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Author Topic:   Michael Jackson
mollyglover
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posted July 07, 2009 08:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for mollyglover   Click Here to Email mollyglover     Edit/Delete Message
MICHAEL! LOOK AT ME!!!!!!!

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indiedan
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posted July 07, 2009 12:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson Fans Respectful At Staples Center Memorial

7 July 2009 10:36 AM, PDT

Thousands of Michael Jackson fans have turned the King of Pop's farewell into a sombre, respectful event after quietly filing into tribute venues in Los Angeles.

Doors to the memorial at Staples Center opened just after 8am local time. The tribute was scheduled to begin 30 minutes late at 10.30am local time.

Prior to the event, the King of Pop's family staged a brief private service at the Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, where Ed McMahon and David Carradine were recently laid to rest. Police escorted almost 20 black SUVs, Range Rovers and cars to the cemetery two hours before the start of the memorial.

The Jacksons reportedly staged a private viewing of Jackson's remains on Monday night. The body was transported to Staples Center as part of a 30-vehicle motorcade.

More than 17,000 fans claimed free tickets for the event in an online lottery over the weekend. Over 11,000 actually landed passes for the Staples Center event and the remaining lottery winners were able to watch the live broadcast on a big screen across the road at the Nokia Theatre.

Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest at his rented home in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles on 25 June. He had been rehearsing for upcoming comeback shows in London at the site of the memorial in the days leading up to his death.

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indiedan
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posted July 07, 2009 12:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson Takes Centre Stage At Memorial

7 July 2009 12:06 PM, PDT

Michael Jackson staged one of his most amazing 'appearances' as his remains took centre stage at his memorial service in Los Angeles minutes ago.

As The Andrae Crouch Choir started singing gospel tune We Are Going To See The King, the King of Pop's coffin, covered with red roses, was carried through the Staples Center, where 18,000 people had gathered to pay tribute to the late star.

Pallbearers included members of Jackson's family and friends of the Thriller star, who died last month.

The choir performed before a simple church setting at the sports arena, with a sunset image of stained glass windows hanging behind the singers.

Following a moment's silence, Pastor Lucius Smith took to the stage to begin the live tributes to the King of Pop. He recalled that the late star had been performing at Staples Center in the days leading up to his death.

He stated, "As long as we remember him, he will be there forever to comfort us. In his very beautiful and human heart, Michael Jackson wanted nothing more than to give love to the world... and perhaps be loved back in return."

After the pastor's solemn words, Mariah Carey hit the stage to begin the celebrity performance tributes with her rendition of Jackson 5 hit I'll Be There, as images of Jackson appeared on a big screen behind her.

She was joined onstage by Trey Lorenz, who recorded a 1992 duet of the song, which became Carey's first worldwide number one.

Carey finished her tribute by stating, "We miss you."

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indiedan
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posted July 08, 2009 01:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson Family Feuding Over Final Resting Place

8 July 2009 9:11 AM, PDT

Michael Jackson's mother is fighting against the late superstar's siblings' wishes to bury the King of Pop at his Neverland Ranch, insisting her son never planned to return to the California estate he abandoned in 2005.

The Thriller hitmaker deserted the sprawling property in Santa Barbara County after detectives investigating allegations of child molestation against the star raided the place for evidence.

Jackson was vindicated of all charges but he refused to go back to Neverland and instead spent the last years of his life moving from rented house to rented house.

Last week (ends03Jul09), his older brother Jermaine Jackson hinted the singer could be laid to rest in the grounds of his former home, revealing he's trying to win over his family with the idea - as well as authorities who ban burials outside cemetaries.

In a U.S. TV interview at Neverland, which aired last week (ends03Jun09), Jermaine said, "I love it here because I feel him here... This is his home, this is his creation. Why wouldn't he be here? I feel his presence. It's like he's on tour somewhere, or just out somewhere, and it will always be like that.

"I want my mother to come back here and feel what I feel, my brothers, my sisters... because it is so important. I mean, he built this place with love, you can feel it, you can see it. It's quiet, it's peaceful."

But the stars' mum Katherine Jackson is allegedly firmly against the suggestion, and her refusal is causing a family rift, according to reports.

A source tells RadarOnline.com, "Michael left Neverland for good, never to return. He felt violated by law enforcement after his molestation trial. He felt this place he had built had been tainted. Katherine continues to be her son's protector even after his death."

Jackson's body is currently being held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, following his casket's centre stage appearance at his celebrity memorial service at Los Angeles' Staples Center on Tuesday.

However, a newly-released death certificate lists Forest Lawn as a "temporary" site for the star's remains, suggesting a final resting place has yet to be decided.

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indiedan
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posted July 09, 2009 11:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson Skit Officially Cut From Bruno

9 July 2009 9:06 AM, PDT

Filmmakers behind Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy Bruno have officially axed scenes featuring La Toya Jackson from the movie's final cut in the wake of her brother Michael Jackson's death.

Jackson made an accidental cameo in the film after British funnyman Cohen convinced her he was an Austrian fashion journalist, called Bruno, for a skit in his new film.

During La Toya's appearance, the comedian jokes about the Thriller hitmaker and attempts to steal his contact details from his sister's cell phone.

Producers omitted the scene when it was screened at the Los Angeles premiere on 25 June - the same day the King of Pop died.

And they've decided to leave it out altogether, fearing its inclusion would be in bad taste.

A spokeswoman for the Bruno movie says, "Out of respect for the Jackson family, the filmmakers have decided to remove a small scene involving La Toya Jackson."

Meanwhile, a similar move has been made by producers of new Bollywood movie Short Kut: The Con Is On - they've removed a scene ridiculing Jackson's dance style after receiving complaints about the sketch.

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indiedan
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posted July 20, 2009 10:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson Assets Draw the Gaze of Wall Street
BUSINESS BIZ COMPANIES
The New York Times
| 20 Jul 2009 | 12:25 PM ET

As the world sorts through the pieces of Michael Jackson’s life one month after his death, so, too, does Wall Street.

A handful of major financial firms have made inquiries into buying the Jackson estate’s 50 percent share of Sony/ATV Music Publishing , the company that controls most of the Beatles song catalog, according to people briefed on the matter. Among them are Colony Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Plainfield Asset Management and the media mogul Haim Saban, these people said.

Sony/ATV is by far the most valuable asset in Mr. Jackson’s estate, and his 50 percent stake could be worth as much a $500 million. Mr. Jackson bought the majority of the Beatles catalog in 1985 for $47.5 million, after an informal chat with Paul McCartney about the wisdom of buying song catalogs.

Since then, Sony/ATV — formed from a 1995 partnership with Sony — has bought up the rights to thousands of songs from artists, including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Beck and Taylor Swift. In recent years, it made a big push into TV production, helping to balance out its radio business.

“Sony/ATV’s really started to gain greater value in recent years,” said Barry Massarsky, a music industry consultant who has done work for Sony/ATV and its rivals. “I’m very bullish on its prospects.”

John G. Branca, the entertainment lawyer who structured Mr. Jackson’s initial purchase of the Beatles catalog and is now one of two executors of his estate, declined to comment by e-mail on Sunday, saying only that the Jackson stake in Sony/ATV “is not for sale.”

Mr. Branca and John McClain, a music executive, will make decisions about the estate, pending confirmation at an Aug. 3 court hearing in Los Angeles.

Still, that has not stopped financiers from approaching Jackson family members and Sony, people briefed on the discussions said. Some of these firms already have a connection to the Jackson family.

Colony, for instance, is a co-owner of the Neverland ranch, Mr. Jackson’s former home. The firm’s chairman and chief executive, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., has contacted representatives of the family, these people said. Plainfield, which lent money to Mijac, an entity that owns Mr. Jackson’s own songs as well as those from the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, has also contacted the family, these people said. (Mijac has an estimated worth of $50 million to $100 million and is likely to grow with the pickup in album sales since his death.)

Mr. Jackson nearly lost his stake in Sony/ATV — and his family’s fortune — in 2006. He was days away from filing for bankruptcy when Howard Stringer, the chief executive of Sony, dispatched his chief financial officer, Robert Wiesenthal, to Dubai to broker a last-minute lifeline for Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson was living in the emirate at the time and quickly spending cash.

“His finances were in complete shambles,” said Duross O’Bryan, a forensic accountant at the consulting firm AlixPartners who served as an expert witness at Mr. Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial. “There were serious issues with regards to his ability to meet debt when it comes due.”

The deal, negotiated in Mr. Jackson’s suite at the Burj Al Arab hotel, saved the singer from bankruptcy. In return, Sony took greater operational control of Sony/ATV and received an option to buy half of Mr. Jackson’s share.

Despite earning hundreds of millions of dollars over his lifetime, Mr. Jackson was well known for having a mountain of debt, born of expensive indulgences like the sprawling Neverland estate, costly music and tour productions and art and antiques buying sprees. The estate still carries $400 million to $500 million in debt. Barclays holds about $300 million of debt against the Jackson estate’s stake in Sony/ATV.

It remains possible that Sony could seek to use its option, leaving the Jackson family with a 25 percent stake in the business. Some of the private equity firms have proposed teaming with Sony to buy the remaining stake from the family, these people said.

A spokeswoman for Sony said the company was not interested in selling its stake. Representatives for Colony, K.K.R. and Mr. Saban declined to comment. A representative for Plainfield could not be reached for comment.

Speculation about the Jackson stake in Sony/ATV swirled at the Allen & Company retreat for media moguls in Sun Valley this month. Several attendees said Mr. Stringer had fielded inquiries into the possibility over dinner. Mr. Saban made an informal inquiry then, these people said.

The stake is likely to continue to grow in value, and some members of the Jackson family have pondered the merits of selling. Still others have proposed eventually cobbling together a consortium to buy out Sony’s share in the publisher.

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fred
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posted August 02, 2009 10:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson estate confronts fake merchandise dealers
By RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer Ryan Nakashima, Ap Business Writer Sun Aug 2, 1:35 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – Down a crowded merchant-lined street in downtown Los Angeles called Santee Alley, a handful of vendors are selling Michael Jackson T-shirts. Two shirts memorialize his passing, but one gets the date of his death wrong. The other has no collar tag.

Martin Melendes, a store manager, looks askance at a reporter's questions about the $15 Jackson shirts worn by his mannequins. "You're not with the FBI?" he asks. Stepping away from his boss, he says excitedly, "We sold 2,000 T-shirts in the first week. We're still selling a lot."

Since the King of Pop died late last month, people around the world have mourned his passing. Others set out to make a quick buck. Now, as estate lawyers battle to secure his fortune in court, they are turning their attention to the hucksters flooding stores and street corners with unauthorized Jackson memorabilia.

This is not just about a T-shirt or two. At stake are tens of millions of dollars in annual merchandising royalties alone, estimates Mark Roesler, chief executive of CMG Worldwide, the business agent who handles licensing and collects revenue for the estates of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and other deceased celebrities.

Elvis Presley's estate brought in nearly $55 million in revenue last year, 32 years after his death. That included $14 million from retail sales. Royalties from DVDs and TV projects and money from tours, exhibits, hotel rooms and events at the Graceland museum made up the rest. Monroe and Dean's estates took in nearly $5 million each.

Jackson may prove to be more popular than all of them.

The estate and AEG, the concert promoter behind Jackson's planned comeback, are selling Jackson T-shirts, mugs and other paraphernalia online through Universal Music Group's retailing arm, Bravado. Last week, the estate cut a deal with Harmony Books, a division of Random House Inc., to re-release his 1988 biography, "Moonwalk." Deals are in the works for a movie based on concert rehearsal footage — for which Sony bid $50 million to distribute worldwide — and a TV special based on his music and dance moves. There is even a section devoted to Jackson merchandise on QVC, the television and online retailer, which said it spent time vetting the legitimacy of each item.

Jackson's popularity also is providing plenty of opportunities for others to cash in.

"In the piracy and anti-counterfeiting world, this is as big as it gets," Roesler said. "It's a daunting task for the rights holders to get on top of this."

Already, a dozen vendors are hawking Michael Jackson T-shirts, fedoras, watches and buttons on Amazon.com, which removes merchandise it deems illegal but does not screen items beforehand. Five entities with no obvious link to the Jackson family have tried to trademark the phrase "King of Pop" on everything from drink umbrellas to juggling balls since the day he died.

Others, like street vendors and T-shirt shops from Los Angeles to New York are more brazen, openly flouting laws meant to ensure that the estate of the late singer gets its cut.

John Branca and John McClain, the estate's special administrators, told The Associated Press in a statement that the estate will take legal action to prevent the sale of unauthorized items.

"The sale of unauthorized Michael Jackson merchandise is illegal and provides nothing for the beneficiaries of his estate, namely his mother, his children and charitable causes that were important to him," they said.

The estate's concern is not just limited to memorabilia. Americans freely swapped 9.5 million of Jackson's songs, everything from "Thriller" to "Rock With You," using file-sharing software in the week ended July 16, according to tracking firm BigChampagne Media Measurement.

That alone represents about $24 million in lost revenue, based on what the swappers would have paid if they bought the songs from Apple Inc.'s iTunes.

Legitimate sales of Jackson's music are still booming, with about 3 million albums sold in the U.S. since his death, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Experts say it will take a sophisticated legal and business team to succeed at securing Jackson's rights worldwide. Los Angeles police say they won't take action against suspect retailers or manufacturers unless a trademark owner appears in court to claim that the other items are fakes.

Girlytops.com, a New Jersey-based retailer which also sells items featuring American Idol runner-up David Archuleta and Britney Spears, has sold thousands of Jackson T-shirts online, said owner Pete Ray. He claimed the company purchased the designs from "licensed retailers," but wouldn't clarify which ones.

"There's been an amazing response by his fans to his death," Ray said by phone. "It's just countless. I haven't really sat down. We've been just too busy sending them out. As fast as they come in, they go out."

Complicating matters is that the phrase "King of Pop" was not actually registered to the singer, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which has some of his applications on display in a free exhibit in Washington.

He registered "Michael Jackson" as a trademark, the office said, but only on sound recordings, videotapes and movies involving music and entertainment. Jackson owned a patent on a shoe that allowed the wearer to lean past his center of gravity, as he did in the "Smooth Criminal" video, but it expired in 2005 because he didn't pay a $2,480 maintenance fee.

That doesn't mean there is a free-for-all on certain products using his name and likeness, because common law can establish ownership of trademarks if they have been used in commercial ventures before, said Sharon Marsh, the USPTO's deputy commissioner for trademark policy.

An applicant can be denied if his or her trademark application creates a false association with a person or an institution, she said.

The quickest way for the estate to end unlicensed selling would be to seek a judge's temporary restraining order, which can take less than a week and requires little proof, said Alan Drewsen, executive director of the International Trademark Association.

The difficulty is tracking down all of the manufacturers that jump into the business and then bail when legal questions arise, he said.

"It's going to be very difficult for the estate to shut down every source of T-shirts," Drewsen said.

TUTM Entertainment, a New Jersey-based maker of party goods, said it applied for the trademark "King of Pop" on everything from cover artist CDs to buffet decorations, as a way to keep the party Jackson started going.

"The market's already flooded with tons of T-shirts and stuff," said TUTM's chief operating officer, Dianne Aronica. "We felt the smartest way to do it was obtain a trademark and do focused items that made sense. We typically like to do it right."

If history is any indicator, Jackson's earning power will last many years past his death and the estate still has time to overcome the sea of knockoffs.

"Elvis Presley's merchandise still sells extremely well," said Charles Riotto, president of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association. "Whether this would hold true for Michael Jackson, I don't know. There'll have to be a well-organized and cohesive licensing program to achieve that sales result."

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indiedan
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posted August 11, 2009 03:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson Investigators Raid Vegas Pharmacy

11 August 2009 12:01 PM, PDT

Authorities investigating the death of Michael Jackson have raided a pharmacy in Las Vegas in search of documents relating to drug prescriptions written by the King of Pop's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray.

Officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are considering a charge of manslaughter against Murray, who they believe is responsible for supplying Jackson with a range of powerful painkillers.

The Thriller hitmaker's death on 25 June has been surrounded by controversy, with numerous reports suggesting Jackson died after taking a lethal dose of surgical anaesthetic Propofol.

Murray had his Las Vegas home and Texas storage facility raided at the end of July and DEA investigators, armed with a search warrant, swooped on Applied Pharmacy Services in Sin City on Tuesday to continue gathering evidence.

According to TMZ.com, police are looking for computer hard drives and documents detailing prescription and shipping information which they hope will prove Murray was the doctor supplying Jackson and his various aliases with medication.

An autopsy to determine the singer's cause of death has been completed but the results have been embargoed by police chiefs until they have completed their own investigation into the star's untimely demise.

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indiedan
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posted August 12, 2009 03:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Sony Sets Plans For Jackson Concert Film

11 August 2009 12:08 PM, PDT

A Los Angeles judge on Monday approved a $60-million deal that gives Sony Pictures the rights to the rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage shot during the weeks prior to Michael Jackson's death in June. It was also disclosed that some of the footage was shot in 3D. "This historic recording of the last time [Jackson] sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound," said Sony Pictures chairman/CEO Michael Lynton in a statement. The film will be directed by Kenny Ortega, who was choreographing Jackson's concert, and produced by Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of Aeg Live, the production company that was promoting the concert series at the time of Jackson's death. Sony said Monday that it plans to release the concert film on October 30.

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HollywoodProducer
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posted August 18, 2009 01:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for HollywoodProducer   Click Here to Email HollywoodProducer     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson To Be Buried On His Birthday - Confirmed

3 hours ago

Michael Jackson's family has confirmed the King of Pop will be laid to rest on what would have been his 51st birthday.

After weeks of speculation, the pop superstar - who died on 25 June - will be buried in a mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

A spokesman for the family tells WENN, "Michael Jackson will be laid to rest at Holly Terrace in The Great Mausoleum at Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale on Saturday, August 29, 2009, at 10am, on what would have been his 51st birthday.

"The private ceremony will be limited to family and close friends.

"The Jackson family once again wishes to express its gratitude to Michael's fans around the world for their support during these difficult times."

Jackson's body has reportedly spent the past six weeks at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, where the family staged a private memorial on the morning of a much more public service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last month.

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indiedan
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posted August 21, 2009 02:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson Movie To Arrive Early

9 hours ago

Michael Jackson is heading to the big screen sooner than expected - movie bosses are pushing the release date of the King Of Pop movie up by two days.

The pop superstar was due to kickstart a 50-date residency in London as part of his This Is It residency in July, but he died on 25 June, just weeks before he was scheduled to make his live comeback.

Now a behind-the-scenes film featuring rehearsal footage of Jackson working with dancers, choreographers and special-effects experts is due to hit cinemas worldwide on 28 October - two days sooner than the scheduled release.

Fans will have a very short period to catch the movie in theatres - bosses at film studio Sony, who paid $60 million (£40 million) for the film rights, have announced a limited release of just two weeks.

But director Kenny Ortega, who was choreographing This Is It, is confident cinemagoers will be impressed by the film.

He says, "This film is Michael's gift to his fans. It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius's world. For the first time ever, fans will see Michael as they have never seen him before - this great artist at work.

"It is raw, emotional, moving and powerful footage that captures his interactions with the This Is It collaborators that he had personally assembled for this once in a lifetime project." »

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indiedan
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posted September 11, 2009 03:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Michael Jackson Vienna tribute concert series canceled

Vienna (AP) - A global Michael Jackson tribute in front of an Austrian palace has been scrapped and moved to London, organizers announced Friday, saying they needed more time to put together a show fit for the King of Pop. Event promoter Georg Kindel and Jackson's brother Jermaine told reporters that too many top performers had scheduling conflicts, and they blamed the media for stirring up a negative atmosphere. Friday's announcement came at the end of a turbulent week of reports that supposedly confirmed that artists including Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown and Natalie Cole couldn't make the event.

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HollywoodProducer
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posted September 23, 2009 03:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for HollywoodProducer   Click Here to Email HollywoodProducer     Edit/Delete Message
New Michael Jackson song to be released
‘This Is It’ to feature backing vocals by late singer’s brothers
The Associated Press
updated 12:38 p.m. PT, Wed., Sept . 23, 2009

NEW YORK - The first posthumous release of a new Michael Jackson song, "This Is It," is scheduled for Oct. 12.

Sony Music Entertainment offered few details about the song, except to say it includes backing vocals by Jackson's brothers. Two weeks later, Sony is releasing a two-disc set to coincide with the movie that shows scenes of Jackson rehearsing for his series of London concerts. Jackson died before publicly stepping back on stage.

The album includes some of Jackson's greatest hits as they appeared on previous albums. The second disc features previously unreleased versions of Jackson songs and a spoken-word poem from Jackson called "Planet Earth."

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fred
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posted October 13, 2009 12:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Jackson earns American Music Awards nod
Country star Taylor Swift tops all artists with six nominations
The Associated Press
updated 11:04 a.m. PT, Tues., Oct . 13, 2009

NEW YORK - Michael Jackson has a chance to win artist of the year posthumously at the American Music Awards.

Fans will select winners by online voting. The awards will be televised Nov. 22 on ABC from Los Angeles.

Jackson is up against Lady Gaga, Eminem, Kings of Leon and Taylor Swift for the show’s top honor. Jackson died in Los Angeles on June 25, in the midst of rehearsals for a comeback tour.

Country star Swift tops all artists with six nominations. Jackson has five and Eminem has four.

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fred
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posted October 29, 2009 11:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Sony just announced that Michael Jackson’s This Is It opened Wednesday all around the world in 99 countries with a 1-day gross of $20.1 million. Immediately, Hollywood considered that disappointing after all the pre-sales hype surrounding the concert footage and its 2-week limited run. The film opened to a paltry $7.4 million domestic even including Tuesday's $2.2M late night showings. That's almost 50% less than the $17M Sony hoped for, and 39% less than the $12M Hollywood expected. "This is not promising," a rival studio exec just told me.

Even overseas, where Michael Jackson is considered more popular than here, its solid but not spectacular debut was $12.7 million internationally. (Foreign numbers included UK $1.9M, France $1.3M, Japan $1.1M, Germany $1.0M, China $730K, Sweden $490K, Holland $390K, Mexico $370K, Brazil $350K, and Australia $330K. The film opens in 10 additional territories today.)

The studio tried to put the best face on the bow, claiming the worldwide launch featured "very strong performance" across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia, and "represents an amazing beginning for the film and a reaffirmation of the global appeal of Michael Jackson".

Uh, no. In North America, This Is It took in the highest gross ever for a Wednesday in October, which is a rather minor record. "The studio expects strong word of mouth and impressive critical acclaim to continue to drive ticket sales," a Sony spokesman said. There was some good news for the studio: the movie received an “A” Cinemascore across the board.

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