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Quotes about Jackson on day of memorial service By The Associated Press The Associated Press – Tue Jul 7, 6:36 pm ET Comments on Michael Jackson on the day of his memorial service: "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him — so much." — Jackson's daughter, Paris-Michael, who broke down in tears. ___ "Michael, when you left us, a part of me went with you. ... I will treasure the good times, singing, dancing, laughing. ... We will never understand what he endured ... being judged, ridiculed. How much pain can one take? Maybe, now, Michael, they will leave you alone." — Marlon Jackson. ___ "Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date. ... We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age. I used to tease him and say, `I started when I was 11 months old. You're a slacker. You were like 5?' Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. ... M.J.'s laugh was the sweetest and purest of anyone I've known." — Brooke Shields. ___ "He created a comfort level, where people that felt they were separate became interconnected with his music. ... Those young kids grew up from being teenage, comfortable fans of Michael's to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a person of color to be the president of the United States of America. Michael did that. Michael made us love each other. Michael taught us to stand with each other." — The Rev. Al Sharpton. ___ "I'm here representing millions of fans around the world who grew up listening to Michael, being inspired and loving Michael from a distance. ... Somehow when Michael Jackson sang and when he danced ... we felt he was right there. ... He made you believe in yourself." — Queen Latifah. ___ "When he did his iconic moonwalk, I was shocked. It was magic. Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down. Though it ended way too soon, Michael's life was beautiful." — Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. ___ "This is a moment that I wish that I didn't live to see come. But as much as I can say that and mean it, I do know that God is good and I do know that as much as we may feel — and we do — that we need Michael here with us, God must have needed him far more." — Stevie Wonder. ___ "Michael was a personal love of mine. A treasured part of my world ... " — Smokey Robinson, reading a note from longtime Jackson friend Diana Ross at Tuesday's memorial service in Los Angeles. ___ "You don't think you'll live to see them gone. ... He is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever." — Smokey Robinson. ___ "We miss you, Michael." — Mariah Carey, after singing "I'll Be There" at Jackson's memorial service. ___ "There are certain people in our popular culture that just capture people's imaginations. And in death, they become even larger. Now, I have to admit that it's also fed by a 24/7 media that is insatiable." — President Barack Obama, who was asked about the outpouring of emotion related to Michael Jackson's death during an interview with CBS while he was in Moscow. ___ "They're holding up well in part because they're a strong family ... a big family, religiously devout family. Therefore, they have a sense of insulation of their faith." — The Rev. Jesse Jackson, on how Michael Jackson's family is coping. ___ "He was a true gift and there are very few that have come to the magnitude of influence that he had on the world." — Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Poignant service says goodbye to M.J., the man AP, Jul 7, 2009 10:55 pm PDT Michael Jackson was an entertainment phenomenon both triumphant and troubled, a dazzling performer who transcended barriers, transformed the music world and transfixed fans and non-fans alike in every corner of the Earth. But Tuesday's memorial was not for that Michael Jackson. Instead, those closest to the legend gave us a glimpse of Michael Jackson the man. In a poignant and serene service, the portrait they painted was of a human just as remarkable, making his loss doubly painful to bear for those who truly loved him. "I just wanted to say ... ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him — so much," said Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris-Michael, before dissolving into tears and falling into the embrace of her aunt Janet. It was a deeply emotional moment, the most profound part of a memorial that accomplished what Jackson could not in life: humanizing a man who for so long had seemed like a caricature. How could someone who moved like he moved, sang like he sang, and reached musical heights no person has ever touched be as human as the rest of us? How could a man who threw a wedding for Elizabeth Taylor, had a chimpanzee as a companion, and wore masks to cover his surgically altered face be any part normal? How can a man who admitted he shared his bed with boys — though he maintained it was never sexual, as others suggested — be a decent man, closer to saintly than devilish? It took those closest to him, from his brother Marlon to his old friend Brooke Shields, to explain Michael Jackson to those who saw him as a talented freak — an image that deeply pained Jackson. So while Motown founder Berry Gordy talked about the child prodigy he signed at age 10, and pronounced him not just the King of Pop, but "the greatest entertainer who ever lived," he also talked about the little kid who played catcher during family softball games against the Gordys, who cracked jokes and frolicked in the pool. Magic Johnson talked about the perfectionist who made him achieve higher heights as a basketball player, but also told of sitting around and eating KFC at his home. And Shields talked about a friendship in which laughter was central to it all. "We had a bond, and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age," Shields said, fighting back tears. "Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. ... M.J.'s laugh was the sweetest and purest of anyone I've known." For Jackson's family and the organizers of the memorial, it was a successful rehabilitation of the image of a superstar who had been derided for so long. The words "sweet" and "pure" had rarely been used to describe Jackson in the last two decades of his life, marked by allegations of child abuse, an ever-changing face, multiple lawsuits, eccentric behavior and what seemed to be one bad career move after another. Only true Jackson fans, a number that seemed to be dwindling year after year, seemed to remember the man who dazzled us with "Thriller," made us swoon with delight with infectious grooves like "Rock With You" and "Remember the Time," and conversed with presidents, kings and queens. Tuesday's memorial reminded us of that Michael Jackson, too. The universally revered and admired former South African President, Nelson Mandela, offered words of condolences and love for Jackson in a statement read by Smokey Robinson. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, talked about how Jackson held court with African leaders in his bid to help slow the spread of AIDS there. And Maya Angelou, who was also represented by her words instead of her presence, offered a loving tribute for the entertainer in remarks read by Queen Latifah. "He took a pose on his toes for all of us," Angelou wrote, remarking on his worldwide influence from "Birmingham, Ala., to Birmingham, England." For an entertainer known for his amazing music, song took a backseat to sentiment at the service. But when it was used, it was to great effect. His very biggest hits were not part of the program. Instead, what we heard were the songs that reinforced Jackson outside of entertainment. Longtime friend Stevie Wonder — who summarized the thoughts of many when he said, "This is a moment I wished I didn't live to see" — sang his own "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer," originally intended as a bitter breakup song but repurposed as a sad goodbye. Lionel Richie, Jackson's collaborator on the anthem "We Are the World," sang a gospel classic, "Jesus is Love." Another gospel hymn heralded the arrival of Jackson's casket when a choir sang the lines, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, we're going to see the King." Two of Jackson's songs underscored his humanitarian side — the closing numbers, "We Are the World" and the anthem for his charity, "Heal the World." Usher's heartbreaking rendition of "Gone Too Soon," which Jackson wrote as a memorial for Ryan White, one of the early public faces of AIDS, captured the pain not only of his fans and friends, but of his family, as the Jackson brothers came together and gripped a sobbing Usher in their arms afterward. And Jermaine Jackson's version of "Smile," which Michael Jackson had often used as a metaphor for his own tragic life, was a fitting epitaph for his brother. But perhaps no one lifted up the image of Jackson more than the Rev. Al Sharpton, in rousing, church-like sermon that took Michael Jackson back from the tabloid headlines. Sharpton looked at Jackson's children and declared: "Your daddy wasn't strange — what he had to deal with was strange."

Poignant Goodbye to an International Superstar

Jackson's kids emerge from behind the veil By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer - Wednesday, July 8 LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's three young children, after a lifetime of fierce protection from the prying eyes of the world, came out into the open Tuesday for the most public and heart-wrenching debut imaginable. Before an audience of thousands at the Staples Center and millions more around the globe, 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael; 11-year-old Paris-Michael; and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, sat in the front row, taking in their father's memorial service at Staples Center. Gone were the veils, the party masks and the guarded gates and walls that kept the Jackson children hidden from view for more than a decade. Those were replaced with images of their young faces up on stage as the ceremony came to a close, comforting one another and fidgeting as kids will: Prince chewed gum and toted the memorial service program; Paris turned a small patent-leather purse over in her hands; and Blanket held his program and clutched a Michael Jackson doll. And in a moment of almost shocking openness, Paris went to the podium to address the crowd, fighting back sobs in the ceremony's defining moment. "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said, her tiny voice cracking. "And I just wanted to say I love him _ so much." Photos of the children's faces, which eluded the paparazzi for years, had leaked out recently, and were widely circulated in the days after Jackson's death June 25. But the live images of the children _ Paris in a black dress with white trim and the two boys wearing the same dark suit and yellow tie as the rest of the men in the Jackson family _ represented their first true coming-out for the youngest generation of Jacksons.

Stars sing for Jackson in emotional farewell Reuters - Wednesday, July 8By Bob Tourtellotte LOS ANGELES - Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Usher led an emotional public memorial for Michael Jackson on Tuesday as the music world, the Jackson family and thousands of fans bade farewell to the "King of Pop." Jackson's brothers, each wearing a single sequined glove in homage to his signature look, carried the singer's gold-trimmed casket into the Staples Center sports arena, where Jackson had rehearsed the day before his death for a highly-anticipated series of comeback concerts. Carey performed Jackson's 1970 ballad "I'll Be There" and singer Smokey Robinson read out tributes from former South African president Nelson Mandela and singer Diana Ross. But it was Jackson himself who loomed larger than life over the 18,000-plus arena crowd, shown in old concert footage, music videos and news clips, singing, dancing his signature moonwalk and surrounded by adoring crowds. "The more I think about Michael, and talk about Michael, the more I think that 'King of Pop' is not good enough," said Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, who signed The Jackson 5 in 1968. "I think he is simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived." Jackson's sudden death from cardiac arrest in Los Angeles on June 25 at the age of 50 prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief and sent sales of his biggest hits back to the top of the music charts. President Barack Obama, on a visit to Russia, said he was "one of the greatest entertainers of our generation, perhaps any generation," and added: "I think like Elvis, like Sinatra, like The Beatles he became a core part of our culture. Tuesday's two-hour memorial focused on Jackson's 45-year music career, his charity work for childrens' groups and his role in opening the mainstream pop and celebrity world up to African-Americans. Gordy was among the few who referred obliquely to the darker side of Jackson's life, which in the last 10 years had come to overshadow his prowess as a performer and his 13 Grammy awards. "Though it ended way too soon, Michael's life was beautiful. Sure there was some sad times and maybe some questionable decisions on his part, but Michael Jackson accomplished everything he dreamed of," said Gordy. "NOTHING STRANGE" ABOUT DADDY Jackson was on the eve of a comeback after his career collapsed despite his acquittal in a humiliating 2005 trial on sex abuse charges. Civil rights leader Al Sharpton, angrily denouncing the media focus on the bizarre aspects of his life, said he had a message for Jackson's three children. "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with," he said to cheers. Jackson's three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7, appeared with the family on stage at the end of the performances. Paris, in tears, took the microphone to say: "Ever since I was born my daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine and I just want to say I love him so much." R&B singer Usher's voice cracked as he sang "Gone Too Soon" while actress Brooke Shields, who briefly dated the singer, remembered his laugh as "the sweetest and purest of anyone's I had ever known." Jackson's family and close friends held a brief private ceremony earlier on Tuesday at a Los Angeles cemetery before unexpectedly bringing the singer's body to the memorial. Fans watched from bridges as the funeral procession made its way along freeways cleared of traffic for one of the biggest celebrity events ever seen in a city accustomed to living with superstar citizens. Police had estimated that more than 250,000 people would gather outside the arena but the orderly crowds were much smaller than expected. Many fans and downtown office workers appeared to have stayed at home to watch the ceremony live on national TV networks or on the Internet. At the Staples Center, Los Angeles resident Parisa Ebraihimi, 28, said she had been a Jackson fan since she was five years old. "For me, his dance moves and his music -- all his songs were about a better world. He'll live on for generations," she said. Police, security, escorts and sanitation for the memorial ceremony are expected to cost cash-strapped Los Angeles city council nearly $4 million. The city council on Tuesday launched a web site asking for fans to make donations toward the cost of hosting Tuesday's events.

Tears and tributes mark Jackson's farewell 3 hours 6 mins ago Rob Woollard A gold-plated casket bearing Michael Jackson took center stage Tuesday as hundreds of millions worldwide bade farewell to the King of Pop in the final curtain call of his glittering career. Tears and tributes flowed as mourners including rock stars and athletes gathered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a star-studded but somber celebration of the music icon's turbulent life and times. Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris tearfully addressed mourners in the heart-breaking last act of the two-hour service. "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much," she said before dissolving into tears and being comforted by Jackson's sister, Janet. Jackson's poignant journey began with a private service shortly after 8:15 am (1515 GMT) as family and friends gathered at the picturesque Forest Lawn mortuary high in the Hollywood Hills. Jackson's golden casket, swathed with red flowers, then emerged and was loaded into a black hearse under the watchful eye of 20 media helicopters hovering overhead. A motorcade of luxury vehicles then made a stately procession to the 20,000-capacity arena, where family, friends and celebrities rubbed shoulders with ordinary fans who had won tickets via an online lottery. Jackson's casket was placed at the front of the stage as the service began with singer Smokey Robinson reading letters of condolence from those unable to attend, including a tribute from former South African president Nelson Mandela. "Michael was a giant and a legend in the music industry. And we mourn with the millions of fans worldwide," Mandela's tribute read. Motown diva Diana Ross -- named by Jackson in his will as an alternative guardian to his children -- meanwhile said she had chosen to mourn privately. "Michael was a personal love of mine, a treasured part of my world, part of the fabric of my life," Ross's tribute said. "Michael wanted me to be there for his children, and I will be there if they ever need me." Ross was one of several notable absentees, with Jackson's long-time friend Elizabeth Taylor also opting to stay away. "I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others. How I feel is between us. Not a public event," Taylor said in a message on the Twitter micro-blogging site. Tributes to Jackson from friends and associates were punctuated by performances from Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson amongst others as Jackson's family looked on approvingly. Jackson's brothers all wore matching suits and their sibling's signature solo sequined glove. One of the biggest ovations came after rousing remarks by reverend Al Sharpton who told Jackson's children to disregard the lurid stories that often swirled around their father. "I want his three children to know -- there weren't nothing strange about your daddy," Sharpton said. "It was strange what your daddy had to deal with but he dealt with it." The service drew to a close with a performance of Jackson's clarion call to end global suffering, "Heal the World," before members of the star's family offered individual tributes. As the service ended it was not immediately clear where Jackson was to be buried. Fans meanwhile were left praising the execution of the memorial service, saying it had struck the right tone. "It was very fitting. It was a celebration, yet it was humble," said Wayne Darrington, 20. Streets surrounding the Staples Center had been sealed off before dawn where thousands of police officers were deployed to guard against large crowds of ticketless fans. A live feed of the service was made available free to television networks, while the event was being streamed via social networking websites Facebook and MySpace, officials said. Fans gathered to sing Jackson's greatest hits and watch his videos ahead of the event in cities across the globe such as Tokyo, Hong Kong and Berlin. US President Barack Obama meanwhile told CNN in an interview from Russia that Jackson was "one of the greatest entertainers of our generation." "I think like Elvis, like (Frank) Sinatra, like the Beatles, he became a core part of our culture," Obama said, acknowledging the "tragedy" that was a part of the singer's life. Jackson sold more than 750 million albums during a four-decade career that was ultimately overshadowed by repeated allegations of child abuse, his startling physical transformation and eccentric behavior. Local and federal law enforcement agencies continue to probe the circumstances of his death on June 25 at the age of 50. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office has said it will not issue a final cause of death for "several weeks" when the results of exhaustive toxicology tests are known. Lawyers meanwhile are busy untangling the labyrinth of legal issues that have emerged in the aftermath of Jackson's death. On Monday, a Los Angeles judge replaced Jackson's mother as temporary administrator of his estate with two of the pop icon's business associates, as instructed by a 2002 will.

Michael Jackson's daughter takes centre stage 3 hours 15 mins ago Dan Whitcomb In a memorial to Michael Jackson on Tuesday that featured superstars singers Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, the moment that may be best remembered came when his 11-year-old daughter Paris spoke a few heart-wrenching words. Paris was quietly ushered onstage with her brothers as the nearly two-hour event wound down to the strains of Jackson's charity single "We Are the World", then she appeared to catch even members of her family offguard by addressing the hushed crowd at Staples Centre. Embraced by her aunt, Janet Jackson, who held back her long brown hair and urged her to "speak up," Paris stepped to the microphone, tears streaming down her face, as some in the audience were already filtering out of the sports arena. "I just want to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine, and I just wanted to say I love him so much," Paris said, sobbing. To gasps from the throng of about 18,000 people, she then turned and buried her face in Janet Jackson's arms and was hugged by other family members. Coming at the end of a largely scripted tribute to Jackson that included such orators as civil rights activist Al Sharpton, observers quickly predicted that Paris' brief, impromptu eulogy to her father would be long remembered. "Nobody was prepared for that. That will be one of the iconic moments from today's service," said media historian Ron Simon, who compared it to the salute to slain President John F. Kennedy by his son John during his 1963 funeral. Paris and her brothers, Prince Michael Jr. and Prince Michael II, have rarely been seen in public, their faces typically shielded from photographers by masks or veils when they accompanied their famous father. Jackson, who felt hounded by paparazzi, closely guarded his childrens' privacy. "This kid in an odd sort of way has been liberated," Syracuse University media scholar Robert Thompson said. "Literally, the veil has been dropped from her, and one gets the sense that this liberation will be a good thing. But then she opens her mouth and reminds us that she's lost her daddy." (Additional reporting by Steve Gorman, editing by Philip Barbara)

Daughter pays tearful tribute to Michael Jackson 3 hours 3 mins ago Michael Jackson's daughter paid an emotional tribute to her father at his star-studded memorial service in LA. Paris Michael Katherine said: "Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine and I just wanted to say I love him so much." The 11-year-old was then embraced by her aunt Janet Jackson as tears rolled down her face. Paris had earlier been joined by her brothers Prince Michael, 12 and Prince Michael II, 7, on stage with the rest of the Jackson family for a final tribute to the King of Pop, singing along to his charity single, We Are the World. The trio have rarely been seen in public over the past decade, and when out with their father they wore masks or veils to shield their faces from photographers. Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Usher led the emotional service for Jackson as the music world and thousands of fans joined his family to say farewell. Jackson's brothers, each wearing a single sequined glove in homage to his signature look, carried the singer's gold-trimmed casket into the Staples Center sports arena, where the Thriller star had rehearsed the day before his death for a highly-anticipated series of comeback concerts at London's O2 Arena. Carey performed Jackson's 1970 ballad I'll Be There and singer Smokey Robinson read out tributes from former South African president Nelson Mandela and singer Diana Ross. Praising Jackson for triumphing over tragedy in his life, Mandela said: "Michael was a giant and a legend in the music industry and we mourn with the millions of fans worldwide. "We also mourn with his friends and his family for the loss of our dear friend who we will miss and memories of him cherish for a very long time." The message from Ross said: "Michael wanted me to be there for his children and I will be there if they ever need me - I hope today brings closure for all those who loved him. I send my love and condolences to the Jackson family." Around 18,000 fans, who won tickets in a web lottery, crowded into Staples for the two-hour ceremony honouring Jackson, who died aged 50 on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest at his mansion in the city. When it was Wonder's turn, he said: "This is a moment I wished I had never seen come. Michael, I loved you and I told you that many times, so I'm at peace with that." He dedicated his songs Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer and They Won't Go When I Go to Jackson, and was rewarded with a standing ovation inside the auditorium. In a lighter moment, US basketball star Magic Johnson revealed to the crowd that Jackson had a soft spot for Kentucky fried chicken. RnB singer Usher identified Jackson as his greatest inspiration and was the first artist to touch his coffin. After breaking down in tears singing Gone Too Soon, he was embraced by members of the Jackson family as he was led away from the stage. Police had estimated that more than 250,000 people would gather outside the arena but the orderly crowds were much smaller than expected. Family members had held a private funeral service earlier at Forest Lawn Cemetery. The ceremonies come as the courts untangle the future of Jackson's estate and police investigate the circumstances of his death.

Dame Liz Taylor Boycotts Jacko Memorial 3 hours 46 mins ago ©Sky News 2009 One of Michael Jackson's closest friends, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, has dismissed his memorial service as "public whoopla" and refused to attend. Writing on her Twitter page, she also revealed she had refused to speak at the Staples Centre. The Oscar-winning actress, a long-term friend of Jackson's, wrote: "I said I wouldn't go to the Staples Centre and I certainly don't want to become a part of it. I love him too much. "I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others. How I feel is between us. Not a public event. "And I cannot guarantee that I would be coherent to say a word." Revealing how she had been asked to speak at the service, she added: "I cannot be part of the public whoopla." Speaking of her sadness, she sent her love to Jackson's family, saying: "My love goes out to Katherine and Michael's beloved children." Guttman Associates, Dame Elizabeth's PR agency, confirmed the blog was attributable to her.

Jackson memorial performers announced as LA braces By JESSE WASHINGTON, AP National Writer AP - Tuesday, July 7 LOS ANGELES - The stage was set Monday for Michael Jackson's final act as the world capital of make-believe braced for what could be the biggest, most spectacular celebrity send-off of all time. Ecstatic fans who won the lottery for seats at Tuesday's memorial received the tickets and spangly wristbands that will get them into the 20,000-seat Staples Center downtown. The family announced the participants will include Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie, Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Martin Luther King III. As night fell, a local TV station reported activity at the Forest Lawn Cemetery that appeared to involve Jackson's family. That is the location where the family was expected to hold a private funeral at some point. KCAL-TV showed helicopter footage taken at sunset Monday of a hearse backing up to a building inside the grounds. It also showed footage of a woman in sunglasses and a hat who appeared to be LaToya Jackson entering the cemetery. Representatives for the Jackson family reached Monday night did not comment. A small handful of cars was shown coming and going from the Hall of Liberty, a circular building at the cemetery that contains a 1,200 seat auditorium. The legal maneuvering that marked Jackson's extraordinary and troubled life also continued on Monday, with his mother losing a bid to control his enormous but tangled estate. And in one of the few reminders of Jackson's darkest hours, a New York congressman branded Jackson a "pervert" undeserving of so much attention. More than 1.6 million people registered for free tickets to the 10 a.m. memorial, which will be broadcast live worldwide. A total of 8,750 people were chosen to receive two tickets each. The lucky ones picked up their passes Monday at Dodger Stadium amid heavy police presence. "I got the golden ticket!" one fan screamed out of his car window in a Willy Wonka moment as he drove out of the parking lot. "My mother loves Elvis. This is my Elvis," said ticket winner Mynor Garcia, 29. Downtown hotels were quickly filling. Police, trying to avoid a mob scene, warned those without tickets to stay away because they would not be able to get close to the Staples Center. British Airways reported a surge of bookings as soon as the memorial arrangements were announced. Virgin's trans-Atlantic flights to San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles were all packed with fans and VIPs, spokesman Paul Charles said. "I think this is America's version of Princess Diana. People want to be in the vicinity. People from the UK and elsewhere want to share their emotions together," Charles said. About 50 theaters across the country, from Los Angeles to Topeka, Kan., to Washington, D.C., were planning to broadcast the memorial live, said Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. spokeswoman Suzanne Moore. Admission will be free _ first-come, first-served. Jackson's friend Elizabeth Taylor will be mourning in private. She said on her Twitter feed Monday that she would not attend the memorial. "I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others," she tweeted. "How I feel is between us. Not a public event." In Los Angeles Superior Court, meanwhile, a judge appointed Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend as administrators of his estate over the objections of his mother, Katherine. Attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain had been designated in Jackson's 2002 will as the people he wanted to oversee his empire. Mrs. Jackson's attorneys expressed concerns about McClain and Branca's financial leadership. "Frankly, Mrs. Jackson has concerns about handing over the keys to the kingdom," said one of her attorneys, John E. Schreiber. Another one of her attorneys, Burt Levitch, told Judge Mitchell Beckloff that Branca had previously been removed from financial positions of authority by Jackson. Branca's attorney said he was rehired by Jackson on June 17, days before Jackson's death. Branca and McClain will have to post a $1 million bond on the estate, and their authority will expire Aug. 3, when another hearing will be held. "Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain for the next month are at the helm of the ship," the judge said. Jackson died at age 50 with hundreds of millions in debts. But a court filing estimates his estate is worth more than $500 million. His assets are destined for a trust, with his three children, his mother and charities as beneficiaries. On eBay, bids for memorial tickets were reaching as high as $3,000, and prices on Craigslist were in the thousands, although both sites were removing postings attempting to sell memorial tickets. Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, had planned to attend the memorial but backed out Monday. "The onslaught of media attention has made it clear her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy," her attorney Marta Almli said in a statement. "Debbie will continue to celebrate Michael's memory privately." In New York, Republican Rep. Peter King released a YouTube video calling Jackson, who was acquitted of child molestation charges, a "pervert" and a "low-life." But the memories of Jackson's problems were far from the minds of fans preparing to say goodbye. "It's the passing of a great soul," said Matt Tyson, 31, of Ojai, Calif. "He brought people together, helped express something that's in us all." In a symbolic convergence of events, however, the circus will be there. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey starts a run at Staples Center on Wednesday. In the predawn hours before Jackson's memorial, the elephants will walk from the train station to the arena. Associated Press Writers Anthony McCartney, Danica Kirka and Michelle Rindels contributed to this report.

Michael Jackson was working on two albums Reuters - Saturday, July 4 By Mariel Concepcion NEW YORK - At the time of Michael Jackson's death last week, it was well-known that he was preparing for a 50-show concert series at London's O2 Arena later this month. What was less well-known -- and what many are now speculating about -- was what kind of recordings Jackson had done for the last few years. Billboard has learned that the singer was working on two albums at the time of his death: one in the pop vein that made him famous and another that would consist of an instrumental classical composition. And while some believe the star wanted to recapture his '80s glory days -- or escape financial trouble -- those who worked with him recently say he was motivated by his fans and his children. Jackson was working on the pop album with songwriter Claude Kelly and R&B star Akon, who says that Jackson was motivated by the ticket sales for his performances. "He said, 'My fans are still there. They still love me. They're alive,'" Akon says. "His kids are like his first priority, and they had never seen him perform live. He was trying to create the most incredible show for his kids." Kelly, who wrote "Hold My Hand," the Akon-produced Jackson track that leaked last year, says Jackson never lost his passion. "He was the King of Pop, the biggest to ever do it, and the one thing you never lose -- whether known by the whole world or just 10 people -- is your love for music," Kelly says. "That never goes away, and it never went away for him amidst his troubles." Composer David Michael Frank had worked with Jackson on a 1989 TV tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. and received a call from the star's assistant two months ago about collaborating again. Jackson invited Frank to his home in Los Angeles' Holmby Hills, told him he was working on an instrumental album of classical music and asked for help with orchestration. "He had two demos of two pieces he'd written, but they weren't complete," says Frank, who adds that he was impressed with Jackson's knowledge of classical music. "For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords. I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music." A few weeks ago, Jackson called to see how Frank was progressing on the orchestrations. "He mentioned more instrumental music of his he wanted to record, including one jazz piece," Frank says. "I hope one day his family will decide to record this music as a tribute and show the world the depth of his artistry." Although questions arose about Jackson's health, and the impact it had on his dancing and singing, those who collaborated with Jackson say his voice was in fine form, despite his frail appearance. Greg Phillinganes, a keyboardist who collaborated with Jackson as musical director of the "Bad" tour and appeared on several of his albums, says Jackson sounded as good as he ever did. "He still had a good voice and never had a problem singing," says Phillinganes, who last spoke to Jackson in March. "There were questions about him being able to pull off the tour on the choreography side, but sources working with him told me he was dancing all the time, every day, and was very focused, excited and committed to making this tour the best it could be." Akon last spoke to Jackson three months prior to his death. "He would always tell me to eat right and ask me if I was exercising and drinking water," he says. "He'd always stress you had to take care of yourself before you can go off and do anything else." Frank agrees. "He seemed totally healthy, not frail, and gave me a firm handshake when we met. He seemed in good health, had a good voice and was in good spirits," he says. "He was very skinny, but from what I knew, he was always thin. He was also taller than I pictured, but he might have been wearing some platform shoes. And he was impeccably dressed." Much has been made of Jackson's intense rehearsal schedule, but Phillinganes says that Jackson lived up to his reputation as a perfectionist. "It was the biggest comeback of his career, arguably the biggest comeback in pop music -- even bigger than Elvis," he says. "So obviously he'd want to do the best he could. He never did anything half-assed, which is what originally got him to the stature he had."

Brooke Shields talks about 'asexual' Jackson Associated Press - July 6, 2009 5:37 PM PDT Brooke Shields was 13 when she first met Michael Jackson and the two "instantly became friends" -- mainly because sexual tension was off the table. "Nothing was jaded about him," the 44-year-old actress told Rolling Stone magazine for a special commemorative issue about the King of Pop, on sale Friday. Shields said the two became close since sexuality wasn't a part of their friendship. She describes her young self as "the most celebrated virgin ever" at a time when women "wanted to throw themselves at (Jackson) and feel like they were going to teach him." Shields said that as Jackson grew up, "the more asexual he became to me." But he was curious about her early relationships. "He was like a little kid who talked about the bases -- what first base was, what second base was," Shields said. "It sounded very odd to the outside, I can imagine, but to the inside, to someone who's never really left his bubble, you can understand how he would be curious." Shields said she last saw Jackson in 1991, at Elizabeth Taylor's most recent wedding. "We snuck in and took pictures of ourselves next to her dress," Shields recalled. "We always seemed to revert to being little kids."

Hollywood Remembers Michael Jackson : Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon

This is thanks to Man United !!! From ANTONY KASTRINAKIS in Madrid Published: Today CRISTIANO RONALDO fulfilled his lifelong dream to become a Real Madrid player last night - and thanked Alex Ferguson for making it possible. The £80million Portugal superstar was saluted by 80,000 delirious fans in the Bernabeu Stadium. He admitted his pride at being the most expensive footballer in the history of the game and hailed Manchester United boss Fergie and his Old Trafford team-mates. But he told the Madrid faithful: "This is my new home and my life is here now." Ronaldo-mania hit the Spanish capital, with a massive crowd from every corner of Spain and Portugal turning up to welcome their new idol in chaotic circumstances. It was an incredible turnout, yet Ronaldo did not forget what he owed his former club. He declared: "I have to say thank you to all their supporters, my boss, my friends, my team-mates, because I've been six years at the club and I have a good relationship with the people there. But they understand my decision and they respect that. "My dream is to play for Madrid. I'm going to miss Manchester but this is my new home. This is my new life and I'm going to give 100 per cent for this club. Today I have fulfilled my lifelong dream." When David Beckham joined Madrid only 5,000 fans turned up to see his presentation at the club's old training ground. Last night an astonishing 60,000 people were already crammed into the streets surrounding the historic Bernabeu a full three hours before the event was due to start. In searing 37-degree heat they waited patiently in order to make sure they were allowed in. Two hours before the start, the gates opened and the people flooded into the stands within half an hour. At least 10,000 were estimated to have been locked out. Ronaldo could not have chosen a more fitting destination. A giant of a club to match a giant of an ego. When he led the crowd in an impromptu 'On the count of three, shout with me Hala Madrid' - it means Go Madrid - he had his hordes of worshippers spell-bound. Ronaldo-mania has taken over Madrid and 500 journalists from 200 different media outlets arrived to attend the party. Ronaldo, who trotted into the stadium wearing the revered No 9 shirt of Real's legendary striker Alfredo di Stefano, relished the stonking fee his new club have shelled out for him. After being presented by club president Florentino Perez, he said: "I always believed that if a club wants to have the best players they have to pay. "I'm happy to be the most expensive player in the history of football. It gives me great pride and I will work to prove they were right. "I took a moment to think when I entered the dressing room. It was my lifelong dream to be there and, when I put on the shirt for the first time and I was presented, it was a very special moment for me." With the Champions League final scheduled to be played at the Bernabeu next May, Ronaldo vowed to bring the trophy home. He declared: "I will give my utmost so that we can win the Champions League." Ronaldo insisted his farewell to Fergie was amicable and revealed he went to Manchester to speak to the man who turned him into the world's top player. He said: "It was a very nice goodbye. My relationship with him was always and will always be good."

Jackson family seeks delay in naming will executor By ANTHONY McCARTNEY,AP Entertainment Writer AP - 1 hour 25 minutes ago LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's family wants a judge to delay the appointment of two men as temporary administrators of the pop superstar's estate, a person close to the Jacksons said. The family is looking for the delay at a hearing Monday so they can look deeper into his affairs, to see if another will emerges, and to accommodate Jackson's memorial service on Tuesday, said a person close to the family who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly. "It has been very insensitive, particularly to this family, that you would even schedule a court hearing on the status of the mother, the day before she has to go to the cemetery for her son," the Rev. Al Sharpton, a friend of the Jacksons, said on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday. "It's almost insulting." The person who spoke on condition of anonymity said Sunday that the family wants the delay in naming attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, who are designated in a five-page will filed Wednesday as administrators to shepherd Jackson's estate into a private trust. Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, was granted some limited powers over the singer's estate days after his death. But because Branca and McClain are named as executors in the 2002 will, it's expected that they would be granted more authority to oversee Jackson's estate, estimated in court filings as being worth more than $500 million, in Monday's scheduled hearing. Jackson's mother and those close to her want "time to further investigate the circumstances and individuals that were surrounding Michael Jackson during his final days," the person close to the family said. "We don't have the answers," Sharpton told ABC. "But we do have the questions, and we know how to make those questions loud and clear. We owe it to Michael to get to the bottom of what happened." In court filings, attorneys for Katherine Jackson ask Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff to delay naming Branca and McClain as the estate's administrators. Attorneys for the two men argue their appointment is crucial to controlling Jackson's diverse financial interests and its liabilities, which include refunds due on a series of London concerts that have been canceled, and several lawsuits. The person close to the Jackson family said late Sunday that Katherine Jackson also wants the delay to see if any newer wills emerge. An older will had already been presented, the person said. "She wants to know what happened to her son before appointing individuals to take over his estate worth over a billion dollars," the person said. In court filings, Katherine Jackson's attorneys state it would be "premature" to contest the 2002 will, but they also note that several wills may have been filed. The 2002 will stated that Jackson wanted his three children entrusted to his mother, Katherine, who has been named a temporary guardian until July 13. Attorneys for Branca and McClain said last week they do not expect any other wills to emerge. Monday's hearing will be crucial in deciding who takes control of Jackson's financial empire, which includes an estimated $400 million in debt. A judge on Thursday delayed a hearing on who should have custody of Jackson's three children, making Monday's hearing entirely about the singer's fortune. "This is going to be a very important hearing in the sense of giving the public an indication of where the case is heading and what the judge is thinking about," said Lawrence Heller, an estate planning attorney for the Santa Monica office of the firm Bryan Cave LLP. Jackson's memorial service was planned for Tuesday, a day after the hearing over his financial affairs. Thousands of fans were expected to attend the service in Los Angeles. More than 1.6 million people registered to win the coveted free tickets. Downtown hotels were quickly filling Monday, and police warned those without tickets to the memorial to stay away. There was no funeral procession planned and the service will not be shown on outdoor screens. Last week, Katherine Jackson was given authority over some of her son's possessions, including items taken from his Neverland Ranch that were slated for auction earlier this year, but not his finances. She had sought to control Jackson's finances and the estate of his children, but that was before Branca and McClain filed the will. Beckloff, perhaps sensing a rift between the two sides, urged attorneys for Katherine Jackson and the two men to meet before Monday's hearing and try to reach a compromise. No agreement between the two sides had been announced as of Sunday. Katherine Jackson's temporary control of the Neverland items expires Monday. Experts say the Branca and McClain have an upper hand going into Monday's court hearing because they were designated by Jackson. In Branca's case, he helped organize one of the singer's smartest financial moves _ acquiring a stake in the Sony-ATV Music Publishing Catalog, which includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers. Branca also helped Jackson acquire the rights to his own master recordings, which include ample material for new music to be released posthumously. Gaining even temporary control of Jackson's estate is key, attorneys for Branca and McClain argue in court filings, because they can begin tapping into the singer's earning potential by licensing "records, music, TV, publishing, pay-per-view, theatrical" properties. Attorney Jeryll S. Cohen told Beckloff on Wednesday that the men also could minimize the loss of an estimated $85 million in ticket refunds required for Jackson's canceled London concerts. Randy Phillips, president and CEO of concert promoter AEG Live, said Thursday that the company has ample material for a possible movie, live album and other media that will likely allow them to break even on their Jackson investment. A temporary administrator would also have the power to take over numerous lawsuits pending against Jackson, including a $44 million federal claim filed by former publicist Raymone Bain, two lawsuits filed by "Thriller" director John Landis, and another one filed by "Thriller" co-star Ola Ray. Temporary administrators would also control 2,000 items taken from Neverland Ranch that were slated for an auction halted by the singer this year. The items, which include awards, clothing and numerous other unique items taken from Jackson's former home, were expected to fetch at least $12 million.

Jackson memorial gets 1.6 million ticket requests AP - Monday, July 6 LOS ANGELES - The more than 1.6 million fans who registered for tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial service will wait until Monday to learn if they received one of the 11,000 tickets for Tuesday's ceremony. The two-day registration period for the service at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles ended Saturday. Another 6,500 tickets will be given away for the Nokia Theater overflow section next door. Fans had to register for free at staplescenter.com between 10 a.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday for the random drawing of 8,750 names. Each person selected will receive two tickets and will be notified by e-mail after 11 a.m. Sunday. Before the drawing, officials at AEG, the owner and operator of the Staples Center, will "scrub" the entries to eliminate duplicates and any suspected of being made by automated systems or "go-bots," said Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine in a statement. Winners will receive a unique code and instructions on how to pick up their tickets at an off-site distribution center on Monday. At the distribution center, they will receive the ticket and a wristband that will be placed on their wrists at that time. Fans must have both the ticket and the wristband to enter Staples Center on Tuesday. Wristbands that have been ripped, taped or tampered with will be voided. Sunshine said those steps are being taken to prevent ticket-scalping. City officials are preparing for massive crowds. Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger says anywhere from a quarter-million to 700,000 people may try to reach the arena, even though a wide area around Staples Center will be sealed off to those without tickets. City Councilwoman Jan Perry strongly urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on TV. The ceremony will not be shown on Staples' giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city. No details were given about the actual memorial events, which come as the nation's second-largest city struggles with a $530 million budget deficit. Perry said the cost of police protection for "extraordinary" events like the memorial is built into the Police Department's budget, but she still solicited help for "incremental costs." Last month, donations covered about $850,000 of the city's $1 million cost for the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA championship parade. Critics had blasted the idea of using city money when it is considering layoffs to close its budget gap.

Jackson fans prepare farewell to 'King of Pop' AFP - Monday, July 6 LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Hundreds of millions of fans across the world will bid a final farewell to Michael Jackson on Tuesday in a lavish memorial to the tragic "King of Pop" expected to bring America to a standstill. An exclusive guest list of family and VIPs will be joined by around 11,000 fans crowded into the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the send-off, which Jackson once said he hoped would be "the greatest show on earth." Precise details of the service have been kept under wraps, but amid speculation that some of the biggest names in showbusiness may perform in an event intended as a celebration of the tortured pop icon's life and times. Jackson's mysterious death from an apparent cardiac arrest at the age of 50 on June 25 sent shockwaves rippling around the world, triggering an avalanche of tributes from Beverly Hills to Beijing. Thousands of fans continue to flock to Jackson's star on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame" in Los Angeles while a makeshift shrine of flowers, cards and toys has steadily grown outside the gates of the singer's Neverland Ranch. Jackson sold more than 750 million albums during a glittering four-decade career that was ultimately overshadowed by repeated allegations of child abuse, his startling physical transformation and eccentric behavior. Jackson's family has not revealed where the singer will be buried. The musical clan earlier quashed the idea of a poignant ceremony at Neverland Ranch, which posed logistical headaches due to its remote location in ritzy Santa Barbara wine country. However, Jackson's elder brother Jermaine said he would still like the pop legend to be buried at the estate, a tribute to Jackson's fascination with childhood that in its heyday boasted giraffes, tigers and a private amusement park. "I feel his presence because this is his creation," Jackson said Thursday. "This is where he should be rested because it's him." Organizers of Tuesday's memorial, which gets underway at 10:00am (1700 GMT), have appealed to ticketless fans to watch the event on television, fearing chaos if hundreds of thousands take to the streets to mourn. Some 1.6 million applied online for only 11,000 tickets to attend the tribute at the Staples Center and another 6,500 for seats at a neighboring venue where giant screens will show the event live. A website set up to manage an online lottery of the available tickets received more than half a billion hits within two hours on Friday, reflecting the huge interest in the event. "Potentially, this could be enormous," said Robert Thompson, an expert in pop culture at Syracuse University in New York. "Everything that has to do with Michael Jackson was done huge, super-sized." While all eyes turn to Jackson's memorial, multiple law enforcement agencies are continuing to probe the circumstances of his death while an army of lawyers prepare to tussle over the fate of his estate and children. An autopsy on Jackson's body was carried out on June 26 but the Los Angeles County Coroner's office has said it will not issue a final cause of death until the results of exhaustive toxicology tests are known in "several weeks." Police investigators have meanwhile zeroed in on the possible role of drugs in Jackson's death. Close friends and associates of the star have angrily alleged that Jackson was surrounded by a coterie of medical professionals willing to provide him with potent prescription medication. US media reports citing unidentified law enforcement sources say investigators found the powerful sedative Propofol, also known as Diprivan, amongst a variety of prescription medications at Jackson's home. The discovery has raised the stakes in the probe, which widened last week as the Los Angeles Police Department enlisted the support of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Propofol is commonly used in hospitals to induce unconsciousness in patients before major surgery. Healthcare experts say it should never be used at home and should only be administered by trained anesthesiologists. Police have questioned Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray but have stressed he is not suspected of criminal wrongdoing. As the investigation into Jackson's death deepens, lawyers are preparing to head to court next week to tussle over his legacy. Jackson's 79-year-old mother Katherine was placed in temporary control of her son's assets last week and appointed guardian of the singer's three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7. A 2002 will filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last week named Katherine Jackson as guardian but the singer's ex-wife Debbie Rowe indicated she planned to seek custody of the children. A custody hearing scheduled for July 6 has now been reset for July 13. On Monday, the two men named as executors of Jackson's are scheduled to appear in court with lawyers for the star's family in the first full hearing on the star's assets, reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars. A lawyer for the Jackson family has not said whether the clan intends to contest the will.

Michael Jackson 'dated nanny' 2 hours 14 mins ago bangshowbiz.com Michael Jackson was secretly dating his children's nanny, it has been claimed. The romance between the 'Thriller' star - who died of a suspected cardiac arrest last week - and Ugandan-born Grace Rwaramba was reportedly an open secret among the singer's staff and his three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11 and six-year-old Prince Michael II, even looked on her as their mother. Ian Barkley - who was Michael's personal photographer for three years - said: "Grace loved Michael and he loved her. The kids called her 'Mom.' " Last week the 'Billie Jean' star's former head of security, Matt Fiddes, admitted his ex-employer had a secret lover, but refused to name her, saying only that the mystery woman was not famous. However, another bodyguard - who refused to be named - told Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper: "Matt was referring to Grace. They were more like a married couple than employer and employee. "Grace was the closest person to Michael and the kids. She will be broken-hearted. The children were always their joint priority and like any couple they'd row if they disagreed about how they were being brought up. "But the difference between Grace and other women in Michael's life was that she had absolutely no interest in fame. It was something she actively avoided and Michael was determined to keep her and their relationship out of the public gaze. "The romance was well-known among staff but it was made very clear to them that this was not something that should become part of the public domain." Grace - who began working as the singer's secretary in 1991 - was sacked and quickly reinstated several times by Michael during her stint as the children's nanny, but was dismissed permanently in December and had quit America. However, she returned to California last week and is expected to be among the chief mourners at the star's funeral on Tuesday (07.07.09). Despite the singer's will naming his mother Katherine as guardian of his children, and the eldest two's natural mother Debbie Rowe planning to stake a custody claim, Ian believes they should be in the care of Grace. He added: "Though I love Michael's mum Katherine, she is 79 and if she passes on, the best place for the kids to go would be to Grace. She really raised them. She was with them day in and day out. She really loved them and they adored her as they would a mother." The singer's will also states close friend Diana Ross should become guardian to the children if Katherine dies. In 2007, it was rumoured Michael and the nanny had secretly married but this was denied by Grace, who is still legally wed to her first husband Stacey Adair. Meanwhile, pictures have been released showing the late singer, his former wife Debbie Rowe and their two children, which are expected to challenge claims she was just used a surrogate mother who had no contact with her kids. The unnamed photographer commented: "People may think Debbie was an emotionally cold and uncaring woman to be able to walk away from her children. "But if you saw her with them you'd realise there was much more to it than that," The mother of Michael's youngest son, known as 'Blanket', is unknown. © BANG Media International

Madonna blames Jackson's childhood for downfall 43 mins ago, WENN Madonna credits her "normal childhood" for not falling victim to superstardom like Michael Jackson - insisting having such a credible career so young was "unearthly". The Material Girl superstar told the world of her grief after hearing of the Thriller hitmaker's death last week, confessing to fans she couldn't stop crying in the hours following his passing. The tragic demise of her most famous contemporary came as an extra shock as she was putting plans in motion to make a special appearance at Jackson's London comeback gigs. But the star will never have the chance to perform with Jackson - admitting it is a devastating blow as she has always looked up to him. She tells The Sun newspaper, "I am so terribly sad about Michael Jackson's death. I don't know what artist wasn't inspired by him. "To be able to do what he did at such an early age was unearthly, everybody grew up in awe of him." Madonna looks back on her short-lived friendship with Jackson in the early 90s with fondness - insisting she loved to "pick his brains" about his musical talents. She explains, "To work with him and become friends and hang out with him, was exciting for me. I used to love picking his brains about musical stuff." And Madonna recognises she became a completely different person to Jackson despite similarities in their phenomenal success - blaming his tireless entertaining schedule when he was just a child. She adds, "Obviously we have very different personalities - he was a lot more shy than I am. That's because I was allowed to have a normal childhood and he wasn't, so there was a vulnerable side to him that made you want to take care of him and protect him." However, Madonna insists she will always remember both sides of Jackson - admitting the star completely changed when he stepped off stage. She says, "He was a real paradox, one of the world's greatest performers and obviously very confident on stage, but in real life he was shy and you really felt for him. " Madonna will pay tribute to Jackson with by involving a Jackson lookalike in her Sticky & Sweet tour when it returns to London's O2 Arena on Saturday.

Owen: Reds can reignite my career 03/07/2009 19:13, Report by Adam Bostock Here's a transcript of Michael Owen's exclusive interview with MUTV's Mandy Henry... How does it feel to have signed for Manchester United? It feels great. I never even had it in my wildest dreams really but then I got the call from the manager to come and meet him. It was a shock but I’m obviously really happy and things have moved quickly since then. Players probably don’t need much persuasion to move to a club like United but what did the manager have to say to you? We just discussed football really and the pros and cons of signing myself. Thankfully there were more pros than cons. So we talked about football and left David Gill and my agent to talk about the rest. From my point of view, I just wanted to talk about football. Then it was a case of show me the paperwork and where I have to sign. I’m delighted to have signed. I presume at the end of last season you didn’t think you’d be playing for Manchester United this season? No, but I’ve been here in the past. I came here a couple of times as a kid, and I played in a tournament up north for Man United. I knew Brian Kidd quite well, I met the manager and even in the last few years, you speak to players and other people, I had an idea that the manager still thought I had something. So I clung to the hope that he would come and ask me to play for him one day. I probably had a poor spell up at Newcastle but prior to that, my career was very good and I’m sure a top club like this can reignite my career. Hopefully I can score a few goals and help the team to more success. The fans will be desperate to know how your fitness is because you’ve obviously had a torrid time with injuries in the past few years... I’d like to think that everyone was quite surprised at how (good) my medical was. I knew I would pass my medical, I’ve obviously passed them before. My fitness is fine. A lot is made of it and probably a lot will come out in the coming months and years but I certainly don’t feel like I’m injury prone. I’ve had a lot of injuries since I was at Newcastle - but anybody would get injured if someone jumped on their foot. I can name loads of players, and probably half a dozen here, who’ve broken a metatarsal. That almost set me on my way to having a couple of injuries subsequently because I didn’t get that first one right. I’m 29, I’ve played off the top of my head 500-plus games at the highest level. For me to play that many games, I think everyone would agree you can’t be on the treatment table all the time. But it is my plan to improve on my injury record. I know the medical staff here are really highly thought of so hopefully I can work with them and make sure I’m available for every game. You obviously know Wayne Rooney from the England set-up but how much are you looking forward to teaming up with him and Dimitar Berbatov? I am, and there are so many top players here obviously, so it’s a very exciting time for me. You get the call that United want to speak to you, and then you sign, and everything happens so quickly. As soon as you sign, you think, I’m going to start playing football soon with the players you spoke about then. There are fantastic players throughout the squad and that’s why they’ve all won so much in their careers so far. Hopefully I can jump on the bandwagon, help score a few goals and obviously help us to achieve further success. What do you hope to achieve here, Michael? It’s early days but when you think about United, you automatically think about winning trophies, the stadium, the massive fanbase. Until you sign, you don’t let yourself get carried away. I literally signed about ten minutes ago so no doubt I’ll drive home in my car now and I won’t sleep tonight thinking about all the top players I’m going to play alongside, about the manager, the fans, the atmosphere at Old Trafford and everything else. So there’s a lot to think about and a lot to get excited about. You’ve obviously played at Old Trafford before but how much are you looking forward to seeing those fans get behind you? It will be lovely obviously but I’m not silly, I know there will be a few people saying the manager shouldn’t have signed me and things like that. But that gradually goes away over time and then as soon as the first game kicks off, then I can obviously do my talking on the pitch. I’m really looking forward to pre-season. That’ll be good if I can get a full pre-season under my belt as that will stand me in good stead for the rest of the season. Obviously I’d like to start the season with a bang as that will help me settle into my new career and life.

Owen joins United !!! 03/07/2009 18:40, Report by Press Department Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has signed Michael Owen on a two-year contract. The striker was out of contract, so no transfer fee is involved. Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Michael is a world class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question. Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish.†Michael Owen said: "I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him the next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me. I agreed without a moment's thought. "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands. I am now looking forward to being a Manchester United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here. I missed pre-season last year and am pleased that I will be starting at Carrington from day one. "I want to thank Sir Alex for the faith he has shown in me and I give him my assurance that I will repay him with my goals and performances.†"This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands." - Michael Owen Owen Factfile DOB: 14 December 1979 Former clubs: Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United Club record: 322 apps, 157 goals International record: England, 89 caps, 40 goals Honours UEFA Cup, 2001 UEFA Super Cup, 2001 FA Cup, 2001 League Cup, 2001, 2003 European Footballer of the Year, 2001

Jermaine Jackson Talks Michael: "I Wish It Was Me" Gina Serpe – Thu Jul 2, 11:46 am ET Los Angeles (E! Online) – Exactly one week after Michael Jackson's death, brother Jermaine Jackson became the first member of the still-mourning musical family to sit down for an in-depth interview about the late icon, speaking to the Today show this morning from the grounds of Neverland Ranch. Describing himself as Michael's "backbone," an emotional and frequently tearful Jermaine paid tribute to his little brother, and revealed what his surprisingly preferred outcome to last week's tragedy would have been. "He went too soon, he went too soon," he told Matt Lauer. "I don't know how people are gonna take this, but I wish it was me. "I've always felt that I was his backbone. Someone to be there for him. I was there and he was sort of like Moses. The things he couldn't say, I would say them. During the trials and during everything, I knew he was 1,000 percent innocent. I knew. We all knew. "Michael is a gift from Allah. And he has taken him back." As for how Jermaine discovered the tragic news in the first place, he said he received a call from a friend, but, disbelieving that anything could have happened to his brother, phoned his mother, Katherine, for clarification. It was then he found out Michael had been declared dead. "To hear my mother say Michael's dead…to feel and hear the tone in her voice to say her child is dead, is nothing that anyone can ever imagine," he said, adding that he rushed across town and could already see the helicopters circling over the hospital before his arrival. After attempting to console his mother, Jermaine said a personal goodbye to his brother. "I wanted to see Michael. I wanted to see my brother. Seeing him there lifeless and breathless was very emotional for me, but I held myself together because I know that he's very much alive, his spirit is. That was just a shell. "I kissed him on his forehead, I hugged him and touched him and I said, 'Michael, I'll never leave you.' I felt really, really empty." As for how his family is holding up, Jermaine said that the devastation has taken a toll, but they're doing their best to stay strong. "It's tough. My family is being strong. We've always been a family and we're just holding together. But it's tough. It's very tough. "We lost our brother, our hero. The world is mourning, we're mourning, the fans are mourning. It's unreal. It's unbelievable." As for Jackson's three children, Prince Michael, Paris-Michael and the affectionately nicknamed Blanket, Jermaine said they're "fine now" and called them "very special" kids. He confirmed that the trio saw Michael's body at the hospital at the suggestion of a therapist, a move Jermaine was initially opposed to. "I know it's tough, but I think it was the best thing to do. At first I was against it, but what do you say if you don't show them?" The children are currently spending time with their cousins, and Jermaine took time out to praise Michael's decision, revealed in his recently filed will, to have their mother take over guardianship of the trio. "I thought it was a great will, because the children are fine—my mother's the right person to be there. "She's capable, she's up to it, because she's always with all the grandchildren all the time. She loves the laughter and the crying and all the excitement. She'll have someone with her to make sure they're doing the right things." While a Neverland burial has already been discounted as a viable option, Jermaine says it's still his top choice for his brother's interment. "This is his home. He created this, why wouldn't he be here? I feel his presence, it's like he's on tour somewhere or he's out somewhere and it would always feel like that and I love that. He built this place with love and you can see it and feel it. "Look at this place…This is his creation." Jermaine also took time out to address, albeit not specifically, the unending speculation and rumors that have surfaced in regard to Michael's use and potential abuse of prescription medications. "For people to come forth and say things that they don't have the facts to is very damaging to the family, to me, to us, because we don't know." And while he admitted he couldn't say without a doubt that medication played no part in Michael's death, he did say that seeing an overflow of prescriptions on his still-pending toxicology report would be a surprise. "I would be hurt. Michael has always been a person who has been against anything like that," he said, before adding, "In this business, the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turns to." Still, Jermaine has no doubt that the enormous amount of pressure Michael was put under in the last decade or so of his life took a toll on his health. "Michael was always concerned about everybody. And to have that weight on your shoulders and to have that kind of pressure…I don't know. "The world didn't appreciate him. The world loved him, but certain people, certain industries didn't appreciate him. "He became a victim of his own success. It was hard for him. The things that happened during his life and then the pressure, the pressure. He felt tremendous pressure. You work so hard to do good and it's perceived a different way." Addressing Michael's 50-show London comeback and questions of whether the King of Pop was ever up to the challenge, Jermaine said his brother would have had no problem pulling it off. "Fifty shows is a lot of shows, but I do believe and I know Michael's very strong. Mentally and physically. He's a dancer, he never stopped dancing. He was strong, he was ready. I think it had a lot to do with the mental tear and just the stress." Finally, when asked about the legacy his iconic brother would leave behind, Jermaine unsurprisingly opted not to wax on about Michael's undisputed musical genius, but rather paid tribute to the less public side of the star. "The legacy of Michael Jackson is Michael being a wonderful person, a wonderful father, a caring person, a humanitarian, a person who wanted good for everyone, a person who would give his last whatever just to make someone happy. "What he's done for the world, not just the financial, but the happiness of people…What kind of price can you put on that? How do you value that? The joy…to make someone happy, to make someone smile through your actions, through what you're doing, there's no price for that." (Originally published on July 2, 2009 at 7:41 a.m. PT)

Jackson memorial set for Tuesday in Los Angeles By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY, Ap Entertainment Writer – 45 mins ago LOS ANGELES – The question of when and where a public memorial service will be held for Michael Jackson has finally been answered. But how city officials will handle the likelihood of a massive crowd remains to be settled. A public memorial for the late singer has been set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to a press release from the office of the Jackson family's publicist. A press conference to announce further details was planned for Friday. Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, which owns the Staples Center and was Jackson's promoter, said tickets would be free. He was not sure how they would be distributed. Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said plans for the memorial are clearly moving forward, but he wished there had been more time to work out the logistics for such a huge event. "If you can imagine 100,000 people show up and you have 20,000 capacity (at the Staples Center), there is not sufficient room. Now you have a crowd-control problem," he said. With the July Fourth holiday weekend "it's the worst time ... to work something out." He also said he's concerned about the cost of police overtime for the cash-strapped city. Jackson's brother Jermaine told Larry King during Thursday's broadcast of CNN's "Larry King Live," that there will be a private ceremony for family and some special guests before the public memorial, according to show transcripts. He added the family wants to have other memorials around the United States. Meanwhile, the future of Michael Jackson's children was thrown into question Thursday when his ex-wife emerged and won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides whether she wants to raise her two offspring. It was the first legal move from Deborah Rowe since the entertainer's death. Jackson's will asks for his mother, Katherine, to get permanent custody of all three of his children. Rowe, who met Jackson as a receptionist in the office of his dermatologist, has characterized their relationship as strictly for the purpose of birthing Jackson children. She is the mother of his two oldest children and received $8.5 million in their divorce, according to court records. His youngest child was conceived with a surrogate. She has spent very little time with her son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11. But Rowe also has opposed the idea of Katherine Jackson getting custody of her children when it came up in the past. Rowe's attorney, Eric M. George, said his client had not decided whether to seek custody. A guardianship hearing was set for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, 79, who has temporary guardianship of her son's children. The identity of the surrogate mother of the singer's youngest child, 7-year-old son Prince Michael II, has never been revealed. In other developments, there will be another court hearing on Monday to deal with who will take temporary control of Jackson's estate. He left all his assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. A person familiar with the details of the trust said it would be shared between his mother, who gets 40 percent, his three children, who together get 40 percent, and charities for children, which would receive 20 percent. The charities will be determined later by the trust. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. Authorities also were investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration and California Attorney General Jerry Brown both were helping Los Angeles police investigate the possible involvement of prescription drugs in Jackson's death. Associated Press writers Michael R. Blood and Beth Harris in Los Angeles and Michele Salcedo in Washington contributed to this story.

Jackson's Former Photographer: Michael a Good Dad with a Drug Problem Thu Jul 2, 9:14 pm ET Los Angeles (E! Online) – The past week has been filled with more Michael Jackson speculation than we even thought possible...and there's no end in sight. Jackson's former personal photographer, Ian Barkley, spoke exclusively to E! News about the King of Pop's parenting, his apparent problems and various things he witnessed during his years spent traveling the world with the artist. Barkley was hired in 2002 to document Jackson in all of his endeavors. "Michael liked having me around," says the photographer. Throughout his years with the star, Barkley grew to know Jackson and his family intimately, gaining personal insight to a life shrouded in privacy. The ex-employee paints a portrait of Jackson as a doting father, saying that he and his three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and Blanket, 7, had a "really good" relationship. "His kids totally love their dad and he was extremely protective over them," says Barkley. "Even when we were just around his staff, he was protective." Barkley explains Jackson's no-holds-barred attitude when it came to his children, in which the performer would go to great lengths to insure their welfare, especially while on the road: "We would baby-proof everywhere, like really expensive suites." He continues: "They would tape up every corner with cardboard and make sure the kids couldn't hurt themselves and they were very strict on what the kids would eat to make sure they didn't have allergies." Jackson's overly protective nature seemed natural to Barkley, who says, "To some it was odd, but under the circumstances it was understandable." When asked if he believed the star seemed mentally sound, Barkley explains that the answer always coincided with whether or not Jackson was using drugs. "There were two sides to him. When he wasn't dosed up on pills, he was extremely mentally sound, very business-like, very smart, but when he was on drugs, he would do some really odd things," claims Barkley. "It was basically flipping a coin and depending on what day it was, was how he was," says the photog. "Some days Michael would show up to an event and we could tell because he had this giggly laughing face on. I am not sure what kind of meds, but I know there were mixtures." Barkley goes on to state that he wholeheartedly believes that the icon was a drug addict. Barkley tells E! News that, during his three-year employment with Jackson, "50 percent of the time he was on drugs. He had doctor after doctor working with him and had people score him prescription drugs that he knew he didn't have prescriptions for. He definitely had a problem." But recent claims of Jackson self-medicating due to immense pain comes as a surprise to Barkley. "He would dance around and didn't flinch. I think he just never got off of the drug from the many surgeries he had," the photog said. The alleged addiction did not go unnoticed by those around him, however. Those who worked closely with the star would constantly attempt to intervene. "(Michael) would just get going and laughing and talking about other stuff and you just knew he was on drugs," Barkley says. "He was off in his own little world. Managers tried to keep stuff away from him because there was a lot of business to be done, like when he was supposed to be at an event but was in bed sleeping ten minutes before he was supposed to be there, and they would get on his case, but as soon as you tell him no, he starts pushing you out." There was at least one instance of Jackson recognizing that he might have a problem, as Barkley claims that during his run with the singer, a "witch doctor was around to get Michael off the drugs, to go through a detox thing, but that it didn't work. When child molestation charges were brought against Jackson, Barkley was sort of phased out of his job. "I stopped working with him when I was basically pushed out around the time when the trial started," says Barkley. "His people started not letting me go to events. It became a joke and I just had enough." As the Jackson family's custody battle starts to heat up and we wait to see where his children will end up, Barkley insists: "He was overall a good dad."

Video shows vigorous Jackson before death Thu Jul 2, 6:23 pm ET LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A video released Thursday showed Michael Jackson vigorously practicing a song-and-dance routine days before his death, supporting accounts he had been in good health. In footage obtained by AFP, the pop legend performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 23, two days before he died, as he prepared for a 50-date set in London starting in July. Jackson, while thin, is seen dancing with energy in a tightly choreographed sequence with a group of performers. Jackson sings on a headset and at one point pushes back his jacket to reveal his red shirt underneath. In the footage, Jackson switches sharply in styles in a medley of some of his hits. The video starts with Jackson dancing wildly in front of a rock 'n' roll guitarist before a pause for dramatic effect. Jackson then shifts to a snippet of "Billie Jean," one of his greatest hits, before singing, "They Don't Care About Us," one of his most controversial tracks in which he brought in a hip-hop influence. The set ends with a sample of a car horn. The stage then fades to black as an outside voice instructs, "Hold for applause." Associates of Jackson have described the 50-year-old pop star as being in good form, including at another rehearsal just hours before his death. Jackson collapsed and died on June 25 at his rented Los Angeles mansion. Speculation has focused on whether Jackson was taking painkillers or other medication. Jackson's voice coach Dorian Holley said Jackson was in an upbeat mood in the days before his death, joking around with his wardrobe and makeup staff. "My friends call and ask, 'Was Michael sick? Was he weak? Was he ill?' It's the absolute opposite of that," Holley told CNN. "He was very energetic, he was happy. He was even more playful than he normally was at rehearsal," he said. Holley said Jackson, 50, did not show his age. "I'm sure that he was in pain after some rehearsals. But I got to tell you something -- the guys and girls dancing with him were all in their 20s," he said. "When Michael was on stage with them, there was only one person that you could watch and that was Michael Jackson," he said. A similar account came from Kevin Mazur, who was attending the rehearsal sessions as a photographer. "He was like an expectant father pacing up and down the stage," Mazur told Britain's Sun tabloid. "He was just so focused. Between songs, he burst into laughter and joked around with his dancers and the director. I have never seen him so happy," Mazur said. Jackson had planned a series of concerts at London's O2 Arena starting on July 13, part of a comeback for the King of Pop whose personal and financial life had sharply deteriorated in the past decade. Concert promoters AEG Live, who released the video, are offering full ticket refunds for the concerts. British media reports said about 50 million pounds (59 million euros, 83 million dollars) has been spent on 750,000 tickets.