'Flights Over Neverland' for Jackson anniversary

(AP) – 8 hours ago

SANTA BARBARA, California (AP) — Helicopter flights over Neverland Ranch in California are being booked for the second anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.

The singer was 50 when he died on June 25, 2009. He owned the Neverland Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley for years.

Oxnard-based Channel Island's Helicopters says the half-hour "Flight Over Neverland" event costs $175 per person and $500 for a private flight of up to three people.

The Santa Barbara News-Press reports the flights run from 9 a.m. to sunset on June 24 and June 25.

A spokesman for the company says it has already booked about 100 passengers, with more seats still available for June 25.

The flights depart Santa Barbara Municipal Airport on June 24 and Santa Ynez Airport on June 25.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

babybugz said:

ThruTheEyesOfWonder said:

Guys...I miss Michael.

I was watching the much music video awards and all this craziness because of Lady Gaga...freakin' teenage boys fainting and crying in her presence...

I don't hate Lady Gaga...and I like a couple of songs. But I don't think for the quality of music that she makes, and the length of time that she's been in the industry...I don't think she deserves even 1/2 of this attention.

I feel that this hype around her is kinda like...people are forgetting about MJ and embracing someone else.

Michael could walk into an antiques store and have a crowd outside crying and fainting. I feel people might be forgetting about him and it disturbs me.

Maybe I just live in a place where there aren't many fans.

I really miss hearing about him...sightings of him used to be something I looked forward to, with some dread because of the lack of privacy that the media gave him. But I liked seeing glimpses of him. And when he did a show....it was a national event.

I miss his presence.... And I can't believe it's been two years since he left us...

Huh? She’s just hot right now no different from anyone else being embraced. There’s always going to be someone new to come along no one has forgotten about Michael. She will never be Michael.

That's what I mean...

ThruTheEyesOfWonder said:

babybugz said:

Huh? She’s just hot right now no different from anyone else being embraced. There’s always going to be someone new to come along no one has forgotten about Michael. She will never be Michael.

That's what I mean...

So why you worried about her being embraced? Lol

babybugz said:

ThruTheEyesOfWonder said:

That's what I mean...

So why you worried about her being embraced? Lol

NO!

God, no. But since you didn't get the message in my original post, I don't know how else to explain it.

[Edited 6/20/11 16:35pm]

Wonder, I'm also in Canada, where are you, Toronto? He has tons of fans, I guess it's about who you know, and everyone is not a diehard though they generally appreciate him.

Those cards look BEAUTIFUL!!! Too bad we don't have a Target here yet though I hear we will soon.

alphastreet said:

Wonder, I'm also in Canada, where are you, Toronto? He has tons of fans, I guess it's about who you know, and everyone is not a diehard though they generally appreciate him.

Those cards look BEAUTIFUL!!! Too bad we don't have a Target here yet though I hear we will soon.

I'm going to Target tomorrow so I'll check if they're there

It said starting next week, so I doubt it will be there now. I went to target when shopping at the border last year and bought tons of MJ notebooks, some to give as gifts

I wish there were stickers though cards are also cool, I LOVE collecting stickers and always bought Panini since I was a kid. From Care Bears to Smurfs to Spice Girls

Swa said:

Panini America Makes History with Michael Jackson-Worn Memorabilia Trading Cards

They say clothes don’t make the man. But these aren’t just any clothes and this isn’t just any man.

Sometimes, under extraordinary circumstances, clothes do make the man. They make him more collectible, more memorable, and perhaps even more touchable than he’s ever been.

The man in this case is, well, “The Man” – Michael Jackson. As for the history-making clothes, they were worn by the King of Pop himself from 1971 through 1974 during many memorable performances, including “The Flip Wilson Show,” “American Bandstand,” “Soul Train,” and televised specials anchored by such luminaries as Bob Hope and Diana Ross.

Leading trading card manufacturer Panini America purchased the history-soaked pieces of sartorial splendor at auction two years ago — and cut them up.

As a result, Jackson fans and collectors everywhere will have the unique opportunity to own pieces of Jackson when the company’s Official Michael Jackson Trading Card Set hits stores next week.

“We’re thrilled to be able to partner with the Jackson estate in an official capacity to honor Michael’s memory and his legendary career with this truly unique trading card set,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “We’ve been working diligently for more than two years to bring this set to market, and we’re confident that the inclusion of Jackson-worn memorabilia will make this a product unlike any other we’ve ever produced.”

Below you’ll find a stunning gallery of the Jackson memorabilia cards randomly inserted into the set, along with the corresponding auction description of the respective piece of clothing used.

The Official Michael Jackson Trading Card Set will be available starting next week at Target stores nationwide and at the Panini America Online Store.

They cut them up? WTF?!

The cards aren't available on their online store yet - so not sure if they are in Target's yet. They were due to come on the 20th.

Living in Australia I'm looking to order a box from their store and get it shipped.

Marrk said:

Swa said:

Panini America Makes History with Michael Jackson-Worn Memorabilia Trading Cards

They say clothes don’t make the man. But these aren’t just any clothes and this isn’t just any man.

Sometimes, under extraordinary circumstances, clothes do make the man. They make him more collectible, more memorable, and perhaps even more touchable than he’s ever been.

The man in this case is, well, “The Man” – Michael Jackson. As for the history-making clothes, they were worn by the King of Pop himself from 1971 through 1974 during many memorable performances, including “The Flip Wilson Show,” “American Bandstand,” “Soul Train,” and televised specials anchored by such luminaries as Bob Hope and Diana Ross.

Leading trading card manufacturer Panini America purchased the history-soaked pieces of sartorial splendor at auction two years ago — and cut them up.

As a result, Jackson fans and collectors everywhere will have the unique opportunity to own pieces of Jackson when the company’s Official Michael Jackson Trading Card Set hits stores next week.

“We’re thrilled to be able to partner with the Jackson estate in an official capacity to honor Michael’s memory and his legendary career with this truly unique trading card set,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “We’ve been working diligently for more than two years to bring this set to market, and we’re confident that the inclusion of Jackson-worn memorabilia will make this a product unlike any other we’ve ever produced.”

Below you’ll find a stunning gallery of the Jackson memorabilia cards randomly inserted into the set, along with the corresponding auction description of the respective piece of clothing used.

The Official Michael Jackson Trading Card Set will be available starting next week at Target stores nationwide and at the Panini America Online Store.

They cut them up? WTF?!

Thank You! Just what I was thinking. Crazyness. Also, I just can't work out how there is enough material or are the cards very limited and expensive??

bboy87 said:

paisleypark4 said:

JL - Hopefully the original video will "leak" from the director or dancers in the film. i saw the picture on the other thread..where there any more??

naughty - I understand that its hard to watch imitators for sure...I am just glad Hollywood Tonight and Behind The Mask got releases instead of Monster or a video for Breaking News..good gawd. The fan videos will bring exposure to the music.

Everyone expected them to release Monster as a single, which is funny. Some fans even said it was the best song on the album.....

It's not confirmed yet, but The Way You Love Me remix looks like it's going to be the next single

let's check the stats so far...

MICHAEL (the album)

Billboard 200- #3

Billboard R&B- #1

UK- #4

Hold My Hand

Hot 100- #39

Billboard R&B- #33

UK- #10

UK R&B- #3

Hollywood Tonight

Billboard R&B- #60

Billboard Dance- #1

UK- #152

UK Radio Airplay- #35

Behind The Mask has yet to make an impact on the charts

Thanks for the stats. At least real MJ songs are going up instead of those Cascio tracks.

The Way You Love Me is an ok song but I dont see any radio play much from that track.

Swa said:

Panini America Makes History with Michael Jackson-Worn Memorabilia Trading Cards

They say clothes don’t make the man. But these aren’t just any clothes and this isn’t just any man.

Sometimes, under extraordinary circumstances, clothes do make the man. They make him more collectible, more memorable, and perhaps even more touchable than he’s ever been.

The man in this case is, well, “The Man” – Michael Jackson. As for the history-making clothes, they were worn by the King of Pop himself from 1971 through 1974 during many memorable performances, including “The Flip Wilson Show,” “American Bandstand,” “Soul Train,” and televised specials anchored by such luminaries as Bob Hope and Diana Ross.

Leading trading card manufacturer Panini America purchased the history-soaked pieces of sartorial splendor at auction two years ago — and cut them up.

As a result, Jackson fans and collectors everywhere will have the unique opportunity to own pieces of Jackson when the company’s Official Michael Jackson Trading Card Set hits stores next week.

“We’re thrilled to be able to partner with the Jackson estate in an official capacity to honor Michael’s memory and his legendary career with this truly unique trading card set,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “We’ve been working diligently for more than two years to bring this set to market, and we’re confident that the inclusion of Jackson-worn memorabilia will make this a product unlike any other we’ve ever produced.”

Below you’ll find a stunning gallery of the Jackson memorabilia cards randomly inserted into the set, along with the corresponding auction description of the respective piece of clothing used.

The Official Michael Jackson Trading Card Set will be available starting next week at Target stores nationwide and at the Panini America Online Store.

************************************************************************

Looks very interesting! I was searching around to see if this was out yet and how much it cost and came across what looks like another trading card set by Panini? Not sure if this is different or the same one described here:

http://paniniamerica.word...jackson-2/

Panini Peek: 2011 Michael Jackson

MARCH 7, 2011

tags: Entertainment trading cards, Michael Jackson, Panini America

by Tracy Hackler

We all know that good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, collecting history does, too.

More than a year after details were first released regarding Panini America’s plans for an official Michael Jackson trading card set, the product will finally will make its celebrated debut in early June. 2011 Michael Jackson is a rich, colorful tribute befitting the King of Pop, complete with the historic first MJ memorabilia cards.

The product goes live June 8 with five-card packs retailing for $2.99. Each 24-pack box will deliver a bevy of Jackson-inspired inserts boasting classic photography and tributes to the legend’s timeless songs and albums. Some of the box-level highlights include 12 Decades,eight Achievements, eight Top Tens, six Number Ones, five Gold Parallels, onePlatinum Parallel and one Number Ones Deluxe.

Each 20-box case of 2011 Michael Jackson will yield one or more hits from a lineup that includes Diamond Parallels, Number Ones Deluxe and a stunning array of cards featuring pieces of landmark Jackson-worn memorabilia.

Other highlights include:

• Eclectic Threads Shirt, Pants and Dual Swatches numbered to 249 or less
• Televised Fashions numbered to 249 or less
• Jackson Live Single and Dual Swatches numbered to 199 or less
• Diamond Parallels numbered to 10 or less.

Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance in the coming weeks for additional coverage of 2011 Panini Michael Jackson.

[Edited 6/21/11 6:52am]

June 21, 2011
Michael Jackson tops NME's Greatest Singers poll
Late vocalist beats Freddie Mercury

Michael Jackson has beaten Queen's Freddie Mercury in NME's poll of the Greatest Singers Of All Time.

Jackson got an average score of 9.02 out of 10, while Mercury's was 8.39.

The poll, which took place on NME.COM saw 10 million votes being cast, 4000 Facebook comments and, initially, saw Mercury at the top spot until Jackson went to Number One.

Elvis Presley took the Number Three position with an average of 7.17 out of 10 and Guns N' Roses Axl Rose took fourth place with 6.47.

Meanwhile, Aretha Franklin landed at Number 10, making her the only woman in the Top Ten. As the chart stands, nine of the Top 20 are dead.

The full Top 20 was:

1. Michael Jackson
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Elvis Presley
4. Axl Rose
5. John Lennon
6. David Bowie
7. Robert Plant
8. Paul McCartney
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Aretha Franklin
11. Matt Bellamy
12. Ray Charles
13. Jim Morrison
14. Bob Marley
15. Elton John
16. Kurt Cobain
17. Steven Tyler
18. Mick Jagger
19. Marvin Gaye
20. Tina Turner

http://www.nme.com/news/m...kson/57469

So...Latoya was interviewed on the Today show by Matt Lauer, talking about Michael and his death of course. Matt grilled her but asked her good questions, (which she more or less danced around). Here's the transcript:

Closed captioning of: La Toya: Dr. Murray is ‘fall guy’ in Michael’s death

Advertise | AdChoices

we're back at 8:09 with surprising claims being made by michael jackson 's sister la toya . she dedicates a large portion of her new book " starting over " to her brother and his death, including michael 's fear that he would be targeted in an assassination plot.la toya , it's nice to see you again. good morning.

good morning. matt, how you this morning.

i'm doing well. thank you. you know now that this book is coming out a lot of people will be talking about what's in it.

sure.

you wrote, michael who confided in me years earlier that he feared assassination by those who wanted to steal his valuable publishing catalog and estate. you quote michael as saying, i'm even afraid to walk around in my own yard because i'm afraid they're going to kill me. i could never perform again because i know they're going to kill me. do you know who he's referring to?

yes, he told me exactly who he was referring to. he was terrified. he was terrified of the fact that he had this catalog and he knew they wanted it. that catalog.

catalog of music. His publishing which he owned over -- i think it was 750,000 songs just alone. so he owned everybody's publishing --

who did he think wanted to kill him to gain control of that catalog?

women, everybody that surrounded that, that was involved in that. and he would speak about it. and he was very afraid. he said it was just a matter of time. he knew it was going to happen. when he first told me i was,michael , come on that can't be true. i didn't truly understand it in the beginning. but the more he explained it, the more i understood. not only did he tell me. he told my mother as well.

one of the things that struck me. he said he was afraid to even perform yet we know at the time of his death he was rehearsing for a major tour over seas.

that's right.

what was the problem? he apparently had lost that fear.

no, what it was, he was in a catch-22 where he knew that he had to perform and he had the perform ten dates because he was given so much. okay. i'll do this and only this. only the ten dates and that's it.

so all the attention being paid to dr. conrad murray for the death of michael , you say he is the fall guy for a much larger plot. you write, quote, i decided to investigate michael 's death and go public with what i found with the hope of getting justice for michael by identifying those who really killed him. and yet in the book, la toya , i couldn't find anywhere where you actually named someone or give proof of anyone actually killing michael .

but when you read the book and you read between the lines and you understand, you will know what exactly michael led you to that, to what was going to happen.

lead me to it.

when you read the book you understand it completely. once you read it, you will understand it. and i have to say that i was not there when he was actually murdered. however --

but you do believe that it was not dr. conrad murray responsible for his death that someone actually murdered your brother?

i believe that dr. murray was definitely the fall guy . i think that they need to invest gate this a bit more. go deeper into it.

this idea of yours, and this belief of yours, has put you at odds with other family members.

not at odds.

you write in the book how the family always came together, for example, at the trial of michael .

of course.

-- earlier in 2003 . but they're in the on page you in this.

in the beginning they were, oh, no, he's passed, let him lie to rest. you can't not let that be because his children thanks need to know what happened, they want to know what happened to their father. they were there. they understand.

have you gone to the police now with information that you have uncovered in your own investigation? are they now looking in a different area?

in the beginning i was with the detectives right there with them and i wanted the surveillance camera , i want to know everything and everyone who came in and out of that house. all of a sudden that's eradicate eradicat eradicated. they erase it but just the first three or four minutes there.

on the subject of the trial of the situation the brother found himself in on two separate occasions with accusations of molestation. you held a news conference, i think it was in tel aviv in 1993 , and you said pretty important things. quote, i can no longer be a silent collaborator of these crimes against small innocent children.

absolutely.

you now say that you were forced to say that by your former husband jack gordon . how could he force you to say something so damning about your brother?

matt, when you're in a relationship when you're being abused and very controlling, he controlled everything i did, everything that went on in my life. he was working with a group of people that were working with my brother at the time, which, in fact, i didn't know. i wasn't privy to that. i wasn't privy to watch television. i knew nothing that was going on. when i went on television and said my brother was wonderful, he would never do anything like that. he [gordon] hated that. the next day, you get on. went to tel aviv . he said i was going on vacation. i thought there was an award show. we drove up, all those cameras and people there. i didn't know.

you had a complete change of heart in terms of your brother's situation with molestation.

never had a change of heart . i always knew he never did that. and that's one thing that michael and i discussed and talk about because i had to speak to him about that. he said, la toya , you don't have to mention that. i know you. i know your heart i know he was making you do this. michael knew more than i thought. he would call me and tell me to get away from him. gordon is going to murder you. what i would want to say he would tell me if i didn't do what we he wanted me to do or say he was going to kill michael .

you have also made comments about your father joe molesting you and other forms of child abuse . now you say no other man alive or dead did anything like joseph did for his family and i thank him for that.

i do.

is this a contradiction?

no, it is not. my father did a wonderful job of raising all of us. i have to tell you that when you're young, you see things differently than when you get older. when you get older and you have children and your nieces and nephews, you understand why your father disciplined you the way he did. parents beat their children back then. they don't do that today. if you do it today, you're going to jail.

but you stand by the comments you made about molestation and child abuse ?

my father is a very wonderful man, matt. i have to tell you something. my father is getting older. i love him with all my heart. michael loved my father at the end of the day . people are showing footage of michaelspeaking at my father the way he thought many years ago. at the end of michael 's life he called my father several times, wanted him there. he even told his children, call grandpa, he will help me get out of this situation.

you're standing by your original statements about your dad?

my father is a wonderful person and always will be. he has a great heart and, yes, i do love him and care for him a great deal.

la toya jackson , appreciate it.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43467060/

^ Like she was ever gonna give someone straight answers anyway, she was like that in her last interview. I forgot who interviewed her at the time but she wasn't upfront with him on those questions either.

^^

Oh... wow! Yay! I do love me some Freddie though but I'm happy for Mike.

The video of the interview is posted here: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43467060/

Along with an excerpt from Latoy's book:

Gallery

I always dreaded seeing the words breaking news on my television from the day that Michael told me he was afraid for his life. In the spring of 2009, I grew increasingly concerned for my brother’s life. Whenever I saw the familiar graphics scroll across my television screen and heard the telltale music, informing me that something earth-shattering had happened, I immediately feared it would be upsetting news about Michael. Then I would be relieved to hear that it was something else.

On June 23, 2009, I saw those dreaded words pop up on the screen while I was watching CNN. My heart raced until I learned that the breaking news was actually the death of television announcer Ed McMahon.

Then, on June 25, 2009, I saw those same words on CNN once again, and again my heartbeat quickened.

What is it now? I thought.

I soon learned that the breaking news was the sad loss of actress Farrah Fawcett. I mourned the passings of Ed McMahon and Farrah, who had both given the world so much with their talents. But my main feeling was an immediate sense of relief that, as far as I knew, my brother was at that moment safe.

I called Jeffré, who was staying in Las Vegasat the time, and informed him of Farrah’s passing. Just as moved as I was, he turned on his television to learn more. After we discussed Farrah for a little while, we began talking about death more generally, and we discussed the way in which famous people always seemed to die in groups of three.

“I wonder who’s going to be next,” I said.

This statement of the most innocent variety, spoken without really thinking, would soon come back to haunt me in the most upsetting way possible.

After Jeffré and I hung up, I spent the rest of the morning watching the news on Farrah. Although I was truly saddened, it wasn’t a big surprise, because everyone knew she was battling cancer. While watching the coverage of Farrah’s life and feeling sympathy for the pain her family must have been going through, I received a call from Joseph a little after noon.

“La Toya, get over to Michael’s house right now,” Joseph said.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, concerned.

“A fan called and told me Michael’s sick.”

I was immediately filled with panic, and my hands shook as I began dressing. I was preparing to leave my house as quickly as I could and drive the three minutes to Michael’s nearby home, Carolwood. I called Jeffré back to alert him to Joseph’s call and to see if he had heard anything about Michael’s condition from the fans or anyone else we knew.

“La Toya, Michael’s just doing this to get out of his shows,” Jeffré said.

This immediately eased my mind because I knew that it could well be true. I had been told that Michael didn’t want to do the London shows, which were scheduled to begin in just a few days. Michael was known, within the family, to have faked illness and injury in the past to avoid commitments that displeased him, and I felt better as I assumed this was the case now. I was so certain there was nothing to be alarmed about that I slowed down the pace at which I was getting ready to venture out in search of information.

Then Joseph called me again. “A fan just called me and said there’s an ambulance at Michael’s house.”

Joseph passed the phone to a friend, who told me that the fan was now telling Joseph that Michael was on his way to the hospital.

“Forget going to the house,” Joseph said to me. “Go to the hospital.

They say he had a heart attack, and I hear that he’s on his way to the hospital.”

When I heard these words, I was so distraught that I almost dropped my phone. I couldn’t breathe or think or move.

“Hurry up and get over there,” Joseph said, panic audible in his voice.

I called Jeffré back to tell him the latest.

“Calm down until you get to the hospital and find out what’s really going on,” he said.

This was asking me to do the impossible, but I knew I had to hold it together for Michael.

“Have you heard anything about it?” I asked.

“No, but I’ll check the Internet to see if I can find anything.”

While Jeffré went online, I turned on my speakerphone function and finally got myself dressed to go over to the UCLA Medical Center, which was where they had taken Michael. When Jeffré spoke again, I could tell by the tone of his voice that something was terribly wrong.

“La Toya, just relax until you get over to the hospital. But I did find a statement online from the paramedics that said, ‘Mr. Jackson was not breathing when we’ — the paramedics — ‘got to his house.’ ”

My legs literally buckled beneath me, and my vision blurred as my entire body was instantly drenched in sweat. I was in such acute shock that I felt I might actually drop dead. I couldn’t speak.

All I could do now was to get to Michael as quickly as I could, and to pray.

God, please don’t let this be true. Please give me strength to get to Michael.

I pulled myself together, but I couldn’t get ready fast enough. I was having the reaction I always had when I heard any bad news. My entire body was shutting down, and I felt so weak that I could barely move.

But I knew that such a response was not going to help Michael, so I fought through my panic and forced myself to be strong. The whole time, I kept praying and talking to myself out loud.

“Okay, La Toya, calm down. Michael is going to be fine. It’s just an act.”

But somehow, I knew this wasn’t true, and the more I said it, the more nervous I became. All I could hear was the fear in Michael’s voice as he told me, “They’re going to kill me for my publishing catalog and my estate.”

I was still trying to put my shoes on as I rushed downstairs and got into my car. Even though the hospital was only two minutes away, the drive seemed like an eternity.

As I drove, I kept trying to call Mother, but her phone rang and rang with no answer. I was so desperate to talk to her that I just kept calling her, again and again, as I panicked in the next moments. Finally, Mother’s assistant Trent answered her phone. He told me that he was in the car with her, driving her to the hospital.

I was crying and breathless to the point where I could barely speak.

“Trent, is everything okay?” I asked. “Please tell me it is.”

But he wouldn’t answer me, and his silence made me cry even harder and more uncontrollably.

“Trent, is everything okay?!” I asked again, this time more forcefully. “Is he better?”

I could hear Mother speaking in the background. “Trent, who’s on the phone?” she asked in a tone of voice I had never heard from her before.

“La Toya,” he replied.

The next thing I knew, my mother snatched the phone away from Trent and screamed as loudly as she could into the phone:

“HE’S DEAD!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I said, also screaming my loudest.

A torrent of sobs shook my entire body, which stopped working altogether. I was so weak that I could no longer grip the steering wheel of my car or apply enough pressure to the gas pedal to keep the car moving. Horns honked as my car slowed and drifted to the side of the road, nearly causing several accidents before it finally came to a stop. Although I was less than a mile from my house, I didn’t have a clue where I was, where I was going, or what I was doing. I rolled down my window and stuck my tearstained face out into the street.

Excerpted from "Starting Over" by La Toya Jackson with Jeffré Phillips. Copyright © 2011 by La Toya Jackson with Jeffré Phillips. Excerpted with permission by Gallery Books, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

mookie said:

June 21, 2011
Michael Jackson tops NME's Greatest Singers poll
Late vocalist beats Freddie Mercury

Michael Jackson has beaten Queen's Freddie Mercury in NME's poll of the Greatest Singers Of All Time.

Jackson got an average score of 9.02 out of 10, while Mercury's was 8.39.

The poll, which took place on NME.COM saw 10 million votes being cast, 4000 Facebook comments and, initially, saw Mercury at the top spot until Jackson went to Number One.

Elvis Presley took the Number Three position with an average of 7.17 out of 10 and Guns N' Roses Axl Rose took fourth place with 6.47.

Meanwhile, Aretha Franklin landed at Number 10, making her the only woman in the Top Ten. As the chart stands, nine of the Top 20 are dead.

The full Top 20 was:

1. Michael Jackson
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Elvis Presley
4. Axl Rose
5. John Lennon
6. David Bowie
7. Robert Plant
8. Paul McCartney
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Aretha Franklin
11. Matt Bellamy
12. Ray Charles
13. Jim Morrison
14. Bob Marley
15. Elton John
16. Kurt Cobain
17. Steven Tyler
18. Mick Jagger
19. Marvin Gaye
20. Tina Turner

http://www.nme.com/news/m...kson/57469

That's his place , and that's where he will always be........

Timmy84 said:

^ Like she was ever gonna give someone straight answers anyway, she was like that in her last interview. I forgot who interviewed her at the time but she wasn't upfront with him on those questions either.

Yes but I wish she would give a straight (and honest) answer for once or just not do interviews altogether. BTW I hear she's gonna be on Piers Morgan's show tonite.

NaughtyKitty said:

Timmy84 said:

^ Like she was ever gonna give someone straight answers anyway, she was like that in her last interview. I forgot who interviewed her at the time but she wasn't upfront with him on those questions either.

Yes but I wish she would give a straight (and honest) answer for once or just not do interviews altogether. BTW I hear she's gonna be on Piers Morgan's show tonite.

But yeah I think she should stop. She's only doing more harm than good.

LaToya sounds really nutty in that interview. Should come as no surprise though...

How does the family let her get away with saying all this crazy shit all the time? Does no one ever try to check her crazy ass? Or check her crazy ass in somewhere?

I'm actually not such a fan, although I do love the Jackson 5 and Off the Wall. That said, this is a true story that I thought the folks here might appreciate. It happened about a year ago:

Not sure if "tomb" is the right word, but I stood feet away from his grave which is closed off the the general public.

Ever since I lived in L.A., I thought I was the first generation of my family to do so. When I mentioned to my mom that I had a High School friend coming to town and that we were going to check out Forest Lawn Memorial (not for Jackson, whom I could really care less about, but just to explore what is a very unique cemetery), she surprised me by saying, "Oh, I think that's where my grandfather is." He died a good 15 years before I was born, but I thought it would be cool to go say, "hello" to him.

Long story short, I went to the information booth and sure enough he was there. I was told that he was in the Great Mausoleum. The Great Mausoleum has several entrances for different "terraces" of tombs. At the next door over from the the one I was told to enter (they had to buzz me in), I saw a whole bunch of people standing outside just hanging out. My friend and I went over and soon discovered that they were Jacko's "corpse groupies," just hanging out.

We proceeded to go into the next door to go find my great grandpa. At that time, I assumed that the separate sections of the Great Mausoleum were also separated inside, and not accessible from where Grandpa Harry was.

A few months later, just this past weekend, I went back with my wife who wanted to "meet" Grandpa Harry. This time, we began to wander a little and to my surprise found a stairwell that connected to Holly Terrace, and indeed the whole rest of the Mausoleum. Stepping up to Jacko's tomb at the Sanctuary of Ascension, we immediately knew what we were looking at. It smelled like a florist, from all of the flowers left outside the building and brought in by guards a few times daily. People also bring pictures, toys, teddy bears (?), balloons, every single day. It was odd and eerie. In a weird way, with all of the weirdos lingering outside, we felt like VIPs in a twisted way, like we had snuck backstage.

My wife and I were spoke for a while afterward, about the psychology of a person who would obsessively sit outside a building that housed the remains of a person they had never met.

This one woman, the one who said she comes once a week, said she also comes on Christmas, New Years, and pretty much all of the holidays. She said that she had already been there for a couple of hours just that day, a gorgeous Sunday in Los Angeles (that means little to no smog, for anyone who hasn't been here), and then pointed to her car, "Those are my kids, in that car. I just got them a kitten to play with, to keep them occupied." I wouldn't be surprised if she'd considered leaving the kitten for Michael to play with!

In my head, all I could hear was that little piano refrain from "Revolution 9," looping over and over, (the one that comes at 7:43 into the song, right before Yoko's, "Ee become naked,") which is to this day what immediately comes to mind on rare occasions when I'm forced to stare directly into the face of pure, unadulterated insanity.

Next time we go see Grandpa Harry, we're going to look for Clark Gable, WC Fields, The Andrew Sisters, Art Tatum, Jean Harlow, Lon Chaney and Red Skeleton, who are also in the same building.

Please help. I've just visited Jetzi's site after a long time and the videos don't work for me. Does anyone know where I could find the skits Spitting Image? I love those about his marriage to Lisa. They are so funny.

And for something not so entirely condescending (old, but still):

http://blogs.abcnews.com/...f-pop.html

For anyone who thinks Pakistan is completely consumed by bombs and bullets, that people here only think about terror and the Taliban, know thatMichael was a god here, too.

Know that pirated Michael Jackson tapes used to be sold in the bazaar in Mingora, Swat, where the Pakistani army is currently fighting the Taliban. Know that an entire street culture exploded after “Thriller” hit Pakistani stores. Know that countless Pakistani musicians still emulate his sound, his moves, his fashion. Know that Pakistani children woke their parents up at 4:00 a.m. today to tell them, “Oh my god, he’s dead. M...n’s dead.” Know that there might have been a suicide bombing in Kashmir today and an attack against the military in the tribal areas, but private news channels devoted hours of coverage to the departed King of Pop.

“There are many people in Pakistan who don't know that the world is round but know who Michael is,” said Munizeh Sanai, the general manager of the country’s most popular English language radio station, City FM 89, which has been playing almost nothing but Jackson songs all day. “He is the only internatio...ected with -- his style, his moves. This is mostly in urban Pakistan of course, but yeah -- if Michael had ever performed in Pakistan, it would have been the biggest concert the country has ever seen.”

For Pakistanis who grew up in the 80's, like Saqib Malik, a well known director here, Jackson was much more than an American artist. “He really popularized, at least in this generation, American pop culture,” Malik said. “He became an idea for anything that was western pop culture… He embodied, in terms of popular imagination, the best of what the west had to offer.”

It is not only the well-heeled here who knew who he was, either. Cooks, drivers, guards -- Pakistan’s middle class, most of whom don’t speak English -- have been talking about Jackson’s death all day, aware not only because his face has been on local television, but also because of Jackson’s own presence within Pakistani culture. Back when there were no private news channels and all televisions were tuned to the sole, state-run channel, almost everyone in the country watched a skit show called “Fifty-Fifty,” basically the equivalent of Saturday Night Live in its heyday. One of the all-time great...a You-Tube: a skit featuring Ismail Tara, one of Pakistan’s most famous comics in the 80s, dancing to the sounds of Billy Jean. His props include a couple of suitcases, a pan, and a pair of very tight pants.

“Michael impacted us on every level. He transcended everything -- countries, religion, boundaries, everything,” said Mashaal Gauhar, a self-professed “huge” Jackson fan and the editor of a business magazine in Islamabad.

Jackson’s popularity, perhaps, was particular in Pakistan because he was not white, or because he had done work in the developing world, or because, much later, he converted to Islam. Or perhaps, as Malik suggested, because the persona he played in his videos was “A guy on the street, tryi...s identity. That made him instantly appealing to everyone here.”

But in Pakistan, like everywhere else across the world, it was the music that people loved. It was the bootlegged records and tapes of Beat It and Thriller, the VHS copies of the Thriller music video, that cemented Jackson as an icon in Pakistan.

I posted a note on Facebook earlier today asking whether Pakistan was upset about Jackson’s death. After an American friend wrote that he thought any kind of outpouring of emotion would be unlikely, a Pakistani friend of mine countered: “Make no mistake -- we might be Pakistan. But we moonwalked as much as you did.”

They continue moonwalking around the fact that Joe abused them. There’s a difference between getting beat and getting abused...Some things never change.

babybugz said:

They continue moonwalking around the fact that Joe abused them. There’s a difference between getting beat and getting abused...Some things never change.

That family's been brainwashed by the Motown PR machine for too damn long now.

[Edited 6/21/11 14:56pm]

Sadly I think La Toya is trying to do her best - she may believe that Michael was murdered for some bigger cause - but the evidence doesn't stack up. Again people may look to other things to explain away tragedy, but her statements and "proof" just aren't there.

This may potentially hurt the case against Murray, but hopefully someone's paranoia (potentially including Michael's) won't get in the way of the facts of the case, that this tragic accident happened because of neglect.

I am glad that the interview focused on her bullshit statements in Tel Aviv. I always wondered how Michael could have ever forgiven her. I'm glad she got an opportunity to explain things.

I do worry that some journalists will try and trip her up in her interviews and twist her words.

^^ BTW NaughtyKitty - yes they are all the same set.

I think the "clothes" cards will be rarities in the sets.

Timmy84 said:

babybugz said:

They continue moonwalking around the fact that Joe abused them. There’s a difference between getting beat and getting abused...Some things never change.

That family's been brainwashed by the Motown PR machine for too damn long now.

[Edited 6/21/11 14:56pm]

I always be fond of them for their music but like really.