would be dwarfed by Thriller, which included a raft of global smashes, including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”

Jackson followed up Thriller with 1987’s Bad, which itself eventually sold in the region of 30 million copies worldwide. But the star’s public profile was badly damaged in the '90s when he was accused of child sex abuse, and in recent years he had become an extremely reclusive figure. Despite his reputation as one of pop’s greatest dancers and all-round in-concert showman, he also effectively abandoned touring. However, Jackson had planned to play a series of dates in London, starting next month.

While his personal life often attracted criticism and controversy, the oft-dubbed King of Pop’s influence on the musical realm is unarguable. That influence was demonstrated in 2008 when Kanye West, will.i.am, Fergie, and Akon all contributed to the remixes featured on the 25th anniversary reissue of Thriller. In his long career Jackson also worked with some of pop’s most talented artists, including both Paul McCartney and Thriller producer Quincy Jones.

"Billie Jean"

There's a reason the song "Billie Jean" is the first song that is playing when you take control in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It is the song that pretty much defines the 80s. I remember the first time seeing it and hearing it, and it sounded so spookily odd. Now it sounds so normal, and that's the thing about music that is slightly ahead of its time: it becomes the template for everything that follows, so that it no longer sounds so shockingly strange is a victory for it. "Beat It" was the song that cemented it for Jacko with me, but in retrospect "Billie Jean" is definitely his greatest of gems, because its the song that had to work harder to make me love it as much as I do. Of course, "Beat It" is still great, and Thriller and Off the Wall (and, yes, even Bad and Dangerous) prove whatever faults MJ had, a lack of ridiculous talent and stage presence weren't part of them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VASYhabHkM

"Billie Jean"
Michael Jackson

She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene
I said don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round
She said I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round

She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round

People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth

Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son

For forty days and for forty nights
The law was on her side
But who can stand when she's in demand
Her schemes and plans
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round
So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice
(Do think twice)

She told my baby we'd danced till three, then she looked at me
Then showed a photo my baby cried his eyes were like mine (oh, no!)
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round, baby

People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
She came and stood right by me
Then the smell of sweet perfume
This happened much too soon
She called me to her room

Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son

Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son

She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son

She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
She says I am the one

Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover

Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is

Not my lover
Not my lover
Not my lover
Not my lover

Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)
Billie Jean is not my lover (she is just a girl)

Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is

Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover

Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is

Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover

Billie Jean is
Billie Jean is

Michael Jackson converts to Islam

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3494296/Michael-Jackson-converts-to-Islam-and-changes-name-to-Mikaeel.html

Michael Jackson 'converts to Islam and changes name to Mikaeel'
Michael Jackson has reportedly become a Muslim and changed his name to Mikaeel.
By Graham Tibbetts
21 Nov 2008

Michael Jackson wore an abaya, a traditional Arab women's veil, in Bahrain

The singer, who was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, converted to Islam in a ceremony at a friend's house in Los Angeles.

He is said to have sat on the floor and worn a small hat while an imam officiated.

According to The Sun, the ceremony took place while Jackson, 50, was recording an album at the home of Steve Porcaro, a keyboard player who composed music on his Thriller album.

The former Jackson 5 star was counselled by David Wharnsby, a Canadian songwriter, and Phillip Bubal, a producer, who have both converted.

A source said Jackson had appeared a "bit down" and added: "They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted. Michael soon began warming to the idea.

"An imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada, which is the Muslim declaration of belief."

Last year his brother, Jermaine Friday, suggested Jackson would convert having taken an interest in Islam since Friday's conversion in 1989.

"When I came back from Mecca I got him a lot of books and he asked me lots of things about my religion and I told him that it's peaceful and beautiful," said Friday.

"He read everything and he was proud of me that I found something that would give me inner strength and peace.

"I think it is most probable that Michael will convert to Islam.

"He could do so much, just like I am trying to do. Michael and I and the word of God, we could do so much."

25 'Thriller' facts

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-web-thrillertrivia12feb12,1,4770613.story

25 'Thriller' facts
Sony BMG
By Patrick Day and Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
February 12, 2008

"Thriller," the biggest-selling album ever, wasn't the only Michael Jackson work released in November 1982. A few weeks before it was set to hit stores, MCA Records released an album of Jackson reading the story of "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" and performing the original song "Someone in the Dark." The album promotion, which featured posters of Jackson and E.T. looking very friendly, angered CBS Records, which felt it was stealing the thunder from "Thriller." Lawsuits ensued. Both albums ended up winning Grammys the following year.

"Thriller's" phenomenal success led to a breaking down of traditional racial barriers on FM radio at the time. New York's WPLJ, a "white" station, played Jackson's "Beat It" because of Eddie Van Halen's appearance on it. The song caused a wave of protests from some listeners who didn't want "black" music on their station. MTV also had a reputation for favoring white performers at the time, and its heavy rotation of Jackson videos helped alleviate the criticism.

The music video of "Thriller" played in a Westwood theater for one week in 1983 to qualify for an Oscar nomination. It opened for Disney's "Fantasia," much to the dismay of unsuspecting parents.

After the success of the "Thriller" video, a Hollywood production company began serious work on turning "Billie Jean" into a feature film. (In 1985, Helen Slater starred in the teenage drama "The Legend of Billie Jean," although there is no connection.)

In 1984, the National Coalition on Television Violence classified more than half of 200 MTV videos surveyed as too violent, including the videos for Jackson's "Thriller" and "Say, Say, Say." Dr. Thomas Radecki, chairman of the coalition, was quoted as saying, "It's not hard to imagine young viewers after seeing 'Thriller' saying, 'Gee, if Michael Jackson can terrorize his girlfriend, why can't I do it too?' "

Brooke Shields was Jackson's date to the 1984 Grammys, when he won eight awards.

"Thriller" video makeup artist Rick Baker already had an Oscar on his resume. He won the award for best makeup in 1981 -- the first time the award was handed out -- for his work on "An American Werewolf in London."

Baker actually appears in the video: He's the zombie seen stumbling out of the mausoleum.

Dance choreographer Michael Peters also had a role as a zombie in "Thriller," and shared a Tony Award with Michael Bennett for his choreography work on Broadway's "Dreamgirls." Before his death in 1994, he was an advocate of adding a choreography category to the Academy Awards.

Jackson's girlfriend in the video, Ola Ray, was Playboy magazine's Miss June in 1980, telling the publication that her favorite entertainers were "Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Ben Vereen, Emry Thomas." She also listed her turn-ons as "music, men, dancing and romancing, health and nature" and turnoffs as "waiting for something that never comes."

Just as Van Halen's guitar solo begins in "Beat It," there's a noise that sounds like someone knocking on a door. According to rock 'n' roll myth, the knock is someone walking into Van Halen's studio. Another story claims it's simply the sound of Van Halen knocking on his own guitar.

"Thriller's" opening cut, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," is also the longest track on the album, clocking in at over six minutes. The radio version, however, is about two minutes shorter.

The movie theater seen in the beginning of the video was also seen in director John Landis' "The Kentucky Fried Movie." The posters seen in the theater are for the movie "Schlock," also directed by Landis.

Jackson's disclaimer at the beginning of the video, in which he discounts any belief in the occult, was prompted by his status as a Jehovah's Witness at the time.

The 1988 movie "Return of the Living Dead Part II" features a zombie dressed as Michael Jackson.

Forrest J. Ackerman, creator of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, can be seen sitting behind Jackson in the theater at the beginning of the video.

The video that popularized Jackson's "Moonwalk," 1983's "Billie Jean," was directed by Steve Barron, but it may not be the clip he's best known for. That would be the live-action comic book treatment he gave to A-ha's "Take on Me."

The song "Thriller" was originally titled "Starlight."

Producer Quincy Jones wanted "Billie Jean" to be titled "Not My Lover," so people wouldn't think the song was about Billie Jean King.

During the "Thriller" era, Jackson's plastic surgery became noticeable. His face changed from the time the photo was taken for the album cover to the filming of the "Thriller" video.

Real gang members were brought it to be extras in the "Beat It" video.

Although "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " was one of the biggest singles off "Thriller," no video was ever made for the song.

The man who wrote the song "Thriller," Rod Temperton, also wrote songs for Boyz II Men, Herbie Hancock, Karen Carpenter and Michael McDonald.

The "Thriller" album has sold more than 104 million copies.

At the height of the song's popularity, MTV would run the 14-minute "Thriller" video twice an hour.