Today in MJJ HIStory

1987 - Michael attends the 4th American Cinema Awards ceremony with Sophia Loren & Sylvester Stallone held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Ca.

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1988 - World-conscious single, “Man In The Mirror” (written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard), is released, and is the fourth consecutive #1 single off album BAD. It was recorded with The Andre Crouch Choir. The song is described as Jackson going “a step further" and offering "a straightforward homily of personal commitment”, which can be seen in the lyrics:
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“I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.”
The videoclip features shots of starving children, homeless people, intermixed with shots of individuals that have made contributions towards helping them: Bob Geldoff, organizer of Band Aid and Live AID for the relief of famine victims, Willie Nelson, organizer of Farm Aid benefiting farmers, shots of Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Bishop Desmond Tutu, President Reagan with Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachov. Other notable people appearing include Raúl Alfonsín, Lech Wałęsa, Anwar El Sadat, Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter, Rosa Parks, Pieter Willem Botha, and Adolf Hitler. Tragic events such as the Iranian hostage crisis, John Fitzegerald and Robert Kennedy’s assassinations, King’s, John Lennon’s are combined with a more joyful occurrence, the rescue of Jessica McClure from a well in Midland, Texas. Jackson is featured in only a brief shot, raising his arms giving the peace sign, surrounded by a crowd of children while on tour in Japan. “Man In The Mirror” peaks at #1 in the United States soon afterwards. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs, topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts for two weeks. The song reaches the #8 in the UK Singles Charts in 1988, but in 2009, following the news of his passing, the song will peak at #2.

1992 - The Rolling Stone magazine featured Michael on the cover story Michael Jackson; the making of 'king of pop'

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1997 - Michael arrives at Heathrow Airport in London, UK

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2001 - It is confirmed that Michael will address The Oxford Union together with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the man who's shaken the Jewish establishment on both sides of the Atlantic.

It is at this event that the duo will announce the official launch of their new foundation, "Heal The Kids". The event is scheduled for March 06, 2001.

2008 - Michael Jackson Is Negotiating Concerts in London's O2 Arena

Michael Jackson plans to present himself for a month in London, possibly earning a fee of $ 30 million, reports the tabloid. The singer would do a little tour of 30 dates at the O2 Arena located in the British capital this year. A source tells British newspaper News Of The World, "Michael will be back soon soon. He is working hard in the studio. He's still a pop legend and wants us to remember him for his music, not their problems".

Raymone Bain responded to the rumors saying that there are negotiations, but no dates and nothing concrete yet. If confirmed, will assume the information given last December by a close friend of Jackson, when she said the star had exciting projects for Europe in 2008.

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Today in MJJ HIStory

1997 - Michael ended the first leg of his "HIStory" tour in Honolulu, Hawaii. The two concerts held on January 3 and 4 at the 35'000-seat Aloha Stadium made history - no other musical act ever sold out the stadium, and Michael sold out 2 shows in less than 24 hours, a record time. It's his first U.S. tour stop since 1989. Hawaii promoter Tom Moffatt said: "I've never seen anything like it... there's been nothing even close to this - The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Julio Iglesias, The Eagles... ."

2000 - MTV Asia celebrated the end of the Millennium in a big way by selecting and airing the Top 2000 music videos and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was chosen as the # 1 Video by MTV Asia. MTV Asia aired all 2000 videos on their "Top 2000 Playlist" countdown with Michael leading at the number one position!

2005 - On behalf of his family and himself, Michael Jackson releases a statement on his website concerning the 9.1 Mw undersea megathrust earthquake and tsunami disaster which occurred on December 26, 2004, affecting Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Maldives and killing over 230,000 people from fourteen countries. "My family and I would like to send our prayers and heartfelt sympathy to the families, friends and loved ones of those who recently perished from the horrific earthquake and tsunami, which swept through Indonesia, Asia, India, Somalia and other countries”, Jackson declares. "Our love is also being sent to those who have miraculously survived this tragedy and to those who are so courageously on-site, helping to spearhead the relief efforts. We pray for your strength, your safety and the success of your life-saving missions of love. Words cannot adequately express the shock, horror and grief we've felt, while watching news reports which have captured the massive devastation and despair. It has been especially painful for me, as I have visited these areas many times and I remember the love, kindness and warmth of the people I met there”, he also declares. I would like to encourage all of my friends, and fans, to contribute to agencies and organizations assisting in these efforts. In times like these, we need each other... we must bond together in spirit and in service. God Bless. Sincerely, Michael Jackson".

Filed under  //   1997   2000   2005  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1970 - The Jackson 5 perform a concert at the Mobile Municipal Auditorium in Mobile, Alabama, which closed out the Holiday Tour. Tickets were priced at $4.00, $5.00, and $6.00.

1972 - Michael Jackson's first solo single "Got to Be There" was released in UK following its successful tenure in US (released: October 7, 1971). The single, written by Elliot Willensky and produced by longtime Jackson 5 producer Hal Davis, was an immediate success. It reached #5 position in the UK Singles Chart, where it landed #4 on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts and #1 on the Cashbox singles chart.

1997 - As part of his HIStory world tour, Michael Jackson performed at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, US attending 35,000 fans. It was Michael's first U.S. performance since the BAD world tour of 1989.

2001 - News broke that Michael will attend a debate at New York City's Carnegie Hall on Valentines Day '01 - benefiting his newly founded charity "Heal The Kids" - what a great start into the new year for Michael Jackson fans!!

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Today in MJJ HIStory

1970 - The Jackson 5 perform a concert in Miami Beach, Florida during the winter tour

1972 - Jackson 5 in concert in Greenville, South Carolina

1988 - A U.K. TV compilation, "Love Songs," hit #15 in the U.K. The work was credited to Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.

Michael Jackson and Bono shared first place in an American poll of "The Most Beautiful Lips"

1989 - Leave Me Alone, the 7th video from BAD premiered on MTV.

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The music video for Leave Me Alone, was directed by Jim Blashfield and Paul Diener and also featured in the 1988 film Moonwalker. Leave Me Alone, a unique blend of live action and animation, combined a small animated carnival setting with Michael cruising around in a small plane. With the use of special effects and humor, Michael confronts the press and the ridiculous stories that has been printed about him.

The amusement park in the video, consists of stylistically crude images based around Jackson's successful career since 1982's Thriller, with emphasis on the tabloid view of Jackson's personal life and public image, referring to the nickname "Wacko Jacko" given to him by the press, and the various headlines associated with him in the 1980s. Lampooning rumours that he tried to purchase Joseph Merrick's bones, Jackson dances with stop motion "Elephant Man" bones in the video. This particular segment (without the image of the bones) was used for the single's cover art, and the boneless video segment was featured in Moonwalker trailer.

In the video, there are images of shrines to actress Elizabeth Taylor, a real life close friend of Jackson. Throughout the video newspaper headlines, published by "National Intruder", with bizarre titles are shown, such as "Michael's Space-Age Diet" and "Michael Proposes to Liz". Another notable scene in the music video was a nose being chased by a surgical scalpel, which was reference to Jackson's plastic surgery being criticized by the media. At the end of the video, it is revealed that a gigantic Jackson himself is the amusement park. He breaks free, tearing the park to pieces. That scene is a somewhat reminiscent of Gulliver's Travels, where Gulliver eventually breaks free from the Lilliputians' grasp from Lilliput.

Leave Me Alone was the recipient of multiple nominations for its music video. The video won a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Short Form Music Video at the 32nd Grammy Awards. The video also received 6 nominations at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, Viewers' Choice, Breakthrough Video, Best Editing and Best Art Direction; the video won Best Special Effects.

1997 - Michael arrives in Hawaii where he is welcomed by 150 local dancers + 200 fans. He soons joins Joe & Katherine who came especially for him.

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Michael is greeted with what the local people there call "The Aloha Spirit", at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, where he stayed for four nights. witnessing hula dancers, smiling, watching village guards, children performers speaking, including father Joe Jackson and publicist, Bob Jones.

"His plane came in for he and his immediate party then there was a plane just for his crew, then there were two -- those he Russian cargo planes, biggest planes in the world. Carrying his equipment" said Concert Promoter Tom Moffatt.

"He brought in a tank.... an army tank that came on stage that was part of the show (laugh)"

Jackson spent most of his time in his hotel suite on the 14th floor, *Alii* tower suite 1402. Fans camped out underneath his room day and night.

Wherever Jackson went while in the islands he created frenzy, with the crowds being star-struck. "He came out on the lanai and waved," Lani Bjork is the head of hotel security said. "You could hear that wave of 'Michael! Michael!' throughout the evening."

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More than 60,000 people packed into Aloha Stadium those two nights with long lines of fans standing in the rain to see one of the best shows ever staged in the islands.
Wherever Jackson went while in the islands he created frenzy, with the crowds being star-struck.

2004 - CBS aired the special "Michael Jackson Number Ones" featuring many young artists speaking about Michael's influence.

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Today in MJJ HIStory

1978 - The Jacksons released their third album on the Epic label, DESTINY, on December 17, 1978. Having parted ways with the Gamble & Huff production team (1977’s Goin’ Places was a poor seller), Michael and his brothers had more creative control than ever.

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Destiny album eventually peaked at #11 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and #3 on the Billboard Black Albums chart and went on to platinum status cementing it as the first RIAA-certified platinum seller by the Jacksons as most of their Motown recordings were uncertifiable despite their huge success on the charts, and over 2 million copies worldwide.

A party was held to celebrate the album's success and to present the group with a platinum copy of Destiny. Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley declared "Jacksons Day" and a celebration was held in a bank vault specially equipped with a dance floor at the City National Bank of Beverly Hills, Michael's date for the occasion was Tatum O'Neal, his first real love, as Michael says, "after Diana."

All of the songs on Destiny, with the exception of one, was written by the Jacksons, or by Michael and Randy. Michael and Randy wrote together most often because they were the only two brothers still living at home. The only song on the album that was not written by the Jacksons was the first single, "Blame It On The Boogie", which was co-written by Michael Jackson. This Michael Jackson however, is white and from England. Despite its catchy disco beat and lyrics, "Blame It On The Boogie" reached only a disappointing #54 on the pop singles chart. The single did however, reach #3 on the black singles chart.

The most successful single from Destiny was the 2nd release, "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground", co-written by Michael and Randy, became a signature tune of the disco age. This infectious dance tune peaked at #7 on the pop singles chart and #3 on the black singles chart. Michael, in a rare interview for a radio program, recalled writing the song with Randy. "Randy was going around the house humming a tune and I liked it. I asked him what it was and he said, 'It's nothing.' I said, 'No, it's something.'" Michael went on to write the melody and lyrics for "Shake Tour Body". "I don't know where it came from. God, I say."

"Through the ages, the peacock has been honoured and praised for its attractive, illustrious beauty. In all the bird family, the peacock is the only species that integrates all colours into one, and displays this radiance of fire only when in love. We like the peacock, try to integrate all races into one, through the love and power of music." [from dedication also included on "Triumph" written by Michael and Jackie Jackson for Peacock Productions]

1988 - Michael perform 4th of 9 dates at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo during the Japanese leg of Bad tour.

1992 - Michael perform 3rd of 8 dates at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo during the Japanese leg of Dangerous tour attending 45,000 fans.

1996 - Michael perform HIStory concert at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo dattending 45,000 fans.

1997 - Michael visits british boxer Prince Naseem at a gymnasium in New York. While in New York, he meets Puff Daddy to speak of a possible collaboration together.

Filed under  //   1978   1988   1992   1996   1997  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1974 - The Jackson 5ive perform a concert in Las Vegas, Nevada during the quintet's first World Tour.

1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Savannah, Georgia

1996 - Michael performs a concert at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia attending 110,000 fans.

1997 - Michael once again come to (South) Korea for an unofficial private visit, where he tours the Jeju Island.


Upon viewing the island, he exclaims: “If I can, I would really want to live in this paradise place in the world.” “If the island was given to me”, he jokes, “I would make my performances here. It would be great if I can buy the whole island, I want here to be my holiday resort.” The second time that the entertainer will arrive in South Korea will be in 1999 for his ‘Michael Jackson and Friends’ special benefit concert. Through a SBS TV live broadcast that year, he will state that “If ever North and South Korea reunify, I will come back to South Korea on that day and put up a memorable performance.”

2009 - Michael Jackson won four American Music Awards. The awards were for:
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist
Favorite Pop/Rock Album - Number Ones
Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist
Favorite Soul/R&B Album - Number Ones
The 2009 Awards took place at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Jermaine Jackson accepted the awards on behalf of Michael.


2010
- Michael Jackson's "Vision" was released.

Michael Jackson's Vision available in a limited edition deluxe DVD box set featured 4.5 hours of content across three DVDs with more than 40 music videos which recognises Jackson's pioneering short films that transformed the entertainment industry with timeless, pop culture classics, including ten music videos previously unavailable on DVD and never-before-released "One More Chance".
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Today in MJJ HIStory

1972 - Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 perform a concert at an NAACP fund-raising dinner at Hollywood, Palladium, California, at the 6th annual Black Image Awards. The Jackson 5 won the NAACP Image Award for Best Singing Group.

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1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Houston, Texas

1984 - The Jacksons perform Victory tour at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada attending 42,000.

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Michael Jackson is made an honorary member of the New Westminster Police Department during his hush-hush visit to New Westminster while in British Columbia, Canada. Appointed PC 49, he swears as a police constable to "serve the Queen and cause the peace to be kept and preserved".

The King of Pop received Badge 49 during his visit to the Royal City.

"He was very quiet. He was very soft-spoken. He almost seemed introverted," said retired police officer Ken McIntosh, who attended the gathering at city hall. "By that time he was a big star."

Jackson's visit was arranged by former police chief Jack Fordham, who was an inspector for the department at that time. He learned Jackson was a big soccer fan and contacted Jackson's publicists to let them know the police department ran a soccer school.

Prior to Jackson's visit to city hall, a couple of New Westminster police cars were deployed to Jackson's Vancouver hotel. They escorted the Dodge van he and his companions were riding in back to New Westminster.

"You wouldn't have known he was here," said Det. Const. Mike Macfarlane, one of the officers in attendance. "That was one of the prerequisites."

At New Westminster City Hall, Jackson appeared on the front stairs of city hall with a group of local police officers for a photo opportunity.

"It was amazing for Michael Jackson to be there, We didn't know he'd want us to go up and down the stairs." McIntosh said.

Jackson, who provided the police officers with sunglasses, requested that he film himself walking up and down the stairs of city hall with the officers. It's unknown whether Jackson ever used the video footage shot that day.

The visit and filming took place on a Sunday, so city hall was closed. The activity caught the attention of some people passing by on Royal Avenue and people in the rooftop restaurant or bar that was located in the Royal Towers Hotel at the time.

While police officers sometimes run into celebrities when doing movie callouts, Macfarlane said they rarely encounter people of Jackson's star power and have a chance to work alongside them. At the end the visit, Jackson shook each officer's hand.

"I am not a big Michael Jackson fan. At that time you couldn't help ... but be somewhat awed, Here he was in New Westminster." Macfarlane said.
While the visit had been arranged ahead of time, Macfarlane recalls it coming together at the last moment to prevent any leaks. CKNW reporter George Garrett, respected by Lower Mainland police forces, was tipped off about the visit and provided the photos featured in The Record.
"He gave us a (soccer) ball that was signed, It used to be in the old (police) building." Macfarlane recalled.

At that time, Jackson was in Vancouver for the Victory tour, with his brothers. It came two years after his blockbuster album Thriller.
Mayor Wayne Wright said Jackson signed the City of New Westminster's guest book.
"I think it's obviously very interesting because of the nature of the day, When he came here, he was a star."

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The front page of the Nov. 21, 1985 issue of the Royal City Record featured an article about the results of the municipal election (Tom Baker was re-elected mayor) and Jackson's surprise visit to New Westminster.

Getting the star treatment, Jackson received a full police uniform sewn by Gastaldo Tailors, soccer jerseys featuring silkscreening by MVP Athletic, an engraved plaque done by the Click Shop, a police badge, assorted police-related caps and a police identification card.

"After it happened, people were freaking out, They couldn't believe it happened. A lot of people thought it was really cool." Although McIntosh wasn't a fan of the pop star, he enjoyed the experience. "Historically, now, it is kind of significant, My kids got to see him up close. He was quite the entertainer. I found him to be very humble. He wasn't a demanding, look-at-me person," he recalled. "He almost seemed overwhelmed by the fuss. He did not seem to be arrogant."

McIntosh said all of the participating police officers were issued a set of sunglasses.
He has donated his sunglasses, a photograph taken that day of officers and Jackson and a copy of the book Moonwalk to the New Westminster Museum and Archives. A photograph of New Westminster police officers with Jackson is included in the book.

1987 - Michael visits the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, Australia.

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Natasha Lang, mother of a child committed in the hospital at the time, offers her account of his visit there years later: "... I will never forget that day as long as I live, when Michael came to the hospital with an abundance of stuffed animal toys, so generously given, to all the children in the children’s ward. He went around the ward and visited each child personally and quietly spoke words of comfort to them and I will never forget the delight of these children, the medical staff and the parents who visited on that day. My son now is a grown man and I wish to share this photograph with the whole world because it shows Michael’s selfless and generous nature. My son, unfortunately, lost his eye in a school accident that week and, as you can imagine, it was a real tragedy for the whole family, but that day he gave us all some joy, great pleasure and an abundance of happiness."

1991 - Michael and Brooke Shields go out for dinner at The Inn Of The Seventh Ray Restaurant, Malibu, Ca

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1997 - Michael Jackson quietly arrives in Seoul, South Korea to discuss investment in troubled underwear maker, Ssangbangwool Ltd's Ski Resort. “Michael Jackson has come to Korea to discuss the possibility of investing in Muju Resort,” says a company spokesman. The spokesman adds that Ssangbangwool has planned to expand the resort complex to include a theme park, but says the plans had been put on hold when the company faced financial troubles.

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2003 - The Michael Jackson album Number Ones was released. The album contained 18 songs including the song "One More Chance."

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Number Ones, the greatest hits album included Jackson singles that reportedly reached #1 in charts around the world.

Number Ones reached #1 in the UK and #13 in the United States. It proved to be an enduring catalog seller, eventually returning to the top spot in the UK and US charts in 2009. It stayed as the #1 selling album in the United States for 6 weeks and for 27 week on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart.

At the 2009 American Music Awards, Number Ones claimed two awards - Favorite Rock/Pop Album and Favorite Soul/Rhythm and Blues Album.

Overall, the album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide, with 4,138,600 of those being sold in the U.S.


After a search warrant was served at Neverland Ranch Michael made the following statement:
"I've seen lawyers who don't represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me. These characters always seem to surface with dreadful allegations just as another project, an album, a video is being released".

Filed under  //   1972   1984   1987   1991   1997   2003  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1970 - The Jackson 5 perform at New York City, NY on their first national tour.

1981 - While at the Studio 55 in Los Angeles, Michael sings backing vocals on the song Don’t Let A Woman Make A Fool Out Of You by Joe Carrasco.

1993 - Manchete magazine [Brazil] featured Michael on the cover.


1995 - Minister Louis Farrakhan reveals, for the first time, during a public lecture in Chicago, July 26, 2009, that the entertainer quietly donated 100,000 dollars to the historic ‘Million Man March’ from October 16, 1995. ‘The Million Man March’ was a gathering of social activists, en masse, held in Washington, D.C.. Under the leadership of Nation of Islam head, Louis Farrakhan, African American men from across the United States converged on Washington in an effort to “convey to the world a vastly different picture of the Black male” and to unite in self-help and self-defense against economic and social ills plaguing the African American minority/community

1997 - Michael Leaves Africa and Return to Neverland with OMer Bhatti.

2001 - Michael shoots a scene for the movie Men In Black 2 directed by Barry Sonnefield where he plays Agent M.

'We shot a small scene with Michael on Tuesday,’ said the film’s director, Barry Sonnenfeld. ‘He was charming, funny, and really cool to work with.’ Michael’s small cameo - just a few seconds long – took around five hours to shoot.

Michael had a lot of questions about his role, according to Sonnenfeld. He wanted to know everything about the special effects background of his scene. Sonnenfeld told him that there would be icebergs, but Michael wanted to know much more details:

"He said, 'Can I see the icebergs?'
'No we don't have the photos yet.'
'Is there anything else behind me?'
'Penguins.' I'm making this up! I don't know if there are going to be penguins," Sonnenfeld said.
"'Can I see the penguins?'
'No I don't have the pictures of the penguins yet.'
'Are they king penguins?'
'Yes.'
And then I said, 'You know, I gotta go.'"
Michael dressed in MIB trademark attire; consulting MIB chief Zed via monitor, tries to persuade Chief Zed to make him Agent M!
A big fan of sci-fi, Michael is sought out director Barry Sonnenfeld & requested a cameo to be briefly featured in the MIIB as a rogue alien.

Michael Jackson cameo as Undercover alien intelligence officer Agent M

Agent M: Zed, the Drolecks are gone and the treaty is signed.
Zed: Good work!
Agent M: Zed, what about that position you promised me in Men In Black?
Zed: Still working on the Alien Affirmative Action Program. I'll keep you posted.
Agent M: Wait a minute! That's not what you promised me!
Zed: You're breaking up, can't hear you.
Agent M: Zed! Hello? Zed?
Zed: I'll call you back...
[starts walking away]
Agent M: I could be Agent M!

Will Smith explained in an interview that seeing Michael, dressed in MIB trademenk attire and consulting MIB chief Zed via monitor, is a credit to Michael's sense of humor:
"You know, when he comes on the screen, people are really happy. It's as if Michael is saying to the world,
'OK, all right. I'm human just like everyone else. I appreciate a good joke just like everyone else does,'
But the thing that I loved so much is he kept wanting to play it serious. You know, he was, like,
'You know, I'm a Man In Black, I just want it to be really serious.'
‘I think people are going to be really shocked and really surprised,’ predicted Smith, ‘and enjoy seeing Michael in this film and in this light.’
The movie Men In Black 2 was premiered in early July. Director Barry Sonnenfeld scored a big hit in convincing Michael Jackson to appear in Men in Black II as an alien. Michael's small cameo appearance as an undercover alien intelligence officer 'Agent M' receives one of the biggest laughs! Both critics and the public praised Michael's performance & his sense of humor:)

The sci-fi action comedy starring Will Smith as Agent Jay & Tommy Lee Jones, sees the government agents team up again to tackle an alien which disguises itself in the body of a model, played by Flynn Boyle. MIIB do well at the box office in the US, charted at #1 in it's opening weekend with a revenue of $52.2m.

2005 - Michael & Grace take Prince, Paris & Blanket to see the movie Wallace & Grommit.

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Today in MJJ HIStory

1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Saginaw[US].

1989 - Hey magazine[Turkey] featured Michael on their cover with the story: Michael Jackson Moonwalker Firtinasi [Moonwalker Storm].

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1993 - Michael performs Dangerous concert at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil attending 80,000.


1997 - Michael's "HIStory" World Tour concluded with a sold-out concert at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa attending 60,000, which is the 82nd concert of the History World Tour.

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The "HIStory" tour broke all existing records - Michael Jackson's "HIStory" World Tour is the biggest world tour any solo performer had ever done!!! The tour also broke the legendary record set by the Rolling Stones with their "Voodoo Lounge" World Tour!

The "HIStory" tour spanned the globe with stops in 56 cities on 5 continents, and included 82 concerts to about 4.5 million loving fans.

With this, Michael broke his previous record which he set with the "Dangerous" World Tour. Michael toured with the widest stage anyone had ever toured with, and the mega show featured special effects by magicians David Copperfield and Siegfried and Roy.

During the SECOND leg of the "HIStory" tour, began in Bremen, Germany on 31st of May, Michael performed 40 shows, grossed over US$ 83.5 million and had a total attendance of 2,035,189. This equals to an average $2,087,853 gross and 50,880 attendance per show! These statistics are for the second leg of the tour only!
Michael sold his millionth concert ticket at the Wembley Stadium and sold out four concerts in a row there. The tour was so successful that he had played 82 concerts to 4.5 million fans in 35 countries on 5 continents. The estimated grosses totaled more than $160 million and again, it was the biggest concert tour of its time.

2001 - All four re-issues ["Off The Wall", "Thriller", "Bad", "Dangerous"] containing previously unreleased material plus a new booklet with new photos, were officially released.

While Quincy Jones is promoting his autobiography On the Oprah Show, Michael calls him on the phone to congratulate him.

Michael completes the recording of What More Can I Give. He has been crossing the to record the parts of many artists such as Justin Timberlake, Usher, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, CEline Dion? Ricky Martin, Aaron & Nick Carter, Luther Vandross, Boyz II Men, Gloria Estefan ect...

2003 - Michael attends his brother Tito’s 50th birthday party with all the Jackson family.

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One More Chance, written by R. Kelly in 2001, only new song from Michael's compilation album, Number Ones is premiered on radios.

It was released as a single on November 20, 2003, reaching #83 in the U.S., #5 in the UK and reaching #1 in Venezuela, Moldova and Turkey.

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Promo short film shot in Las Vagas and edited, but not completed or released by Sony. Michael had been shooting the video late into the night of November 17, 2003, in Las Vegas, Nevada, when his Neverland Ranch was raided by the Santa Barbara Sheriffs Department. Following the raid, production was stopped. On October 13, 2010, the official website of Michael Jackson announced that the music video will be released in a deluxe DVD box set Michael Jackson's Vision on November 22, 2010.

2006 - Michael agrees to let US journalist Billy Bush from Access Hollywood visit him at the Grouse Lodge residential recording studios in remote Westmeath, Ireland where he is staying with Grace & the kids and working on new music with producer Will.I.AM.

Filed under  //   1979   1989   1993   1997   2001   2003   2006  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1971 - LOVE CALL Song recorded by the Jackson 5 for Motown – test pressings known to exist, but remains unreleased.

1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Philadelphia [US].

1984 - The Jacksons perform at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois [USA] attending 40,000.

1985 - Diana Ross' single "Eaten Alive" hit #77 in the U.S. The song was co-written, co-produced and co-vocalized with Michael Jackson and Barry Gibb.

1987 - Michael performs BAD tour at Osaka Stadium in Osaka, Japan.

A Open Letter from Michael Jackson to his critics:

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Volume: 28 Issue: 15 of the People magazine [US] featured Michael on their cover story MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL
'I was sent forth for the world, for the children. But have mercy, for I've been bleeding a long time now.'

In the Midst of a World Tour, the Astonishing Star Breaks His Four-Year Silence to Issue a Cry of Pain from Japan.
He sat down at the desk in his room at the Capitol Tokyu Hotel in Tokyo and, on the back of a piece of hotel stationery, wrote what he said would be his only only discussion of his private life. "Like the old Indian proverb says," wrote Jackson, "do not judge a man until you've walked 2 moons in his moccosins." The singer's two-page missive reveals him to be a complex mix of boy and man whose personality matches the themes of Bad, an album so full of bright, catchy dance tunes that it's easy to overlook the lyrics that express dark fantasies and hyper-romantic dreams. Jackson offers forgiveness to the rumormongers who have upset him: "Animals strike, not from malice, but because they want to live, it is the same with those who criticize, they desire our blood, not our pain." At the same time, he expresses himself with the desperate tone of a child who has been unfairly punished: "I cry very very often because it hurts.... Have mercy, for I've been bleeding a long time now." His casual spelling and punctuation speak of backstage tutors and self-teaching, but his expression of pain is clear.
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The stage life of the world's most popular rock star: glitter, fame, excitement and wealth. Real life is, of course, another matter. Having said no more than a few words to the press since 1983, Jackson left it to his stogie-chomping manager, Frank Dileo, to explain away his plastic surgeries (just the nose and chin were done, he said) and his attempt to purchase the bones of the Elephant Man ("Well, everyone has a skeleton in their closet," Dileo told PEOPLE). Probably the tall tales only enhanced sales of Bad, which has already zoomed to the top of the charts in at least eight countries. But the rumors' effect on Jackson, 29, has been anything but salutary. "It's really horrible to have these lies printed about me," he says. "It hurts."

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If Jackson does at times resemble a child, it may be because he identifies so closely with children. Quietly he has given rafts of free concert tickets to handicapped youngsters, visited Japanese schools and sent condolences and $20,000 to the family of 5-year-old Yoshiaki Ogiwara, an Osaka boy who was kidnapped and murdered recently. At one concert he dedicated his tour to the boy, a gesture that brought tears to the eyes of adoring fans. "People just don't have a realistic picture of who Michael is," says makeup artist Karen Faye. "He's innocent and inspiring without being preachy—and a lot of fun to be around."

To his public, however, Jackson remains an enigmatic figure, and his handwritten message from Japan will do little to change that. Given his near total blackout on personal press, one can only assume he wants it that way: Anonymity serves his stagecraft.

The effect was stunning, Olympian: A god had come and gone. Offstage and out of costume, the Michael Jackson who was "sent forth for the world, for the children" could hardly help feeling chagrined that his stage persona is only an act. Gods, after all, do not feel pain.
Source: people.com

1993 - Michael performs Dangerous concert at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina attending 70,000.

1997 - Michael performs HIStory concert at Johannesburg Stadium in Johannesburg, SA attending 39,000.

1999 - Michael Jackson's HISTORY: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE BOOK I was certified at 7 times Platinum by the RIAA.

2002 - As a personal acknowledgement of the gallantry and sacrificial services made by the military in his community, Jackson invites over 200 U.S. Air Force members from "Team Vandenberg" – then recently returned from overseas deployments – and their families to spend the day at Neverland.

2004 - In an interview with Steve Harvey Morning Radio Show, Michael Jackson said that he was angry over the depiction of him in Eminem's video for the song Just Lose It and calls the Morning Radio Show to ask TV networks not to air the new video which makes fun of him. BET accepts but not MTV which creates a new controversy.

2005 - Michael takes Prince, Paris & Blanket to Harrods where they are greeted by owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

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Michael raced around the posh London store – owned by Mohammed Al Fayed – on Wednesday (Oct 12), and reserved two watches worth £55,000 and £30,000.

His children Prince Michael, eight, Paris, seven and Prince Michael II, three, then descended upon the toy department.

An insider said: "He was only in the store for about 30 minutes. His kids had a fantastic time in the toy department. They fell in love with this gigantic toy Hummer".

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"After spending thousands of pounds on gifts for them, including life-size teddy bears, Michael signed autographs for fans."

Michael’s spokesman said: "Last time he came to London he went to Hamleys - but he loves the cuddly toys at Harrods."

2009 - A never-before released song from Michael Jackson, a single entitled This Is It, premiered on Michael's official website MichaelJackson.com, on October 12, 2009, at midnight.

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This It It, the first song from the Michael Jackson music documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It which plays during the closing sequence and included on the companion two-disc CD set. The unreleased single features backup vocals by Michael's brothers, The Jacksons.

The CD features original album masters of some of MJ's biggest hits, including Thriller and Billie Jean, which are in the same sequence as they appear in the film.

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