Sunday 25 March 2012
Saturday 24 March 2012
Michael Jackson Patrick Stump
25/100
Born August 29th, 1958
Key Tracks "I Want You Back" (the Jackson 5), "Billie Jean," "Man in the Mirror" (solo)
Influenced Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Usher
Michael Jackson is a perfect storm of innate talent and training. His singing as a child is astounding: He just nailed "I Want You Back" — there's maybe one bum note on that song, which is crazy to me, because he was only 11 years old.
One of the key elements of his style is how he uses his voice as an instrument. His signature grunts — "ugh," "ah" and all that — are rhythmic things that guitar players or drummers usually do. He's one of the most rhythmic singers ever — Prince emulated James Brown a lot more, but Michael Jackson approximated it more naturally.
And he has insane range. I can sing pretty high, but I had to drop "Beat It" a half step when I sang it. He sings this incredibly high note — I think it's a high C or even a high C-sharp, which no one can hit — on "Beat It," as well as "Billie Jean" and "Thriller." What people don't realize is that he can go pretty deep too. You hear that on "Burn This Disco Out," on Off the Wall — he goes deep into his range, which blows me away.
When somebody gets as big as he did, you lose sight of how avant-garde and revolutionary they are, but Michael Jackson pushed the boundaries of pop and R&B. Think about it: On "Beat It," you had an R&B singer doing a full-on rock song with Eddie Van Halen. Or the intro on "Man in the Mirror": He's got this reverb in his voice, and any time he goes "uh!" it goes for miles. To me, that's up there with some Brian Eno shit. That's how far out there it i
Remembering Michael Jackson
We all remember the king of pop….michael jackson. He was an amazing artist with 17 number one singles in the united states and produced the best selling album of all time and has sold over 750 million records making him the worlds best selling artist.
His career started with him and his 4 older brothers. They were called ” The Jackson 5″. Later on he broke away from his brothers and started his own career. He was a huge sucess coming out with lots of different albums and number one songs such as:
1972: ” Ben” (1 week)
1979: ” Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (1 week)
1980: ” Rock with You” (4 weeks)
1983: ” Billie Jean” (7 weeks)
1983: ” Beat It” (3 weeks)
1983: ” Say Say Say” (6 weeks)
1985: ” We Are The World” (4 weeks)
1987: ” Bad” (2 weeks)
1987: ” The Way You Make Me Feel” (1 week)
1987: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
1988: ” Man in the Mirror” (2 weeks)
1988: ” Dirty Diana” (1 week)
1991: ” Black or White” (7 weeks)
1995: ” You Are Not Alone” (1 week)
He was also known for his dance moves, for eample the moonwalk, his clothing, which made a big fashion statement, and his plastic surgery. The singer only ever admitted to two nose jobs and blamed his progressively paler skin on the condition vitiligo. He had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips and a cheekbone surgery.
In 1979, Jackson had his first rhinoplasty after breaking his nose during a complex dance routine. However, the surgery was not a complete success, and he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He also had a dimple created in his chin. He was alway covering his face with clothes when he went out in public because people would criticized him so much.
Even though he was the best selling album of all time under his belt, some people still didn’t like him. Why, you ask? Michael Jackson was accused of being a child molester and horrilbe father. He dangled his baby from a balcony in front of everyone. It was all over the news, magazines, everywhere. Ofcourse he denied being a child molester and in my opinion, i think he was telling the truth. Michael loved children. He had a whole house dedicated to them (Neverland). He was a loving father and took care of his kids. I think he was a great person who was nice to everybody. I dont think he would ever intentionally hurt anybody, especially a child.
But all stories have an end. We all remember that horrible June say when they said Michael Jackson the King of Pop was dead. Millions of people mourned his death. They even came out with a movie in honor of his life. He had an amazing life and we will all miss him.
Fulham fans cry foul over 'bizarre' Michael Jackson statue
It may be approaching the two-year anniversary of his death from cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, but as of this weekend there will be a corner of suburban south-west London that is forever Michael Jackson. On Saturday, to a chorus of outrage from supporters and disquiet even from Jackson loyalists, a six-foot high golden statue of the King of Pop will be unveiled at Fulham football club, creating an incongruous permanent shrine to a pop culture icon of the 80s and 90s.
The statue is at the behest of the Fulham chairman and owner Mohamed Al Fayed, a close friend of the singer. "Michael Jackson was truly a legend, a term used too often in this modern world," Fayed told Fulham's website, when news emerged of the unveiling. "I hope that Fulham fans will appreciate seeing the finest performer in the world in and among them."
Football clubs have their own loyalties, however, and the unveiling of the statue – which depicts Jackson draped in ammunition belts and wearing what has been described as "his underpants outside his trousers" – has caused disquiet. Hundreds of supporters have signed a petition in protest at the club honouring "a controversial American pop star, who has no links to Fulham Football Club … causing heated debate and much unrest". A demonstration is being planned to mark the unveiling tomorrow before the home match against Blackpool.
"Why? Why us? Fulham football fans do not want a statue of Michael Jackson," said Fulham supporter Lee Robinson. "It's completely mad. He's got nothing to do with us. To be honest, he's the last person you'd want there."
From the outside there is little to connect the two. On one hand, the most commercially prolific recording artist of the modern era, a man who almost single-handedly popularised the moonwalk. On the other, London's sleepiest Premier League football club, whose starriest encounters have tended to be the odd appearance in the stands by Hugh Grant. Indeed, this is something of a marriage of convenience: Fayed originally planned to erect the statue outside Harrods, which he sold to the Qatari royal family for £1.5bn shortly after commissioning it.
"The whole thing is bizarre," said David Lloyd, editor of the club fanzine, There's Only One F in Fulham. "If I was asked: did I want it? I would say no. But we've got a chairman who has done so much for us if he wants a Michael Jackson statue, so be it. What we don't want is the ridicule that will come with it."
Jackson's effigy will not be alone. Fulham's stadium, Craven Cottage, already plays host to a tribute to the club's greatest player, the legendary 1960s midfielder Johnny Haynes. For some, the confluence of the two has added to the affront. As Fulham supporter Andrew Lawford said: "I'm not sure fans will delight in the contrast of Johnny Haynes, Fulham legend, a man of standing and dignity who inspired generations of young supporters, and Michael Jackson."
The Haynes statue was a supporter-funded effort, erected in 2008 with planning permission from Hammersmith and Fulham council. By contrast, the council's planning department said the Jackson statue had been "discussed" and was deemed not to require permission, despite the fact that Craven Cottage is a Grade I-listed building. "It's not a black and white issue," said the council's duty planning officer, echoing one of Jackson's most memorable lyrics.
With the unveiling imminent, even Jackson's famously devout fans seem disquieted. "I think what Mr Al Fayed wants to do is a great thing and really nice," said Matt Blank, spokesman for Michael Jackson World Network, an online fan group. "It's lovely for Michael Jackson fans over the world to have a statue in such a public place. But I understand the anger of the football fans too. I think there are lots of locations in London that would be more fitting to the legacy Michael left behind."
A group identifying itself as The United Michael Jackson Fans of the World has posted a counter-petition calling for the statue's relocation, noting "as has been clearly demonstrated by the awful comments on the club's website, FFC is no place for Michael to reside and certainly no safe place for MJ fans to visit him".
In Fayed's defence, Jackson did at least visit the club once, attending a home game against Wigan as Fayed's guest in 1999. Lloyd was there to witness Jackson's pre-match lap of the pitch. "I thought he was an impersonator so I didn't take much notice."
Jackson has also appeared as an effigy in London once before. In 1995 a gold statue of the singer was floated down the Thames by his record company to mark the release of the album HIStory. www.guardian.co.uk
Michael Jackson Autopsy Suggested Homicide
The coroner who performed the autopsy on Michael Jackson testified Tuesday that the pop star’s death would have been classified a homicide even if the singer gave himself the final dose of the anesthetic propofol.
Christopher Rogers, chief of forensic medicine for the Los Angeles County coroner, was questioned by a lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged with causing Jackson’s death by administering a lethal dose of propofol and other sedatives and failing to provide proper care.
Attorney J. Michael Flanagan suggested Jackson could have swallowed the drug, which is meant to be administered intravenously. While Rogers said that seemed unlikely, he said it would not have made a difference in his finding of homicide because of inadequate care by Murray.
Flanagan’s inquiry was the first disclosure of how the defense plans to counter the involuntary manslaughter charge against Murray. The lawyer has suggested Jackson could have injected himself intravenously while Murray was out of the room.
The testimony came during an ongoing preliminary hearing after which Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor will decide if there is enough evidence for Murray to stand trial.
Murray has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys have said he didn’t give Jackson anything that should have killed him.
In court, Flanagan displayed a chart showing the drug levels in Jackson’s blood at the time of the autopsy.
Flanagan asked Rogers, “If the ingestion (of propofol) is by the decedent (and) led to these blood levels, it would not be a homicide?”
“I believe it would still be a homicide,” Rogers replied.
Asked why, the witness said, “Based on the quality of the medical care, I would still call this a homicide even if the doctor didn’t administer the propofol to Mr. Jackson,” the witness said.
Rogers said propofol should not have been present in the bedroom because it is meant only for hospital settings and, “If there was propofol there, the doctor should have been prepared for the effects.”
Rogers said Jackson had a strong heart and was mostly healthy.
“The care was substandard,” Rogers said. “There were several actions that should have been taken.”
Rogers also testified that Murray was improperly using the powerful anesthetic propofol to treat the musician for insomnia, and that Murray was wrong to leave Jackson’s side while he was under anesthesia before he died.
On Tuesday, a detective testified that Murray spent nearly three hours telling police about his final hours with the superstar, who was so desperate for sleep that he was getting the anesthetic injections in his bedroom six nights a week.
Murray’s interview two days after Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009, led police back to the singer’s mansion, where they found 12 vials of propofol – a fraction of the 255 vials a Las Vegas pharmacist said he shipped to Murray in the three months before Jackson died.
Detective Orlando Martinez said Murray told police he did everything he could on the morning of June 25 to get the pop superstar to sleep.
He gave the singer sedatives then turned down the music in his bedroom and told Jackson to meditate. He even rubbed the singer’s feet and put lotion on his back. But Jackson was still awake.
Murray told police the singer was growing frustrated and repeatedly warned he might have to cancel the planned 50 comeback concerts in London because he couldn’t sleep. He wanted his “milk,” which the detective was the word Jackson used for propofol.
At 10:40 a.m., Murray told Martinez, he gave Jackson a 25 milligram dose of propofol – half the usual amount.
Murray said he watched the singer for a few minutes then made a long walk to a bathroom. When he returned, Jackson wasn’t breathing. Murray told the detective.
The stunned doctor immediately tried to save Jackson, but told Martinez he didn’t call 911. “He said he was caring for his patient and he did not want to neglect him,” Martinez testified.
A call to 911 was finally made at 12:21 p.m. Prosecutors have said Jackson was dead before help was summoned.
Murray could face up to four years in prison if tried and convicted.
bigalblog.wordpress.com
Legal controversy has surrounded the Estate of Michael Jackson ever since he died almost two years ago. Trial & Heirs did a year in review article last year; it’s almost time for year two. You can now add a new lawsuit — over $17.5 million worth of insurance — to the list.
Concert promoter AEG Live took out the large insurance policy over Michael Jackson in case he died and was unable to perform the “This Is It” concert tour. Of course, that’s exactly what happened, showing that AEG was smart to take that precaution. Reportedly, AEG spent some $20 to $25 million on the tour before the King of Pop’s death, and this insurance was supposed to protect that investment. Both AEG and a Michael Jackson limited liability company that is controlled by the Estate were named as beneficiaries eligible to collect that money under the policy.
But, AEG and the Estate haven’t collected this money yet … and both are now embroiled in a new lawsuit by insurer Lloyd’s of London. The renowned insurance company sued, asking a California judge to rule that the policy should be voided. They don’t want to pay the $17.5 million.
Why the lawsuit? Lloyd’s says that AEG and Michael Jackson both lied during the insurance process. Reportedly, they didn’t tell about Jackson’s use of prescription drugs … namely, the propofol which killed him. The insurance company also says that Michael Jackson’s medical history, including the doctors he saw, weren’t properly disclosed.
The legal term for this type of insurance denial is “material misrepresentation.” If Michael Jackson or AEG gave false information on the insurance application or otherwise during the process of obtaining the policy, then the law permits the insurance company to avoid having to pay … but, only if the false or missing information is “material.” In other words, generally speaking, the “misrepresentation” must be held to be relevant to the insurance policy and cause of death for this to be a proper basis to deny a claim.
The insurance company would normally put Michael through a lengthy medical evaluation, as would be customary for any insurance policy like this — especially one this large. This evaluation usually includes review of medical records, which raises the question of whether the insurance company should have discovered any misstatements. If so, their failure to do so could mean the fault lies with them, not MJ or AEG.
This means that either someone really tried hard to hide the truth of Michael’s prescription drug use, or Lloyd’s of London didn’t do a very good job of investigating the policy.
The truth will now play out in court. Reportedly, the two sides have been trying to settle the claim ever since the King of Pop died, but it hasn’t worked. So now they have to resolve it through litigation.
The Estate is ready to battle. Estate attorney Howard Weitzman says that the insurance claim is legitimate and the insurance company is merely trying to avoid paying out what it should.
This type of fight is not uncommon, but most of the time it happens over life insurance. Life insurance is an important plan of any good estate plan. When that plan falls apart because a life insurance claim is denied, families should work with an experienced attorney who has handled denied claims. Insurance companies often deny claims they should pay, and it may take a court fight to get the money that a family is legitimately owed.
In these cases, an important factor is the two-year “incontestability period.” If someone has a material misrepresentation, but more than two years pass after the application and the date of death, then the insurance company still has to pay. That rule wouldn’t help MJ’s estate or AEG though, since the policy wasn’t two years old when he died.
Will this money be lost due to improper disclosures by Michael Jackson and the concert promoters? We’ll have to stay tuned to find out.
By Danielle and Andy Mayoras, co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!, husband-and-wife legacy expert attorneys, and hosts of an upcoming national PBS special. The charismatic duo has appeared on the Rachael Ray Show, Forbes, ABC’s Live Well Network, WGN-TV and has lent their expertise and analysis to hundreds of media sources, including The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Kiplinger, and The Washington Post, among many others. As dynamic keynote speakers, Danielle and Andy delight audiences nationwide with highly entertaining and informative presentations, dishing the dirt on celebrity estate battles while dispensing important legal information to help people avoid family fights among their heirs. The couple spends their free time with their 8-year old son and seven-year old boy/girl twins.
For the latest celebrity and high-profile cases, with tips to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your clients, subscribe to The Legacy Update at www.TrialandHeirs.com.
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