Marrk said:

Need more confirmation on YouTube before I can believe this tho I do believe Michael loved country. Hell the family was raised with that music around the house!

Timmy84 said:

Michael loved all kinda music...which is what I love about him...

and Just for Timmy...i went through my mom's record collection last night and found the original What's Going On and Thriller Vinyl Records.

Btw, I love hearing from Jermaine....he is just too sweet-sounding....

I'm a BIG fan of his solo work

jamgirl said:

That's real cool about the vinyl records!

And yeah, MJ loved all music. He was 11 when he said he dug classical music.

Timmy84 said:

And in the last Ebony interview he said 'Southern gut-bucket singing'

http://www.new-magazine.co.uk/licensetospi...duets-revealed/

Jackson's secret duets revealed

While the world mourns Michael Jackson, I can reveal details of a collection of his unreleased songs.
Jackson is said to have left more than 200 songs set to be released, but little has been made of one CD – a collection of 12 country duets with his ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, 41.

While the couple’s ill-fated marriage lasted just two years, Michael’s sister Janet Jackson revealed to me that the music they made is special.

“He loved country music,” Janet, 43, told me. “The recordings sound great – I think fans would love them.”

Londell McMillan and Katherine Jackson captured in painting after a court hearing Tuesday.

Michael Jackson's mom played role in business, too
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY and LINDA DEUTSCH (AP) – 4 hours ago

NEW YORK — Entering into a business relationship with Michael Jackson rarely meant a long-lasting partnership. Over time, especially in the waning years of his life, Jackson hired — then fired — a litany of associates, from managers to attorneys to publicists.

Most were dispatched after the relationship soured, and the trust had evaporated.

Perhaps the one exception in his financial life was Jackson's mother, Katherine.

Jackson relied on his 79-year-old mother for more than emotional support: Documents show he put her in the position of trustee on contracts, including his lucrative Sony-ATV catalog, and associates say he also sought her input on other financial matters as he became more wary of those in his business circle.

"Any deal Michael did, he always called his mother up," said Steve Manning, a close friend of the Jackson family. "She was the backbone of his spirit."

"What he trusted was that she would make sure that his wishes were carried out," said Mrs. Jackson's attorney, L. Londell McMillan, who is representing her interests as the singer's estate is sorted out. "He understood that she was the most loyal person in his life. Her loyalty did not stop for Michael with merely personal matters."

But Jackson's last known will, drafted in 2002, left his mother, along with his three children, out of any decision-making role in his estate, leaving her only as a beneficiary.

Attorney John Branca and Jackson's former manager and close friend, John McClain, were named (along with a third party who has since removed himself) as the only people with the authority to guide his business matters after his death.

Mrs. Jackson is trying to change that, seeking to gain some kind of control over her late son's estate. The Jackson matriarch is adamant that she — or even another family member — have a role over Michael Jackson's business legacy, which may be worth more in death than when he was alive. Some estimates have valued his estate at $500 million.

Mrs. Jackson has filed a motion to determine whether contesting the two executors would lead to disinheritance — Jackson's will had a no-contest clause.

"She is concerned about how the trust is going to be managed. She wants to make sure that she has a seat at the table and the family has a seat at the table," said Dean Hansell, an attorney who spoke for Mrs. Jackson in court Monday. "She wants that and she has been coming up against resistance."

But in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Branca said he is amenable to having Mrs. Jackson, or someone in the family, in a trustee role.

"We are going to have a meaningful conversation with her about having one of her family members become a co-trustee," Branca said. "Our number one priority is to make sure this estate is run effectively."

Throughout the years, Jackson's devotion to his mother has been well-documented, and it was proven again after his death, as he named her in his will as his first choice to raise his three children, and also named her and his kids as the only individuals to inherit his fortune (he also left a portion of his wealth to charity).

Katherine Jackson has not previously been known for her business acumen. It was Joe Jackson who was the manager of his sons as the Jackson 5, and acted as the manager for all of his nine children into their adult years.

But Manning claims it was Katherine, not Joe, who gave Michael Jackson his business sense, which he described as shrewd and fair.

He recalled when Jackson purchased the Beatles catalog, which also included Little Richard's music, he called his mother to ask her opinion on how he should handle Little Richard's situation: the rock legend had for years complained about being unfairly compensated for his publishing rights. His mother advised him to treat Little Richard with respect, and because of that, "(Michael) made sure that Little Richard was compensated fairly."

He also said that when Michael Jackson's MJJ Productions fell on hard times, "Michael made sure with his mother that every employee was paid."

"She is a woman of great faith, and believes if you treat people right, (good) things will come back to you."

Jackson named his mother on at least two trusts — besides the Sony-ATV music catalog, she's a part of his Mijac publishing company — and McMillan said she was active in Jackson's business affairs, even attending depositions in legal cases.

However, a source who asked for anonymity because of the ongoing nature of the situation said those trustee positions did not have decision-making authority.
Whether Mrs. Jackson has the business capacity to deal with Jackson's estate, which is complicated and tangled, is likely to be a key question. She and Joe filed for bankruptcy 10 years ago, listing nearly $24 million in debts that included court judgments, auto loans and credit cards. Court records show the only valuable asset listed was a house in Las Vegas then valued at $290,000.
McMillan said the role of a trustee does not require a person to be a business whiz.

"A trustee is one of trust as opposed to extraordinary skill," he said.

"Trustees hire experts to administer business that requires experts."
Manning said Mrs. Jackson is confident that her legal team would do an excellent job with her guidance. He also raised the possibility that one of Jackson's five brothers could have a role in the estate: "That would be the right thing to do, the right thing to happen."

Legally, Mrs. Jackson may not be able to have an official role. Both Branca and Hansell said the addition of Katherine as an executor of the will or a trustee of the trust might raise tax questions because she is a beneficiary.
Branca was Jackson's attorney for many years, working with him during the height of his fame and helping negotiate his deal to buy the Beatles catalog. But they split in 2005 until Branca was brought back shortly before Jackson's death as he prepared for his comeback concerts with the promoter AEG.

McClain has been very close with the family for decades, and was instrumental in building Janet Jackson's career. He also had played key roles in Michael Jackson's career in its later years.

Manning spoke highly of McClain, saying he has been "like a son" to the Jackson parents.

"He's like a confidant," he said. "He was very, very close to the family."
Branca and McClain have control of Jackson's estate until at least Oct. 3. They have already made several deals on behalf of Jackson's estate, including a reissue of his memoir "Moonwalk" and a full-length motion picture filled with footage of his last rehearsals, which requires a judge's approval. In a sign that Katherine Jackson's input is already being considered critical, the judge has scheduled a hearing Monday to see, among other things, whether she has any objections.

But McMillan claims Jackson would have wanted his mother to be part of any dealmaking as well, quoting Jackson's sentiments about his mother from a deposition: "For the past several years I have started using my mother because she is the most trusted person in my life. I trust my mother more than anyone."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
[Edited 8/5/09 9:38am]
----
I'm convinced Katherine had a lot to do with why Michael became who he became, no disrespect to Joe but Katherine had a hand in her children's successes.
[Edited 8/5/09 9:40am]

Phishanga said:

I thought I was the only one who thought that.

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

Which album was this on?

One of the freakiest pictures I´ve ever seen.






Apparently, Mike´s still alive.
http://www.michaeljacksonsightings.com/
[Edited 8/5/09 7:09am]

Timmy84 said:

Ditto, but we can think of it as him performing in front of the people in the theater

ViintageJunkiie said:

They would have to use some CGI shit for that tho.

Some cute, cool, beautiful pictures I found at the KOP again.







[Edited 8/5/09 1:17am]

Deals Could Bring More Jackson Products
Aug 5, 2009


Michael Jackson products could start appearing on store shelves, cell phones, even in X-Box add-ons if a judge signs off on a merchandising deal.

The current administrators of the singer's estate have presented several proposed contracts to a probate judge for approval. The agreements offer a taste of how the King of Pop may be sold in the coming months and years.

Trading cards, T-shirts, calendars, lighters, stuffed animals that play Jackson's music and games are among the tangible items being considered. So too are denim products and high-end clothing lines, according to the filings.

But Jackson seems destined to try to conquer the digital domain too. Some of the possible products include cell phone screen savers, X-Box themes, video games and digital tattoos for characters in games such as "Second Life."

The proposed deals are between Jackson's estate, concert promoter AEG Live and Bravado International Group Merchandising Services. The contract calls for Bravado, which is Universal Music Group's retailing arm, to receive worldwide merchandise rights.

AEG Live will retain rights to sell certain merchandise related to Jackson's canceled London performances, the agreements state.

Despite a tainted legacy while he was alive, some believe Jackson will become top The King, Elvis Presley, in annual merchandise sales. Presley's estate $55 million in revenue last year, $14 million of which came from retail sales.

A separate agreement is being pursued between the estate's administrators and Columbia Pictures for a feature length movie based on footage of Jackson's preparations for his 50 comeback concerts in London. The studio paid $60 million for the rights to the project, the contract filed in Los Angeles Superior Court states.

Jackson's estate — which primarily benefits his mother and three children — would receive 90 percent of the profits from the film, according to the agreement.

The agreements with Bravado are more heavily redacted and do not indicate how much the estate would be paid.

A judge has scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider the proposals.

Jackson died June 25 in Los Angeles and his lavish spending had pushed him hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. Attorneys for the current administrators of his estate, attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, have stated in court records that they believe Jackson's estate is solvent.

One of the men's attorneys, Jeryll S. Cohen, wrote in a court filing on Friday that the merchandising and film and other entertainment agreements are expected to generate "advances in the high eight figures." Negotiations for other deals are also in the works, Cohen wrote.

The administrators have the authority to combat unauthorized merchandise, and the deals provide Bravado with access to the use of Jackson's name, image, symbols, emblems and other trademarks.

Jackson's estate would have input into which products are ultimately manufactured, the proposed agreements state.

An amendment to an agreement between Jackson's estate and AEG Live allows for a traveling exhibit of the performer's memorabilia. Exact details of the exhibit were redacted, but it calls for the displays to be shown only at museums or venues that both sides agree on.

If approved, the agreements would continue a trend that Jackson seemed to be pursuing in his final months — marketing products based on his days of superstar status.

A lawsuit filed in January by "Thriller" director John Landis accused Jackson of trying to turn the groundbreaking 14-minute music video into comic books and video games.

The director also sued over a proposed Broadway show based on "Thriller." Landis owns some of the creative rights to the project and didn't grant approval to the ventures Jackson was apparently pursuing.


http://www.google.com/hos...AD99SJ7EO0

Copycat said:

All I want is a USA release of Moonwalker,and Ghosts on DVD! I also think that a Thriller + Making Of Thriller DVD Boxset would be cool to. Why were these never released on the US?

EmeraldSkies said:

because the U.S. hated Michael when he was alive and now suddenly wants to claim him.

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

So true! America treated Michael like crap, that's why his last 3 tours were never scheduled to come here .. Overseas showed him so much love.

Moonwalker
Ghosts
Making of Thriller
Anthology of ALL his music videos

those are 4 DVD's i'd LOVE to have .. all in HQ/HD ..

ViintageJunkiie said:

I'm glad all these american feel bad right now about his death. Sahme on you!

uh what's up with the underwear picture?

He might've gotten more hate in his home country than he did overseas doesn't mean I should settle for imports if I wanted something MJ-esque that is never shown over here. Just saying... he still had a huge legion of American fans.

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

Wait. Aren't you American?

Making of Scream! I´ve never seen this. So rare.

Copycat said:

All I want is a USA release of Moonwalker,and Ghosts on DVD! I also think that a Thriller + Making Of Thriller DVD Boxset would be cool to. Why were these never released in the US?
[Edited 8/5/09 12:21pm]