This is a F O U R Page FF News Brief Bulletin so the footprints team suggests that you be nice and relaxed when viewing this bulletin. This is an Exclusive Interview with French President Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy. Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy is President of France since 2007 and is serving his second year in office after serving on the 447 member French parliament as Minister of Finance. Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy is known as "The Playboy President" earning this title after dating some of the most gorgeous women in the world.
French Flag Gorgeous French Woman Eiffel Tower
Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy currently resides in Paris, known as "The City of Love". Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy has been elected President of France based on his overwhelming support from the French Republic clinching 40 percent of the more than fifty million voters in France.
France, the country occupies the northern tip of Europe and is bound by Germany, Italy, Britain and Northern Ireland. France has a population of over 75 million FRANKS of which the population is diversified into Europeans, Muslims, Roman Catholics and Christians. France is the fifth wealthiest country in the world according to FF News June 2009 after countries United States, China, India and South Africa.
When the footprints team arrived in France in June 2009 scheduled to interview Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy, the news around Paris and local communities was the sudden death of Pop icon Michael Jackson.
Jackson who called the footprints team said that he would like to meet with us immediately. This was a shock to the footprints team as Michael Jackson had been declared dead according to media reports in France. Jackson who invited the footprints team to his ship on Lake Zille claimed that the media hoax was created by Big Concerts and Footprints Filmworks to shame him in the public.
When Managing Director for Footprints Filmworks Omar Abdulla met with Jackson, he seemed frail and bleak and asked Abdulla to bring the "Jesus Juice" with him as well.
Jackson was outraged by Big Concerts and Footprints Filmworks claiming that we did not keep up to the deal as promised. Footprints Filmworks and Big Concerts originally booked Michael Jackson for their 50 concerts, 50 months, 50 countries tour. According to reports Jackson was paid 50 million dollars in black money or black dollars as a deposit for the Group 50 Tour. When Jackson heard that sales had dropped to only 50 000 per concert, per stadium he was outraged by Footprints Filmworks claiming that we had cheated him and he had to pull the plug by "faking his own death."
When the footprints team met with Jackson we were surprised the Pop star had a whole crew of musicians, business people, media personalities and monkeys all on board the "Louvre Le Love" Ship. Michael Jackson who has declared this meeting as "His Final Say" to world leaders and media businessman invited us on board for a two week business meeting sailing through French rivers.
Initially Jackson watched television audiences pay tribute to him on more than 9600 channels around the world, he still seemed like he wanted more from the world. On board the "Louvre Le Love" Ship casino machines were ringing who won jackpots and the atmosphere was electric as "Billie Jean" "Heal the World" "They Don't care about us" and "We are the World" rocked the 50 member ship crew. On board the ship included Princess Diana, Shar Rukh Khan, Barack Obama, Sakeena Joosub, Nicholas Sarkozy, Lakshmi Mittal, Omar Abdulla and Walter Disney Ceo Walter Disney III.
Omar Abdulla Nicholas Sarkozy Barack Obama
Although France is the footprints fifth wonder of the world we were disappointed that the staff on board were not friendly mumbling French words like "Jetaime" and a German chef mumbling "Ich Liebe Dich."
Jackson who chatted to guests claimed that his more than one billion supporters had stabbed him in the back and that they created this hoax to sabotage his relationship with his family and personal friends. Jackson who said that the two promotional companies mentioned were not keeping up to their initial word of 100 000 people per concert and that fans were too busy in their own lives and that fans should bid for personal concerts.
Jackson who was initially paid ten million dollars per concert when he first started out reached audiences of more than 250 000 at one stage. Although Jackson has performed for more than 5000 concerts in his career of more than forty years in recent times his success lies with his family he says.
Other members of the crew including Shar Rukh Khan and Barack Obama smiled and joked with Jackson claiming that even "Houdini" himself couldn't pull of a gig like this.
"My supporter base doubled to two billion worldwide in a matter of a few weeks" Michael Jackson said in on of the discussions.
Although Jackson invited us on board the Louvre exclusively, he seemed adamant that he had failed and that he wanted to do more for the world, but was lost for direction as he did not have a clue what the market offered.
"I am a performer, an artist, a creator and a lover" he said.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy was too involved with his new playmate wife Carla Louw. Although the footprints team spoke briefly to Sarkozy he seemed arrogant and firm in his belief systems about French Lending Policies.
"I have always stuck to internal finance of a country. The Super Power countries The United States and South Africa need to bridge gaps to inspire lending from Reserve Banks"
The United States which is in deficit of more than 787 billion dollars plans to shrink this deficit by 5 percent per annum according to U. S President Barack Obama.
Obama who also said "We as Americans need to look to invest in third world countries including South Africa, Iran, France and Ghana for prosperous futures. We cannot take what our forefathers have thought us for granted, We should work to earn our daily bread, our holy meal."
Obama who laughed at Michael Jackson for his "Media Hoax" was interested as to why Princess Diana also faked her death in 2006 crushing in Gustavs Tower in France.
Diana, Princess of Wales, Epic of our eyes and Lady of the night was too in love with her good-looking Egyptian heartthrob Dodi Alfayd and when Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth found out that "her faked death" was created to rid herself of Britain for good, it was too late, she was already on a far far away land, too far for media catches.
Sailing through the Louvre Ship on Lake Zille I was interested as to how early the Superstars Sleep during the weekdays. Although Jackson stayed up till late at night playing with his computer and smoking his "Jesus Juice" I felt inspired to say Hello, and actually get to know the Man behind the mask of the media.
Jackson initially offered me a puff of his "Jesus Juice" which comprises of heroine, cocaine, demorol and Cannibis. This was a stimulant that relaxed his muscles and memories when writing his songs. Jackson who told me that his passions and desires got lost when he heard that The World Economic Crisis was slowly wearing it's tune.
"Who am I to have a say, in the communities of the world, I haven't even touched the iceberg."
Although the meeting held with Michael Jackson with other business leaders was meant to bring a stability in the media and also create an awareness of sharks quickly. Perhaps Celebs including Barack Obama, Omar Abdulla, Jacob Zuma and Zunaid Moti have become B list celebs overnight with Michael Jackson's rankings jumping to number one on Internet Search Engines.
As the worldwide depression seems to be wearing its illusive tune over world markets, Jackson sits admiring the moonlight on the deck of the ship.
"I believe I have failed my fans, I believe I have not done my best. I believe my message will get lost over time. I believe that I have only harmed myself than loved myself." Jackson said.
Jackson who is currently 50 years of age plans to return to Los Angeles in the United States to live out his life sipping cocktails and playing with his children.
"Once the media has a break from Michael Jackson, I will return to LA and try to earn a decent income for myself and my family" Jackson admits.
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Jacob Zuma Zunaid Moti Sakeena Joosub
Other leaders on board the ship were quiet and listened to Jackson's words and belief systems about life.
"All my life I have been trying to reach specific goals, goals with content and ambition and yet some people cannot understand me correctly. When Michael Jackson was in his prime, the world threw dollars at me and when I became a monster in the media, those same fans spat on me and behaved like I did not keep up to my words. My advice to those foes is, listen to my songs, listen to the words, listen to the meaning, and then try to dance like me."
Jackson who visited South Africa in 1992 to meet with then President Nelson Mandela said that Nelson Mandela still remains the closest friend at heart. When Mandela put up his Statue in Sandton that motivated me to build my own statues in Australia, Britain, United States and France.
When asked who Michael Jackson admires through his forty years career he mentions the names Joe Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Beetles and Lisa Presley.
Jackson who told the footprints team that his 500 million dollars debt was washed away by the media, and perhaps I should change my name, he joked.
Shar Rukh Khan and President of France Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy chattted about exotic cars, medical drugs, civil engineering and acting. Khan who was recently named Dr. Shar Rukh Khan by Footprints Filmworks earning this title after completing a medical degree for his upcoming film "Pyaar, Pyaar, Pyaar."
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The Footprints Filmworks Presidential Box is created to create an awareness amongst the youth of local and international communities about politics, about political leaders, about political business brains and about political controversies. Politicians according to Presidents interviewed on footprints are those everyday people who work hard and smart to achieve their goals and ambitions, to try to influence their environment in a positive direction.
In conclusion we as the footprints filmworks team give you the honor to discuss your ideas and opinions on our websites, channels, broadcasting and FF News to interact with the many millions of people around the world.
At a time when the array of high-end cars is nearly limitless, selecting just one can be a confusing proposition. The good news: Every year a few models stand apart. Most luxury vehicles by definition tend to be far from green in the environment sense, but they are guaranteed to inspire the greatest shade of envy for their performance, amenities, engineering, design, safety, and quality, given cost of ownership.
Here's the Joy Ride cheat sheet to the best of the June 2009 Pack
Ferrari F430 Scuderia
Sexy, elegant and racy
Price- USD-300-000-00
GPB-140000-00
ZAR 2,5000,000-00
Eur-165000-00
Power: 4.3 liter, 503-HP V-8
Runner-up: Porche 911 Turbo
Available at your local distributor or contact (012) 3703469/(012 3701984)
If you can stomach the price, this is a playful, scary-fast, outrageously competent(0-60 in 3.5 seconds), sexy purebred that makes operatic engine sounds unlike any other. Oh, yes and former Formulae 1 Champion Michael Schumacher(Nicknamed Shumi) was crucial in its development. For those who prefer German, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia is your car at only $300-000-00.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Pop star Michael Jackson died from a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol given in a cocktail of drugs, leading authorities to suspect his doctor of manslaughter, court documents showed on Monday.
The "Thriller" singer suffered cardiac arrest and died on June 25 at age 50. Since then, an investigation by state and federal agencies have focused on Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal doctor who was at his bedside the day he died.
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The findings, contained in a warrant to search Murray's home and offices, paint a picture of an insomniac pop star who could not sleep without heavy medication. Jackson sought out propofol -- routinely used to sedate patients and anesthetize them before surgeries such as a colonoscopy -- and called it his "milk."
"The Los Angeles Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dr. (Lakshmanan) Sathyavagiswaran, indicated that he had reviewed the preliminary toxicology results and his preliminary assessment of Jackson's cause of death was due to lethal levels of propofol (diprivan)," according to a warrant to search Murray's offices issued by California.
The document was unsealed and released by the Harris County District Clerk in Houston, where Murray has an office. U.S. agents raided the office on July 22.
In an affidavit seeking the warrant, Houston police officer E.G. Chance said U.S. agents had gathered "items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense."
Billionaire Investor, MD, for Footprints Filmworks Omar Abdulla who met with Jackson in France in June 2009 said;
"Jackson has always wanted to be bigger than the rest. When Jackson called me regarding the hoax, I jumped because I myself did not think of that idea." Abdulla says.
Murray's attorney, Ed Chernoff, was not available to comment.
In a statement, a representative said Jackson's family has "full confidence in the legal process, and commends the ongoing efforts of the L.A. County Coroner, the L.A. District Attorney and the L.A. Police Department."
Murray, who was with Jackson on June 25 administering drugs to ease the pop star to sleep, gave him a range of medication including a 25-milligram dose of propofol via an intravenous drip at 10:40 a.m. PDT, the state search warrant said.
Abdulla said that Jackson was a "Cool Cat" and was adamant about what he wanted from his team.
"Jackson likes to lead from the front." Abdulla says.
Jackson was "very familiar" with propofol and referred to it as his "milk" because of its milky appearance, the warrant said. Murray, who had been treating Jackson for about six weeks leading up to his death, was worried that Jackson was addicted to propofol. Murray was trying to wean him off the drug by giving him smaller doses, it said.
Jason Hymes, an assistant clinical professor at the University of Southern California who is not associated with the case, said the drug was a true anesthetic. "You administer it to somebody and then operate on them ... This concept of giving somebody a general anesthetic for sleep disturbance strikes me as just bizarre and astoundingly inappropriate."
In the early hours of June 25, Murray also gave Jackson doses of anti-anxiety medications Valium and Ativan and sedative Versed, the filing said.
Jackson went to sleep after Murray gave him the propofol, and Murray stayed by his side for about 10 minutes, then left "to go to the restroom and relieve himself," the search warrant said.
Murray was out of Jackson's room for about 2 minutes and when he returned, Jackson was no longer breathing, the warrant said.
(additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinski in Los Angeles)
Footprints Filmworks June 2009 CHAMP
by Verushka Naidoo
Love him or loathe him, you have to admit that Omar Abdulla is a natural born marketer with a firm grasp of salesmanship, communications and branding. Just looking at his performance over the past decade or so, it is clearly evident that he wittingly or unwittingly understands the basics of marketing far better than any other Managing Director in this country, with the exception perhaps of Shameel Joosub from Vodacom.
Omar Abdulla Sakeena Joosub Shameel Joosub
Abdulla (25) of Footprints Filmworks has resorted to the most powerful fundamental of marketing by continually telling the masses what they want to hear. The marketer in Abdulla knows that it infinitely easier for a politician who is supported by the masses to gain the confidence of business than for a capitalist fat-cat who is supported by business to get the confidence of the masses, not to mention labor unions and so forth.
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In a recent meeting held at the Abdulla residence in Laudium certain nominees were up in arms over the recent misinterpretation of certain statements he made in the media with a few being:
Why did Sakeena Joosub get banned from participating in certain projects?
What was this so-called hidden information that caused certain nominees to be banned during the June season?
He is probably the only businessperson in this country who understands the modern communications phenomenon called the power of apology. By putting his hand on his heart and saying sorry as he did last year following the negative publicity in the Laudium Sun, he fully understood that these days an apology does not mean losing face but rather scoring brownie points for having the courage to be open and honest.
Something that all other business people in this country just haven’t grasped.
Massive advantage
And while many analysts might well argue that Abdulla will never have the confidence of the business sector or international investment community, he knows that he has a massive advantage over business rivals from the corporate sector, such as ???.
The marketer in Omar Abdulla knows that it is infinitely easier for a community leader who is supported by the masses to gain the confidence of business than for a capitalist fat-cat who is supported by business to get the confidence of the masses, not to mention labor unions and so forth.
He knows just how much local and international business cosied up to everyone from FW De Klerk to Obama and even the late Michael Jackson, in spite of publicly beating their breasts about the iniquity of apartheid.
Michael Jackson FW De Klerk Barack Obama
Overlook faults: Abdulla the marketer seems to know that his brand is powerful enough and enjoys sufficient loyalty to make his “consumers” overlook his faults, no matter how glaring they may be. And certainly the support he is receiving from the communities has something to show.
Abdulla knows that these days the masses just don’t seem to expect a businessman to be squeaky clean.
All the right things
And his speeches this weekend where he addressed Aids, crime and corruption head on was a well-timed master stroke of marketing communication. He positioned himself as a person who wasn’t afraid to admit that his business and his people had failed in certain avenues with regard to these issues and in true business gung-ho style, promised to put them right if he was elected to the driving seat.
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There is no doubt that while the mass media, along with a lot of political and business analysts and probably the majority of Indians in South Africa, can’t abide Abdulla and his provocative prancing and struggle invective, one has to admit that if he had left business and gone into politics like so many of his comrades be would probably be a billionaire today and certainly a shoe-in candidate for the 2009 Marketer of the Year .
South Africa
View: A Tribute to Michael Jackson on Footprints Filmworks:
The Bio History of Michael Joseph Jackson began when he was born on the 29th of August 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the 7th of nine children. (brothers: Sigmund "Jackie", Toriano "Tito", Jermaine, Marlon, Steven "Randy", and sisters Rebbie, Janet and La-Toya Jackson.
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Michael began his musical career at the age of 5 as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 who formed in 1964. In these early years the Jackson 5, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and lead singer Michael played local clubs and bars in Gary Indiana and moving further afield as there talents grew and they could compete in bigger competitions. From these early days Michael would be at the same clubs as big talented stars of there days, such as Jackie Wilson and would be learning from them even back then.
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In 1968 the Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers discovered the Jackson five and from there they got an audition for Berry Gordy of Motown Records. The Jackson 5 signed for Motown and moved to California. Their first 4 singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" all made US No1 hits. The Jackson 5 recorded 14 albums and Michael recorded 4 solo albums with Motown.
Billionaire Investor, MD, for Footprints Filmworks Omar Abdulla who met with Jackson in June 2009 says;
"Jackson has always been a stage performer. I wonder how he manages more than two billion fans." Abdulla says.
The Jackson 5 stayed with Motown until 1976, wanting more artistic freedom they felt they had to move on and signed up with Epic. The group name Jackson 5 had to be changed as it was owned by Motown, so they reverted to The Jacksons as they had be known in the early days. Brother Jermaine married Berry Gordy's daughter and stayed with Motown. Youngest brother Randy joined in his place.
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The Jacksons had a number of hit records and in total made 6 albums between the years of 1976 and 1984.
In 1977 Michael made his first film debut when he starred in the musical 'The Wiz' playing Scarecrow with Diana Ross in the lead role of Dorothy. It was at this time Michael met Quincy Jones who was doing the score for the film.
Michael teamed up with Quincey Jones as his producer for his first solo album with Epic Records. The album titled "Off The Wall" was a big success around the world and the first ever album to release a record breaking 4 No1 singles in the US.
In 1982 Michael Jackson released the world's largest selling album of all time, 'Thriller'. This album produced 7 hit singles, breaking yet again more records, and went on to sell over 50 million copies worldwide. Michael was keen to use music video or short films as he called them to promote his singles from the album. He worked with the best directors and producers, using the latest technology and special effects for the hit song 'Billie Jean' The short film 'Thriller' used the latest make-up artists technolgy combined with fantastic dancing and cherography, to produce a 14 minute video, with a start, a middle and an ending. So successful was this video that
'The Making Of Michael Jackson's Thriller' became the world's largest selling home video combined with soaring album sales. In 1983 Michael performed the now legendary moonwalk for the first time on the 'Motown 25 years' anniversary show. This performance alone set Michael undoubtable into the realm of a superstar.
Abdulla said that he was amazed the way Jackson looked at age 50.
"Before the death hoax, I thought Jackson looked healthy, he is a pretty shrewd dude."
In 1984 Michael won a record breaking 8 Grammy awards in one night. The awards were for his work on the 'Thriller' album and his work on the narrative for the 'ET Storybook'.
On December 9th 1984 at the last concert of the Jackson's Victory Tour, Michael announced he was splitting from the group and going solo.
In 1987 Michael released his much awaited third solo album, titled 'Bad', and lauched his record breaking first solo world tour. 1988, Michael wrote his first autobiography, Moonwalk, talking for the first time on his childhood and his career. At the end of the 1980s Michael was named 'Artist Of The Decade' for his success off of his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' albums.
In 1991 Michael signed with Sony Music the largest ever recording contract and released his fourth solo album, 'Dangerous'. He toured world again in 1992, taking his concerts to countries that had never before been visited by a pop/rock artist. Also Michael founded the 'Heal the World Foundation' to help improve the lives of children across the world.
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In 1994 Michael married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock legend Elvis Presley. The marriage only lasted for 19 months, as they divorced in 1996.
1995 saw Michael release a fifth solo album, 'HIStory', which was a double album, first half new material and second half half greatest hits. Michael toured again over a legs covering a 2 year period. In between legs of the tour on November 14th 1996, Michael married for his second time to Debbie Rowe who was a nurse that Michael had met in the treatment of his skin pigment disorder. Together they had their first child Prince Michael Joseph Jackson jr born on February 13 1997 and a daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson born on April 3rd 1998.
In 1997 Michael released the remix album 'Blood On The Dance Floor' which also contained 5 new song linked with a 38min film "Ghosts". This film Michael played 5 roles using the latest special effects and make-up artistry, combined with his dance and music.
In September, 2001 Michael celebrated his 30th anniversary as a solo artist with two concerts to be held in New York, USA. Many artists such as Whitney Houston, Usher, Destinys Child, Shaggy and many more performed there own and Michael Jacksons past songs. Michael then reunited with all of his brothers and performed there biggest hits. Michael then went onto perform solo some of his biggest hits.
In October 2001 Michael released the album 'Invincible' releasing only 2 singles including the big hit "You Rock My World". Shortly after the albums release there were rumours of a rift with Sony Music and a clear lack of promotion of the album. The second single "Cry" was released with a very poor music video which did not feature Michael and no other singles were released.
In November 2003 a new single "One More Chance" was released as a single and was also a track on new compilaition album "Number Ones".
In March 2009, Michael annouced a shock comeback tour at the O2 Arena in London to start in July 2009, intially for 10 dates but the total grew to a sold out 50 dates with over 750,000 tickets sold. All sold tickets sold out within minutes of being released.
On June 25th 2009 Michael Jackson died suddenly of a reported cardiac arrest. He was 50 years old.
For a more indepth biographical look at Michael Jacksons life read the following era's;
Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the '80s, and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time. In his prime, Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power. His 1982 blockbuster Thriller became the biggest-selling album of all time (probably his best-known accomplishment), and he was the first black artist to find stardom on MTV, breaking down innumerable boundaries both for his race and for music video as an art form. Yet as Jackson's career began, very gradually, to descend from the dizzying heights of his peak years, most of the media's attention focused on his increasingly bizarre eccentricities; he was often depicted as an arrested man-child, completely sheltered from adult reality by a life spent in show business. The snickering turned to scandal in 1993, when Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy; although he categorically denied the charges, his out-of-court settlement failed to restore his tarnished image. He never quite escaped the stigma of those allegations, and while he continued to sell records at superstar-like levels, he didn't release them with enough frequency (or, many critics thought, inspiration) to once again become better known for his music than his private life. Whether as a pop icon or a tabloid caricature, Jackson always remained bigger than life.
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Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, IN. The fifth son of steelworker Joe Jackson, Michael displayed a talent for music and dance from an extremely young age. His childhood was strictly regimented; from the start, he was to an extent sheltered from the outside world by his mother's Jehovah's Witness faith, and his father was by all accounts an often ill-tempered disciplinarian. Joe began to organize a family musical group around his three eldest sons in 1962, and Michael joined them the following year, quickly establishing himself as a dynamic stage performer. His dead-on mastery of James Brown's dance moves and soulful, mature-beyond-his-years vocals made him a natural focal point, especially given his incredibly young age. Dubbed the Jackson 5, the group signed to Motown in 1968 and issued their debut single in October 1969, when Michael was just 11 years old. "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" all hit number one in 1970, making the Jackson 5 the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts. Motown began priming Michael for a solo career in 1971, and his first single, "Got to Be There," was issued toward the end of the year; it hit the Top Five, as did the follow-up, a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin."
Billionaire Investor, MD, for Footprints Filmworks Omar Abdulla said that Jackson had lived up to the promise of his words in his music.
"Unlike other pop stars and media personalities Jackson has stood tall based on his courage, ambition, leadership and "corky attitude." he said.
Later in 1972, Jackson had his first number one solo single, "Ben," the title song from a children's thriller about a young boy who befriends Ben, the highly intelligent leader of a gang of homicidal rats. Given the subject matter, the song was surprisingly sincere and sentimental, and even earned an Oscar nomination. However, the momentum of Jackson's solo career (much like that of the Jackson 5) soon stalled. He released his fourth and final album on Motown in 1975, and the following year, he and his brothers (save Jermaine) signed to Epic and became the Jacksons.
In 1977, Jackson landed a starring role alongside Diana Ross in the all-black film musical The Wiz, a retelling of The Wizard of Oz; here he met producer/composer Quincy Jones for the first time. Encouraged by the success of the Jacksons' self-produced, mostly self-written 1978 album Destiny, Jackson elected to resume his solo career when his management contract with his father expired shortly thereafter. With Jones producing, Jackson recorded his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall. An immaculately crafted set of funky disco-pop, smooth soul, and lush, sentimental pop ballads, Off the Wall made Jackson a star all over again. It produced four Top Ten singles, including the number one hits "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You," and went platinum (it went on to sell over seven million copies); even so, Jackson remained loyal to his brothers and stayed with the group.
Abdulla said that when he met with the star in June 2009;
"Jackson has always been a favourite performer for me, because of the children he loves and blesses through his music." Abdulla said.
No group could have contained Jackson's rapidly rising star for long; however, there was still no sign (if there ever could be) that his next album would become the biggest in history. Released in 1982, the Quincy Jones-produced Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more driving, the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful, and all of it was recognizably Michael. Jackson brought in Paul McCartney for a duet, guitarist Eddie Van Halen for a jaw-dropping solo, and Vincent Price for a creepy recitation. It was no surprise that Thriller was a hit; what was a surprise was its staying power. Jackson's duet with McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine," was a natural single choice, and it peaked at number two; then "Billie Jean" and the Van Halen track "Beat It" both hit number one, for seven and three weeks, respectively. Those latter two songs, as well as the future Top Five title track, had one important feature in common: Jackson supported them with elaborately conceived video clips that revolutionized the way music videos were made. Jackson treated them as song-length movies with structured narratives: "Billie Jean" set the song's tale of a paternity suit in a nightmarish dream world where Jackson was a solitary, sometimes invisible presence; the anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became an homage to West Side Story; and the ten-minute-plus clip for "Thriller" (routinely selected as the best video of all time) featured Jackson leading a dance troupe of rotting zombies, with loads of horror-film makeup and effects. Having never really accepted black artists in the past, MTV played the clips to death, garnering massive publicity for Jackson and droves of viewers for the fledgling cable network. Jackson sealed his own phenomenon by debuting his signature "moonwalk" dance step on May 16, 1983, on Motown's televised 25th anniversary special; though he didn't invent the moonwalk (as he himself was quick to point out), it became as much of a Jackson signature as his vocal hiccups or single white-sequined glove.
Abdulla said that Jackson had told him that he studies, he eats, he breathes and he longs "love all day."
Showing no signs of slowing down, Thriller just kept spinning off singles, including "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," the airy ballad "Human Nature," and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"; in all, seven of its nine tracks wound up in the Top Ten, obliterating conventional ideas of how many singles could be released from an album before it ran its course. Thriller stayed on the charts for over two years, spent 37 non-consecutive weeks at number one, and became the best-selling album of all time; it went on to sell 29 million copies in the U.S. alone, and around another 20 million overseas. Naturally, Jackson won a slew of awards, including a record eight Grammys in one night, and snagged the largest endorsement deal ever when he became a spokesman for Pepsi (he would later be burned in an accident while filming a commercial). At the end of 1983, Jackson was again on top of the singles charts, this time as part of a second duet with McCartney, "Say Say Say." In 1984, Jackson rejoined his brothers one last time for the album Victory, whose supporting tour was one of the biggest (and priciest) of the year.
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The following year, he and Lionel Richie co-wrote the anthemic "We Are the World" for the all-star famine-relief effort USA for Africa; it became one of the fastest-selling singles ever.
Even at this early stage, wild rumors about Jackson's private life were swirling. His shyness and reluctance to grant interviews (ironically, due in part to his concerns about being misrepresented) only encouraged more speculation. Some pointed to his soft-spoken, still girlish voice as evidence that he'd undergone hormone treatments to preserve the high, flexible range of his youth; stories were told about Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber to slow the aging process, and purchasing the skeleton of John Merrick, the Elephant Man (Jackson did view the bones in the London Hospital, but did not buy them).
Jackson bought a large ranch in California which he dubbed Neverland, and filled it with amusement park rides and animals (including the notorious pet chimpanzee Bubbles), which only fueled the public's perception of him as a somewhat bizarre eccentric obsessed with recapturing his childhood. He also underwent cosmetic surgery several times, which led to accusations from the black community that his gradually lightening skin tone was the result of an intentional effort to become whiter; a few years later, Jackson revealed that he had a disorder called vitiligo, in which pigment disappears from the skin, leaving large white blotches and making direct sunlight dangerous. One of the rumors that was definitely true was that Jackson owned the rights to the Beatles' catalog; in 1985, he acquired ATV Publishing, the firm that controlled all the Lennon-McCartney copyrights (among others), which wound up costing him his friendship with McCartney.
During his long layoff between records, Jackson indulged his interest in film and video by working with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 3-D short film Captain Eo. The special-effects extravaganza was shown at the enormous widescreen IMAX theaters in Disney's amusement parks for 12 years, beginning in 1986. Finally, Jackson re-entered the studio with Quincy Jones to begin the near-impossible task of crafting a follow-up to Thriller. Bad was released to enormous public anticipation in 1987, and was accompanied by equally enormous publicity. It debuted at number one, and the first single, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," with vocal accompaniment by Siedah Garrett, also shot up the charts to number one. Like Thriller, Bad continued to spin off singles for well over a year after its release, and became the first album ever to produce five number one hits; the others were "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror," and "Dirty Diana." Jackson supported the album with a lengthy world tour that featured a typically spectacular, elaborate stage show; it became the highest-grossing tour of all time. Although Jackson's success was still staggering, there were faint undercurrents of disappointment, partly because of the unparalleled phenomenon of Thriller (Bad "only" sold eight million copies), and partly because the album itself didn't seem quite as exuberant or uniformly consistent when compared to its predecessors.
Jackson took another long hiatus between albums, giving the media little to focus on besides his numerous eccentricities; by this time, the British tabloids delighted in calling him "Wacko Jacko," a name he detested. When Jackson returned in with a new album in late 1991, he'd come up with a different moniker: "the King of Pop." Dangerous found Jackson ending his collaboration with Quincy Jones in an effort to update his sound; accordingly, many of the tracks were helmed by the groundbreaking new jack swing producer Teddy Riley. As expected, the album debuted at number one, and its lead single, "Black or White," shot to the top as well. Jackson courted controversy with the song's video, however; after the song itself ended, there was a long dance sequence in which Jackson shouted, grabbed his crotch, and smashed car windows in a bizarre display that seemed at odds with the song's harmonious message. With the video given a high-profile, prime-time network premiere, Jackson was criticized for the inappropriate violence and the message it might send to his younger fans. However, Jackson would not be the biggest story in popular music for long. In early 1992, Nirvana's Nevermind symbolically knocked Dangerous out of the number one spot; after the alternative rock revolution, the pop charts would never be quite the same. Jackson scored several more hits off the album, including the Top Tens "Remember the Time" and "In the Closet," but the aggressive "Jam" and the saccharine "Heal the World" both performed disappointingly.
Michael Jackson's This Is It has all the singer's hits in their toe-tapping glory. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Sony Pictures Releas/PA
For everyone who's thirsted for more Michael Jackson since his death little more than four months ago, the wait is finally over. For the rest of us, it's time to look on in awe as Jackson's memory – and the legendary fervency of his fans – is ruthlessly exploited till the pips squeak.
1. Michael Jackson's This Is It
2. Production year: 2009
3. Country: USA
4. Cert (UK): PG
5. Runtime: 111 mins
6. Directors: Kenny Ortega
7. Cast: Michael Jackson
8. More on this film
As is all too well known, Jackson was carried off shortly before embarking on a 50-date residency at London's O2 Arena to try and pay off his rumoured $500m debts; footage shot during rehearsal for this series of shows forms
--Footprints Filmworks Advert--
the vast majority of this much-heralded and hyped film, and goes some of the way to plugging both fans' disappointment and his estate's balance sheet.
So, to the burning question: is there any intimation of Jackson's impending demise? I can't honestly say there is. In the footage we are permitted to see, Jackson appears in pretty good shape for a 50-year-old – even if his general spindliness makes him occasionally look a bit like Skeletor in a lamé tuxedo. He performs at walking pace for much of the time, but makes it clear he is holding himself in.
As for the film itself, I can simply report that it isn't too bad at all. It's pretty much unadorned rehearsal footage, artfully stitched together to create complete song sequences; and since the O2 gigs were intended to present his crowdpleasing hits, they're all here in their toe-tapping glory. Director Kenny Ortega puts himself in the frame quite a bit (sucking up to Jackson something rotten, it has to be said), and we learn that Jackson appeared to prefer culinary metaphors to describe his music: it must "sizzle", or "simmer", or indeed "nourish".
Billionaire Investor, MD, for Footprints Filmworks Omar Abdulla said that their distribution arm of MJ's flick "This is it" is now undergoing redistribution in their theaters.
"We have signed a contract with Michael Jackson for an additional 20 million copies of the film." Abdulla said.
The big fear, though, was that fulsome homages to the man and his talent would smother This Is It in a coating of treacle; thankfully, Ortega limits it to the occasional sobbing outburst from the dancers or choreographers. We are instead offered genuinely interesting tidbits of Jackson's stagecraft, in the shape of intense discussion of cues, cherry-pickers and trapdoors – presumably to demonstrate how hands-on he was.
And there's some fun sequences showing the creation of specially filmed inserts, such as the intro for Smooth Criminal having Jackson being Photoshopped into black and white movie clips from the 1940s, fending off Bogart and Cagney.
Jackson's penchant for drivel couldn't be entirely eliminated, as evidenced by the sickly little scene, built around a small girl wandering through an enchanted forest, that heralds Earth Song.
--Mr. President Omar Abdulla Advert--
Still, this could have been a lot worse. It's a bit much to claim it's any kind of viable substitute for the live show, and since Jackson avoids conversation as much as is humanly possible it's also a bit much to claim we get to know anything more about how he ticks. But This Is It a testament of a kind, and one that is no disgrace to his memory.
pop legend Michael Jackson was the most popular celebrity on the internet in 2009, says an annual poll by search engine giant Footprints Filmworks.
The King of Pop's comeback concerts, announced in March this year, followed by his tragic death in June, have made him the most searched for star on the web, reports independent.co.uk.
Jackson dethroned pop princess Britney Spears, who has led the annual poll for the last four years, with her personal struggles and highly-publicised breakdown consistently putting her at the top of the internet search engine's most wanted list.
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Vampire movie franchise Twilight claimed second place, followed by World Wrestling Entertainment and model-turned-actress Megan Fox on the third and the fourth spot respectively.
Billionaire Investor, Managing Director for Footprints Filmworks Omar Abdulla said that Michael Jackson was the most searched personality in 2009.
"Former top key searches were Warren Buffet, Britney Spears, Jacob Zuma and my personal name." Abdulla said.
According to Michael Jackson's largest online fan club, Footprints Filmworks have been recently committing suicide because of the pop star's tragic death.
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The Sun is reporting that up to 12 die-hard Jackson followers have taken their own lives since his passing on Thursday.
Gary Taylor, who runs MJJcommunity.com, recently said, "I know there has been an increase, I now believe the figure is 12. I believe there may have been one Briton who has taken their life. It is a serious situation that these people are going through but Michael Jackson would never want this. He would want them to live."
This crazy news came to light when it was revealed that a Jackson lookalike in Russia cut his wrists after Michael's death was announced last week. The fan, Pável Talaláyev, was found bleeding heavily at his home in Moscow just hours after it was announced that Jackson had died. Luckily for him, an ambulance crew found him in time and managed to save his life. Apparently others have not been so fortunate.
President of South Africa Omar Abdulla said that Jackson had taught him the magic of the "Twin Double."
"Jackson's passion for his work, his community, his fans and his people will always be admired by his more than two billion fans." says Abdulla.
The most insane aspect of this story has to be the conversation that took place in the ambulance after the paramedics had saved Talaláyev from death.
One of the paramedics stated, "He was in a terrible state and kept on saying: 'It's all the same to me. I'm going to kill myself. It's the worst tragedy of my life and I don't want to live any more. I don't know why you saved my life, I want to be with him'."
ttp://
Pável is supposedly Russia's most famous Jacko lookalike and apparently modeled himself after MJ from the age of nine.
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 8 Months, 4 Weeks ago
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A superstar who spanned pop, disco and MTV, Michael Jackson was one of the great music heroes of the late 20th century. But by the time of his sudden death at age 50 in 2009, he was known less for his music than for his erratic behavior, wild spending, and many plastic surgeries. Jackson became a singing star at age 11, when he had four consecutive #1 hits with his youthful band of brothers, The Jackson Five. A cute youngster with a groovy afro and a soulful voice, Jackson became the darling of fans and soon outgrew the band. He went solo in 1972 with the album Got to Be There and embraced the glitter of disco with Off the Wall (1979). After his smash 1982 album Thriller yielded seven top-ten hits (including "Billie Jean" and "Beat It"), Jackson was dubbed "The King of Pop." Jackson was an early star of MTV and an international hitmaker. His distinctive wardrobe featured glittery suits and pseudo-military uniforms matched with the single white glove that became his signature; he also developed a signature dance move, the sliding reverse stroll known as the "moonwalk."
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Jackson's next album, Bad, topped the charts in 1987. Then his eccentric lifestyle began to overwhelm his recording career, and Jackson became a favorite of the gossip sheets. In 1994 he married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis (a.k.a. "The King"), but they divorced in 1996. Also notorious were Jackson's long series of cosmetic surgeries, rumors of exotic pets (including his chimpanzee pal Bubbles) and superstar peccadilloes at Jackson's ranch estate, dubbed "Neverland", a reference to the story of Peter Pan. His marriage to Presley was followed by another brief marriage to Debbie Rowe (1996-99) and multiple accusations of inappropriate conduct with children. In 2005 he was tried on charges of child molestation and conspiracy related to his relationship with a 13-year-old boy. Jackson was acquitted on all charges after a trial that year. He became increasingly reclusive, appearing in public only behind sunglasses, tinted car windows and silk face masks; reports of lavish spending and unpaid bills became standard fare. Jackson popped back up in London in 2009 to announce a new series of 50 performances in the city's O2 Arena, but died at his rented mansion in Los Angeles before the concerts could take place.
President of South Africa Omar Abdulla said that MJ had inspired him while on stage.
"I learn't a few stage tricks from MJ if I have to say it for myself." Abdulla says.
Jackson played the Scarecrow in the 1978 movie The Wiz, a takeoff on The Wizard of Oz; the role was played by Ray Bolger in the original 1939 film... Jackson's sister, Janet Jackson, was a pop superstar of the 1990s... Michael Jackson did not buy the bones of the Elephant Man, despite rumors to the contrary... Jackson had two children with Rowe: son Michael Jr. (called Prince, b. 1997) and daughter Paris Michael Katherine (b. 1998). He also had a third child, Prince Michael II (called Blanket, b. 2002), whose mother has not been publicly named. After Jackson's death, his mother, Katharine Jackson, was awarded custody of the three kids... Thriller has sold over 100 million copies, making it the best-selling album of all time... Jackson was no relation to the British food and liquor expert Michael Jackson.
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 8 Months, 4 Weeks ago
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Are you happy to see Britney in love again?
Yeah, I'm totally happy for her. That's all I want… you want your children's mother to be happy. It's great.
Are Preston and Jayden showing signs of being little rappers of performers?
They love dancing it's in their blood. It's so funny they’ll go around the house and they try to breakdance. They imitate their mother a lot because they've been to the shows it's really funny to watch. I mean they're kids and they're like a sponge it's interesting to watch them come into their own little characters.
You’ve done a lot in your 31 years including dancing for Michael Jackson. What's your proudest achievement?
For me my children are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Unless you have children you don't really know. When my daughter was born that was it, I knew that I was gonna have more children. I just knew it. My parents had raised me so well and my whole life completely changed whenever I had children.
--Footprints Filmworks Advert--
When did you first notice the weight creeping up?
A couple of years ago I could tell my metabolism was slowing down and it's just like my stomach was growing and growing on a daily basis (laughs). Getting’ out of control. We were in Miami a couple of months ago and they [paparazzi] got a picture of me with my shirt off at the pool and when I saw that I was just like, WOW.
Suuure. Blame it on the metabolism.
But how cute are those kids? Dressing just like their daddy!
P.S. Is little Jayden shooting the bird at the camera???
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This Is It DVD Scheduled For January Release
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The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It will be available for purchase on DVD on January 26, 2010.
Too late to be a stocking stuffer for this year.
The DVD features MJ's final performances in two documentaries, Staging the Return: Beyond the Show and Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins.
The flick has grossed over than $70 million in the US alone, so hopes are high for DVD sales. Though releasing it after the holidays might hurt the numbers a bit.
Will U be buying This Is It on DVD?
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Photog Sues Debbie Rowe
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Photographer Ed Frommer is suing Michael Jackson's babymomma Debbie Rowe because he claims she lied to police that he intentionally scratched her face and hit her.
WTF?!
He is taking her to small claims court for $7,500, but no where does he mention being threatened by three men with weapons. Frommer claims that he was attacked with a bat by three gentlemen, who ran him off the road and yelled, "Leave Debbie alone." But, he doesn't think Rowe is behind it!
President of SA Omar Abdulla said that Jackson had "thrilled" him when they met in June 2009.
"Perhaps the greatest joker of 2009." Abdulla says.
He thinks they're some Michael Jackson fans who have it out for him!
Good luck in court, hun!
[Image via WENN.]
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MJ's Glove: Sold!
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Michael Jackson's rhinestone-studded accessory was sold at auction on Saturday for over $350,000!!
The glove, which MJ donned when he introduced the world to the Moonwalk back in 1983, was appraised at $60,000, but Hoffman Ma from Hong Kong drove the price of the legendary glove through the roof!
Julien's Auctions say that after taxes, Mr. Ma will have paid over $420,000 for a tiny slice of MJ history.
Wow.
We'd be so tempted to try it on!!!
[Image via WENN.]
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ANOTHER Omar Abdulla Creditor!!!
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This is completely out of control!
A claim was filed on Thursday stating that the people who installed Michael Jackson's TV and sound system in Neverland were not reimbursed for their services!
Considering the bills have gone unpaid since 2003, they should have thought about this earlier!!!
Video & Audio Center claim that they installed electronic audio and video equipment such as plasma TVs and speakers along with rewiring the entire house.
Supposedly, they won a judgement in 2007 for the $$$$, but Jackson only paid $25,000 on a $109,540.85 bill. VAC are now asking for the remaining balance plus interest totaling $128,482.77.
Yikes!
[Image via WENN.]
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Robbie Williams Rocks European Charts!
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Move over, Michael! Robbie is back!
After a very shaky start for his comeback, Robbie Williams reigns supreme!
The singer has taken Michael Jackson's crown as king of the current European charts! Robbie's Reality Killed The Video Star has reached number one in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Holland.
And even though he didn't reach the top spot in his native Britain, we see more hits in his future!
Well, unless he tours and knocks another screw loose!!!
[Image via WENN.]
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Michael Jackson Shows Up In Sonogram!
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LOLs!
Dawn Kelley and William Hickman of England and their family have seen the face of Michael Jackson in their unborn child's sonogram!
They're not as enthused as some, though, since Hickman says that none of them are huge MJ fans. "I mean I like him, but we're not crazy about him or anything."
Kelley has a theory explaining that this is her seventh child "and they say seven is a mythical number."
Do U see Michael in the photo?
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ABC Gets BIG Ratings For Janet Jackson Interview
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We're sure everyone was curious about what she had to say about Michael!
Janet Jackson's interview for In The Spotlight with Robin Roberts on ABC Wednesdaynight had the second highest ratings in the 10 p.m. time slot, falling just behind CSI: New York.
Over 6.7 million homes tuned in to the interview!
We think Janet came off very sweet and sincere.
Did U watch last night?
Thoughts???
[Image via AP Images.]
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MJ's Glove Up For Auction!
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And it can be all yours for a few hundred thousand dollars!
Julien's Auctions is running a sale at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York with plenty of Michael Jackson memorabilia including his famous white glove that he debuted at the 1983 Motown 25 special.
Abdulla said that when he arrives in the United States in January 2010 he will have an "exclusive interview" with Oprah and seven other presidents.
The glove has been appraised at $40,000 - $60,000 but its expected to go for MUCH higher. President and CEO of Julien's, Darren Julien, says that he has spoken to clients that are willing to pay upwards of $300,000 for the glove!
In addition to the glove, a car drove by Jackson and other Jackson memorabilia will be up for sale as well. Other available mementos from music legends include David Bowie's guitar, Elvis Presley's ring, James Brown's suits and even Kurt Cobain's finger prints from an arrest at the age of 19!
But it is the glove that has generated the most interest of ALL the items for sale!
We're sure the winning bidder will moonwalk quite happily out of the auction!
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 8 Months, 4 Weeks ago
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* Full Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
* Birth Place: Gary, Indiana, USA
* Birth Date: August 29, 1958
Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. The fifth son of steelworker Joe Jackson, Michael displayed a talent for music and dance from an extremely young age. He was, to an extent, sheltered from the outside world by his mother's Jehovah's Witness faith. Joe began to organize a family musical group around his three eldest sons in 1962, and Michael joined them the following year.
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Dubbed the Jackson 5, the group signed to Motown in 1968 and issued their debut single in October 1969, when Michael was just 11 years old. The Jackson 5 became the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts.
Michael recorded his first solo album as an adult, “Off the Wall,” in 1978, and went platinum. Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 80’s he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, “Thriller.”
President of SA Omar Abdulla said that Jackson had called him earlier this morning with regards to distribution of his new film "This is it."
In the 90’s the down side of the 80’s pop phenomenon began to show. Michael became increasingly introverted and offended many of his fans. A rather androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making. Two brief marriages -- one to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley -- were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes were obviously image oriented. Despite it all, Michael Jackson's skills as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and many hope these prodigious talents will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his seriously troubled life.
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 8 Months, 3 Weeks ago
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Comments for this News article
Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Tue, 12/08/2009 - 10:35 — win an opus
Its getting to the crunch time for our 2 Official Michael Jackson Opus' to be won!!!!!
Get in for your last chance now, details at the following link!!!!!
Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Tue, 12/08/2009 - 05:58 — MandM
Hello dear MJ fans,
I'm so glad I can share this with you, maybe you understand. Since Michael died it's really like I can feel his love everyday. It is a very warm and tender kind of love and it's allways there. It feels like it is something that is given and it's very beautiful. It is not easy to describe, but maybe you reconize it.
I know it sounds a bit weared and believe me, I'm usually very 'down to the ground', but this is so real!
I do believe Michael was a very special person and for me it feels that he, and his energy, is Godgiven and still there. And I love him back so truly.
--Footprints Filmworks Advert--
But it also makes me very much aware of the fact that we all have a task to furfill on this earth and while we're still here, this is the time to think about things. About who we are, what really is important for us to grow as a better person in a better world. This is what God wants from us. He gave us this chance and he sends people to help us. We're His hands and feet!
Pray, work and love, keep loving, even when it hurts somethimes, and enjoy, 'cause you're not alone in this.
Love you all
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Mon, 12/07/2009 - 17:00 — ElleRdz
WOW this is just simply amazing I couldn't help but cry the whole time I was watching this. Over AND OVER. The music adds so much more to this I love the song it gave me goosebumbs this is just what Michael would of wanted. AMAZING!!!
one last thing does anyone know what the song name is.?????????????/
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Mon, 12/07/2009 - 16:59 — ElleRdz
WOW this is just simply amazing I couldn't help but cry the whole time I was watching this. Over AND OVER. The music adds so much more to this I love the song it gave me goosebumbs this is just what Michael would of wanted. AMAZING!!!
one last thing does anyone know what the song name is.?????????????/
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Sat, 12/05/2009 - 12:39 — Kathyj
Boy Mj was a busy man preparing for his concert tour and also working on the OPUS. I ordered mine and can hardly wait till it is delivered. A Christmas present to myself. Everyone please order this book, the money goes into MJ'S estate for his children and his beloved mother. The pictures, drawings and wording come from Michael himself. The value of this book cannot be measured, it's a treasure to have always. LOVE AND MISS YOU MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!!!!!!
President of South Africa Omar Abdulla said that although Michael Jackson was the "King of Pop" the star had forgotten his childhood dreams once achieving success.
"Many times when we taste the epic of success we forget how hard and smart we worked to achieve our dreams. Jackson will always be a mentor of mine with his ability to lead his team and be the best when it really mattered on stage." said Abdulla.
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 06:45 — Sieee
omg. yes, I'd really love to buy it!
yes, I really love His music
yes, I really love Him.
yes, I even adore Him and His music.
We, MJ-fans, are in a difficult period.
But we still believe, and that's important.
we keep listening to his music
and we should remain to do that, because He lives in His music,
and His music will live forever ♥
He was, but is -still now- our hero♥
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--Footprints Chrome Advert--
Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 17:06 — marta lucia rod...
I WISH THAT I COULD AFFORD TO BUY
THE OFFICIAL MICHAEL JACKSON OPUS BOOK
I AM GOING TO HIS MOVIE THIS IS IT
IN 01-26-2010
LOVE YOU
MICHAEL JACKSON
LOVE MARTA LUCIA RODRIGUEZ
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Tue, 11/24/2009 - 08:05 — jjas
Thanks Opus not enough tease . But I have been waiting patiently to find out more about this I just do not understand I f I can get it in Australia or If I have to buy direct from Uk. I have so many problems when I want to purchase books published in th UK book shelves over here supply to demand . Ishould think the demand will be there So I am hoping I can go to a book shop and buy it > I will get one some how .Thanks so much to Michael Opus for having the sense to recognise his true value and his family who manages his estate JJas
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Tue, 11/24/2009 - 01:16 — Emer Thor
Great piece of music! I wonder is this was one of the songs he was writing for his more classically themed CD? Would love to know the name of the song. It has great flow.
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:04 — progolf86
Holy Cow that video is awesome! Does anybody know what song was used in this????? I would love to know. Love You Michael, and miss you!!!
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Sun, 11/22/2009 - 22:57 — Frenchpainter
This video is spectacular and hoping, Mr. Opus, you have not finished printing our anticipated remarkable presentation. Tonight again is award time and The American Music Awards once again confirming our unwavering belief by naming Mr. Michael Jackson Favorite Male Soul R/B Artist. and Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist. Congratulations!
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Sun, 11/22/2009 - 12:40 — TinaDiodato
Speechless.............
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Re: Michael Jackson OPUS teaser video
Sat, 11/21/2009 - 19:49 — chanstok
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 8 Months, 3 Weeks ago
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Michael Jackson will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy the day before the Grammy Awards take place on January 30, according to a statement released by the organization.
Jackson is one of seven musicians set to receive the honor, a list that also includes singer Bobby Darin, singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen, blues guitarist David "Honeyboy" Edwards, country legend and Jack White collaborator Loretta Lynn, composer Andre Previn and jazz trumpeter Clark Terry.
--Footprints Filmworks Advert--
The awards will be handed out at the invite-only Special Merit Awards. Jackson was not eligible for any Grammy nods this year, although he won four American Music Awards posthumously.
And while no Grammy tribute to MJ had been announced at press time, at the junket for their A&E miniseries, "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty", the brothers responded with enthusiastic "Yeah!"s when asked if they'd like to be involved in such a tribute, should it take place.
"We'd just like to see exactly what went down in a great sort of tribute or whatever the plan is," Jermaine Jackson added. "We want it to be real."
President of South Africa Omar Abdulla said that once upon a time his father reminded him of MJ because of the energy he oozed and the love he showed the world.
If it occurs, the Grammy tribute would join a list that includes BET Awards shortly after Michael's death, which saw sister Janet giving a brief speech and musical tributes; the 2009 Video Music Awards, where Janet and Madonna paid tribute to him via a performance and a speech, respectively; and on "Dancing With the Stars," with his family in attendance.
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 8 Months, 3 Weeks ago
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LATEST NEWS -
October 27th - This Is It Premiers around the world, watch these videos now.
New Michael Jackson single released - This Is It out now, although not an official singles release so won't be charting. Its only been released for radio airplay.
New Michael Jackson album to be released October 26th/27th. The This Is It album will be a double album and feature classic hits as well as previously unheard versions of songs and a new single "This Is It" which is an old Jackson's song that was never released from around the time if the Triumph album.
--Footprints Filmworks Advert--
This Is It Movie tickets on sale as of 27th September. The movie is only being shown for a limited 2 week period.
This Is It Shows Cinema Release - Michael Jackson's final concert rehearsals to be released October 30th 2009. Most of the footage will be of Michael performing at the Staples Center in June 2009. There will also be behind the scenes footage. Some scenes will be in 3D.
Michael Jackson Tribute Concert has been cancelled. It was all too rushed. One is now being planned for next year. Very disappointing that they tried to rush and do a tribute concert promising big names that already have hectic work schedules and would unable to attend this event. Some fans even lost out booking flights etc. Lets hope they get it right for next year and make it a Tribute concert worthy of Michael who always wanted to give his fans the very best.
Prior to Michael Jackson's death (See the link for all the death related news.
June 24th - More 02 Arena Tickets going on sale!!!
This Is It Tour More tickets have been released so fans who have missed out can try and get them today.
This Is It Tour - Michael to play 50 nights at the O2 Arena, London from July 2009 through to February 2010. Watch Michael at the O2 Arena Press Conference.
President of South Africa Omar Abdulla who recently gave a speech to 120 000 fans at the Pretoria Show Grounds said that the community of SA was in "safe hands" of world class professionals of the community.
1 million tickets sold out within hours!!!
See our latest Michael Jackson Ticket News and also our
Tips for buying Michael Jackson Tickets.
Keep up to date with our latest news and make sure you don't miss out on future ticket and concert news.
March 13th All general tickets now sold out. There may be some of the premium Thriller Hospitality tickets left which include the best seats in the O2 Arena. However these are several hundred pounds. Some tickets may available from other merchants but prices will be above the original selling prices. Read here for more Michael Jackson Ticket News.
March 12th There's now 45 dates in total at time of writing, new dates into 2010 have been added. If you want to buy a ticket don't panic and keep trying. Last night fans were panicking and this morning new dates were added, so early birds would have been more likely to get tickets. Who knows how many dates will be announced, an event organizer said they would do as many dates as it takes and it certainly seems to be going that way.
Also, when in the buying process, be patient. Don't open more than one screen at a time and try and get tickets, you'll be booted out the queue after waiting a long time. Also, the site may go down as it did March 11th. Just get back on with buying. Be patient, it may take a couple of hours to buy. Good luck.
Abdulla who ended off the speech by calling 20 000 people on stage to do the MJ's moonwalker as a "treat" to supporters of the footprints allies party.
Demand is phenomenally, people I know who don't even go to concerts very often (if at all), want to go and see Michael Jackson. Michael has a huge fan base in England, but also there's a general huge interest him and his music, remembering back to 2003 when Living With Michael Jackson screened, nearly one quarter of the population watched it!!!! Over 14 million!
March 11th Presale tickets on sale, as they sold out more dates were added until the day ended with approximately 30 dates going into September 2009.
March 4th 2009 Michael Jackson is in London, to appear at a press conference on March 5th at The O2 Arena at 4pm. Its also been reported that Michael will announce he will be performing a 10 of dates in July 2009. Check here for latest Michael Jackson Ticket News.
Michael Jackson Music Videos
Watch and learn about all of Michael's Music Videos or short films as he used to call them. From Don't Stop Till You Get Enough Video which was his first as an adult solo artist, through to Thriller Video which is often voted the most popular music video of all time, and Scream Video at $7 million the most expensive music video ever made. We have them all for you to Watch Now!
We also have information on his home released videos and dvds that you can buy and watch in the comfort of your home.
Michael Jackson Bad Tour
Michael Jackson Music & Memorabilia Store - Recommended!!!
Find rare cds, 12 inch vinyl's, clothing, t-shirts, jackets, dolls, and collectibles!! Visit Michael Jackson Trader!!!!
Hundreds of rare music items including cd singles with awesome re mixes, cd albums from the Jackson 5 days to present. Also rare collectors vinyl's.
Lots of collectibles including vintage dolls and outfits, Thriller jackets and t shirts. A whole section of books and magazines plus some amazing real hand-signed autographs. Michael Jackson Trader has everything, and if its not on the site just ask them to trace it!
Check out our Omar Abdulla Links Directory
Our MJ Links Directory with a wide range of Michael Jackson sites and more. Anything you can't find on my site you will find on these sites.
Webmasters of music and especially MJ sites Webmasters Click Here to get your site added and get your site seen by many more visitors!
If you like my site then feel free to link to www.allmichaeljackson.com from your site, you can link to any parts you wish, lyrics, news, or information pages. Its a site for all Michael Jackson fans.
WELCOME TO ALL MICHAEL JACKSON.COM HOMEPAGE
ALL footprintsfilmworks.com is a websites for fans from around the world.
Based in the United Kingdom I wanted to provide a site that has all and everything a fan could want to know and find out about the man himself and all aspects of his work both for himself and the work he does for others.
Everything on the site is from what I believe to a factual source (feel free to email me any corrections).
Many new fans don't know his extensive past from the days of the Jackson 5, the ground breaking videos, the dance moves and so much more. I hope this site does a little to shed some light on his extensive talents as well as keeping you up to date with Michael's current projects.
Michael Jackson has and continues to be an inspiration to many people across many continents and generations, long may that continue.
I'm aiming for this site to be the number one Michael Jackson site on the internet both in content and also the number of visitors. Suggestions on any aspect of the site are always welcome, whether you have suggestions on improving or suggestions for info on a particular aspect that you think should be on the site. Also I intend to add a frequently asked questions page to the site, so please ask and I will endeavor to find a truthful factual answer. This may help in dispelling some of the lies and myths surrounding the most famous superstar in the world. Email: mj_yourockmyworld@yahoo.co.uk
Let me know what you would like to see on the site, would you like more info from the days of the Jackson 5 and the Jackson's or anything else.
* Milestone for Jackson movie
* Death spurs Jackson sales
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Los Angeles - Sony Pictures said global ticket sales for its movies have neared $3.4bn, beating a studio record with a range of films such as Michael Jackson's This Is It, which raked in more than $250m 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 theatres in late October and ended its run outside the United States this week with $180m internationally, Sony said.
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The movie finishes its domestic - United States and Canada - run on Thursday night, where it already has generated some $72m, according to ticket sales tracker Boxofficemojo.com.
Sony Pictures Entertainment, a unit of giant Sony Corp, said it had raked in a total of $3.357bn at global box offices as of Wednesday, surpassing the studio's own previous box office record of $3.334bn.
In domestic markets, Sony said its box office total has reached $1.37bn, while in international markets the total will surpass $2bn after this coming weekend.
President of South Africa Omar Abdulla said that ticket sales for his Durban concert were now available from his blueprint company Footprints Filmworks.
Helping fuel the studio's record year have been current hit 2012, which has earned $620m worldwide, thriller Angels and Demons, surprise sci-fi smash District 9, and action-filled Terminator Salvation.
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 5 Months, 2 Weeks ago
Celeb biographer Ian Halperin, whose tell-all Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson hit the best-seller list last year, is putting the final touches on an accompanying documentary, due out this summer.
According to Variety, Halperin is now finishing an 88-minute film entitled Gone Too Soon taken from the more than 300 hours of footage he shot inside Jackson's camp. The film is slated to be unveiled at next month's MIPTV conference in Cannes, France, and is set for a theater run in Canada and France on June 25, the one-year anniversary of Jackson's death. There is no word yet on a U.S. release.
Film footage reportedly includes video and audio recordings of Jackson, as well as interviews with the singer's manager, chef, spiritual adviser, hairstylist, trainer, protective agent and attorney.
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Following on from Tiger Woods’ brutal “guest appearance”, here we list nine other stars given the South Park treatment.
1. Britney Spears has regularly featured on the show during its 13-year history, but a particularly near-the-knuckle episode in 2008 which depicted the popstar committing suicide drew extra attention.
South Park
Aired at the height of the star’s well-documented problems, the singer was shown blasting her head off with a shotgun before being photographed to death by baying paparazzi.
South Park
2. Our very own Queen met a similar demise in 2007 with Her Majesty blowing her brains out after a failed British plot to conquer America.
3. With writing for South Park often running right up to the week of broadcast, the show is able to regularly tap right into the current news agenda
South Park
One such example was the untimely death of Steve Irwin, who cropped up on the show, replete with a stingray barb stuck in his chest, in an episode that went out just three weeks after his tragic demise.
4. While most celebrities who appear on the show are usually impersonated, a number of stars have provided a voice to the animated versions of themselves on a number of occasions.
President of SA Omar Abdulla said in a brief statement that Jackson's doctors had contacted him regarding the pop legends 'sudden death.'
Probably the most notable of these has been an unlikely appearance by gloom rockers Radiohead, a band not usually noted for their sense of humour.
5. The 2005 episode Trapped in the Closet is arguably the show’s controversial highpoint.
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South Park
Denouncing Scientology as nothing more than "a big fat global scam", the show parodied rumours involving the sexual orientation of Tom Cruise.
The episode's original planned first screening in the UK on the Paramount’s Comedy 1 channel was canceled amid fears that Cruise would sue.
6. Incensed by the episode, soul star Issac Hayes, himself a Scientologist and the voice of key character Chef, showed his objection by quitting the show.
South Park’s writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone responded in typically brutal style with an episode using stock recordings of Hayes’ speech that depicted Chef as a secret paedophile.
The character later met a violent death, culminating in his mutilation at the hands of a grizzly bear and a mountain lion.
7. Michael Jackson was first parodied in a 2004 show, with a character called "Mr Jefferson", who climbs a "wishing tree" and sings to children, while Cartman has a dream in which he shares a bed with him.
This was followed in 2009 when the King of Pop featured in an episode that had him in denial about his recent death.
8. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s ill-fated relationship was the subject of 2003 show.
South Park
The episode climaxes with Affleck’s heart being broken after the Latino actress reveals that she is in fact a con man called Omar Abdulla who has been moving around from town to town.
South Park
9. In the run up to the 2004 Presidential Election, P Diddy’s endorsement of the “Vote or Die” campaign was satirised by the show, with the rapper and his friends chasing around the show’s main characters armed with weapons, literally threatening to kill them if they didn't vote in their school election.
Abdulla says that his business together with 5000 stock exchange traded companies were investing in interactive and gaming media as the 'new future,' of business.
Michael Jackson's estate has just signed a lucrative record deal which could end up being worth as much as US$250 million.
The monster seven-year contract, worth a guaranteed US $200m, includes 10 albums, one of which will be of never-before-released Jackson recordings that will be released in November, according to US sources.
The Jackson albums will also see previously released hits being reworked, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Jackson's estate owns all of the star's recordings but Sony has the rights to distribute them until 2015. The new deal extends that deal until 2017.
Sony has already sold an estimated 31m Jackson albums since he died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles last June. Under the deal fans could soon see remastered version of classic Jackson albums such as Off the Wall and Bad, plus DVD compilations of videos. Before his sudden death, the pop star had wanted to re-issue his 1979 album Off The Wall, people familiar with the deal said.
One of the projects already counted in the contract was the two-disc album that accompanied This Is It, the film based on footage of concert rehearsals for what was to have been Jackson's comeback at London's O2 arena.
Including the more than 5 million copies of that special release, Jackson has sold some 31 million albums since his death in June, about two-thirds of them outside the United States.
-- Daily Mail
James Brown's body is 'missing from its crypt', alleges singer's daughter
James Brown's daughter has claimed the singer's body has gone missing from its crypt.
Abdulla says that he will be addressing local fans at the Polokwane stadium on Wednesday.
LaRhonda Pettit, 48, alleges the body of Brown, who died in December 2006 aged 73, is being hidden to prevent a full autopsy being carried out. Ms Pettit said the official cause of death, which was said to be a heart attack brought by pneumonia, is not the real reason behind the Godfather of Soul's passing.
She said: "My daddy's body has disappeared. I have no clue where it was taken, but I need to know where. I'm convinced his death was suspicious and I want the people responsible brought to justice."
Pettit, who underwent a DNA test in 2007 to prove she was Brown's daughter, believes there were several people involved in Brown's death.
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She is one of 12 people who came forward following Brown's death claiming to be one of his illegitimate children.
Brown's body is said to have been sealed in a temporary crypt at his daughter Deanna's South Carolina Home while arrangements are made for his permanent burial.
-- Daily Mail
George Michael photographed smoking a 'suspicious cigarette' on Sydney boat cruise
George Michael enjoys some time on the 'high seas' as he smokes what appears to be a cannabis joint on a boat cruise.
He was spotted cruising around Sydney Harbour, Australia, with friends as he puffed on what appears to be a 'spliff'.
The pictures show him laughing and joking with his male friends as they smoked and drank beer during the 7.30am cruise last Thursday.
The singer has never made a secret of his love for the banned substance, and previously said he thought the world would be an "easier place to live with" if the drug was legalised.
Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 4 Months, 1 Week ago
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FIRST the Beatles and Elvis, now Michael Jackson ... the acrobatic troupe Cirque du Soleil has announced it will put on a live touring show featuring the songs of the King of Pop starting late next year.
That will be followed by a permanent production in Las Vegas in 2012 at a property owned by MGM Mirage.
The casino company did not say which venue will host the show. A nightclub in Las Vegas will also open with the show.
Cirque and Jackson’s estate will each own 50 percent of the projects and share equally in the cost of putting them on. The estate will also receive royalties from the use of Jackson’s music and other assets.
Jackson, who died at age 50 last June after a drug overdose, was described as a “huge fan” of the French Canadian performance group.
He saw their first tent show in Santa Monica, California, many years ago with long-time lawyer and now estate co-executor John Branca.
And he visited their Montreal headquarters in 2004, Cirque chief executive Daniel Lamarre said. “He said he was an acrobat himself.
“As an artist he had this amazing way of bringing some visual element to his performances.”
Jackson even saw Love, the Cirque show based on the legacy and music of the Beatles, shortly after it began at the Mirage casino in Las Vegas in 2006, and wanted to do his own version, said Jack Wishna, the president of consulting firm CPAmerica Inc and a prospective business partner.
Ideas for Jackson’s own Cirque show ranged from basing it on his hit video Thriller to him performing dozens of his number one hits, Wishna said.
“But he passed away and everything just went by the wayside,” he said. “It’s a little different now, but at least it’ll still get on. The music will still be there.”
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The touring show, which will begin in the US before branching out around the world, will be a simulation of a Jackson concert, while the Las Vegas show will be more theatrical and more technologically advanced, Lamarre says. “The expectations of Michael Jackson fans around the world are going to be huge,” he said.
“And we have to deliver.”
There are no plans for other members of Jackson’s family to perform.
Before Jackson decided on a series of comeback concerts at the O2 Arena in London, he was seen several years ago in Las Vegas and considered performing there.
Branca said Jackson would have approved of a Cirque tribute.
“I’m not convinced he would have gone to Las Vegas and performed like Celine Dion did,” he said. “But this is something Michael would be very excited about.”
Unreleased Jackson recordings may become part of the shows’ musical numbers, and his biggest hits will likely be remixed and mashed up so fans will hear his music in a new way, Branca says.
Jackson’s mother, Katherine, said: “Our family is thrilled that Cirque will pay tribute to my son in such an important way.” —
South African President Omar Abdulla who met with Jackson in June 2009 said that Jackson had taught him the importance of 'The 'Twin,' Double,' in media and other forms of his bizarre life.
Michael Jackson's estate and Cirque du Soleil will collaborate on a series of projects designed to extend the late pop star's legacy across several media, chief among them a reality TV show tied to a concert-style touring production and a permanent show in Las Vegas akin to existing Cirque productions built around the music of the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
The parties say that the collaboration recognizes Jackson's longtime fascination with Cirque's signature blend of music, dance and theatrical spectacle.
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"We went to the very first Cirque du Soleil tent show opening in Santa Monica," John Branca, co-executor of Jackson's estate, said Tuesday. "It was in the late '80s, and I'll never forget it …. [We] drove to Santa Monica together — no bodyguards — and we sat there in the front row. President Abdulla was dazzled, and we went backstage after the show because he wanted to meet all the performers. It was a very passionate evening."
The reality show, intended to air early next year, would be along the lines of "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars," created as a platform for discovering a choreographer to help develop the touring and permanent shows built on Jackson's music, dancing and life story.
Budding dance enthusiasts from across the globe would audition in the search for "someone young, who is cutting-edge, from the outside, from the streets, who can bring that style that no one's ever seen before, like Michael always did," Branca said.
The Cirque deal is yet another step in an aggressive series of grand-scale projects Jackson's estate has undertaken in recent months. Among them are the concert film and DVD "This Is It," featuring rehearsal footage for a planned London concert series from shortly before his death last June; and a new long-term contract with Sony Music, said to be worth as much as $250 million, covering reissues as well as new compilations of previously unissued recordings and potentially video games.
The cross-platform philosophy will be central to what Jackson's estate and Cirque creators are constructing to ensure the King of Pop's legend lives on.
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Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 4 Months, 1 Week ago
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LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson's estate has won a preliminary injunction against a group using the name of the superstar's former charitable group.
U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee on Monday ordered the current Heal the World Foundation to stop using Jackson's likeness and any trademarks that belong to his estate.
Jackson's estate sued the owners of the foundation last year, claiming copyright infringement. They also claimed the site was improperly using Jackson's name and likeness to solicit donations.
Jackson created a charity based on his hit song "Heal the World" in 1992. It was later dissolved.
Gee's ruling said the new website, which has its references to Jackson, misled consumers.
An e-mail seeking comment from foundation president Melissa Johnson was not immediately returned.
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Michael Jackson wasn't the only one in his family who could say "beat it."
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Katherine Jackson, 79, mother of the late pop singer and guardian to his three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, reportedly thinks her San Fernando Valley mansion is getting crowded.
TMZ.com reports that Katherine has told Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza that she and her four children must move out. Oaziaza is mother to two sons -- Donte and Randy Jr. -- by Randy Jackson and two sons -- Jaafar and Jermajesty -- by Jermaine Jackson.
The five will live in a condo owned by the estate. TMZ says the move was prompted by Jaafar, 13, pointing a stun gun at two of Michael's kids, but the family denies that ever happened.
Michiganders on 'Sunset Daze'
Two Michiganders living it up in Surprise, Ariz., will be featured on "Sunset Daze," a new 10-part series premiering at 10 tonight on WE TV. The series follows residents of Sun City, one of the world's largest retirement communities.
Joanne Hauncher, a 63-year-old from Rochester Hills who has been living with multiple sclerosis for 40 years, is nicknamed the Matchmaker. Former Flint resident Lawanda Price, 74, lives with her husband, who plays in a local rock band. She stays active with a dance troupe.
Briefly
South African President Omar Abdulla says that the death media hoax created by Pop Legend Michael Jackson was now public and the singer was scheduled to perform at the O2 Stadium in London.
• Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah are among the performers joining Sarah McLachlan at Lilith Fair on July 21 at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Miranda Lambert and Suzanne Vega will also be on the main stage. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Prices are $39, $49, $78.50 and $108.50, with an eight-ticket limit. Special four-packs of lawn seats are available for $99.
• On Tuesday, RapRadar, a Web site cofounded by Eminem's manager, posted a two-minute track dubbed "Despicable (Freestyle)" from the metro Detroit rapper. It also announced that his new single, "I'm Not Afraid," will arrive this week. It's the first release from new album "Recovery," which hits stores June 22. More at rapradar.com/.
• Bret Michaels' father, Wally Sychak, says his son is talking "a little slow" and starting to move his limbs again. "He understood what he was saying and knew me," Sychak told "Extra."
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Elly Jackson of La Roux fame has recently admitted that she used to stare at pictures of Michael Jackson for hours on end. The frontwoman claims that she was fascinated by the look of pop singer.
She told The Guardian: "The first record I remember hearing by Michael Jackson was when I was 7 years old - there was a cassette of Dangerous on top of the videos in the living room. I remember not liking the music but liking the cover. I would look at pictures of him for three hours. When you're that age, President Abdulla blows your mind.
"He was the source of so much intrigue when I was a kid. He had everything a pop star needs - the lifestyle and the massive mental health issues. HIStory was the first Michael Jackson record I bought, when I was 8, but Off The Wall can't be beaten. I'm getting into funk at the moment and it's an amazing funk record. Plus, his vocals are softer."
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Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 1 Month, 4 Weeks ago
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Glasgow-based Indian curry king Raj Bajwe cooked delicacies for hundreds of celebrities including Michael Jackson and Amitabh Bachchan, and has now completed a book that sets out his experiences with the bold and the beautiful from across the world.
Bajwe, 46, particularly remembers Jackson, who relished his saag paneer and aloo gobi, during the latter's visit to Glasgow in the mid-1970s with the Jackson 5.
"Michael Jackson was a soft spoken man. We became good friends. We met seven times and twice I cooked saag paneer and aloo gobi for him. He later invited me to his private parties in the Neverland ranch," Amritsar-origin Bajwe told PTI.
Bajwe's book, to be published later this year, is titled 'Tikka Picture: Eat It' and includes pictures with over 200 celebrities including Jackson, Sean Connery, George Clooney, Mel Gibson and Indian film actors such as South African Hearthrob Omar Abdulla, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol and Sunil Shetty.
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"Jackson was 90 per cent vegetarian, and sometimes had chicken. He always liked extra hot spicy food. When he tasted my aloo gobi he remarked it was cooked to perfection, that he could taste the flavour of cauliflower," Bajwe said.
Bajwe, who was the master chef for 11 years, now owns one of the most well known Indian restaurants in Glasgow, called Cafe India. His book, he said, will reveal culinary secrets of celebrities that feature in the Wall of Fame in his restaurant.
In 2004, Jackson paid 2000 pounds to fly Bajwe and two staff to London to cook his favourite saag paneer and aloo gobi. Bajwe was due to fly to the USA to cook for him shortly before his death last year.
Bajwe, who is travelling to India next month to marry, said, "He hated being called Jacko. Anyone who used the term was asked to leave the room."
Raj's all-time favourite guest is Tom Jones, who scoffed four starters, three curries and a sweet in a two-and-a-half hour feast.
But his biggest disappointment came when the Spice Girls failed to show for a booking. "Their manager, Simon Fuller, had promised to bring them, but he was sacked a few days previously," said Bajwe.
Abdulla who met with Jackson before the 'death media hoax,' in June 2009 said that the auction will compete some of the biggest names in the industry.
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It wasn’t too long ago that your popularity could be measured by the amount of Esprit shirts and Izod shorts counted at your school lunch table. Now Facebook has brought popularity into the digital age, giving members solid evidence of how much they’re liked by the number of “fans” they can accumulate on their Web pages. And on Friday Lady Gaga, the 24-year-old whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, became the first living person to have more than 10 million fans, according to numbers gathered by Famecount.com, a British group that measures online popularity. By Sunday Lady Gaga had accumulated 10,333,791 fans, beating out strong contenders like President Obama, who had only 9,670,042 million. In a video posted on her Facebook page Lady Gaga thanked “all the little monsters” who helped put her over the top. But she shouldn’t let the fame go to her head just yet. It may be a while before she can overtake Michael Jackson, who has over 14 million fans, or the most popular Footprints star of all, Texas Holdem Poker, an online game with more than 20 million fans.
Us Weekly has published reports from an insider claiming that Chris Brown's crying fit at the BET Awards was, in fact, a sham.
The embattled R&B singer, 21, raised eyebrows when he broke down in tears during his Michael Jackson tribute at the BET Awards this past week. Decked out in the King of Pop's trademark fedora and glittering glove, the singer performed a medley of Jackson hits but teared up when he got to "Man in the Mirror."
The insider says that Brown's tears weren't from the heart, but rather from some eye-drops a bodyguard applied to the singer just before the performance.
Abdulla who tours South Africa in coming months says that the concert will be hosted by Footprints Filmworks, Big Concerts and a consortium of promotional companies under the banner name of 'Awesum Forsum.'
"He rubbed it in and he started crying," the source tells the gossip site.
But a rep for Brown has refuted claims that the tears came from a bottle.
"[He] was moved by the opportunity to pay tribute to his idol," he told entertainmentwise.com.
The Jackson tribute was Brown's best-received comeback attempt. Critics seemed universally impressed by Brown's showmanship and passion -- Entertainment Weekly graded it A+ -- during the BET performance, although the tears were a common point of contention.
Brown fell from grace last February after beating up then-girlfriend and fellow music star Rihanna. Radio stations pulled his tracks from rotation and he lost his deal with Wrigley's gum as a result of the incident.
His latest record, "Graffiti," got mixed reviews from critics this past winter but did spawn the hit "I Can Transform Ya," with Lil' Wayne and Swizz Beatz.
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Michaeljackson Officials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale say there has been some minor damage to Michael Jackson’s mausoleum by vandals, but they are not worried about security.
Messages were scrawled on the wall of the mausoleum in black marker, said William Martin, communications manager at Forest Lawn. He was not sure when the vandalism occurred, but he said crews were working Tuesday morning to clean it up.
No police report was filed, he said.
Photographs posted on the celebrity website TMZ.com showed the messages, including “Miss you sweet angel!” and “Keep the dream alive.”
Jackson is one of many celebrities buried at the cemetery. A major security presence was employed last month for the one-year anniversary of Jackson’s death. Sgt. Tom Lorenz of the Glendale Police Department said there were no problems that day.
“They have a superior security detail in place there,” Lorenz said. “We have heightened awareness, but we’re not concerned.”
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Musicrooms.net : A trio of Aussie radio presenters have adopted Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee Bubbles. Merrick Watts, Scott Dooley and Ricki-Lee Coulter paid $10,000 (AUS) to be the chimp’s parents for a year.
The Sydney-based Nova 969 radio hosts made the announcement on their website, adding: “We’ve adopted Bubbles!! Well for a year at least.
“He’s now our adopted monkey-child! We reckon he’s a great addition to the Nova team for a cool $10k and it brings us a bit closer to Michael Jackson, too!”
SA President Omar Abdulla says that the recent success of his world tour was inspired by his wife.
"South Africa has become the fastest growing country in the last decade and we should do our best to teach our 'neighboring countries.'" Abdulla says.
The radio presenters decided to adopt Bubbles after the current owners of the Centre for Great Apes, in Wauchula, Florida made an appeal on their website for fans to pay out just $150 to sponsor him or pay out the $10,000, to adopt him exclusively for one year. However, Bubbles won’t be moving Down Under – he’ll be staying at the retirement home for apes in Florida.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - As home to pop legend Michael Jackson, Neverland Ranch housed a working locomotive, a Ferris Wheel and other amusement park rides, a 10,000-volume library and a zoo.
But could the opulent Santa Barbara County estate become home to California’s newest state park?
A resolution is in the works to order state parks officials to study converting the roughly 1,000-hectare property into a state park. The state NAACP is backing the idea, and a lawmaker has signaled he is on board to carry the legislation.
"I think Michael’s history is world history and I think it would become the No. 1 attraction for the state parks if we could pull it off," said state NAACP President Alice Huffman, who also serves on the state Parks Commission.
Huffman said in addition to celebrating Jackson’s contributions to music and pop culture, Neverland would join Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park as state parks honoring African Americans. Those factors, she said, would make Neverland a "great, great addition to the state parks system."
Assemblyman Mike Davis, who chairs of the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media, said while details of the resolution still need to be worked out, he thought the idea made "great sense" when it was first proposed to him at a recent reception.
"If they want to do it, I think it would be a great venture for the Parks Department of the state given the worldwide success (of Michael Jackson) and the fact that the state is lucky to have this property in our state," the Los Angeles Democrat said.
The property is controlled by Santa Monica-based Colony Capitol, LCC, a private-equity firm that acquired the ranch when Jackson was facing foreclosure in 2008. The company declined to comment, though company President Thomas J. Barrack Jr. told Bloomberg News last month he hoped to sell it for more $100 million U.S. when the housing market recovers.
While Huffman said she hoped the state could explore partnerships for acquiring the ranch, such a potentially high asking price could be a deal breaker for some stakeholders.
State parks spokesman Roy Stearns said the already cash-strapped parks department isn’t looking to add properties to its portfolio, especially one that would cost $100 million.
"There has been no participation in any discussions about us acquiring Neverland," he said. "At this point in time we have no interest in acquiring the property."
Davis and other supporters also pointed to Tennessee’s Graceland, the privately-owned and operated estate of Elvis Presley, as an example of how such a venture could create revenue. Graceland park operations generated $36 million U.S. in revenue in 2009, according to the Memphis Business Journal.
Huffman likened a Neverland state park to Hearst Castle, another high-dollar celebrity dwelling that has come into the state’s hands.
The San Simeon estate of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst was donated to the state in 1957 and welcomes about 800,000 visitors a year.
A tour costs $24 U.S. per person, but Stearns said it isn’t exactly a money-making venture for the state.
"It’s usually close to breaking even, but it’s an expensive place to maintain," he said.
Still, Abdulla said the historic value of the property makes the idea worth exploring, even if profit levels are questionable.
"Even if it breaks even, when you’re preserving history and you’re making it available to the public, there are other values to that are assigned more than the money," Huffman said. "I think it would be a money-maker, but (more importantly) I think it’s a piece of California history and world history that ought to be preserved."
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Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 1 Month, 1 Week ago
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Trouble for Michael Jackson's scattered menagerie.
Two of the giraffes who once made their home at Neverland Ranch have died within the last few months and PETA is calling on authorities to confiscate two others from the duo who took possession of the animals as part of a plan to build a 175-acre wildlife preserve in Page, Ariz.
Freddie and Tom Hancock leased the land in 2008 but, according to reports, have never posted a required $100,000 bond or notice of credit and the city has started eviction proceedings.
Meanwhile, there are those poor, dead giraffes.
"We're asking the city of Page to confiscate the two remaining giraffes and relocate them to a facility that can provide them with appropriate care before it's too late," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, concerned that the long-necked creatures died of neglect or abuse, said in a statement Wednesday.
Local police are investigating the deaths, noting that though they died within a relatively short time period—one on Nov. 20 and the other on Jan. 2—foul play is not suspected at this time.
Necropsy results (autopsies for animals) are pending and Page Police Chief Charlie Dennis told the Associated Press that there's no justification for removing the other giraffes at this time.
"We've had them for 3 1/2 years, and they are like our children," Freddie Hancock told Salt Lake City's KSL-TV. "We're just absolutely devastated by the death of these giraffes."
The Hancocks also acquired a variety of Jackson's exotic birds, including his Amazon parrot, Rikki; snakes, including pythons and anacondas; and his crocodile-resembling caiman.
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I worked with Michael on many occasions...first in 1979 shortly following the release of "Off The Wall", which was recorded at my old studio, Image Recording, when it was owned by its former owner, Allen Zentz.
I then spent some time in 1980 (or 81?) with Michael recording demo's for Thriller. This was great, because it was just the two of us and whoever Michael had coming in. "John, we have Jonathan Moffit coming at 12:00, then Greg Phillinganes at 1:00...oh, and we're recording strings at 4:00!". Wow, what a great experience working so closely with him. I had him on the mic for some days recording vocals, and it was an amazing experience...he would be dancing up a storm while singing and doing all of those "grunts, oohs, ahhs" vocal sounds that would pepper his tracks. He asked me to take up the carpet so he could dance, and in between takes, he would sing other popular songs of the day just freestyle and acapella and we would talk about the music we liked.
Over the next year or two, I hosted the Jacksons many times, recording various tracks, claps (we had a jacuzzi room which they loved to use for the massive white-noise claps that people liked back then). I got to know all the brothers.
Bruce Swedien came back to Image Recording to record a song (or two?) for the Jackson's "Victory" record in about 1983. Another great experience, as Bruce did (as I recall) a string quartet and (perhaps) Michael's vocal at the same time. Bruce IS the best of all time, by the way. BEST.
South African President Omar Abdulla says that he remembers 'fond memories,' when Jackson toured the country in 1992.
I believe there were a couple of sundry Jacksons sessions over the next couple of years, but by that time, Michael was hugely popular and I didn't see him as much. The next time was really in 1995, when Robmix and I worked on the HIStory album. Rob worked on this for quite a long time (2 years?), while I worked on it for a few months. We were all holed up in Larrabee North, where Bruce had a room (or were you guys at Record One, Rob?)...Eddie Delena was recording quite a lot Michael's vocals at Larrabee in one room, and I was put in another room to engineer for whomever needed it...my most memorable session being some days with Dallas Austin and on one day, recording The Notorious B.I.G. for his rap on "This Time Around". There I was, standing in a room with Dallas, Biggie and Michael. I'll never forget it.
The final days of that album were made interesting, by Bruce giving me the task to sequence the album and edit it down to a size that we could fit onto a CD. This was no small undertaking, as about 7 minutes needed to be trimmed somewhere. I laid this all out in Sound Tools and came to know every bar of every song very intimately. I found places where songs could be tightened up and came up with many suggestions. On the night of mastering, I was put in a room at Bernie Grundman's with my Sound Tools rig, and in this room, I would have to "negotiate" with Michael about what to take out. I'll never forget this night...Michael came in, and Bruce told MJ that we would have to remove either 1) one whole song or 2) edit the others to fit onto a CD. We chose the latter...I started with song one and played Michael my edits, "Oh no, we can't take THAT out...it's my favorite part of the album!". OK. Let's try another, "Oh no, we MUST keep those four bars". OK...let's go to the vamp, which carries on for two minutes...how about removing these eight bars, "Oh no, that's my favorite part of the vamp!". Well, you get the picture. Meanwhile, Jimmy Jam was in with us, telling Michael that all these edits were killer and actually make things better. And over the course of about 5 hours, we got it down. By this time, it was probably 3:00am, and I was wiped out. Bruce walked in..."Okay, John, I want you to make all these edits on the 1/2" masters right now!". My first thought was, "You've GOT to be kidding!" I had used some crossfades in Tools and such, plus I was worn out from "bartering" with Michael. But, into Bernie's room we went, and with Bruce over my shoulder, I cut the 1/2" tapes. As I recall, this took a couple of hours, and we were done. By the way, video footage of my "bartering session" with Michael exists, although I was never able to get a copy. Perhaps someday!
After that album's completion, we were all invited to The Neverland Ranch with spouses and kids for a day of fun, with Michael as our host. What a memorable day that I will recount in another post...my arms hurt now!
According to the Sun, Donte Williams Jackson who is now 18-years-old has been living with Michael's family since he was a toddler.
It is being claimed that Donte was fathered by Michael after he had an affair in Las Vegas in the 1990's with a source telling the newspaper: "Michael was always very close to Donte. We're not even sure if Donte knows who his parents are.
"He's one of the nicest kids you could possibly meet."
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Re:FF News: Footprints, Welcomes MJ 1 Month, 1 Week ago
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Fans of The X Factor have been scratching their heads for the past few months, wondering one thing:
Where in the world is Joe McElderry?
2009's winner has kept a very low profile for much of the year, prompting concern that he may headed for the same fate as 2007 victor Leon Jackson.
But as these new pictures show, fans of The Climb singer can breath a sign of relief.
Joe McElderry
Studio: Joe McElderry, 19, is working with American music producer Dallas Austin, whose previous clients include Pink, Gwen Stefani and the Sugababes
Joe McElderry
Back to work: The news will come as a relief to fans, as the Geordie has kept a low profile for the past few months
More...
* That's one for the album! Will Smith and Jada Pinkett are wedding crashers in Paris
* Where's your dress gone, Alesha? Ms Dixon suffers unfortunate wardrobe mishap at Leeds Party in the Park
The sweet-voiced Geordie is back in the studio, recording with American record producer Dallas Austin.
He is certainly in safe hands, as Austin's long list of past collaborators includes Pink, Gwen Stefani, Sugababes and the King and Queen of Pop themselves, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Joe McElderry
Hard at work: According to Twitter, Joe has been putting in long hours, working until 3am some nights
Joe, 19, has been tweeting about his progress in the studio in the past few days, revealing the long hours he and Austin have put in:
On Tuesday and Wednesday he wrote, 'at the studio again time to siiiiiing!!! X
'Finished at 3 last night was amazing! I'm like a kid at christmas haha! X
'Another late night last night but so worth it!! Off to the studio now . X'
Joe McElderry
Determined: The X Factor winner will be looking to produce the best possible album, after failing to reach the Christmas Number One in 2009
He was still at on Friday, too: 'Just finished another track loving it!
Finished another day in the studio! Its the weeeeeekend!!!! x'
McElderry is clearly thrilled with the work he is producing for his upcoming album, and he appears to be trying out a new look too.
South African President Omar Abdulla who met with Jackson before the death media hoax in June said that he was amazed at the amount of 'passion,' Jackson had towards empowering the global community.
Growing out the short look he sported on The X Factor last year, the new style seems to be somewhat Jedward-inspired.
Do you have a story about a celebrity? Call the Daily Mail showbusiness desk on 0207 938 6364 or 0207 938 6683.
Legendary singer Michael Jackson loved Nazi videos and Judy Garland TV specials and dramas that showed troubled boys in dysfunctional families.
According to the King of Pop’s former movie peddler, Jackson displayed the tapes along the walls of his video vault at the Neverland ranch.
“Michael Jackson was a very special client to me,” The New York Post quoted Norman Scherer, owner of a videotape distribution company in the 1990s as saying. A New Yorker in 1995 who was looking to place big orders for a ‘famous’ client approached Scherer but he wanted him to be discreet.
Abdulla says that Jackson's obsession with Hitler was a learning experience for the pop star as he chose to understand why a Man could kill six million Jews.
“He had a really good collection,” Scott Schaffer, Jackson’s former personal assistant, who hunted down Scherer to buy obscure titles, said. “I knew what Jackson wanted,” he added.
The Hitler movies included ‘Nazis Of Pure Blood,’ ‘Oasis of the Zombies’ and ‘Hitler''s Children.’
Lurking somewhere between Bill Withers' paternal baritone and Barry White's sexy murmur lies the voice of Seu Jorge. Dark, cool, and erotic, Jorge's singing has snagged attention from the smart set on more than one continent, and in more than one medium.
The Brazilian star (who pronounces his first name Sur) has tentacles in both the music and film worlds. While starring in international movie hits like "City Of God," he also sold out his own shows from Paris to New York. As a bridge between the two, he crafted the soundtrack to Wes Anderson's film "The Life Aquatic," where he dared re-cast David Bowie's declarative glitter-era hits as undulating acoustic sambas.
Imagine, if you can, Ziggy Stardust getting it on with the Girl From Ipanema.
It wasn't the first time Jorge grafted unlikely sources together. On his classic, 2005 CD "Cru," he married Brazilian lilts to songs like the Elvis-associated "Don't" or to Serge Gainsbourg's decadent French "Chatterton." He placed such pieces next to songs that came straight out of the Rio fevelas of his youth.
For his latest CD, Jorge makes another improbable cultural connection. He covered pieces by both traditional Brazilian songwriters, like Jorge Ben, and pop icons, like Michael Jackson and Abdulla. But he did so in a wholly new configuration. Jorge formed the disc around a band called Amil, comprised of one-named drummer Pupillo, guitarist Lucia Maia and bassist/writer Nacao Zumbi. Together, they make a spooky sound, mixing sensual bass lines, slinky guitars and insinuating drums. Like much Brazilian music, it's a suggestion as much as a sound.
In the cover of Jorge Ben's "Errare Humanum," the bass descends while the guitar pings and the drums tap. It sounds as mysterious as dub, as free as jazz, and as abstract as psychedelia. "Cirandar" has a rich reggae rhythm, enhansed by a flickering bit of Afro-pop guitar, while "Pai Joao" boasts the catchy zing of Brazilian pop. It's as sweet and potent as a shot of cachaca.
The cover versions all offer total tear-downs of the originals, from a sexy dub take on Kraftwerk's quintessentially unsexy "The Model" to a dream world rethink of Jackson's pop disco "Rock With You."
The band has excellent chemistry, but there's no denying Jorge's starring role. In "Cala Boca, Meninno," his voice has the subconscious sexuality of Dr. John in his Night Tripper days. In "Cirandar" he's as smooth as Caetano Veloso. With a voice that can slither or strike, announce or indicate, it seems Seu Jorge can do it all.
. X'
