When I Was Young

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AFP - 56 minutes ago

A painting is seen as people wait in line for a public memorial for pop star Michael Jackson at the Apollo Theater in the Harlem section of New York. Jackson's body will make a poignant final journey to Neverland Ranch, it was reported Tuesday, fueling speculation that the sprawling fantasy retreat could become a permanent memorial to the tragic pop icon.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Michael Jackson's body will make a poignant final journey to Neverland Ranch, it was reported Tuesday, fueling speculation that the sprawling fantasy retreat could become a permanent memorial to the tragic pop icon.

A 30-car motorcade reportedly plans to escort the body on Thursday to the King of Pop's 1,050-hectare (2,600-acre) estate, a monument to Jackson's obsession with childhood that once included a fairground and a private zoo.

CNN and the celebrity news website TMZ.com, quoting police sources, said the Jackson family planned a public viewing on Friday -- which could draw a crush of fans to the isolated ranch north of Los Angeles.

Jackson's death at the age of 50 last week has sparked a worldwide outpouring of tributes which continued on Tuesday with crowds gathering at New York's famous Apollo Theater for a celebration of the star's life.

Friday's public viewing could be an indication that the Jackson family has permanent plans for Neverland.

Santa Barbara County officials said Tuesday they had received no formal notification of a memorial but said departments were "preparing to accommodate a large event" if a request for a Neverland funeral was made.

Some fans say the star should be buried at the ranch and want it to be transformed into a shrine similar to Elvis Presley's Graceland.

Neverland was named after the fantasy island of Peter Pan, Jackson's inspiration who refused to grow up.

But the estate fell into disrepair after becoming the alleged crime scene in Jackson's 2005 trial on child molestation charges. Jackson vacated the property following his acquittal and never lived there again.

The estate was reportedly on the verge of foreclosure before Jackson's death as his extravagant lifestyle and mounting personal and legal problems took their toll on his finances.

The long-term fate of Neverland has been one of the myriad legal issues arising from Jackson's sudden death.

A judge on Monday gave Jackson's 79-year-old mother, Katherine, temporary control over his estate including Neverland and the rights to songs of the Beatles. She was also named temporary guardian of his three children.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Jackson drafted a will in 2002 that divided his estate between his mother, his three children and one or more charities.

Conspicuously absent was his father, Joe Jackson, who groomed his nine children into musical sensations but had an uneasy relationship with his son.

Michael Jackson said the family patriarch, a steelworker, would beat him when he missed a note and humiliate him, leading to the pop star's fragility and obsession with childhood.

Joe Jackson said Monday that he and his wife were ready to be supportive parents to the pop star's three children.

"This is where they belong," Joe Jackson, also 79, told reporters after the decision. "We're going to take care of them and give them the education they're supposed to have."

Jackson's former wife of three years, Debbie Rowe, is the mother of the two eldest children -- Prince Michael, 12, and Paris, 11. The third, seven-year-old Prince Michael II, was born in 2002 to a surrogate whose identity has never been made public.

It remains unclear where the star would ultimately be buried. The family has hesitated at funeral plans after authorizing a second autopsy to determine how he died.

The Los Angeles Times reported that police detectives are seeking to identify and interview "multiple doctors" who treated Jackson in the years before his death.

Attention has so far focused on the role of Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray, who was with the star just before his death last Thursday.

Lawyers for Murray and law enforcement sources have said he is not suspected of wrongdoing and has co-operated with the investigation.

On Monday, coroner's office investigators removed several plastic bags of medication from Jackson's rented mansion in Holmby Hills, described as "additional medical evidence."

Meanwhile the organizers of a series of Jackson's planned comeback concerts in London revealed Tuesday that video footage of his rehearsals existed and could be released to the public.

The president of promoters AEG Live, Randy Phillips, told Sky News television that video of the pop legend's performances would disprove rumors that he was incredibly frail before his death.

"We may at some point release some footage of him in rehearsal that would totally refute that," he said.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

Posted: 29 June 2009 0554 hrs

A Russian fan of Michael Jackson mourns the death of the 'King of Pop' at the US embassy in Moscow.

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's family were planning funeral arrangements for the tragic pop icon Sunday as police reportedly cleared the star's doctor after questioning him for a second time.

Jackson's family members were due to meet activist Reverend Al Sharpton to discuss plans for a tribute to the star, whose sudden death last week at the age of 50 has triggered a global outpouring of grief.

Sharpton was cited in several media reports as saying Jackson's family was considering a series of simultaneous memorials around the world to reflect the huge appeal of the late "King of Pop."

"Reverend Sharpton will discuss with the family ideas that people from around the world have sent him about how they would like to memorialize Michael Jackson," a spokeswoman for Sharpton said.

Sharpton said the family were upset by media coverage of Jackson's death that had focused on the star's personal problems such as allegations of child abuse, financial woes and battles with prescription drugs.

"They want to see their brother treated right. They told me 'You've gotta keep out there and defend Michael,'" Sharpton told the New York Daily News.

Jackson's family on Saturday ordered a second autopsy to be carried out after growing increasingly frustrated with "unanswered questions" surrounding the star's death, family advisers said.

Los Angeles police conducted a second interview with doctor Conrad Murray, the only person with Jackson when he collapsed.

Veteran US activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- said the family are suspicious of the role played by Murray.

The doctor is reported to have injected Jackson with a powerful painkiller Demerol just before he died and left Jackson's mansion after administering CPR to the stricken star.

A spokeswoman for the cardiologist said he "clarified some inconsistencies" during his interview with detectives late Saturday.

But the spokeswoman, Miranda Sevcik, added: "Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy."

The Los Angeles Times cited a source close to the investigation as saying that "no red flag, no smoking gun" emerged from the interview.

Sevcik told AFP in an email Sunday that Murray would remain in Los Angeles "just in case investigators need any questions answered at all."

"Doctor Murray wants to see this investigation completed as thoroughly and quickly as possible," she said.

The Times reported that the second autopsy ordered by Jackson's family had been completed. There was no word on the findings.

A preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks," a Los Angeles coroner's official said on Friday.

Large gatherings of devotees have been held around the world since Thursday, with thousands descending on Hollywood again on Sunday to queue for the right to view Jackson's star on the district's "Walk of Fame."

In New York large crowds formed outside the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson launched his career in 1969.

In Paris, more than a thousand fans gathered at the foot of the Eiffel Tower Sunday to perform Jackson's celebrated "moonwalk" and pay tribute.

Meanwhile a senior advisor to President Barack Obama revealed the US leader had sent a written condolence to Jackson's family.

"The president has written the family and has shared his feelings with the family, and he felt that was the appropriate way to go," David Axelrod said.

In Los Angeles, Black Entertainment Television (BET) was quickly reworking its annual awards show on Sunday, turning it into a tribute to the superstar credited with helping bridge racial divides.

Revelers at Britain's Glastonbury music festival sported T-shirts with slogans like "Michael Jackson RIP" and "I was at Glasto when Jacko died," while graffiti paying tribute to "The King of Pop" adorned tents.

Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music, and British chart officials said a compilation album of the star's greatest hits had rocketed to the top of the charts on Sunday.

A spokesman for music retailer HMV said there had been an 80-fold increase in demand for Jackson's music "almost overnight" after the singer's death -- the biggest one-day rise in sales seen for any artists, including Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

- AFP /ls

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

AFP - Monday, June 29

The news of Michael Jackson's death has had particular resonance in London, where the singer was planning to make his high profile comeback. Fifty shows were planned for the capitals giant O2 venue. In March, Jackson made a brief appearance in London to announce the dates and tickets sold out within hours.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - The father of Michael Jackson said he remained concerned about the circumstances of his son's death as the tragic pop icon's personal doctor protested his innocence.

In a surprising first public appearance since the death of his superstar son, family patriarch Joe Jackson appeared on the red carpet of a Los Angeles awards show dedicated to the African-American entertainment industry.

The Jackson family is reportedly angry at the "unanswered questions" concerning the role of doctor Conrad Murray in the final hours of Michael Jackson's life. Lawyers for Murray insist he has been cleared of wrongdoing.

However speaking to a CNN reporter at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards, Jackson, 79, said he continued to harbor misgivings about the sudden death of his son at the age of 50.

"I have a lot of concerns. I can't get into that, but I don't like what happened," Jackson said, before directing questions to a family lawyer who declined to comment further.

"We can't talk about that now," attorney Londell McMillan said. "There is a second autopsy that is underway and we'll let that process take its course at this time. We'll have more detail at a later point."

Los Angeles police conducted a second interview with Murray on Saturday but cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing, the physician's lawyers said.

The 51-year-old cardiologist, who became part of Jackson's staff in March to help the singer prepare for a concert comeback in London, has faced intense speculation amid reports he injected Jackson with the potent prescription painkiller Demerol just before he died.

However a lawyer for Murray said Sunday that reports of an injection were "absolutely false," the first time the allegation has been denied.

"There was no Demerol. No OxyContin," Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Murray was quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times, adding that Murray had discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his home.

"(Murray) was the one who suggested the autopsy to the family while they were still in the hospital. He didn't understand why Michael Jackson had died," Chernoff was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile Jackson's family have yet to finalize funeral plans and were due to meet activist Reverend Al Sharpton Sunday to discuss plans for a tribute.

Sharpton was cited in several media reports as saying Jackson's family was considering a series of simultaneous memorials around the world to reflect the huge appeal of the late "King of Pop."

"Reverend Sharpton will discuss with the family ideas that people from around the world have sent him about how they would like to memorialize Michael Jackson," a spokeswoman for Sharpton said.

However an unofficial memorial appeared to already be underway at Los Angeles's famous Shrine Auditorium, where the cream of the African-American music, acting and sporting worlds was gathering for the BET Awards.

A galaxy of stars paid fulsome tribute to Jackson as they walked the red carpet, hailing his role as a star who had helped break racial barriers.

"You know, my man is the greatest," hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy Combs" told CNN. "He's one of the reasons why Barack Obama's president... He started the change in the world about how African-Americans are perceived."

"We miss him and we love him and we just feel devastated," said soul singer Alicia Keys, urging people to remember Jackson in a "respectful, positive way."

Asked how Jackson had influenced her, Keys replied: "In every way. How could he not influence us to break the barrier and to think bigger, and to try new things and to break the rules?

"Tonight is a true memorial for him. It's really about honoring him."

Thousands of Jackson devotees continued to gather outside the singer's star on the walk of fame as well as the Jackson family's home in Encino, where makeshift shrines of flowers and cards have grown rapidly since Thursday.

Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music across the world. British chart officials said a compilation album of the star's greatest hits had rocketed to the top of the charts on Sunday.

A spokesman for music retailer HMV said there had been an 80-fold increase in demand for Jackson's music "almost overnight" after the singer's death -- the biggest one-day rise in sales seen for any artists, including Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

Michael Jackson via last.fm

MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP

06/27/2009 10:26 AM

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson spent the last years of his life buried in debt. But the King of Pop's death is likely to yield a financial bonanza more lucrative than any comeback tour ever could, as fans snap up his music and memorabilia and perhaps one day get the chance to tour his Neverland home.

"Quite frankly, he may be worth more dead than alive," said Jerry Reisman, general counsel for the Hit Factory, a recording studio where Jackson produced his best-selling album "Thriller."

Jackson's death at age 50 leaves a multitude of questions about a financial empire that included his own music, as well a 50 percent stake in a library that held the rights to songs by the Beatles. But Jackson reportedly had $400 million in debts, and it isn't known yet how his estate will be divided and who the beneficiaries will be.

This much is clear: Jackson's heirs, music labels and opportunists will probably be mining his legacy for decades to come.

In that way, his death may parallel that of the music industry's original King — Elvis Presley, who died in 1977 at age 42.

Like Jackson, Presley hadn't had a hit album in years. At the end of his life, he was mostly relying on royalties from his past hits and doing shows in Las Vegas. But in death he became a moneymaking phenomenon.

Presley's estate was valued at just $4.9 million at the time of his death. In 2005, a company run by media entrepreneur Robert F.X. Sillerman paid $100 million for 85 percent of the estate and a 90-year lease on his Memphis mansion, Graceland.

By some estimates, Jackson's estate could be worth more than $1 billion. Besides the master recordings of his own music, Jackson owned half of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a jewel estimated to be worth $2 billion by itself. The 750,000-song catalog includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers.

Creditors will get first crack at the estate.

"I think the first question is, 'Is there anything left after you pay off the debts?'" said Robert Rasmussen, the dean of law at the University of Southern California.

Jackson might have shielded some of his estate from creditors and ensured that his children were taken care of by placing a life insurance policy and other assets in an irrevocable trust, said Steve Hartnett, associate director of education for the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

The pop star left behind three children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11; and Prince Michael II, 7. The elder children were born to ex-wife Deborah Rowe, while the youngest is his biological son, born to a surrogate mother.

Other potential beneficiaries include Jackson's parents, his five brothers, three sisters and a long list of nieces and nephews. His children's nanny was believed to be close to Jackson.

The contents of Jackson's will have not been released. Typically, a will becomes public within about 30 days of a person's death.

In a statement Friday, Joel Katz, Jackson's entertainment affairs attorney, gave no clues to how Jackson disposed of his estate.

"Michael Jackson was a perfectionist, and his business affairs are worldwide," Katz said. "Many of them are quite ongoing and will be dealt with appropriately."

One big question will be what happens to Neverland, where Jackson surrounded himself with animals, rides and children. Jackson nearly lost the ranch to foreclosure in March, but billionaire real estate investor Thomas Barrack bailed him out, setting up a joint venture with Jackson that took ownership of the 2,500-acre (1,000-hectare) property in Santa Barbara County.

Barrack declined to comment.

Fans, meanwhile, are rushing to buy Jackson's old songs in a scramble that began within minutes of his death. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble reported selling out of Jackson's CDs, and his music accounted for the most downloads at Apple's iTunes store.

Amazon's sales of Jackson's albums and MP3s were 700 times higher on Thursday after news of Jackson's death, and they were running at an even higher rate Friday, according to Bill Carr, the company's vice president of music and video.

"It's really hard to express what someone dying really means and how it absolutely brands that individual into the culture," said Del Bryant, CEO of Broadcast Music Inc., which collects royalties for the use of "Beat It," ''Billy Jean" and other songs composed by Jackson. "If you look at everyone from Patsy Cline to the Big Bopper to Buddy Holly ... the effect on the catalog is tremendous."

Bryant said expects revenue from public performances of Jackson's songs to triple this year because of his death.

Sillerman's company, CKX, controls licensing of Presley's image, which has been slapped on dozens of pieces of merchandise, such as T-shirts, watches, belt buckles and figurines. In 2007, Presley's brand earned $52 million — beating out living acts like Justin Timberlake and Madonna, according to Forbes magazine, which has put Elvis atop its list of top-earning dead celebrities for two years running.

Jackson's heirs may similarly explore ways to make money from the singer's likeness and art, perhaps through T-shirts, compilations of previously unreleased music, or stage productions based on his songs.

It's also easy to envision Neverland becoming the next Graceland, said Steve Gordon, an entertainment attorney who worked at Sony Music during the 1990s.

The singer's death could also boost business for the legion of Jackson impersonators. Adrienne Gusoff, who runs the New York-based impersonating agency Bubbygram.com, said she expects the dozen Jackson clones she represents to be about as much in demand as entertainers who impersonate stars like Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe.

"I think his death will make him an even bigger star," Gusoff said. - AP

First, though, her Jackson impersonators will have to get over the loss of their hero. "One of my guys in New Jersey is devastated," she said. "It's like a family member died.' - AP

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.