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LA Time Home > Entertainment > Hollywood A-Z > People > Michael Jackson ''Hulk'' Lou Ferrigno was Michael Jackson''s personal trainer? Seriously? If you were international music and dance icon Michael Jackson, who would you hire to get you into shape for a comeback concert tour? Michael chose -- wait for it -- "Hulk" star Lou Ferrigno. This whole thing keeps getting stranger and stranger. "When the promoter hired him to do the tour it wasn''t any question for me to train him again because he knew that he trusted me especially with toning and shaping his body," the musclebound Ferrigno tells People. "Being such an icon and he couldn''t afford to have any injuries." Using "conditioning, toning, and increasing his flexibility and stamina," Ferrigno says he helped the entertainer to increase his leg strength. No heavy weights. More stretching and a light walk on the treadmill. Ferrigno adds, "Being 50, his body went through a lot of stress getting ready for the tour, but he was awesome." Fifty? That''s not old. Ask Mick Jagger. Ferrigno was shocked by his longtime friend''s sudden death. "I was devastated. I mean I was shocked. I still think of it as like a joke or like a dream," he admits. After all, theyбпd made plans to collaborate if Lou made it on б░Dancing With the Stars.б▒ "He heard I was in the running to do "Dancing With the Stars," so he said that he would teach me the moonwalk if I did the show," Ferrigno says. "We had a lot of fun." We sure hope Lou makes it on the show. This we will watch! How about you? More Michael Dish: John Mayer compares Michael Jackson to a Rubick''s Cube? Did Michael Jackson end up like reclusive addict Howard Hughes? Katherine Jackson gets temporary custody of Michael Jackson''s children. Is Michael Jackson worth more dead than alive? Comments Lou Ferrigno...really?? I have had 60 year old women that could bench press more than Micheal. The sad thing is with some high profile clients and some people in Hollywood is that they are used to dictating and getting their own way...even during training sessions. The comment Lou made of "not using heavy weight because he is a dancer" is insane because golfers and Olympic figure skaters are lifting weights and doing heavy training. I am not taking anything away from Lou but as a USA Weightlifing Sports Performance Coach and dealing with various types of athlete people need to get over the idea that lifting heavy weights is dangerous. It''s all about proper and professional instruction. 2002 Michael Jackson will left assets, grandchildren''s guardianship to Katherine Jackson A will Michael Jackson signed seven years ago placed his all of his assets in a trust and named his mother as guardian of his children, a source familiar with the document told The Times. The will is expected to become a central point of contention in what is shaping up to be a legal battle over the performerбпs estate. An L.A. Superior Court judge granted Katherine Jackson, 79, temporary custody of her three grandchildren and temporary and limited control of his assets Monday. Long-term arrangements are to be taken up at a July 6 hearing. In court papers Monday, her lawyers said the family had not located a will for Jackson but acknowledged the possible existence of a will or multiple wills. The document executed in July 2002 appointed John Branca, Jacksonбпs longtime entertainment attorney, and John McClain, a music executive who had known the singer since he was a child, as executors, the source said. The role would give the men power to manage Jacksonбпs finances иC an indebted but still profitable music empire иC while the court is settling his affairs, a process that could take years. Katherine Jackson asked in her filings Monday to serve as administrator of his affairs, the term for the person who acts as executor when no valid will exists. In the document, her attorneys appeared to take a swipe at Branca, who represented Jackson from 1980 to 2006 and reportedly rejoined the singerбпs business team the week before his death. б░A possible competing interest is a purported claim of an attorney who long ago was dismissed from the decedentбпs group of advisors and about whom the decedent stated that he never wanted the attorney to have anything further to do with his affairs,б▒ the lawyers wrote. -- Harriet Ryan Comments So here are my questions: 1) why did dr. murray suddenly have his attorney start telling his side of the story? 2) Why doesn''t dr. murray have an updated license certification? 3) why didn''t dr. murray know of the M.J.''s previous medical history? 4) Who was the unidentified person in the 911 call talking with the operator? 5) How did dr. murray just happen to be at M.J.s home? How did he just happen by M.J.s bed? Who alerted the doctor to M.J.''s condition? 6) Why didn''t the Fire Dept personnel take over CPR from the doctor? Did they do an independent assessment of whether M.J. had a pulse or not? Was he already dead in the bed? 7) I question the motives of Dr. Murray''s actions from the time he arrived throughout the entire event including the conversations and his participation at the hospital. He acts just like the arsonist who watches the fire as everyone scrambles about the scene. 8) What happened after M.J. left the rehearsal (after midnight?) Who was with him before he went to bed? Who communicated with him before the Dr. found him. 9) Other people know what happened who are not speaking and it''s clear to me that there''s a cover up going on. I hope that Katherine Jackson gets permanent custody, the kids can live out of the spotlight and can grieve their father''s loss. To the general public, promoters, so-called friends and family members - You killed the golden goose and are trying to pluck the bones in M.J.s afterlife. I hope you''re happy. Michael Jackson some of us will truly miss your genius. The children being so young shouldn''t have to deal with their father''s -- Michael Jackson''s -- death. I am glad to hear that Jackson''s kids are staying with their grandmother... But 1 question that keeps wandering my mind is: What will happen to the kids after? -- Well you know -- That question concerns me because they are all so young.. None of them are even old enough for a job.. Which also means no money or home unless they stay with another relative or a family friend.. Michael Jackson Tried To End 50 Cent -videos "We Are the World" and "Heal the World" were undoubtedly two of Michael Jackson''s greatest songwriting and humanitarian achievements. But if MJ had been able to cool off the tension between 50 Cent and the Game, as the California rapper claims he attempted to a few years back, then Jackson could have won the Nobel Peace prize. He certainly would have earned it. Game told MTV News that during his beef with 50, which began in 2005, Jackson actually called the Compton MC and offered to play peacekeeper between the two former friends. "I was on tour in Canada, sitting in my room, cutting my hair," Game told MTV News, recalling Jackson''s phone call. "I was messing my hair up. Then my road manager knocks on my door. Boom, boom, boom. He told me, I got MJ on the phone. I ran and snatched up the phone." On the other end of the line was a British gentleman who connected the two musicians. A nervous Game said Jackson started the conversation by talking about music and complimenting him on his records like "Hate It or Love It" and "How We Do." Then the King of Pop asked about the rapper''s children. But before the phone call ended, Jackson touched on one last topic, a sensitive matter at the time. "He got to this one thing that makes me laugh, man." Game explained. "He said, ''I don''t know how you''re gonna feel about this, but I want to ask you something. I don''t want you to judge me, but I don''t really know everything that''s going on between you and 50. But I want to be the middleman behind you putting this situation to bed.'' " Jackson wanted the two to meet, with him serving as a mediator, according to Game. The rapper mentioned Jackson''s outreach in his new song, "Better on the Other Side," a tribute to the late King of Pop that features Chris Brown, Diddy, Boyz II Men and Mario Winans. A video for the track, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the record, is set to premiere online on Tuesday (June 30), Game said. On Friday, 50 Cent also released two Michael Jackson tribute tracks, "Respect It or Check It N---a" and "Where You Are." Although 50 and Game eventually put their differences aside, Jackson wasn''t involved. Game said MJ wanted all three of the artists to collaborate on a song together. But, unfortunately, nothing ever came about. "It just never manifested," Game said. LA Times about MJ Michael was among the sweetest and most talented people we met during 35 years covering pop music for the Los Angeles Times LAST WILL I, MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON, a resident of the State of California, declare this to be my last Will, and do hereby revoke all former wills and codicils made by me. I I declare that I am not married. My marriage to DEBORAH mAN ROWE JACKSON has been dissolved. I have three children now living, PRINCE MICHAEL JACKSON, JR., PARIS MICHAELKATHERINEJACKSON and PRINCE MICHAEL JOSEPHJACKSON,IT.I haveno other children,livingor deceased. IT It is my intention by this Will to dispose of all property which I am entitled to dispose-ofby wiil. I specificallyrefrain from exercisingaU150wersof appointmentthat I maypossess at the timeof ~y death. ill I give my entire estate to the Trustee or Trustees then acting under that certain Amendedand Restated Declarationof Trust executedon March 22, 2002 by me as Trustee and Trustor which is called the MICHAELJACKSONFAMILYTRUST, giving effect to anyamendmentstheretom,a.deprior to mydeath. All such assets shallbe held, managedand distributedas a part of said Trust accordingto its terms and not as a separatetestamentary trust. .. If for any reason this gift is not operativeor is invalid, or if the aforesaidTrust fails or hasbeen revoked,I givemy residuaryestatd''tothe Trusteeor Trusteesnamedto act in the MICHAELJACKSONFAMILYTRUST, as Amendedand Restated on March 22,2002, and I direct said Trustee or Trusteesto divide,administer,hold anddistributethe trust estate pursuant to the provisio~sof said Trust, as hereinabovereferred to as such provisionsnow .'' exist to the same extent and in the same manner as though that certain Amended and RestatedDeclarationof Trust,were hereinset forth in full, but without giving effectto any subsequentamendmentsafter the date of this Will. The Trustee,Trustees,or any successor Trusteenamedin such TrustAgreementshall servewithoutbond. IV I direct that all federal estatetaxes and state inheritanceor successiontaxes payable A upon or resulting ftom or by reason of my death (herein "Death Taxes") attributableto Il/ propertywhich is part of the trust estate of the MICHAELJACKSONFAMILYTRUST, includingproperty which passes to said trust from my probate estate shall be paid by the Trustee of said trust in accordancewith its terms. Death Taxes attributableto property passing outside this Will, other than property constituting the trust estate of the trust inentionedin the precedingsentence,shallbe chargedagainstthe taker of said property. V I appointJOHNBRANCA,JOHNMcCLAINandBARRYSlliGEL as co-Executors Y . of thisWill. In the eventof anyof theirdeaths,resignations, inability,failureor refusaltM " serveor continueto serve as a co-Executor,the other shall S''erveandno replacementneedbe named. The co-Executors serving at"any time after my death may name one or more replacementsto serve in the eventthat none of the threenamedindividualsis willingor able to serveat anytime. The term "my executors"as used in this Will shall include any duly actingperson~ A11 fl breopnrde.sentativeor representativesof my estate. No individual acting as such need post avv {f-'' I hereby give to my Executors,full power and authorityat any time or times to sell, lease, mortgage, pledge, exchange or otherwise dispose of the property, whether real or, personal comprising my estate, upon such terms as my Executors shall deem best, to continueanybusinessenterprises,to purchaseassetsftommy estate,to continuein forceand Page 2 pay insurance premiums on any insurancepolicy, includinglife insurance,owned by my estate,and for any of the foregoingpurposesto make,executeanddeliveranyand all deeds, contracts,mortgages,bills of sale or other instrumentsnecessary or desirabletherefor. In addition,I give to my Executorsfull powerto investandreinvestthe estatefunds and assets in any kind of property,real, personalor mixed, and everykind of investment,specifically including, but not by way of limitation,corporate obligations of every kind and stocks, preferredor common,and interestsin investmenttrusts and sharesin investmentcompanies, and anycommontrust fund administeredby anycorporateexecutorhereunder,whichmenof prudentdiscretionandintelligenceacquirefor theirownaccount. VI Except as otherwise provided in this Will or in the Trust refeITedto in ArticlemA11 hereof, I have intentionally omitted to provide for my heirs. I have intentionally omitted to(V ;1 provide for my fonner wife, DEBORAH JEAN ROWE JACKSON. vn If at the time of my death I ownor have an interestin propertylocated outsideof the State of Californiarequiringancillaryadministration,I appointmy domiciliaryExecutorsas ancillaryExecutors for such property. I give to said domiciliaryExecutors the following additionalpowers, rights andprivilegesto be exercisedin their sole and absolutediscretion, with reference to such property:to cause such ancillaryadministrationto be commenced, caITiedon and completed;to detennine what assets, if any, are to be sold by the ancillary Executors; to pay directly or to advance funds from the California estate to the ancillary Executorsfor the paymentof all claims,taxes, costsand administrationexpenses,including compensation of the ancillary Executors and attorneys'' fees incUITedby reason of the ownershipof such property and by such ancillaryadministration;and upon completionof such ancillary administration,I authorizeand direct the ancillary Executors to distribute, transfer and deliver the residue of such propertyto the domiciliaryExecutorsherein, to be distributedby them under the tenns of this Will, it beingmy intentionthat my entire estate Page 3 -- .. . ... shan be administered as a unit and that my domiciliaryExecutors shall supervise and control, so far as pennissible by locallaw, anyancillaryadministrationproceedingsdeemed necessaryin the settlementof my estate. vm If any of my children are minors at the time of my death, I nominatemy mother, KATHERINEJACKSONas guardianof the pers~nsand estates_ofsuch minor children. If nominate DIANA ROSS as guardian of the pers I subscribe my name to this Will this On the date written below, MICHAELJOSEPH J undersigned,that the foregoinginstrumentconsistingof five (5) pages, includingthe page signed by us as witnesses, was his Will and requested us to act as witnesses to it. ''He thereupon signed this Will in our presence,all of us being present at the same time. We now, at his request,in his presenceandin the presenceof each other,subscribeournamesas witnesses. ~.- Each of us is now more than eighteen(18) yearsof age and a competentwitnessand resides at the addressset forthafterhis name. Each of us is acquaintedwith MICHAELJOSEPHJACKSON. At this time, he is over the age of eighteen(18) years and, to the best of our knowledge,he is of sound mind and is not actingunder duress,menace,fraud,misrepresentationor undueinfluence. Page4 .. ~ H.._ ..""''-._ 0<.---...... We declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. July 7, 2002 Ex-wife Debbie Rowe expected to get custody of Jackson kids Michael Jacksonбпs former wife, Debbie Rowe, is most likely to receive custody of the two children she bore when she was married to the late pop star, legal experts said today. Although Rowe initially waived parental rights to the children, she later changed her mind, and an appeals court ruled she was the legal mother of Prince Michael Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine. б░When a child has two legal parents and one of them dies, the other takes custody,б▒ said USC law professor Scott Altman. To gain custody, other family members or individuals designated in Jackson''s will as guardians would have to show that giving custody to Rowe would harm the children, Altman said. Such a decision might depend on the amount of contact she has had with them, he said. A legal fight over Jacksonбпs children б░seems almost inevitable,б▒ Altman said. б░It is very hard to reach amicable agreements over child custody in circumstances like that.б▒ UCLA law professor Grace Blumberg said she also expects Rowe to obtain custody of the elder children, even if Jackson designated another guardian in his will. Blumberg said the surrogate mother of the youngest child, Prince Michael II, also might come forward to try to obtain custody of that child. If the surrogate mother lived in Europe when the child was born, European laws would apply, Blumberg said. She said many European countries do not recognize surrogate arrangements. Iris Finsilver, a lawyer who represented Rowe in the custody case with Jackson, told the Associated Press that Rowe was inconsolable over Jacksonбпs death. The attorney said she had no doubt Rowe would seek custody. Finsilver and lawyers for Jackson could not be reached for comment. --Maura Dolan Michael Jackson''s ex-wife and the mother of his two older children is in line to obtain custody of them, even if the pop star designated another person as their guardian after his death, legal experts said Friday. Although UC Berkeley law professor Herma Hill Kay said it was "not a slam dunk" that ex-wife Debbie Rowe would win custody, four other experts in family law said she would have the advantage if there is a custody battle. "She is definitely first in line to get the kids," said Stanford Law professor R. Richard Banks. "In fact, she would have the legal right to have custody of the children unless it was found that she was an unfit mother." Rowe initially signed a contract waiving her parental rights to Prince Michael Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine, 11. She later changed her mind and went to court to contest the contract. An appeals court ruled in her favor in 2006, and the custody battle was eventually settled out of court. Law professors said the contract Rowe had signed was clearly illegal. Assuming that Jackson compensated Rowe for signing away her rights, UCLA law professor Grace Ganz Blumberg said, "You can''t buy and sell kids, and that is what would have been going on here. He would have been buying the kids from her." California law permits a parent to give up custodial but not parental rights in the kind of contract Rowe signed, Blumberg said. The appeals court ruling means that Rowe is the legal mother of the older children, she said, "And if one parent is dead, the other parent is entitled to custody of the child." USC law professor Scott Altman said a legal battle over Jackson''s three children "seems almost inevitable." Complicating the custody picture is the question of inheritance and the fact that the youngest child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, was borne by a different woman, a surrogate. The surrogate mother, whose identity is not known, has been reported to be in Europe. If Jackson signed a contract with the woman while in California specifying that California law would prevail, the woman probably would not be able to obtain custody, lawyers said. "I think it would be a binding contract here," said Fred Silberberg, a Santa Monica-based family law attorney. Most clinics now advise prospective parents in surrogacy cases to implant the surrogate with donor eggs to make it more difficult for the surrogate to later try to reclaim the child, USC''s Altman said. "The surrogate is much less likely to win" if she is not the genetic mother, Altman said. The surrogate also would lose if Jackson had legally adopted the child, said UC Berkeley''s Kay. In deciding custody issues, a court also could consider whether it would harm the children to be separated, Altman said. But a court is not obligated to respect the wishes of a parent stated in a will. "Most parents who write wills designate someone to be a guardian in the case of their deaths, but usually that becomes operative only when both parents die," he said. Jackson married Rowe, his former nurse, in 1996 when she was six months pregnant. They divorced in 1999. Although there is wide speculation that Jackson was not the biological father of Rowe''s children, he was the legal father under California law. Jackson raised his children without their mothers. He said the youngest was conceived with his sperm but that he was barred by contract from disclosing the surrogate''s identity. "Jackson wanted to be the exclusive parent, but kids need a backup," Blumberg said. "People die, so what he did was leave his kids without a parent" who has helped raise them. Iris Finsilver, a lawyer who represented Rowe in the custody case with Jackson, told the Associated Press that she was certain that Rowe would want custody of her children. She said Rowe was devastated by Jackson''s death. Story In the lowest moment of Michael Jackson''s life -- his 2005 criminal trial -- his mother, Katherine, was his greatest supporter. In breaks between testimony of witnesses accusing the pop star of molesting young boys, she and her son would repair to a private room in the courthouse with his legal team and she would murmur comforting words to him. "She would tell him that the truth would prevail, that God would help him. She just kept him strong," defense lawyer Thomas A. Mesereau Jr. recalled. "She never missed a single day of testimony, and it was a five-month trial." As the quiet center in an often fractious family of outsized personalities, Katherine Jackson, 79, held a deep and affectionate bond with the pop star all his life -- even through its most isolated chapters. A steadfast and religious woman, she not only doted on Michael but also fiercely protected him, according to people who have had close dealings with the family. When the Los Angeles courthouse opened Monday, she stepped into the media squall to take control of her son''s estate and custody of his three children, amid the growing cacophony of claims over the singer''s vast assets and debts. A Superior Court judge appointed her special administrator of her son''s estate, with limited powers to secure his personal property. The judge also granted her temporary custody of the children, Prince Michael Jr., 12; Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and Prince Michael II, 7. "They have a long-established relationship with paternal grandmother and are in her care," an attorney, Diane Goodman, wrote about the children in court papers. On Saturday, Katherine Jackson was photographed buying sleeping bags and toys for the children at a Target store. The court will address permanent arrangements for the children at a hearing July 6. Debbie Rowe, the mother of Jackson''s two older children, is considering whether to seek custody or continued visitation rights. Her attorney, Eric George, said Rowe will decide within the next several days how to respond to Katherine Jackson''s petition for temporary custody. Rowe initially signed a contract with Jackson giving up her parental rights, but later hired George to challenge it. An appeals court threw the contract out in 2006, ruling that she remained a legal parent of the two children. Jackson retained custody, and Rowe obtained visitation rights. Attorneys for Katherine Jackson argued in their court filing Monday that Rowe does not have a relationship with the children and that if she got custody it would be "detrimental" to them. The court papers also indicated that Katherine Jackson was anticipating a legal battle over Michael''s estate. Her lawyers have said they have found no will, but allowed in the filing "it is possible that the court will have to review many wills and evaluate the competing claims of the presenters of such wills." Where Michael''s father, Joe, fits into this picture is unclear. In court papers seeking custody of the children, Katherine Jackson''s lawyers listed her address as the family home in Encino, but the space reserved for Joe Jackson''s address was marked "Unknown." Although Katherine and Joe Jackson have been married for almost 60 years, they have not lived together for at least a decade, said Stacy Brown, a onetime family friend who co-wrote the 2005 biography "Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask." Joe Jackson, he said, lives in Las Vegas full-time, but stays in the family home in Encino when visiting Los Angeles. "She puts up with Joe when she has to, which is not too often," said Brown, who frequently stayed at the home during his 15-year relationship with the family. Michael Jackson was much closer to his mother. Born in Alabama and raised in the steel mill towns of northern Indiana, Katherine had a sweet demeanor, but could grow icy and unforgiving with anyone she felt might harm her children, Brown said. At the time of the molestation trial in Santa Barbara County, she once asked Brown, a witness, if he believed the charges against her son. "She really wanted to know," he recalled. "And once I uttered those fateful words -- ''I think he''s guilty'' -- there was a line drawn in the sand. It was, ''How dare you?'' " Brown never talked to the family again. In her eyes, he said, Michael was "a vulnerable cub" and she the mother bear. "She treated him that way and Michael loved that," he said. Randy Phillips, the head of the firm putting on Jackson''s comeback concerts, worked with the singer daily in the months leading up to his death and said his mother was his closest confidant. "I''ve never seen a closer relationship between a 50-year-old man and his mother," said Phillips, the chief executive of AEG Live, calling her a constant presence at Jackson''s rented Holmby Hills home. "One of the rare times he went out to a restaurant at night, he went to her birthday party with the kids." She was concerned about the upcoming London concerts, his first shows in a dozen years. "She grilled me pretty good. She wanted to make sure we weren''t taking advantage of him . . . that he was getting enough rest and not overworking," Phillips said. The doting was reciprocal, he said. Jackson had money problems -- he owed more than $400 million to creditors -- but "even when he was tight on money, he would make sure all of her bills were paid." Phillips, who spoke to Katherine Jackson on Monday, said she was composed and focused on the tasks ahead of her. "Because she has to take care of the kids and stuff she''s been pretty good. She''s pulled it together," he said. Michael''s relationship with his father, however, was tortured. Joe Jackson ruled the family, by most accounts, with his fists and a bellowing rage. The former crane operator at U.S. Steel was both the disciplinarian dad and ruthless manager, driving his five sons from obscurity -- in Gary, Ind. -- to Motown and stardom as the Jackson 5 in the late ''60s. In a 2003 documentary by British journalist Martin Bashir, Jackson said his father often brandished a belt during rehearsals and hit his sons or shoved them into walls if they made a misstep. "We were terrified of him," Jackson said. That same year, Joe Jackson told the BBC: "I whipped him with a switch and a belt. I never beat him. You beat someone with a stick." When the interviewer told him that Michael "regurgitates" whenever he saw his father, Joe replied: "He regurgitates all the way to the bank. That''s right." Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli said that although Joe Jackson is often described as the head of the family, "I''ve always thought Katherine called the shots." Those who know her say her faith sustains her. Katherine Jackson raised her children as Jehovah''s Witnesses. Michael left the faith but at the time of the 2005 trial his mother was still very active in the faith. "She was going to the Kingdom Hall four days a week," lawyer Mesereau said. During the trial, recalled Taraborrelli, "She had to sit there, this Jehovah''s Witness, very religious woman and hear the most horrible, lurid testimony about her son day in and day out. It was brutal, embarrassing and humiliating and man, she just did it. . . . She is just unflappable." He said that her marriage speaks to her determination to get through rough patches. "They''ve had a lot of good fights over the years, but she is the type of person who will always see things out," he said. "She is strong and determined, and no one should underestimate Katherine Jackson." Michael Jackson''s life was infused with fantasy and tragedy He owned a statue of Marilyn, studied Chaplin and married Elvis'' daughter. It seemed the perennial man-child would cease to exist if the applause ever stopped Michael Jackson was fascinated by celebrity tragedy. He had a statue of Marilyn Monroe in his home and studied the sad Hollywood exile of Charlie Chaplin. He married the daughter of Elvis Presley. Jackson met his own untimely death Thursday at age 50, and more than any of those past icons, he left a complicated legacy. As a child star, he was so talented he seemed lit from within; as a middle-aged man, he was viewed as something akin to a visiting alien who, like Tinkerbell, would cease to exist if the applause ever stopped. It was impossible in the early 1980s to imagine the surreal final chapters of Jackson''s life. In that decade, he became the world''s most popular entertainer thanks to a series of hit records -- б░Beat It,б▒ "Billie Jean," б░Thrillerб▒ -- and dazzling music videos. Perhaps the best dancer of his generation, he created his own iconography: the single shiny glove, the Moonwalk, the signature red jacket and the Neverland Ranch. In recent years, he inspired fascination for reasons that had nothing to do with music. Years of plastic surgery had made his face a bizarre landscape. He was deeply in debt and had lost his way as a musician. He had not toured since 1997 or released new songs since 2001. Instead of music videos, the images of Jackson beamed around the world were tabloid reports about his strange personal behavior, including allegations of child molestation, or the latest failed relaunch of his career. A frail-looking Jackson had spent his last weeks in rehearsal for an ambitious comeback attempt and 50 already-sold-out shows at London''s O2 Arena. A major motivation was the $300 million in debt run up by a star who lived like royalty even though his self-declared title of King of Pop was more about the past than the present It''s one of the greatest losses," said Tommy Mottola, former president of Sony Music, which released Jackson''s music for 16 years. "In pop history, there''s a triumvirate of pop icons: Sinatra, Elvis and Michael, that define the whole culture. . . . His music bridged races and ages and absolutely defined the video age. Nothing that came before him or that has come after him will ever be as big as he was." Jackson "had it all. . . . talent, grace, professionalism and dedication," said Quincy Jones, Jackson''s collaborator on his most important albums and the movie "The Wiz." "He was the consummate entertainer, and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I''ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him." Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Ind. His mother, Katherine, would say that there was something special about the fifth of her nine children. "I don''t believe in reincarnation," she said, "but you know how babies move uncoordinated? He never moved that way. When he danced, it was like he was an older person." Katherine Jackson, who worked for Sears, Roebuck and Co., taught her children folk songs. Her husband, Joseph, a crane operator who once played with the R&B band the Falcons, played guitar and coached his sons. The boys were soon performing at local benefits. Michael took command of the group even as a chubby-cheeked kindergartner. "He was so energetic that at 5 years old he was like a leader," brother Jackie once told Rolling Stone magazine. "We saw that. So we said, ''Hey, Michael, you be the lead guy.'' The audience ate it up." By 1968, the Jacksons had cut singles for a local Indiana label called Steeltown. At an engagement that year at Harlem''s famed Apollo Theater, singer Gladys Knight and pianist Billy Taylor saw their act and recommended them to Motown founder Berry Gordy. So did Diana Ross after sharing a stage with the quintet at a "Soul Weekend" in Gary. Ross said later that she saw herself in the talented and driven Michael. "He could be my son," she said. Another Motown legend, Smokey Robinson, would describe the young performer as "a strange and lovely child, an old soul in the body of a boy." Motown moved the Jacksons to California, and in August 1968 they gave a breakthrough performance at a Beverly Hills club called The Daisy. Their first album, "Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5," was released in December 1969, and it yielded the No. 1 hit "I Want You Back," with 11-year-old Michael on the lead vocals. "ABC," б░Iбпll Be Thereб▒ and other hits followed, and the group soon had their own television series, a Saturday morning cartoon and an array of licensed merchandise aimed at youngsters. There was a price: childhood. "I never had the chance to do the fun things kids do," Jackson once explained. "There was no Christmas, no holiday celebrating. So now you try to compensate for some of that loss." Joseph Jackson ruled the family, by most accounts, with his fists and a bellowing rage. In a 2003 documentary by British journalist Martin Bashir, Jackson said his father often brandished a belt during rehearsals and hit his sons or shoved them into walls if they made a misstep. "We were terrified of him," Jackson said. In the Bashir interviews, the singer said his father ridiculed him for his pug nose and adolescent acne. He also described, with obvious discomfort, having to listen to an older brother have sex with a woman in the hotel bedroom they shared. Onstage, Jackson seemed to know no fear. "When we sang, people would throw all this money on the floor, tons of dollars, 10s, 20s, lots of change," an adult Jackson once told Newsweek. "I remember my pockets being so full of money that I couldn''t keep my pants up. I''d wear a real tight belt. And I''d buy candy like crazy." By 1972, Jackson had his first solo album, "Got to Be There," which included the title hit as well as "Rockin'' Robin." His first solo No. 1 single came the same year -- the forlorn theme song from the movie б░Ben.б▒ He struggled to understand a world that he saw mostly while staring into spotlights and flashbulbs. Standing ovations greeted him onstage; parental slaps awaited him in the dressing room. Like his mother, he became a Jehovah''s Witness, forswearing alcohol, cigarettes and foul language. He fasted on Saturdays and went door-to-door, wearing a disguise, to spread the faith. (He ended his association with the religion in the late 1980s.) In 1978, Michael made his film debut as the Scarecrow in "The Wiz," a black-cast adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz." The movie launched a creative and commercial partnership with "Wiz" music director Quincy Jones. The first fruit of their collaboration was "Off the Wall" (1979), Jackson''s debut album on the Epic label. It sold 5 million copies in the United States and 2 million abroad and generated four Top 10 singles. It was with Jones (as well as often-overlooked songwriter Rod Temperton) that Jackson shaped "Thriller," which was released near the end of 1982 and became the best-selling studio album in history and a cultural landmark. Its effect on the music industry and the music videos that came to define the then-nascent MTV was huge. next In a Motown TV special in 1983, Jackson, then 24, electrified the nation with his Moonwalk, a dance step that created the illusion of levitation. He took the stage in a black sequined jacket, silver shirt, black fedora and black trousers that skimmed the tops of his white socks. The final touch was a single white glove, studded with rhinestones. Times critic Robert Hilburn, who observed the performance live at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, said the broadcast marked Jackson''s "unofficial coronation as the King of Pop. Within months, he changed the way people would hear and see pop music, unleashing an influence that rivaled that of Elvis Presley and the Beatles." His dance style combined the robotic moves of break-dancers, the quicksilver spins and slides of James Brown and the grace of Fred Astaire, whose routines he studied. The aging Astaire called him "a wonderful mover." Not only did "Thriller" smash sales records as the bestselling album of 1983, but it made Jackson the first artist to top four charts simultaneously: It was the No. 1 pop single, pop album, R&B single and R&B album. It earned five Grammy Awards. Jay Cocks wrote in Time magazine that Jackson "just may be the most popular black singer ever." The "Thriller" success enabled Jackson to negotiate what were believed to be the highest royalty rates ever earned by a recording artist. But it also put him in a cage of his own anxieties and obsession. Jackson bonded with past pop-music royalty by marrying Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 and grabbing a major interest in the Beatles'' catalog, an asset worth $500 million. The marriage was short-lived, however, and his wealth was imperiled by an extravagant lifestyle that included the 2,700-acre Neverland Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he lived with a menagerie of exotic pets. Jackson became a prisoner of his own celebrity. He became so accustomed to bodyguards and assistants that he once admitted that he trembled if he had to open his own front door. He compared himself to "a hemophiliac who can''t afford to be scratched in any way." Notoriously shy offstage, onstage he was electric and acutely attuned to what his fans craved. Commenting once on a sotto voce note at the end of a ballad, he said: "That note will touch the whole audience. What they''re throwing out at you, you''re grabbing. You hold it, you touch it and you whip it back -- it''s like a Frisbee." "I hate to admit it, but I feel strange around everyday people," he said on another occasion. "See, my whole life has been onstage, and the impression I get of people is applause, standing ovations and running after you. In a crowd, I''m afraid. Onstage, I feel safe. If I could, I would sleep on the stage. I''m serious." In better days, his wealth allowed him to fulfill personal fantasies -- including building his own amusement park -- and bankroll charities, particularly those involving children. Then came the dark whispers about the nature of his relationship with boys. He was often seen with youngsters, both famous and those plucked from the mundane world to visit his playground estate. In 1993, he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy who was a frequent overnight guest in his home. On tour in Asia when the charges were filed, he canceled his performances, citing exhaustion and addiction to painkillers as the reasons. Jackson''s attorney charged that the boy''s father, a would-be screenwriter who had tried to obtain Jackson''s backing for a project, was trying to extort money. The criminal investigation was closed after the boy refused to testify. A civil lawsuit was settled for a reported $20 million. "I am not guilty of these allegations," Jackson, then 35, said after the settlement was reached. "But if I am guilty of anything, it is of giving all that I have to give to help children all over the world. It is of loving children of all ages and races. It is of gaining sheer joy from seeing children with their innocent and smiling faces. It is of enjoying through them the childhood that I missed myself." He lost a Pepsi endorsement as well as a deal to develop several films. The Jackson-themed Captain EO attraction at Disneyland was scrapped. A second case unfolded in November 2003, when Santa Barbara authorities, acting on accusations by a 13-year-old cancer patient who had stayed at Jackson''s ranch, arrested the star. The 14-week trial featured celebrity witnesses such as Jay Leno and Macaulay Culkin and Jackson''s own bizarre antics, such as showing up for court in pajama pants and a tuxedo jacket. It ended June 13, 2005, with his acquittal on all counts. Jackson acknowledged in the interview with Bashir that, despite the earlier cases, he still invited children to share his bedroom and saw nothing wrong with it. "It''s not sexual," he insisted. "I tuck them in, have hot milk, give them cookies. It''s very charming, it''s very sweet." He added that his own children "sleep with other people all the time." By then, Jackson was a figure of pop music''s past, not its present. When The Times, in 2001, asked top recording executives to name the most valuable acts in the business, Jackson failed to make the top 20. In 2003, he settled a lawsuit by his former financial advisors after legal documents portrayed the singer as near bankruptcy. At the same time, he was waging legal battles against his 1970s recording label, Motown Records, and his current label, Sony''s Epic Records. He stirred speculation about his mental state when he contended that the latter company, and in particular Mottola, had inadequately promoted his work because of racism. He celebrated his 45th birthday in August 2003 at a curious public event that seemed to underscore the decline of his career. Hundreds of fans paid $30 each or more for admission to an old downtown Los Angeles movie palace, where largely amateur or obscure performers sang, lip-synced or danced to the fallen idol''s hits. Most of the seats reserved for A-list guests went begging. When the honoree took the stage at the end to join in a rendition of "We Are the World," he was flanked not by the likes of Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder, as he was when the famous song was first recorded, but by several Jackson impersonators. Such impersonators usually model themselves on his "Thriller" persona, but the singer himself looked nothing like that in recent years. There was intense public curiosity about his physical metamorphosis. Jackson often insisted that his wan complexion was the result of treatment for a skin disorder called vitiligo, but that did not explain why his once-broad nose became long, sleek and pertly tipped. He publicly admitted to two nose operations, but cosmetic surgeons who studied his photographs surmised that he had undergone far more, possibly so many that he had destroyed the cartilage. In 1996, Jackson married his former nurse, Debbie Rowe, who bore two of his three children, Prince Michael Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine. He did not disclose the identity of the mother of his third child, Prince Michael II. He raised the children without their mothers and had them wear elaborate masks whenever they went out with him. Several months after Prince Michael II''s birth, Jackson dangled the baby outside an upper-story hotel window in Berlin to show the child to fans assembled below. The incident led to accusations that the singer was an unfit father. He later acknowledged that he had shown poor judgment. He is survived by his children; his parents; and siblings Maureen, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Randy, LaToya and Janet. Lentapedia Шокирующие подробности, связанные со смертью Майкла Джексона CNN see www.cnn.com Черный Орфей спускается в ад : Мэлор Стуруа See 25 texts about MJ News Last repetition Fans overlook Michael Jackson''s dark side LOS ANGELES (Reuters) иC Just as people choose to forget that Elvis Presley was a bloated drug addict when he died, so Michael Jackson is now the subject of posthumous veneration that overlooks the dark side of his life. Jackson''s career was all but comatose four years ago when he stood trial for child molestation in California. Despite lurid testimony from a 13-year-old boy who said that Jackson conducted sexual acts with him, a jury decided he was not guilty. But damage had been done. "It was all over after the trial," said veteran rock critic Dave Marsh, author of the 1985 book "Trapped: Michael Jackson and the Crossover Dream." "For me, I think he was dead as a celebrity before he was dead as a person. It was pretty pathetic, the last few years. He managed to whittle himself down to size. It''s a shame, really." In the days following the self-proclaimed king of pop''s death on June 25 aged 50, reports of prescription-drug abuse have served as eerie reminders of the pharmaceutical cocktails that Presley was taking before he died in 1977. As was also the case with Presley, Jackson''s sales suddenly spiked after his death. Manufacturing plants struggled to keep up with demand as fans around the world snapped up his albums. And as fans fondly favor the "young Elvis," so they focus on "young Michael" before his face underwent startling changes. Margo Jefferson, author of the 2006 book "On Michael Jackson," hoped people could separate their feelings about Jackson the artist from their attitude toward Jackson the man. "I think we can multi-task when it comes to our cultural icons," said Jefferson. "We can live simultaneously with their enormous talent, be it a Michael Jackson, or a Marlon Brando or a Judy Garland or an Elvis. And we can live with the knowledge of the enormous damage that they did to themselves, that was done to them, and that they did to other people." British music biographer Barney Hoskyns glumly predicted Jackson would become "a kind of martyr to fame." "What staggers me is how myopic the most dedicated of his fans can be, the way they have been able to just deny to themselves the reality of Michael''s hypocrisy," he said. YOUNG BOYS In 1993, Jackson paid a reported $23 million to make a first child molestation allegation go away. A decade later he defiantly told a TV interviewer there was nothing wrong with sleeping with young boys. That same year, 2003, came a second round of accusations of sex with a minor and the criminal charge of molestation. Biographer Christopher Andersen''s 1994 book "Michael Jackson Unauthorized" claimed the singer spent nearly every night over a three-year period through 1987 with young boys between the ages of nine and 14. When Stephen Davis, ghostwriter of Jackson memoir "Moon Walk," was at Jackson''s Encino, Calif. home in 1987 conducting interviews, a succession of preteen boys visited constantly. "I never saw them in bed together, but it makes perfect sense to me that it was like camping out," he said. "Camping out with Uncle Mike. But I don''t believe he ever laid a finger on them." While the sexual allegations may tarnish his reputation, and speculation about drug use and cosmetic surgery will likely be talked about for years, Jackson''s musical legacy is on safer ground -- even if his best days were well behind him by the time he died. His 1982 disc "Thriller" remains the biggest-selling album of all time thanks to such video-fueled hits as "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." But "Bad," (1987) "Dangerous" (1991) and "Invincible" (2001) successively cost more and sold less. "Everything on ''Bad'' sounded like it had been written by a committee or a computer," said Hoskyns. "The subsequent albums were horrible too ... He had become so fake that he didn''t even know what was real about himself anymore." What''s more, innovators like Prince -- with his 1987 album "Sign o'' the Times" -- were making music that was "ten times more radical than anything Michael could do," said Hoskyns Childhood hits such as "ABC" and "I''ll Be There" with his older brothers in the Jackson 5 remain rare examples of enduring teen pop. Jackson had the foresight to break out on his own, and in 1979 released what many people consider to be his masterpiece: "Off The Wall." "It really did invent the sound of black popular music in the ''80s, and everything starts with (chart-topping first single) ''Don''t Stop ''til You Get Enough,''" said Hoskyns. To that end, his musical legacy is largely secure, and it raises the big issue of what else he could have achieved had his life not been such a mess. "He should have just been making music," said Rolling Stone writer Neil Strauss. "No one doubts when they see him that this guy just has it flowing through him. When he comes to dance and music, he embodies it. That''s who he is." (Editing by Alan Elsner and Bob Tourtellotte) (To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/) Massive demand for Jackson memorial tickets Massive demand for Jackson memorial tickets Reuters, Jul 4, 2009 8:26 am PDT More than half a million fans from around the world applied for 17,500 free tickets to Michael Jackson''s public memorial service next week, organizers said on Friday as a massive security operation got underway. The life and music of the self-proclaimed "king of pop," who died of sudden cardiac arrest last Thursday, will be celebrated on Tuesday at the Staples Center, a basketball arena in downtown Los Angeles. Officials on Friday unveiled an ambitious online lottery that will allow fans to attend either the televised service at the arena or watch the proceedings on a big screen at the nearby Nokia Theater. But within minutes, the staplescenter.com (http://www.staplescenter.com) server crashed. Officials warned additional disruptions were likely as fans logged on ahead of the Saturday deadline at 6 p.m. PDT. "You might want to consider watching this from the comfort of your own home," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who is doubling as the city''s acting mayor. The ceremony will also streamed online. A wide area around the venues in downtown Los Angeles will be blocked off for the 10 a.m. event. Both local and state law-enforcement agencies have been marshaled for duty. A local news-radio station reported that more than 1,400 officers from the Los Angeles Police Department alone have been asked to volunteer for duty on Monday and Tuesday. The LAPD, which has about 9,000 officers in total, declined to comment on the report or to reveal a staffing number. A Jackson family spokesman also declined to provide details of the memorial service, but said there would not be a funeral procession and Jackson''s body would not be at the memorial. Funeral arrangements have not been disclosed, but security has been beefed up at the Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills mortuary, where his body is believed to be held. Officials were also tight-lipped about the cost of the memorial service, and who would pay for it. Like other U.S. cities, Los Angeles is strapped for cash in the global recession and similar questions about public tax revenues being spent for such an elaborate ceremony surfaced last month when a $2 million celebration was given for the champion Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team. That event, which attracted over 500,000 people, was eventually funded through private donations. The city has already budgeted for LAPD overtime, Perry said, adding that officials would "deeply appreciate" help to offset incremental costs, such as transportation, sanitation and staging. Winners of the tickets will be contacted on Sunday and directed to pick up a pair of tickets and wristbands on Monday. No tickets will be sold. The massive demand raised the question of counterfeiting or scalping, drawing pleas from organizers for fans to act responsibly. "For those that would try to take advantage of this, shame on them," said Tim Leiweke, the president and CEO of AEG, the closely held entertainment concern that owns the venues and was backing Jackson''s planned comeback concerts in London. Jackson''s last performance was at the Staples Center. The night before he died of sudden cardiac arrest last Thursday, he rehearsed for the tour at the venue. (Additional Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bill Trott and Todd Eastham Michael Jackson''s Ј15,000 gold plated coffin is the same as the one used for singer James Brown It is exactly the same type of coffin which soul singer Brown was buried in, in 2006. Jackson idolised Brown and copied his dance moves on stage as a child. Jackson saw the casket first hand when he paid tribute to Brown as he lay in state in New York City''s Apollo Theatre, where he started his career. Brown''s body was transported to the theatre on a white carriage similar to the one seen at Jackson''s Neverland ranch after his death. It is thought Jackson''s family had wanted to have a similar procession but were prevented from doing so because they couldn''t get legal permission for a burial on private property. Items from Jackson''s musical career, including a trademark white glove, were placed inside the coffin with him. Paris Jackson''s memorial-service comments weren''t planned, producer says "Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said. "And I just want to say that I love him so much." the Michael Jackson memorial service Michael Jackson''s family silent on burial plans LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More than 31 million Americans watched Michael Jackson''s public memorial on television, but mystery surrounded the whereabouts of his body on Wednesday and plans for his burial. A day after Jackson''s casket was taken to a Los Angeles basketball arena for an emotional memorial for fans, friends and his family, attention returned to how Jackson got his hands on powerful prescription drugs reportedly found in his rented mansion after his sudden death on June 25. Sales of Jackson''s albums soared for a second week, with his solo albums jumping another 90 percent to 800,000 copies in the United States, tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan said. Nielsen Media Research said 31.1 million Americans watched Tuesday''s Los Angeles memorial live on television. The figure is lower than the TV audience of some other recent events. Some 49.5 million Americans tuned in for President Barack Obama''s first White House news conference in February, and 35 million watched former President Ronald Reagan''s 2004 burial live on TV. The Nielsen figures do not include viewing on the Internet or other platforms, which has grown rapidly in the last few years. The Jackson family spokesman did not return calls for comment on burial plans for the "Thriller" singer, who died of cardiac arrest at age 50. NO REQUEST FOR NEVERLAND BURIAL California officials and those in Santa Barbara County said the family has not asked for the required special permission to bury Jackson at his abandoned Neverland Valley Ranch in central California. Media reports said the Los Angeles coroner''s office was conducting neuropathology tests on part of Jackson''s brain, which could be behind the delay in the family''s burial plans. One of Jackson''s doctors, Beverly Hills dermatologist Arnold Klein, on Wednesday denied he was one of the targets of a police investigation over drugs seized from Jackson''s home after his death. "I was not one of the doctors who participated in giving him overdoses of drugs or too much of anything," Klein told ABC''s "Good Morning America" in an interview. "I always was concerned about him. No matter what he wanted, someone would give it to him," he said. Klein also denied media reports that he was the sperm donor of Jackson''s two children with his ex-wife Debbie Rowe. A spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the elaborate memorial cost the cash-strapped city $1.4 million, "far less" than an initial estimate of $3.8 million. City officials had braced for as many as 250,000 fans to show up at the Staples Center. The actual number was closer to 1,000. Donors chipped in $17,000 after the city set up a website asking for cash to cover the cost, he added. Continued... Jackson''s music is enjoying the commercial success that eluded the "King of Pop" in recent years. The singer''s "Number Ones" compilation was the top-selling album in the United States during the week ended July 5, and his 1982 blockbuster "Thriller" took second place. Memorial service for Michael Jackson at Staples Center L.A. Now VIDEO: Michael Jackson''s Changing Face INSIDE STORY: Michael Jackson''s Plastic Surgery For years, fans looked on as Michael Jackson radically transformed his appearance. But despite his obviously altered look, the singer only ever admitted to two nose jobs иC and blamed his progressively paler skin on the condition vitiligo. In fact, says a Los Angeles surgeon who shared a practice with one of Jackson''s surgeons, the King of Pop иC who died of cardiac arrest June 25 иC was a frequent customer. "He had multiple surgeries," says Dr. Wallace Goodstein, who worked beside Jackson''s surgeon in the 1990s. "He came in approximately every two months. It was about 10 to 12 surgeries in two years, while I was there." As for the specifics, says Goodstein, Jackson "had multiple nose jobs, cheek implants and he had a cleft put in his chin. He had eyelid surgery ... You name it he had it." Goodstein also opines that Jackson underwent operations that he never should have: "He had so many things that were inappropriate." Clandestine Visits Like many patients, Jackson sought to hide his cosmetic surgery from the public, says another source with knowledge of the situation. "Michael Jackson always wanted to do these operations in a clandestine manner," says the source. "They were done in the evening when personnel had to come in so no one else in the office could see him going in or out." Eventually, the surgeries took a toll on his face. "His nose became so small because he was operated on repeatedly," says the source. "He has barely anything left for a nose." Reversing the Procedures Jackson eventually turned to dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein for a solution. "I rebuilt it [his nose] ... using fillers," Klein revealed in a July 8 interview with Larry King. "I used hyaluronic acids, and they worked very well. It''s an arduous procedure, because you don''t want to put too much in. And you have to do it exactly, so you can flow the material so it''s perfectly smooth." Jackson was pleased with the results, says his dermatologist. "I''m telling you that he was beginning to look like the nose was normal again," Klein иC who recently addressed rumors that he is the biological father of Jackson''s children Prince, 12, and Paris, 11 иC said in the TV interview. "And that''s all I wanted, and [to] regain the breathing passages of his nose, because there was a total collapse of the cartilage." Pale Skin Klein says Jackson also relied on him to help in treating the skin condition vitiligo, which destroys pigment-producing cells and can cause patches of uneven tone. "His was bad because he began to get a totally speckled look over his body," said Klein. "[It was] all over his body, but on his face significantly [and] on his hands, which were very difficult to treat." "You have one choice where you can use certain drugs and ultraviolet light treatments to try to make the white spots turn dark," Klein explained. However, Jacksonбпs vitiligo "became so severe, that the easier way is to use certain creams" иC very likely hydroquinone derivatives, say other industry experts иC "that will make the dark spots turn light so you can even out the pigments totally." The treatment resulted in a uniform иC albeit pale иC skin tone. "That''s ultimately what the decision had to be. He would have to wear heavy, heavy makeup on stage, which would be ridiculous. And he couldn''t really go out in public without looking terribly peculiar." Dermatologist: I Donated Sperm иC But Not for Michael Michael Jackson''s dermatologist has said he''s not the father of the singer''s children иC to the best of his knowledge. Now, in a new interview Dr. Arnold Klein admits he did once donate sperm to a sperm bank. "I still can''t answer [the paternity question] absolutely one way or another," Klein said in an interview on Larry King Live Wednesday. "I once donated sperm." Still, he says, the donation was "absolutely not" intended for Jackson, who had son Prince Michael, 12, and daughter Paris Katherine, 11, with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, who worked for Klein. Jackson was also father to Prince Michael II (Blanket), 7, whose mother has never been identified. "I think what''s most important about this whole thing ... is who the children want their father to be," Klein said, reiterating, "To the best of my knowledge, I''m not the father." "This discussion, however, is between Michael, his children and this person. It''s not to be discussed who the father is over national television," Klein added. "The most important thing is, Michael loved those children as a father. Those children loved him as a father. Because they would never pass him without saying, I love you, daddy. He would say I love you. I''ve never seen such emotional care." Klein did not object to the suggestion of a DNA test. "If they want me to take a DNA test, they can have my DNA," he said. "I don''t care at this point. My concern is his kids because I''ve never met children like this. These are the brightest children I''ve ever met, the best behaved children I''ve ever met. I know how deeply he loved them and how deeply they loved him." "I don''t want to destroy this relationship in any way, shape or form," Klein said. "I''ll tell you this, no matter what, I will protect these children." Michael Jackson''s Dermatologist: ''I Am Not the Father'' He is alleged to be the real father of Michael Jackson''s children. Another claim says he is being investigated for prescribing the singer dangerous narcotic pain medications and anesthesia. Now, Jackson''s longtime dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, speaks out to address the rumors. Klein, a Professor of Dermatology and Medicine at UCLA medical school, and a favorite of stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, flatly denies any involvement in over-prescribing drugs to Jackson. "I didn''t give him this crap they are talking about," Klein states in a new interview with Good Morning America. "I''ve never prescribed Oxycontin in my life. How am I going to prescribe Diprivan [a.k.a. Propofol, which is used for anesthesia] when I don''t understand how to use it?" He also denied being one of five doctors reportedly under investigation in the state of California for writing prescriptions for Jackson''s medications. "I am not even under any examination by the police as one of those individuals," he said. "I have not been examined by anyone. I have not been contacted by the police in Los Angeles." Klein also says that Jackson did not appear to be in severe pain иC or to be battling addiction иC during their last meeting, which was the Monday before Jackson''s death. "He danced in my office. He danced for my patients. He was very muscular and he was very, very happy and dancing," Klein says. "I saw nothing at that point in time that would make me worry whatsoever." When asked if a rumor that he was the real father of Jackson''s three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II (Blanket), 7, was true, Klein offered a denial иC sort of. "All I can tell you is, to the best of my knowledge, I am not the father of these children," Klein said. "I can''t answer it any other way. I don''t want to feed any of this insanity going around." He did express a fondness for his friend''s children adding, "These are brilliant children and I want them in no way to be harmed ... People should know the depth of [Jackson''s] love of his children." CNN: Nancy Grace Michael Jackson''s family silent on burial plans LOS ANGELES (Reuters) иC More than 31 million Americans watched Michael Jackson''s public memorial on television, but mystery surrounded the whereabouts of his body on Wednesday and plans for his burial. A day after Jackson''s casket was taken to a Los Angeles basketball arena for an emotional memorial for fans, friends and his family, attention returned to how Jackson got his hands on powerful prescription drugs reportedly found in his rented mansion after his sudden death on June 25. Sales of Jackson''s albums soared for a second week, with his solo albums jumping another 90 percent to 800,000 copies in the United States, tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan said. Nielsen Media Research said 31.1 million Americans watched Tuesday''s Los Angeles memorial live on television. The figure is lower than the TV audience of some other recent events. Some 49.5 million Americans tuned in for President Barack Obama''s first White House news conference in February, and 35 million watched former President Ronald Reagan''s 2004 burial live on TV. The Nielsen figures do not include viewing on the Internet or other platforms, which has grown rapidly in the last few years. The Jackson family spokesman did not return calls for comment on burial plans for the "Thriller" singer, who died of cardiac arrest at age 50. NO REQUEST FOR NEVERLAND BURIAL California officials and those in Santa Barbara County said the family has not asked for the required special permission to bury Jackson at his abandoned Neverland Valley Ranch in central California. Media reports said the Los Angeles coroner''s office was conducting neuropathology tests on part of Jackson''s brain, which could be behind the delay in the family''s burial plans. One of Jackson''s doctors, Beverly Hills dermatologist Arnold Klein, on Wednesday denied he was one of the targets of a police investigation over drugs seized from Jackson''s home after his death. "I was not one of the doctors who participated in giving him overdoses of drugs or too much of anything," Klein told ABC''s "Good Morning America" in an interview. "I always was concerned about him. No matter what he wanted, someone would give it to him," he said. Klein also denied media reports that he was the sperm donor of Jackson''s two children with his ex-wife Debbie Rowe. A spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the elaborate memorial cost the cash-strapped city $1.4 million, "far less" than an initial estimate of $3.8 million. City officials had braced for as many as 250,000 fans to show up at the Staples Center. The actual number was closer to 1,000. Donors chipped in $17,000 after the city set up a website asking for cash to cover the cost, he added. Jackson''s music is enjoying the commercial success that eluded the "King of Pop" in recent years. The singer''s "Number Ones" compilation was the top-selling album in the United States during the week ended July 5, and his 1982 blockbuster "Thriller" took second place Jackson to be Buried Wearing Trademark Glove LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson''s final resting place remains unknown, however, it''s reported he will be wearing his signature white glove when he''s buried. TMZ is reporting that La Toya Jackson chose one of Michael''s white leather gloves for the King of Pop to wear inside his coffin. The glove is covered in Swarovski crystals and was made for the pop star about 10-to-12-years ago, according to TMZ. Meanwhile, there''s speculation that Jackson''s golden casket was empty when it took center stage at the Staples Center under the watchful eyes of millions. When the ceremony was over, the coffin disappeared from sight. By law, the casket that presumably held Jackson''s body should be exactly where his death certificate says it is: back at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills cemetery. Los Angeles County records show the cemetery as the temporary location, where it must stay until those records are officially updated. But where Jackson''s body will eventually be laid to rest remained a mystery, fed by the same level of rumor and speculation that surrounded much of his life. Will he be interred at Forest Lawn? Is Neverland Ranch still a possibility? What if he''s not buried at all, but cremated? The family isn''t talking - and may not even have decided yet. The casket was first seen leaving the mortuary at Forest Lawn after a private family service, where it was placed into a hearse for the 10-mile trip to the Staples Center. But before the memorial even started, the hearse left the facility - empty - and never returned. Legally, the casket would have needed to return to Forest Lawn at some point, presumably after the crowds went home and the television cameras were long gone. Robert J. Biggins, a former president of the National Funeral Directors Association, said Jackson''s body is likely in his casket. The custom-made, top-of-the-line coffin made by the Indiana-based Batesville Casket Company is called a "Promethean." The casket is probably in a temporary holding area - perhaps a mausoleum - pending a final location, he said. "This happened so quickly that it''s something that has to have an awful lot of thoughtful consideration," said Biggins, who is the owner of Magoun-Biggins Funeral home in Rockland, Mass. "This is bigger than your average burial." Conjecture about Jackson''s final resting place has been as fraught as the rumors about where his memorial service would be held in the days before the Staples Center was announced. His 5-page will, signed in 2002, does not include final wishes for his body. Forest Lawn is one likely possibility. If Jackson is buried there, he would join other celebrities such as Liberace, Gene Autry, Bette Davis and Andy Gibb. Recently deceased actor David Carradine and "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon also are buried there. The Jackson family seems divided over whether the body should go to Neverland. To do that the family would need to get permission from local land-use officials to bury Jackson on private property, then submit an application and paperwork with the state Cemetery and Funeral Bureau. Another possibility is cremation. State law requires that the person who has control of the cremated remains obtain written permission of the property owner or governing agency to scatter on the property. Funeral experts said the delay in Jackson''s burial may be due to the fact that such celebrity deaths create logistical, security and legal headaches. "One of the issues you''re going to run into with any high-profile name, whether it be a former president of the United States or somebody of Michael Jackson''s stature, is what does the cemetery - if it''s to be a burial - do to establish security, to protect the remains, to protect the privacy of the family during the service, to protect remains afterward and what kind of built-in overhead comes with it," said Paul Elvig, former president of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association. Experts said even a two-week delay between death and funeral is not unusual. The body of singer James Brown was kept in a sealed gold casket inside his South Carolina home for more than two months before being interred in 2007 at the home of one of his daughters. "You''re probably talking more about an impatient public and an impatient press wanting to know what''s going to happen and that impatience needs to be understood," Elvig said. "If a body''s been properly prepared by an embalmer, it can be held for a considerable period of time with minor touchups to it." Biggins said he is even encouraged by the delay. "I think the fact that there''s this pause is a wonderful thing because it''s being given thoughtful consideration," he said, "to make sure this is done right and this is done in a way that honors his legacy." Mystery Surrounds Michael Jackson''s Burial Michael Jackson''s body left the Staples Center in Los Angeles in a funeral motorcade Tuesday after a star-studded public memorial service for the singer, but it wasn''t immediately clear where the King of Pop''s body was headed. Michael Jackson Funeral video the last speech of Michael Jackson in March 2009 Michael Jackson says he wants to live forever Michael Jackson Died Muslim Michael Jackson R.I.P. (Best Dance Moves) 2009 James Brown Dies (Tribute w/ Michael Jackson) Michael Jackson, 1958-2009: The Talent and the Tragedy The tragedy of Michael Jacksonбпs death at age 50, reportedly from cardiac arrest, pales in comparison to the tragedy of his life. To understand all that Jackson had and lost requires wiping away three decades of plastic surgeries that deformed him, erratic behavior that made his name synonymous with the warping powers of fame, and a 2005 trial for sexually abusing a child that, even though he was spared of any finding of wrongdoing, made him a pariah to all but the most brainwashed of fans. But if you can forgive or forget all that, underneath was one of the most talented entertainers of the 20th century. Quincy Jones who produced Jacksonбпs quintessential solo albums was devastated by the news of his passing. б░Iбпve lost my little brother today,б▒ Jones said in a statement, б░part of my soul has gone with him.б▒ Said Jones: б░Divinity brought our souls togetherбн and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the 80бпs. To this day, the music we created together onOff The Wall, Thriller and Bad is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it allбн.б▒ Jackson was born in 1958, the seventh of nine Jackson children, and before he reached age six he had joined his brothers in the Jackson Five. By the age of eight he had taken over lead singing duties with brother Jermaine, but there was no question who was the star of the group. Little Michael was the best dancer and singer of the bunch, but he also had the mysterious thing that record bosses and studio chiefs crave: star power. Michael appeared to be his best and most interesting self when everyone in the world was watching. As Michael aged into adolescence the Jackson Five, renamed The Jacksons after their departure fromMotown Records, inevitably lost some of its charm. A solo career followed, and after a steady stream of middling hits that attempted to milk the last bit of innocence from Jacksonбпs voice, Jackson had the good fortune to hook up with Quincy Jones while filming The Wiz. The two shared a vision for what Jacksonбпs career as an adult might be and on 1979бпs Off The Wall they executed it beyond even Jacksonбпs dreams. With songwriting help from Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, Off the Wall spun off four Top 10 hits and two number-ones иC б░Donбпt Stop боTil You Get Enoughб▒ and б░Rock with You.б▒ At 22, Jackson not only became one of the most admired pop musicians in the world, but one of the globeбпs most famous people. And his fame only increased with the 1981 release of Thriller, which was to become the best-selling album of all-time (until it was eclipsed in the late бп90s by The Eagles Greatest Hits, 1971-1975.) Seven of the recordбпs nine tracks made the Top 10, and the Quincy Jones-produced hooks remain awe-inspiring. In a cover story about Jackson and Thriller, TIME described him as б░a one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too.б▒ While Jackson had few ambitions at the time beyond global domination, itбпs worth noting that б░The Girl is Mineб▒ established interracial love as a pop music theme and б░Beat Itб▒ (with Eddie Van Halenбпs guitar solo) bridged arena rock and soul four years before Run DMC met Aerosmith. On March 25, 1983, Jackson may have reached the very peak of his fame when he unveiled his signature dance move, the moonwalk, live on the б░Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Foreverб▒ television special. The years after Thriller, however, were marked by a slow descent into what was first dismissible as eccentricity. Jackson attended the Grammys on a triple date with Emmanuel Lewis and Madonna, purchased a chimpanzee named Bubbles and was diagnosed with vitiligo, a condition that he said was responsible for the steady lightening of his skin. But his songwriting genius remained undeniable. With Lionel Richie Jackson, he co-wrote б░We Are the World,б▒ a 1985 charity single that raised an estimated $50 million for famine relief in Africa and ushered in the era of celebrity philanthropy. After the release of 1987бпs Bad, a disappointing follow-up to Thriller, Jackson purchased the 2,800-acreNeverland Ranch in California, and his public weirdness became almost aggressive. In his biography,Moonwalk, Jackson wrote of childhood abuse at the hands of his father and multiple plastic surgeries, subjects he returned to in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey that was one of the most watched non-sports programs in American history. Shortly after, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse in a suit brought by Evan Chandler on behalf of his then 13-year-old son Jordan. Chandler told a psychiatrist and police that he and Jackson had engaged in sexual acts that included oral sex; the boy gave a detailed description of Jacksonбпs genitals. The case was settled out of court for a reported $22 million, but the strain led Jackson to begin taking painkillers. Eventually he became addicted. To counteract the stigma that came with the allegations of pedophilia, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in a relationship Elvisбп only daughter later dismissed as a sham. Two years later they divorced. Given the tumult in his personal life, itбпs no surprise that the 1990s were a barren period for Jackson creatively. In 2001 he managed to pull himself together enough to release Invincible and stage two concerts celebrating his 30th anniversary as a performer at New Yorkбпs Madison Square Garden. The shows, held a few days before Sept. 11, were a capsule of all Jackson had become. There were bizarre cameos from friends Marlon Brando, Liza Minnelli and Eliabeth Taylor. Macaulay Culkin sat next to Jackson in a royal box. But several hours after the proceedings began, when Jackson finally took the stage, all the years of Wacko Jacko melted away. Then in his early 40s, he could still dance and sing better than almost anyone in the world, and he still had star power. The Jackson on display in those concerts was one the world admired and the one that will be missed. MJ Funeral зоз╤з█з▄з▌ зез╪з╓з▄зузрз▀, з▄з╤з▄з┌з▐ з▐зэ з╓з╘зр з┘з╤зсзрз▐з▀з┌з▐ "Black Or White" з│зфз┌з╙з┌ з╡з╤з▀з╒з╓зт з▀з╤ зсзтзрзыз╤з▀з┌з┌ зу зоз╤з█з▄з▌зрз▐ зез╪з╓з▄зузрз▀зрз▐ з▒зрзчзрзтзрз▀зэ зоз╤з█з▄з▌з╤ зез╪з╓з▄зузрз▀з╤: "з│з╓з╘зрз╒з▀зё з▐зэ зсзтз╤з┘з╒з▀зхз╓з▐ з╓з╘зр з╪з┌з┘з▀зю!" Vesti Ru зпзх з╤ зсзрз▄з╤, з╘з╒з╓ зсзрзчзрзтзрз▀з╓з▀ зоз╤з█з▄з▌ зез╪з╓з▄зузрз▀ з┌ зсзрзчзрзтзрз▀з╓з▀ з▌з┌ з╙зрзрз╥зыз╓ зрзузфз╤з╓зфзузё з┘з╤з╘з╤з╒з▄зрз█ July 14 - Michael Jackson''s body moved from tomb Michael Jackson''s body has been moved amid fears fans would break into the crypt where it was stored. The late ''Thriller'' star''s coffin was taken to a private tomb belonging to Motown records founder Berry Gordy after the memorial service last week, but thousands of people have flocked to the spot since the location was leaked last weekend. The Jackson family have now moved the coffin to the basement of the main building at Forest Lawn Cemetery - where the singer''s private funeral took place - until his final resting place is decided. A source said: "TheJackson family was not pleased and ordered the casket to be placed in the basement for security reasons." Michael''s sister LaToya Jackson - who supplied information for the star''s death certificate - was reportedly responsible for choosing what he wore to be buried in. The 50-year-old star is believed to have been dressed in black studded trousers, an oversized gold belt and two black gloves. His trademark single white glove was also placed in the coffin with him. It is believed that Michael''s family want him to be laid to rest in his Californian ranch Neverland. However, his mother Katherine is said to be blocking their wish because she believes it is not what the late star - who moved out of the property when he was acquitted of child abuse charges in 2005 - would have wanted. Katherine has failed in another bid to be "treated like a third trustee" of the singer''s estate, after originally being refused to be legally named as co-administrator last Monday (06.07.09). Documents filed at Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday (13.07.09) contained details of the dispute but Judge Mitchell Beckhoff signed off papers for the singer''s two existing trustees - attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain - to begin doing business on behalf of the estate. Katherine had been named temporary administrator in the aftermath of Michael''s death last month. A new court date has been set for August 3. Meanwhile, toxicology results that could help establish the cause of the ''Bad'' singer''s death may be available this week or early next week, an official from the Los Angeles County Coroner''s office has claimed. It is expected the office will announce they have the results and then release the details the following day. Michael Jackson kids told: Nothing strange about your dad Triumph and Tragedy We all feel such a sense of loss and sorrow at the passing of such a gifted and talented artist. He blazed his own trail in dance and music with his talent withstanding the test of time. Michael just made you want to sing and dance, which was perhaps his greatest gift to us. His career and accumulated body of work are the most documented, photographed, filmed and recorded in history. In that regard he will, like Elvis before him, and Marilyn Monroe, continue to entertain us and bring joy into our world each time we watch his videos or listen to his music. He is a cultural icon. We owe him an immeasurable debt of gratitude for the joy and laughter he has brought into our lives. His lifeбпs work as a philanthropist is exemplary and includes support for over 30 charitable organizations including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, USA for Africa, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, Heal the World Foundation, Wishes Granted Organization, Boys & Girls Clubs, the DARE program, YMCA, NAACP, United Negro College Fund, and the Michael Jackson UNCF Endowed Scholarship Fund. On behalf of these and other charities he helped raise over $300 million. In addition he has donated over $50 million of his personal fortune over the years, but even more importantly spent generously of his time visiting cancer patients and burn victims at hospitals around the world. If he learned of a child in pain or suffering whom he could help, he did. While visiting a hospital in Budapest he met a 4-year-old boy desperately needing a liver transplant. This child had been abandoned by his mother and had lived in the hospital his entire life. Touched by his plight, Michael and his wife, Lisa Marie, visited the boy for hours and then pledged funds from Heal the World Foundation to cover all expenses related to the boyбпs transplant. In 1985 he co-wrote the song We are the World with Lionel Richie and helped organize an amazing collaboration of 44 artists to record the song and create the video to raise funds to feed starving children in Africa. The hit single Heal the World and later the Heal the World Tour were such successful fundraising events that it is estimated these projects alone raised in excess of $100 million for the charity USA for Africa. He was involved with Hands across America, a human chain of 7 million people extending across the continental United States. In 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records listed him as the pop star supporting the most charities. He was only 42 years old. Michaelбпs professional accomplishments are well documented. His philanthropic works were something for which he kept a relatively low profile. He did it from his heart because he was a kind and loving person who genuinely loved children. He wrote Gone Too SoonA for Ryan White, a pediatric AIDS patient suffering not just from a new and frightening disease but societyбпs fear and ignorance of it. Ryan contracted the disease through tainted blood transfusions; Michael welcomed him to his home at Neverland after Ryan was banned from school. After Michael suffered serious burns from an accident while working on a Pepsi commercial, he donated his $1.5 million insurance settlement to a burn center for children. In 1984 he visited children in the unit for burn victims at Brotman-Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles and also donated funds for a 19-bed unit at Mount Sinai New York Medical Center for leukemia and cancer research. He welcomed sick and dying children to his own home at Neverland Ranch, a fairy-tale land as depicted in the story Peter Pan. A 14-year-old boy suffering from cystic fibrosis was invited to Michael''s home as the boy''s dying wish. Michael spent time with terminally ill children backstage while on tour, and visited a 12-year-old who was terribly burned by his father in an act of revenge against his former wife. His willingness to help these children was heartwarming. He created the Michael Jackson UNCF Endowed Scholarship Fund in 1985, a fund for students majoring in performance art and communication, providing money each year to students attending a UNCF member college or university. In February 1986 he heard that one of his biggest fans, a 14-year-old girl, had just undergone open heart surgery, so he called her and invited her to Neverland for dinner and a movie when she was feeling better. She was able to visit on March 8 of that year. The value of her smiles and laughter: priceless. It was simply another act of kindness by this generous man. He supported the work of the NAACP particularly as it related to prejudice against black artists and donated many personal items for charitable auctions to raise funds for the education of children in developing countries. The proceeds from sales of the record Man in the Mirror were donated to Camp Ronald McDonald, a camp for children who suffer from cancer. In 1988 he presented a $600,000 check to the United Negro College Fund and donated tickets for three concerts in Atlanta, Georgia to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Somehow that year he found the time and energy to visit the Bambini-Gesu Children''s Hospital in Rome to sign autographs and give candy to the children and donated 100,000 pounds to the hospital. He visited terminally ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. While visiting a unit for less critical patients he stayed longer than usual and told the children a story. On his 30th birthday he performed a concert in Leeds, England for the charity Give for Life, to help fund the immunization of children, and presented the charity with a check for 65,000 pounds Triumph and Tragedy In 1989 he made a compassionate visit to Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, where a few weeks earlier a 25-year-old madman had fired at the school''s playground, killing 5 children and wounding 39 others. A horrible, senseless act of violence followed by a genuine act of kindness. He also invited 200 underprivileged children from the St. Vincent Institute for handicapped children and Big Brothers/Big Sisters to the Circus Vargas in Santa Barbara and then to his home in the Santa Ynez Valley to see his private zoo. Later that year he worked with the Wishes Granted organization to help a 4-year-old boy suffering from leukemia fulfill his wish of meeting Michael, and invited the little boy to a performance of Canadian acrobats. In support of the Childhelp organization, Michael invited 82 abused and neglected children to Neverland for a barbeque, games, and a movie in 1990. He did the same for Project Dream Street, L.A. to help children with life threatening illnesses. He also hosted an event for 130 children in the YMCAбпs summer program of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Always sensitive to social issues of poverty, hunger, and homelessness he paid a visit in 1991 to the Youth Sports & Art Foundation in Los Angeles which supports families of gang members dealing with drug-abuse. He talked to the children and presented them with a wide-screen TV and a financial gift. In December his office, MJJ Productions, provided 200 turkey dinners to needy families in Los Angeles. He spent 11 days in Africa in February, 1992 traveling over 30,000 miles to visit hospitals, orphanages, schools, churches, and institutions for mentally handicapped children. Later that year he held a press conference at New York Radio City Music Hall to announce that he was planning a new world tour to raise funds for his Heal the World Foundation. This Foundation would support the fight against AIDS, Juvenile Diabetes, Camp Ronald McDonald, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He quietly and compassionately defrayed the funeral expenses for Ramon Sanchez, who was killed during the Los Angeles riots, and the following year announced that he would donate $1.25 million for children who had suffered as a result of the riots. He made large donations to the poor and needy in Munich, Germany and donated tour earnings of 400,000 pounds to charities in Dublin, Ireland. He visited children at the Sophia Children''s Hospital in Rotterdam, presenting them with a check for 100,000 pounds. To the delight of the children at the Queen Elizabeth Children''s Hospital in London, he visited with Mickey and Minnie Mouse from Euro-Disney. In November, 1992, Michael helped supervise the loading of 43 tons of medication, blankets and winter clothes destined for Sarajevo, a war-ravaged country where children were being targeted by snipers. His charity, Heal the World Foundation, collaborated with AmeriCares to deliver supplies and resources totaling $2.1 million to Sarajevo, to be allocated under the supervision of the United Nations. He held a press conference in Tokyo at the American Embassy and presented a check for $100,000 from Pepsi, his tour sponsor, to Heal the World Foundation. Throughout the 1990s Micheal continued to donate his time and energy to supporting childrenбпs charities all over the world. He invested millions of dollars building a childrenбпs retreat and amusement park with rides and a zoo at Neverland in an effort to б░bring people happiness and remind him of the good things in life.б▒ He continued to support the Boys & Girls Clubs and the DARE program amongst dozens of others. He was instrumental in Pepsi-Cola International. donating new ambulances to the Contacts One Independent Living Center for Children in Moscow and the Hospital de Ninos run by Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez in Buenos Aires. Deeply affected by conditions in impoverished nations, he donated part of his History Tour earnings to the renovation of a hospital in Manila and waved his personal fee for a Bombay appearance, donating $1.1 million to a local charity to help educate children living in slums. Exclusive photographs of his son Prince were published in British magazine OK! and the 1 million pounds paid by the magazine were donated to charity. In 1998, while at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Michael was introduced to a 5-year-old suffering from cancer. He spent the afternoon with the child and went with him to the "Star Trek: The Experience" attraction. In 1999 he presented Nelson Mandela with a check for 1,000,000 South African rand for the Nelson Mandela Children''s Fund. Michael expressed his support for our troops in 2002 when he invited more than 200 Team Vandenberg members who had recently returned from overseas deployments, and their families, to Neverland to show his appreciation for the sacrifices of military personnel in his community. He performed at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the Apollo Theater in Harlem helping to raise nearly $3 million towards voter registration. How easy to say we want to change the world. He did. And he worked hard to do it. He brought immeasurable joy to children and sought to alleviate the suffering of thousands of people all over the world. It is this fact that makes the end of the life story of this exemplary humanitarian such a tragedy. Can one even imagine the heartache it would cause such a good person, who loved children so much, to be falsely accused of hurting a child? It is obvious this man loved children in the most honest and decent way. To label him a pedophile, when he worked so tirelessly to help children and bring joy into their lives, is an unbelievable cruelty. Of all the thousands of lives he touched in such a positive way it is appalling to realize that when the rotten few attempted to extort money from him, the police and Santa Barbara County District Attorney office not only did not protect him, but turned on him and charged him with crimes that must have been the ultimate insult and most hurtful imaginable to him иC crimes against children. In November 2003, over 60 sheriffбпs deputies and representatives of the district attorneyбпs office, in 19 vehicles, descended on Neverland to serve a search warrant. The allegations against Michael had been made by the most unsavory of people clearly in an attempt to extort money. These people had approached him and asked for his help. When he helped them they repaid his kindness by virtually destroying his life and reputation. I read on the Internet yesterday that one of his accusers has now recanted his story. If the others have a shred of decency they will do the same. The false charges filed against Michael Jackson are another form of the police brutality so prevalent in California today. And here lies the tragedy. We are conditioned to believe that in this great country we are б░innocent until proven guilty.б▒ The truth of the matter is you are considered guilty as soon as you are charged, you are considered guilty as soon as you are arrested, you are considered guilty as soon as you enter the jail, you are considered guilty when you go to trial, and you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent. In Michaelбпs case, he was innocent, and found not guilty in a court of law of 9 felony charges, yet in the brutal court of public opinion he has somehow been tried and convicted. He experienced the worst character assassination of any celebrity of our generation. He has been ridiculed and scorned. He was made a public spectacle. He was a very private person humiliated by a very public trial. He was called names in the media and by the public and even now as we mourn the loss of this incredible man, the word б░molestationб▒ appears in almost every article or story about him. What a disgrace. For such a sensitive artist and beautiful person with a kind and gentle heart this alone might have been enough to kill him The Humanitarian Activist The following is from Jackson Action and it is a chronology of all of his knowncharitable contributions: January 10, 1984: Michael visits the unit for burn victims at Brotman-Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles. April 9, 1984: David Smithee, a 14-year-old boy who suffers from cystic fibroses is invited to Michaelбпs home. It was Davidбпs last wish to meet Michael. He dies 7 weeks later. April 14, 1984: Michael equips a 19-bed-unit at Mount Senai New York Medical Center. This center is part of the T.J. Martell-Foundation for leukemia and cancer research. July 5, 1984: During the Jacksonбпs press conference at Tavern On The Green, Michael announces that his part of the earnings from the Victory Tour will be donated to three charitable organizations: The United Negro College Fund, Camp Good Times, and the T.J. Martell-Foundation. July 14, 1984: After the first concert of the Victory Tour, Michael meets 8 terminally ill children backstage. December 13, 1984: Michael visits the Brotman Memorial Hospital, where he had been treated when he was burned very badly during the producing of a Pepsi commercial. He donates all the money he receives from Pepsi, $1.5 million, to the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children. January 28, 1985: Michael and 44 other artists meet to record б░We Are The Worldб▒, written by Michael and Lionel Ritchie. The proceeds of this record are donated to the starving people in Africa. 1986: Michael set up the б░Michael Jackson UNCF Endowed Scholarship Fundб▒. This $1.5 million fund is aimed towards students majoring in performance art and communications, with money given each year to students attending a UNCF member college or university. February 28, 1986: After having had a heart-transplant, 14-year-old Donna Ashlock from California gets a call from Michael Jackson. He had heard that she is a big fan of his. Michael invites her to his home as soon as she is feeling better. This visit takes place on March 8th. Donna stays for dinner and watches a movie together with Michael. September 13, 1987: Michael supports a campaign against racism. He supports efforts of the NAACP, to fight prejudices against black artists. October 1987: At the end of his Bad Tour, Michael donates some personal items to the UNESCO for a charitable auction. The proceeds will be for the education of children in developing countries. February 1, 1988: The Song б░Man In the Mirrorб▒ enters the charts. The proceeds from the sales of this record goes to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, a camp for children who suffer from cancer. March 1, 1988: At a press conference held by his sponsor Pepsi, Michael presents a $600,000 check to the United Negro College Fund. April 1988: Free tickets are given away for three concerts in Atlanta, Georgia to the Make A Wish Foundation. May 22, 1988: Michael visits children who suffer from cancer in the Bambini-Gesu Childrenбпs Hospital in Rome. He signs autographs and gives away sweets and records to the little patients. He promises a check of 100,000 pounds to the hospital. July 16, 1988: Before a concert at Wembley Stadium Michael meets the Prince of Wales and his wife Diana. He hands over a check of 150,000 pounds for the Princeбпs Trust, and a check of 100,000 pounds for the childrenбпs hospital at Great Ormond Street. July 20, 1988: Michael visits terminally ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital. At a unit for less critical patients he stays a little bit longer and tells a story. August 29, 1988: At his 30th birthday Michael performs a concert in Leeds, England for the English charity-organization б░Give For Lifeб▒. The goal of this organization is the immunization of children. Michael presents a check for 65,000 pounds. December 1988: Michael visits 12-year-old David Rothenburg. His father had 5 years earlier burned him very badly in an act of revenge against his former wife. January 1989: The proceeds of one of Michaelбпs shows in Los Angeles are donated to Childhelp USA, the biggest charity-organization against child-abuse. In appreciation of the contributions of Michael, Childhelp of Southern California is founding the б░Michael Jackson International Institute for Research On Child Abuseб▒. January 10, 1989: The Bad Tour comes to an end. Under-privileged children are donated tickets for each concert and Michael donates money to hospitals, orphanages and charity-organizations. February 7, 1989: Michael visits the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. Some weeks earlier a 25-year-old man had fired at the schoolбпs playground. 5 children had been killed and 39 had been wounded. March 5, 1989: Michael invites 200 deprived children of the St. Vincent Institute for handicapped children and of the organization Big Brothers and Big Sisters to the Circus Vargas in Santa Barbara. After this event he invites them to his ranch to introduce his private zoo at his Neverland Ranch to them. November 13, 1989: The organization б░Wishes Grantedб▒ helps 4-year-old Darian Pagan, who suffers from leukemia to meet Michael. Michael invites the little boy to a performance of Canadian acrobats. December 28, 1989: Young Ryan White, who suffers from hemophilia, spends his holidays on Michaelбпs ranch. Ryan had been infected with AIDS by contaminated blood transfusions in 1984. After he was excluded from his school in Kokomo, Ryan fought against the discrimination of AIDS victims. January 6, 1990: Michael invites 82 abused and neglected children through Childhelp to his Neverland Ranch. There are games, a Barbeque and a movie show provided for them. July 1990: 45 children from the Project Dream Street, Los Angeles, for children with life-threatening illness are invited to Neverland Valley. August 18, 1990: Michael invites 130 children of the YMCA summer program of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara to his Neverland Ranch. May 6, 1991: Michael is invited to the Jane Goodall Charity event. Michael supports her, an advocate of behavioral research concerning chimpanzees in Gombe, Nigeria for more than 30 years. July 26, 1991: Michael pays a visit to the Youth Sports & Art Foundation in Los Angeles. This Foundation supports families of gang members, and helps dealing with drug-abuse. Michael talks to the kids and presents them with a wide-screen TV set and a financial gift. December 1991: Michaelбпs office MJJ Productions treats needy families in Los Angeles with more than 200 turkey dinners. February 1992: Within 11 days Michael covers 30,000 miles in Africa, to visit hospitals, orphanages, schools, churches, and institutions for mentally handicapped children. February 3, 1992: At a press conference at the New York Radio City Music Hall, Michael announces that he is planning a new world tour, to raise funds for his new б░Heal The Worldб▒ Foundation. This Foundation will support the fight against AIDS, Juvenile Diabetes and will support the Camp Ronald McDonald and the Make A Wish Foundation. May 6, 1992: Michael defrays the funeral-expenses for Ramon Sanchez, who was killed during the Los Angeles riots. June 23, 1992: At a press conference in London, Michael makes an announcement about his Heal The World Foundation. June 26, 1992: Michael presents the Mayor of Munich, Mr. Kronawitter, with a 40,000 DM-check for the needy people of the city. June 29, 1992: Michael visits the Sophia Childrenбпs Hospital in Rotterdam and presents a check for 100,000 pounds. July 1992: Michael donated L. 821,477,296 to La Partita del Cuore (The Heart Match) in Rome and donated 120,000 DM to childrenбпs charities in Estonia and Latvia. July 25, 1992: On the occasion of a concert in Dublin, Ireland, Michael announces that he will give 400,000 pounds of the tour earnings to various charities. July 29, 1992: Michael visits the Queen Elizabeth Childrenбпs Hospital in London. To the surprise the children, he brings Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Euro-Disney to the hospital. July 31, 1992: On the Eve of his second concert at Wembley Stadium, Michael presents Prince Charles with a check of 200,000 pounds for the Princeбпs Trust. August 16, 1992: 6 year old Nicholas Killen, who lost his eyesight caused by a life aiding cancer surgery, meets Michael backstage in Leeds, England. September 1992: Michael donated 1 million pesetas to charity headed by the Queen of Spain. September 30, 1992: President Iliescu of Romania inaugurates a playground for 500 orphans which Michael has financed. Michael discusses his Heal The World Foundation. October 1, 1992: Michael chooses a concert in Bucharest, Romania for worldwide television broadcast. Bucharest is a logical choice due to the numerous orphanages the country is known for. November 24, 1992: At Kennedy Airport in New York, Michael supervises the loading of 43 tons of medication, blankets, and winter clothes destined for Sarajevo. The Heal The World Foundation collaborates with AmeriCares to bring resources totaling $2.1 million to Sarajevo. They will be allocated under the supervision of the United Nations. December 10, 1992: During a press conference at the American Ambassy in Tokyo Michael is presented with a check for $100,000 for the Heal The World Foundation by Tour Sponsor Pepsi. December 26, 1992: During a broadcast request for donations to the United Negro College Fund, Michael declares: б░Black Colleges and Universities are breeding some of the leading personalities of our time. They are on top in business, justice, science and technologies, politics and religion. I am proud, that the Michael Jackson Scholarship Program enabled more than 200 young men and women to get a qualified education.б▒ January 19, 1993: Michael is one of the stars to perform at the Presidential Inauguration of Bill Clinton. Before he sings б░Gone Too Soonб▒ he draws the attention to the plights of the victims of AIDS and mentions his friend Ryan White. January 26, 1993: At a press conference held at Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, Michael is presented with a $200,000 donation from the National Football League and the Sponsors of the Super Bowl. He gets another $500,000 from the BEST Foundation for his Heal The World Foundation. At this occasion the foundation of б░Heal L.A.б▒ is officially announced. February 1993: In association with Sega, launched an initiative to distribute more than $108,000 of computer games and equipment to childrenбпs hospitals, childrenбпs homes, and childrenбпs charities throughout the U.K. March 1993: The foundation of an independent film company is announced. They will produce family-oriented movies. A part of the earnings will go to the Heal The World Foundation. March 27, 1993: At a meeting at Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, Michael gives a 5-minute speech to 1200 teachers and politicians. April 26, 1993: Within his б░Heal LAб▒ tour, Michael visits the Watta Health Foundation, and two schools in Los Angeles South Central. May 5, 1993: Former President Jimmy Carter and Michael, who are chairmen of the б░Heal Our Children/Heal The Worldб▒ initiative, are in Atlanta to promote their б░Atlanta Project Immunization Driveб▒. June 1993: Michael has announced that he will donate $1.25 million for children who have suffered from the riots in Los Angeles. June 1993: 100 children from the Challengers Boys and Girls Club visit Neverland. June 10, 1993: Michael promotes the new DARE-program. The purpose of the program is to inform children about the dangers of drug abuse. June 18, 1993: Michael pays a visit to a hospital in Washington. He spends several hours with the young patients and plays chess with some of them. August 1993: With Pepsi-Cola Thailand, donated $40,000 to Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhornбпs charity, the Rural School Children and Youth Development Fund, in support of school lunch programs in rural villages in Thailand. August 1993: In conjunction with Pepsi-Cola International, donated new ambulances to the Contacts One Independent Living Center for Children in Moscow, Russia and the Hospital de Ninos Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez in Buenos Aires, Argentina. October 1993: Donated $100,000 to the Childrenбпs Defense Fund, the Childrenбпs Diabetes Foundation, the Atlanta Project, and the Boys and Girl Clubs of Newark, New Jersey. October 22, 1993: Michael visits a hospital in Santiago. October 28, 1993: Michael makes it possible for 5000 underprivileged children to visit the Reino Aventura Park, where the whale Keiko (б▒Free Willyб▒) is living. November 5, 1993: Michael is guest at a childrenбпs party at the Hard Rock Cafe in Mexico City. December 1993: With the Gorbachev Foundation, airlifted 60,000 doses of childrenбпs vaccines to Tblisi, Georgia. December 16, 1993: The Heal The World Foundation UK supports б░Operation Christmas Childб▒ delivering toys, sweets, gifts and food to children in former Yugoslavia. 1994: Michael donates $500,000 to Elizabeth Taylorбпs AIDS Foundation. January 7, 1994: On the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr.бпs birthday, Michael gives a party for more than 100 underprivileged children at his Neverland Ranch. February 22, 1994: б░The Jackson Family Honorsб▒ is televised. The earnings of the show are given to their own newly formed charity, б░Family Caring for Familiesб▒. August 6, 1994: Michael and his wife Lisa Marie are visiting two childrenбпs hospitals in Budapest. They distribute toys to the ill children. 1995: Michael wants to free dolphins who have been locked up for years. He believes there should be legal guidelines about the way dolphins have to live in zoos and parks. March 1995: Little Bela Farkas received a new liver. Michael and Lisa Marie met this 4-year-old boy during their trip to Hungary in 1994. Michael did everything to help Bela, whose only chance to live was getting a new liver. The Heal The World Foundation covered the surgery and the cost for caring. June 21, 1996: Michael donated a four-times platinum disc of б░HIStoryб▒ in aid of the Dunblane appeal at the Royal Oak Hotel, Sevenoaks in England. July 18, 1996: In Soweto, South Africa Michael is laying down a wreath of flowers for youngsters who have been killed during the fights involving Apartheid. September 1996: The first Sports Festival б░Hopeб▒ was held for orphans and disadvantaged children. 3000 children and 600 volunteers took part in the Sports Festival and Michael Jackson was a special guest. September 6, 1996: Michael visits the childrenбпs unit of a hospital in Prague. October 1996: Michael visited a hospital for mentally challenged children in Kaoshiung, Taiwan and offered 2,000 free tickets to the sold out performance in Kaoshiung. October 1, 1996: Michael donated the proceeds of his Tunisia concert to б░The National Solidar Jackson Biographer: ''I Set Out to Nail Him'' Journalist Ian Halperin predicted in December 2008 that Michael Jackson would be dead within six months. Exactly six months and one day later, Jackson died suddenly in Los Angeles. Fittingly, the book Halperin was in the process of revising, retitled ''Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson,'' is out today. In it, the Canadian author and filmmaker documents the singer''s struggles with charges of child molestation, the author''s assertion that the Church of Scientology was behind Jackson''s brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, and Halperin''s own encounter with his subject while working undercover as a hairdresser. Have you slept in the last two weeks? Not much. I''ve been keeping close track on the developments following Michael''s death. I''m one of the only people in the world that have sources in his camp, inside the Jackson family and in the house in Encino. So the information I''m accumulating is crucial. The timing of the book is crazy. On the other hand, you probably wish you had more time to include some of the things you''re learning. Yeah, definitely. I met Michael, and I liked him a lot, and it''s extremely tragic the way that he died. Especially considering how great a father he was and how amazing an entertainer and person Michael Jackson was. So it''s extremely sad. Yeah, the timing''s good. I can''t deny that. But on the other hand, there''s three kids without a dad. When you set out on the project, obviously you didn''t hold the same opinion of him. As the book unfolds, your ideas about him clearly boomeranged. Exactly. I set out to nail him. I was disgusted when he was acquitted by the jury in 2005. I thought the L.A. judicial system had goofed again, that we had another O.J. Simpson case on our hands -- another criminal walking free. I was determined to nail him, and I have a history of doing that, a history of investigative journalism. My mission was to dig up the facts and prove to the world he was a child molester. Thousands of interviews and years of research later, today I conclude unwaveringly that he was not a child molester. Why you? Why did you feel it was your personal duty to prove he was guilty? I was extremely disappointed in the outcome of the case. I felt the media had not properly presented the case. The LAPD and the L.A. court system have continually made errors of judgment when it comes to high-profile Hollywood cases. And being a father myself, I just felt it was almost a duty to prove to the world that he was a child molester. To me, you can''t get any worse. One thing you feel you proved without a doubt is that he was gay. Has anyone else besides your two sources stepped forward to say, "I had a relationship with this man?" Well, a lot of people have stepped forward. I had about eight serious cases of people, including one notorious gay porn actor in L.A., but they were not able to provide corroboration, so I couldn''t include them in the book. You have to understand, anyone that Michael came into contact with, he forced them to sign confidentiality agreements. I do believe strongly that one of the [alleged lovers] will eventually come forward. I say in the book that one of the ways he was able to meet his lovers was by dressing up as a woman. Some of the media have been skeptical about that, but I can prove it without a shadow of a doubt. I have photos of him dressing up as a woman, and I''ll include them in my film when it comes out next year. You must be working frantically to finish the film. I have over 300 hours of footage. I''m determined to make it the most definitive, most credible Michael Jackson film, so I don''t want to rush it. I won''t release the film until it''s properly produced and leaves no questions unanswered. Most likely it will come out in June 2010, to coincide with the one-year anniversary of his death. The reason I did the book first was I just felt I wanted to get the message out to the world that he wasn''t a child molester. And it was supposed to coincide with the upcoming tour. I''ve always gone on record to say the tour would never happen. Either way, I knew there would be a huge buzz. The Humanitarian Activist October 3, 1996: Michael visits a childrenбпs hospital and brings small gifts for the patients during a HIStory tour visit in Amsterdam. A room in the hospital (for parents who want to be with their children) is named after Michael. November 1, 1996: Michael donates most of the earnings from a HIStory concert in Bombay, India to the poor people of the country. November 7, 1996: Before his first concert in Auckland, New Zealand, Michael fulfills the wish of little Emely Smith, who is suffering from cancer, who wants to meet Michael. November 25, 1996: Michael visited the Royal Childrenбпs Hospital in Melbourne, delivering toys, signing autographs, and visiting with children. December 9, 1996: During a HIStory tour visit in Manila, Michael visits a childrenбпs hospital. He announces that a part of his concert earnings will be donated to the renovation of the hospital. January 25, 1997: Michael waved his personal fee for his Bombay appearance and donated $1.1 million to a local charity helping to educate children living in slums. April 4, 1997: British magazine б░OK!б▒ is publishing exclusive photos of Michaelбпs son Prince. The magazine pays about 1 million pounds for the photos. Michael donates the money to charity. June 18, 1997: Michael signed the б░Children in Needб▒ book auctioned by the charity UNESCO. September 1998: Michael meets 5 year old Aza Woods, who suffers from cancer, at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. Michael introduces Aza to the attraction б░Star Trek: The Experienceб▒ and spends the rest of the afternoon with the little boy. Finally Michael invites Aza to spend some time with him at his Neverland Ranch. November 16, 1998: Michael arrives in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is a member of the American Delegation invited by the Minister of Defense. The delegation thanks the government of Zimbabwe for helping to keep the peace in this area. September 4, 1999: Michael presented Nelson Mandela with a check for 1,000,000 South African rand for the б░Nelson Mandela Childrenбпs Fund.б▒ January 22, 2000: During Christmas last year a violent storm ravaged the park of the Chateau de Versailles and destroyed 10,000 trees in the park. The estimated cost for rebuilding the park is around $20 million. Some celebrities are supporting the restoration of the park. French officials are reporting that Michael Jackson is one of them. He was one of the first people to donate money to this cause. October 28, 2000:Michael painted a plate to be auctioned for the б░Carousel of Hope Ballб▒ benefiting childhood diabetes research. March 6, 2001: Michael donated a black hat, a birthday phone-call and a jacket worn at the Monaco Music Awards in 2000 to the Movie Action for Children auction, an event being given by UNICEF with all proceeds will going to UNICEFбпs efforts to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Africa. March 26, 2001: Michael handed out books to young people at a Newark, NJ theater. The event, which helped to launch the Michael Jackson International Book Club, part of his new Heal the Kids charity, aims to promote childhood reading and encourage parents to return to reading bedtime stories. September 15, 2002: Michael donated 16 exclusively autographed items consisting of CDбпs, videos and 2 cotton napkins to aid in the support of the victims of a severe flood in Germany. These items were auctioned off for charity and managed to raise 3935 Euro (US$ 3,814). October 12, 2002: Michael Jackson invited more than 200 Team Vandenberg members, who recently returned from overseas deployments, and their families to his Neverland Ranch. This was to show his appreciation for the sacrifices the military in his community make. November 19-29, 2002: Michael donated an autographed teddy bear dressed in his likeness to Siegfried & Royбпs celebrity teddy bear auction. This auction benefits Opportunity Village which is a non-profit organization based in Las Vegas (USA) that enhances the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. Michaelбпs autographed teddy bear raised $5,000 for the charity. November 21, 2002: Michael donated a jacket to the The Bambi Charity Event in Berlin which raised $16,000. April 25, 2002: Michael Jackson performed at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the Apollo Theater in Harlem helping to raise nearly $3 million dollars towards voter registration. June 2003: The Wolf family, who experienced serious damages to their belongings during the flood in Saxony, Germany last August, was invited to Berlin by Michael Jackson when he was at the Bambi Awards. On that occasion Michael invited them to Neverland. In June, they spent three days at Neverland, meeting Michael and his children. Charity Awards May 14, 1984: At a ceremony in the White House President Reagan presents Michael an award for special efforts; he is honored for his participation in a national ad campaign against drunk driving. January 1989: The б░Say Yes To A Youngsters Futureб▒ program honors Michael in recognition of his efforts to encourage children to natural sciences and award him with the б░National Urban Coalition Artist/Humanitarian Of The Year Awardб▒. March 1989: At the Universal Amphitheater in Universal City, California, Michael receives the Black Radio Special Award for his humanitarian efforts. September 22, 1989: The Capital Childrenбпs Museum awards Michael with the Best Of Washington 1989 Humanitarian Award in recognition of his efforts to raise money for the museum, and for his never-ending support of children. February 3, 1990: From Japan Michael receives a Role Model Award. April 5, 1990: During a ceremony, where Michael is awarded as б░Entertainer Of The Decadeб▒, Michael meets President George Bush, who honors him with the б░Point Of Lightб▒ award. Michael receives this award for his philanthropic activities. President Bush explains Michaelбпs humanitarian commitments to the press. September 14, 1990: The Council of the American Scouts honors Michael with the first б░Good Scout Humanitarian Awardб▒. Michael receives this award for his humanitarian activities by supporting the Make A Wish Foundation, the Princeбпs Trust, the United Negro College Fund and Childhelp USA. October 23, 1990: Michael Jackson and Elton John will be the first recipients of the award in memory of Ryan White, which will be handed over in 1991. May 1, 1992: President George Bush presents Michael with the б░Point of Lightб▒ award for his continuing support of deprived children. During his stay, Michael visits little Raynal Pope, who had been injured very badly by dogs. June 3, 1992: The organization б░One To Oneб▒, who is caring for better living conditions of young people, honors Michael with an award for his commitment to deprived youngsters. July 1993: The American Friends of Hebrew University honors Michael with the Scopus Award 1993. August 1993: The Jack The Rapper Awards are presented and Michael is honored with the б░Our Children, Our Hope Of Tomorrowб▒ award. November 17, 1993: Michael rejects the Scopus Award. He was nominated for this award, which was planned to be given him on January 29th, 1994. April 12, 1994: On occasion of the 2nd Childrenбпs Choice Award ceremony at Cit Center in New York, Michael is presented with the б░Caring For Kidsб▒ award. This award is to honor celebrities, who take time for young people. 100,000 children and young people from 8 to 18 years old gave Michael their vote of confidence. The Childrenбпs Choice Awards are sponsored by Body Sculpt, a charity organization, that offers drug-prevention programs for young people. November 2, 1995: Michael receives the award б░Diamont of Africaб▒. March, 30, 1996: The Ark Trust-Foundation, who wants to draw the attention of the public eye on animalбпs problems, presents the 10th Genesis Award. Michael is presented with the 1995 Doris Day Award. He gets this award for the б░Earth Songб▒ video, which draws attention to the plight of the animals. May 1, 1999: At the Bollywood awards in New York, Michael is presented with an award for his humanitarian activities. The award is signed: б░Though he comes from the young American tradition, Michael is the embodiment of an old indian soul. His actions are an expression of the philosophy of Weda, which asked to work for the people иC not for oneбпs own interests.б▒ Organizations The Millennium-Issue of the б░Guinness Book Of Recordsб▒names Michael as the Pop Star who supports the most charity organizations. The following projects are supported by Michael Jackson: AIDS Project L.A. American Cancer Society Angel Food Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles BMI Foundation Brotherhood Crusade Brothman Burn Center Camp Ronald McDonald Childhelp U.S.A. Childrenбпs Institute International Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation Congressional Black Caucus Dakar Foundation Dreamstreet Kids Dreams Come True Charity Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation Heal The World Foundation Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Love Match Make A Wish Foundation Minority Aids Project Motown Museum NAACP National Rainbow Coalition Rotary Club of Australia Society of Singers Starlight Foundation The Carter Centerбпs Atlanta Project The Sickle Cell Research Foundation Transafrica United Negro College Fund United Negro College Fund Ladderбпs of Hope Volunteers of America Watts Summer Festival Wish Granting YMCA иC 28th Street/Crenshaw Officials move coffin after thousands of fans find out location - jul 15 Michael Jackson''s body has been moved from the tomb it was stored amid fears fans will break in. Thousands of fans descended upon the tomb this week forcing the Jackson family to move his golden coffin to a secure crypt in the main building of the cemetery. A final resting place is yet to be chosen. Although TV helicopters lost the hearse in traffic after Jackson''s memorial on July 7, the location of the coffin was eventually revealed to be resting at a tomb owned by Motown founder Berry Gordy at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Hollywood. Since then it has garnered fervent fan interest, forcing officials to act. It was reported by The Mirror this morning that Tito Jackson wants his brother buried at his Neverland home. JWN: The Music Stops бкEx Jehovahбпs Witness Michael Jackson Dies He was to die July 13 on London scene King of Pop My-life-mother-Michael-Jacksons-children-Debbie-Rowe Michael Jackson - in his own words In a Prime Time Live interview in 1996: "It''s not just boys, and I''ve never invited just boys to come in my room. C''mon, that''s just ridiculous.... I have never invited anyone into my bed, ever. Children love me. I love them. They follow me. They want to be with me. But anybody can come in my bed. A child can come in my bed if they want." MICHAEL_JACKSON_Live AiF Story about death Elizabet Teller August 29,2009 Photos Michael Jackson was mummified and buried in the pyramid''s tomb in 2043 at age 85. 07.20.09 Michael Jackson''s tomb will be opened by team of Egyptologists tomorrow - Bahrain City, Bahrain, February 10 2193 Michael Jackson''s burial site will be opened by a team of established Egyptologists per request of the Jackson family. The maximum time restriction that can be put in a will for opening a person''s grave in Bahrain, 150 years, expires today for Jackson''s tomb. The family hopes to find valuables that will turn them into billionaires. Michael Jackson was buried in the Jackson Pyramid outside of Bahrain City that the rock star had planned to be bigger than the great pyramid of Giza. In the ten year period of construction before Jackson''s death it only reached half of the size of the Great Pyramid due to problems with financing. Michael Jackson was mummified and buried in the pyramid''s tomb in 2043 at age 85. Fans of the still immensely popular musician are hoping that Egyptologists will discover what the cause was of his changing and deteriorating nose, which has surpassed Cleopatra''s (the ancient Ptolemean queen) as the most talked about nose in history. According to Baey Thimo, the famous muso-historian, Jackson suffered from a rare nose disease that has been widely accepted as the reason for his reclusive behavior after his last and most successful musical period in the early 2010''s. After 2015 there have been no published pictures of him. Posted by Ian Hristo at 2:34 PM Labels: Bahrain. nose disease, facial deterioration, Giza, Great Pyramid, Michael Jackson, mummy, nose, pyramid, Thriller, vitiligo, Zombie In hunting for celebrity graves, Michael Jackson''s may be difficult (CNN) -- Elvis Presley. Marilyn Monroe. Jim Morrison. Their graves are public shrines for fans and followers. Countless people from all over the world make pilgrimages to their burial sites, hoping to draw close to those they adored from afar. Now Michael Jackson''s gravesite will become the next holy grail. A private gathering for the pop icon was held Tuesday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California. Afterward, his casket was taken to the public memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. But it remains unclear whether his body has been interred -- or where. Officials at Forest Lawn won''t disclose where Jackson''s body is being buried. If his final resting place is at Forest Lawn, fans who wish to visit will have to overcome the funeral company''s stringent security patrols. A Los Angeles Police Department official told CNN that the force hoped Jackson would be buried outside of its jurisdiction for fear officers might be assigned to protect the grave for months. There has been some speculation that Jackson''s body will eventually be moved to Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County, California. But that would require the family to obtain zoning exemptions and settle legal disputes, which could take years. Jackson retained only a small share of ownership in the ranch. If a public memorial were created at Neverland -- or anywhere -- it might easily surpass the tombs of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley as the most-visited gravesite. "If it gets moved somewhere more public, I think a lot of people will come visit," said Steve Goldstein, author of L.A.''s Gravesite Companion: Where the VIP''s RIP. "He''ll probably take over as the most visited grave site over Marilyn." Report: Michael Jackson Rests in Berry Gordy''s Crypt CNN Jim Morrison Conspiracy Theories Rival Those of Michael Jackson; Jim Morrison died in a Paris bathtub on this date in 1971. He officially died of heart failure though a drug overdose was suspected. Just like with the conspiracy theories concerning the recent conspiracy theories concerning the recent death of Michael Jackson, some of which suggest JacksonТs death was a fake, almost immediately claims that Morrison really wasnТt dead hit the news. Had there been a world wide web,IТm sure that the blogosphere would have been going wild. Many conspiracy theorists floated the idea that Morrison was tired of his fame so he faked his own death. That was the one that I always heard but there are a bunch of Jim Morrison conspiracy theories out there. There was even a notion that the J. Edgar Hoover led FBI had him knocked off in an effort to stop the hippie movement. I think his grave is some sort of haven or shrine for those whoЕwellЕI donТt know what they do or think. You can take the Jim Morrison Grave on the web if you like. Michael Jackson Rehearsal Footage Being Turned into Movie July 20 HollyScoop:Michael Jackson To Perform From the Grave Michael Jackson hasn''t even been buried yet, and concert promoters are already putting him back to work. AEG is still a little upset that they''re going to lose out on tens of millions of dollars from Michael''s ''This Is It'' tour, so they''re going to recreate him on stage for his birthday on August 29th. A life-like hologram of Michael will be projected on stage and perform parts of his planned set to fans accompanied by the backing dancers he had been rehearsing with before his death last month. There are rumors that Michael''s kids, Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, also known as ''Blanket'' - will take to the stage for the grand finale with Michael''s brothers and sisters, like they did at his Los Angeles memorial on Tuesday. Is this the crypt where Michael Jackson''s body is? Singer kept on ice while police decide whether to launch murder probe 07.17.09 Michael JacksonТs body is thought to be on ice in this crypt while police decide whether to launch a murder investigation. Three weeks after JacksonТs sudden death, the singer has still not been buried and his remains are being refrigerated at an underground tomb to avoid the need for an exhumation, it was revealed yesterday. The marble vault at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles is reportedly owned by Motown maestro Berry Gordy. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1200282/Is-crypt-Jacksons-body-Singer-kept-ice-police-decide-launch-murder-probe.html#ixzz0Lpb86Mad Unreleased Michael Jackson Track Leaked Online 07.17.09 Since his tragic death, it seems thereТs a new story about Michael Jackson every day. The latest is about an alleged Уunreleased recordingФ of his that has been obtained. The song, entitled УA Place With No NameФ was released by TMZ yesterday, and itТs unknown when it was originally recorded. The track sounds indisputably similar to the song УA Horse with No Name,Ф released by the group America in 1971. According to TMZ, AmericaТs manager Jim Morey gave Jackson permission to record the song, even though the tracks are so similar. Morey, who was also JacksonТs manager for a short time in the 80Тs and early 90Тs, told TMZ, "The band was honored that Michael chose to do their song and they hope it becomes available for all Michael''s fans to hear." ItТs just another way for MichaelТs fans to remember him by! Check out the song below: Michael Jackson''s Grave (VIDEO) Michael Jackson''s life has always been a contradiction of outlandish oddity and pinpoint perfection. Now in death, with the unknown location of his body, the enigma continues. It''s Hollywood''s real life "Where''s Waldo," but unless the family is into inflicting undue pain on itself, I am almost certain he is in his final resting place, and I have found its location. Driving east along Wilshire Boulevard -- just as you drive under the notorious 405 freeway, you enter Westwood Village. Westwood is one of LA''s oldest enclaves. It''s the enduring home to shops, grand movie theatres, medical buildings, federal offices, and UCLA. During the seventies and eighties -- and especially during the 1984 Olympics, Westwood was the place to go because Hollywood had become too decrepit for any wide-eyed wandering. Nestled in Westwood Village among the office buildings and condos that line Wilshire Blvd., {Pierce Brothers} Westwood Memorial Park is the end of the road for scores of Hollywood''s elite and the well heeled. Located on LA''s fashionable west side, directly behind the AVCO movie theatre and an office building, the cemetery, founded in 1904, boasts a roster of stars that -- even in death, any agent would love to represent. Archie Bunker himself Mr. Carroll O''Connor, Dean Martin, Donna Reed, Natalie Wood, Truman Capote, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe are all among those interred at this peaceful, pleasant park. Recently the grand dame of the fighting spirit Farrah Fawcett was interred next to Merv Griffin''s final resting place -- bound together for a Los Angeles eternity. Arguably America''s most pricey land at hundreds of thousands of dollars for a "bench estate" to over one million dollars for a "family estate," it''s still all virtually free when averaged out over an eternity. Westwood has no dark, Gothic headstones mostly just flush mauve marble memorials of those wealthy ones who have left their mark on the world. When I first heard of Jackson''s death in Los Angeles (officially at UCLA), I thought Westwood Memorial was the only cemetery worthy of the kind of fan traffic and star power he will undoubtedly draw in death. Over the last days, I''ve been bicycling out to the Westwood cemetery to see if any recent additions have been made to her well-heeled legions of the dead. Lo and behold between Monday night and Wednesday morning a new grave was opened and closed, and absolutely no one at the place would answer my questions about who is buried there. Look, I could be wrong, but I it all makes sense. Elizabeth Taylor''s mother Sara is nearby -- it''s public knowledge Taylor will spend eternity herself here one day. The place is small and secure. They''ve handled Marilyn Monroe''s millions of visitors over the decades, security cameras abound and barbed wire contains the manageably sized hallowed grounds. Even on the chance I''m wrong, in time all will be exposed, even if the family remains secretive on the final resting place. (Roy Orbison and Frank Zappa headstones have never been identified at Westwood). It is certain Jackson''s legions of fans will find his plot to visit and pay their respects, Neverland seems too lonely -- too far away, too broken, and potentially too commercial for Michael Jackson''s soft, secretive demure life. Enough of this frenetic death hunt for me. I''ve done my Jimmy Olsen sleuthing. It''s time to put into action the lesson that death teaches all of us and get back to the living while I still have some time. Inside Michael Jackson''s Plastic Surgery, Skin Color For years, fans looked on as Michael Jackson radically transformed his appearance. But despite his obviously altered look, the singer only ever admitted to two nose jobs -- and blamed his progressively paler skin on the condition vitiligo. http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20287787_20290367,00.html For my generation, this is like the Elvis, the John Lennon, July 20 Obama Eulogizes Michael Jackson Obama cites Michael Jackson as entertainment icon WASHINGTON Ц President Barack Obama called Michael Jackson a brilliant performer whose talents were paired with a tragic personal life. "I''m glad to see that he is being remembered primarily for the great joy that he brought to a lot of people through his extraordinary gifts as an entertainer," Obama said in an AP interview Thursday. Obama said he didn''t see any controversy in the fact that he did not issue a formal public statement upon Jackson''s death, and said he was unaware of any dissatisfaction in the black community with his response. "I know a lot of people in the black community and I haven''t heard that," Obama said. The president said he grew up on Jackson''s music and "I still have all his stuff on my iPod." "I think that Michael Jackson will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers," Obama said. "His brilliance as a performance also was paired with a tragic and in many ways, sad personal life." Martin Luther King III and Bernice King speech. Michael Jackson Memorial Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr -- Michael Jackson music ┬ьхёЄю ╠рщъыр ─цхъёюэр т ╦юэфюэх ёяю■Є хую сЁрЄ№ 08.29.09 ╠рщъы ─цхъёюэ яюър эх яюїюЁюэхэ 07.21.09 ╠рщъы ─цхъёюэ ёюсшЁрыё яюъюэўшЄ№ ё ёюсющ MJ - Russian pressa links |
