BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

Monday, July 13, 2009

Where Will Michael Jackson Be Buried?

The King of Pop in 2002

In death as in life, there is never a dull moment when it comes to Michael Jackson. Police in California's Santa Barbara County met on June 30 to discuss how to deal with an expected mad rush of traffic on the narrow hillside road leading to Jackson's Neverland Ranch for a planned memorial service on July 3. Jackson's body will arrive there a day earlier, in a 30-car motorcade from Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the singer's hometown of Gary, Ind., is reportedly seeking to have the body shipped there for another memorial service being planned for July 10. Amid all the competition to pay last respects to the King of Pop (including a memorial service attended by thousands at New York City's Apollo Theater on June 30), one question still remains unanswered: Where will Michael Jackson be buried?

The singer's father Joe Jackson denied speculation that Neverland Ranch will be turned into a Graceland-style attraction, with the Gloved One's grave as the central attraction. "That is not true," Joe Jackson told reporters when asked whether his son was to be buried at Neverland, which has been owned by a private-equity firm since Michael defaulted on a loan. Although the family patriarch declined to discuss specifics on the time and place of a funeral, citing the second autopsy as a cause for delay, he hinted at grand, Lady Di–scale plans. "I've never heard of a private funeral like this — like big, like Michael's would be," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, the financier whose company owns Neverland is preparing for unprecedented crowds at Friday's memorial. In an open letter to the Santa Barbara community, Thomas Barrack of Colony Capital on June 30 referred to the ranch as "Michael's only true home" and added, "The universal curiosity about Neverland and its connection to Michael is an unchangeable fact."

"The future of the Neverland property will be addressed in due time through normal process and with appropriate deliberation," he continued in a letter that seemed directed as much to the Jackson family as it was to the residents of Santa Barbara County. "Let us all keep in mind that reputations are earned in decades and lost in moments of haste and bad decisions."

Haste is certainly not characterizing the planning of Jackson's final farewell. Some outside observers questioned the Jacksons' rationale for holding off on burial plans while waiting for autopsy results. Cyril Wecht, a forensic pathologist and an attorney who has handled several high-profile cases, including the second autopsy of Anna Nicole Smith's son Daniel, says that in the case of a potential drug overdose, the body of the deceased would not be needed for examination once fluid or tissue samples were obtained. Often, the coroner will keep the brain to conduct neuropathology tests, which can't happen until about two weeks after death, when the brain hardens, says Wecht. It's also likely that the coroner is conducting further tests on the superstar's heart, he adds.

"It's up to the family. They can bury him and then bury the brain and heart later on," he says. "But it's rare for the body to be held back for two weeks."

In a career that took plenty of strange turns, it's perhaps no surprise that Jackson's progress toward a final resting place is beginning to seem just as chaotic. At least one of Michael's close friends, Mark Lester, the godfather to Jackson's three children, says he's in the dark as to the icon's own final wishes.

"It's not the sort of thing you sit around a dinner party and discuss," says Lester, "funeral arrangements for someone so relatively young."

(source:-cnn)

Michael Jackson's Estate: Saved by the Beatles

Michael Jackson and Beatles

Will Michael Jackson's three children — Michael Joseph Jr., Paris Michael and Prince Michael II — end up paupers? The answer rests on the value of the performer's largest asset: his 50% stake of a music-publishing company called Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Jackson, who died on June 25, left behind as much as $500 million in debts. That includes a $315 million loan owed to British bank Barclays, as well as millions of dollars in bills. "Jackson never paid his bills," says a lawyer who did work for Jackson over the years. "Countless professionals who worked for him are still waiting to get paid." In May, the singer's longtime publicist Raymone Bain sued Jackson for $44 million in unpaid fees.

But whether those debts will mean Jackson died bankrupt depends heavily on the worth of Sony/ATV. Jackson had other assets, including rights to many of his own songs, as well as about 1,000 hours of rehearsal footage leading up to this summer's London concert tour and possibly about 100 unreleased songs. But none of those assets are likely to be nearly as valuable as his stake in Sony/ATV, which has been valued at anywhere from $390 million to $1 billion.

Jackson's 1985 purchase of ATV Music, which included in its catalog some 250 Beatles tunes, for $47.5 million formed the basis of his stake in the music-publishing business and was by far his shrewdest music deal. Yoko Ono, John Lennon's widow, and Paul McCartney had considered bidding a combined $20 million for the collection, but Ono decided that was more than the collection was worth. Jackson's purchase price of more than double that is still far less than what the songs would sell for now.

In 1995, Jackson agreed to merge ATV with Sony's music-publishing business. The Japanese corporation paid Jackson $150 million to complete the deal and split ownership of the new company with the performer 50-50. In March 2007 an audit of Jackson's finances valued his half of Sony/ATV at $390 million.

But just two years later, it is likely that Jackson's stake in Sony/ATV is worth much more than that. First of all, music-publishing has not been hit nearly as hard as the rest of the music industry by the shift to music downloads and away from compact discs. Unlike a record label, a music publisher does not get paid only when an album or other original recording of a song is sold. Publishers retain the rights to a song and get paid every time it is performed or appears in a movie or advertisement by the original artist or any other performer. "I have talked to a number of music publishers who tell me last year was their best year in a while," says Susan Butler, a former music-industry lawyer who now writes the newsletter Music Confidential. "Guitar Hero and other games have created a lot of opportunity for the publishers."

What's more, in early 2007, Sony recruited industry veteran Martin Bandier, who turned rival EMI into a publishing powerhouse, to lead the unit. The hire seems to have paid off. Bandier has re-energized Sony's publishing company, completing a number of acquisitions and landing some popular new acts, including former American Idol contestant Elliott Yamin and rising music star Lady Gaga. Along with the Beatles, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan, the company's 750,000-song catalog now includes the Jonas Brothers, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Swift. In the first quarter of this year, Sony/ATV ranked as the second largest music publisher in the U.S., with just under 20% of the market, up from fifth largest three years ago. Its Lady Gaga hit "Just Dance" was the best-selling song in the first three months of the year. The result: industry sources estimate Sony/ATV's revenue has grown more than 60% in the past two years, to an annual $500 million. Net publisher's share —a closely watched figure in the industry, which is sales minus payments to artists — has doubled, to an estimated $200 million. "The music-publishing business is ripe with opportunities, and we are continuing to grow our business," says Bandier.

What does that mean Sony/ATV is worth? In a recent financial filing, Sony said the division had $1.3 billion in assets and $479 million in debt. That would give the division a net value of about $850 million. But it would be likely to fetch much more than that in a sale. When Universal Music bought BMG Music Publishing in September 2006, Universal paid $2.1 billion, or nearly 12 times BMG's estimated net publisher's share. Sony/ATV probably wouldn't get the same multiple in today's market. But even at 10 times its current publisher's earnings, the company would be worth $2 billion.

Jackson, though, might not be able to sell his interest in Sony/ATV for its full $1 billion value. In 2006, as part of a deal to restructure his mounting debts, he gave Sony/ATV an option to buy half of his holdings in the company at a later date. Sony will not disclose the terms of that deal, but it probably limits what the Japanese company would have to pay Jackson for half of his Sony/ATV stake.

Still, the quarter of the publishing business that Jackson does own outright would be enough to clear his debts. And Sony would still have to pay many millions for the rest, even with the option. The bottom line: Michael Jackson's estate is probably more than solvent. "People are focused on the amount of money Michael owed, but you have to look at the assets too," says Ivan Thornton, who worked as a financial adviser to Jackson on and off for the past decade. "He's in debt, but he is certainly not bankrupt."

(source:-cnn)

Did Drugs Kill Michael Jackson?

Media and spectators wait for a news conference about Michael Jackson's death at UCLA Medical Plaza
People hold up Michael Jackson pictures as media and spectators wait for a news conference about Michael Jackson's death at UCLA Medical Plaza on June 25, 2009

The initial autopsy report on Michael Jackson came at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2009, from Craig Harvey, spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner's office: "The coroner has concluded the autopsy for Mr. Michael Jackson. The cause of death has been deferred."

It will be several more weeks until details of the full autopsy will be released to the public. For now, said Harvey, the coroner had not found "indication of any external trauma or indication of foul play on the body." The cause of death, however, could not be determined. Results from further testing on the brain and Jackson's pulmonary system, as well as a toxicology analysis of what substances may have been present in the singer's body at the time of death, will take an additional four to six weeks to complete. The preliminary results came just over a day after an unidentified man placed a call to 911 from Jackson's rented Holmby Hills mansion on Thursday: "He's not breathing ... he's not conscious ... he's not responding to anything. He's not responding to CPR, anything," the man said.

When the 911 operator asked how Jackson had collapsed or whether anyone had witnessed it, the caller replied, "The doctor has been the only one here."

That physician — presumably Jackson's personal doctor, cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray, who was called on Wednesday night when his patient complained of not feeling well — has disappeared. He left the car that he drove to Jackson's home, a silver BMW registered to an associate, in the driveway. Dr. Tohme Tohme, a Jackson associate who has served as a spokesman for him in the past, told the Los Angeles Times that Murray, who has filed for bankruptcy in the past and has financial problems, was hired by Jackson's concert promoter, AEG Live, to live with Jackson and care for him during his upcoming shows. Los Angeles law-enforcement authorities towed Murray's vehicle on Thursday night, saying the car could contain "medications pertinent to the investigation" into Jackson's death.

As the Jackson family awaits results of the autopsy performed Friday on the 50-year-old King of Pop, some family and close friends have raised the possibility that Jackson's alleged drug use played a role in his sudden death. Brian Oxman, a former attorney for the family, believes that Jackson's use of medications was "extensive" and that the people who surrounded him were "enabling him," encouraging his reported drug dependence. A family member told the celebrity gossip website TMZ.com that Jackson had been receiving daily injections of Demerol, a narcotic painkiller.

In high enough doses, Demerol can slow respiration almost to the point of suffocation, which can lead to sudden death by depriving the heart of oxygen, according to Dr. Douglas Zipes, a cardiologist at Indiana University and past president of the American College of Cardiology. Demerol can also cause a sudden stoppage of the heart in patients who are dehydrated. The drug causes blood vessels to dilate, or expand, and dehydration would impede this stretching, leading to a dangerous drop in blood pressure and blackout, which can cause sudden death.

Before his death, Jackson had apparently been rehearsing intensely for his 50-concert comeback, which was to launch in mid-July at London's O2 Arena, but there are no reports yet of whether the physical strain had left him dehydrated Wednesday evening.

When EMTs arrived at the Holmby Hills mansion where Jackson had collapsed, they would have had a series of quick-fire decisions to make, based on little information. Had Jackson suffered a heart attack? A drug overdose? A stress-related event? Did his condition require paddles or a syringe of epinephrine?

In the case of either a heart attack or cardiac arrest — a heart attack can also cause cardiac arrest — EMTs' initial response is to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in order to keep blood flowing. According to the 911 tapes from Jackson's case, his physician was "pumping his chest." That physician and the EMT team that brought Jackson to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center attempted to resuscitate him for more than an hour, according to a statement issued by the hospital. Typically, however, there is only a four- to six-minute window of opportunity to revive a patient in cardiac arrest; the chances of survival drop 7% to 10% with each minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation.

A heart in cardiac arrest, says Zipes, "looks like a bag of squiggly worms, totally uncoordinated, disorganized, with no effective pumping." In a normal heart, the pumping chambers beat 70 times a minute or so, while an organ in cardiac arrest can spasm anywhere from 400 to 600 times per minute. Unless a regular rhythm can be restored, brain death and ultimately death can result.

It is not known what measures the emergency workers took to save Jackson, but if they had determined that he suffered from cardiac arrest triggered by an overdose of narcotics, they would have likely used a shot of naloxone, a drug that counteracts opioid overdose, to get the brain back online and the heart beating again, says Connie Meyer, an EMS captain in Johnson County, Kans. In cases where it's not clear whether narcotics are involved — cardiac arrest may be caused by a wide range of factors, including stress — some EMTs will use epinephrine, a shot of adrenaline that jump-starts the heart back into action.

Jackson's autopsy will include a toxicology report that will identify any substances present in his body at the time of death, but even still, it may not yield a definitive cause of death. "A toxicology screen can only tell you the drugs were or were not there," notes Zipes. "It cannot tell you if the drugs caused the event."

The autopsy could, however, rule out a heart attack. If Jackson's cardiac arrest had been triggered by a heart attack — caused by a ruptured plaque blocking blood flow to his heart — then pathologists should be able to see the occluded vessel and the fresh evidence of the clogged-up heart.

After all the speculation and rumors and bizarre events that have peppered Jackson's medical history, it may be the case that ultimately he died from the same condition that claims 440,000 other middle-aged Americans each year: heart disease. A longtime friend, Patti Austin, who duetted with the singer on "It's the Falling in Love," told CNN that Jackson rarely ate right and didn't exercise. "When you live like a hummingbird, you don't have a long life span," she said.

(source:-cnn)

Michael Jackson's Missing Music: More to Come?

A shopper looks at Michael Jackson CDs at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles on July 1, 2009
A shopper looks at Michael Jackson CDs at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles on July 1, 2009
Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty
(source:-cnn)

The Young Michael Jackson at Home

Young Michael Jackson
Stance

The photos were taken in the early 1970s at the Jackson home in Encino, Calif.

Young Michael Jackson
Art

The singer displays a painting he made.

Young Michael Jackson
Lounging

That's Michael's German Shepherd on the right.

Young Michael Jackson
Style King

Michael sports an argyle sweater and flowered shirt.

Young Michael Jackson
The Media

A music journalist interviews Michael.

Young Michael Jackson
Hoops

Michael and his brother Marlon play a little one on one.

Young Michael Jackson
Portrait

Photographer Neal Preston periodically shot Jackson and his brothers at their home for fan magazines.

Young Michael Jackson
Shooter

Michael plays with a camera.

Young Michael Jackson
Star Power

At the time these photos were taken, the Jackson 5 had already recorded four No. 1 hits.

(source:-cnn)

Michael Jackson: The Last Photos

International pop-music icon Michael Jackson rehearses at Los Angeles' Staples Center on June 23, 2009, two days before his death.
This Is It

International pop-music icon Michael Jackson rehearses at Los Angeles' Staples Center on June 23, 2009, two days before his death. Photographer Kevin Mazur was given exclusive access to the sessions.

More than 800,000 tickets, costing upwards of £1,000 (about $1,650), had been sold for the London shows. Fans have been informed that their money will be refunded.
Highlight

More than 800,000 tickets, costing upwards of £1,000 (about $1,650), had been sold for the London shows. Fans have been informed that their money will be refunded.

Fans will have a chance to purchase a DVD and album of Jackson's last rehearsals, which is presently being compiled. It is expected to be one of his biggest sellers.
Long Reach

Fans will have a chance to purchase a DVD and album of Jackson's last rehearsals, which is presently being compiled. It is expected to be one of his biggest sellers. This photo was taken on May 6, 2009.

Jackson works with choreographer/director Kenny Ortega in a photo taken on May 6, 2009.
Behind the Scenes

Jackson works with choreographer/director Kenny Ortega in a photo taken on May 6, 2009.

Starting this Christmas, Jackson's family will release a series of posthumous albums, including perhaps songs written for Jackson's children and some left over from his last album, 'Invincible.'
Smile

Starting this Christmas, Jackson's family will release a series of posthumous albums, including perhaps songs written for Jackson's children and some left over from his last album, Invincible.

(source:-cnn)


Michael's Meccas: Places to Honor Jackson's Memory

Neverland Ranch
Neverland Ranch

The famous wrought-iron gates of Jackson's 2,700-acre ranch near Santa Barbara, Calif., have been replaced by wooden doors, which will be closed for the memorial service. But just outside them — where more than 7,000 visitors have left flowers, balloons and teddy bears — mourners are expected to continue their vigil on July 7, 2009, and beyond.

Jackson's former home in Gary, Ind.
Gary, Ind.

Jackson was born and raised in this hard-luck town in a one-story home on 23rd and — wait for it — Jackson Street. He rarely looked back once he moved away at age 11. Nonetheless, Jackson is a great source of pride to Gary, and the ongoing celebration at the house reflects that. A memorial service is set for July 10, 2009, at the town's U.S. Steel Works ballpark.

Amateur night dedicated to Michael Jackson at the Apollo Theater in the Harlem.
The Apollo Theater

Jackson's appearance with his brothers at the famed Harlem theater in 1976 is credited with launching the Jackson 5's career, and the Apollo has taken the East Coast lead in remembering Jackson's life. Thousands of fans have signed a remembrance wall that has had to be replaced three times to allow more signatures.

A mass crowd gathered at Michael Jackson's Hollywood Star.
Jackson's Hollywood Star

The iconic star in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard is attracting its share of mourners after being temporarily covered by scaffolding in preparation for the BrĂ¼no premiere. Be sure to visit the singer's star, as opposed to that of the KABC radio personality by the same name.

Michael Jackson with his pet chimp Bubbles.
Center for Great Apes

This 100-acre primate sanctuary in south-central Florida is closed to the public, but it houses some of the biggest names in the chimp entertainment world. None is more famous than Jackson's former sidekick Bubbles, who has lived at the center since 2005. Bubbles does not comprehend the death of his friend, so he will spend July 7, 2009, doing his usual routine, eating a vegetable lunch and perhaps lying in the sun.

A young girl looks over flowers and messages at the Lyric theatre in London, that is showing 'Thriller', a play about the 'King of Pop' in Britain.
Lyric Theatre, London

Besides the O2 Arena (site of Jackson's ill-fated 50-date concert tour) and Trafalgar Square, British fans have centered their Jackson devotion on this Shaftesbury Avenue theater, which happened to be staging a Michael Jackson tribute show called "Thriller Live" when the singer died. It's now the only Jackson show in town.

The website 'imissyoumj.com'
imissyoumj.com

Multiple media outlets from CNN to CBS News will be streaming the Staples Center memorial online. Still hankering for a more permanent way to be part of history? For $25, you can upload a picture of yourself on ImissyouMJ.com to help create a mosaic memorial that will comprise more than 10,000 photos, forming the image of the white glove.

Ondrell Jackson, 40, of Denver, takes a picture of a guitar sculpture of Michael Jackson at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland on June 26, 2009
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame

Jackson was twice inducted into Cleveland's hallowed halls, once as a member of the Jackson 5 and once as the King of Pop. The iconic red jacket he wore in the "Thriller" video is displayed in the "Legends of Rock" exhibit, while the Jackson memorial wall includes artifacts like his famous black penny loafers. The hall will hold a candlelight vigil in his memory the evening of July 7, 2009.

(source:-cnn)

Inside Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
The Main House

The centerpiece of the property is a 13,000 sq. ft. house in French country style.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
Foyer

The owner of the property is real estate firm Colony Capital LLC. It bought Neverland Ranch in a joint venture with Jackson in 2008, when his finances collapsed.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
Kitchen

The house and grounds are maintained by a small staff.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
Master Bedroom

Much of the interior has not been updated since Jackson bought the house in the 1980s. Since he left, some portions have fallen into disrepair.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
Master Bath

The bathtub affords a commanding view of the grounds.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
The Secret Room

Three deadbolts secure a door to a room where Jackson stored valuable items. This photograph was taken from inside the room, which was accessed through a cedar-lined walk-in closet.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
The Train Station

The property boasts two railroads.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
The Train Station Interior

A spiral staircase leads to a loft that overlooks the station.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
The Wine Cellar

This room is located underneath the pool house.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
Upstairs Room

A room inside the main house is lined with shelves and a wall mural.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
The Grounds

The ranch occupies 2,700 acres and features numerous fountains.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
DĂ©cor

Very little of Jackson's presence remains at Neverland, save perhaps for pieces like this one. In anticipation of the media's attention, the house staff restored 40 of the statues of children at play that once adorned the grounds.

(source:-cnn)

Michael Jackson's Last speech in March'09

Michael Jackson (Pic:Getty)

'I love you so much. Thank you all. This is it.

I just want to say that these will be my final shows, performances in London.

This will be it, this is it and when I say this is it I really mean this is it because...I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear.

I love you so much, really, from the bottom of my heart.

This is it and see you in July.'

(source:-mirror.co.uk)

Michael Jackson Memorial To Be Worldwide Television Event

Talk about event television: The mega-blowout to celebrate Michael Jackson's life and music is expected to draw some of the biggest daytime audiences stateside in decades and through-the-roof ratings in Europe, where the show will air live in primetime.

Whatever the questions surrounding the pop star's life (and death), Tuesday morning's memorial at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles is expected to draw especially high numbers among the younger demos, though it probably won't catapult into the pop pantheon of Charles and Diana's wedding almost 30 years ago or the global jukebox Live Aid concert of 1985.

The royal nuptials purportedly drew a colossal 750 million viewers to their TV sets; Live Aid attracted about 400 million.

As for more recent comparisons, the numbers could be in the same ballpark as the viewership for the inauguration of Barack Obama, which also unspooled in morning hours on multiple networks and attracted about 40 million U.S. viewers.

In Europe, the small-screen ratings performance should be particularly powerful.


"It's perfectly timed for us," BSkyB executive producer Tim Gallagher said. "We'll be beaming back a pre- and post-memorial analysis show as well as the main attraction, and we'll be airing across Europe as well as in the U.K. in high definition."

Britain's BBC, Germany's RTL, France's TF1, Australia's Nine and Japan's NHK will also field teams covering the memorial. Jackson was at least as popular abroad as he was in the U.S.

In Brazil, too, the coverage of the Jackson saga has been wall-to-wall, with lead broadcaster Globo reporting blockbuster ratings and planning blanket coverage Tuesday.

Fans and media from around the world have flown in to LAX to swell the local contingent likely to converge on the arena this morning, roadblocks be damned. Already on Monday afternoon there was a long line of fans waiting to sign the huge posters of the singer in the cordoned-off area around Staples.

"This is the kind of event on TV that just about everyone will tune in for, at least for a part of it, in order to be a part of it," one producer already positioned at Staples told THR. He said his company's preparations were similar to those made for a big soccer match or big awards show.

However, organizers have told broadcasters down at Staples that there will be no VIP red carpet line and that dignitaries and celebs will be spirited in and out of the building with no chance for interviews.

ABC has apparently commandeered the entire balcony of the Nokia Theatre adjacent to Staples for its coverage, while positions on special high-risers near the arena's entrance were reportedly going for $10,000 a pop to assorted well-heeled broadcasters.

Among the stars signed on to entertain those inside are Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Kobe Bryant, Smokey Robinson, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Richie, Usher and John Mayer.

Spontaneous street parties are likely to pop up among the estimated 500,000 or so outside who also want to celebrate the life of the pop star.

Most of the major broadcast networks will cover the memorial live, as will the cable news nets and MTV, VH1, BET and TV One. The news networks will stream live coverage online, as will Hulu.

E! plans to cover the service and devote a full day of programming to Jackson. MTV will rebrand the channel "Michael Jackson Television" on Aug. 1, the cable network's 28th birthday.

But it's not just music lovers who will be glued to their screens watching the tributes to Jackson: Money lenders too will be assessing the level of fan fervor for signs of just how lucrative the pop star's estate is and just how widely his image, and his assets, can be exploited.

Almost certainly, revenue from memorabilia and what-not will be healthy enough to offset a half-billion dollars in known debts -- and then some. How much that sum eventually becomes can only be guessed at, but with scalped tickets to the memorial going for $5,000 on eBay and Craigslist, a sketch by Jackson of Mickey Mouse fetching $200,000, downloads of songs dominating the Internet sites and reissues and unreleased recordings all ripe for plucking, it's expected to be humongous.

And, like the Elvis, Marilyn or even Lucille Ball industries, it will go on for decades.

Not that the whole circus surrounding the King of Pop is new to Wall Street: A number of financial firms ponied up millions over the past two decades to help bankroll the singer's lavish lifestyle or kick-start his troubled career.

Now, the Street is in line with other creditors and business partners awaiting word on the state of Jackson's murky financial empire. Colony Capital, Fortress Investments and Barclays Bank poured tens of millions into the singer's coffers, the likes of which was spent on everything from paintings of cherubs by 19th century French artist Adolphe Bouguereau to costumes for Bubbles the chimpanzee.

The cash allowed Jackson, who went on buying binges at malls from Vegas to Dubai, to maintain an over-the-top lifestyle. (Colony, for example, bailed Jackson out of debt a few years ago by taking a majority stake in the Neverland range, and it helped fund the 50-date concert tour that Jackson was rehearsing for when he died June 25.)

"There's always been a nexus between the worlds of celebrity and finance, and it's only grown in recent years," Ian Peck, president of Art Capital Group, told the AP. His firm specializes in making loans to celebrities and rich clients who put up artwork as collateral.

Jackson's lenders seemed to get a kick out of having a big celebrity as a client despite his checkered finances and 2005 child molestation trial, Peck said. The pop star also benefited from the same credit boom that ensnared ordinary Americans and led to the financial meltdown.

"Today, I don't think he'd be able to obtain the same kinds of loans," Peck said.

James Hibberd and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
(source:-billboard.com)

911 Caller: Jackson "Not Breathing"




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

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

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

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

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

The operator asked if anyone witnessed what happened.

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

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

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

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

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

(source:-cbsnews.com)









JACKSON
5




Jackson Family Not Doing Well Financially

Jackson Five 1

TMZ is reporting Michael Jackson isn’t the only member of the family with money issues. Most of the Jackson Five are holding down the odd job in order to make ends meet.

It seems only the women in the Jackson family are doing well, Janet is the chief earner of the family and just brought her mother a home. LaToya is living with a wealthy business man and earns a living in Europe making public appearance, and Rebbe,who stayed out of the limelight is married to a successful businessman.

The men, on the other hand, aren’t doing as well. Quoted from TMZ:

    • Michael is on the verge of losing Neverland ranch as well as the family’s Encino, Calif., home. He is currently hiding out in Las Vegas.
    • Marlon stocks shelves at a Vons supermarket in San Diego, and had to temporarily move into an extended-stay hotel with his wife.
    • Tito formed a band and plays at small gigs for $500 to $1,500.
    • Randy does odd jobs for income. He acted as Michael’s business manager during the 2005 molestation trial, but ran into problems with friends after he persuaded three people to take out lines of credits against their homes to help Michael pay his attorney fees and Michael stiffed them!
    • Jackie had a failed Internet clothing business and tries to produce. He still lives at home with his parents.
    • Jermaine splits time between the parents home and his girlfriend’s home. He has more than $5 million in federal, state and other liens against him and a 1995 bankruptcy filing. He does not work and is still involved in a messy, protracted divorce.

What the eff is wrong with these people? Who advised them? I never get how folks can earn millions and millions of dollars and piss it all away.

And really, a bunch of 40 or 50 year olds living with their mom is truly pathetic.


(source:- glamorati.com)

RECAPITULATE JACKSON FAMILY






(source:-thetimes.co.za)

Michael Jackson - the plastic surgery

Michael Jackson died this week. The public will never forget his great songs and performances. They will also remember him as an odd fellow who changed dramatically over the years.

First he had rhinoplasty. Then his lips became thinner. Next, his skin lightened, along with his chin changing shape. His nose kept changing shape and eventually cartilage from his ear had to be used to reconstruct its shape.

Over time, it was obvious that Michael was suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder and was becoming more of a recluse due to prescription drug addiction. He stopped appearing at events like the Grammys, socializing with other celebrities, and isolated himself at his Neverland Ranch, where his enablers kept him medicated as they fed off his dwindling riches.Notice that cartilage was taken from Michael’s ear!

Michael Jackson had at least 20 different plastic surgeries according to one doctor who surmises that Jackson altered himself to ‘escape his sad childhood’. Among his surgeries were

  • eye reshaping
  • brow lift
  • 6 rhinoplasty operations
  • cheek implants
  • cheek fat removal
  • lips thin
  • jaw implants
  • multiple facelifts


JANET JACKSON WORDS



Portrait of Jackson's pill consumption emerges

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Singer Michael Jackson took more than 10 Xanax pills a night, asking his employees to get the prescription medicine under their names and also personally traveling to doctors' offices in other states to obtain them, said a confidential document from 2004 that CNN obtained Thursday.
Los Angeles detectives are waiting on the coroner's report on the death of Michael Jackson.

Los Angeles detectives are waiting on the coroner's report on the death of Michael Jackson.

The document from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department contains confidential interviews conducted with two of Jackson's former security guards as officials prepared for Jackson's child molestation trial in 2005.

The singer was acquitted after the 14-week trial. But the information about the pills, and the lengths Jackson went to get them, adds to a growing mountain of claims tying the insomniac singer to drugs in recent days.

According to the drug's Web site, Xanax is for the treatment of panic disorder.

Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton said Thursday detectives have spoken to a number of doctors who have treated Jackson over the years, and are looking into the singer's prescription drug history.

Doctors who did not cooperate with investigators were issued subpoenas, a source told CNN Thursday. If needed, authorities will issue more, the source said.

Jackson died on June 25. Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports from the coroner's office to determine the exact cause of death.

"And based on those, we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing (with): are we dealing with a homicide or are we dealing with an accidental overdose?" Bratton said.

The speculation that prescription drugs, particularly sedatives, could have played a role in Jackson's death keeps coming up with each new nugget of information -- and there have been many.

The Jackson family knows that the probe into his death can turn into a criminal case, a source close to the family told CNN on Thursday.

"The family is aware of a potential criminal prosecution," said the source, who did not want to be identified.

The amount of Xanax that Jackson allegedly took surprised CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta.

In addiction cases, people develop a tolerance to drugs and have to take more and more pills, Gupta said.

"No matter how you cut it, this is an extremely high dosage of Xanax," Gupta said. "It is a huge red flag, even with the tolerance that I was talking about. This dosage is exceedingly high for any human being."

Jackson's attempt to battle sleep disorder

The 2004 document details a dark picture of Jackson's attempts to battle his sleeping disorder.

One security guard that sheriff's deputies interviewed said he expressed his concern about Jackson's use of 10-plus pills a night to another staffer.

The second staffer replied: "Jackson was doing better because he was down from 30 to 40 Xanax pills a night," according to the document.

One of the guards said he and three other employees would get prescriptions for Jackson under their names.

The second guard backed up the claim, saying he had picked up medicines for the singer that were in other people's names.

The document contains the names of five doctors -- some in California, some in New York and Florida. It was not immediately clear whether police have spoken to them as part of their investigation into Jackson's death.

After the doctor visits, Jackson would be "out of it and sedated," one guard said.

According to the sheriff's office document, the guard who provided the bulk of the information quit his job after Jackson "fell on his face" in a hotel room and hurt himself. The employee told Jackson he was not comfortable getting prescriptions for him and left, he later told investigators.

Years later in 2006, Jackson was in Las Vegas, Nevada, trying to jump-start his career. Deal-maker Jack Wishna, who was helping the singer land a long-running show in Vegas, told CNN the singer would appear "drugged up" and "incoherent" -- often so weak and emaciated he had to use a wheelchair to get around.

The comeback shows were canceled because of Jackson's condition, Wishna said.

Around that time, sister Janet Jackson was so worried about Jackson that she tried to stage an intervention with assistance from her other brothers, two sources close to the Jackson family told CNN Wednesday.

Jackson reportedly ordered his security guards not to let the family members in. He also refused to take calls from his mother, Katherine, CNN has learned.

At the time, the Jackson family released a statement to People magazine denying the alleged intervention. But Janet Jackson was not among the signatories.

Along with the police investigation, which is being aided by the state attorney general's office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Los Angeles County coroner's office has also drawn up a list of Jackson's doctors and is trying to talk to them to determine what drugs they may have prescribed him.

Among them are Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's dermatologist, and Dr. Conrad Murray, his cardiologist.

Klein told CNN Wednesday that Jackson was addicted to drugs at one point but had kicked the habit.

Murray, who has been interviewed by police, has repeatedly said he will withhold comment until the coroner's tests are back.

Among others who have indicated that Jackson may have been using dangerous prescription medication are a nutritionist, Cherilyn Lee, who said Jackson pleaded for Diprivan despite being told of its harmful effects.

Sources close to Jackson told CNN that the insomniac singer traveled with an anesthesiologist who would "take him down" at night and "bring him back up" during a world tour in the mid-90s.

Another source involved with the probe told CNN that investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in the singer's $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills.

The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed sources, said police found Diprivan.

Diprivan is a powerful sedative that is administered intravenously and is known by its generic name Propofol.

(source:-cnn.com)