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Home / News Archive / News April 2009 December / November / October / September / August / July / June / May / April / March / February / January Tito "Will Definitely Be There" In London. 30-04-'09 Tito Jackson said in a recent interview that he will definitely attend one of his brother`s concerts at the O2 Arena in London (UK) this summer. And he even hopes that there might be a chance of The Jacksons performing again together on stage: "I will definitely be there to watch Michael. I hope he would invite his brothers on stage, if they (the brothers) are all ready, willing and able. We will be here and supporting our brother. If we're invited (to perform on stage) we definitely will. Yes, I think somewhere in his heart there's a space." Source: WENN / Billie Jean Black Eyed Peas Hope To Serve As Michael Jackson's Opening Act. 30-04-'09 Black Eyed Peas want to open for Michael Jackson when the pop singer starts his "This Is It" concert series at London's O2 Arena. Revealing the Peas' interest of becoming Michael's opening act was one of the group's members, will.i.am. "We've never played there, but Michael Jackson's hogging all the freakin' days!" so will.i.am shared during the Los Angeles premiere of his movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" on April 28. "So I'm gonna call him up and be like: 'Yo wassup Michael, let us open up for you!'" Predicting what Michael may say concerning the request, will.i.am said, "He might be like: 'Alright, well let me think about it.'" He concluded his statement gushing, "So hopefully he'll let us do some stuff." Michael Jackson will kick off his concerts in London on July 8 and finish it up on September 29. After that, he is rumoured to fly to Japan in 2010 for several live appearances in the country and then return to America a year later for other concerts. Up to date, there haven't been any musicians signed to support Michael's O2 Arena concerts. But, those who attend the gig may be treated with a showcase of new songs from the pop singer as rumours have been circulating that he has worked on new materials for his comeback effort. Source: aceshowbiz / Billie Jean Thriller Live Extends to 2010. 30-04-'09 Due to its immense popularity, Thriller Live will extend its stay at London’s West-End through 2009. The show was originally scheduled to play until September 27, 2009 but now it will play through January 3, 2010. 100,000 additional tickets for the new shows will go on sale on May 4, 2009. Recently, Thriller Live celebrated becoming the highest grossing weekly show in the history of the Lyric Theatre. Thriller Live is a musical celebration featuring the hit songs of Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5. Source: Broadway World / Billie Jean Canyon Crest presents the Michael Jackson BAD Figures. 29-04-'09 2 brand new Michael Jackson figures are to hit the shelves to celebrate Michael Jackson's 50th Anniversary. Each figure is presented in a deluxe hard cardboard box (dimensions : H: 20.5cm x L: 15cm x P: 13cm). 2 versions are available: - Regular International Edition (release date to be announced soon). - Japanese Limited Edition (release date: May 07th, 2009). PRE-ORDER MICHAEL JACKSON FIGURE - BAD - JAPANESE LIMITED EDITION Source: Triumph International / Billie Jean Bad Tour Costume On Auction. 28-04-'09 A Michael Jackson costume from the 1988 Bad Concert Tour is offered in an auction of the Hollywood Way Museum at Live Auctioneers. The costume includes the black leather motorcycle jacket which is festooned with 11 gold police-style badges on the chest, gold crests on the upper sleeves, multiple buckles at the cuffs, and studded epaulettes. The extravagant, highly detailed belt features the oversize crest buckle with "Bad" in red enamel, and is decorated with dozens of small amber crystals, and circled with six additional smaller crest emblems. Also included are his black leather pants and black boots with gold shield appliances over the toe and top. Michael Jackson presented these pieces to the Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum while being honoured there. The signature attire was custom-made by Los Angeles costumers and stylists, Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, who have been making clothing for Michael Jackson for many years. The guide price for this costume is $30,000 - $50,000 and bidding starts at 30,000. For the first time in its 44-year history, the world-famous Hollywood Wax Museum is offering hand-sculpted wax figures and original costumes for auction. The170 lots include top stars, musicians, athletes and historical individuals that have been seen by millions of visitors in Hollywood, California and Branson, Missouri from the 1970s to present. The auction takes place on May 1, 2009 at 6:30 pm. Source: Live Auctioneers / Billie Jean Michael Jackson and His Kids in Hollywood. 28-04-'09 April 27th, 2009: Michael Jackson was spotted taking Prince I, Paris, and Prince II shopping Monday afternoon. The whole family donned their respective face masks the whole time. They first stopped in at "Off The Wall Antiques", later, the crew popped over to Ed Hardy. The singer mingles with workers in the store, takes a picture with a customer and waves and flashes the peace sign to photographers. They loaded up on bags and bags before heading out. Source: Billie Jean Thriller Live Coming To Germany. 27-04-'09 The highly acclaimed stage production 'Thriller Live' will travel to Munich, Germany this summer for 16 performances at the Deutsches Theater. The first show will be on July 21, 2009 and the final is scheduled for August 2, 2009. For dates and ticket information visit the Deutsches Theater. Thriller Live is a musical celebration featuring the hit songs of Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5. Source: MJFC Germany / Billie Jean Jackson Manager: Pays Price For Mistake. 26-04-'09 Roger Friedman has always been a thorn in the side of many Michael Jackson fans. Over the years he has left the MJ fan world with a bitter taste in their mouths for his investigative reports on Michael Jackson. But truth be known, he also often seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else on a story and his ability to get to the heart of a story was often uncanny. Then, in a flash, he disappeared from FOX411.com and the world of Michael Jackson fans sighed a sigh of relief!!! Well, he's back... It seems Friedman has found a new outlet for his investigative reporting on www.showbiz411.com. And it seems he hasn't forgotten Michael Jackson... Michael Jackson’s most recent manager, Tohme Tohme, sometimes known as “doctor,” has paid the price for his big mistake. I’m told that Jackson—whose SUV had a fender bender of little importance the other day in Los Angeles—has kicked Tohme to the curb. “He won’t return his calls, and he’s changed all his numbers,” says one source close to the situation. Another source confirmed it. Tohme has paid big time, though, for making the mistake of putting Jackson’s Neverland Ranch tchotchkes up for auction. I’m told that Tohme himself put up more than $2 million to stop the auction with Julien’s Auction House. Today would have been the final day of the auction, with the really juicy stuff going up on the block including Macaulay Culkin’s artwork and gifts from Elizabeth Taylor. A couple of weeks ago a judge ruled in favour of Julien’s, when Jackson tried to sue to stop the auction. Another court date had been set for last week, but the parties settled in advance of that. It was fairly certain that the second court date would have ratified the first, in which case Julien’s was set to go ahead. Instead, Tohme—in a panic—came up with the necessary dough to satisfy Julien’s for the money they’d already spent and pay them their commission. Where he got the money is another story. Some say it may have come from Colony Capital, Jackson’s partner in Neverland. Tohme—who’s been disproved as a physician and also as an ambassador at large to Senegal– has been their agent in the Jackson story for over a year. Still unresolved is where MusiCares, the Grammy charity, received their due and promised percentage. As part of the deal with Julien’s, all the Neverland items have been on display at the former Robinson May store in Beverly Hills. The exhibition goes on all this weekend, with a $20 admittance fee. Next week, Jackson’s people will come and haul all the Neverland souvenirs away. It’s uncertain whether they’ll be unpacked back at the ranch or put into storage in nearby Buellton, California. What is certain is that Tohme caused a rift between himself and Jackson. And at the same time, Arab investors are circling to close their deal on buying Neverland with all those souvenirs – as I told you in my old column a few weeks ago. That deal should be coming to a close soon. Sources say that there’s recently been a lot of activity at Neverland, with what look to be construction workers coming in to do renovations. Considering the seedy conditions the Julien’s staff found the place in last summer—the descriptions in their depositions were not pretty—this may be required before the imminent sale. So is there any good news for Jackson? I am told that despite the auction action, the faded pop star has been rehearsing for his London concerts out in the San Fernando Valley, working out, hiring dancers and musicians, and is generally pumped right now to get his 50 shows ready. He’s already brought back long time show director Kenny Ortega, and the word is loyal ex-make up artist Karen Faye is coming back to the fold, too. Source: Showbizz 411 / Billie Jean New MJ Book - Chosen To Entertain (Italian Book). 25-04-'09 To all the non-Italian fans: although this book is written in Italian for charity purposes, it's meant to be considered more like a visual book, with dozens of full-color unpublished photos of the King of Pop for true collectors! A must-have for every true MJ fan! Thanks for your support! The Italian Edition of the book ‘Michael Jackson - Chosen To Entertain’ includes: more than 50 unpublished official photos of the undisputed ‘King of Pop’ (Victory Tour, Bad Tour, Dangerous Tour, HIStory Tour, Backstage, Making Of, Awards, Charity Events, with other Celebrities and more...), exclusive interviews and rare documents e.g. the full-color Billboard MJ50TH Ad, parties and stories from the fans and much more..! The book is available on pre-order at www.mjjshop.com where it is exclusively sold as a combo incl. the book plus mega poster. Source: MJJSHOP / MJFC-Italy / Billie Jean One Night In Japan (2CD Album). 24-04-'09 These double CD Album is amazing, Michael Jackson at the peak of his 1980's success - in a live Tokyo concert that showcase all the heat, emotion, etc... Michael performed in Japan in the Yokohoma Stadium on September 26th 1987. These two CD's have a good sound quality, a must for the the fans. Available at the Free Record Shop Source: Free Record Shop / Billie Jean Tickets Still Available At Viagogo. 24-04-'09 Many great seats are still available at reasonable prices through our ticket partner Viagogo. Ticket prices start as low as £109 for many shows. Be sure to click here if you are interested in purchasing tickets for any of the 50 sold out concerts at O2 Arena in London. Viagogo is an online ticket exchange that allows fans to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe and guaranteed way. They have partnered with Michael Jackson for his 'This Is It' Tour and are the one and ONLY Official "fan to fan" ticket exchange of the tour and the official Premium Ticket Partner. And now, they have partnered with MJFC in order to bring you this exciting service. As an added bonus, those fans that go through MJFC to purchase will have a portion of their money donated to charity! Source: MJFC / Billie Jean Michael Jackson's SUV Crashes With Ambulance. 23-04-'09 Michael Jackson has possibly been involved in a strange hit-and-run with an ambulance in Beverly Hills after another round of antique shopping for Jackon. The incident took place Wednesday afternoon when emergency medical technician Jamin Mauro and his partner were hit inside their van while idling outside Cedars-Sinai hospital. The vehicle that hit the ambulance was a black Cadillac Escalade, which sideswiped the emergency van and knocked off one of its mirrors. EMT Mauro claims, "We were hit by the Escalade, and I was taking pictures for my company insurance. About 30 seconds after, Jackson walked out of a medical building. He jumped into the Escalade and they sped off." The Beverly Hills Police Department's statement about the accident does not mention the King of Pop and states, "The suspect's vehicle was being followed by a group of paparazzi at the time of the collision." So, it's not clear what legal steps will then be taken. Needless to say, I'm actually quite surprised that Michael drives a Cadillac Escalade and not a windowless van. Source: Billie Jean Michael Shops At Arté, World's Finest Antiques. 22-04-'09 Michael Jackson goes shopping for antiques in 95 degree California weather around Beverly Hills on Tuesday (April 21). At one point, the 50-year-old King of Pop was holding a document, Entry of Margaret of Parma into Antwerp, 1567 which is a historical painting by Piet Van Der Ouderra. Michael has been rehearsing for a come-back tour that was announced earlier in March. The tour will consist of 50 dates at the O2 Arena in London. Source: Billie Jean O2 Ticket Dispatch Update. 22-04-'09 Ticketmaster has just released the following information concerning the dispatch of the tickets for the upcoming Michael Jackson concerts at the O2 Arena in London (UK). "Your tickets will be dispatched closer to the event date. Whilst Ticketmaster aims to dispatch tickets as soon as possible we are not able to be specific with exact dates of dispatch. Please allow as much time as possible for your tickets to arrive. If your tickets have not arrived five days before the show, or if you are traveling, five days before you leave, please contact us. Please include your reference number and the name and postcode the booking is under. Ticketmaster only posts tickets to the billing address of a credit card. If the address in your booking does not correspond to that held by your credit card company, we may cancel your tickets. Source: Ticketmaster / Billie Jean The Making Of The MJ Exhibition. 21-04-'09 The Julien`s Auctions web site features several videos about the making of the Michael Jackson exhibition. To view the videos, click here. They also feature images of the exhibition, which can be viewed here. The museum-quality exhibition of Michael Jackson property, which was to be a prelude to the planned auction 'The Collection Of Michael Jackson', features some really unique items from Michael Jackson's extraordinary career and from his personal collection. The exhibition can be seen at 9900 Wilshire (adjacent to The Beverly Hilton, California, USA) until April 25, 2009 (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily; $20.00 per person for the week). Source: Julien`s Auctions / Billie Jean Dance Auditions Detailed by Attendee. 19-04-'09 Many more details are surfacing about the private process of selecting backup dancers for Michael Jackson's upcoming "This Is It" concert series. One female blogger who recently auditioned described the experience in detail, and yes Michael Jackson was present for the auditions and screening process. Notably, the female auditioning process began with 250+ hopefuls and after a series of auditions ultimately two females and one alternate were selected. Smooth Criminal was one of the choreographed dance sequences showcased. Furthermore, six male dancers along with four backup male dancers were selected. Thus, assuming these calculations are correct, there are now eight primary backup dancers and five alternates chosen for the concerts, reportedly with a two-year contract. Source: Billie Jean Lewis Would Love To Perform With MJ. 18-04-'09 According to press reports, singer Leona Lewis ('Bleeding Love') said that she would love to perform alongside Michael Jackson. When asked about recent rumours that Lewis might perform with Michael Jackson during his O2 concerts in London (UK), she said with a smile: 'I don't know, I'd love to perform with Michael Jackson. So we'll see.' Last month, it was claimed Michael Jackson wants Leona Lewis to perform his sister Janet's part from their duet 'Scream' for his 'This It It' shows. In 2006, Leona Lewis (24) won the UK reality TV talent show 'The X Factor' and celebrated worldwide success since. Source: Billie Jean "This Is It" Concert Details? 17-04-'09 John Meglen, President of AEG Live/Concerts West, recently spoke with Robin Leach at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. They spoke about Michael Jackson's upcoming shows at the O2 in London and this is what Meglen had to say: “Michael is at the very beginning stage with Kenny Ortega, who is creating the staging. They are finishing up with the musical director and starting to talk about what musicians they want. Michael is working on a lot of dance stuff at home. The work at the studio right now is more about planning meetings: the initial stages of production, then the rehearsals, all get going in L.A. Once everybody is set, we will ship everything to London in the beginning of June and continue over there. It’s not far out now, just six weeks. It comes up fast. It seemed much farther away, but July 8 is now right around the corner. There will be special effects, explosions and definitely magic. I can’t say who he’s worked with. Michael and Kenny came here to Vegas. They went to Le Reve at the Wynn, and Kenny went to see the Criss Angel show. There will definitely be magical elements in the show.” Meglen also said that the stage for the 'This Is It' shows will be set up as an end stage and not in the round configuration as Prince did at the 02 Arena. Source: vegasdeluxe.com / Billie Jean Dancers Audition For 'This Is It' Tour. 16-04-'09 MJFC has learned that dancers from all over the United States have flown into Los Angeles in order to audition for the King of Pop. The backup dancer hopefuls have had almost daily rehearsals, with the male and the female dancers being auditioned separately. Several dancers who took part in the audition process shared details of their experiences on their Twitter pages. According to Twitter, the female dancers not only had to learn the "Smooth Criminal" choreography but also had to learn how to walk and strut like Naomi Campbell. Those dancers who were hired have been told that they must be free for two years for a national and international tour. Rehearsals begin next month and then move to London (UK) in June. Source: MJFC / Billie Jean Billboard Publishes Top Selling List. 15-04-'09 US magazine Billboard has published their list of the three hundred Best Selling Albums Of All Time. Not surprisingly, ‘Thriller’ was top of the list with 72,400,000 units sold. ‘Bad’ was Michael’s next entry at Number 9, with 33,200,000 units and ‘Dangerous’ was came in at Number 20 with 30,000,000 units. ‘HIStory’ came in at Number 71 with 19.600,000 units and ‘Off The Wall’ featured at Number 75, with 19,000,000 units sold. These remarkable sales just prove yet again, that Michael is the best selling artist of all time with over 174 million albums! Source: Billboard / Billie Jean Michael Jackson Successful in Effort to Stop Auction. 15-04-'09 It's official, Michael Jackson and all parties on both sides have reached a confidential agreement which has effectively canceled next week's widely publicized auction from taking place--and in turn giving Michael Jackson back all of the items originally scheduled for auction, orchestrated by Julien's Auctions. The highly anticipated auction of Michael Jackson’s property from Neverland Ranch will no longer proceed as scheduled. Although a court hearing on the matter had been scheduled for April 15, 2009, the parties reached a settlement ahead of time and released a joint statement, saying in part: "There was so much interest from so many of Jackson's fans that instead of putting the items in the hands of private collectors, Dr. Tohme and Julien's Auction House have made arrangements that will allow the collection to be shared with and enjoyed by Jackson's fans for many years to come. "The approximated 1,400 item collection included hundreds of arcade games and amusements, awards, costumes, furniture, outdoor and indoor statues and ornaments, Disney memorabilia, and a variety of personal items including gifts to Michael from fans, his children, Elizabeth Taylor, and other celebrities. Michael Jackson's attorneys contested that Julien's Auctions violated the original plan, which would have allowed Michael Jackson to manually review and select which items he wished to keep and which ones he wished to auction off. The collection is currently on display in Los Angeles. Speaking over the phone to LA Times, Dr. Tohme added, "I think we are going to have a beautiful museum someday for Michael." Both Michael Jackson (MJJ Productions) and Julien's Auctions will still make a "substantial" donate to the MusicCares charity. Source: CNN / Billie Jean Michael Jackson Laying Down Stacks for New House. 10-04-'09 Pop superstar Michael Jackson has reportedly laid down a $1.45 million (£1 million) deposit on a 28-bedroom stately home in England to accommodate him during his upcoming eight-month stay in the country. The Thriller hitmaker is set to begin a massive 50-date residency at London’s O2 Arena this summer (Jul09) and he is said to have sent a team over to Britain from Los Angeles to find him somewhere suitable to stay during the tour. And the star has settled on luxurious £21 million (£15 million) residence Foxbury Manor in south east London which boasts nearly 30 bedrooms, an underground cinema, swimming pool and a private lake and wood, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper. A source tells the publication, “The manor is just a private home, it’s not normally available to rent. But Michael Jackson’s aides spotted it and realised how suitable it was and approached the owner. The place is huge and really close to the O2 Arena - it’s perfect.” And the singer is reportedly hiring an interior decorator to make sure the property is to his taste when he moves in. The insider adds, “He’s asked for brightly coloured wallpaper. And he’s picking out artwork, statues and ornaments that he likes and bringing them in specially.” Source: bossip / Billie Jean Thriller Greatest Album Ever. 09-04-'09 Michael Jackson's album 'Thriller' has been named the Greatest Album Ever on MTV UK. It was chosen from a selection of 300 international albums. MTV Base, MTV Two and VH1 selected 100 albums each. 'Thriller' was included on two of the lists (MTV Base, VH1), VH1 also listed the 'BAD' album. Trevor Nelson (MTV Base), Zane Lowe (MTV Two) and Edith Bowman (VH1) discussed the merits of all albums in a bid to select the 10 best rock, urban and pop offerings. Of course 'Thriller' was one of the 30 albums selected and finally turned out to be the overall winner in a viewer`s poll - securing almost a third of the total vote. More than 40,000 votes were cast. MTV Base presenter Trevor Nelson said: "I don't think there'll ever be another album like it in the history of music. There will never be a marriage of producer and artist, or songwriting and pop sensibility like that again. Due to the way people buy records now, there'll never be an album that sells as many copies." 'MTV's 'Greatest Album Ever: The Results' will be broadcast on MTV1, MTV2, MTV Base and VH1 on April 11 at 9pm. MTV's Greatest Album Ever - Top 20: 1. Michael Jackson - 'Thriller' Source: MTV UK / Billie Jean Michael Jackson "Visionary: The Videos" Box - Only 242 Left. 08-04-'09 Michael Jackson took the lead as the first artist to apply Dual Disc technology – audio on one side and video on the other – to the hit single format. And in the true larger-than-life tradition of “the King of Pop,” VISIONARY – THE VIDEO SINGLES encompasses Michael’s 20 greatest singles (accompanied by one alternate version or remix each) coupled with the historic video for each title. The 20 hits range from 1979’s consecutive #1 R&B/ #1 pop “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You,” all the way through 1997’s "Blood On The Dance Floor" and "Stranger In Moscow." Each Dual Disc is beautifully packaged in a spined jacket that replicates the original 7-inch or 12-inch single’s artwork. Each inner sleeve replicates the original record label logo on its open side – the flip side contains a collage of hundreds of tiny photographic images imported from Michael’s videos. When arranged on a table in jigsaw pattern, those 20 square sleeves recreate Michael’s profile as seen on the outside walls of the sturdy cubed top-lid box that houses the 20 Dual Discs. Source: LA Times / Billie Jean Previously Unseen Mural Of Michael. 08-04-'09 Kent Twitchell is most well-known for his famous outdoor murals which have adorned various Hollywood buildings over the past years. Currently, he is about to present an indoor exhibition at the LOOK gallery in downtown Los Angeles, which begins today, April 2nd and will run through until April 27th. His new exhibition: ‘Thriller: The King of Pop Meets the King of Cool: Exploring the Lost Works of Kent Twitchell’ shows the mural of Michael and a mural of Steve McQueen, a.k.a. the King Of Cool. The exhibition will include sketches, photos and drawings for “lost” murals, as well as one that was completed but never installed or shown to the public: A 100-foot-tall, 60-foot-wide portrait of Michael which was created in the early 1990s for the side of the former Barker Bros. building in Hollywood, now the El Capitan Theatre. Twitchell spoke to the LA Times about his work, and in particular the mural he did of Michael. “It’s the most exquisite colour I’ve ever done,” he said, as he stepped around panels of the mural which showed Michael’s dark eyes and nose beneath a wide hat brim. Twitchell said preparatory work had already been done on the building when the project was put on hold in 1993. “I was never told why. It was three years of my life, and no one ever saw it.” Michael’s mural is too big to display in full at the LOOK Gallery so Twitchell plans to mount part of it on a twenty foot wall, then roll out an additional twenty/thirty feet of it on the floor. The one hundred and fifty sheets that make up the mural are painted on a synthetic, non woven material. Twitchell added that he took more than one hundred photographs of Michael dressed in the pastel suit from ‘Smooth Criminal’. “Originally when I talked to him, he wanted black leather, but I said I really thought the ‘Smooth Criminal’ outfit would be better because it really reminds you of Hollywood in the ‘30’s, with the Fred Astaires and the Cary Grants, and he just loved that!” He worked on the preliminary concepts at Neverland Valley Ranch then brought Michael to a sound stage in Hollywood for more photos. “I wanted him to swing out so his coattails would be flying, I just wanted to get that one perfect shot. I could always bring in a head from there, or a hand from there.” Twitchell also said that Michael called him “Twitch” and that he made him promise to make the mural “the best thing you’ve ever done.” Source: LA Times / Billie Jean Ben Brown Will Support MJ In London. 07-04-'09 Music executive Ben Brown said in a statement that he plans to support Michael Jackson in person during his concert series in London (UK) later this year. "Michael, I feel, has the creative energy, talent, and fan base to equal or exceed his accomplishments to date." Brown is currently celebrating his 25th anniversary in music and is planning several activities associated with the anniversary, including a "History and Truth" speaking tour, discussions on natural solutions to the current economic crisis, and publications of his memoirs. Source: PR Newswire / Billie Jean MJ & Team Check Out Las Vegas Shows. 07-04-'09 Michael Jackson, choreographer/director Kenny Ortega, choreographer Travis Payne and two members of his staff attended the early Le Reve show at the Wynn. Later, Kenny Ortega and the others - excluding Michael Jackson, watched Criss Angel`s late show of Cirque du Soleil`s 'Believe'. It is assumed that the visit to Las Vegas was a scouting and research trip to see the latest innovations in the entertainment industry. Kenny Ortega has worked a lot with Michael Jackson in the past and will be responsible as director and creator for the O2 concerts in London (UK). He was the choreographer of the movie 'Dirty Dancing', directed the successful 'High School Musical' movies, staged Madonna's concert tours and also created the Sirens outdoor pyrotechnics show at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. Travis Payne has worked with Michael Jackson on various award shows, music videos ('Scream') and tours (Dangerous World Tour, HIStory World Tour). Furthermore, he was a choreographer for series such as Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and Everybody Loves Raymond, worked as a choreographer on films, music videos, and commercials, and was a host of Pop stars. He has won an American Choreography Award and several MTV Video Music Awards. Source: MJFC / Wikipedia / Billie Jean "THIS IS IT" Warming up partie in Holland. 04-04-'09 Hi MJ fans there is a "THIS IS IT" Warming up partie in Holland on Saterday May 23th 2009 in Club Monza at Utrecht. You except for the price of 15 €: Music & Videos on big screen Reservations: starsevents@hotmail.com There will be also a "THIS IS IT" partie in Germany, but the date is to be announced. Source: jacksonsource / Billie Jean Judge allows Michael Jackson auction to proceed. 04-04-'09 A judge on Friday denied Michael Jackson's attempt to rescue his Neverland Ranch possessions from an auction that will include memorabilia from the height of his 1980s popularity, but the pop star will get another hearing before the sale happens. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brett Klein ruled in favour of Julien's Auction House, which plans to sell about 2,000 Jackson items April 22-25 in Beverly Hills, California. Jackson's production company filed a lawsuit seeking the return of some items on March 4, the same day auctioneer Darren Julien arrived in Ireland to unveil the items on a tour. "We're still just as puzzled and baffled by this whole thing as we were when it first happened," Julien said. Julien last year signed an agreement covering the sale with Dr. Tohme Tohme, who is with Jackson's production company and serves as the singer's spokesman. The auctioneer said that he still does not know exactly which items Jackson wants back. An attorney representing Jackson did not return calls. The singer's father, Joe Jackson, attended the court hearing on Friday but the pop star himself was absent. The auction items in the catalog include clothing, such as a rhinestone-covered equestrian cap, imperial-style military jackets and shiny belts. There are also awards, statues, toys, furniture and a piece of scribble art created by child actor Macaulay Culkin in 1991. Julien said he has spent $2 million preparing the sale, and that the auction could fetch more than $10 million. Jackson's attorneys have asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ernest Hiroshige to issue an injunction blocking the sale, and that hearing is scheduled for April 15. But Julien's attorney, Jerry Hawxhurst, said Klein's ruling sets the matter to rest. The sale items come from Jackson's 2,800-acre (1,133-hectare) Neverland Ranch, a property in central California named after the island where children never grow up in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan Stories. Jackson last year averted a foreclosure sale on Neverland, and later handed over the title to a company made up of himself and the firm that held his loan on the property. Source: Reuters / Billie Jean In The Studio With Michael Jackson. 03-04-'09 The inside secrets of Michael Jackson's greatest records by the Grammy-winning engineer who captured and enhanced their sound. Multiple color photos of Jackson, producer Quincy Jones, and all the talents who collaborated to make pop history with Jackson's albums. Plucked from a job at legendary Universal Audio in Chicago, Bruce Swedien entered into a fruitful and historic 30-year relationship with producer Quincy Jones. That partnership culminated in the groundbreaking recordings of Michael Jackson, beginning with The Wiz, continuing with Jackson's breakout solo debut Off the Wall, and triumphing with Thriller, which revolutionized music and video and fixed Jackson in culture as the King of Pop. Now Swedien reveals the technical details of creating those albums (along with Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory) and offers personal remembrances and anecdotes about working with the pop icon. Swedien's book provides an insider's look that will thrill anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of hit making and the history of some of America's most influential recordings. • Large collection of photographs from Michael Jackson recording sessions • Forewords by producer Quincy Jones and writer/producer Rod Temperton The book will be released on 09-15-2009 Publisher: Hal Leonard Source: Amazon / Billie Jean Thousands In Australia Want To See MJ. 02-04-'09 A whooping 50,000 people in Australia have signed a petition to bring Michael Jackson to Australia - and more are signing up every day. After Michael Jackson announced the concert series in London (UK), it prompted an online appeal from Australians eager to see their music hero. Christos Winter (19) used the social networking site Facebook to launch the petition and was stunned by the response: ''In just one week more than 50,000 people have signed up, and each day thousands more are adding their names.'' Winter hopes to match the 80,000 signatures Bob Francis collected in the 1960s to bring the Beatles to Adelaide. ''I've noticed that a lot of the (petition) members are part of Generation Y, who have seen Jackson on sites such as YouTube, but who have never seen him live in concert. 'Jackson is a natural born performer and I really feel that these fans deserve to live this experience.'' Source: Courier Mail / Billie Jean Michael Jackson Will Float In Levitation Stunt. 01-04-'09 Michael Jackson’s upcoming shows will include spectacular illusions by David Copperfield. The ‘Thriller’ singer has called upon the famous magician to help him mastermind a series of stunts in a bid to impress fans at his ‘This Is It’ London residency. A source told Britain’s The Sun newspaper: “Michael and David have been close pals for years. Michael is a massive fan of magic and has been to see all the big illusionists in Vegas over the years. He has some very clear plans on what he wants the show to include and feels David is the man to help make them happen.” The friends - who recently discussed ideas at Copperfield’s office in California – plan to wow the crowds with a string of impressive illusions which will include high wire routines and a sequence where the star will appear to float in the air unaided. The source added: “It’s not just about music for Michael, it’s about the show. The levitation stunt will be something special.” It was recently revealed Michael plans to ride an elephant on stage during his 50 performances at The O2 this summer. Another source said: "He hopes to make it the most spectacular show ever. For the jungle section, he wants to ride out on an African elephant with panthers led on gold chains. Parrots and other birds will fly behind him. If it goes to plan it will look incredible." His managers are said to be concerned about the singer’s wild ideas and fear the costs and insurance premiums will spiral out of control. Source: hollywoodrag / Billie Jean Michael & Leona Lewis “Scream” Duet “This Is It” Tour? 01-04-'09 Michael Jackson is reportedly eyeing a duet with international chart topper Leona Lewis. The King of Pop is hoping to have the British singer lend her famous voice to the part previously sung by his younger sister Janet on their 1995 hit “Scream.” Celebrity insiders tell Britain’s The Sun that Michael is highly impressed with the vocals of the 23-year-old as he performs fifty “This Is It Concerts” at the O2 Arena in London. “Michael has a list of singers he feels could do Janet justice and Leona is top…He hasn’t approached her yet but he’s a big fan of everything she has achieved. She’s massive all around the world and he feels this duet would give both their careers an even bigger boost.” Source: popcrunch / Billie Jean Michael And Son Prince Michael I Duet “This Is It” Tour? 01-04-'09 Michael Jackson is planning a duet with his oldest son in London this July. Michael and his son Prince Michael I are expected to take the stage together as part of the “This Is It” Tour at Britain’s 02 Arena. A source says: “What better way to introduce his son to the music world than to have him come onstage during the most anticipated concert in history?” “Of course nothing’s set yet, and Michael is always changing his mind.” The 02 concert tour will be the first time that Micheal’s three children, Paris Katherine, Prince Michael I, and Prince Michael II, will see their dad perform live on stage. Source: popcrunch / Billie Jean December / November / October / September / August / July / June / May / April / March / February / January |
Updated: 10/31/2010 2:58 PM Billie Jean Web Radio Player |
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