The shocking truth in FBI files reveals Michael Jackson innocent; Media reports otherwise

 by Charles Thomson

I should begin by saying that the release of Michael Jackson's FBI file was not motivated by any desire to damage his legacy or smear his name. Many of Jackson's fans are understandably distrustful of the establishment which repeatedly pursued the star on trumped up charges, but the release of Jackson's FBI file is no conspiracy. Jackson's file was requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and I was one of those who requested it.

The FOIA allows members of the public to request classified or unattainable information held by any public body. The act is designed to uphold democracy by allowing citizens to scrutinise anything from local government budget reports to dossiers on UFO sightings. Requests can only be turned down for a handful of reasons, including privacy issues and national security.

When I requested Michael Jackson's FBI file, I wasn't even sure he had one. If he did, I had no idea what I would find in it. In Sammy Davis Jr's I found nothing but countless investigations into death threats sent to the singer. In James Brown's, however, I found an explosive re-telling of his infamous 1988 'car chase', which showed the authorities in a very poor light and contained numerous accusations of police brutality.


The FBI released roughly 300 pages on Jackson, constituting less than half of his overall file. The reason behind the withholding of the other half is yet to be made public, but it most likely consists of information on Jackson's dealings with still living figures of interest to the bureau - civil rights activists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, and the various Middle Eastern businessmen and royals Michael Jackson befriended.

The released half of Jackson's FBI file supports the star's innocence entirely. Perhaps most notably, a lengthy report shows that when Jackson's Neverland Ranch was raided in 2003, the FBI went over every computer seized from the property with a fine toothcomb looking for any incriminating files or internet activity. Jackson's file contained individual summaries of the FBI's findings for each of the 16 computers. Scrawled in capital letters across each of those 16 reports - 'NOTHING'.

But not many media outlets included that nugget. In fact, numerous outlets - including the Daily Mail - inaccurately reported that the file did not include the bureau's findings.

On a more general level, the files reveal that it was not only the Los Angeles Police force which pursued Jackson for more than a decade and failed to produce one itoa of information to connect the star to any crime - it was the FBI too. That Jackson's life was dissected and his bevahiour was investigated for more than 10 years by two major law enforcement agencies and not one piece of evidence was ever produced to indicate his guilt speaks volumes.

On the whole, the media didn't quite tell it that way, though.

The FBI file included numerous allegations reported to the bureau which, of course, the media at large bogusly reported as the bureau's own findings. So here is a breakdown of what the media told you existed in Jackson's FBI file, and what the file actually contained.


MYTH: Michael Jackson was investigated for possession of child pornography.

FACT: The FBI file includes analysis conducted on a videotape 'connected to Jackson' in order to ascertain whether or not it included child pornography. Some media outlets erroneously claimed that the tape had been seized from Neverland. In fact, the tape was seized by customs at West Palm Bach and there is no indication that it ever belonged to Jackson. The file states only that the tape was 'connected with Jackson' and the connection appears solely to be that the programme recorded onto the cassette had Jackson's name in the title.

The FBI file does not contain any indication that the tape included child pornography at all and certainly does not contain any indication that the tape was ever in the possession of Michael Jackson.

But that's not a particularly media-friendly story; a videotape that didn't belong to Michael Jackson was analyzed and didn't have child porn on it. So the media told their own story instead, working on the assumption that nobody would read the files to verify the facts for themselves.


MYTH: The FBI file reveals that Jackson was investigated in 1985 for molesting two Mexican boys.

FACT: An FBI officer recorded an allegation that the bureau had previously investigated Jackson in 1985 for the molestation of two Mexican boys. This allegation was made by an unnamed writer who said the story had been told to him during research for a book. However, the FBI files contain no information whatsoever about any 1985 investigation into Michael Jackson.

Countless media outlets reported this story as the FBI's own finding when in fact it was merely a baseless allegation made to the bureau by an anonymous source. The FBI found no merit to the allegation:





... but the majority of media outlets failed to mention this important fact. A simple oversight, I'm sure...


MYTH: The FBI found a couple in the Phillippines who witnessed acts of molestation at Neverland.

FACT: This couple - Mark and Faye Quindoy - had worked at Jackson's Neverland Ranch between 1989 and 1991, but left in a dispute over pay. Between 1991 and 1993 neither ever made any complaint that Jackson behaved inappropriately around any child. However, after the 1993 allegations broke, the Quindoys began selling interviews about Jackson's alleged improper behaviour.

The pair's claims were suspect from the outset. They had left Neverland in 1991 in a pay dispute but were now telling tabloids that the reason behind their departure was that they were appalled by Jackson's behaviour around children - a provable fiction. Besides, if they had been so shocked and appalled by Jackson's behaviour, why had they not contacted the authorities?

Mark Quindoy's story changed repeatedly; the more money he was paid for his story, the more appalling the alleged molestation became. The prosecutors in the 1993 Jackson case sent two officers to Manila to interview the couple, but the officers concluded that 'their testimony was worthless and the credibility of their claims was highly questionable'.


MYTH: The FBI found that Jackson had engaged in phone sex with a British boy.

FACT: This story comes courtesy of The Sun.

The FBI file briefly references a newspaper story in which a man called Terry George claimed that Jackson, aged 19, had engaged in phonesex with him when he was just 13.

The Sun was rather proud that this story was referenced in the FBI file because it was the Sun which published it in the first place. As such, the newspaper was quick to toot its own horn with an 'FBI investigates Jackson over Sun's investigation' type fanfare.

In fact, the FBI did not investigate the claim and to date no evidence has been produced to support Terry George's story.

In its story about the FBI file, the Sun repeatedly referred to the phonecall between Jackson and Terry George as a matter of fact, even though no evidence has ever been produced to prove that the conversation ever took place.

George is a man of dubious character to say the least, currently owning a string of smutty phonesex companies. His story doesn't seem to add up, either. Despite Jackson's supposed inappropriate behaviour, George's website carries a photograph of himself with the star more than five years after the phonecall allegedly happened. The two still look like firm friends.

In subsequent interviews George has described how he lost touch with Jackson and resorted to behaviour which could be described as stalking - calling the Jackson all the time, hanging around outside his hotels, trying to bluff his way past Jackson's security. More than anything, George's interview with the Sun seemed like an act of jealous revenge by an embittered former acquaintance. Either way, the FBI found no merit to George's claim.

Re-titled by MJvivomi - Source from Charles thomson's
  blog: http://charlesthomsonjournalist.blogspot.com/2010/01/fbi-files-support-jacksons-innocence.html 

Who is really responsible for Michael Jackson's death - Dr Conrad Murray or the media?

By Deborah Ffrench

The 2009 December released FBI files debunk the myth of Michael Jackson as child molester. Is it time to ask who is really responsible for his death - Dr Conrad Murray or the media? The one question I hear no-one asking in the press or blogland in general is:- 'why' was Michael Jackson taking an extreme drug? What made a relatively fit man known for abstention from the early part of his career until the mid-1990's, end his days in a made-to-measure trauma room?

 

A star by the age of 10, catapulted into superstardom after the success of his first two solo albums, his dominance in the music industry coincided with the multimedia explosion of the late 1980's. One of the first of the new breed of artists to fully explore the potential of synergistic promotion of product as a vehicle to reach new audiences, by 1991 Michael Jackson - the brand, had penetrated the consciousness of the entire developed and most of the undeveloped world.

With such unprecedented accessibility came also unprecedented pressure. Pressure to maintain and exceed his own standards, constant deconstruction by the press, and emotional isolation as the gilded chains of a life lived under the microscope bound ever tighter. There is no room here to list the enormous contribution he made to the lives of children all over the globe. His efforts are a matter of public record and the information regarding them is easily obtainable on the web.

Suffice it to say, Michael saw children not as 'people-in-waiting', but as bonafide, sentient personalities whose process and concerns were worthy of respect and protection. Using his fame and wealth to radically benefit the lives of such young people was something Michael believed to be his ultimate purpose here, and it is in this light that we can perhaps understand the catastrophic, internal damage the public cauterization that came from 1993 onwards must have done to him.

Something rotten has been decaying at the the heart of our media for some time now, but it took the death of one of its favorite page-fillers to expose the reality of what the cumulative effect of deliberate mental and emotional attack on a person actually looks like. It must surely now be apparent that the existing regulatory checks and balances within the media are totally inadequate –and further, that those monitoring capabilities are unable to prevent the now standard 'take aim' and 'destroy' default position the media now typically seems to operate from in relation to the subjects it 'goes after.'

Michael's early death was not a given. Only the most imperceptive would deny that the anesthetic that killed him was, in reality, just a formality. What killed Michael Jackson was the sustained agony of being put through a baseless, protracted trial in full view of the world's lens - knowing if found guilty, he would be removed from his children's lives. And even after his acquittal, facing relentless vilification by a media that chose to simply disregard a verdict they found economically inconvenient.

British journalist Charles Thomson's clear analysis of the recently released FBI files which can be viewed by click HERE or via Thomson's blog at:

http://charlesthomsonjournalist.blogspot.com/2010/01/fbi-files-support-j...

- Thomson's point by point breakdown of the files reveals not only the inability of both the FBI and the LAPD to provide any evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Jackson in an investigation that spanned over a decade, but also the continuing inference by the media of exactly the opposite of this.

It is important to note that there is a profound difference between the FBI stating that X and Y were alleged, and the FBI saying they investigated X and Y – and found X and Y to be proven. Thomson's review of the files is thus required reading for any who wish to separate the facts from the soundbites which have largely dominated the media reporting on them.

Because the truth is, after the most thorough investigation the American taxpayer's money could buy, one of the world's foremost intelligence gathering agencies and the LAPD came up with precisely – nothing. Instead we were served a collage of cut-out articles from a UK tabloid, the dubious recollections of an unverifiable woman on a train, and two ex-employees who only came forward after the 1993 allegations broke and who, coincidentally, were also hawking a tell-all book to anyone who would listen.

Long before Dr Murray ever wrote his first 'feel-good' prescription, a lie of epic proportions would set in motion a cataclysmic series of events that would bring Michael to the state of profound depletion we saw in 2005. Evan Chandler - a known brutalist, and Janet Arviso, a proven welfare cheat and compensation chaser, manipulated the American criminal system and a willing media to bury Michael under the worst label society has determined exists. No proof was required, the suggestion was enough. And the world watched on the edge of their seats, as the obvious perjury of the witnesses was overlooked in the stampede to crucify a man previously so celebrated.

The inevitably, frenzied media coverage of Dr Murray's impending trial which will replay the details of Michael's dying moments for months to come, has now already begun its crescendo. It is more than a little disturbing to observe how quickly those same people who actively colluded in the degradation and erosion of Michael's spirit and dignity for over 15 years, have regrouped to focus on Dr Murray as the 'fall guy' for the part he may have played in Jackson's death. Murray's culpability cannot be denied, but he was far from alone in his opportunism.

Where were the voices now wailing about 'wasted resources' and the 'rights' of taxpayers when Tom Sneddon authorized the use of millions of dollars of federal money to pursue Michael in his deeply personal and blinkered 'takedown' of the, then – biggest pop star on the planet?

Michael Jackson didn't bankrupt the City of Angels; they fell all by themselves. For a country that can shine so bright when it chooses to – what America did to this man stands as one of the most shameful examples of engineered cruelty and unmitigated persecution to be witnessed in modern times.

Re-titled by MJvivomi - Source: sawfnews.com 

Solid facts about mainstream media bias against the black music's biggest star
Michael Jackson since several decades
 
 Last week Michael Jackson's guitarist discredited widely reported allegations about the star's behaviour on the road. So why is the media refusing to publish her comments? British writer Charles Thomson explores media bias against black music's biggest star.
>> related article: http://mj.vivomi.com/updates/michael-jackson-former-tour-guitarist-the-allegations-are-untrue

 

Aging glam-rocker Gene Simmons made international headlines last month when he claimed to know that Michael Jackson had molested children. In an interview withClassic Rock, Simmons alleged that Jackson was on tape ordering alcohol for children and that during the star's 2005 trial a travel agent had testified to importing Brazilian boys for Jackson's amusement. He also claimed that a musician friend had quit a Jackson tour after seeing 'boys coming out of the hotel rooms.'

What followed was a classic example of copy and paste journalism. Within hours the story had been duplicated by hundreds of blogs, forums and news websites from Australia to India to the USA. None of them had fact-checked the story before they re-hosted it. Jackson was never on tape ordering alcohol for children. There was never any testimony during his trial about young Brazilian boys. Both of these claims were easily disproven by trial transcripts.

As a relative Jackson expert, I was also unaware of any musician ever leaving one of the singer's tours midway through. So when I sat down a fortnight ago for an interview with Jackson's long serving tour guitarist Jennifer Batten, I ran the story by her.

She told me that no musician had ever quit a Jackson tour. Two musicians had been fired but both were let go before the show hit the road, so they couldn't possibly have witnessed anything going on inside hotels.

When Sawf News published Batten's rebuttal I observed an all too familiar phenomenon. Although the story appeared on Google News and was picked up fairly swiftly by the Examiner, nobody else seemed willing to touch it. Whilst Simmons's speculative and ultimately baseless accusations had been reproduced the world over, Batten's expert rebuttal was being suppressed.

I soon began receiving emails from Jackson's fans telling me that they were sending the story to every celebrity news outlet they could think of, including several of those which published Simmons's initial allegations.

But more than 48 hours later, typing an exact quote from Simmons's rant into a search engine produced almost 350 webpages. The number of news outlets hosting Batten's rebuttal? Three.

This was not the first time I'd had a Jackson story suppressed. After Evan Chandler's suicide in November 2009 I was contacted by the Sun and asked to supply information about the 1993 allegations. I spent quite some time compiling my research, advising the newspaper of common myths and how to avoid them, being careful to source all of my facts from legal documents and audio/visual evidence.

When I read the finished article I was stunned to find that all of my information had been discarded and replaced with the very myths I had advised them to avoid. I alerted staff to the inaccuracies but my emails were not replied. The same inaccuracies appeared in every single article I read about the suicide.

The same bias manifested itself the following month when Jackson's FBI file was released. Across more than 300 pages of information there was not one piece of incriminating evidence -- but that's not the way the media told it.

A videotape seized at customs in West Palm Beach and analysed for child pornography was repeatedly referred to as belonging to Jackson. In actuality, files stated merely that the tape was 'connected' to Jackson and that connection appeared simply to be that somebody had written his name on the sticky label.

In another document the FBI logged a telephone call from a tipster claiming that the bureau had investigated Jackson during the 1980s for molesting two Mexican boys. The files made no other mention of the supposed investigation and the claim was ascribed no validity -- the call was merely noted. But the media persistently referred to the anonymous tipster's unsupported allegations as the FBI's own conclusions.

Jackson's FBI file overwhelmingly supported his innocence but its contents were routinely manipulated to give the opposite impression.

Many are quick to scoff when Jackson's fans speak of a media conspiracy to destroy the star's reputation and I used to scoff with them. As a member of the industry I prefer not to think of it as sinister and conspiratorial, but I find it increasingly difficult to explain away the bias with which Jackson is treated.

I wonder whether the problem is pride. When the 1993 allegations broke, the vast majority of information available was released, either officially or unofficially, by the prosecution. Jackson, meanwhile, remained characteristically silent.

Perhaps because the prosecution's version of events went almost completely unchallenged (although I imagine that drama and selling newspapers had something to do with it, too), the media primarily chose to portray Jackson as guilty.

But as the facts started to trickle out it became increasingly apparent that the case was full of holes. The allegations had been instigated not by the boy but by his father, who had demanded a scriptwriting deal from Jackson before he went to the police. He was on tape plotting to destroy Jackson's career and dismissing his son's wellbeing as 'irrelevant'. Then the boy told cops that Jackson was circumcised, but a police body search concluded that he was not.

Although Jackson's innocence looked increasingly likely, most news outlets had made their bed and to this day they seem unwilling to do anything but lie in it.

Whatever the motivation, be it pride, profit or plain old racism, the bias against Jackson is undeniable. The suppression of Batten's comments proves once more than when it comes to Jackson the media is interested not in fact or reason but negativity and sensationalism. Batten accompanied Jackson on all three of his world tours and was known for a decade as his 'right hand woman'. But Simmons -- who self-confessedly did not know Jackson -- has been given over 100 times more media coverage for his inaccurate ranting than Batten has for her firsthand experience.

It is time for outlets to assume responsibility for their own content. Websites should not re-host other publishers' stories unless they can be completely certain that the content is factual. Even if the media refuses to print the truth about Jackson, they should compromise by not printing the lies either. At least that way he can rest in peace.

Source: huffingtonpost.com
Click here for info of Charles Thompson and contact details

MJ's interview in 1982 with Ebony


 MJ's interview in 1982 with Ebony (full issue) has just been posted at the following link
http://mj.vivomi.com/archived-e-magazine-ebony-1982-michael-jackson.php.

Michael Jackson's Thriller Tops The MTV Charts: Wake-Up Video
 Michael Jackson's Thriller Tops the Charts: Wake-Up Video According to MTV: It has been eight months since the passing of Michael Jackson, and his death continues to be felt deeply in the music world (you need only listen to the emotional Jackson part left in the remake of "We Are the World" for proof). It seems certain that Jackson's legacy will be truly immortal, and the reason why is his music. The artist left behind some of the most iconic pop songs ever written — many of which came from his staggering breakout album Thriller, which came out in 1982 and first topped the Billboard album chart on this day in 1983.

 

 

Fueled by huge singles "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Human Nature," Thriller kept a stranglehold on the top spot for most of 1983. After it entered the position on February 26, it stayed there for 17 consecutive weeks before getting bumped by the soundtrack to "Flashdance." Two weeks later, it returned to #1 before getting knocked out again by the Police's Synchronicity. It bounced back for one more week in September before dropping out, but it returned to the top for the last two weeks of the year. It then spent the first 15 weeks of 1984 at #1 as well. All told, Thriller was the top-selling album in America for a grand total of 37 weeks, an absolutely unheard of run.

 

Thriller sold 15 million copies in 1983 alone and has become the best-selling album of all time. Even more impressive? There are only nine songs on Thriller, and seven of them became Top 10 hits (with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" both topping the singles chart). In honor of his tremendous feat, check out the video for "Thriller," which would get little argument against its place as the greatest music video of all time.

Michael Jackson's This Is It Tops DVD and Blu-ray Sales Charts

MJ's kids Prince, Paris, Blanket (Prince II) at 52nd Grammys 2010 Tribute to MJ (over 15 high def. pictures)

Michael wasn't just the man in the mirror, he was the mirror

(originally posted by Barbara Kaufmann, an award winning writer, artist and poet on December 16, 2009. She was a MJ non-fan who cried for hours after watching MJ's This Is It, then she decided to rediscover Michael and... )

Whatever you thought about Michael Jackson is correct because it is more about who you are being than it is about Michael because he wasn’t just the man in the mirror, he was the mirror.




After watching Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’, award winning writer Rev. Barbara Kaufmann posted her thoughts about the film on her online blog. This was seen by an editor for Nature’s Pathways magazine, who contacted Kaufmann and asked her to write a follow up guest column in their December 2009 issue. The full text of Barbara Kaufmann’s article The Man and the Mirror: A Tribute to Michael Jackson and ‘This Is It’ can be read below:

Michael Jackson was a world messenger with a spiritual message — make a change; make the world a better place. This Is It, the film about his planned comeback concert, features Michael living his mission not only in what he is saying, but in who he is being. It features a man whose artistry and talent was too forceful for him to contain and too big to hide, someone who was ahead of his time and anything but understood. The film is a kind of event horizon — the place where the creative process leaves the creator’s mind, meets imagination and emerges in birth. The world’s biggest mega-star, lost in the act of creation, artfully wields his incredible talent in the spirit of politicians spending political capital. It is clear Michael Jackson was called; his work was a calling. There is no turning away from a calling for it will hound and haunt until expressed. This Is It was stirring and inspiring and begged the answer to what compelled him to step up and into a life mission that was anything but easy?

While I liked Michael Jackson, I can’t say that I ever met the definition of fan. I didn’t pay close attention to his career; maybe I should have. Much of my own work as an artist, messenger and writer has been about embracing the spiritual — with empathic impulse, evocative emotion to change the world and make it a better place with words. I recognize that impulse of calling. With Michael it was more than impulse — it was Force. It is there to see for anyone watching Michael in his last performance.

I left the theater a believer; there is more to this man called Michael. The movie dashed any of my doubts about his character, personality or creative process. The filming was intended for Michael’s private library, and that made me a voyeur, disturbing because he is gone now. But I am richer for that stealth and for the process bequeathed me now by Michael. I revisited accusations, slurs; the vitriolic tabloid insults that impaled Michael Jackson for years and, despite being proven not guilty, impale him still, even beyond death. Was he a master at commanding attention? Yes. Was he capable of what some accused him of? If you want an answer, ask silently in your heart and go see the movie.

I met the Michael in the music more than the music in Michael. I watched a master of transcendentalism building a meditation in magic. I saw Michael in the role of artist, leader, teacher, master and guru. I saw his infinite patience and I didn’t miss his kindness in dealing with his musicians, dancers, singers and crew, his long breaths of tolerance toward solicitous blather designed to impress. Stunned by his allegiance to the brutal taskmaster of message, I even glimpsed his vision. I admired his translation, his explosive embodiment of the music in motion, emotion, majesty and metaphor. I know the man’s soul.

What drove Michael? What kept him loyal to his message through some of the most laser focused unkindness, betrayal and ridicule I have ever witnessed in the world? What sustained him? What did he tap into? The film reveals his source when Michael, knowing he is rehearsing, holds back from performing full out, and you get a feel for the tide he is stemming. Watching his body move because it can’t NOT move, the light dawns. Whatever it was, it didn’t come from Michael; it came through him.

His talent painted feelings, conveyed sensation, became a portal for the vision of what is possible if we all just recognize what drives us, breathes us, what gives us life and being.

Michael was obviously an empath. When Michael felt, it was acutely, exquisitely. He may have been synesthesic as well processing through more than one sensory neural channel at a time: “and the pain is thunder.” Maybe Michael Jackson was following light that we couldn’t see, music that we couldn’t hear, and feelings that we couldn’t access and perhaps simultaneously. Michael’s lyrics are prayer.

Synesthesia may even explain his grounding of the music in his body in the lower chakras (energy centers), as that is where the seat of emotion lives.

Michael said dancing brought him in touch with the Divine impulse. That is not the first time the world has heard of that phenomena - Kundalini, spiritual energy that ascends the backbone to the brain, originates in the lower groin area; Sufis and dervishes whirl to create a vortex for spiritual energy: indigenous cultures use drumbeat and dance.

Michael’s Man in the Mirror is a Gandhi-esque message to be the change you wish to see in the world. I “got it” courtesy of Michael: about the mirror; about shadow; about reflection of self in the world. We see in the world as who we are being. For some, Michael was their everything, for others he would never be enough. And still others will see the reflection of their own darkness. Michael Jackson embodied Light, Shadow, Bright Shadow, the Divine Feminine, the aggressive masculine and androgyny.

He was born into a world too far gone from innocence to embrace it; too distant from naiveté to tolerate it in an adult; too cynical to believe Michael’s own words; too tainted to embrace the sensitive Peter Pan man who understood too well the world’s intolerance to blemish - he wore it in his face. How did he live in a world where dark minds made him things that he never was and couldn’t imagine? How did he show up for life ... in a world with so much shadow? When that shadow turned on him? How did Michael never give up on the world? On us? And how is it that Michael was coming back to try one last time saying This Is It? Is the irony of that clear enough?

Who now will be our planetary human cheerleader? Our global humanitarian? Who among us can amass millions to catch the vision and carry it forward? Who now in our world is capable of that? This is it? See the movie and then tune to your inner Michael. Whatever you thought about Michael Jackson is correct because it is more about who you are being than it is about Michael because he wasn’t just the man in the mirror, he was the mirror.

Barbara Kaufmann is an award winning writer, artist and poet whose passion is “writing to simply change the world.” To read more of her thoughts about Michael Jackson and more, visit: www.innermichael.com and  www.onewordsmith.com

Sony Release Exclusive Michael Jackson Video Clips From ‘This Is It’

If you have seen Michael Jackson’s last movie before his untimely death in June last year, This Is It, you have not seen these exclusive never before seen video clips taken from that movie. The Blue-Ray and DVD is scheduled for release on January 26.

There are three new video clips in total for you to see. The first is called “The Adventure Begins – “Something to Think About,” which see’s Michael sitting at a table, going over ideas with Kenny Ortega for thoughts on how to reach out to the public, making them leave the show with “something to think about.”

There are also two more videos entitled “The Adventure Begins – Pyrotechnics” and “The Gloved One – Clothes Meet Technology,” for your viewing pleasure.

“The Gloved One” truly goes to show what lengths Michael Jackson and his costume crew would have gone to, to create one of the most awesome shows ever. The clip shows how the Billie Jean outfit would have lit up in different RGB colours when he was performing one of his most memorable songs.

Source: Youtube, inentertainment.co.uk

Artists reflects on Michael Jackson
orginally posted June 25, 2009


The reach of Michael Jackson's musical influence is an immeasurable one. Over the past few years, countless artists have praised the pop icon and his work to Spinner, and, in memory of Jackson, who passed away June 25 at the age of 50, we share some of those comments with you.

"It's always hard to lose a friend." - Smokey Robinson

"I am so grateful to have worked with the King (and always will be King) of the music industry. He was a gift to the world, he is a bright light and I wouldn't be surprised if the world stopped spinning tomorrow." - Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am

"I am shocked and saddened by Michael's passing. I, along with his millions of fans, looked forward to seeing him tour one more time. Now, may he rest in peace."  - Tina Turner

"I'll always remember how he wasn't a man of many words but he didn't have to be because his energy and spirit would totally light up a room. That spirit and his presence will be missed. Rest in peace, Michael." -- Patti LaBelle

"The world has lost one of the most talented people we've all ever known. He was a hero for me as a child and his music helped my career to become known as an adult. He will always live through my turntables. Rest in peace Michael." --DJ AM

"Michael Jackson was my generation's most iconic cultural hero. Courageous, unique and incredibly talented. He'll be missed greatly." --Russell Simmons

"I am so saddened by the loss of a great idol and icon, Michael Jackson. He was, to me, the greatest entertainer of all time. He was a huge inspiration for performers across all music genres. He taught us all how to light up the stage. Wow." --'American Idol' judge Randy Jackson

"It is difficult to think of a more impactful loss from the passing of an icon than that of Michael Jackson. His entire 40-year career has been one of the greatest inspirations to our music. In the early part of our career, he and his brothers helped motivate us to pursue music regardless of our age. He was an unequaled talent who set the bar for how music can affect the world. We join the millions of music fans, mourning the passing of this true great!" --Taylor, Isaac and Zac Hanson

"There is no one in the world like MJ! Never has been! Never will be! We all know him in one way or another. In some way he has touched us, been the voice of one of our sweetest memories. And what a wonderful, genuine, compassionate, soft spoken giant so full of love. He gave us love, excitement, one of a kind moments in a mundane world. I can't believe he won't be with us here on earth anymore. But long from now, when we are all dust, he will still never be forgotten ... To the best that ever did it! You are loved, admired and respected forever" --Alicia Keys

"I am deeply saddened to hear of Michael's sudden passing. His was a rare talent that we witness once in a lifetime. One who makes such an indelible mark that for generations singers and dancers attribute him as inspiration. I had the great privilege of watching him every night doing what he did best ... entertain. I am grateful to have known him for the two years that I worked for him and will mourn his loss with his many millions of fans across the world." --Sheryl Crow

"Michael was one of the most brilliant musicians I've ever known. The world will be a sadder place tonight because he is gone." --Neil Diamond

"Michael Jackson's personal crescendo of amazing power as an entertainer was clear and unmistakable, and has never slowed to this very day! His passing will be grieved far beyond that of any other singer, composer, producer, dancer and choreographer in the history of the world. Indeed, in my very firmest, personal, belief there will never, ever, be another Michael Jackson!" --'Soul Train' creator Don Cornelius

"May you rest in peace, sweet Michael. You gave us all you had to give." --Lenny Kravitz

"You know Michael could sing ... Here's a little boy who could sing his little ass off. When he did one of Smokey's songs -- 'Who's Lovin' You?' -- at the end of it he would do this riff, and he did a riff that went off into a little minor bluesy kind of thing. I go, "Now wait a minute, he's too young to be riffin like that!" --The Temptations' Otis Williams

"My favorite Michael Jackson song is 'Ben' from the 1972 movie of the same name. It's a beautiful song about a lonely, troubled and misunderstood boy. A boy who finds solace in an unlikely friendship with another outcast who loves him for who he is. Rest in peace Michael Jackson." --Tom Morello

"Michael Jackson was, without a doubt, the single most amazing performer that I've ever seen. As a young teenage boy with a dream -- he was beyond inspirational. The fact that his public/private life became a soap opera and a sideshow is more of a reflection of our societies misplaced priorities than it is a reflection of the type of person that he may have been. Yet despite all of that -- the fact that his performances, even of even 25 years ago, still resonate today ... That is a true testament to his greatness."

"Besides the musical, dance and technical genius of the man, and the influence he's had on four decades of artists, Michael loved Zombies." --Anthrax's Scott Ian

"Michael Jackson, the Pop Giant. His controversial life is no more. His amazing music remains and will outlive us all" --The Ting Tings

"Wow, what a loss. I'm stunned. No one will ever replace him. He was such a unique and incredible artist. It's hard to find words to describe the amazing impact Michael Jackson had on the world." -- The Raveonettes' Sune Rose Wagner

"Michael Jackson's death is a very surreal moment for people my age. He was such an omnipresent figure in pop culture for as long as I can remember. It feels like I knew him, but on the other hand it seems like noone really did. His music makes me move. I guess that's what he ultimately wanted." --Ben Lee

"I grew up with Michael Jackson as my idol. It was a family affair. We would all sit around the television whenever a new Michael Jackson video would premiere. I know the feeling I had when I saw him do the Moonwalk. I can only imagine the feeling they are getting in heaven seeing him walk through those gates." --Fonzworth Bentley

"Prince and Michael, where I come from, was our Elvis and Beatles." --Felix Da Housecat

"Now is not the time for sorrow or criticism. Now is a time to celebrate our lives and celebrate the joy his music and message brought to the world and what that means to each of us. The King is gone but he will live on." --Brett Dennen

"I personally love Michael Jackson's music. He basically fronted the entire pop music industry. He took the classic rock style and added a hip-hop flavor, and started a whole new genre of music. The 'Thriller' video basically sent dance music videos soaring, not to mention how his style of dance influenced everyone in the world. He had his flaws, as we all do, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and I think he deserves as much musical credit as anyone else in his generation." --Emery's Devin Shelton

"Michael Jackson was my first pop star. The first-ever photo of me is me inside my cot holding a copy of 'Thriller' on vinyl. At seven, I had Michael Jackson LA Gear. I was the coolest kid at my school. It's been down hill ever since." An Horse's Kate Cooper

"I still remember being a kid watching Motown 25 with my family and losing my mind when he did the Moonwalk. Despite what he may have become in the end, pop music is what it is today because of him. There could be no Justin Timberlake, Omarion, Usher, Chris Brown, even Robbie Williams, without the music of Michael Jackson." --MSTRKRFT's Jesse F. Keeler


Source: spinner.com

Lenny Kravitz calls Michael Jackson a 'Beautiful Human Being' and a 'Great Father'

originally posted on June 25, 2009

Lenny Kravitz is mourning the loss of Michael Jackson along with millions. He wrote about his personal memories of the King of Pop, and how, even at the age of 10, Jackson was matching legends like James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Read the full letter below.

There will never be another talent like Michael Jackson. Many people are saying what a performer, what an icon. How many Grammy's he won. How 'Thriller' was the biggest selling album in history. They speak about the controversy and countless other things. But the truth of the matter is he was a boy that God blessed with the most angelic voice.

Just listen to an early Jackson Five album and listen to that voice. The purity, the feeling, the interpretation of the lyrics. At the age of ten, he was on par with James Brown and Aretha Franklin. But the thing he had that they could not match was the fact that he was a child. But at the same time he sang as an adult. That line between child and experienced adult took his expression to an unmatched level.

I heard somebody on the BBC news tonight say that he was a great singer but didn't have feeling like James Brown. That somebody is not listening carefully. As a child he did it all. Even if he had not done 'Off the Wall' or 'Thriller,' he would still be a genius in my eyes.

I got to work with Michael on a track that has not been released and it was the most amazing experience I've had in the studio. He was funny. Very funny and we laughed the whole time. I also saw what a beautiful father he was. He was a beautiful human being. I am deeply saddened this evening.

He was the first live performer I ever saw. I got to see him at Madison Square Garden when I was eight. If not for him, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. He gave me joy as a child and showed me the way to go. He was music. Period. His hugeness as a star was great but before he was the King of Pop, he'd said it all.

May you rest in peace sweet Michael. You gave us all you had to give. Lenny.

Source: spinner.com

Lenny Kravitz confirmed working with MJ on the new song 'Another Day' leaked

A previously unreleased clip of Michael Jackson song Another Day appeared online early of the new year 2010. It is the second song to emerge from the King of Pop since his death. A track entitled This Is It, was released as a single in October 2009 ahead of the cinema release of the documentary of the same name.

Lenny Kravitz has confirmed that a song leaked online is a collaboration between himself and Michael Jackson.

The rocker issued a video statement confirming that he collaborated on "Another Day" with Jackson, including writing the tune and and playing all the instruments. But he denied being the one who leaked the unfinished excerpt, noting his recording had been locked away in a vault.

"I'd like to see this thing get straightened out as soon as possible, because I'd like for you, the fans—the people who loved Michael—to be able to hear the track in its entirety, the way it was meant to be, the way Michael and I had intended it to be."

Only 90 seconds of the tune is currently available, and features Jackson singing: "My life has taken me beyond the planets and the stars/ And you're the only one that could take me this far/ I'll be forever searching for your love."

It is reported the song was recorded as a duet with Lenny Kravitz, and according to Rolling Stone, Another Day shares some similarities with an old song of Kravitz's, Storm, off his 2004 record Baptism.

Kravitz doesn't sing on the leaked clip, but shortly after Jackson's death, the rocker wrote a letter to Spinner, talking about his time working with the late King of Pop.

"I got to work with Michael on a track that has not been released, and it was the most amazing experience I've had in the studio," Kravitz told Spinner. "He was funny; very funny and we laughed the whole time. I also saw what a beautiful father he was. He was a beautiful human being."

For his part, Lenny Kravitz posted a video on his Facebook page saying he didn't leak the song and he has no idea how it got out there.

He says the song is not mixed and not a final version.

Source: winnipegfreepress.com, news.sky.com, eonline

FBI released files of the molestation allegation against Michael Jackson

Source: FBI

Michael Joseph Jackson, a celebrity pop star, was born on August 29, 1958. He died unexpectedly on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50.

Between 1993 and 1994 and separately between 2004 and 2005, Mr. Jackson was investigated by California law enforcement agencies for possible child molestation. He was acquitted of all such charges. The FBI provided technical and investigative assistance to these agencies during the cases. The Bureau also investigated threats made against Mr. Jackson and others by an individual who was later imprisoned for these crimes.

This release consists of seven separate files, as described below:

9A-LA-142276: 1992 to 1993, 196 pages

This file details a Los Angeles field office investigation into extortion threats against Michael Jackson and others in 1992. The subject of this investigation pled guilty and was sentenced to prison in 1993.

A total of 111 pages were withheld to prevent duplication of material already released or to protect personal privacy, the identity of sources that provided information to the FBI in confidence, and internal rules and practices. Some information was referred to the U.S. Secret Service.

62D-LA-162715: September 16, 1993 to August 8, 1994, 56 pages

This file involves a Los Angeles field office investigation opened to assist local authorities with a child molestation case in 1993. The case never went to trial.

Ninety-five pages were withheld to prevent duplication of material already released or to protect personal privacy, the identity of sources that provided information to the FBI in confidence, and internal rules and practices.

62D-L0-11779: September 2, 1993 to October 22, 1993, 9 pages

This file was opened by the FBI’s legal attaché office in London when it assisted local authorities with a child molestation investigation in 1993.

Thirteen pages were withheld to protect personal privacy and the identity of sources that provided information to the FBI in confidence.

95A-HQ-1148159: October 30, 1995 to January 24, 1997, 8 pages

This file details a request made to the FBI to analyze a VHS videotape provided by the U.S. Customs Service as part of a child pornography investigation.

Some information was redacted to protect personal privacy. Four pages were referred to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement for a release determination.

62D-LA-236081: January 15, 2004 to April 27, 2004, 41 pages

Our Los Angeles field office opened this file when it was asked by local authorities to provide forensic computer analysis assistance in a child molestation investigation in 2004. The examination of evidence in this case was conducted by the FBI’s Computer Analysis and Response Team (CART). Mr. Jackson was ultimately acquitted of these charges in a California court.

One hundred and twenty-three pages were withheld to protect personal privacy, the identity of sources that provided information to the FBI in confidence, and internal rules and practices or to prevent the disclosure of techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions.

305B-LA-239205: September 14, 2004 to December 9, 2004, 5 pages

This Los Angeles field office file was opened in 2004 to investigate child molestation allegations. Due to lack of witness cooperation, the case was closed.

252B-IR-6808: March 1, 2004 to June 29, 2005, 18 pages

This file involves a request made of the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group to provide advice and assistance to local authorities concerning a child molestation investigation in 2004.

Michael Jackson

During more than a decade of monitoring, the Federal Bureau of Investigation helped set up interviews over child-molestation allegations and investigated a possible terror attack and an alleged assassination plot against Michael Jackson, according to newly released FBI files.

Despite monitoring Jackson for more than a decade, the files don't contain any major revelations about the late pop singer's private life and the bureau never uncovered any solid evidence against him in connection with two different molestation allegations, according to The Associated Press.

The documents made public on Tuesday date from 1992 to 2005, and though the FBI said they number about 600 pages, only 333 were released due to privacy rules and a desire to protect investigative techniques.

Though they don't contain many bombshells, they do reveal that the 1993 sentencing of Frank Paul Jones — a man allegedly obsessed with Michael's sister, Janet Jackson — was tied to death threats he made against Michael, then-president George H.W. Bush and late mob boss John Gotti, whom he claimed was his father. In a letter obtained by the FBI, dated July 6, 1992, Jones wrote, "I decided that because nobody is taking me serious, and I can't handle my state of mind, that I am going to Washington, D.C. to threaten to kill the President of the United States, George Bush," adding, "Michael (Jackson) I will personally attempt to kill, if he doesn't pay me my money."

Among the documents is one written by the L.A. City Attorney's office, which claimed that on June 22, 1992, the letter's author "arrives in Calif." and "threatens to kill." The FBI interviewed an unidentified "victim," whose name is redacted but the AP said was presumably Michael Jackson, who told authorities that he was aware of the threats and took them seriously. Jones was arrested June 22 and held on $15,000 bail for investigation of trespassing in the driveway of the Jackson family compound in Encino, California, and sentenced in 1993 to two years in prison for "mailing a threatening communication."

The federal government's investigative agency continued its probe into Jackson in 1993, after the Los Angeles Police Department asked the FBI if it was interested in working on a possible case against Jackson for transporting a minor across state lines for immoral purposes. The request came after an LAPD investigator traveled to Manila, Philippines, to speak to two former Jackson employees who claimed they saw the singer fondle young boys; the FBI did not join the investigation because the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to get involved, though an FBI agent accompanied California officials to the first interview.

The Santa Maria Police Department asked the FBI to get involved again after Jackson was arrested for child molestation in 2004, believing that the ensuing court case would be a "soft target" for terrorists because of the worldwide attention the trial would attract. The FBI ultimately concluded that there were not imminent threats, though it noted the presence in court of the Nation of Islam's Fruits of Islam security force and an unnamed member of the New Black Panther Party. Jackson, who used Nation of Islam bodyguards during the trial, was acquitted in the case.

The FBI reviewed case notes from local authorities in the molestation case and examined 16 computers taken from Jackson's home, but investigators didn't appear to find anything of note, prompting one of Jackson's lead defense attorneys, Thomas Mesereau, to say that the FBI documents provide further proof that Jackson did nothing wrong.

"He was not a criminal and he was not a pedophile," Mesereau told the AP.

In September 1993, an FBI agent in London also reportedly told colleagues in Los Angeles about British press reports concerning a man claiming that Jackson had made a sexually suggestive phone call to him in 1979 when he was 13 and the singer was 20; no further action was taken in that case. And in October 1995, the U.S. Customs Service reportedly asked the FBI to look at a videotape labeled "Michael Jackson's Neverland Favorites An All Boy Anthology" as part of a child-pornography investigation, though the tape was of such poor quality that investigators couldn't tell what was on it.

Source: MTV

Michael Jackson returns to Disneyland in ‘Captain EO’

"Captain EO" is moonwalking back to Disneyland.

by Jodi Jill

The official announcement of Captain EO returning to Disneyland was big news on all the new wires, the associated press and even on CNN on December 18. The beloved singer, whose passing earlier this year, had many fans who really appreciated the Captain EO attraction begging for its return. The audience in years past enjoyed the approach and loved the 17 minute story on the screen. After it was replaced by 'Honey I Shrunk the Audience' people tended to yawn as they walked by the theater on the way to Space Mountain.

The theme park announced plans to bring back the 3-D sci-fi film starring Michael Jackson next February, over 23 years after the attraction debuted in Anaheim, Calif. The 17-minute film starred the late King of Pop as a singing-and-dancing intergalactic commander. It was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive produced by George Lucas.

In the film, Jackson leads a goofy alien and robot crew as they battle a wicked queen played by Anjelica Huston. "Captain EO" originally opened in Disneyland's Tommorrowland in 1986 and ran for more than a decade. Identical versions later opened at other Disney theme parks. They were all closed by 1998.

How many Michael Jackson fans should Disney fans expect starting in 2010? Millions.

Advice is traditional Disneyland fans should get to the park in January and enjoy the peace and quiet while they can. Within 24 hours after the news of captain EO comes back, emails have been pouring in from all over the world to asking about hotels, shuttle services, and one note even wanted to know if there were Michael Jackson gift stores close by (no there isn't - just in case you are wondering.)

What is important to mention is Captain EO and the limited engagement with Disneyland will be big. Very big. And it is going to bring a boom to the economy in Anaheim and bring in solid attendance numbers for the Disneyland Resort. However while we enjoy the company of others it will cut into the more traditional off time locals enjoy at the park before the summer craze starts. You know, the days with no lines and Cast Members who are standing around talking to anyone so they stay busy.

So come on Michael Jackson fans. Bring your families, your friends and have a wonderful time at the 'Happiest Place on Earth.' This is a great opportunity to honor a classic Disneyland show!

Source: AP, examiner.com

Michael Jackson child molestation allegation FBI files to be released

by Charisse Van Horn

Approximately 300 files regarding the Michael Jackson child molestation cases from 1993 and 2004 will be released and available to the public on Monday, December 21, 2009, says a report by TMZ. The files will be declassified and will also shed light on cases where Michael Jackson was the victim of various extortion schemes and plans.

In 2004, Michael Jackson plead not guilty to allegations that he had molested a child, he faced multiple charges including seven counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to a child. He was later cleared of the charges but the scandal and allegations continued to follow Michael Jackson throughout the remainder of his career.

The 2004 charges followed an investigation in 1993 where the case never went to trial as the California District Attorney decided not to press charges when the primary alleged victim decided not to testify against the pop star. In 1993, Michael Jackson had been accused of molesting three boys.

According to a report from the New York Times, allegations that Michael Jackson had molested a boy first became public in 1993, Michael Jackson denied the allegations. After much speculation that charges would be filed, Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti made a public statement discussing why they would not file charges against Michael. It reads, “After about 13 or 14 months of investigation this is our conclusion. We have a very important witness who has told us, 'I am sorry; I do not want to and will not testify.' And I'm telling you that if he stepped forward a month from now, two months from now, and says, 'I'm willing to testify,' we would re-evaluate our case at that time."

Tom Sneddon of the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office said that they had interviewed approximately 400 witnesses and two possible victims had been identified. He said that one of the potential victims was in therapy and had decided not to participate in the case; the other potential victim denied allegations that Michael Jackson was guilty of any wrongdoing.

For more information, check out here

source: Examiner.com

related news:

http://mj.vivomi.com/updates/michael-jackson-jermaine-abuse-victim-cleared-jackson-

http://mj.vivomi.com/updates/the-father-of-a-boy-who-sued-michael-jackson-and-accused-him-of-sexual-molestation-died-by-committing-suicide

http://mj.vivomi.com/news-archives-1994-was-michael-jackson-framed.php

Michael Jackson FBI file to be declassified before Christmas

By Phyllis Pollack

Sources at the FBI have told Examiner.com that the federal law enforcement agency will declassify Michael Jackson's FBI files, and that the agency will make them available to the public within thirty-six to forty-eight hours.

Michael Jackson's FBI file contains 679 pages that were reviewed by the government agency. 333 pages will be released, leaving 343 pages of the late pop star's file to remain classified information. Those pages will remain secret.

The still classified documents about Michael Jackson consist of six files, the FBI told Examiner.com.

The FBI processed ninety-five classifications. The file emanating from FBI headquarters consist of several small files. There are seven files that comprise Michael Jackson's FBI documents.

The main FBI file for Michael Joseph Jackson is file number HQ 1148159. The Quantico file number is 252B-1R-6808. The LEGAT London file is 62-DLO-1179. The rest of Michael Jackson's FBI files are Los Angeles files. Their corresponding file numbers are 9A-LA-142276, 62-D-LA-236081, 62D-LA162715, 305B-LA-239204.

Sources at the FBI told Examiner.com that although they hope to have the file declassified by Tuesday, December 22, whether it will ultimately be done by that date is still not yet confirmed.

Due to the large number of requests that have been made to declassify Michael Jackson's files, the documents, compiled by FBI, will be made available via the internet. Michael Jackson's FBI file will be available for viewing online at the FBI's website when it is released.

Those wanting to read the MIchael Jackson FBI file will be able to view it is released by accessing it online at the agency's website. Viewers will be able to choose the "hot topics" link on the FBI website, which will take the reader to Michael Jackson's FBI file.

The FBI does not keep files on every citizen. However, the FBI has jurisdiction over crimes that consist of more than 200 categories of federal laws, including crimes against children.

Jackson died on June 25,2009 in Los Angeles County, and was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center.

Law enforcement agents have been investigating allegations that the Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants that may have contributed to his death at age 50. Law enforcement agencies including the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and California Attorney General Jerry Brown are helping Los Angeles police officers investigate the possible involvement of prescription drugs in Jackson's death.

Source: Examiner.com

Related news:

http://mj.vivomi.com/updates/michael-jackson-child-molestation-fbi-files-to-be-released

http://mj.vivomi.com/updates/michael-jackson-jermaine-abuse-victim-cleared-jackson-

http://mj.vivomi.com/updates/the-father-of-a-boy-who-sued-michael-jackson-and-accused-him-of-sexual-molestation-died-by-committing-suicide

http://mj.vivomi.com/news-archives-1994-was-michael-jackson-framed.php

Michael Jackson iTunes albums


MICHAEL Jackson has earned another honor amongst this year's top albums. The King of Pop's "The Essential Michael Jackson" collection is one of ten top selling albums on iTunes' just released 'Rewind 2009' list.

Featuring hit singles like "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal" and "Bad," "The Essential Michael Jackson" collection is reportedly the sixth best selling album on iTunes in 2009.

In good company, Jackson's collection sits just above Jay-Z's "The Blueprint 3" (no.8); Eminem's "Relapse" (no.9) and The Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." (no.10).

Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews Band and Kings of Leon also made the list.

As previously reported on Singersroom, 'This Is It' will make its way to retailers January 26 with additional footage and select videos including "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller".

Now on QVC fans can order 'This Is It DVD' with four collectible post cards.


[source: various]

Michael Jackson Crowned King of Search in 2009
   

Microsoft already featured the top search terms entered in its Bing search engine this year, leading us to conclude that "Michael Jackson Beats Out Twitter". On Bing, that is.

But we could have picked nearly the same headline for Google's just-published Zeitgeist 2009, only it would read "Michael Jackson Beats Out Twitter, Facebook And Windows 7.

Google once again examined the billions of queries that people around the world typed into its search box for the past year, weeded out the spam and NSFW stuff and came up with this list of the fastest rising search terms on a global level:

1. michael jackson

2. facebook

3. tuenti

4. twitter

5. sanalika

6. new moon

7. lady gaga

8. windows 7

9. dantri.com.vn

10. torpedo gratis

[source washingtonpost.com]

Elizabeth Taylor: everyone should watch This Is It

The legendary actress, philanthropist and fragrance designer tells USA TODAY, via e-mail, that she is feeling "fantastic," despite lingering concerns about her health. Taylor, 77, has been reassuring fans, as well, via Twitter. After having heart surgery in October, she posted a message on the social network, which has become a favorite form of communication.

"A girlfriend of mine suggested Twitter as a way to stay in touch and shoot down tabloid silliness," Taylor writes. "I must admit I love being able to talk with people directly without having anyone censor me. The warm love that comes back from people is an embrace."

Taylor's own embrace of modern technology isn't limited to Twitter, either: "I'm always looking forward, never back." She has an iPod, "and we're just starting to load it now. I ask my secretary to help me with those things."

Her playlist will include "Andrea Bocelli, Enya, Susan Boyle and of course my loved one, Michael Jackson." (Asked about actors she admires, Taylor mentions Johnny Depp, Sandra Bullock, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Hudson and Colin Farrell.)

Jackson remains present in Taylor's thoughts.

"Michael and I shared a pure and perfect love. Usually, I don't speak publicly about the loss of a loved one. But I am encouraging everyone to please, please see his mastery in (the Jackson performance documentary) This Is It. Michael's genius will never be equaled. Tragically, we shall never see the likes of him again."

With the holidays approaching, Taylor also is keen to promote her House of Taylor line of scents — including her personal favorite, the perennial best seller White Diamonds, now available in a special package featuring perfume, lotion, body wash and eau de toilette.

"Everything about White Diamonds is the realization of a dream. The chemist and I worked very hard to capture something in my brain, in my soul and in my heart," she says. "And of course the name is divine. What woman doesn't love and want white diamonds? The bottle is so beautiful. Women are drawn to it because there's nothing else like it."


The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation remains an equally consuming project.

"The world of HIV/AIDS is a maddening combination of heartbreak and hope. When the pandemic began, everyone died of AIDS. Today, with very expensive medications that millions of people cannot afford and do not have access to, there is progress, but no cure," she says. "Sadly, young people, poor people, people in the inner cities in America and people in developing nations, especially Africa, are seeing rates of infection and death that continue to climb."

One of the foundation's current directives "is to place vans with doctors, nurses and medicine on the ground where they can get to people. We placed the first mobile unit in New Orleans after Katrina hit, and we are having success in Africa."

Taylor suggests that reports of her own ailing condition are exaggerated.

"I've lived with people speculating about my health for decades, and I don't say this with sarcasm, but sadly, I've outlived so many who have prematurely buried me," she says. "There are so many things in the world that are more important than my health watch."

Source app.com

David Gest: Michael Jackson was innocent!

"He's a true gentleman and very talented. Each of us are different in certain ways, but when you put the four of us together, you get a bunch of nutters!"

"I felt more under pressure with the cooking, not the entertaining. I've been entertaining all my life. I used to have parties in my house in New York where I'd have Whitney Houston, the real Four Tops, Ashlee Simpson, Michael Jackson, everybody would come and sing and I'd have 200 people for dinner. They were legendary!

He hopes the Michael Jackson documentary, which will feature his own footage of conversations with his friend, will lift the lid on the real man behind the media hype.

"I hope the viewers see a guy that really loved people, that loved the innocence of kids and wanted to make sure they got the childhood he never got.

"He was very much a real human being. What people have to remember is that he was proven innocent in a court and if you watched that trial, you saw that it was all about money and greed, that's what it was all about.

"I hope they see the real man because he's a very special and unique person and the greatest entertainer of the last five decades."

[source: sundaymercury.net]

Michael Jackson to be awarded 'Lifetime Achievement' Grammy Award on Jan. 30, 2010

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, will be the King of the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, which is to be held on January 31, 2010. Michael Jackson will be awarded a Grammy Award for 'Lifetime Achievement'.

Jackson, along with Bobby Darin, Leonard Cohen, Loretta Lynn, and Andre Previn will be honored at a special ceremony, and will be presented with the awards, the day before the Grammy Awards on January 30, 2010.

E Online reports: "It will be the 14th Grammy of his storied career. (And it might not stop there: The soundtrack to This Is It will be eligible for the 2011 awards.)"

Do you think MJ is destined to receive 15 awards if he is nominated in 2011?

LL Cool J mentioned that he thought a Billie Jean performance should be what is done for MJ's planned Grammy tribute. He said that's what he thinks 'would be hot.' Neil Portnow, the Recording Academy President/CEO said: "Michael Jackson is important to us. Michael is iconic."

[source: examiner.com]

Michael Jackson Planned for 3-D ‘Thriller’ Film

Source: current-movie-reviews.com

The late King of Pop and music icon, Michael Jackson, who died unexpectedly in June of this year, had reportedly planned on releasing a 3-D version of the incomparable “Thriller”. However, this time, Michael had planned on transforming it into a full feature film. According to Michael’s “This Is It” movie director, Kenny Ortega, Jackson had planned on turning to the world of movies once he finished with music.

Ortega gave an emotional interview on Monday about his work with Jackson, claiming Michael had plans for two big projects after he finished his worldwide tour. One was a full length film, an expansion of his 1980s classic mini-film/music video “Thriller,” while the other would be a musical remake of “Legs Diamond,” a Peter Allen gangster saga from the 1980s.

Ortega talked in great detail about the devastating loss he felt when Michael died, and the sadness of the projects that never would come to fruition. He said he struggled having to go from putting the final touches on Jackson’s return to the worldwide concert circuit, to helping in the planning of Michael’s memorial service within a matter of days. He also noted, that contrary to some rumors that swirled, Michael “couldn’t wait to get to London” and that “this was not a retirement plan.” Michael Jackson was just days from his fiftieth birthday when he died in June of this year.

Full UK DVD & Blu-Ray specs for This Is It

We have just received official word from Sony with the full list of specs for the UK DVD and Blu-Ray release of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which arrives on February 22nd, 2010.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment offers music lovers a backstage pass to witness the King of Pop plan and create what would have been his electrifying and triumphant return to the stage when MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT debuts on Blu-ray, Single Disc and Two-Disc Special Edition DVD on 22nd February 2010. After breaking box office records around the world, MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT will dazzle on Blu-ray and DVD.  Directed by  Kenny Ortega, the Blu-ray and DVD releases will allow fans to go beyond the theatrical experience of the film with the two documentaries “Staging The Return: Beyond The Show” and “Staging The Return: The Adventure Begins,” in which Michael Jackson is shown developing, creating and rehearsing for his sold-out “This Is It” tour. Also available are a series of illuminating featurettes, including “The Gloved One,” a costume themed featurette; “Memories of Michael,” in which cast and crew pay moving tribute to the legacy of Michael Jackson; “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers,” spotlighting the search for the show’s incredibly talented backup dancers; and the film’s Theatrical Trailer

Also included exclusively on the European release is the never-before seen additional featurette ‘The Unfinished Rehearsals’ in which Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotton reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen.

Additional features exclusive to the Blu-ray include the complete and uncut versions of “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller,” two all-new vignettes seen briefly in the film, along with a special “Making-of Smooth Criminal” featurette. In “Smooth Criminal,” sit back and marvel as Michael Jackson seamlessly shares the screen with some of the greatest movie stars of all-time in a new black and white vignette that celebrates Michael’s love of ‘Old Hollywood.’ Then, in the all-new “Thriller” vignette, watch in awe as Michael brings one of his most popular songs to a monstrous second life in a thrilling new video featuring a whole new cast of zombies, ghosts and ghouls igniting awareness with all-new and signature Jackson dance moves

Exclusive to the Blu-ray edition of MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT are even more must-have bonus features Jackson fans will love, including the BD-Live™ enabled movieIQ, which lets viewers add their favourite songs from the film to an emailable “This is It” playlist. With movieIQ, viewers can also access live trivia information about the movie’s cast, crew, music and production – all while watching the movie!  Also included is a Photo Gallery with 75 insider photos from the rehearsals as well as an additional featurette “Dancing Machine” in which Choreographer Travis Payne discusses collaborating with dancing legend Michael Jackson on the choreography for his This Is It tour.

The Blu-ray release also includes an exclusive 24 page photo booklet which is a unique archive of photographs taken during the final rehearsals.

MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT, available on Blu-ray and DVD on 22nd February 2010, at an RRP of £24.99 (BD) and £19.99 (Single Disc DVD) and £22.99 (Two-Disc Special Edition DVD).

Synopsis

MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London’s O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show.

MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT was directed by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical, Newsies). It was produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware, with John McClain and John Branca serving as executive producers. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures in association with The Michael Jackson Company and AEG Live. It has a run time of approximately 111 minutes and has been rated PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images.

Single Disc DVD Bonus Material

* “Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins” Making-of Documentary
This in-depth documentary reveals Michael Jackson’s unique, groundbreaking vision for his ambitious return to the stage, with director Kenny Ortega and the entire crew from This Is It.
* “Staging the Return: Beyond the Show” Making-of Documentary
Director Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It discuss Michael Jackson’s final rehearsals, and the purpose behind creating the concert film.
* “The Gloved One” Costumes Featurette
Costume Designer Zaldy reveals the elaborate new costumes created for Michael Jackson to wear on the This Is It tour.
* “Memories of Michael” Featurette
Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It share personal stories about working with Michael Jackson, and how they will remember their friend.
* “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” Featurette
A look at the high-stakes audition process, which began with over 5,000 applicants and ended with the selection of 11 exceptionally talented dancers.
* “The Unfinished Rehearsals” Featurette

Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotten reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen.

* Theatrical Trailer

Two-Disc Special Edition DVD Bonus Material

* Disc One:
* “Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins” Making-of Documentary
This in-depth documentary reveals Michael Jackson’s unique, groundbreaking vision for his ambitious return to the stage, with director Kenny Ortega and the entire crew from This Is It.
* “Staging the Return: Beyond the Show” Making-of Documentary
Director Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It discuss Michael Jackson’s final rehearsals, and the purpose behind creating the concert film.
* “The Gloved One” Costumes Featurette
Costume Designer Zaldy reveals the elaborate new costumes created for Michael Jackson to wear on the This Is It tour.
* “Memories of Michael” Featurette
Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It share personal stories about working with Michael Jackson, and how they will remember their friend.
* “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” Featurette
A look at the high-stakes audition process, which began with over 5,000 applicants and ended with the selection of 11 exceptionally talented dancers.
* “The Unfinished Rehearsals” Featurette

Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotton reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen.

* Theatrical Trailer
* Disc Two:
* 3 Featurettes:
* Meet the Dancers

Meet each of the 11 dancers chosen among thousands to dance with Michael Jackson on his This Is It tour.

* Meet the Band

Go behind the scenes with the band members chosen to perform on the This Is It tour with Michael Jackson

* Meet the Vocalists

Go behind the scenes with the vocalists selected to sing with Michael Jackson on the This Is It Tour

Single-Disc Blu-ray Bonus Material

* “Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins” Making-of Documentary
This in-depth documentary reveals Michael Jackson’s unique, groundbreaking vision for his ambitious return to the stage, with director Kenny Ortega and the entire crew from This Is It.
* “Staging the Return: Beyond the Show” Making-of Documentary
Director Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It discuss Michael Jackson’s final rehearsals, and the purpose behind creating the concert film.
* “The Gloved One” Costumes Featurette
Costume Designer Zaldy reveals the elaborate new costumes created for Michael Jackson to wear on the This Is It tour.
* “Memories of Michael” Featurette
Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It share personal stories about working with Michael Jackson, and how they will remember their friend.
* “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” Featurette
A look at the high-stakes audition process, which began with over 5,000 applicants and ended with the selection of 11 exceptionally talented dancers.
* Meet the Dancers

Meet each of the 11 dancers chosen among thousands to dance with Michael Jackson on his This Is It tour.

* Meet the Band

Go behind the scenes with the band members chosen to perform on the This Is It tour with Michael Jackson

* Meet the Vocalists

Go behind the scenes with the vocalists selected to sing with Michael Jackson on the This Is It Tour

* “Dancing Machine’ featurette

Choreographer Travis Payne discusses collaborating with dancing legend Michael Jackson on the choreography for his This Is It tour.

* “The Unfinished Rehearsals” featurette

Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotton reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen.

* Photo Gallery with 75 insider photos from the rehearsals
* Theatrical Trailer
* BD Exclusive:  “Smooth Criminal” Vignette
The full-length vignette starring Michael Jackson which was to be shown before the performance of “Smooth Criminal” at the This Is It concert.
* BD Exclusive:  “Making ‘Smooth Criminal’” Featurette
An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking production of the new “Smooth Criminal” film created for This Is It.
* BD Exclusive:  “Thriller” Vignette
The full-length vignette which was to be shown during the performance of “Thriller” at the This Is It concert.
* BD Exclusive: movieIQ: connects you to access real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie! Also includes the “This Is It” interactive playlist where you can bookmark your favourite songs featured in the film and email yourself a customized playlist!

The Blu-ray Disc version of MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT is BD-Live enabled, allowing users to get connected and go beyond the disc via an Internet-connected Blu-ray player.

Watch the DVD trailer here

Jackson Film Rakes in Over $250 Million Worldwide

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sony Pictures on Thursday said global ticket sales for its movies have neared $3.4 billion, beating a studio record with a range of films such as Michael Jackson's "This Is It," which raked in more than $250 million worldwide.

The Jackson film, which was put together from video footage of the late pop star rehearsing for a series of concerts that would have taken place had he not died in June, debuted in theaters in late October and ended its run outside the United States this week with $180 million internationally, Sony said.

The movie finishes its domestic -- United States and Canada -- run on Thursday night, where it already has generated some $72 million, according to ticket sales tracker Boxofficemojo.com.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, a unit of giant Sony Corp, said it had raked in a total of $3.357 at global box offices as of Wednesday, surpassing the studio's own previous box office record of $3.334 billion.

In domestic markets, Sony said its box office total has reached $1.37 billion, while in international markets the total will surpass $2 billion after this coming weekend.

Helping fuel the studio's record year have been current hit "2012," which has earned $620 million worldwide, thriller "Angels and Demons," surprise sci-fi smash "District 9," and action-filled "Terminator Salvation."

(Reporting by Corinne Heller; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Richard Chang, abcnews)

Michael Jackson Compose 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' confimed

'We did compose music for the game,' collaborator says, but is uncertain whether tracks were used.

By James Montgomery, MTV

For many years, there have been rumors of MJ's involvement in the making of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," Sega's 16-bit smash hit first released in early 1994.

According to those rumors, Jackson — who had been chummy with the folks at Sega since the release of the "Moonwalker" video game in the late '80s — was asked by the company to compose the soundtrack to "Sonic 3," the next installment in their massively popular series starring the speedy blue spineback. Being a fan of the games, Jackson accepted the offer and reportedly completed a full score, but was never credited for his work, either due to a) his child-molestation charges, b) his dissatisfaction with the finished product, or c) budgetary and scheduling issues, which forced Sega to cut several planned levels from the game.

Sega never publicly commented on Jackson's involvement with the game, but over the years, MJ fans (and avid gamers) have kept the rumor alive, creating sites, penning lengthy essays, and even posting YouTube clips comparing music from "Sonic 3" with some of Jackson's songs. However, there was no comment from anyone officially involved — apparently, until now.

In the latest issue of the French-language magazine Black & White— which calls itself "le magazine official de Michael Jackson" — there is an interview with musician Brad Buxer, who, in addition to being credited with composing the music to "Sonic 3," also played keyboards for Jackson on his Dangerous world tour in 1992.

In the interview, Buxer reportedly said, "I've never played the game so I do not know what tracks on which Michael and I have worked the developers have kept, but we did compose music for the game," according to a translation posted on VGMDB.com. "Michael called me at the time for help on this project, and that's what I did. And if he is not credited for composing the music, it's because he was not happy with the sound coming out of the console. At the time, game consoles did not allow an optimal sound reproduction, and Michael found it frustrating. He did not want to be associated with a product that devalued his music."

Buxer also told the magazine that some of the music he and Jackson composed for "Sonic 3" actually ended up being featured on MJ's 1995 double album, HIStory, in particular on a song called "Stranger in Moscow."

"Yes, Michael and I had composed those chords for the game," Buxer said. "And it has been used as a base for 'Stranger in Moscow.' "

At press time, a rep for Michael Jackson's estate had not responded to MTV News' request for comment on the matter, nor did a spokesperson for Sega.

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' DVD To Hit Shelves On January 26

[source: billboard.com]

Concert documentary will feature an hour of extra footage on DVD, even more on Blu-Ray.