Today in MJJ HIStory

1979 – The Jacksons perform their Destiny Tour in Leeds, UK.

1990 - At a breakfast press conference held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, Michael was honored with the "Top Selling Artist Of The Decade" award by CBS Records for selling 110 million records during the 80's.

CBS Records' Tommy Mattola presented Michael with the award, a figure of Michael in a pose from the "Smooth Criminal" video against a large disk reading "100 Million". Mattola reads a list of Michael's accomplishments and states, "If I stood here 10 years ago and told you any artist would accomplish what Michael Jackson accomplished, you would have probably laughed me off the stage."

Michael attended the press conference dressed in red and black sequined military jacket, black gloves, and sunglasses.

As usual, his thank yous were brief: "Thank you Tommy, and thank you ladies and gentlemen. I'm sure it won't surprise you that I'm gonna make this one short again, but I have to say, however, that no album sells itself. It's up to the people out there to buy it, and so, I not only want to thank CBS Records and Epic Records, but I especially want to thank everyone everywhere who helped make this award what it is, first a possibility, and now a reality. Thank you Quincy Jones, thank you Dave Glew, thank you Bruce Swedien, John Branca, Mother and Joseph, Walter Yetnikoff and Hank Caldwell. And all of the children of the world. I love you Goodbye."
Among those in attendance were Michael's parents, Berry Gordy, Little Richard, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Siedah Garrett.

1992 - Michael Jackson and young friend, Brett Barnes, visit Hamleys Toy Store and Rock Circus on Piccadilly Circus in London, Britain.

Bravo magazine featured Michael on their cover story: "General" Jackson

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1998 - Michael goes to Seoul to attend the investiture ceremony of President Kim Dae Jung on the 25th.

2003 - Michael strikes back!!!

Fox aired outtakes from the controversial interview with Martin Bashir titled "Michael Jackson, Take Two: The Interview They Wouldn't Show You." The outtakes, coming from Michael's private camera man, will later be shown all around the world and showing closely how things really were and how much Martin Bashir commented Michael on his abilities as a father, Neverland etc... opposite to what was shown during his interview.

"The film shows extraordinary scenes of Martin Bashir praising the way Michael treats children and commenting on how good a father he is," a statement said.

"The Jackson footage clearly shows that Bashir was actually continuing to praise Michael's abilities as a father and [shows] Bashir making statements about how he feels it is a pity that the world is so quick to criticize Michael."

"On the face of it, either Martin Bashir was lying to Michael or was misleading his audience on the voiceovers on the film," a statement said, adding that Bashir had been aware he was being filmed during his interviews.

A verbal disclaimer repeatedly made known on behalf of the presenter of this rebuttal film, Maury Povich states that the singer had no control whatsoever upon the directing and producing of it. Part of the footage was not aired, because the videographer Hamid Moslehi refused to hand it over, owing to a financial dispute with Jackson. It was found by police in a search of Moslehi's home in November 2003, when the false allegations against Jackson rose, and showed the accuser's family praising Jackson for saving his life.

Michael leaves for Miami with his children and they stay at Al Malnik's mansion. Three social workers come to Jay Jackson's to interview Gavin & his family. Once again they defend Michael and say nothing inappropriate ever happened.

Chris Tucker's girlfriend Azja Pryor is there to support the family and after the interview she takes the children to Neverland while Vinnie takes Janet to a federal office in LA in order to obtain birth certificates of the family that they will need to get visas & passports for a planned trip.

2006 - Visionary: The Video Singles; a series of 20 Michael Jackson's hit singles on video, is released on Europe.

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The limited edition cover artwork for the boxset is a photomosaico using images from Michael's career.

2008 - The "Thriller 25" album was released in Japan.

Filed under  //   1979   1990   1992   2003   2006   2008  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1972 – The Jackson 5ive concert at Saint Louis, Kiel Auditorium.

1979 - The Jacksons perform a concert in Wakefield, UK on Destiny tour.

1983 - Billie Jean topped Billboard RnB Chart.

1984 - Michael Jackson`s Thriller is for three weeks on top of Number-one albums chart in Australia.

1996 - Michael Jackson continues the filming of his video "They Don't Care About Us" in Rio de Janeiro, with a view of the city as background.

2008 - The Thriller 25th Anniversary Special Edition is released in the US.

Filed under  //   1972   1979   1983   1984   1996   2008  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1979 - The Jacksons perform a concert in Preston, UK on Destiny tour.

1984 - Michael is on the cover of LA Semaine Magazine [Canada].

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1992 - On occasion of Black History Month - Michael tours 30,000 miles of the African continent (covering Gabon, The Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Kenya and Libreville) in 11 days [Between February 11 and February 18, 1992], where he visits medical centers, schools, churches, children’s housings and educational NGO’s for disabled children.

Michael Jackson began a trip of Africa in Gaob. He had planned to visit the Ivory Coast and Tanzania. Michael is welcomed by 100 000 people when he arrives in Libreville. President Omar Bongo presents him with a Medal Of Honour at the Ambassador’s Hall in the Presidential Palace.

Michael Jackson is also welcomed on February 11 by 100,000 people when he arrives in Libreville, Gabon, President Omar Bongo recompensing him with the 'National Honor Of Merit Award' on behalf of the country of Gabon, West-Central Africa, at the Ambassador's Hall in the Presidential Palace.

While in Gabon, President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, declares that “the return of Michael Jackson (to Africa) fits into the tradition of the abolition of time and the integration of space. His music made us feel that he’s never really been away”. In return for the honors received by the entertainer in Gabon, he presents President Bongo with the album Jackson was awarded when he was named ‘Artist of the Decade for the Eighties’.

The President’s grandchildren, Christopher, Neata and Malika join some one thousand children, including the singer’s friend, Brett Barnes at a party given by Jackson back at the Intercontinental Hotel. He also gives an interview while in London regarding his visit and more for May's issue of "Ebony" magazine, confessing towards the end, "You know, that's the most I've said in eight years... You know I don't give interviews. That's because I know you and I trust you. You're the only one I trust to give interviews to."

He phones his ranch daily, however, to make sure his property and animals are unaffected by the storms and floods in California at the time. He is reportedly interested in making a film, "Return To Africa", for his own video library. During his goodwill trip, Michael is crowned King Sanwi by King Nana Amon Ndoufou IV - ruler of Sanwi on the Ivory Coast - during vast ceremonies held in the Village of Krindjabo.

1998 - News broke that Michael Jackson is nominated for the 1998 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE - Michael is among the record 130 nominees for 1998's Nobel Peace Prize, along with Pope John Paul II and US President Bill Clinton.

Nominations for the Peace Prize can be made by members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, members of some national legislatures and governments, previous laureates and university professors of history, philosophy and political science, among others. The 1998 prize will be presented on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swede who invented dynamite and endowed the prizes in his will. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo. Michael did not win the Nobel Peace Prize for 1998 but it is already a HUGE HONOR to be nominated!

2002 - The "16th Annual Soul Train Music Awards" announced that Michael Jackson is nominated in the category Best R&B/Soul Album, Male for "Invincible".

2008 - The Thriller 25th Anniversary Special Edition is released in UK and Europe.

Jackson issued a 25th anniversary edition of his top-selling album Thriller called Thriller 25. It is a double disc album; disc one contains the original nine tracks from "Thriller", five remixed "Thriller" tracks, a song originally recorded in the Thriller era called "For All Time", a voice over by Vincent Price and featured will.i.am, Fergie, Kanye West, and Akon, with single releases alongside the album. Disc two is a DVD which contains the three music videos from "Thriller" and Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" at Motown 25.

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Today in MJJ HIStory

1979 - The Jacksons perform a concert in Bremen, Germany on Destiny tour.

1984 - Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell Gordy featuring Michael on the title track is released by Motown.

1989 - Michael Jackson in concert at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, US.

1990 - Michael attends the unveiling of a painting of himself titled The Book made by Australian artist Brett Livingstone Strong at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

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“The Book” is said to be the only portrait Michael personally sat for during his lifetime. The 40-inch by 50-inch portrait was unveiled in the presence of Mr. Hiromichi Saeki who paid $2,100,000 for the original, the most expensive portrait of a living person. Mr. Saeki was one of the most influential Japanese merchandisers and concert promoters of Michael Jackson. Michael is draped in a “Renaissance Effect” within this portrait and even deeper inside is standing, posing for Brett in a slightly earlier dimension of time.

The Book capture one of the most talented musicians in the world, painted by one of the most talented artists of our time, Brett-Livingstone Strong, hailed by the King of Pop as “A modern day Michelangelo”, in the ultimate expression of beauty – both musically and artistically, remembering Michael at the pinnacle of his career.

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Whether by fate or fortune we have here two of the greatest artists of the 21st century both forever memorialized in their greatness, captured in a moment of life entitled “The Book” and hereinafter available for the enjoyment and appreciation of all future generations and patrons of the Arts. The mystique of this portrait draws you in. Take a closer look – it is a portrait within a portrait.

The portrait depicts the King of Pop as a contemporary Renaissance man, dressed in red velvet holding a journal of thoughts and sketches, in a fairy-tale-like setting, with a statue of Peter Pan and another painting of Michael, in the background. "We called it, 'The Book,'" Mr. Strong said. "What are you going to put in 'The Book' today, Michael?'" The backdrop is Neverland, with an image of Tinkerbell. The painting has touches of Vermeer, as that was one of Mr. Jackson's favorite painters, Mr. Strong said.

1992 – Michael Jackson contributes to Law Roul`s telethon with a taped performance of “Heal the World”. The performance was taken from a Dangerous Tour Concert and was combined with footage of Michael`s visit to Africa.

1993 - Michael attends the Superbowl XXVII Pre-Show Press Conference held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, Ca.

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Michael accepts a cheque of $100 000 from the NFL and Frito Lay (Sponsor of the Superbowl). Neil Austrian, president of NFL, presents him with a custom-made Superbowl jacket. He also receives 500,000 dollars from BEST Foundation for his Heal The World Foundation.

Heal LA, new United States Children's Relief Initiative is announced by Heal The World, Michael Jackson and Former President Jimmy Carter in Los Angeles. This collaborative effort - beginning with "Heal LA" sustained by "Cities in Schools", "Big Brothers/Big Sisters", "BEST Foundation", "Watta Health Foundation", and "Partnership for a Drug Free America" - will provide immediate action to help solve the pressing needs of America's inner-city children and youth through instructive programs featuring AIDS prevention, a substance-free living. The initial Los Angeles effort will include drug prevention/education, as well as counseling, mentoring and immunization campaigns.

The singer declares:

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"We have to get out the message of the need to heal our children and heal the world... to recognize that we need each other and must care for one another, help inspire us to develop this relief effort for children. To make a real difference, we must all care and commit to be a part of the solution. I know you all share my concern for inner-city children who are spread all around us. We must join together to make this world a better place for each of them. "Heal LA" is only our first step in making things better. I'm very happy to tell you today that former President, Jimmy Carter, and I are going to be working together to help children in cities all over our country. President Carter will join me as co-Chair of our new national Heal Our Children Initiative. We'll work together here in L.A. to start, then go city by city to heal children all over America. I would like to express my love and appreciation to all of you who have already been so generous to this important new Heal The World program."

1994 - After 6 months of hard negotiations, the lawyers representing both sides in the molestation case against Michael finally reached agreement. An out of court settlement, which both sides have been working towards, is agreed for an undisclosed sum.
The nightmare was over!

2001 - 15 year old Afro-Norwegian boy Benjamin "Benny" Hermansen was stabbed to death by a group of neo-Nazis in Oslo, Norway.

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On the album cover, next to the image of a rose, it reads:
Michael Jackson gives "special thanks":
«This album is dedicated to Benjamin 'Benny'
Hermansen. May we continue to remember
not to judge man by the color of his skin,
but the content of his Character. Benjamin...
we love you... may you rest in peace.»
Michael Jackson dedicated his Invincible album to Benjamin. The reason for this has partly to do with the fact that the Holmlia boy Omer Bhatti and Jackson were close friends, and Bhatti was at the same time a good friend of Benjamin Hermansen.
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2002 - Michael Jackson's Cry peaked at #2, on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it was held from the top position from Ja Rule and Ashanti's "Always on Time" 2001 single.

2006 - Michael, Grace & the kids fly to Hamburg on a private visit the Shleiter family but upon arriving to their house, fans et reporters arrive after hearing the news of his arrival on the radio.

Amid intense media coverage police cordoned off the home of his 23-year-old host to guarantee their safety. Around 100 fans and media representatives were waiting in front of his hosts house today to catch a glimpse of Michael, who prefered to stay in the house though.

2007 - Michael attends Lance Burton's 7 p.m. show (Monte Carlo) with Grace & the kids.

2008 - Michael received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 NRJ Awards, in the year which he will mark the 25th Anniversary of ‘Thriller’.

The awards show took place in Cannes (France) and was aired on channel TF1. Michael wasn't able to attend the awards show in person but he recorded a special message for this occasion:

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"Hello to all my friends in France! Though I couldn’t be there in person tonight to accept this prestigious award, I’m so happy to have the chance to send this message to let all my French fans know how much your support has meant throughout the years.

It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago, Quincy Jones and I embarked on an album named “Thriller.” To be able to say that “Thriller” still holds the record as the biggest selling album of all time, is just mind blowing. I have you, my fans throughout the world to thank for this achievement.

Though this award tonight honours me for my lifetime achievements, there is still much more to come from Michael Jackson. My passion for music has never stopped. And for those who don’t know, I’ve been in the studio recording Thriller 25th Anniversary album, with a lot of surprise guests. It’s my hope that “Thriller” continues to live on for each new generation to discover.

So thank you TF1 and NRJ for this very special award. It means so much to me to be honoured by you. And thank you to my fans. I love you from the bottom of my heart and I hope to see you very soon. I love you. God bless you.”

2009 - Michael (with Blanket and Dr Tohme Tohme by his side), meets an AEG delegation headed by Philip Anschutz, its billionaire founder, AEG's chief executive Tim Leiweke, Randy Phillips, who heads up AEG Live and Paul Gongaware. Michael signs a deal for 10 concerts in London next summer and he also accepts to submit to a rigorous medical check-up at his LA home.
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Today in MJJ HIStory

1980 - Michael attends the 7th Annual American Music Awards, at the ABC-TV Studios in Hollywood, Ca.

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Michael receives 3 awards for Off The Wall and presents an award to the Bee Gees. Dressed in his trademark tux with a sequined shirt, Michael took home the awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Album for Off The Wall, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.

1989 - Michael Jackson in concert at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, US.

1993 - Michael performs "We Are The World" with celebrities at the Pre-Inaugural Celebration for Bill Clinton held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.


The day before the Inaugural Gala, Michael made an unscheduled appearance on pre-Inaugural celebration. He joined Diana Ross and several other celebrities on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in a performance of We Are The World, standing, dressed in black and gold, next to President elect Clinton, the soon to be new First Lady, and their daughter Chelsea.

1996 - Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson filed for divorce from Michael, ending a 19-month marriage that merged pop royalty. A statement from Jackson spokesman Lee Solters said the two "have mutually agreed to go their separate ways. However, they remain good friends." Irreconcilable differences were given as reason. Michael got married to Lisa on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic.

1998 - Michael wins the copyright infringement case against Al Bano Carrisi for the song Will You Be There.

2008 - 'The Girl Is Mine 2008' - the first single from the upcoming 'Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition' - has released to radio stations worldwide.

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Today in MJJ HIStory

1989 - The NAACP 21st Image Awards were aired. Michael Jackson won Best Male Artist and Best Album Of The Year for BAD.

He was also honored with the "Leonard Carter Humanitarian Award" in recognition of his humanitarian endeavors, during the Image Award ceremony held in Los Angeles, celebrating black achievements.
Among other honorees were Whoopi Goldberg, best film actress; Eddie Murphy, black entertainer of the year; and Vanessa Williams.

1992 - Remember The Time is released as the second single from Michael's 8hth studio album DANGEROUS.

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Remember the Time was recorded in the Hit Factory Miami, was written and composed by Teddy Riley, Michael Jackson and Bernard Belle, the song was produced by Riley and Jackson. Dedicated to Diana Ross, Remember The Time introduced so-called 'jack swing' to a worldwide audience for the first time with the accompaniment of co-producer Riley. Musically, the song is dance-oriented and its instruments include a piano and guitar.
Riley told the Los Angeles Times in November 1996, he wrote the song after Michael told him about falling in love with Debbie Rowe: "I don't know why he didn't marry her the first time around."
"One of the biggest things Michael really surprised me with on DANGEROUS was his vocal delivery on Remember The Time," said Riley. "That really blew me away... that was the sound I was thinking of for the album... I'd describe that sound as, really, like the New Jack Swing sound."
The single's cover featured a black and white photo of Michael with quite a different look. He was in a white under-shirt with his hair pulled tightly back in a ponytail. Come Together, previously only available on the Moonwalker home video, was chosen as the B-side of Remember The Time, and for all but
the first few weeks of the singles’ UK chart run, both titles were listed and peaked at #3.

In reaching #1 R&B and #3 Pop, Remember The Time achieved a RIAA Gold Record in the States, and it also charted at #1 in New Zealand, #2 in Belgium, #3 in Australia and Holland, #5 in France, #8 in Germany and Italy, and #10 in Norway. The song reached the top twenty in all major territories. A nine minute music video directed by John Singleton, marketed as a "short film", was released for the song. The video is set in ancient Egypt and features appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman, The Pharcyde and Magic Johnson.

Remember The Time won an American Music Award for Favourite Soul/R&B Single, Male.

1999 - January 14-25: Michael goes to Sun City, with Prince, Paris & their nanny Grace Rwaramba.

2008 - The Girl Is Mine 2008 is released.

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The remix included in Thriller 25, the album celebrating Thriller's 25th anniversary, featured an original solo demo of the song by Jackson, before he had recorded the duet with McCartney and will.i.am added his own vocals and new verse.

The song reached #12 in New Zealand, #22 in France, #51 in Switzerland and charted within the Top 50 of Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

2009 - Michael goes to see Dr Klein in Beverly Hills with Blanket.

Filed under  //   1989   1992   1999   2008   2009  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1972 - The Jackson 5 headline the first annual Martin Luther King Birthday Commemoration Concert in Atlanta, Georgia.

1994 - Michael wins the trial for The Girl Is MIne, Thriller & We Are The World

2003 - Martin Bashir meets with Michael Jackson in his Miami Hotel for the final interview for Living with Michael Jackson documentary.

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When Bashir brings up the subject of his face, a visibly upset Jackson says that he has only had two operations on his nose in order to facilitate his singing, to which Bashir tries to ask how he looks so much different from when he was an adolescent. After the singer states that there is nothing wrong with plastic surgery, and that it was "not invented for Michael Jackson," Bashir comes to the conclusion that Jackson wanted to change his appearance as a result of his troubled youth and father's insults.

When he asks about a comment Jackson's son Prince made that "I haven't got a mother," Jackson tells him that Deborah Rowe bore his two children as a gift for him, because he wanted to be a father so badly. On the subject of Blanket's mother, Jackson contradicts his earlier statement that he had Blanket with a woman with whom he had a relationship by stating that Blanket's mother was a surrogate mother and that they didn't know each other.

Bashir also repeatedly questions Jackson why he invites children into his room. Jackson defended himself stating that such activity is natural when the children are of close friends or family, and that "many children," including the Culkin family children (including Macaulay and Kieran) have slept in the same bed as him. Jackson strongly denied that there was any sexual motivation for this. During these defensive comments he also stated that he would allow his children to stay with his friends including Barry Gibb, saying that they are "sweet people" and are not "Jack the Ripper". Due to the confidentiality agreement, he refuses to talk about the 1993 allegations, but he reveals that he paid the accuser a settlement, since he "didn't want to go through a long, drawn-out affair, like O.J."

The same day, he hears that Maurice Gibb has died from an heart attack.

2008 - Michael and his 3 children attended the 'Tournament Of Kings' at the Excalibur hotel ans casino in Las Vegas (USA). 'Tournament Of Kings' is a famous dinner show. It features invading armies, dancing maidens, fireworks, and eating with your fingers.

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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

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

2002 - Gold magazine publishes an interview of Michael.

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Michael Jackson is the king of pop, the man who made the biggest selling album in history, a man whose dance routines and tunes have entranced people in every corner of the globe, from Johannesburg to Jakarta, from London to L.A.

But he is also an enigma. A child star with his siblings in the Jackson Five, he comes from an immensely talented family and, as youngest son, carved for himself the most successful solo career of all of them. He is one of the few world-famous children who have gone on to become world-famous adults; and now he is reinventing himself again, as a film star.

Despite his fame, despite the fact that he has been performing, creating and improvising almost since he was old enough to walk, Jackson is shy of publicity. He may have hordes of fans and photographers surrounding him whenever he steps out in public, but he is an intensely private man who lives with his family on his fairy-tale Neverland ranch in California. In this rare interview, he talks candidly to Magdalena, the Gold Girl, about fame, the burden of his childhood stardom, his view on the media, and his future in film.

magdalena "gold girl" "Do you most see yourself as a musician, an entertainer or an entrepreneur?"
michael jackson:Probably all of the above, because I love entertaining and I always will love entertaining. I love becoming a slave to rhythm. Because dancing is about interpreting the sounds and accompaniments of the orchestra. You know, you become the sound, you become the bass, you become whatever you hear, and you do it bodily. But I try not to get so caught up in it all that you don't think about your future. So many great entertainers have just been taken in the past, and they ended up lonely, sad and broken. I've always said to myself, I never want to be that way and I'm going to try my hardest to learn about the business side, support myself, invest my money, save. Who knows what tomorrow brings? You want to be protected financially so you can support yourself.

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magdalena "gold girl" "Would you like to be remembered as a great entertainer?"
michael jackson: I love movies and I love art - and an architect is an entertainer, the guy who builds a rollercoaster is an entertainer. He knows where to build the slopes, and the big anticipation when you go up... He makes you go,'Oh my God!' when you get to the top before you come down. It's just the same as structuring a show or a dance.

magdalena "gold girl" "Does it ever become a burden to be one of the most recognized stars in the world?"
michael jackson: There's nowhere in the world I can actually go and have privacy. The thing that hurts the most is the fact that your privacy is taken away from you. To use the silly expression, you live in a fishbowl, but it's true. I do disguises... People know them all, it's very hard, very hard.

magdalena "gold girl" "What kind of disguises?"
michael jackson: Bat suits, buck teeth, glasses, afros, prosthetics, make-up jobs, everything. Just to sit in the audience and experience it the way an audience would experience a show; I want to feel how they feel.

magdalena "gold girl" "Do they find you out?"
michael jackson: Sometimes, yes. In the beginning, no. Then they start looking me in the eyes. I put these things on and then they start looking behind the glasses... Girls are very smart, you know. You can trick a guy quicker than you can trick a girl. Women can just pick it up. They know the way you move your body, the way you walk, the way you gesture. I hear them go,'Look at the way he moves his hand', or ' Look at the way he was walking', and I think,' Oh no.

magdalena "gold girl" "If You were invisible for a day in London, what would you do?"
michael jackson: Oh boy. Who would I like to slap? Let me see {laughs}... I think I'd find one of the tabloid paparazzis and kick his ass , moonwalk style. I'd really like to knock them off one of those little scooters they ride around on, I really would, knock the cameras right out of their hands. They're so anoying. I'd go for them first, yeah. They drive you nuts. You can't get away from them. It's terrible.

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magdalena "gold girl" "Who has inspired you the most professionally, and who do you relate to?"
michael jackson: Probably Walt Disney; because when I was little I grew up in an adult world. I grew up on stage. I grew up in night clubs. When I was seven, eight years old I was in nightclubs. I saw striptease girls take off all their clothes. I saw fights break out. I saw people throw up on each other. I saw adults act like pigs. That's why to this day I hate clubs. I don't like going to clubs - I did that already, I've been there. That's why I compensate now for what I didn't do then. So when you come to my house, you'll see I have rides, I have a movie theatre, I have animals. I love animals - elephants and giraffes and lions and tigers and bears, all kinds of snakes. I get to do all those wonderful things that I didn't get to do when I was little, because we didn't have those things. We didn't have Christmas. We didn't have sleepovers. We didn't have school, we had private school when we were touring. I didn't go to a state school. We tried it for two weeks and it didn't work. It was very difficult. It's hard growing up a celebrity child. Very few make that transition from child star to adult star. It's very difficult. I relate to Shirley Temple. I met her in San Francisco and I sat at her table and I cried so bad. She said,'What's wrong Michael?' I said,'I love you. I need to be around you more.' She goes,'You're one of us, aren't you?' and I said 'Yes, I am.' Somebody else said,'What do you mean?' and she said,'Michael knows what I mean.' And I know exactly what she meant - to have been there as a child star and to have graduated to have succeeded in making that transition to fame as an adult is very difficult. When you're a child star people don't want you to grow up. They want you to stay little for ever. They don't want you to work afterwards. It's very hard.

magdalena "gold girl" "Tell me more about your interests in theme parks - what is it about them that interests you?"
michael jackson: My favourite thing about theme parks - and I have a pretty good outlook on it because I've travelled the world many times over - is I love seeing people simply come together with their families and have fun. It really does bring them closer together. I go for fun, but I also go to study. I go after hours to most parks because I can't go in the regular hours. They're kind of like a ghost town.

magdalena "gold girl" "I hear you have some ideas for a theme park in Las Vegas?"
michael jackson: I've done many projects in Las Vegas, and what I think I've done is I've widend the demographic there. Because when I was a little kid - I was no more than eight years old - my brothers and I would go to Las Vegas, and at that time kids weren't even allowed to walk on a casino floor. So we used to stay up in our rooms, bored, with nothing to do while everyone else gambled. There was only one place for kids in Vegas at the time, called Circus Circus. It was a hotel and the theme they had there was clowns, So there was a trapease man and there were chimps doing the little unicycles. When I got older we played Vegas a lot - we performed there many, many times - and I thought about it and I said,'It's really not fair that there's nothing here for children,' so I started to conceive a couple of ideas for certain hotel owners. And now it's like the family-themed vacation kingdom, it really is.

magdalena "gold girl" "Who are your favourite people?"
michael jackson: I love people who have really contributed to the pleasure and hapiness of the planet and mankind, people with light - from Walt Disney to Ghandi to Edison to Martin Luther King. These are people with light, people who really cared about children, bringing families together, and love. That's what I try to say in my music and in my songs. If you go to one of my concerts, my shows, you will see 200,000 people swaying, holding candles, saying,'We want to heal the world,' and 'We love you.' I've seen it around the world from Russia to Germany to Poland to Africa to America. We're all the same. People cry in the same places in the show. They get angry in the same places in the show, they get the pathos in the same places.

magdalena "gold girl" "Was Fred Astaire your friend?"
michael jackson: Yes. Fred Astaire was my neighbour. I used to see him every day when I was riding my little motorscooter. He always told me, he would always say when I was a little kid,'You're gonna be a big star.' He told me that he thought I was an incredible entertainer and a great mover. And he always used to say,'You're the best,' and I'd say,'No, you're the best.' I remember the first time I did the moonwalk. Fred called me at home. He was screaming on the phone, raving. He said it was the best performance he'd ever seen. I said,'Oh, come on.' He said,'Michael, you put them on their ass.You're a hell of a mover. You're a hell of a dancer.' I said,'Well, coming from you, I don't need any awards.' Because I was nominated for an Emmy for that performance, and I didn't get it, but it didn't matter to me because Fred Astaire said he loved my performance, and that's all the award I needed.

magdalena "gold girl" "If you could work with anyone, alive or dead, who would that be?"
michael jackson: If I could work with anybody it would be Charlie Chaplin, who I love so much. Also, Laurence oliver was a genius, really. Those two guys, I think. And also the king, Brando.

magdalena "gold girl" "Last year you put together a short film, You Rock My World, with the assistence of Marlon Brando. What was it like working with the master?"
michael jackson: Brando is a good friend of mine. He's very much like me. He doesn't go many places. He comes to Neverland or he stays in my house in Mulholland Drive, or he goes to Tahiti. His son worked for me for more than 20 years, and his other son was in my class in private school. He's just a giant. You see, Brando's smart, because when he works with me he always says,'I know what buttons to push to get emotion from you.' He knows me so well. He knows how to get me ticked off, so he'll say certain things to get me really geared up. He's a genius. He's a king. He's the last of that generation. He's a brilliant man, a lovely person. I love him and he's my good friend.

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magdalena "gold girl" "You had a cameo in Men In Black II, was that fun to work on?"
michael jackson: The Men In Black project really was a lot of fun because I introduced myself as the new guy.

magdalena "gold girl" "It was obvious from the video of Thriller that you have a great interest in the visual arts."
michael jackson: Everything I do I like either to direct myself, or work closely with the director - we co-direct and come up with the ideas together. If you look at Ghosts, it says co-written by Michael Jackson and Stephen King. We wrote it on the telephone, Stephen and I - he's a lovely guy, he's amazing. We wrote it on the phone, just talking together.

magdalena "gold girl" "Who are the figures in the movie business you most admire, and why?"
michael jackson: I just love Robert De Niro. I think he's such a multi-faceted actor. He can play anything from a comedian to a preist to a psychopathic killer to an idiot to a charming uncle to just anything. And of course, any of the great dancers.

magdalena "gold girl" "Who would be your ideal leading lady, and why?"
michael jackson: An actress? {laughs} You and I should do a film together. Let's do it, I'd love that...

magdalena "gold girl" "There was talk of you going to the moon to perform an authentic moonwalk here. Is there any truth in this?"
michael jackson: {laughs} There is some truth in it. It's not a rumour. I'll just say that.

magdalena "gold girl" "You outbid Paul McCartney for the Beatles archive. What was so special about it?"
michael jackson: No, I didn't, he didn't bid for it. It was for sale and I liked it and I bought it, like buying a piece of art.

magdalena "gold girl" "Tell me more about your passion for children's charities. Which organizations do you support?"
michael jackson: Well, I have a charity for kids that I created myself, called Heal the World. And whenever I do a concert or anything pertaining to entertainment, I give a certain amount to Heal the World - you know orphanages, hospitals, kids who need a lung or a liver, we'll find it, we'll pay for the surgery. On tour, I do as many hospitals and orphanages as I do concerts. We go to 12-years-olds and we take boxes and boxes and boxes of toys, a bunch of Michael Jackson posters and paraphernalia. They love it.

magdalena "gold girl" "How much more do you feel you want to achieve in your life?"
michael jackson: I'm never satisfied. There are so many different avenues and so many different things that I want to do. I've done a lot, but I don't think it's enough, which is why I don't put up any awards or anything in my house. You won't see any awards in my house, I put them all away in storage. Because if you get caught up in that, you start to feel like,'Oh, man, I did it.' There's so much more, so many more mountains to climb.

magdalena "gold girl" "If one of your children came to you and said,'Dad, I want to be a pop star,' what's the best advise you could give them?"
michael jackson: The best advise that I would give them is it's a lot of hard work, and be propared, because it's not all joy all the time. And that you've got to have rhinoceros skin, because the bigger the star, the bigger the target. The tabloid press are bastards, and you've got to have rhinoceros skin to deal with that kind of ignorance mentality. They do it simply to sell papers, because bad news sell, not good news. They simply make it up. If they don't have anything, they just make it up. I'm nothing like the way the tabloids have painted me out to be, nothing. Nothing like that. They're the ones who are crazy. They're ignorant. I always say to my fans 'Let's have a tabloid burning. Let's make a big mountain out of tabloids and just burn them.' The real fans who love me know that garbage isn't true. They know. They're smart.

magdalena "gold girl" "Have you always wanted to do film? If your family had not been such successful musicians, would you have turned to it earlier in your life?"
michael jackson: I've always wanted to do film, but the tours got in the way. That's why I want to take several years off just doing film. I'd like to get six great movies behind me, and then I'll do a little bit of touring, then I'll do more filming.

magdalena "gold girl" "What kind of ideas do you have for film?"
michael jackson: I have ideas for film and movement and dance and things that people have never seen. I can't wait to just surprise people. That's why I've been dying to start a film production company, and I'm very excited that that's what we're doing with Neverland Pictures. I get to just have a clean slate and play and create and sculpt.

magdalena "gold girl" "Tell me a little bit about the werewolf idea in your films, and how does it relate to video?"
michael jackson: I haven't read the script yet for Wolfed - it's one of the movies that we're going to be making and I'm really excited about it. I'm so happy to be working with Sammy Lee {the co-writer of Music Box, who recently acquired 'first look' rights to Jackson's films}. We're doing some great projects together in film, and I'm really excited.

magdalena "gold girl" "And Wolfed will be the first film?"
michael jackson: As of now, our schedule says that Wolfed will be the first film. That's going to be fun. I want it to be really scary. Rick Baker wants to do all the visual effects. He has seven Academy awards. Rick is very excited about it too - he did American Werewolf in London. He won an Oscar, and he said,'Michael, that was nothing.' That's nothing compared to what he can do today. And he did Thriller and he said of that,'It's nothing'. He can go way beyond that. He did all the Eddie Murphy films, Clumps and Nutty Professor and all that Men In Black stuff too. He does all that.

magdalena "gold girl" "So tell me how you would like to be remembered?"
michael jackson: How would I like to be remembered? As a person who came and brought light to the world, some escapism. Also as the voice for the voiceless children, because I love them. I'm living for the children. If it weren't for the kids, I would throw in the towel. A baby, a child - now that's amazing. They're little geniuses, you know, little geniuses. They really are.

magdalena "gold girl" "Do you enjoy being a father?"
michael jackson: It's my favourite thing. I love it. I love it. I love it.

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magdalena "gold girl" "The other day I saw you pick up your daughter when she was sleeping. You just picked her up, and I could see the joy in your face..."
michael jackson: Oh, I love them. The Jacksons have a lot of kids. I have a lot of nephews and nieces. There's a lot of us!

magdalena "gold girl" "What is your relationship with your brothers and sisters?"
michael jackson: I love my brothers and sisters. When I'm with them we laugh. It's like a different version of yourself. We can just laugh and giggle and talk about old times. We're not together as much as we'd like to be. We're all busy. We're all in showbusiness. We're always doing something. If I'm in town, Janet's out of town. If we're both here, my brother's somewhere else. Everybody's running around, you know.

magdalena "gold girl" "Are you a family man? What do you like doing with your family?"
michael jackson: My personal family? My Children? We love just sitting together, talking, shooting the breeze. We sit by the lake. I take the for a walk every day at my house. We sit by the lake and we throw rocks in the water and we just talk.

magdalena "gold girl" "What do you think is the deepest form of love someone can feel? And have you felt it?"
michael jackson: Wow, I think that's really a matter of opinion. Have I felt the deepest form of love? I don't know what would be the deepest... {long pause} and interesting question... {repeats question a few times}. I love my children very, very much, and I always look in their eyes and tell them that - I think that's the most important thing.

Michael goes to Miami to visit houses and work with Barry Gibb on a charity song.

2003 - Michael returns to Neverland for the first time since it was searched for a private get together entitled “You Are Not Alone” which about 600 friends & family attend

Michael who does not consider Neverland as his home anymore, moves in a rented mansion in Beverly Hills with Grace & the kids.

2008
- Michael is spotted wearing a Zorro mask while visiting his Dr Arnlold Klein, his dermatomogist's office in Beverly Hills.

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Filed under  //   1996   2002   2003   2008  

Today in MJJ HIStory

1969 - Four days before the release of their debute album, the Jackson 5ive made a huge splash with their second national television appearance, on the Ed Sullivan Show.

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Once again, they brought the house down, starting with Stand and Who’s Lovin’ You, and then closing the deal with I Want You Back, Michael charming the country decked out in a funky purple fedora

The Jackson 5’s first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show was on 4th of December, 1969. Ed Sullivan was known for having an eye for talent and was very particular about the acts he presented. The Ed Sullivan show was a major breakthrough for The Jackson 5, who performed "Stand!", "Who's Lovin' You" and "I Want You Back", with Michael in front wearing a striking magenta hat. They would be invited back to perform another set in May 1970.

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To promote their new single, the Jackson 5ive appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. They performed I Want You Back and Who's Lovin' You.
In 1988, Michael narrated a collection of film clips covering his career for Entertainment Tonight which included a clip of this performance. "I remember this was the Ed Sullivan Show. As young as I was, I never felt shy while performing. It was what I did and what I came into the world to do."

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1979 - The Jacksons perform Destiny tour in Phoenix, USA.

1991 - Michael Jackson's DANGEROUS debuts at #1 on Billboard's pop albums chart.

1992 - Michael perform 2nd of 8 dates at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo during the Japanese leg of Dangerous tour attending 45,000 fans.

1993 - Michael Jackson's single "Gone Too Soon" was released.

2008 - Michael is spotted wearing a Zorro mask while shopping in Los Angeles.


2010 - The Michael Jackson album MICHAEL was released by Epic Records.

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MICHAEL is the first release in 9 years of new material by one of music's most beloved icons whose artistry continues to touch new generations of fans. The album contains ten tracks,newly completed by an esteemed group of producers along with Michael Jackson. While primarily focused on songs that Michael worked on recently, there are also earlier compelling tracks that Michael had a desire to bring to fruition.

Breaking News was the first song from the album to be released to the public and was available for radio airplay. The song was recorded in New Jersey in 2007 and according to Sony, the song was "recently brought to completion." Other tracks were recorded at studios in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with various unidentified collaborators.

The first official single, Hold My Hand, recorded in Las Vegas in 2007, was released globally on Monday, November 15. The album contains two songs that were written during the Thriller era, Behind the Mask and Much Too Soon. The song (I Like) The Way You Love Me previously appeared on The Ultimate Collection (2004) with the title The Way You Love Me. For MICHAEL, the song has been remixed and more vocals have been added. The song Best Of Joy is one of the last that Michael recorded during his lifetime, having written and recorded it in 2009.

Track Listing:
  • Hold My Hand(Duet with Akon)
  • Hollywood Tonight
  • Keep Your Head Up
  • (I Like) The Way You Love Me
  • Monster(Featuring 50 Cent)
  • Best Of Joy
  • Breaking News
  • (I Can't Make It) Another Day (Featuring Lenny Kravitz)
  • Behind The Mask
  • Much Too Soon
Filed under  //   1969   1979   1991   1992   1993   2008   2010  

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