Michael Jackson is gone

[The R]

Kinda hard to believe.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Musi...son/index.html

[samanthajane13]

King of Pop Michael Jackson is dead: report
By Bob Tourtellotte Bob Tourtellotte – 20 mins ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Pop giant Michael Jackson, who took to the stage as a child star and set the world dancing to exuberant rhythms for decades, died on Thursday after being taken ill at his home, the Los Angeles Times said. He was 50.

"Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma, city and law enforcement sources told The Times," the newspaper reported on its website.

The paper's report followed news of Jackson's death first reported by the TMZ entertainment website.

There was no immediate comment from spokespersons for Jackson, who was known as the "King of Pop," for hit albums that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean."

He had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.

TMZ said on its website that "Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back."

Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived at the singer's home.

The newspaper said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.

COMEBACK CONCERTS

Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.

The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.

His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

He lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.

There were concerns about Jackson's health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

CHILD STAR TO MEGASTAR

Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.

Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.

In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.

Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.

(Additional Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Writing by Frances Kerry, Editing by Jackie Frank)


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090625/...Yta2luZ29mcG9w

[samanthajane13]

Michael Jackson Dies After Cardiac Arrest
King of Pop, 50, Was Scheduled to Kick Off Comeback Series of Concerts in July
By SHEILA MARIKAR and LUCHINA FISHER
June 25, 2009

Michael Jackson, one the best-selling and most controversial recording artists of all time, died Thursday, ABC News has confirmed.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to Jackson's residence at 12:26 p.m. P.T., according to the Los Angeles Times. The paper reported that paramedics performed CPR on Jackson, who was not breathing when they arrived at his home. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, just six miles from his home.

Watch "The Life and Death of Michael Jackson" on a special edition of "20/20" TONIGHT at 9 p.m. ET.

Jackson's death came less than a month before the start of a scheduled series of so-called comeback concerts. From July 13 to March 6, 2010, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts at London's O2 Arena.

During a news conference at London's O2 Arena in March, Jackson assured about 2,000 fans -- some who applied for tickets to hear his announcement, others who walked in off the street -- that come July, he would be giving his "final curtain call."

"I just want to say that these will be my final show performances in London," he said to the screaming crowd. "This will be it. When I say this is it, this will be it."

Looking fit and heavily made up, his straightened black hair a contrast to his scarlet mouth, the self-proclaimed King of Pop showed up at the news conference 90 minutes late after traveling by bus in a motorcade. Jackson appeared to soak in the crowd, who shouted his name and "I love you," by pausing several times during his very short statement. He also seemed to make a point of showing how fit he was by pumping his fist a couple times in the air.

"I love you," he said to his fans. "I really do, you have to know that. I love you so much. This is it. See you in July."

Many wondered whether Jackson was healthy enough to perform again when he announced his plans earlier this year.

Recent pictures have shown him being pushed in a wheelchair, appearing frail and gaunt and wearing a face mask while being helped across the street. In December, there were reports that Jackson was on his deathbed, suffering from a rare lung condition, which his publicist denied.

"I find it astonishing that he's physically able to do it," Stacy Brown, a former Jackson family insider who co-wrote the Jackson biography, "Michael Jackson: the Man behind the Mask," told ABCNews.com in March. "Michael will be 51 this year. This is not 'Benjamin Button.' He is not growing younger."

Jackson Showed Signs of Failing Health

Brown recalled seeing Jackson's last live concert performance at Madison Square Garden in 2001 for his 30th anniversary show. Jackson buried his head in brother Jermaine's chest. Later, Brown talked to Jackson's brothers about it.

"Most people thought it was part of the show, but Michael was exhausted," he said.


http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...7931645&page=1

[lorettalockhorn]

What will become of his children?

[samanthajane13]

News of Jackson's death first spread online
By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle, Ap Entertainment Writer – 1 hr 4 mins ago

NEW YORK – It was a where-were-you moment in a digital age: Michael Jackson's death was not learned from a fatherly TV news anchor. Instead, the news first spread online.

Some of the initial reports from various outlets were confusing: Was Jackson still alive? Was he in a coma? They spread like wildfire across news sites, social media networks and Twitter.

The celebrity Web site TMZ.com. site broke the news of Jackson's death at 5:20 p.m. Thursday.

It was a huge scoop for the AOL-owned TMZ, though many did not believe TMZ's report until it was matched by more established news organizations.

"Everything starts with a tip," said Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ. "We wouldn't have put it up if we weren't positive."

Jackson's death was confirmed by the Los Angeles Times and then The Associated Press just minutes before the nightly network news began. The anchors relayed the news at the top of their broadcasts, though CBS and ABC quickly moved on to their prepared obituaries for Farrah Fawcett, who died earlier Thursday.

MTV, the channel that had so much to do with Jackson's incredible rise to fame, played Jackson's iconic music videos "Beat It" and "Thriller," and continued with a Jackson marathon.

On Twitter, the dialogue took strange forms. As times Thursday night, Jackson-related search topics were the most popular on the site. The service was slowed for a time following Jackson's death, but it did not appear to crash. (Twitter did not immediately respond to an e-mail Thursday.)

Celebrity users on Twitter — including Lindsay Lohan, Ashton Kutcher, John Mayer, Ryan Seacrest and ?uestlove of the Roots — posted their remembrances.

"I will be mourning my friend, brother, mentor and inspiration," tweeted MC Hammer. "He gave me and my family hope. I would never have been me without him."

Comedian Rob Corddry, the former "Daily Show" correspondent, joked: "I wish it had been Michael Jackson that broke the story of TMZ dying."

Others sought to corrupt the memorializing of Jackson. A false rumor was spread that actor Jeff Goldblum had died. His publicist had to release a statement saying that Goldblum was fine.

So many people wanted to verify the early reports of Jackson's death that the computers running Google's news section interpreted the fusillade of "Michael Jackson" requests as an automated attack from about 5:40 p.m. through 6:15 p.m.

As a defense mechanism, Google's news section responded to requests for information about Michael Jackson with squiggly letters known as a "captcha." Just as online ticket buyers regularly do to complete their purchases, the Michael Jackson searchers had to enter the letters correctly to see Google's new results.

Searches made through Google's main search engine were unaffected, according to company spokesman Gabriel Stricker.

On YouTube, traffic flowed to music videos of Jackson, while thousands posted videos of themselves sharing their thoughts on Jackson.

___

AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...jackson_online

[samanthajane13]

Michael Jackson's health woes took center stage
By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer Alicia Chang, Ap Science Writer – 1 hr 11 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Over Michael Jackson's chart-topping music career, his health has commanded as much publicity as his hit songs.

Plastic surgery, mysterious hospitalizations and reports of pill popping have long plagued the King of Pop.

The circumstances surrounding Jackson's death Thursday were sketchy, but the pop icon apparently collapsed from cardiac arrest at his rented Bel-Air home.

The reclusive singer was reportedly found unconscious and not breathing. Paramedics performed CPR and rushed him to the hospital — a six-minute drive away — where he was pronounced dead.

Jackson's unexpected death at age 50 during a comeback attempt stunned the world despite a history of health problems — some real and others rumored — that have been fodder for tabloids and gossip columns speculating wildly about his woes.

In the early 1990s, Jackson's dermatologist revealed the singer had a skin disorder known as vitiligo, which leads to white patches on the skin. Over the years, Jackson underwent numerous plastic surgeries, including a nose job.

Jackson was also widely reported to be addicted to painkillers from pain he developed after he was burned while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984.

During his 2005 molestation trial in which he was acquitted, Jackson appeared gaunt and had recurring back problems he attributed to stress. The trial was interrupted several times by hospital visits. Jackson once even appeared late to court dressed in his pajamas after an emergency room visit.

Last year, a celebrity biographer claimed Jackson suffered from a rare respiratory disease and was in need of a lung transplant — a claim his publicists have denied.

Chatter about Jackson's health surfaced again last month after his representatives postponed several of his London comeback shows, citing the need for more rehearsal time. A previous attempt by Jackson to relaunch his career was sidetracked amid reports of ill health and court action.

Jackson was in the process of preparing for an epic 50-concert stand in London that had him rehearsing long hours. Jackson was described "very frail," but worked hard, Johnny Caswell, a principal at Centerstaging, where Jackson rehearsed for the concerts, told the Los Angeles Times.

Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s, said that the pressures of emotional, physical, legal, financial and spiritual dysfunction caught up with Jackson.

"It's a toxic mix that nobody can withstand," he said.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. His brother, Jermaine, told a news conference that Jackson was believed to have suffered cardiac arrest, a condition that afflicts 300,000 Americans a year.

"However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother said.

Cardiac arrest strikes without warning. It occurs when the heart's electrical system goes haywire and the heart suddenly stops beating. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

"In the absence of details, it's hard to know if he had a cardiac arrest or if he stopped breathing," said Dr. Leslie Saxon, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Southern California.

Fewer than 5 percent of those who suffer cardiac arrest survive, according to medical experts.

During cardiac arrest, brain cells die within minutes. It is reversible if a person receives an electric shock to the heart to restore normal heartbeat.

Each minute that passes without restoring normal heart rhythm, the odds of survival decreases by 10 percent.

"There's a huge public health message," said Dr. Clyde Yancy, a heart specialist at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and president of the American Heart Association.

"When someone collapses abruptly, call 911, and if they're not breathing, start CPR," Yancy said.

___

AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione and AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...jackson_health

[One2Snoop]

A legend lost - very sad IMO.

[JLette]

i cannot say i was a fan of his but i am still shocked by this news. he certainly was a legend, there was not one person on the planet who hadn't heard and liked at least ONE of his songs, and his name was one known throughout ever household in the world.


RIP Michael

[samanthajane13]

Leaders, superstars, fans mourn King of Pop
By GREGORY KATZ, Associated Press Writer Gregory Katz, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 1 min ago

LONDON – Michael Jackson was due to make his triumphant return to the stage in London next month — but instead his sudden death has left millions of fans feeling they've lost a lifelong friend.

The dramatic death of the brilliant singer seemed to obscure his recent controversies and kindle warmer memories of Jackson the child star and Jackson the show-stopping, moonwalking headliner.

The worldwide chorus of grief united the famous — statesmen and superstars alike — and the legions of ordinary people who grew up with "Thriller" and "Beat It."

Word of Jackson's death jolted nearly everyone, from a young man in Colombia who was named after the King of Pop, to Malaysians who named a soy drink for him, to a generation of people around the world who have tried, in vain, to moonwalk.

"It's horrible news, so unexpected," the Italian actress Sophia Loren told The Associated Press by telephone. "The world has lost an icon and music has lost treasures. He wrote songs that generations of yesterday, today and tomorrow will all keep on singing. What he wrote was amazing."

Loren and her children had been frequent visitors to Jackson at his Neverland ranch in California, developing an enduring friendship.

"I hope that Michael will find that peace that maybe he did not have in the last 15 years."

In London, shocked fans gathered at the Lyric Theatre, where a live show based on Jackson's record-selling album "Thriller" is being performed, and waited for news about refunds for some 750,000 tickets to his sold-out, 50-night run.

A spokeswoman for AEG Live — the promoters for the London concerts — declined to say how ticket refunds would be handled. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying she was not authorized to speak to the media.

There were poignant memories of his final public appearance when he came to London for a March news conference to announce his "This is it" concerts, which he said would mark his farewell to the London stage. A candlelight vigil at London's Trafalgar Square was planned to honor the singer.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela issued a message through his foundation saying Jackson's loss would be felt worldwide.

Jackson sang at a birthday concert for Mandela in 1998. In 1999, according to local media reports at the time, he lunched with Mandela at a small gathering at which the South African anti-apartheid leader celebrated both his 81st birthday and his and wife Graca Machel's first wedding anniversary.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, UNESCO and the Red Cross were given proceeds from a huge benefit concert in Germany in 1999 that featured Jackson and other international stars.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney, who recorded with Jackson before they had a falling out over ownership of the Beatles catalog, said his prayers went to Jackson's family and fans.

"It's so sad and shocking," he said. "I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones."

In Ireland, where Jackson made his temporary home in a castle south of Dublin in 2007, people remembered him as a kind and loving man. Eugene Lambert, Ireland's best-known puppeteer, recalled his son's puppet performance at a birthday party for Jackson attended by the singer's three children.

"Michael and the kids seemed to enjoy the show equally," he said. "My son sang happy birthday to Michael, who seemed genuinely touched by the attention. Michael rang me that night to thank me for the show. He said he hoped he'd be as happy at his work as I am at my age, and of course I'm 80."

In Paris, actress and singer Liza Minnelli told France-Info radio she would sing her "dear, dear friend," a tribute during a concert Saturday, but would not disclose which song. "I will miss him until the day I go," she said.

"He changed history. He changed musical history and he changed performing," Minnelli said, her voice strained.

Minnelli, herself the daughter of screen star Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli, lamented Jackson's public childhood.

"Imagine, you grow up in public. From the time he could walk, they put him on stage. He had no childhood, none," she said.

Former British child star Mark Lester, who is godfather to Jackson's children, said he had visited with Jackson several weeks ago and believed the star was ready for the rigors of performing 50 live gigs.

"He was absolutely fine," said Lester. "I can't believe this, it's such a shock. I'll always remember him as being a very sweet, kind and loving man."

Rocker Lenny Kravitz recalled working with Jackson in the studio on an unreleased track and finding the man far different from the eccentric recluse often portrayed in the media.


Continued...

[samanthajane13]

"It was the most amazing experience I've had in the studio," Kravitz said. "He was funny. Very funny and we laughed the whole time. I also saw what a beautiful father he was. He was a beautiful human being. If not for him, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. He gave me joy as a child and showed me the way to go."

Jackson's death prompted broadcasters from Sydney to Seoul — where the news came early Friday — to interrupt morning programs, while fans remembered a "tortured genius" whose squeals and sliding moves captivated a generation and who sparked global trends in music, dance and fashion.

Several world leaders weighed in.

Britain's prime minister Gordon Brown said his thoughts are with Jackson's family. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called it "lamentable news," though he criticized the media for giving it so much attention. Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who had met Jackson, said: "We lost a hero of the world."

"I don't think anyone can be indifferent to Michael Jackson, my husband included," French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy told RTL radio in France. "I will enormously miss his voice, his songs and his presence in our world," she said.

In Romania, where a tumultuous Jackson concert in 1992 helped mark the country's new freedoms after the fall of the Soviet bloc, singer Lucian Viziru said he was stunned by the tragedy.

"I feel like crying," he told the AP, rubbing his eyes. "I grew up with him, I learned his dances, his songs, everything. My first ever cassette was 'Thriller.'"

A condolence board went up in downtown Bucharest. Radio and TV stations played his music and broadcast clips from the concert.

"My heart is heavy because my idol died," said Byron Garcia, security consultant at a Philippine prison who organized the famous video of 1,500 inmates doing a synchronized dance to "Thriller." The video has had 23.4 million hits on YouTube.

Garcia said the inmates in Cebu will hold a tribute for Jackson on Saturday with their "Thriller" dance and a minute of prayer.

The flamboyant former Philippine first lady, Imelda Marcos, who cheered Jackson's acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005, said she cried on hearing the news.

"Michael Jackson enriched our lives, made us happy," she said. "The accusations, the persecution caused him so much financial and mental anguish. He was vindicated in court, but the battle took his life. There is probably a lesson here for all of us."

In Bogota, Colombia, a 24-year-old tattoo artist named Michael Tarquino said his parents named him after Jackson. He recalled growing up with electricity rationing for hours at a time and waiting for the power to return.

"When the light came back on I would play my Michael Jackson LP, and I'd stand at the window and sing along," he said.

Japanese fans were always among Jackson's most passionate supporters, and news of his death came as a huge shock. Michiko Suzuki, a music critic who met Jackson several times in the 1980s, said the country was likely to be mourning for some time.

"Everyone was imitating his 'moonwalk' when it was a hit. He was a true superstar," she said.

Jackson also had a huge fan base in Seoul, South Korea, where his style and dance moves were widely emulated by Korean pop stars.

"He is my master and the prime mover to make me dance," pop star Rain told the South Korean sports and entertainment daily Ilgan Sports. "Even though he is dead, he is an eternal performer."

Aaron Kwok, one of Chinese pop's most accomplished singer-dancers, said he was deeply saddened by the news.

"It's so sudden," Kwok said in a statement. "No one can replace Michael Jackson's contributions to pop music."

___

Associated Press writers Tanalee Smith in Sydney; Marta Falconi in Rome; Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin; Rod McGuirk in Canberra; Peter Orsi in Mexico City; Stan Lehman in Sao Paolo; Jorge Rueda in Caracas; Madeleine Bair in Bogota; John Rogers and Derrik J. Lang in Los Angeles; Kim Yong-ho in Seoul; Min Lee in Hong Kong; Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo; Angela Charlton in Paris and Teresa Cerojano in Manila contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...son_world_reax

[old_soul]

Zoloft
Xanax
Demerol.........

Zoloft and Demerol are deadly when mixed together. Lidocaine bottle was also seen on the floor of Michael's room, seen by a responder (fd) to the scene.

His doctor Robert Conrad, who has disappeared, lived in the house with Michael. The doctors's car was towed from Michael's home last night by LE. Why has he disappeared?

What other drugs will be found in Michael's body.... I fear there is much that will be found out, and not good information. It is being discussed as a possible Dermerol overdose.

Another death which should have never happened because of prescription drug and rouge doctors who dispense to these people because it's all about the love of money........

A wonderful talent, gone like so many before him. Unnecessary deaths.
I hope he will find peace in Heaven. His children need prayers too...they are in for a hell of a battle.

RIP

[old_soul]

According to all news reports, ANYTHING MICHAEL JACKSON is running up 700% from 24 hours ago when he was alive.

That includes downloads, on Amazon, Tweeter has been brought down a couple of times..even Internet coverage........Never in history has this happened with a performer.

Michael Jackson has done in death what he could never do in life..nor has anyone else.

#1 in the World.

[lorettalockhorn]

CNBC had some interesting MJ coverage today:

Jackson Lived Like King But Died Awash in Debt

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31559778

Jackson Tour Promoter Stands to Lose Millions

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31566576

Several video reports on the Jane Wells page (bottom left):

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15837936

[lorettalockhorn]

Just heard part of the 911 call on Prime News and the operator was telling the caller to move MJ to the floor for CPR. The caller told him that there was a doctor on the scene and that he hadn't responded to CPR. So my question is, did the doc not know the correct procedure?? Why was he living with a physician anyway?

Feel so sorry for his kiddos.

[RayStar]

The doctor is Conrad Murray from TX. I want to know why he was there. The caller was not id'd and why did he not id MJ to 911.

[samanthajane13]

Coroner: More tests needed on Jackson's death
By JOHN ROGERS and JAKE COYLE, Associated Press Writers John Rogers And Jake Coyle, Associated Press Writers – 44 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death will require further neuropathology and pulmonary tests that will take four to six weeks. Harvey says there were no signs of foul play or trauma to the body during the three-hour autopsy. He also says Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medications.

The spokesman says Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter is with Jackson's family.

Harvey says the police department has requested a security hold on the investigation which limits how much the coroner's office can say about the case. He says the death became a coroner's case because there was no doctor to sign the death certificate.

Harvey says the body will be released once the family selects a mortuary.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...ichael_jackson

[samanthajane13]

Coroner: Cause of Jackson death deferred
By JOHN ROGERS and JAKE COYLE, Associated Press Writers John Rogers And Jake Coyle, Associated Press Writers – 42 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death will require further neuropathology and pulmonary tests that will take four to six weeks.

Harvey says there were no signs of foul play or trauma to the body during the three-hour autopsy. He also says Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medications.

The spokesman says Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter is with Jackson's family.

Harvey says the police department has requested a security hold on the investigation which limits how much the coroner's office can say about the case. He says the death became a coroner's case because there was no doctor to sign the death certificate.

Harvey says the body will be released once the family selects a mortuary.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.

Harvey says there were no signs of foul play or trauma to the body. He also says Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medications.

The spokesman says Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter is with Jackson's family.

(This version CORRECTS time span to four to six weeks. )


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...ichael_jackson

[samanthajane13]

911 call in Michael Jackson death released
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON, Associated Press Writer Raquel Maria Dillon, Associated Press Writer – Fri Jun 26, 3:06 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – A 911 caller seeking help for Michael Jackson told an emergency operator that only a personal physician had seen what happened, and an ambulance was urgently needed because resuscitation efforts weren't working.

The Los Angeles Fire Department on Friday released a redacted audio recording of the call made Thursday by a person who only referred to Jackson as a 50-year-old man. It appeared that a mention of the phone number was deleted from the recording.

"I need an ambulance as soon as possible, sir," the caller said urgently but politely. "We have a gentlemen here that needs help and he's not breathing yet. He's not breathing and we need to — we're trying to pump him, but he's not, he's not."

The caller reported that Jackson was on a bed and the emergency operator began to instruct him to do CPR, but stopped when the caller said that the personal physician was there.

"Oh, OK. We're on our way there. If your guy is doing CPR and you're instructed by a doctor, he's a higher authority than me. And he's on the scene," the 911 operator said.

The operator asked if anyone witnessed what happened.

"No, just the doctor, sir, the doctor was the only one there," the caller said.

"Did he see what happened?" the operator asked.

"Doctor, did you see what happened, sir?" the caller asked someone in the room. Only an urgent mumbling can be heard on the recording.

"We're on our way. It's less than a mile away from Cedars," the operator said, referring to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Paramedics, however, took Jackson to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...ackson911_call

[samanthajane13]

AP Source: Jackson suffered a heart attack
By LYNN ELBER, Associated Press Writer Lynn Elber, Associated Press Writer – 40 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, who was with a cardiologist when he collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles, appeared to have suffered a heart attack, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said Jackson suffered a heart attack, which is a blocking of the arteries that deprives the heart of adequate blood. That can lead to cardiac arrest, an interruption of the normal heartbeat.

Jackson's brother Jermaine said Thursday that it was believed the pop singer went into cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County coroner's office, which completed its autopsy Friday, said determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.

The possibility of a heart attack could be a key clue as to why Jackson had a cardiologist at his home while he went through vigorous training for an upcoming series of concerts in London: Heart attacks can indicate a long-term problem, such as heart disease. It would not necessarily rule out another factor, such as drug use, however.

Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Jackson was taking some prescription medications, but did not specify what they were.

Police earlier today seized the car of Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiologist who practices in California, Nevada and Texas, who was with Jackson at the time of his death. Police said they believed the car may contain drugs or other evidence.

When autopsies are performed on cardiac arrest victims, as many as three-fourths show signs of heart disease, such as clogged arteries, said Dr. Douglas Zipes, an Indiana University heart specialist and past president of the American College of Cardiology.

Finding signs of a heart attack would not rule out drugs playing a role. For example, injections of the powerful painkiller Demerol can depress normal breathing or cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and trigger a heart rhythm problem, said Dr. Lance Becker, a University of Pennsylvania emergency medicine specialist and an American Heart Association spokesman.

If that occurred in someone who already had clogged arteries, it could make the situation much worse, he said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/..._jackson_heart

[samanthajane13]

More on Michael Jackson's MIA Mystery Doctor
Josh Grossberg Josh Grossberg – 2 hrs 2 mins ago

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Where in the world is Michael Jackson's doctor?

L.A.'s Finest are continuing to search for a Houston-based cardiologist who was on the scene Thursday when the King of Pop went into cardiac arrest at his home and died suddenly. But the good news is, now they have a name to go on.

E! News has identified Jackson's personal physician as Dr. Conrad Robert Murray, who had been living in the 50-year-old "Thriller" star's rented Holmby Hills mansion.

Houston station KHOU interviewed a medical assistant at the Acres Home Heart and Vascular Institute, who confirmed that Murray was present at the time Jackson was stricken and administering CPR before paramedics arrived. But she hadn't been able to reach him despite numerous attempts.

Investigators want to talk to the doctor as part of a standard probe into the music legend's death, though no foul play is suspected at this time.

But questions were raised Thursday after authorities towed a BMW with Texas plates from Jackson's home. The car was registered to Murray's sister. LAPD Officer Tenesha Dobine tells E! News "there may have been some medication inside the vehicle that the coroner needs for its investigation."

Here's what else we've learned about Murray...

• He is licensed to practice medicine in both Texas and California.
• He has been sued twice for breach of contract in Clark County (Las Vegas) by creditors. Last year, HICA Education Loan Corp was awarded $71,332.45 in a case against him.
• His Houston business, Acres Home Heart and Vascular Institute, was on the losing end in a September 2008 case and ordered to pay the plaintiff, Popular Leasing CA, more than $135,000.
• Capital One sued him through a debt-collection law firm and was awarded $1,473 last December.

Michael's brother Jermaine earlier stated that Jackson's physician had attempted to revive him before medics arrived, though he did not identify Murray by name.

In 2007, Jackson was sued by a Beverly Hills pharmacy that claimed he was more than $100,000 behind on payments for various prescriptions filled. Within days the lawsuit had been settled for an undisclosed amount.

—Additional reporting by Lindsay Miller

(Originally published June 26, 2009, at 10:55 a.m. PT)


http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/2009..._top_eo/131365

[samanthajane13]

Jackson death was twittered, texted and Facebooked
By JOCELYN NOVECK, AP National Writer Jocelyn Noveck, Ap National Writer – 1 hr 29 mins ago

NEW YORK – "Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson has just died," the woman called out breathlessly upon boarding a Manhattan bus, moments after the news had broken. Not a word was spoken in response. But nearly every passenger reached for a Blackberry, a cell phone, whatever device was at hand.

"People are already texting about it, putting it up on Facebook, remembering his greatest moments," noted Delmar Dualeh, sitting in the back. At 17, he confessed, the news didn't really move him emotionally. He was too young to recall the 50-year-old entertainer in his prime. But he was fully engaged in the cultural moment. He hurried the conversation along so he could get back to texting.

In Iran, people speak of a Twitter uprising. Was this the first major Twitter celebrity death? Because it wasn't just HOW many people first learned of Jackson's demise but what they did once they found out.

"Once you knew the news, there wasn't so much more to know — the rest is all comment," said media critic Jeff Jarvis. So, he said, maybe you'd go to your friends instead of the news: "You might care more what your friends say than some analyst."

Jarvis himself tweeted the moment he heard of the death: He noted that Iran's spiritual leader should be grateful to Jackson because the story wiped Iran off the day's news agenda.

"That was re-tweeted a lot," Jarvis said.

The company said news of Jackson's death generated the most tweets per second since Barack Obama was elected president, and more than twice the normal tweets per second from the moment the story broke.

Plain old texting, Dualeh's choice, had its largest spike on AT&T'S network in history. Nearly 65,000 texts per second were sent, the company said — more than 60 percent over normal volume.

And on Facebook, "sharing of all types went up — including wall posts, comments, notes, posted links," wrote spokeswoman Jaime Schopflin in an e-mail. "Status updates in particular saw an increase of more than three times the amount than usual."

Some posters were cynical, but many more were grief-stricken, like Jackson fan Scott Friedstein, an administrative assistant who lives in Brooklyn.

"There will never be another like him, ever," Friedstein wrote. "The word 'superstar' is tossed around a lot, but no one personified the term, lived and breathed it, and delivered like he did. To all the people who liked Michael Jackson when it wasn't cool to ... I feel for you."

Facebook said there were no internal reports of the site slowing from too much traffic. But there were slowdowns or outages on other sites. Google said the spike in searches related to Jackson was so big that Google News initially mistook it for an automated attack.

Experiencing slowdowns were the Web sites of ABC, AOL, the Los Angeles Times and CBS, according to Keynote Systems, an Internet monitoring service. Also experiencing an impact were MSNBC.com, NBC and Yahoo! News.

The initial news of Jackson's death broke on TMZ.com at 5:20 p.m. The Los Angeles Times and then The Associated Press confirmed the death just before 6:30 p.m. EDT, and networks then led their broadcasts with the news.

TMZ quoted a source inside the hospital, and turned out to be right. But there were plenty of false reports circulating across the Web that mainstream news organizations had to chase: Rumors of actor Jeff Goldblum falling off a cliff, Harrison Ford falling off a yacht and, on Friday, George Clooney in a plane crash.

Another challenge the mainstream media faced was presenting both sides of Jackson himself, and balancing the polarities of his story. On the one hand, there was ample video evidence of the extraordinarily gifted young man who took the world by storm, moon-walking on the Apollo Theater stage, or dancing hypnotically in the groundbreaking "Thriller" video.

On the other, there was the pale, older man, dangling his baby off a hotel balcony, or seen in video from his trial on charges of child molestation. So which Jackson to show?

"There was a duality to Michael Jackson that you had to deal with," said Susan Zirinsky, executive producer of "48 Hours" and CBS specials. "The man died with a legacy of shame. The news had to be a combined sentence."

To open the one-hour special she produced, anchored by Harry Smith, Zirinsky chose four words that she felt conveyed the dichotomy: "A prodigy. A sensation. The controversy. The tragedy."

The same duality was evident on NBC's "Today" show, where one moment Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira were describing how Jackson was the most compelling entertainer they had ever seen.

Later, writer Maureen Orth, a guest on the show, told Lauer that Jackson had ruined the lives of families and children, and she cast doubt on the justice of his acquittal.

"But I did love his music," Orth added.

"Today" executive producer Jim Bell acknowledged it was a challenge to balance the two sides. "But that was one of the main reasons he was such a compelling figure," Bell said. "Otherwise, I don't know that his death would have been such a momentous occasion."

The fact that the news broke on a celebrity Web site and spread like wildfire across the social networking sites is a noteworthy change in how celebrity deaths get reported, Bell said. But he added that the mainstream media is becoming more nimble as a result.

And, Bell added, with a huge media event such as Jackson's death, the audience is going to increase everywhere, including network TV. "There's going to be a lot of eyeballs in both new and traditional media," Bell said. "It's not a zero-sum game."

Maybe not, but Friedstein, the Brooklyn man, went home Thursday night and logged onto Facebook right away. He didn't turn on the TV — he doesn't even have one.

"I just wanted to see how other people were feeling," he said later by telephone. "This was shattering, surreal even. It's my generation's version of Elvis dying."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...e_media_moment

[samanthajane13]

Stars to honor Michael Jackson at BET Awards
By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen, Ap Entertainment Writer – 1 hr 18 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – The BET Awards are undergoing "a total overhaul" as the show is retooled as a tribute to Michael Jackson, the network said Friday. The telecast is being lengthened, performers are being added to the lineup and additional guests are expected to attend, said Debra L. Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive of Black Entertainment Television.

"We're adding on," Lee said from the Shrine Auditorium, where the awards will be presented Sunday. "We're trying to do the numbers we had already planned and we're trying to add on, so it may be a longer show than we anticipated."

At least 30 minutes will be added to the broadcast, she said. Jamie Foxx is set to host the show.

Jackson died Thursday afternoon at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his Los Angeles home.

Meanwhile, artists such as Beyonce and Ne-Yo, who worked on their performances for weeks, scrambled to change them last-minute to honor the King of Pop, said producer Stephen Hill.

"To change it up in three days is something that's not easy but they're all willing and looking forward to it," Hill said. "There's a direct line from Ne-Yo to Michael Jackson. There's a direct line from Beyonce to Michael Jackson. There's a direct line from Jay-Z to Michael Jackson. I think they'll want to pay tribute in their own way."

Other artists who had not planned to attend Sunday's show, such as Usher and Justin Timberlake, are rushing to Los Angeles to participate, Hill said.

"This is going to be the first gathering of people who really cared for and were influenced by him since his death," he said. "It's a tall order for us but we have every intention of paying respect to Michael Jackson."

Lee said she expects the evening's acceptance speeches to be dedicated to Jackson's memory and his influence on music and popular culture.

"There's no artist that's going to want to get up there and talk about themselves. They're going to want to talk about Michael," she said. "We want to give out the awards, we want them to have their moment but it's going to be more geared toward Michael Jackson."

Lee said Jackson was a longtime friend of the network, which is airing special programming in his honor all weekend. Jackson will also be remembered at Lee's annual pre-party in honor of the awards, where Foxx, Sean Combs and Vanessa Williams are among expected guests.

Hill, who wore a yellow Jackson 5 T-shirt Friday, said seeing the band perform in 1971 inspired him to go into the entertainment business. He still keeps a poster of the group in his office, he said.

"Michael Jackson was my first real hero," Hill said. "I don't think that this first public outpouring could be left in better hands."

"There will be another awards show, so if this one changes, that's fine," he said. "There will not be another Michael Jackson."

___

Associated Press Writer Mesfin Fekadu in New York contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

http://www.bet.com/betawards


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...son_bet_awards

[samanthajane13]

This is It: Massive headache for Jackson promoters
By GREGORY KATZ, Associated Press Writer Gregory Katz, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 10 mins ago

LONDON – It was to be the comeback of the young century: Michael Jackson using the "This is It" tour to retake his throne as King of Pop, lord of the dance and darling of the masses.

What grander stage than London for this late career magic? Jackson's much hyped revival was to be a marathon, 50-gig tour that gave him a shot at redemption — not to mention repairing his tarnished image, lifting him out of debt and making millions for promoters.

Eager fans spent more than $90 million on tickets despite widespread doubts about the pop icon's stamina.

Now the star is dead — and one of the city's biggest arenas has 50 open nights. London, the city that was to be Jackson's launch pad back to glory, has become a symbol of the wreckage of his life.

The calamity has left Los Angeles-based tour promoters AEG Live, which operates the 02 Arena where Jackson was to have performed, with a colossal problem. In addition to the money taken in by ticket sales, which must be refunded, the company had already paid Jackson millions and spent millions more getting ready for the planned July 13 premiere.

There is no question it's a disaster, said Chris Cooke, editor of the British music business bulletin CMU Daily. But no one knows the magnitude of the catastrophe.

"The question is how much they were insured, but they've been very quiet about that," he said. "Will the insurance company take the hit, or will they?"

He said AEG Live had been planning a world tour after the London gigs, and possibly an extended residency for Jackson at a Las Vegas hotel in order to capitalize on his revival after more than a decade away from the concert stage.

The goal was to give Jackson a total career makeover that would once again turn him into a money machine. Instead, the pressure to produce — and in effect, to compete with his younger self — may have contributed to his demise.

AEG Live said in a statement Friday that it would advise ticket holders early next week on how to get refunds, adding that fans should hold onto their ticket vouchers and proofs of purchase.

"At this moment our thoughts are with Michael's children, family and friends. We will announce ticketing information in due course," read a message on a huge screen outside the 02 Arena.

According to Bermuda-based insurer Validus Holdings Ltd., a group of insurers were covering the concert series through the Lloyd's insurance market, including its subsidiary Talbot Holdings Ltd. But Validus said it had less than $3 million at risk.

The tour was to have spanned into March 2010, and there was wide skepticism about Jackson's ability to meet such a demanding schedule — with some London bookmakers even taking bets on how many of the 50 shows the notoriously unreliable Jackson would actually perform.

Industry experts also believed his participation in the spectacle would be limited, with large segments taken up by dancers performing elaborate routines to taped performances of his many hits.

"AEG chose potentially the most ambitious run of dates in the history of the concert business," said Bill Werde, editorial director of Billboard magazine. "Now they're going to have to orchestrate the most ambitious refund program in the history of the concert business."

AEG Live, a unit of billionaire Philip Anschutz's empire, had stood to collect about 5 percent to 10 percent of the gross ticket revenue of $90 million to $100 million, plus as much as $15 million from concession and merchandise sales, Werde said.

Jackson himself would have made the bulk of the money from the ticket sales.

The refund process could be complicated by the fact that tickets were sold to people from a number of countries and because of the sheer volume of tickets sold, Werde said. Some 750,000 tickets, priced between $82 and $124, were sold, though some went for hundreds of dollars on Internet auction sites.

Experts familiar with Jackson's horrendous financial situation said the singer was counting on the tour to help pull him out of a reported $400 million in debt.

Attorney Jerry Reisman, who represented the Hit Factory in New York when Jackson recorded there, said Jackson desperately needed the tour revenues.

"He had substantial debt to creditors throughout the world, and he hoped to use the tour to repay them and create a cash flow for himself," Reisman said. "He had a very high standard of living. He lived like a prince, like royalty, traveling by private jets with a huge entourage. His debt was tremendous, exorbitant."

This financial pressure led Jackson to agree to 50 shows, a demanding schedule even for a younger, more fit performer.

Reisman said the promoters may try to recoup money already paid to Jackson in order to refund money to customers.

Joey Scoleri, a promoter with the North American music division of Live Nation, said Jackson's death had created complex legal and logistical problems for the promoters.

He said not since Elvis Presley had there been a case of an artist of Jackson's magnitude dying just before a major tour.

"The only other artist like this was Elvis, and tours weren't the financial undertaking then as they are today," he said. Presley died in 1977 before several tour dates.

Scoleri said it was likely the AEG concert division would suffer a financial hit, but it's the nature of the business to manage risks. He said promoters surely understood Jackson's health was a factor.

AEG Live spokesman Michael Roth did not immediately comment on the company's insurance coverage.

Insurance market Lloyd's of London said its member corporations had underwritten some insurance taken out for the Jackson concerts, but said AEG is likely to be have had multiple policies with several insurers, who would each have taken on a portion of the risk.

Spokesman Bart Nash said he did not know how much Lloyd's portion of the figure was, or the total cost of the coverage.

"We can confirm that some insurance for Michael Jackson's concerts has been placed in the Lloyd's market, but any losses are not likely to be significant," Nash said.

He said the policy would likely cover the death of an artist, costs of canceling the events, including funds spent on sets already built, promotion and publicity, and, possibly, estimated earnings from the concerts.

"The risk would be quite high," for artists in poor health, or with a history of canceling concerts, like Jackson, he said.

Chris Rackliffe, underwriter at insurance firm Beazley, said few insurers would have been prepared to take on the risk of an artist with Jackson's problems.

"His prior history, the fact of his health and the difficulties he has had in his life over the last few years means that, from our point of view, he would have been very high risk," Rackliffe said.

As for fans looking for refunds, those who bought tickets on the secondary market from the company viagogo will be able to easily have their money refunded, said chief executive Eric Baker.

"No forms, no fuss, just refunded," he said.

Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc., the primary ticket seller, did not immediately provide information on refunds.

Officials at eBay said any Michael Jackson tickets purchased in the last 45 days through the PayPal system would be covered by the buyer protection plan.

______________

Associated Press writers Ryan Nakashima in Los Angeles, and Paisley Dodds and David Stringer in London contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...son_this_is_it

[samanthajane13]

Jackson may be 'worth more dead than alive'
By RYAN NAKASHIMA and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writers Ryan Nakashima And Michael Liedtke, Ap Business Writers – 11 mins ago

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.

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.'

___

Michael Liedtke reported from San Francisco. AP Business Writers Alex Veiga in Los Angeles, Stevenson Jacobs in New York, Rachel Metz in New York and Jessica Mintz in Seattle contributed to this story.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/...jackson_estate

[lorettalockhorn]

Who Will Get Custody of Michael Jackson’s Children?

With the sudden death of Michael Jackson at his Humby Hills Estate yesterday, he leaves behind three young children who will need to be placed in the care of others. We understand that they are temporarily with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson.

There has been much speculation that Jackson’s second wife and dermatology nurse, Debbie Rowe, will become the legal custodian of her two biological children Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11.

Many believed that she gave up custody of these children to Michael Jackson when the couple divorced in 1999. Judge Stephen Lachs presided over their case initially and did grant sole custody to the pop star. He later reversed that decision, reinstating her rights.

It will be up to the Department of Children and Family Services to determine whether she can take on the parenting role for her two pre-teens. In fact, under California law, she IS presumed to be the person who will get custody unless the court determines that such a move would be detrimental to the children.

With a substantial inheritance in the balance, it seems likely that the Jackson family will wage a battle to keep the two children away from Debbie Rowe.

Regarding seven-year-old Prince Michael Jackson II, his situation is slightly different. He was conceived by a surrogate mother, reportedly with sperm donated by Michael Jackson. His maternal parentage has never been revealed.

Michael Jackson’s body was flown by helicopter to the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office for an autopsy - see photos below. Initial results are expected on Friday afternoon, but drug toxicology could take up to 8 weeks.

http://www.bittenandbound.com/2009/0...ildren-photos/

Photos at link. Wonder if we'll learn the identity of Prince Michael's mother.

[lorettalockhorn]

Michael Jackson Leases Holmby Hills Home

Michael Jackson, who turned 50 this year, has leased a sprawling mansion in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles for a whopping $100,000 a month.

The home, a 17,171 square foot, 3-story French Chateau style estate, which sits on 1.26 acres, includes 7 bedrooms, 12 fireplaces, entrance hall with curving staircase, formal living and dining rooms, a den with adjoining library, theater room, family room, gourmet kitchen with eating area, wine cellar and heated swimming pool.

Earlier this year, Jackson’s Neverland Ranch faced foreclosure, and in November ownership of the property was transferred to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC.

http://www.bittenandbound.com/2008/1...s-home-photos/

Photos at link.

[samanthajane13]

Ind. mayor has big hopes for Jackson boyhood home
By MICHAEL TARM, Associated Press Writer Michael Tarm, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 21 mins ago

GARY, Ind. – The hardscrabble city of Gary, Ind., which rose to prosperity in its steelmaking heyday and saw its fortunes fall with the industry, sees an opportunity in the death of its most famous native: Michael Jackson.

The mayor is calling Jackson's modest boyhood home the new Graceland, and others hope to use Jackson's name to raise funds for a museum.

But Jackson and his family, like so many others, left the northwest Indiana city behind a long time ago.

Flags flew at half staff outside Gary's City Hall on Friday as Jackson's hits, including "Bad," blared inside the building intercom system. Outside Jackson's childhood home, fans danced to a boombox playing "Thriller" and performed his trademark Moonwalk on the street.

Major Rudy Clay said he would like to transform the downtrodden community into a mecca for the pop singer's fans. He said even he'd like to arrange to have the pop icon, who died Thursday at the age of 50, buried in Gary, though he has not broached that possibility with Jackson's family.

"If they can do it for Elvis Presley in Graceland, we can do it for Michael Jackson in Gary," Clay, 73, told The Associated Press.

But tourism experts said they were skeptical that Gary could really draw Jackson fans.

For one, Jackson only lived in this community about 30 miles southeast of Chicago through the age of 11. Since then, the pop star rarely visited.

Roger Brooks, the CEO of Destination Development International, believes that Jackson's famed sprawling Neverland ranch in southern California has more potential to be a lasting tourist attraction.

"It was his place as an adult," he said. "It was his vision that built the place from the ground up." And, he said, it was the place associated with all the bizarre and troubling stories about Jackson.

"People would go to California to see that," Brooks said.

But Clay shook his head when asked if Neverland might be a better location for die hard fans to connect to the singer's legacy.

"No. No. No," Clay said. "If you're going to build a museum to Michael Jackson you should build it where the true love for him is."

The Jacksons moved from Gary after the Jackson 5 recorded their first album in 1969.

By that time, the steel industry, in which Jackson's father had worked, had started to decline. Over the following decades, the city's unemployment and poverty soared, crime increased and the population dwindled.

Nearly 200,000 people lived in Gary in the 1960s. By 2007, that dropped to 96,000 and one-third of residents lived below the poverty line, according to recent U.S. Census data.

Clay said he hopes Jackson's death will help energize officials to push for building a memorial, which could include arts center and museum, to the singer in his childhood hometown. Proposals also include moving the Jackson home near an interstate that serves as a main route for commuters heading to and from Chicago, Clay said.

More than 100 people gathered Friday outside the small white-colored home where Jackson lived, creating a circus-like atmosphere. As a boombox blared "Thriller" and other hits, some fans danced while others did the Moonwalk down the asphalt Jackson Street — initially named after U.S. President Andrew Jackson.

Dozens of teddy bears, flowers and affectionate notes piled against the door.

"If you're a real Michael Jackson fan, this is where you come," said Kandy Keaton, 38, who drove from nearby Hammond to pay her respects. "This is about his roots. This is where he and his brothers practiced and practiced. This is where his dad pulled it all together."

But at least a few neighbors said they were disappointed Jackson didn't do more to help his hometown when he was alive. His reported pledge to help raise money for an arts center that would bear his name never materialized.

"This is great that this (Jackson's death) is now bringing attention to Gary," said Darrell Hodges, 49, who went to the same elementary school as Jackson. "But the Jacksons could have done more for this community."

Clay dismisses such criticism, saying Michael Jackson's rare show in the city shouldn't suggest he didn't care.

"His physical body wasn't always here, but his heart was always in Gary," he said.

__

Associated Press reporters Sophia Tareen and Don Babwin in Chicago contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...l_jackson_gary

[old_soul]

Fox news has reported: Michaels' father is stating Michael has over 100 songs hidden away, that he made for his children. Michael wrote they not be released until after his demise ('whenever' that would be... which unfortunately turned out to be sooner rather than later).

This is going to help repay his massive debt and is a possible nest egg for his children said his father.

Seeing as how people are crazy buying his old albums, cd's, etc, I guess Sony will be making out like bandits and royalties will also help with the debt...

*thanks for the Dr's name correction, Raystar..the name I posted is the name they gave out initially as the Dr...

From many accounts, this could have been prevented, in more ways than one. People never learn, do they? Wrong.

[samanthajane13]

Person close to Jacksons: Will, AEG role unclear
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Ap Music Writer – 1 hr 27 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Most of Michael Jackson's family members have gathered in their Encino compound where they are contemplating funeral arrangements, caring for his three children and feeling confused, upset and angry by the lack of information about those who were around the pop superstar in his final days, a person close to the family told The Associated Press.

Jackson's family wants to know more specifics about what role AEG, the concert promoter that was staging his 50-date concert series at London's 02 Arena, was playing in his life, said the person, who requested anonymity because of the delicate nature of the situation. They also want to know more about the role of his advisers and representatives, who they believe were put in place by the promoter.

Randy Phillips, AEG Live president and chief executive, said earlier Friday that it was Jackson who insisted that Dr. Conrad Murray, a financially troubled cardiologist who was with the entertainer when he collapsed Thursday, be put on the tour payroll.

"As a company, we would have preferred not having a physician on staff full-time because it would have been cheaper without the hotels and travel, but Michael was insistent that he be hired," Phillips said. "Michael said he had a rapport with him."

Jackson collapsed Thursday at his rented home in Los Angeles. Police seized Murray's car in search of evidence, but have insisted that the doctor has been cooperative and do not consider him a criminal suspect.

Records reveal years of financial troubles for Murray, who practices medicine in California, Nevada and Texas; his Nevada medical practice, Global Cardiovascular Associates, was slapped with more than $400,000 in court judgments, and he faces at least two other pending cases and several tax liens.

Jackson never communicated to his family who he had in place to handle his business affairs, the person close to the family said, adding that they were told by the singer's phalanx of advisers that the singer likely had a will, but it may be many years old. The family is distrustful of what they are being told — but they are determined to find out more, the person said.

"There are decisions going down without the family being in the loop; it's becoming an issue," the person said.

The person said that while there were reports that the singer was distant from his family, he spoke with his mother Katherine quite regularly and his father, Joe, had seen his son shortly before his death. His other eight siblings, including fellow superstar Janet, may not have talked to him recently but were not estranged.

Much of the family was holed up Friday inside the Jackson family's Encino compound, including his three children, according to the person, who described them as doing looking "pretty good."

"I don't think it's fully set in yet," the person said.

No family members were present in the mansion when Jackson died Thursday, the person close to the family said. In the 911 call released by fire officials Friday, an unidentified caller tells a dispatcher that Jackson's doctor is performing CPR.

Asked by the dispatcher whether anyone saw what happened, the caller answers: "No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one there."

Coroner's officials said they released Jackson's body to his family late Friday night. The family is still trying to determine what kind of memorial to have for Jackson and when, and are debating between the idea of having a private ceremony or a grand celebration open to the public, the person close to the family said.

Jackson appeared to have suffered a heart attack, another person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity told the AP on Friday. A heart attack is a blocking of the arteries that deprives the heart of adequate blood and can cause cardiac arrest.

Jackson's brother Jermaine said Thursday that it was believed the pop singer went into cardiac arrest, an interruption of the normal heartbeat that can be caused by factors other than heart attack.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office, which completed its autopsy Friday, said there were no signs of foul play or trauma, but determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.

Phillips said AEG Live held multiple insurance policies covering cancellation of the shows, and that some time in February Jackson submitted to several hours of physicals that the insurance underwriter insisted upon, and that Jackson passed them all.

"We had pretty good coverage, but a lot of it is going to depend on the toxicology results," he said. "We need to know what the cause of death was."

___

AP Writers Beth Harris and Mike Blood contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...ichael_jackson

[samanthajane13]

Comedians mark death of oft joked about Jackson
By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle, Ap Entertainment Writer – Sat Jun 27, 1:06 am ET

NEW YORK – For years, comedians have made Michael Jackson a punch line. In deference to the beloved pop star's family and fans, though, many treated his death differently. For still others, it wasn't "too soon."

Universal Pictures' "Bruno" screened in Los Angeles on Thursday night with a scene involving Jackson's sister La Toya Jackson cut from the movie. A spokesman for Universal said the decision was made by the filmmakers "out of respect for the Jackson family."

The news of Jackson's death broke just after or during the tapings of most of Thursday's late-night shows. Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" on NBC made a point of the timing, using a graphic at the top of the show to announce that the show had been taped at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

Jay Leno, the comic who did the most to turn Jackson into a late-night staple, doesn't return to the air until fall. His spokesman said he was unavailable for comment.

Comedian-magician Penn Jillette found himself in an awkward spot Thursday. He was a guest on a radio program promoting the return of his Showtime series when the news of Jackson broke. Jillette found himself thinking back to John Lennon's death.

"I was really upset by it — as upset as I could be by someone dying outside of my family and friends," said Jillette. "And I remember the people who were flippant and joked about it in any way really kind of broke my heart."

Added Jillette: "I have a lot of respect for what music does for people and the connection you get with an artist."

Jackson's death was badly timed for CBS' David Letterman and Craig Ferguson. Both taped their Friday show in advance and are dark next week.

On Friday "Tonight" show on NBC, Conan O'Brien didn't specifically address Jackson in his monologue and instead deflected to a more current gift to comics: South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.

"A lot of very sad news in the last 24 hours, but it is our job here at the 'Tonight' show to keep things light, to try to entertain you," said O'Brien. "Which is why I'm particularly thrilled that Governor Sanford of South Carolina is keeping up his end of the bargain. If you're looking for something to talk about, he's your best friend right now."

Jimmy Kimmel, who does his ABC show live, didn't appear to be in the mood for a joke about Jackson on Thursday — until the punch line: "He was an extremely powerful symbol: a black performer who whites could relate to and then later in life, a white performer who blacks could relate to."

Kimmel continued Friday night with a monologue almost entirely of jokes related to Jackson's death, though most weren't actually about the pop star. He called the line to see Jackson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star, for example, longer than the line for the new iPhone.

On Friday, Fallon said the previous day had been "weird" for him and his show. He spoke admiringly about Jackson and said he felt like he was "punched in the gut" when he heard of Jackson's death. As a tribute, his house band, the Roots — with Erykah Badu as a guest — dressed in Jackson's style and played his music throughout the show.

Other comedians were more irreverent despite the news being so fresh.

Michael Ian Black, a comedian who rarely avoids sensitive material, wondered in a message on Twitter if the autopsy of Jackson would reveal Tinkerbell inside, alluding to his Peter Pan nature.

Comedian Rob Corddry, former "Daily Show" correspondent, turned the joke back on TMZ, which had the scoop on Jackson's death. Corddry tweeted: "I wish it had been Michael Jackson that broke the story of TMZ dying. I can almost hear the high-fives."

The Onion also didn't lose any time. In a tweet Thursday, it reported: "BREAKING: Last Piece of Michael Jackson Dies."

The satirical newspaper followed that up Friday with a brief story on its Web site with the headline: "King of Pop Dead at 12" — suggesting Jackson always remained childlike.

Megan Ganz, associate editor of the Onion, said the paper's Manhattan office felt almost like a "real newsroom" Friday, with its writing staff rushing around to produce copy on Jackson's death.

Ganz acknowledged the Onion had received complaints from readers who said their Jackson stories were insensitive.

"It's kind of funny to me that people are saying `too soon, too soon' about these jokes because people have been making jokes about Michael Jackson for the last 20 years," said Ganz. "We really tried to think of something that was somewhat meaningful about his life — that wasn't just one more joke at the expense of Michael Jackson — because he's weathered quite a few."

The comedian widely acknowledged as being the first to joke about Jackson — Eddie Murphy — declined to comment on the singer's death. It was Murphy who in his 1983 classic standup special "Delirious" famously said Jackson "ain't the most masculine fellow in the world."

Murphy reminisced about the joke recently as a guest on "Tonight": "That was the very first of what turned into a tsunami of Michael jokes."

___

On the Net:

http://www.theonion.com

http://twitter.com

http://www.nbc.com

http://www.abc.com


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...kson_comedians

[samanthajane13]

Michael Jackson memorabilia sells in Las Vegas
By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY, Associated Press Writer Kathleen Hennessey, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 30 mins ago

LAS VEGAS – A crystal-studded shirt worn onstage by Michael Jackson: $52,500. A young Jackson's painting of Mickey Mouse: $25,000. Owning a piece of a pop icon who died before his time: Priceless.

Or, at least, very expensive.

Twenty-one items once owned by Jackson sold at auction Friday for a total of $205,000, dwarfing the auction house's early conservative estimate of $6,000 for the collection.

The estimate was made before Jackson died unexpectedly Thursday at a Los Angeles hospital. On Friday, the items took on new meaning, and likely new value, as collectors and a few fans gathered at the Planet Hollywood hotel-casino with the hope of walking away with a piece of the late King of Pop.

"I grew up with him," said Larry Edwards, a 55-year-old Tina Turner impersonator from Las Vegas who came to the auction aiming to buy the primary-colored depiction of an African-American Mickey Mouse, signed by "Mike Jackson."

"It's so unique, and it means even more to me that it's so soon after his passing," he said.

Edwards said he was prepared to spend $1,000 but was elbowed out at the get-go by an opening bid of $1,500. The painting sold for $20,000, plus a 25 percent commission for the celebrity auction house, Julien's Auctions.

The biggest ticket item went to Glenn Johnson, a real estate developer and amateur collector from Houston. After a fast-paced bidding war under the glare of television news cameras, Johnson edged out another bidder to take home a Swarovski crystal-beaded shirt worn by Jackson during his 1984 Victory tour.

Johnson said another king was on his mind as the price climbed.

"I see Elvis Presley costumes go for a quarter of a million these days," Johnson said. "I'm hoping this will be an investment."

The items for sale Friday came from a collection owned by David Gest, the producer and promoter once married to Liza Minnelli. Jackson introduced the couple and was best man at their wedding.

Among the lot were handwritten lyrics of Jackson's hit song "Bad," an album cover signed by each member of the Jackson 5, and a handwritten note from Jackson to an unidentified "Greg."

"Thanks for a magic moment in my life, I hope it was the same for you, please come visit me at Neverland," the undated note reads. "Lets hope this is the beginning of a lovy friendship and never lose your boyish spirit its imortal."

The note sold for $18,750 to an unidentified bidder on the phone.

The annual two-day celebrity sale was scheduled for months and promoted mainly for its large number of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe items.

Julien Auctions chief executive Darren Julien said he worried some would accuse him of profiting from Jackson's death.

"I thought about pulling the lots, but we have people bidding from all over the world," he said. "Everything we did was to honor Michael Jackson."

__

On the Net:

Julien's Auctions http://www.juliensauctions.com


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...ackson_auction

[samanthajane13]

Jackson was energetic, upbeat ahead of London tour
By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press Writer Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 27 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – The King of Pop seemed driven and upbeat in the weeks, even hours, before his death as he rehearsed rigorously for a series of 50 concerts in London that were to begin a late-career comeback.

Friends and colleagues said Friday that Michael Jackson appeared in recent months to be rejuvenated by the prospect of performing again.

After years of seclusion following a child sex scandal, the pop icon was heavily involved in all aspects of the concert rehearsals. He had hired a personal trainer and was practicing with backup dancers and choreographers several hours a day, they said.

"He was working hard, setting the example, overseeing the choreography, kicking butt and taking names," said Johnny Caswell, president of CenterStaging Musical Productions Inc., a Burbank sound stage where Jackson rehearsed until late May. "He was ready to blow everybody out of the water. This was going to be the biggest extravaganza, entertainment spectacle ever."

Jackson was involved in all areas of planning, including watching auditions and choosing the backup dancers who would appear with him, said Maryss Courchinoux, a 29-year-old dancer from Paris who sought a place on stage with Jackson.

Courchinoux said she had been selected as a backup dancer for the London concerts and had been fitted for a costume. She had been invited to Thursday's rehearsal in Los Angeles to meet Jackson and watch the practice to help prepare for her role, she said.

On the same day, Jackson was pronounced dead after collapsing at his home in Holmby Hills, a swanky neighborhood near Bel Air.

Courchinoux recounted how Jackson was in the audience as she auditioned in April, when she performed a set routine and then was asked to do freestyle dances — a hip-hop style called "pop-ins."

From the stage, she could make out Jackson's profile and his glasses where he sat in the empty auditorium. Friends later told her that Jackson jumped up and applauded after her group performed.

"I knew it was him, and I knew I was in his presence," she said. "In a way, I feel blessed that we got to dance in his presence, and I was looking forward to meeting him yesterday," she said, choking back tears.

"It was my dream since I was six years old. I guess there was a different plan."

Rehearsals for the tour began in late March, Caswell said.

Jackson and his choreographers, band and dancers took over about four of the 11 studios at Centerstaging. Jackson would wander in and out of the studios, keeping tabs on the work and would often sit on a large black leather couch and listen to the band practice.

He frequently offered band members suggestions and took an interest in the mixing levels for the concert's soundtrack, according to those who worked with him at the sound stage. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they had signed confidentiality agreements.

Caswell and other workers at the studio said Jackson would arrive in an SUV, with another vehicle following, about four or five times a week. One of the SUVs ferried Jackson, but the second was to fake out the paparazzi and European fans who flocked outside the studio's doors. Jackson, an infamous recluse, would always crack a window and allow fans to pass CDs in for him to autograph.

"There would be tons of fans — European fans — they weren't sharing the information with anyone else that he was coming here with anyone else. They didn't want to spoil the exclusivity," Caswell said.

Max Miller, a dispatch manager at the studios, said he saw the singer work on a transition routine between two songs.

Miller's team aimed a spotlight at the stage area as Jackson, wearing a black suit, practiced the moves with no music and just a metronome clicking.

"He was totally dancing like top-notch. He seemed totally good," Miller said. "He seemed totally cool and really focused."

As focused as energized as he was in Burbank, Jackson seemed even more excited about his comeback as the concert date approached.

He recently moved his rehearsals to The Forum, the Los Angeles Lakers' former arena in Inglewood, and ultimately to the Staples Center, where he was rehearsing daily, sometimes for hours.

Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of Grammy Awards, said he met Jackson there on Wednesday for a business meeting and spoke to him for about 20 minutes before Jackson invited him to watch him rehearse.

Ehrlich, who has known Jackson for years, said he was amazed by the singer's vitality and focus as he practiced moves with backup dancers and a handful of choreographers.

The choreographers walked him through moves and gave him stage directions. They also introduced him to some new props and appeared to be working with Jackson to incorporate them into the show.

"Michael was digesting it all. He was learning, but even with that, there were times during the songs where his singing was full out," Ehrlich said. "I would watch him move across the floor like the Michael of old. I was convinced (the comeback) was going to be the Michael of old."

Ehrlich said he left after watching Jackson work through five or six numbers, but got chills from watching him — a memory that seems especially precious now. The star showed no signs that he would die less than 24 hours later, he said.

"There was this one moment, he was moving across the stage and he was doing these trademark Michael moves, and I know I got this big grin on my face, and I started thinking to myself, 'You know, it's been years since I've seen that,'" he said.

"There was that Michael that was just like no one else and no one else could touch," he said. "The shame is that new generation won't see that — but we all came close to being able to see it again."

___

Associated Press writers Lynn Elber, Raquel Maria Dillon, Beth Harris, Solvej Schou and Thomas Watkins contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...son_final_days

[samanthajane13]

Filipino inmates in `Thriller' video stage tribute
By TERESA CEROJANO, Associated Press Writer Teresa Cerojano, Associated Press Writer – 35 mins ago

CEBU, Philippines – The Filipino inmates who shot to global fame with a YouTube video of their "Thriller" dance swayed and stomped again Saturday in a behind-bars tribute to their idol, Michael Jackson.

After being told of Jackson's death Thursday in Los Angeles, the 1,500 inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center hit the exercise yard, practicing for nine hours Friday night — and into the wee hours of Saturday morning — for the show. They took breaks only to eat or when it rained, said professional choreographer Gwendolyn Lador, hired by the prison to teach the inmates the dance.

"I felt sad because we lost our idol," said inmate Wenjiel Resane, who plays the role of Jackson's girlfriend in the video.

Crisanto Nieri, 38, was feeling a little extra stress. He danced Jackson's part in "Thriller."

"Even as a kid, he was already my idol," said Nieri, who is serving seven years on drug charges. "I am happy that our video became famous, but I feel some pressure to perform well."

A crowd of 700 Cebuanos and foreign tourists watched the performance from a second-floor corridor, swaying to the music and applauding as the inmates, dressed in orange prison T-shirts and sweat pants, stomped and clapped in unison in the hilltop prison, behind thick stone walls topped by electrified razor wire.

Other numbers included "Ben," "I'll Be There" and "We Are the World." The inmates then held up a 5-by-10 foot (1.5-by-3 meter) tarpaulin showing Michael Jackson holding a sword with his name written below it.

Others waved the flags of the Philippines and other nations.

Before the show, the performers dedicated a prayer to Jackson's family.

"I was sad because one of the songs of Michael Jackson, `Thriller,' made us famous around the world," said Francis Mercader, 36, who has spent a year in detention while on trial for drug charges.

Byron Garcia, the Cebu provincial security consultant who came up with the idea of adding synchronized dancing to poorly attended exercise sessions, said he was surprised by the popularity of the 2007 video — one of more than a dozen inmate dance numbers he has posted on YouTube.

"Thriller" has attracted 24.3 million hits since it was posted two years ago, with nearly a million of them in the 24 hours since news of Jackson's death spread.

The inmates "consider Michael Jackson as a god here," Garcia said. "If not for Michael Jackson, they would not have this international recognition."

"The fame brought them back their self-esteem," he told reporters. "So that's why we have these public performances."

Inmate Alfredo Gaballo, 52, says Jackson "inspired us, so we are all sad about his death."

"The performance today has been amazing," said Karen Benrad, 29, from London. She and about two dozen foreign and local tourists later joined the inmates at the prison quadrangle, dancing to the tune of "Macarena" and "I just can't get enough."

Kim Hua-sung, a 23-year-old South Korean student in Cebu who watched the inmates' performance, said he is also a Jackson fan. "I'm sad that I can't listen to more songs from him."

In Taiwan, two top Michael Jackson impersonators donned fedora hats and sequined outfits Saturday, moonwalking to "Billie Jean" in their own tribute to the pop star.

Thirty-year-old Wang Chih-wei told The Associated Press he secured a photo op with his idol during Jackson's whirlwind tour in 1993 after winning an impersonation contest.

"I didn't know much English so I could only tell him, 'I love you,'" Wang said. "He was very friendly. I melted when he put his hand on my shoulder for the photo."

___

On the Net:

Performance of "Thriller"-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o

Associated Press writer Debby Wu contributed to this report from Taipei, Taiwan.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...ancing_inmates

[samanthajane13]

Chopra: Drug concerns with Jackson since 2005
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Ap Music Writer – 31 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Spiritual teacher and medical doctor Deepak Chopra said Saturday he had been concerned since 2005 that Michael Jackson was abusing prescription painkillers and most recently spoke to the pop star about suspected drug use six months ago.

Chopra said Jackson, a longtime friend, asked him for painkillers in 2005 when the pop star was staying with him following his trial on sex abuse allegations.

Chopra said he refused but added the nanny of Jackson's children repeatedly contacted him with concerns about Jackson's drug use over the next four years.

He said she told him a number of doctors would visit Jackson's homes in Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

Whenever the subject came up, Jackson would avoid Chopra's calls, Chopra said.

Meanwhile, The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Michael Jackson's family wants an independent autopsy.

Jesse Jackson said Saturday there were unanswered questions surrounding the King of Pop's death, including about the role of the personal cardiologist who was with him.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office performed an autopsy on the singer's body on Friday but deferred a finding on the cause of death pending further tests that could take more than a month.

Jesse Jackson said the family's wound from the pop star's death was being kept open by the mystery of the cause of death.

Janet Jackson arrived at her brother Michael's Holmby Hills estate, where moving vans arrived earlier in the day.

Janet Jackson, wearing dark glasses, drove up in a Bentley and went directly to the estate. About eight movers had taken dollies and packing equipment through the gates. It wasn't immediately known what was being taken out.

Most of Michael Jackson's family members had gathered in their Encino compound, where they were contemplating funeral arrangements and caring for his three children. They are feeling confused, upset and angry by the lack of information about those who were around the pop superstar in his final days, a person close to the family said.

Jackson's family wants to know more specifics about what role AEG, the concert promoter that was staging his 50-date concert series at London's 02 Arena, was playing in his life, said the person, who requested anonymity because of the delicate nature of the situation.

They also want to know more about the role of his advisers and representatives, who they believe were put in place by the promoter.

AEG spokeswoman Natalie Whorms in London had no comment.

Jackson never communicated to his family who he had in place to handle his business affairs, the person said, adding that they were told by the singer's phalanx of advisers that he likely had a will, but it may be many years old. The family is distrustful of what they are being told — but they are determined to find out more, the person said.

"There are decisions going down without the family being in the loop; it's becoming an issue," the person said.

Randy Phillips, AEG Live president and chief executive, said Friday that it was Jackson who insisted that Dr. Conrad Murray, a financially troubled cardiologist who was with the entertainer when he collapsed Thursday, be put on the tour payroll.

"As a company, we would have preferred not having a physician on staff full-time because it would have been cheaper without the hotels and travel, but Michael was insistent that he be hired," Phillips said. "Michael said he had a rapport with him."

Jackson collapsed Thursday at his rented home in Los Angeles. Police seized Murray's car in search of evidence, but have insisted that the doctor has been cooperative and do not consider him a criminal suspect.

Records reveal years of financial troubles for Murray, who practices medicine in California, Nevada and Texas; his Nevada medical practice, Global Cardiovascular Associates, was slapped with more than $400,000 in court judgments, and he faces at least two other pending cases and several tax liens.

The person close to the family said that while there were reports that the singer was distant from his family, Jackson spoke with his mother, Katherine, quite regularly and his father, Joe, had seen his son shortly before his death. His other eight siblings, including fellow superstar Janet, may not have talked to him recently but were not estranged.

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.

Rowe and Jackson married in 1996 and divorced in 1999.

No family members were present in the mansion when Jackson died Thursday, the person close to the family said. In the call to the emergency dispatcher released by fire officials Friday, an unidentified caller tells a dispatcher that Jackson's doctor is performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Asked by the dispatcher whether anyone saw what happened, the caller answers: "No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one there."

Coroner's officials said they released Jackson's body to his family late Friday night. The family is still trying to determine what kind of memorial to have for Jackson and when, and are debating between the idea of having a private ceremony or a grand celebration open to the public, the person close to the family said.

Jackson appeared to have suffered a heart attack, another person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. A heart attack is a blocking of the arteries that deprives the heart of adequate blood and can cause cardiac arrest.

Jackson's brother Jermaine has said it was believed the pop singer went into cardiac arrest, an interruption of the normal heartbeat that can be caused by factors other than a heart attack.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office said there were no signs of foul play or trauma.

Phillips said AEG Live held multiple insurance policies covering cancellation of the shows, and that some time in February Jackson submitted to several hours of physicals that the insurance underwriter insisted upon, and that Jackson passed them all.

"We had pretty good coverage, but a lot of it is going to depend on the toxicology results," he said. "We need to know what the cause of death was."

___

AP Writers Gillian Flaccus, Beth Harris and Mike Blood and AP Global Media Services Production Manager Nico Maounis in Los Angeles and Shawn Pogatchnik in London contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...ichael_jackson

[samanthajane13]

Jesse Jackson says family wants 2nd autopsy

LOS ANGELES – The Rev. Jesse Jackson says Michael Jackson's family wants an independent autopsy following the pop star's sudden death at age 50.

Jesse Jackson said after a Chicago press conference Saturday that there are unanswered questions surrounding the King of Pop's death, including about the role of the personal cardiologist who was with him.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office performed an autopsy on the singer's body on Friday but deferred a finding on the cause of death pending further tests that could take more than a month.

Jesse Jackson says the family's wound from the pop star's death is being kept open by the mystery of the cause of death.

Spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra, a friend of the pop star, says he had been concerned since 2005 that Michael Jackson was abusing prescription painkillers.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/..._jesse_jackson

[samanthajane13]

Jackson's physician hires Houston law firm
LOS ANGELES – A Houston lawyer says his firm has been hired by the doctor who reportedly was with Michael Jackson when the pop star was fatally stricken in his Los Angeles home.

William M. Stradley, a partner in the firm of Stradley, Chernoff & Alford, says his firm has been hired by Dr. Conrad Murray.

Stradley says investigators have indicated Murray is considered a witness and is not a target in any way.

Stradley says one of the partners, Edward Chernoff, is in Los Angeles meeting with Police Department investigators.

Stradley says he doesn't know if Murray is taking part in Saturday's meeting.

Stradley says Murray accompanied Jackson to the hospital, but he doesn't know if it was Murray who performed CPR on the singer or called 911.

The attorney says Murray has cooperated with police from the beginning and never left Los Angeles.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...jackson_doctor

[samanthajane13]

Arab world mourns Michael Jackson
By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, Associated Press Writer Hadeel Al-shalchi, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 7 mins ago

CAIRO – A Bahraini royal mourned him publicly, young Lebanese held a candlelight tribute, Egyptian musicians hailed him as an inspiration.

Beyond his global reach, Michael Jackson held a special place in the Muslim world, as one of the first major Western entertainers to break through cultural barriers in the 1980s.

Some made a connection with the pop icon because of rumors, never substantiated, that he had converted to Islam. Others embraced him as one of their own after he sought refuge in the Gulf emirate of Bahrain in 2005, following a bruising trial on child molestation charges in the U.S.

"God have mercy on him. He was a Bahraini. He lived with us," said Jassim Ali, 35, shopping for Jackson CDs on Saturday in a music store in the capital, Manama.

Jackson only spent a year in the emirate, as a guest of Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, a son of Bahrain's king and an aspiring songwriter who had befriended the entertainer. Jackson kept a low profile there, largely staying close to his host.

After Jackson's departure, the sheik sued Jackson for $7 million, saying he had failed to fulfill a joint music venture, but the two settled in November, with terms not disclosed.

The sheik said Saturday, in a statement in the Gulf Daily News, that "the world has lost a giant in the music industry."

"We are all very saddened by that," Al Khalifa said in comments confirmed by his spokesman.

Across the Arab world, the tributes to Jackson, who died Thursday, mirrored those elsewhere around the globe, though some argued the singer had a special appeal in the region.

"Religion is a big part of identity in this part of the world, and the idea he became Muslim boosted his popularity," said Egyptian cultural critic Tarek el-Shinnawi.

The conversion rumors were fueled, in parts, by comments by Jackson's brother, Jermaine, a convert to Islam, who has said his brother showed interest in the faith. In November, a British tabloid claimed Michael Jackson converted at a friend's home in Los Angeles.

The Jackson brothers were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses.

Others simply loved Michael Jackson for his music. At his peak, in the 1980s, a time without Internet and satellite TV, the Arab world was more shielded from Western pop culture. Jackson was one of the few successful crossover artists.

In Egypt, keyboarder and music distributor Fady Badr traveled to Alexandria to take a few days off work to come to terms with the pop star's death.

"He's the reason I got into this business," said 28-year old Badr. "Everything he did was new, he had such a power of voice and style; this industry would wait for his new ideas to get us inspired."

A manager of the Cairo Jazz Club, Shady Hamza, said that he was flooded by calls from local bands and musicians to help arrange a tribute night to the singer.

"I feel like I lost a brother," said Hamza, 30. "He turned so many of us into the whole music thing — for a lot of musicians, Michael Jackson was their first encounter."

In Lebanon, about 100 young fans lit candles and sang along to his songs in a downtown street lined with bars and restaurants. A few tried to moon walk while others cheered.

Qays al Zu'bi, a Bahraini lawyer who said he helped Jackson with his finances when he lived in the emirate, said the singer had qualities about him that endeared him to people in the region, including his close relationship with his children and his vision.

"He had an aura about him," said the lawyer. "Despite the scandal in the United States, I saw mothers at the lobby of his hotel who brought their children to introduce them to Michael Jackson."

___

Associated Press Writer Reem Khalifah in Bahrain contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/...ideast_jackson

[old_soul]

Millions who loved him, and not one who was close enough to help him...Lisa Marie Presley said she couldn't take it, emotionally, and that is what led to their breakup. She saw her father that sad day, and when Michael told her he was afraid he would die the same way...well, it must've freaked her out.

The NY Post reported he was only 125 lbs. at 5'10"..that is really thin. No one there to say Eat Pasta! To say, I'm bringing your a** to rehab Mikey! No one was able to tell him what to do..he shut himself off to so much, his life must have been so sad, and as we know, lonely.

This goes back 20+ years...I hope he has peace now.

[samanthajane13]

Thread of pain ran through Jackson's career
By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle, Ap Entertainment Writer – 1 hr 50 mins ago

It was the last day of shooting for a Pepsi commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1984, and the only hiccup had been an argument between Michael Jackson and an ad executive over whether the young superstar would take off his sunglasses.

"Then," as the executive later wrote, "we set his hair on fire."

Jackson was descending a staircase in an extravagant, pyrotechnic opening sequence, dancing to "Billie Jean," when a spark landed on his head. Jackson cried out. People nearby leapt on him to put out the fire, but Jackson was hospitalized for days with a burned scalp.

Thus began a thread of pain that ran through a remarkable career — and made painkillers all too accessible.

Because of accidents, frequent plastic surgery and the sheer intensity of his dancing, physical agony was the unshakable problem with being Michael Jackson.

Medical examiners in Los Angeles are perhaps weeks away from determining an official cause of death, but officials did say Friday that tests showed Jackson was taking prescription medication.

At the end of his life, a personal cardiologist was living with Jackson while he rehearsed rigorously for a historic comeback. Among the first steps police took was to tow the doctor's BMW, saying it might contain medication or other evidence.

Since his death, people close to Jackson have said they were worried about his dependence on the drugs. In 1993, while he was defending himself against child molestation charges, Jackson himself called it an addiction.

On Saturday, spiritual teacher Dr. Deepak Chopra said he had been concerned since 2005 that Jackson was abusing painkillers and spoke to the pop star about suspected drug use as recently as six months ago.

"In a way, this was coming, and in a way, it's frustrating that we couldn't do anything about it," he told The Associated Press. "The problem has been going on for a long time, but we didn't know what to do. There were attempts at intervention, and it didn't succeed."

Chopra said Jackson, a longtime friend, personally asked him for painkillers in 2005, when the singer was staying with him after he was acquitted on sex-abuse charges. Chopra said he refused.

He also said the nanny of Jackson's children repeatedly contacted him with concerns about Jackson's drug use over the next four years, and said Jackson would avoid his calls whenever the subject came up.

Well before Jackson had a doctor living under his own roof, there were ample reasons to turn to pharmaceuticals to relieve pain.

In the early 1990s, Jackson's dermatologist revealed the singer had a skin disorder known as vitiligo, which leads to white patches on the skin. And over the years, Jackson underwent numerous plastic surgeries, the most prominent being the narrowing of his nose. Few people know exactly how many there were in all.

Jackson was a passionate performer and an exceptional dancer, renowned for his choreographical perfection. Ailments were, or at least began as, a byproduct of his dedication.

In 1990, he was hospitalized with chest pains. In 1993, he canceled a performance due to dehydration and later cut his tour short because of his painkiller addiction. In 1995, he collapsed on stage at the Beacon Theater in New York and was hospitalized.

Then there was London. Mounting a comeback aimed at least in part on erasing the taint of years of scandal, Jackson was to perform a staggering 50 shows at the O2 arena, the first of them in mid-July.

It was a schedule daunting enough that Jackson was training in recent months with Lou Ferrigno, the star of TV's "Incredible Hulk." And while a 50-show run would be challenging even for an athlete in his prime, Jackson was 50 years old. As he aged, his appearance had become famously, almost spectrally, drawn.

Those involved in the production said Jackson was heavily involved in all aspects of the concert rehearsals. He had hired a personal trainer and was practicing with backup dancers and choreographers several hours a day.

"He was working hard, setting the example, overseeing the choreography, kicking butt and taking names," said Johnny Caswell, president of CenterStaging Musical Productions Inc., a Burbank, Calif., sound stage where Jackson rehearsed until late May. "He was ready to blow everybody out of the water."

Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, the producers of the London show, said Jackson was dancing "as well or better than the 20-year-old dancers we surrounded him with. ... He was riveting."

Maryss Courchinoux, a 29-year-old from Paris who said she had been selected as a backup dancer for the show, described the tour rehearsals as more arduous than the performances themselves.

"A heart is a muscle," she said. "If you don't build it up little by little, you will have problems and start cramping up. I don't know what his lifestyle was before he started rehearsing."

Jackson's family said he died of cardiac arrest on Thursday at UCLA Medical Center. A person familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person had not been authorized to speak publicly, said it was an apparent heart attack.

Others familiar with a life in dancing and performing spoke similarly of its physical demand — in particular, the need for consistent practice. It is not, they said, a line of work in which a performer can figuratively jump from zero to 60 mph or more.

"You can never stop," said Jodi Moccia, a dance teacher and a choreographer who works with the cast of "Mamma Mia!" to prevent injuries. "Once you stop, those muscles don't come back like they usually do."

Four years ago, it was almost unthinkable that Jackson might attempt such an undertaking.

During his 2005 molestation trial, he appeared gaunt and had recurring back problems that he attributed to stress. The trial was interrupted several times by hospital visits. Jackson once even appeared late to court dressed in his pajamas after an emergency room visit.

After the acquittal, prosecutors argued against returning some items that had been seized from Neverland, the estate Jackson converted into a storybook playland. Among the items were the powerful painkiller Demerol and other prescription drugs.

That a performer with such a history of pain and a struggle with painkillers was attempting such an ambitious and grueling comeback was, some said, a collision course. Michael Levine, a publicist for Jackson in the early 1990s, called the stresses on Jackson "a toxic mix that nobody can withstand."

Others close to Jackson described a feeling of sad inevitability to his death.

Brian Oxman, a former Jackson attorney and family friend, told NBC's "Today" show: "The result was I warned everyone, and lo and behold, here we are. I don't know what caused his death. But I feared this day, and here we are."

____

AP Drama Writer Michael Kuchwara in New York and Gillian Flaccus and Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090627/..._years_of_pain

[samanthajane13]

Tour Promoter Hired Michael Jackson's MIA Mystery Doctor
Josh Grossberg Josh Grossberg – Sat Jun 27, 3:02 pm ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Where in the world is Michael Jackson's doctor?

L.A.'s finest are continuing to search for a Houston-based cardiologist who was on the scene Thursday when the King of Pop went into cardiac arrest at his home and died suddenly. But the good news is, now they have a name to go on.

E! News has identified Jackson's personal physician as Dr. Conrad Robert Murray, who had been living in the 50-year-old "Thriller" star's rented Holmby Hills mansion.

Houston station KHOU interviewed a medical assistant at the Acres Home Heart and Vascular Institute, who confirmed that Murray was present at the time Jackson was stricken and administering CPR before paramedics arrived. But she hadn't been able to reach him despite numerous attempts. Murray also has offices in Nevada.

Investigators want to talk to the doctor as part of a standard probe into the music legend's death, though no foul play is suspected at this time.

Questions were raised Thursday after authorities towed a BMW with Texas plates from Jackson's home. The car was registered to Murray's sister. LAPD Officer Tenesha Dobine tells E! News "there may have been some medication inside the vehicle that the coroner needs for its investigation."

Meanwhile, it has since been confirmed that AEG Live, the promoter behind Jackson's proposed 50-night concert series, hired Murray to accompany the singer to London.

Jackson family friend Majestik Magnificence tells E! News that Jackson met Murray when he was living in Las Vegas. As far as the particulars of Jackson's health are concerned, Magnificence said the family is waiting to find out the results of the coroner's toxicology tests before commenting further.

Jackson rep Dr. Tohme Tohme told the Los Angeles Times Friday that Murray had only been in town for about two weeks. The doc had sent a letter to his patients, dated June 15, informing them that he would be leaving his practice indefinitely—presumably to go work for Jackson.

Here's what else we've learned about Murray...

• He is licensed to practice medicine in both Texas and California. • He has been sued twice for breach of contract in Clark County (Las Vegas) by creditors. Last year, HICA Education Loan Corp was awarded $71,332.45 in a case against him. • His Houston business, Acres Home Heart and Vascular Institute, was on the losing end in a September 2008 case and ordered to pay the plaintiff, Popular Leasing CA, more than $135,000. • Capital One sued him through a debt-collection law firm and was awarded $1,473 last December.

Michael's brother Jermaine earlier stated that Jackson's physician had attempted to revive him before medics arrived, though he did not identify Murray by name.



—Additional reporting by Ashley Fultz and Lindsay Miller

(Originally published June 26, 2009, at 10:55 a.m. PT)


http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/2009..._top_eo/131365