The one thing that I am sincerely grateful to the Jackson family for is giving Michael's fans the opportunity to memorialize him. Like I mentioned before....if I like you....I can be your biggest fan and your biggest critic! So although I'm pissed at the choices Michael made in his life, make no mistake about it, I was in love with his work and his gift. I think it's unrealistic though for people to not discuss the tradegy that led to his death. It's not like he just slipped on a banana peel or something. It was far worse.

Last year I was on a cruise when his memorial was aired. Man I was in my room watching it and crying like a baby. And when I came out of my room, you could see the tears in the crews eyes who were fans. They were all huddled up together in various parts of the ship watching the memorial.

Jermaine and Larry King at Forest Lawn

[img:$uid]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/23/article-0-0A27B937000005DC-721_468x454.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/23/article-1288922-0A27B945000005DC-83_468x286.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/23/article-0-0A27B927000005DC-812_468x388.jpg[/img:$uid]

dag said:

EmeraldSkies said:

I think I like it.

[Edited 6/22/10 18:17pm]

Just look at the bone structure. I adore the hair...his neck...damn, please god, in my next life, I wanna be born as any woman who slept with him. Just gorgeous

Here´s another picture.

Here's my MJ collection (Got some more stuff to add later including the rest of my J-5 stuff, but here's the crop of it):

[img:$uid]http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs316.snc3/28466_405304463681_623363681_4515229_5727612_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs296.snc3/28466_405304468681_623363681_4515230_4948391_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs046.ash2/35677_405304628681_623363681_4515240_6154289_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs106.snc4/35677_405304633681_623363681_4515241_443808_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs508.snc3/26695_405306363681_623363681_4515265_7087460_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs037.snc4/34212_405321658681_623363681_4515591_5957580_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs014.ash2/34053_405321838681_623363681_4515595_5010178_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

Vanilli said:

So, the Tinker Bell, Michael Jackson fan, short-film I've been working on is done.

I finished it tonight. It really puts a voice to a lot of what Michael's fans have been

feeling and I hope it helps the fans grieve this huge loss, one year later.

Anyway, I was curious, given my goal of being it being helpful for fans, as something

soothing to watching, during this sensitive time, would it be better to have it out

one day before June 25th? or on June 25th?

Anyone have thoughts?

Maybe the day before,that way,since you describe it as helpful,it will make it easier to deal with the actual day.

bboy87 said:

For anyone interested, I'm almost done with my Off The Wall anniversary mixtape. The tracklisting is done along with the cover

I'll be posting it on Friday although I'm not sure if the Org mods will allow it

I hope so! I really want to hear it.

bboy87 said:

The website for "For The Record" by Chris Cadman and Craig Halstead

http://www.michaeljacksonfortherecord.com/main_page.html

you guys should check the book out

I bought the Expanded and Revised Version after you posted about it here.

EmeraldSkies said:

bboy87 said:

For anyone interested, I'm almost done with my Off The Wall anniversary mixtape. The tracklisting is done along with the cover

I'll be posting it on Friday although I'm not sure if the Org mods will allow it

I hope so! I really want to hear it.

I was working on the cover when I had the idea of doing a "digital booklet" for it also

I'm working on that right now

bboy87 said:

The Jacksons or whoever is backing Michael up during that "Off the Wall" performance is really leaving him hanging. Those backgrounds sound horrible. He's carrying the whole song alone.

Funny how at different points in our lives we appreciate different songs. Now I've always loved the album "Off the Wall", it was / is my favorite; however I never really liked the song Off The Wall until last year. I was at work, and the stress was really unbelievable. And I looked at the clock and said "Reel"..."you gotta leave the 9 to 5 up on the shelf, and just enjoy yourself". And that became my anthem for the rest of all of 2009.

bboy87 said:

EmeraldSkies said:

I hope so! I really want to hear it.

I was working on the cover when I had the idea of doing a "digital booklet" for it also

I'm working on that right now

I can't wait to see it!

silverchild said:

Here's my MJ collection (Got some more stuff to add later including the rest of my J-5 stuff, but here's the crop of it):

[img:$uid]http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs316.snc3/28466_405304463681_623363681_4515229_5727612_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs296.snc3/28466_405304468681_623363681_4515230_4948391_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs046.ash2/35677_405304628681_623363681_4515240_6154289_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs106.snc4/35677_405304633681_623363681_4515241_443808_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs508.snc3/26695_405306363681_623363681_4515265_7087460_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs037.snc4/34212_405321658681_623363681_4515591_5957580_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs014.ash2/34053_405321838681_623363681_4515595_5010178_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

Very cool collection silverchild! I will have to post mine tomorrow.

I´ve just come from the hairdressers and there was a radin on with Bad playing. Afterwards, the host asked what people thought of having an MJ statue in Prague (like it was there during History tour) and some man called in and said "well as a musician, he was excellent, but I doubt him as a person."

Damn, I don´t care about that stupid statue and I am not sure I would want it there either, but those type of comments will always

To those of you who posted pictures of your Michael Jackson collections, Mags, artical cut outs etc. I don't know whether to be impressed, or to be incredibly afraid. I have never admired anyone who walked this earth that much to be that organized in keeping any amount of material that amounts to a shrine. Not even my parents. Take no offense by my comment please. I've just never seen anything like that before owned by one person, unless it was the actual artist his/herself who saved the stuff as souveniers. Or someone who perhaps is an "organized collector". All that stuff in the hands of a regular fan is just jaw dropping.

I don't come to this thread a whole lot so I just was really unaware of how extensive some peoples collections are in regards to nearly every aspect of the artist. If I were an artist, aside from wanting my fans to have all of my CD's and maybe a few pictures, I think i'd be a little spooked out if I walked into someones home who had damned near everything I ever did.

I really mean no offense that's why I'm not calling out anyones name specifically, I'm just stating my humble opinion on the matter.

I remember I was like 12 when Thriller came out, and we had a flea market and someone had the album or picture of MJ for sale, and I made a comment about that jacket that he was rocking, and it wasn't a very flattering comment (this was before the jacket became apart of nearly everyone's wardrobe), and this little 12 year old girl started to cry and really wanted to fight...all because I said something about Michael Jackson's jacket. There is something hypnotic about artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Elvis, and The Beetles.....their fans will skin you alive...even at a young age.

Reel said:

To those of you who posted pictures of your Michael Jackson collections, Mags, artical cut outs etc. I don't know whether to be impressed, or to be incredibly afraid. I have never admired anyone who walked this earth that much to be that organized in keeping any amount of material that amounts to a shrine. Not even my parents. Take no offense by my comment please. I've just never seen anything like that before owned by one person, unless it was the actual artist his/herself who saved the stuff as souveniers. Or someone who perhaps is an "organized collector". All that stuff in the hands of a regular fan is just jaw dropping.

I don't come to this thread a whole lot so I just was really unaware of how extensive some peoples collections are in regards to nearly every aspect of the artist. If I were an artist, aside from wanting my fans to have all of my CD's and maybe a few pictures, I think i'd be a little spooked out if I walked into someones home who had damned near everything I ever did.

I really mean no offense that's why I'm not calling out anyones name specifically, I'm just stating my humble opinion on the matter.

I remember I was like 12 when Thriller came out, and we had a flea market and someone had the album or picture of MJ for sale, and I made a comment about that jacket that he was rocking, and it wasn't a very flattering comment (this was before the jacket became apart of nearly everyone's wardrobe), and this little 12 year old girl started to cry and really wanted to fight...all because I said something about Michael Jackson's jacket. There is something hypnotic about artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Elvis, and The Beetles.....their fans will skin you alive...even at a young age.

Well for the pictures and magazine clippings, for people like me who like to do research, fans collecting those have been a godsend My friend's website

http://www.the-michael-jackson-archives.com/main_content.html is mostly magazine clippings. They collectors helped alot in collecting info and learning info about albums, unreleased material, performances (like Stevie Wonder making a surprise appearance with Michael during a concert)

Everyone has their passions.

You probably heard about that woman who has plaster molds of rock star's penises, now THAT one I can't explain

bboy87 said:

Reel said:

To those of you who posted pictures of your Michael Jackson collections, Mags, artical cut outs etc. I don't know whether to be impressed, or to be incredibly afraid. I have never admired anyone who walked this earth that much to be that organized in keeping any amount of material that amounts to a shrine. Not even my parents. Take no offense by my comment please. I've just never seen anything like that before owned by one person, unless it was the actual artist his/herself who saved the stuff as souveniers. Or someone who perhaps is an "organized collector". All that stuff in the hands of a regular fan is just jaw dropping.

I don't come to this thread a whole lot so I just was really unaware of how extensive some peoples collections are in regards to nearly every aspect of the artist. If I were an artist, aside from wanting my fans to have all of my CD's and maybe a few pictures, I think i'd be a little spooked out if I walked into someones home who had damned near everything I ever did.

I really mean no offense that's why I'm not calling out anyones name specifically, I'm just stating my humble opinion on the matter.

I remember I was like 12 when Thriller came out, and we had a flea market and someone had the album or picture of MJ for sale, and I made a comment about that jacket that he was rocking, and it wasn't a very flattering comment (this was before the jacket became apart of nearly everyone's wardrobe), and this little 12 year old girl started to cry and really wanted to fight...all because I said something about Michael Jackson's jacket. There is something hypnotic about artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Elvis, and The Beetles.....their fans will skin you alive...even at a young age.

Well for the pictures and magazine clippings, for people like me who like to do research, fans collecting those have been a godsend My friend's website

http://www.the-michael-jackson-archives.com/main_content.html is mostly magazine clippings. They collectors helped alot in collecting info and learning info about albums, unreleased material, performances (like Stevie Wonder making a surprise appearance with Michael during a concert)

Everyone has their passions.

You probably heard about that woman who has plaster molds of rock star's penises, now THAT one I can't explain

I hear you Bboy.....I'm just remarking thats all. I was astonished when I really focused in and looked at was was being presented in those photo collections. Hey...again I didn't mean to offend anyone who is later going to read my post and say WTF? It's just that I was like WTF when I saw all of that Michael Jackson stuff. Everyone has their passions is right.

As far as the woman with molds of rock stars Penis' hey she can have a different rocker every night. I just wanna know which rockers were the ones to put their Johnsons in the mold so some sick chick can collect them all.

A simple request.

For the next week - can we just chill on the drama.

We are all fans (some casual, some life long, some renewed) and hopefully our appreciation of the music that we have enjoyed is what we can discuss for the next week.

Let's focus on the music, the art, the experiences.

There will be enough drama for all after the week is out.

Swa

Swa said:

A simple request.

For the next week - can we just chill on the drama.

We are all fans (some casual, some life long, some renewed) and hopefully our appreciation of the music that we have enjoyed is what we can discuss for the next week.

Let's focus on the music, the art, the experiences.

There will be enough drama for all after the week is out.

Swa

Ok, I will commit to only talking about the Music (whether positive or negative) and his talent (whether good or bad) until Sunday. Obviously most of the discussion will be positive because Michael really never gave any bad performances. I really can't commit to anything beyond that.

Michael Jackson is just too hot of a topic for me to commit to being completely focused only on the music for anytime past Sunday. Just being honest. I just got too much to say when it comes to that dude and his family. Besides it's forums like this which allow me to release the opinions that I would not ordinarily do in the real world, lest folks accuse me of not having a life. LOL

The GRAMMY Museum at LA Live was taking down the small exhibition it had on Michael Jackson the day he died.

He'd been rehearsing next door at the Staples Centre, as LA became his home base, a spokeswoman for the museum explained.

So following his death and memorial service, the museum decided to instead expand the Michael Jackson:HIStyle exhibit, with the new Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy.

The exhibit features a small dance floor of light-up tiles where you can take a turn mimicking Jackson's dance steps to Billie Jean in the music video.

It celebrates Jackson's life and work and includes a collection of his wardrobe pieces - seven elaborately embellished jackets and two gloves as well as his trademark fedora.

The jackets were worn on the Victory tour, at Jackson's 1984 American Music Awards appearance, and at the dedication of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

All are bejewelled, beaded, and detailed with one piece weighing almost seven kilograms.

As the museum says, Jackson's "crystals, sequins, beads, embroidery, and insignia have combined to catch the eyes of millions, transmitting his dance moves from the stage to the back row, and his starpower across the world".

"The overwhelming response to our earlier exhibits speaks to Jackson's unparalleled place in music history and the public's deep connection to his music," executive director Robert Santelli says.

"We're excited to share even more of Jackson's life and legacy with his fans and we hope it serves as a fitting tribute to one of the most significant entertainers in music history."

It also shows original lyrics and a Jackson 5 stage costume.

Eight video monitors display footage of Jackson's appearances on the annual GRAMMY Awards, as well as never-before-seen video of some of his famous friends sharing their memories of him.

Santelli and The GRAMMY Museum also curated Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition, the Arts and Exhibitions International exhibit currently travelling internationally.

Google "Michael Jackson" and a staggering 126 million -- million -- references pop up.

Check your upcoming TV listings, and you'll see that tomorrow's "Dateline" features an interview with Katherine Jackson, called "Michael Jackson: A Mother's Story"; CNN counters with "Michael Jackson: The Final Days"; and MTV and BET have directed blocks of programming usually reserved for such musical importance as "My Super Sweet 16" and "The Game" to Jackson videos and interviews with celebrities who might have once passed him in a hallway.

And, not to be trumped by traditional media, a mobile entertainment company has abbreviated a list of 10 lyrics from Jackson songs into 140 characters or less, ready to go for tweeting or texting (Sample: "Just beat-it(x4) No1 wants 2b defeatd").

The one-year anniversary of Jackson's death tomorrow is shaping up to be a drawn-out circus of memorializing, yet, oddly, it doesn't feel as if Jackson has gone anywhere.

We've seen and heard his creativity more in the 12 months after he died than we did the five years prior, when most references focused on his frail physical state (remember that bizarre wheelchair photo in Las Vegas?) or his questionable parenting.

Since his death, we learned from coroners that despite his ghastly appearance, Jackson was in surprisingly decent health. And, we learned from an emotionally shattered little girl that, "Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine."

We also got a peek at his never-realized "This Is It" tour in what is now the highest-grossing concert movie of all time ($260 million worldwide) and, according to Nielsen Soundscan, heard his songs on American radio 140,000 times.

The most amazing consequence from Jackson's death is how he single-handedly revived a wheezing music industry.

In 2009, Jackson was the top-selling artist of the year, with 8.3 million album copies sold (Taylor Swift came in second with 4.6 million), and this year, he's already sold close to 1 million.

Worldwide, more than 31 million copies of Jackson albums moved in 2009, proving that while Elvis Presleyand John Lennon might match his level of adoration in America, Jackson's global embrace is exceptional and unparalleled.

But the posthumous mania that cemented his legacy isn't enough for the millions who will spend tomorrow watching Jackson TV specials, popping in "Off the Wall," digging up Jackson 5 clips on YouTube and mourning his loss in 140 characters or less.

It's already threatening overkill -- anddon't think this is a one-time event, an all-you-can-consume-on-the-first anniversary scenario.

No, we still have the in-development Cirque du Soleil production, the video game that teaches Jackson's dance moves and an album of unreleased material coming in time for holiday gift-giving.

And then there is the never-ending ugliness provided in the form of typically classy accusations by Joe Jackson and the ongoing lawsuit with the doctor responsible for Jackson's drug intake.

The Jackson name, brand -- and the controversy they court -- will only inflate to mythical proportions the next few years, so if you're a non-fan, take a deep breath or tighten up your blinders.

Pretty soon, those Google hits will be heading toward a billion.

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY (AP) – 17 hours ago

LOS ANGELES — Erin Jacobs once traded her brand new bicycle for tickets to see Michael Jackson. Now, more than 25 years later, it's her time, organizational skills and gas money that she's giving to the King of Pop.

As an organizer of two major fan groups, Jacobs is just one of thousands of supporters keeping Jackson's legacy alive — along with the pursuit of justice for his untimely death a year ago this Friday.

Since then, the singer's notoriously loyal followers have traded vigils at the hospital and family home for pilgrimages to his tomb and protests at the courthouse where the doctor charged with killing Jackson will be tried.

"It's absolutely humbling that he has so much support from fans," Jacobs said in a recent interview.

A travel agent who lives in Yorba Linda, Calif., Jacobs made her first 50-mile trip to the Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, Calif., shortly after Jackson was buried there last September. It was a personal trip.

These days, Jacobs has gone on to coordinate monthly pilgrimages to the cemetery by the Official Michael Jackson Fans of Southern California.

Hundreds are expected at Forest Lawn on Friday to commemorate Jackson's death. The singer's tomb inside the cemetery's gothic Great Mausoleum remains closed to the public, and Friday's memorial won't change that.

But through the efforts of Jacobs and others, it's become a place where Jackson's international fan base comes to grieve. Many who can't make it in person send letters, poems, artwork and other gifts so that Jacobs and others can deliver them to the cemetery, where they are placed at the singer's tomb until new items arrive.

"A year later, it feels like it was yesterday," Jacobs said.

Another focal point for Jackson fans has become the downtown Los Angeles courthouse where Dr. Conrad Murray will be tried on an involuntary manslaughter charge for Jackson's death.

On hearing days, fans wearing sequined gloves and T-shirts calling for justice wait for hours clutching signs denouncing Murray and shout at him for the brief moments it takes him to walk from the curb to the front door.

Johnell Johnson, 19, an actress from Fontana, Calif., woke up at 4:30 a.m. to get to the courthouse in time for a recent midday hearing in Murray's case. Wearing a vintage pin from Jackson's "Bad" era, Johnson said it was important for her to be there to support Jackson's family.

It's a sentiment echoed by many others who try to attend the proceedings. Only a handful are allowed into the courtroom, but others are content to shout their support to Jackson's parents and siblings, who occasionally stop to hug or speak to fans. At the hearing earlier this month, the singer's mother, Katherine, carried roses that fans handed her.

Fans at the cemetery Friday hope to bring more than 3,000 roses, Jacobs said, although officials don't want the memorial to include the release of doves or balloons, as was originally planned.

None of this fan passion is really new. Jackson's supporters have long been among the most devoted and vocal of any entertainer's in recent memory. More than 1,200 people were outside the Santa Maria, Calif., courthouse in 2005 when the singer was acquitted of all counts in a child-molestation trial. Last year thousands flocked to the hospital where Jackson was pronounced dead, and throngs remained outside the family's home for weeks.

Friday's anniversary is ostensibly a fan affair — the singer's estate, which controls Jackson's music and likeness — has not sanctioned any events, and while some family members have thrown support behind a paid gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday night, there hasn't been a formal family announcement of tribute.

Several of those who protested outside the courthouse June 14 were planning a variety of events, from the staging of a massive "Thriller" tribute to a rally seeking justice planned for downtown Los Angeles on June 26.

Taaj Malik, who is organizing the rally and maintains several fan groups on Facebook, was among the first fans to arrive outside the singer's rented mansion when news of his hospitalization broke. She recalled recently that she had tears in her eyes as she traveled the 50 miles from neighboring Orange County.

A Jackson fan since her childhood 30 years ago in the United Kingdom, Malik said she prefers to focus on gaining justice for Jackson than on her grief. "I've ignored it," said Malik, who along with Jacobs is a member of the group Justice 4 MJ. "I've blocked it. I refuse to let it come in to me."

Jacobs, 43, who traded a brand-new Beach Cruiser her mother scrimped to buy her for tickets for the Jackson's Victory Tour in 1984, said she expects fans from around the world to fly in for the Forest Lawn memorial on Friday. Some will board party buses the next day for a trip to Neverland Ranch, which is now shuttered but still owned by the estate.

"The fans who are on the Internet are the fans that are the die-hards," Jacobs said. "They are the fans who related to Michael on a different level."

That's certainly true for Johnson, 19, who summed up the fan family as an extension of Jackson's eccentric life.

"Michael Jackson has always been misunderstand and I think we as his fans are as well," she said. "People don't understand our love for Michael Jackson, so to be around people who are just like us, it humbles us."

These are shots from Katherine's "Never can say GoodBye" book

Love this "remix" this guy has done. A nice take on Beat It.

EmeraldSkies said:

dag said:

Just look at the bone structure. I adore the hair...his neck...damn, please god, in my next life, I wanna be born as any woman who slept with him. Just gorgeous

Swa said:

Love this "remix" this guy has done. A nice take on Beat It.

I knew someone was gonna put those multitrack stems that came out last year to good use

Anyone who doesn’t appreciate the greatness of this song is DEAF

Fans who want to go to the memorial, on the 25th of June, will have to pay 250 dollars...or 500 if they want a VIP ticket.

No one is sure as to where is the money going, yet. The event, organized by Joe and Katherine Jackson, will feature Brian Oxman, Leonard Rowe, Stacy Brown, Ian Halperin and Genevieve Jackson. All the family members will be present.

silverchild said:

Here's my MJ collection (Got some more stuff to add later including the rest of my J-5 stuff, but here's the crop of it):

[img:$uid]http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs316.snc3/28466_405304463681_623363681_4515229_5727612_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs296.snc3/28466_405304468681_623363681_4515230_4948391_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs046.ash2/35677_405304628681_623363681_4515240_6154289_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs106.snc4/35677_405304633681_623363681_4515241_443808_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs508.snc3/26695_405306363681_623363681_4515265_7087460_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs037.snc4/34212_405321658681_623363681_4515591_5957580_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs014.ash2/34053_405321838681_623363681_4515595_5010178_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

Wow! That is a collection to be envied. Love your cassettes!

Today is the last day which I will be able to say 'everything was okay last year'