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August 28, 2008: Updated w/ a few positive articles about Michael's life throughout the years

Raylo

Raylo

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Hi there everyone! I'm just popping in to post the news - enjoy the read:)

Michael Jackson News
Nothing that isn't covered in yesterday's news thread


Michael Jackson Mentionings
There's a lot of birthday mentionings, unfortunately not all positive:no: But I left those out...Muhahaha...

Batten’s star power
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20080828-9999-1w28batbars.html

Jennifer Batten was the lead guitarist in Michael Jackson's band from 1987 to 1997. In 1998, she began a three-year stint as the second guitarist in Jeff Beck's band, in which she simultaneously triggered and played all the keyboard parts with her guitar synthesizer.
Batten credits Jackson with expanding her sensibility of pop music as a multimedia spectacle. Beck helped her to appreciate techno and other electronic music styles.
Jackson and Beck both avoid the spotlight off stage. Apart from that, the two share little in common.
“With Michael, there were 100 people on tour; with Jeff, there were 12,” Batten said. “Michael wanted the songs to sound the same every night. Jeff wanted the exact opposite.

“With Jeff, it was more like a family and he'd hang out with us. With Michael, because of security, he'd be gone before we even finished the last song.”
Being a one-woman band is nothing new for this San Diego-bred guitar star. For nearly 20 years, she's regularly performed solo guitar clinics in Europe, South America, Australia and, more recently, China, using backing tapes to accompany her live guitar work.


‘Interzone Futebol’ (PC) Gets Paul Oakenfold Score
http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=55167

Paul Oakenfold’s film credits include Swordfish, The Matrix Reloaded, Die Another Day, The Bourne Identity, and Shrek II. Remix credits include, among many others, works for Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, U2, and Jennifer Lopez. Earlier in his career, before founding his own label, Perfecto Records, in 1989, he was an A&R rep at UK-based Champion label where he signed Will Smith (still part of Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince) and Salt N Pepa. He has also done the music for high profile TV commercials including Coca-Cola, Toyota, Motorola, and Saab. His creations earned him two Grammy nominations for “Best Electronic/Dance Album” in 2007 with “A Lively Mind” and in 2004 with “Creamfields.” He has been a fixture on the electronic charts throughout his career, and continues to be regarded as one of the most prominent figures in club culture.


In Brief: Craig takes himself seriously
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,1317,priest-beauty,42101
The much vaunted fly-on the-wall documentary involving the family of singer Michael Jackson appears to have hit the buffers. The programme was supposed to be based around Tito Jackson and his young sons moving to the Devon village of Appledore. However, several months after Tito first set up home in the countryside, rumour has it that the plug’s been pulled. "The story around here is that it's all ended in tears," a source told the Independent.


Dr. Payne & The Disease CD Release Party!!
http://blogto.com/events/4893
Come down to the Gladstone Hotel to celebrate the official release of the album. But that's not all there is to celebrate... We will also be celebrating the 50th birthday of the King of Pop - Michael Jackson!


Ben Kingsley makes sappy ‘Wackness’ worth seeing
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/ent_index/254579
Summer is here. Her cool-kid pals are off in Amsterdam and beyond. Luke is around, selling to her stepdad. So they hook up. Their awkward romance is meant to carry the movie, and it does, with Luke fantasizing Stephanie's yearbook bikini photo coming to life, dancing down a sidewalk whose squares light up, Michael Jackson-style, when she kisses him good night.


How Pepsi Won Quebec
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080828.RYAKABUSKI28/TPStory/Business

Pepsi actually lagged Coke in the Quebec market until the mid-80s. While Pepsi's early-80s New Generation campaign, featuring Michael Jackson, was a hit globally, it didn't do much for the brand in Quebec. So the soft drink maker then turned to comedian Claude Meunier (then one-half of the province's answer to Cheech and Chong) to launch Quebec-only ads for the first time.


Family Force 5 out to party, have a good time with concert goers onstage
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/ENT/808280313/1005

The band dons space-age costumes, has an more than six-foot tall drum set nicknamed the Family Force 5000 and has a techie who's called the "hype guy" whose job is to run around the stage dancing, often doing Michael Jackson-type moves. Fans are encouraged to dress up in costume. At a recent concert, fans dressed like fairies, with one person in a heart costume and another in a pink unitard.


Songs in the key of hell
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Entertainment/Music/entMUS01082808.htm

"Ben," Michael Jackson. "Only Michael could sing a love song about a rat and make it believable."


Michelle’s Hair
http://www.suntimes.com/news/foster/1131580,CST-NWS-stella28.article

BIRTHDAYING: Singer LeAnn Rimes. On Friday: Channel 7's Harry Porterfield, Hedy Ratner, and Michael Jackson turns 50. On Saturday: Belle Allen. On Sunday: WGN-Channel 9's Robert Jordan. On Monday: Dr. Wayne Watson.


Indie Hip-Hop DJ: Duwop Rose
http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2008/08/28/news/local_news/iq_23532888.txt

What's a break-in-case-of-emergency track you can throw on to really get the crowd going if things are dying down? Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved"; Michael Jackson's "Pretty Young Thing."


Indie Hip-Hop DJ: Aurijin
http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2008/08/28/news/local_news/doc48b5fd85dc91d007237573.txt

What's a break-in-case-of-emergency track you can throw on to really get the crowd going if things are dying down? More artists than particular songs. Anything by Michael Jackson or James Brown; Soho's "Hot Music"; any Wu-Tang Clan jam; and Afro-funk soul jams from acts like Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Daktaris and Antibalas.


Astrological Questions
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/horoscopes/1126911,CST-NWS-hollyweek828.article

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Virgo Michael Jackson rose to the cream of the crop with hard work and talent. Through perfecting his craft, he became one of the most admired artists in the industry. The King of Pop is now extremely controversial, but his body of work has remained irrefutably consummate. Thus, his artistic dignity is intact, which is important to Virgos. In 2009, he'll discover a new way to bring his art to the world.




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Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

thanks for mentionings :D

i love that last papagraph about astrology - celebrity profiles
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

to me.. this article is an interesting read
Michael Jackson
Thursday, August 28th 2008, 2:30 AM
(Page 1 of 2)
Around 1991, I was talking with J. Randy Taraborrelli, who had just written a Michael Jackson book that was then and remains now the most thorough biography of the elusive entertainer.
Though Taraborrelli liked Jackson's music, the book focused on his personal life, and much of what he found felt disturbing. Not because it was all negative, which it wasn't, but because Michael, then about 30 years old and in the early stages of his descent from the top of the pop music world, came across as fragile and lonely.
One question Taraborrelli explored, and did not answer, was the widespread rumor that Jackson was gay. So I asked him if he had formed any opinion on that subject while researching the book.
"I really don't know what he is," said Taraborrelli. "I just hope he's having sex with someone."
That was before the allegations of child abuse, so the subject at that point didn't have the terrible dark shadow it would later acquire.
But Taraborrelli's point wasn't really about sex, anyway. He was saying that he hoped Jackson's overwhelming professional success had also brought him some personal happiness, and tacitly expressing concern it had not.
CLICK TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF A YOUNG MICHAEL JACKSON

As he turns 50 Friday, Jackson is if possible even more elusive than he was at 30. Because he rarely performs anymore, we don't see him much, and because he seems to be focused on raising his three children, he obviously likes it that way.
So is he happy?
Who knows?
Of course, that rarely stops us from making a call anyway, because we're pretty sure that buying a guy's records also buys us a piece of his life.
In deference to Jackson's elusive nature, then, let's just rephrase the question. If you had the chance to become Michael Jackson, would you?
Why?
Or why not?
SEVEN REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE MICHAEL JACKSON:
1. A great scrapbook. If all he had were one snapshot from his moonwalk on the 1983 Motown special, that'd be enough. Yes, he borrowed the dance, but he sure gave it a signature.
2. Three kids. Whatever you think of how he acquired the kids, it's pretty clear he really wanted some of his own to raise, and that's what he's got and done. How many people look back at 50 and wish they'd spent more time with their kids?
3. A roof over his head. A nice roof. A lot of nice roofs. Even if everything they say it true and he's broker than Enron, he will always have a nice roof over his head. It just works that way.
4. Elizabeth Taylor's cell phone number. You might want to call only once a year, but wouldn't it be cool to have?
5. Helping others. Sure, he used his money to buy himself a mountain of toys, like Neverland. But he also opened Neverland to a lot of sick and disabled children. Anyone who brings some rare pleasure into the lives of kids who have gotten the worst breaks scores points.
6. You get to mock the media. Remember Michael wanting to buy the elephant man's bones? Sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber? He had his publicists plant those stories, then announced they were lies, to make it look like the media were out to slander him.
7. You don't have to watch what you eat. Michael has said for years that food just doesn't interest him and he eats only because he has to.

SEVEN REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO BE MICHAEL JACKSON:
1. You can't just have a family picnic. His brother Jermaine dissed him in a song, "Word to the Badd." His sister LaToya said he had sleepovers with little boys. He says his father beat him. He made it clear he didn't want to do the 1984 "Victory" reunion tour. That's all gotta make it tough to just call everyone up and invite them over.
2. Some people are never going to believe you about getting inappropriate with young boys. That's assuming they think a grownup in the same bed with an unrelated young boy could be appropriate under any circumstance.
3. Some people are never going to believe you about anything. From the plastic surgery to the Lisa Marie Presley marriage, too much of it just looks like he can't distinguish between real life and the script for a video and can't understand why the rest of us would want to.
4. You have to juggle your cash flow. Is that a kick in the head or what? You'd think that when you had the best-selling album ever, and a bunch of others, and you bought most of the Beatles' songs at one point, the money would flow forever like a mighty river. But he seems to like dancing on the lip of the volcano, which is why Neverland almost got auctioned off earlier this year to pay debts.
5. You always need a reserve stock of people to blame for whatever happens in your life. He was an unhappy teenager because his father stole his childhood. His last records didn't sell because his record company president was "the Devil." He dangled his baby Prince II over a balcony because the fans were so insistent on seeing him. He seems to have been responsible for very little beyond "Thriller." Okay, and maybe "Ben."
6. Sometimes you have to show up for a child molestation trial in your pajamas. Both parts of that sentence are outside the average person's experience.
7. Nicknames. "***** *****" may or may not be fair. It comes with the package.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai..._good__or_bad__to_be_michael_jack.html?page=1
Click to expand...
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

As Michael Jackson hits 50, remember the music

Thursday, August 28th 2008, 4:00 AM

To celebrate Michael Jackson's 50th birthday, which is tomorrow, let's play a game. It's called Pretend. All you have to do is act like the last 10 years of his life never happened.

No, make that 15, or even 20. Believe me, it's the best present we could possibly give him.

After all, 1988 marks the start of the surgeries, scandals and oddities that have nearly obliterated the monumental dazzle and soul of all that occurred in Jackson's life before. To bask in that, you have to clear away not only the more unsettling aspects of the star's life, but also his own tendency to focus on the bare numerical aspect of his phenomenon - all those loudly trumpeted sales records, chart figures and financial windfalls. Such factors make Jackson's career sound more like a sporting event than the emotional, cultural and artistic juggernaut it truly is.

Think back to Jackson's very first recordings as part of the Jackson 5, those Motown singles that still loom over his life, and which first cemented his legend. When those songs first hit - starting with "I Want You Back" in 1969 - they didn't just astonish with their indelible melodies, orgasmic playing and unprecedented energy. They made us wonder: How could a voice of such experience come pouring out of an 11-year-old boy? (Or, rather a 9-year-old boy, since Motown at first lied about Jackson's age, lopping two years off the top.)

Jackson's lead vocal, soaring above his four brothers, held such yearning, such gripping need, it brought you up short. His three escalating cries of "Oh!" that crown the song's apex implied an experience of sexuality, awareness of loss and knowledge of consequence that could only come from someone who'd lived a long and rich life.

How could this baby-faced child possibly understand all that?
CLICK TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF A YOUNG MICHAEL JACKSON

The answer is, he didn't. But his talent did. The voice alone had the power and need of a fully realized man. Motown's magic-makers matched that force to music that took all their previous achievements to the 10th power. They sped up the usual Motown beats, intensified the instrumentation and perfected the melody, together creating something with as much genius as three minutes could hold.

The singles that chased that initial one - "ABC" and "The Love You Save" - repeated the formula but featured their own individual tunes and high-flying vocals, which only escalated the mania behind the Jacksons' gestalt. On their first ballad single - 1970's "I'll Be There" - the youngest Jackson skirted the maudlin potential of the song (exploited 20 years later by Mariah Carey's version) to make a fully believable statement of constancy.

Given his precociousness, it's small wonder people began to project a burdensome sense of magic upon Michael. He became an ideal vessel for that hoary and highly romanticized notion of the wise old soul reborn in an impossibly young body.

In terms of sheer intensity, that may well have been Jackson's high point. It's not that he didn't have many amazing achievements in the years since. It's just that nothing could ever be that pure, fast or new again. Even so, many of Jackson's later milestones would tower in artistry over most stars' peaks.

In 1972, Jackson began a solo career with keening singles like "Got to Be There," and energetic ones like "Rockin' Robin." Later, he and his brothers began to mature their sound with the huge disco hit "Dancing Machine" and increasingly knowing '70s smashes like "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" or "Can You Feel It."

Still, the terribly young Michael (then 22) didn't come entirely into his own as a solo artist until 1979's "Off the Wall." That Quincy Jones-produced album moved gracefully from the dance-floor bliss of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" to the fleet sensuality of "Rock With You."

We all know what happened next.

"Thriller" changed the face of pop, years before Michael decided to change his own face. But when it came time to celebrate the album's 25th anniversary late last year, once again the numbers hogged the headlines - the seven top 10 singles, the 37 weeks the album ruled over the rest of the top 200.

But in songs like "Beat It" and "Billie Jean," Jackson did more than simply take his part in some perfectly conceived, and richly rewarded, pop productions. He gave performances of heat and sensitivity that both marked him as a great singer and reestablished his hold on soul.

When you hit such a high, there's only one proverbial way to go.

What followed has been gawked at, mocked and flinched over ad infinitum. But just for the moment, let's toast Jackson without all that baggage, even if he did pack much of it himself. Go back and listen to his finest work in a more elevated light, and you won't just be giving Jackson a present. You'll be giving yourself one, too.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...ael_jackson_hits_50_remember_the_.html?page=0
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

"I really don't know what he is," said Taraborrelli. "I just hope he's having sex with someone."
That was before the allegations of child abuse, so the subject at that point didn't have the terrible dark shadow it would later acquire.
But Taraborrelli's point wasn't really about sex, anyway. He was saying that he hoped Jackson's overwhelming professional success had also brought him some personal happiness, and tacitly expressing concern it had not.
Click to expand...

This man is a fool. He didn't make that clear in his "book". JRT is a guy that made a career out of exposing Michael. He is not an expert in anything Michael. It is people like him that created this circus show of Michael in the media. He needs to sit down and go away. He knows nothing about Michael. MJ had personal happiness in his life, not a lot, but he had some happiness. Maybe if this fools focused on that and not the other things, he would have had an accurate portrayal in his "book". However, JRT has to make money and did that when the book was released.

4. Elizabeth Taylor's cell phone number. You might want to call only once a year, but wouldn't it be cool to have?
Click to expand...

No, I wouldn't consider that a "good thing". I wouldn't mind having MJ's phone number. As for the other parts - blah. Since this nonsense is coming from the NYDN, I wouldn't be bothered with the trash they are reporting. Mike is a genius, that is all that matters. This is truly the best time of his life. He is doing what he truly wants to do. Maybe things did not go the way he wanted it to go, but he is here and happy. That is all I care about. Anyone can be falsely accused of anything, that doesn't make them bad people. It is not his fault that the media is mostly racist and he never did what the media wanted him to do. He made his name in the music business and did it better than most people. Some people reach 50 and have no children, no parents, no siblings, no real happiness. Michael is going to be 50, he has three great children, his parents are still living, he watched most of his nieces and nephews grow and become parents, he is a granduncle, two of his god children are parents, he celebrated 25 years of Thriller, he is still important in the music industry and he still has millions of fans all over the world. How many people do you know are THAT lucky like Michael? So, really, MJ still did everything right. Maybe not the "right" that many of us expected, but it could have been worse. I can't care about people who waste their time talking about a guy they hate. They are usually wrong and ill informed on purpose. These are people that know the truth about MJ but need to sell papers to make a living. So, really, those people are the real sad people. That is why when MJ smiles, I know that he is the true winner of the mess he went through.
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

tabloidarellie needs to go to that exact part of the forum
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

OMG, the Holy Source of All Truths Taraborrelli had his word!! :woohoo:

When the other experts will stand out? Will we finally read eagerly awaited opinions on Michael by self-confessed fans like Nancy Grace and Diane Dimond? :praying
 
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Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

Thanks for the god damn news. woohooo :wild:

In about a day I'm gonna drink cheap champagne and celebrate the awesomely wonderful KING OF POP!!!! woooooooooooooHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

The hating ass media is so pathetic and predictable. They can't give him a break, not evan on his 50th birthday
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

ROTFL! You wouldn't expecting anything less from these idiots. Michael will shut them all up in the long run.
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

Thanks for the news. However, let us not think of Nancy DisGrace or Diane Zarconia or Roger Friedburger or Tabloiderelli or Dom Dom S###head or Gloria Allwrong or Martin (liar) Basher or anybody else from the junk media.. This is MJ's time. Long live MJ the one and only true KING OF POP, long may he reign.
 
Re: 28 Aug08 - Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

In a few hours the KING OF POP will be 50 years old and there are already some articles about this man's wonderful life throughout the years.


http://www.showbizspy.com/news/Jackson_Transformed_Black_Music/08282008


Jackson 'Transformed' Black Music

August 29 2008
MICHAEL JACKSON still reigns as one of the most prominent figures in African-American music, nearly four decades after launching his career.
Jackson stormed the charts at the age of 11 with his band of brothers, the Jackson 5, before securing his reign as the King of Pop.
And despite having spent years away from the studio after a decades-long career, the star is still being credited as one of the world's most leading influences on African-American culture.
Tariq Muhammad, Director of news website BlackVoices.com, says: "Michael Jackson has inspired and transformed music over the last three decades. His influence is evident in today's artists such as Justin Timberlake, Usher and Chris Brown from their music to their videos and choreography."
Publicist Susan Blond adds: "Ron Alexenburg, the president of Epic/CBS Records, knew when he signed the Jackson 5 they were capable of a lot more than hit single after hit single. I remember in the beginning of Michael's solo career, some magazines would not give him a cover because they didn't think he was their audience; he was just so, so ahead of his time.
"During the release of Off the Wall, he was still supported primarily by African-American audiences. By the release of Thriller, he crossed over to a global audience and we got the covers of Time and Newsweek the same week; he was the biggest star in the world.
"We threw a huge party at The Museum of Natural History celebrating his sales of 35 million, which has never been eclipsed. There is no one that could write, sing and entertain the way Michael did. He is the greatest performer of our time."





http://www.showbizspy.com/news/New_York_Declares_Michael_Jackson_Day/08282008

New York Declares Michael Jackson Day

August 29 2008
michael-jackson_2.jpg



A New York politician has declared 23 August (08) as Michael Jackson Day - in honour of the star's 50th birthday and the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking THRILLER album.
Marty Markowitz made the announcement at a party to mark the milestone last Saturday (23Aug08).
Hundreds of Jackson fans gathered at the Caribbean Cultural Center in Manhattan to toast the King of Pop's 50th birthday.
A planned appearance by legendary Motown Records founder Berry Gordy - the man who launched Jackson's career - fell through.
But crime writer Aphrodite Jones attended, and signed copies of her book Michael Jackson Conspiracy, which examines the media's coverage of Jackson's child abuse trial.
And Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz crowned the day with his historic announcement.
Event organiser Reva Thomas says, "He wrote a proclamation declaring Saturday August 23, 2008, Michael 'King Of Pop' Jackson 50th Birthday and Thriller 25 Celebration Day. It was a fantastic evening."





http://www.showbizspy.com/news/Jackson_Reigns_King_Of_Dance_World/08282008
Jackson Reigns King Of Dance World

August 29 2008
michael-jackson_1.jpg



MICHAEL JACKSON's moonwalk has left generations of dancers aspiring to mimic his famous moves, according to the world's top choreographers.
Jackson began his takeover as the King of Pop when he launched his solo career in the early 1970s, prompting a string of dance hits and an earth-shaking impact on the dance world.
Legendary choreographer Brian Thomas' work with Jackson for his 30th anniversary TV special earned him an Emmy nomination when the network hosted the two-hour honour in 2001.
And Thomas is convinced the star is still at the top of his game, insisting: "Michael Jackson is the definition of entertainment."
Jazz choreographer Ginger Cox adds: "Michael Jackson has inspired so many choreographers. His music has been played and danced to in studios for decades. Michael Jackson and dance go hand in hand."
The pair, who teach their Jackson-inspired steps at New York's Broadway Dance Center, have sent flocks of students migrating to the studio, eager to imitate Jackson's classic moves.
International Program Director Bonnie Erickson says: "I am struck again and again by Michael Jackson's influence on dancers around the world - so many of our applicants cite him as the reason they started dancing.
"The fact that his influence has lasted in this context as long as it has is truly extraordinary."


http://www.showbizspy.com/news/50_Fascinating_Michael_Jackson_Facts/08282008



50 Fascinating Michael Jackson Facts

August 29 2008
michael-jackson.jpg



Happy birthday *****! The King of Pop has hit the big 5-0 and we thought we'd celebrate by searching through cyberspace, books and articles to find 50 fascinating facts you may or may not know about the hitmaker.
He might not be the pop megastar he once was, but there's still a lot of love for Michael Jackson around the world. Skin diseases, child molestation charges, baby dangling and cosmetic surgery aside, there's a lot to celebrate about the man we all affectionately know as ***** *****.
And here's a few facts, stats and figures about Jackson that may have passed you by.
- Jackson's Billie Jean was the first video by a black artist to air on MTV.
- Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State Anthem South Carolina on My Mind, recorded by Hank Martin and Buzz Arledge.
- Jackson's waxwork features in five Madame Tussauds museums across the world. Only Elvis Presley and Madonna have more Tussaud figures - they have six each.
- Jackson's total lifetime earnings from royalties, solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million (GBP271 million).
- Jackson has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for radio play, located at 1541 Vine Street, and one for recording at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard.
- Jackson received a Presidential Humanitarian Award from Ronald Reagan in 1984 for his support of charities helping people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.
- Michael Jackson is the seventh of nine children.
- Jackson fought fellow 50 year old Madonna on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch - he lost.
- Three of Jackson's albums - Bad, Dangerous and Thriller - are among the bestsellers of all time.
- Thriller remains the biggest-selling album since records began.
- Jackson has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.
- Jackson wears his trademark black armband to remind fans of the suffering of children around the world.
- Jackson's favourite superhero is Morph from the X-Men.
- Jackson picked up his iconic moonwalk moves, which he debuted at the Motown 25th Anniversary show in 1983, from streetdancers he spotted performing outside a hotel.
- MC Hammer once challenged Jackson to a dance-off. He was told to Beat It. Jackson reportedly responded, "I've seen your videos and every single dance move you use, you got off of me."
- Little Richard wanted Jackson to play him in a biopic.
- Bubbles the chimp and Ben the rat are two of Jackson's most famous pets, but he also befriended a ram called Mr Tibbs, a python called Crusher and Louie the llama.
- An obsessed French Jackson superfan committed suicide in 1984 after his mother refused to allow him to undergo surgery to look like the star.
- In 1984, a U.S. library accused Jackson of owing it over $1 million (GBP540,000) in overdue book fines. Officials said they would scrap the fines if he returned the books autographed.
- Jackson dedicated his 1997 Blood On The Dancefloor album to Sir Elton John.
- Jackson is a vegetarian.
- Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Jackson 5 on May 6, 1997. He was inducted as a solo artist on March 19, 2001.
- Jackson once dated Brooke Shields and Tatum O'Neal.
- Jackson has several media nicknames. They include The Gloved One, ***** *****, *****, The King of Pop, and MJ. Close friends call him Smelly!
- Jackson's music video for Thriller was voted the greatest music video of all time in a recent Channel 4 (UK) poll.
- Jackson won an MTV Movie Award for Best Movie Song in 1994 for his song Will You Be There from the movie Free Willy.
- The Scream music video Jackson made with sister Janet is the most expensive promo ever made, costing more than $7 million (GBP3.8 million).
- Jackson's double album HIStory is the biggest selling double album ever released in the U.S.
- Jackson's Blood on the Dance Floor is the biggest selling re-mix album of all time.
- Jackson really is a King in West Africa - he was given a royal title by villagers in Gabon, Ivory Coast in 1992.
- Jackson's pre-concert ritual includes drinking Ricola candy dissolved in hot water. He claims the beverage helps to keep his throat and his singing voice clear.
- Jackson owns the patent for a stage shoe device that allows performers to lean forward and appear to defy gravity.
- Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana in 1958. The town is planning a tribute museum to the pop superstar.
- Movie star Macauley Culkin is godfather to Jackson's two eldest children, Paris and Prince Michael.
- Culkin helped Jackson design the amusement park at his Neverland Valley Ranch home in California.
- Lisa Marie Presley's former brother-in-law and his wife were the witnesses at her Dominican Republic wedding to Jackson in 1994.
- Jackson shares the record for the most Grammy Awards won in one year with Carlos Santana and Norah Jones - they each won eight.
- Jackson co-wrote charity anthem We Are The World with Lionel Richie.
- Jackson is godfather to Nicole Richie, Bee Gees star Barry Gibb's son Michael, and Oliver star Mark Lester's kids.
- Jackson and brother Tito were best men at Liza Minnelli and David Gest's wedding.
- Jackson's performance during the 1993 SuperBowl half-time show drew the largest TV audience in American history.
- The directors of Jackson's videos have included Martin Scorsese, John Singleton and John Landis.
- In 1999 Jackson paid $1.5 (GBP810,000) for the 1939 Best Picture Oscar, which was presented to producer David O. Selznick for Gone With The Wind.
- Jackson appeared on a postage stamp in the Virgin Islands in the mid-1980s after locals voted him the superstar they'd most like to honour.
- An extensive 1997 survey declared Jackson was the Most Famous Person in the World.
- Jackson helped plan neighbour Gregory Peck's funeral.
- Jackson once described close friend Elizabeth Taylor as "a warm cuddly blanket that I love to snuggle up to and cover myself with".
- Jackson provided a voiceover on The Simpsons - but it remained a secret for 12 years. He voiced a character in a mental institution in the Stark Raving Dad episode, which aired in 1991, but, because of a contractual problem, Jackson had to be credited as John Jay Smith. His contribution to the classic cartoon series remained a rumour among fans until The Simpsons creator Matt Groening confirmed it really was Jackson when the episode was released on DVD in 2003.
- Jackson shares the same birthday as U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who turns 72 today. Other celebrities who share Jackson's birthday include moviemakers Sir Richard Attenborough and William Friedkin, and actresses Rebecca DeMornay and Carla Gugino.
- Jackson's comeback plans have been scuppered by a new online poll - 71 per cent of 59,000 people voting on website PopEater.com answered `Not a chance' to the question 'Can the King of Pop make a comeback?'

http://www.tribune.com.ng/29082008/fri/entertain.html

Michael Jackson @ 50: Indelible footprints of a super star

updated: Friday 29-08-2008
entertain1.jpg

Micheal Jackson in 1971 & 2005 As the king of pop, Michael Jackson, clocks 50 today, Akintayo Abodunrin, with Agency reports, writes on the achievements and travails of the super star.
HIS records of achievements are intimidating. He is the first solo artist to generate four top ten hits on the Billboard charts on one album with “Off the Wall.”; the only artist in history to generate five No.1 hits (USA) from one album with “Bad.”; his 1982 album “Thriller” is the biggest selling album of all time, with confirmed sales of over 47 million copies worldwide; his 1991 album “Dangerous” is second to “Thriller” as the biggest selling album of all time, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide and his 1987 album “BAD” is third to “Thriller” as the biggest selling album of all time, with 20 million copies sold worldwide.
These and more are some of the indelible footprints of Michael Joseph Jackson, known variously as the Gloved One, ***** *****, *****, King of pop and MJ, who clocks 50 years today, on global music. Saying that MJ was, and is still a phenomenon on the global entertainment scene is an understatement. In fact, a confirmation of the special place he still occupies in the minds of millions across the globe is the special album ‘Michael Jackson: King of Pop’ Sony BMG is releasing today in countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland to commemorate his golden jubilee.
The scandals that have trailed him into stardom notwithstanding, the Gloved One, according to a commentator,”truly is the King of Pop. He had...still has some great, big hits! No matter how many surgeries he had planted on his face, or how different he looks now than before... it’s his music that gives his fans pleasure…”
And pleasure, indeed, has his music given. Even here in Nigeria, a generation was weaned on his music while thousands of youths copied his inimitable style of dressing. ‘I actually copied his style back in the 80s while growing up. I would tell the tailor to sew me a trouser that barely reached my ankle so that people can see my white socks and black shoes. Also, any party without Michael Jackson back then was not complete, we would play and play his records” recalls Adeola Raheem, while recalling the effect of MJ on his generation.
Not only that, some Nigerian musicians like Dizzy K Falola, Bola Abimbola and Sikiru Ayinde Barrister either adapted his songs or used some of his tracks as beats in their songs. The former lewd lyricist, Abass Akande Obsesere, when he started out actually used to call himself ‘Original African Michael Jackson” and moulded himself well after the mega star. Then, he sported jerry curls and had a type of knock-kneed dancing style in his effort to be like his adopted role model.
But MJ, who accepted the Guinness World Record award for Greatest Album of all time, at London’s Earls Court in November 2006, was not born a star, his father, Joseph Jackson, forced him and his siblings into music. Speaking on this in an interview, ***** ***** said: “There is a lot of sadness in my past life. My father beat me. It was difficult to take being beaten and then going on stage. He was strict; very hard and stern”.
The prodigiously talented singer, dancer, writer and businessman whose life has been troubled by some negativity was born in Gary, Indiana in 1958 and has been entertaining audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Katherine. Together they prodded their growing family’s musical interests at home. By the early 60s, the older boys, Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964 Michael and Marlon had joined in.
A musical prodigy, Michael’s singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of “The Jackson 5.” An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown, it was Gladys Knight (not Diana Ross) who officially brought the group to Berry Gordy’s attention, and by 1969, the boys were producing back-to-back chartbusting hits as Motown artists. As a product of the 70s, the boys had emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop/soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a Temptations-like group act to a disco phenomenon.
Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 80s he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, “Thriller.” A TV natural, he ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978/I), but had better luck with elaborate music videos.
In the 90s, the down side as an 80s pop phenomenon began to show. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically and his behaviour grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts. Two brief marriages — one to Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley — were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes were obviously image-oriented.
 
Is Michael Ready To Hit The Stage Again, Icon In Talks For VMA Show

By Njai Joszor
Posted on 08/28/08

Michael Jackson is rumored to be negotiating an appearance at this year's MTV Video Music Awards according to recent reports.

The icon who turns 50 Friday, may be on the fast track to a comeback according to sources close to the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards which are slated to take place September 7th.

Although details surrounding the icon's appearance have yet to be confirmed by MTV, Jackson is reportedly in talks to present an award with his sister Janet at the ceremony instead of hitting the stage as some outlets have reported.

In related news, rumors that Britney Spears would be making a comeback at the show have been dismissed by her manager Larry Rudolph who says "Contrary to media reports, Britney was never slated to perform at this year's VMAs."


"She's in the middle of recording her next album, which is going amazingly well, and her focus remains on the studio."

Photos: Michael Jackson at 50 Without Plastic Surgery, MTV VMA Appearance?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Angela Carson
Aug 28, 2008


First a milestone birthday for Madonna and now the same one for Michael Jackson. ***** turns 50 on Friday. Michael Jackson, once the "King of Pop" hits the big 5-0 just a few days after the other major 80's MTV pop star as Madonna turned fifty just two short weeks ago. Madonna celebrated with a big "Sticky and Sweet" tour, what will Michael Jackson do for his big day?

Perhaps he will be at the MTV VMAs? Although Britney Spears declined to perform at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, we still might get to see a full blown spectacle. Unlike Britney, this will be a fully-dressed spectacle. Hopefully as Michael Jackson may make an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards, a report from AOL's TMZ.Com claims.

The website cites sources close to the MTV VMA show and according to the report, the insider has told TMZ.Com that the MTV honchos have been working overtime to get ***** to reappear at the awards. The website then adds this, "We're told a deal is as good as sealed to have (Michael) present an award with sister Janet Jackson.

The UK Daily Mail has a Michael Jackson turns 50 with pictures of what he might look like without all of the plastic surgery. See pictures side by side of the King of Pop here. It is certainly different from the current snapshot of Michael above that was just snapped last week.

is too long :)
http://www.showbizspy.com/news/50_Fascinating_Michael_Jackson_Facts/08282008

08/29/2008
NEW YORK DECLARES MICHAEL JACKSON DAY

A New York politician has declared 23 August (08) as Michael Jackson Day - in honour of the star's 50th birthday and the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking THRILLER album.
Marty Markowitz made the announcement at a party to mark the milestone last Saturday (23Aug08).
Hundreds of Jackson fans gathered at the Caribbean Cultural Center in Manhattan to toast the King of Pop's 50th birthday.
A planned appearance by legendary Motown Records founder Berry Gordy - the man who launched Jackson's career - fell through.
But crime writer Aphrodite Jones attended, and signed copies of her book Michael Jackson Conspiracy, which examines the media's coverage of Jackson's child abuse trial.
And Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz crowned the day with his historic announcement.
Event organiser Reva Thomas says, "He wrote a proclamation declaring Saturday August 23, 2008, Michael 'King Of Pop' Jackson 50th Birthday and Thriller 25 Celebration Day. It was a fantastic evening."


At 50, what’s left for Michael Jackson?
It’s time for the pop star to come out of seclusion and start making music

By Michael Ventre
MSNBC
updated 3:07 p.m. ET, Thurs., Aug. 28, 2008
Michael Jackson turns 50 on Friday. What do you get for the man who has everything, including a killer discography, a couple of sexual assault accusations, at least one white glove, a sprawling ranch teetering on foreclosure, a family that can only be described as indescribable, and a button nose that often looks unbuttoned?

Reaching The Big Five-Oh is a profound event in every life. But for Michael, it represents a fork in his moonwalking path. One direction will take him to his own personal neverland, as in never be seen or heard from again. The other will lead him back to stardom and his rightful place atop the pop throne.

Which way will he go? Now that he’s 50, will he make it to 60? And what will he be like if he does?


here is website:http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4672383a23578.html this webste Win a copy of Michael Jackson's new album

Which bits of Michael Jackson turn 50 today?

Court and social, now, as you are cordially informed that Michael Jackson is 50 years old today. Well, bits of him are, and while our little Peter Pan would probably like to think that more recent tissue-based additions to his constantly evolving exoskeleton might bring his average age down, Lost in Showbiz prefers to operate on a strict, birth certificate-only policy.

But what of the Boo Radley of pop, who remains in seclusion following his acquittal on child molestation charges? His public have had to survive on whatever narrative scraps are thrown their way - here an abandoned fairground; there an emaciated menagerie taken into care. Imagine their delight, then, that this week of all weeks should bring two tantalising reports.

The first concerned a musical project of quite spellbinding potential, as erstwhile Minnelli-bride David Gest announced that he and Michael had been in the studio setting Robert Burns poetry to music. The second, no less meth-inspired rumour, focuses on next month's MTV video awards, where Michael is said to be making an appearance of some sort.

Can it really be true? Can MTV really be preparing to wheel Michael back into the limelight on some LED-fitted gurney, all the better to delight a new generation of fans? Only time will show, but on the occasion of his half-century, the mere hope is gift enough.

About this articleClose Which bits of Michael Jackson turn 50 today?
This article appeared in the Guardian on Friday August 29 2008 on p3 of the Comment & features section. It was last updated at 01:19 on August 29 2008.
 
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