COMETOGETHER

A decision on possible criminal charges over the June death of Michael Jackson is "months rather than weeks away", the Los Angeles Times on Monday quoted law enforcement sources as saying.

Authorities have consulted medical experts and say there is much evidence to review, the Los Angeles Times reported, and no charges are expected to be filed before 2010.

Police and prosecutors could not be reached for comment.

Police have been investigating Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray for months after coroners ruled Jackson's death a homicide. The official report said the anaesthetic propofol and the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs that led to the "Thriller" singer's sudden death on June 25..

Authorities have searched the Houston and Las Vegas offices of Murray, who has denied any wrongdoing and who was with Jackson, 50, on the morning of his death. He had been caring for the singer in Los Angeles as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts in the weeks before his death.

Meanwhile, Sony Pictures announced that the "This Is It" concert film compiled of Jackson's rehearsal footage would be released on DVD on January 26. The movie has earned more than $240 million at the global box-office since its October 28 release.

The DVD will include two documentaries on preparations for the planned comeback tour, features on the audition process and a Jackson memories feature.


http://uk.reuters.com/ 

Michael JacksonThere is something to be said for inspiring millions in life but even more so after death. The shocking passing of the man many call the ‘Greatest to ever do it’ and the King of Pop is still a tender subject even as we close out a year full of economic woes, political battles, controversial music and videos and iconic comebacks. Ironically Michael Jackson, like Whitney Houston, was poised for a return to the stage and essentially a final bow that for him was a way to not just provide the fans he loved with music, a phenomenal stage show (as only he could do), and a historic venue to do it in, but a chance to once and for all rise above the idiosyncrasies of modern society and in true MJ fashion, inspire and rejuvenate our hearts.

Kicking off 2009 with a plan to return to the stage via ‘This Is It,’ a historic concert series at London’s O2 arena, Michael Jackson set out to, as he had done in years past with “Heal The World,” “Man In the Mirror” and “Earth Song,” touch hearts and minds. Tapping the best dancers, musicians, and other talent from around the world, Jackson pieced together a show that would unbeknownst to him be seen worldwide. While his vision never reached its intended venue in July of 2009, the vision eclipsed music and pop culture posthumously. Even bigger after death as some would say, Michael Jackson ruled music in 2009. Everything from “Thriller” to “Number Ones” and all other efforts in between flew off shelves and into the hands of not just a nation but the world shortly after his death. Collectively dancing to the beat of “P.Y.T.,” “Bad,” “Smooth Criminal” and as you know the list goes on, not a single neighborhood, corner or landmark was silent when the King of Pop made his final bow. While the circumstances surrounding his death were disturbing, the truth is they pale in comparison to the legacy the King of Pop left behind. No matter where you turned in 2009, you found friends, neighbors, relatives, business associates and others with one thing in common – Michael Jackson. As never seen before, neighborhoods and communities came together by the hundreds and thousands to celebrate the life of Jackson. From Los Angeles to Indiana and St. Louis to Tokyo, Michael Jackson’s music, legacy, and vision came true. Even if just for a few days, weeks or hours the world and people, despite race, color, sexuality, and creed came together as one.

As we have now seen with “This Is It,” the documentary, Michael Jackson remained true to his craft up to his final hours on this earth. Even with the jokes, allegations, trials and the scorching words often thrown at him over the years, Jackson looked beyond the surface and saw a need to not just entertain but to use his gift to help others. Perhaps the greatest lesson learned with the shocking and still hard to come to terms with death of Jackson is that we must look beyond the surface when dealing with one another. Yes, beauty and certain looks are often touted as being supreme but when the curtain closes and you take a final bow, as did Jackson, the imagery of beauty fades. What is left however is your story. No matter how muddied it may be or how many trials and tribulations you went through in life, your story from beginning to end serves as inspiration for others and perhaps as a cautionary tale. Perhaps Reverend Al Sharpton said it best when he told the late King of Pop’s children during a televised memorial “There was nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with but he dealt with it".



MJSTAR/singersroom.com

A casino in the Chinese gambling haven of Macau will open Asia's first Michael Jackson shrine after its owners bought the late King of Pop's iconic white rhinestone glove for $350,000 at a U.S. auction.
The shrine will be located in the lobby of the casino-resort Ponte 16, adding to Macau's attractions which already include the world's largest casino, The Venetian.

"MJ's distinctive musical sound, vocal style and choreography inspired numerous pop, rock, R&B and hip hop artists," said Hoffman Ma of Success Universe Group, who has teamed up with Macau gaming tycoon Stanley Ho in the Ponte 16 venture.

"We aim to create a rendezvous to reminisce this great performer of the 20th century,"
he added in a statement.

During Saturday's auction of Jackson memorabilia in New York, Ma's firm paid $350,000 for the glove, almost eight times the pre-sale estimate amid stiff bidding.

Ponte 16 also snared nine other items that were owned by Jackson, which will also be housed in the "MJ Gallery," including a signed drawing of Charlie Chaplin, a pair of acrylic tube socks, Jackson's "zombie" shirt which he wore in the video of "Thriller" and a platinum record awarded for the album "Bad"

"These precious items can revitalize MJ's legendary career to all his fans, providing them another place to house MJ memorabilia besides the Neverland Ranch in California," the resort said in a statement, without giving an opening date.

The white glove, which auctioneers Julien's Auctions, called "the Holy Grail of Michael Jackson," was worn by the performer when he first staged the famous moonwalk dance at the 1983 Motown 25 television special.

Made of cream leather and studded with hand-sewn rhinestones, the left-handed glove is considered an iconic accessory by Jackson fans


http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5AM0V420091123 

Michael Jackson's famous white glove sold for $350,000 (212,000 pounds) at a memorabilia auction on Saturday, soaring far past pre-sale estimates, while a black jacket he wore during a 1989 world tour fetched $225,000.

The Jackson memorabilia was the highlight of an auction of hundreds of rock'n'roll items, including many not associated with the "King of Pop," who died in June.

Darren Julien, CEO of Julien's Auctions, which ran the auction, called the glove "the Holy Grail of Michael Jackson," and many expected it to sell for far more than its pre-sale estimate of about $50,000.

With the added commission, the final price excluding taxes, ran to some $420,000.

The buyer was Hong Kong businessman Fossman Ma.

Bidding for the black, strap and zipper-laden jacket Jackson wore during the 1989 "Bad" tour soared to $225,000, more than 20 times its estimate. With commission, the tab came to about $275,000.

Fans and dealers turned out at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square for the sale that included a car driven by Jackson, as well as David Bowie's guitar and memorabilia from the Beatles to Bo Diddley.

"I never got to see Michael, and now that he's gone this is the closest I could get," said Jazmynn Moore, 19, a student from Manhattan.

The glove was worn by Jackson when he first staged the famous moonwalk dance at the 1983 Motown 25 television special. The opening bid of $10,000 leaped immediately to $120,000 before peaking at $350,000.

Most of the 80 Jackson lots consisted of items that came from friends and family to whom Jackson had given them, the auctioneer said.

Jackson was somewhat of a collector himself, having paid more than $1.5 million for the "Gone With the Wind" best picture Oscar statue at Sotheby's auction, one of the highest prices ever paid for memorabilia at auction.

The auction house had valued the Jackson collection at $80,000 to $100,000. But Julien said such pre-auction estimates were intentionally conservative to help generate interest. Many of Jackson's items sold for 10, or even more than 20 times the estimates.

Julien's had been preparing for a huge auction of Jackson memorabilia in April that was cancelled after an agreement with Jackson, who had filed a lawsuit demanding the return of certain items.

During the promotion for that sale, Julien's had amassed a large database of Jackson collectors from Asia to the Americas, and many of the winning Internet bidders were from Japan or Hong Kong.


http://uk.reuters.com

Michael Jackson's concert movie "This Is It" has taken more than $200 million at box offices worldwide in the first two weeks of release, the studio behind the movie said on Thursday. Sony Pictures Entertainment said the movie had grossed $61 million in North America and more than $140 million internationally. Japan ($27.2 million) and the UK ($14.3 million) were particularly strong markets. The movie is now the 22nd biggest grossing movie worldwide of 2009, according to industry tracker boxofficemojo.com "This Is It", distributed by Sony Corp-owned Columbia Pictures, was compiled from footage of Jackson rehearsing for a series of planned comeback concerts before his sudden death in June. Sony paid concert promoters AEG and Jackson's estate about $60 million for the right to make and distribute the movie. The $200 million plus gross is almost three times more than 2008's "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" -- a movie some box office watchers had used as a benchmark for "This Is It." The Jackson film opened on October 28 for a planned two week run but has since been extended until early December. MJFC / Reuters

A "Thriller"-era silk-screened portrait of Michael Jackson created by Andy Warhol has sold for $812,500 to an anonymous collector.

The artwork sold at Christie's in New York City Tuesday evening.

Christie's estimated that the portrait would sell for $500,000 to $700,000.

The 1984 portrait depicts a smiling Jackson in a jacket with squiggles of red and yellow in his hair.

The auction house says the seller is an anonymous private collector based in New York who bought the image from the Andy Warhol Foundation in the 1990s. It did not say who bought the artwork.

The image was one of 47 lots auctioned Tuesday, including two other Warhol paintings.




MJFC / AP

MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT” made motion picture history as the highest grossing concert film of all time. And now, the two-disc album companion to the movie Michael Jackson’s This is It released by Sony Music’s Epic Records makes its first week debut in the #1 spot of the Billboard Top 200 album chart, as well as the Soundtrack album chart. U.S. sales of the album - which features new hit song “This is It” – totaled 373,100 units this week according to Nielsen Soundscan – this figure does not include significant sales from non-traditional retailers.

Sales figures from other parts of the world are still being tallied although the album did hit #1 in 16 other countries including Canada, Japan, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Turkey, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the Middle East and Colombia and Top-3 in the UK, Australia, Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain. A simultaneous #1 album and a #1 documentary film has not happened since 1971 when the Rolling Stones did it with the album Sticky Fingers and movie Gimme Shelter.

Michael Jackson albums now occupy the top five spots of Billboard catalog album chart at #1, #3 and #4; his Number Ones album is this year’s best-selling overall album year to date as of this week. Throughout his career, Michael Jackson has spent a total of 51 weeks at #1 on the Billboard album chart. Only The Beatles and Elvis Presley have spent more weeks at the top. His last #1 was Invincible in 2001 although Thriller hit the top of the Billboard catalog album chart last October.

Disc one features the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits such as "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Human Nature," and "Thriller" arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of "This Is It," the original and an orchestral version. Disc two offers fans a rare listen to the early demo versions of classics "She's Out Of My Life," "Wanna Be Startin'," "Somethin'," and "Beat It." This disc also features a recently discovered spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled "Planet Earth."

Michael Jackson's This Is It also includes a 36-page, commemorative booklet featuring exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal.


MJFC / michaeljackson.com

The Michael Jackson concert film "This Is It" has crossed the $100 million (60 million pounds) mark at international box offices as it enters its second weekend in cinemas, the studio behind the movie said on Friday.

The film has grossed $144 million worldwide, including $44 million from the United States and Canada.

That is more than double the tally of receipts for 2008's blockbuster concert film "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds," a movie some box office watchers had used as a benchmark for "This Is It."

Outside of North America, the biggest theatrical markets through Thursday night were: Japan with $18.2 million, Britain with $11.1 million and Germany with $8.9 million.

"This Is It," distributed by Sony Corp-owned Columbia Pictures, was produced from footage of Jackson rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts in London in the final weeks before his June 25 death from an overdose of powerful medication.

The movie opened on October 28 and originally was planned to play for just two weeks, but Sony extended the film's run. The film is now slated to run until early December in the United States and Canada.



http://uk.reuters.com/ 

LOS ANGELES — "Michael Jackson's This Is It" is the No. 1 Halloween thriller for movie audiences.

"This Is It" led the weekend box office with a domestic debut of $21.3 million and raised its five-day total worldwide to $101 million.

The low-budget horror sensation "Paranormal Activity" slipped from first-place to second domestically with $16.5 million. "Paranormal Activity" raised its total to $84.8 million.

"This Is It" captures Jackson in behind-the-scenes performances in the weeks before his death in June, as he rehearsed his biggest hits for a marathon concert stand that was to begin in July.

Distributor Sony paid $60 million for the film rights and released "This Is It" simultaneously for a limited run worldwide.


Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The King of Pop is No. 1 again.

"Michael Jackson's This Is It" has landed on top of the domestic box office with $7.4 million in its first day and $12.7 million overseas.

That gives the film documenting Jackson's rehearsals for his planned concert tour a worldwide total of $20.1 million.

Distributor Sony said the $7.4 million domestic haul is the best ever for a movie on a Wednesday in October. "This Is It" was easily the No. 1 film domestically, coming in ahead of the $1.5 million gross for "Paranormal Activity," last weekend's top box-office earner.

Jackson died June 25, just before he was to begin a marathon run of comeback concerts in London. "This Is It" was built around more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage shot between March and June as Jackson and his backup performers developed the numbers intended for his elaborate stage shows.

Sony said it expected strong results for the film this Friday and Sunday, though Saturday may leave a hole in the overall box office, falling on Halloween, when audiences typically are preoccupied with parties and trick-or-treating.

In a single day, "This Is It" climbed into the ranks of top-grossing music documentaries, just behind the $8.6 million domestic haul of "U2: Rattle and Hum."

By this weekend, "This Is It" is likely to shoot past such films as "Madonna: Truth or Dare" ($15 million) and "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" ($19.2 million) to become the No. 2 draw all-time on the music-documentary chart.

The No. 1 music documentary is "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," which had a $31.1 million opening weekend last year and took in $65.3 million over its entire theatrical run.

Among the totals from other countries, "This Is It" brought in $1.9 million in Great Britain, $1.4 million France, $1.2 million in Japan and $1.1 million in Germany.

The film debuted in 99 countries Wednesday and expands to 10 more Thursday.

The film features Jackson doing all his biggest hits, including "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Thriller," "Human Nature" and "Smooth Criminal."


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j2N11Nmsz5JMu1UHWwfK4Lcii9UQD9BKU45O3 


mjsunifc..

You can now Pre-order michael jackson's This Is It Movie on DVD and Blu-Ray

Pre-order Below:


http://www.thisisitmovieondvd.com/


MJcool

The brand new single by Michael Jackson has been leaked early before its official release. Sonymusic,..

For what seems like the 4 billionth time, another former Michael Jackson associate claims the pop star stiffed him out of $180,400 back before MJ kicked the bucket.

This time, the claim comes from a former business manager who says Michael's brother Randy Jackson hired him to fix MJ's tax problems back in 2004.

According to the creditor's claim, filed by entertainment attorney Perry C. Wander today in L.A. County Superior Court, Don Stabler claims he spent 632 hours "dealing with others on [MJ's] behalf" -- a service for which he charged $325 per hour.

We're assuming the Jackson estate will throw this in the to-do list ... which has got to be one hell of a stack by now.

TMZ..

Autopsy report shows Michael Jackson was in overall good health before overdose: LOS ANGELES - Michael Jacksons arms were covered with punctures, his face and neck were scarred and he had tattooed eyebrows and lips, but he wasnt the sickly skeleton of a man portrayed by tabloids, according to his autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press. In fact, the Los Angeles County coroners report shows Jackson was a fairly healthy 50-year-old before he died of an overdose. His 136 pounds were in the acceptable range for a 5-foot-9 man. His heart was strong with no sign of plaque buildup. And his kidneys and most other major organs were normal. Still, Jackson had health issues: arthritis in the lower spine and some fingers, and mild plaque buildup in his leg arteries. Most serious was his lungs, which the autopsy report said were chronically inflamed and had reduced capacity that might have left him short of breath. AP..

We've learned lawyers for Michael Jackson's estate went to court today and the probate judge gave permission for them to strike a deal with Sony Music for the production and distribution of a soundtrack album in connection with the "This is It" film release.

Sources say Sony and the estate have reached an agreement.

TMZ...

Replicas of Michael Jackson's iconic jeweled glove rain from the sky in a tribute like no other to the King of Pop. This is the tribute promo video for Sundays MTV Video Music Awards, which promises a tribute like no other to a performer like no other. Janet Jackson will perform a dance tribute to Michael at Sundays show with 20 dancers.

Sony Pictures has released the official poster for their upcoming release 'This Is It' on October 28, 2009. The film chronicles the months before Michael Jackson's sudden death, as he rehearsed and planned for his 50 date residency at London’s O2 Arena. Director Kenny Ortega calls this film, A gift to Michael’s fans” It promises to be an intimate look at Michael Jackson, preparing for, The greatest concert that no-one got a chance to see.” It will undoubtedly play on the tragedy inherent in the death of any influential person, chopped down before their time, and leaving concerts unplayed, songs unwritten, and words never spoken. Some beauty lost to the world forever. MJFC

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the L.A. County Coroner cannot pinpoint the time of Michael Jackson's death ... but paramedics say when they arrived they believed he was dead for at least an hour and maybe longer.

Dr. Conrad Murray's statement to LAPD detectives lays out a timeline in which Dr. Murray administered Propofol at 10:40 AM and then ten minutes later (10:50) he walked out of the room, went to the bathroom and returned two minutes later (10:52) to find Jackson was not breathing. He did not have anyone call 911 until 12:21 PM ... approximately an hour-and-a-half later.

Sources say cops are suspicious of Dr. Murray's account. They say when Dr. Murray was interviewed by them two days after Jackson died -- his lawyer by his side -- the doctor's account seemed "scripted."

So when did Jackson really die? Rigor mortis typically doesn't set in for at least 3 hours, and often longer. If rigor mortis has not set in, the only way to approximate time of death is by body temperature. Once a person dies, their temperature eventually rises or falls to the temperature of the environment. For example, if Jackson were in a 70 degree room, his body temp would drop to 70. The body temperature typically drops a degree to a degree and a half per hour, but it's dependent on the ambient temperature.

Here's the problem -- when paramedics arrived the room was sweltering. So Jackson's body temperature could register in the 90 degree range, even if he were dead for a long time. But we're told paramedics did not get a read on his body temp because they were busy performing CPR.

Bottom line -- it's possible Jackson could have been dead much longer than Dr. Murray said. There's no scientific way of knowing.


TMZ

Katherine Jackson won't give her blessing to a key deal in Michael Jackson's estate until her financial peeps have a chance to review it.

Katherine's lawyer went to court today, asking the judge to give her permission to show the confidential AEG memorabilia deal to her financial advisors. Under the current court protective order, she's only allowed to show the unredacted version to her lawyers.

Meanwhile, AEG is threatening to pull out of the deal, because the company is worried people are quickly losing interest in an MJ memorabilia tour.

Katherine's lawyer, Burt Levitch, thinks AEG may be crying wolf just to ram the deal through.

AEG has no comment on the matter.

TMZ..

From the fifties to his death in 2009, it is a complete record of Michael's moves, grooves and music. Illustrated with hundreds of colour and black and white photographs, it includes all Michael's records, concerts, videos and awards, memorabilia and records you never knew existed. From Steeltown to Motown, from the Jackson 5 to his own man, from "The Wiz" to "Thriller", Michael Jackson was bad, smooth, dangerous and invincible. He made the most exciting videos, with the deffest moves, played the most spectacular concerts, and filled the world's largest arenas. He began performing at the age of five, broke records since he was 11 and was a star without equal from the age of 21. Never far from the media spotlight Michael's whole aura often seemed alienated from reality. "The Visual Documentary" presents all the facts about Michael's life and death as never before. Here is everything you need to know about the tragic superstar. "Michael Jackson - The Visual Documentary" has been compiled by Adrian Grant, a writer renowned fort his close affiliation with Jackson and a pioneer of many Jackson related projects including the stage musical "Thriller". Pre Order here; http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1849382611/ref=ox_ya_oh_product Price:$22.01 MaxJax /amazon.com

X17 Xclusive - June 9th, 2009: The paps caught up with Michael Jackson Tuesday afternoon leaving a medical building. When asked how we was doing, he said that he was, "Okay." When asked if he was still able to moonwalk, he said, "Why wouldn't I be able to.. Pictures+Video.. x17video.com

Since Michael Jackson's children were first unveiled from their masked existence a year ago, they haven't been seen since without their face covered. But yesterday Prince Michael I, 12, and Paris Michael, 11, were seen enjoying the fresh air with their faces revealed to the world as they joined their famous father at a Los Angeles recording studio. Not realising they could be seen from the street, Prince and Paris looked like regular pre-teens as they strolled through the car park. As well as fathering Prince and Paris with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, Michael also has a seven-year-old Prince Michael II, aka Blanket. While the physical similarities between the elder Prince and Paris is striking, Blanket is much darker than his older siblings in skin tone and hair colour. Blanket was the child famously dangled off a hotel balcony in Germany in November 2002. In an interview last year, former nurse Debbie insisted it was her choice to have the children's faces covered. She said: 'The veils were my idea, not Michael's. I had kidnap threats when they were babies. I did not want them to be recognised.' Despite widespread belief the children are not biologically his, Michael insists he is the father of all three. During his infamous 2003 interview with Martin Bashir, he said: 'I used a surrogate mother (for Blanket) and my own sperm cells. I had my own sperm cells in my other two children. 'They are all my children but I used a surrogate mother and she doesn't know me, I don't know her.' Debbie reiterated in 2008: 'Of course it was artificial insemination. Paris was conceived in Paris, that's how she got her name. 'I turned out two pretty good-looking kids. For that I am proud. DailyMail.co.uk

Either Michael Jackson is taking his comeback tour seriously by having a doctor keep tabs on him or there is some truth to the rumor that the "Off The Wall" singer is suffering from skin cancer. This is the "King of Pop's" third trip to the doctors this week,(21st May 2009),during which he announced that his 50-date tour has been delayed by five days. So what do you guys think? Is Jacko suffering from skin cancer or just keeping an eye on his health while he trains for his concerts.. MaxJax/splashnewsonline..

Hours after Michael Jackson announced that he was delaying the start of his much publicized London concerts, our cameras caught the King of Pop leaving his doctor's office in Los Angeles. Reps for the singer continue to deny stories of a serious medical problem, saying the only reason for the delay is production related. Splashnewsonline/MaxJax..

Yesterday,15th May 2009.Pop superstar Michael jackson and his children were out again in Los Angeles (USA) on a shopping trip. Where they visited Tom's Toys.Some pics below.. MJfc..

Details of rehearsals for the upcoming 'This Is It' concerts in London are closely held secrets, but the LA Times reports that four mornings a week, an SUV with darkened windows bears Michael Jackson through the gates outside a nondescript building in California. There he spends the next six hours on a soundstage in the company of 10 dancers and pop music's best-known choreographers. Randy Phillips of concert promoter AEG Live says that the show will break new ground in both artistry and sheer cost. The production budget is "north of $20 million" and will include as many as 22 different sets: "It's going to be the biggest, most technologically advanced arena show -- and the most expensive -- ever mounted." Besides denying media reports that the show would feature animals - "No animals. No animals!" - Philips is tight-lipped about what the fans in the O2 arena will see. But he revealed that some choreography will feature aerial dancing similar to routines by Cirque du Soleil. Choreographer and director Kenny Ortega (59) will direct and design the shows. Kenny Ortega has worked a lot with Michael Jackson in the past. He was also the choreographer of the movie 'Dirty Dancing', directed the successful 'High School Musical' movies, staged Madonna's concert tours and also created the Sirens outdoor pyrotechnics show at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. Ortega agreed to work around his schedule as director of the planned remake of the 1984 movie "Footloose" to take on Michael Jackson's shows. In a statement, Ortega said he was eager to collaborate with him again: "My answer without a beat was 'nothing could keep me away' - collaborating with Michael on the Dangerous and HIStory tours were two of the greatest creative experiences of my life, to be invited to partner with him again is a dream come true. Working with Michael is always a true and full partnership, he is a creative mastermind. He is the most significant artist and entertainer of our generation." Travis Payne will work as the show's choreographer and associate director. He has already worked with Michael Jackson on various award shows, music videos ('Scream') and tours (Dangerous World Tour, HIStory World Tour). Furthermore, he was a choreographer for Beyonce and Madonna, series such as Dancing With the Stars (Michael Jackson tribute), So You Think You Can Dance, and Everybody Loves Raymond, worked as a choreographer on films, music videos, and commercials, and was a host of Popstars. He has won an American Choreography Award and several MTV Video Music Awards. Also involved are younger choreographers: Todd Sams, who has worked with Usher, and Rich & Tone Talauega, who have for example worked for Chris Brown, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Pink, Madonna, and Mariah Carey, were present for auditions last month. As teenagers, the Talauega brothers were actually dicovered by Michael Jackson..s choreographer while freestyling at a club in Oakland (USA) and later went on tour with Michael Jackson. The two-day casting call for teh London concerts drew 700 dancers from all over the world to Los Angeles' (USA) Nokia Theatre. "They were from the elite agencies across the world -- London, France, New York," said Australian dancer Nandy McClean, who was not chosen. "There were hip-hop dancers and jazz dancers. You could tell a lot of them were crazy Michael Jackson fans who grew up watching him." Michael himself attended the second day of tryouts. One agency head compared the experience to basketball players auditioning for Michael Jordan. "Dancing for an artist who is so amazing and who everyone looks up to was the best feeling of my life," said Atlanta dancer Victor Carter, who did not make the cut. "He perfected the profession." According to Ortega and Phillips, Michael himself is taking a hands-on role in coming up with routines. He is developing a move that he hopes will be as distinctive as the moonwalk. "He's working on it," Phillips said, refusing to say more: "I'm sworn to secrecy." In preparation for the shows, Michael Jackson is doing aerobics with a personal trainer and has had no difficulty keeping up with dancers half his age during rehearsals in Burbank, Phillips said. Those practice sessions occur in secrecy, thanks to security patrols and confidentiality agreements. While rehearsals for the shows are very exciting, there is also time to relax according to Kenny Ortega: "Michael, the team and I will hash out a creative idea, we're ready to implement it and Michael will say let's sleep on it. The next day he is back in studio raising the bar to the next level and pushing us further for greater dynamic results." MJFC / LA Times...

Pop Superstar Michael Jackson causing hysteria outside the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London,On March 6th 2009.. MJSTAR....

Last night (February 27, 2009), Michael Jackson and designer Christian Audigier (Ed Hardy) went shopping on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles (USA). Reportedly, they visited the Dior and Dolce & Gabbana stores. MJFC..

"Not fond of public appearances as of late, Michael Jackson was mobbed by fans as he tried to sneak out the back door of a medical building in Beverly Hills on Wednesday (January 14). Sporting a surgical mask, the “King of Pop” kept as much of his face covered as possible as he made his way to his car, also wearing a scarf over his head and a hat to obscure most of his face. Despite blocking his remodeled mug from being seen, Jackson did take a few moments to sign autographs for his adoring fans before hopping into his car with a packet of Kettle Chips to snack on while driving away. And though there are rumors of serious financial troubles, it was recently reported that Jackson is leasing a mansion in the ritzy Bel-Air section of Los Angeles for an impressive $100,000 a month" MJSTAR...