April
30, 2001: Macauley Culkin Talks About Michael
In
the latest issue of New York Magazine [May 07,
2001 issue] Macauley Culkin talks about his good
friend Michael Jackson.
Read here what Macauley had to say about Michael:
One day when Culkin was 9, he got a call from Michael Jackson inviting him to Neverland. He
went with his parents and his younger brother Kieran
- Kierie, he calls him - in a helicopter Jackson sent
for them. "He had every kind of soda in the world
there, every kind of candy. A two-floor arcade, a carnival,
and a movie theater." Culkin, who kept ferrets,
rabbits, cats, and dogs at home, was particularly impressed
by Jackson's private zoo. "He had giraffes, elephants,
tigers, orangutans, chimps, ostriches, llamas. We were
driving around in golf carts, and the thing that cracked
him up was he got us talking about the Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, and instead of 'Donatello', I'd say 'Don';
instead of 'Leonardo', I'd say 'Leo'. Like I knew them
way back, me and Michelangelo - Mikey - are tight."
A bond formed quickly. "We had very similar experiences
in childhood," he says. "It's not like
I can just bump into people on the street and say, 'Oh!
You too!' It doesn't happen that often. Michael's
still a kid. I'm still a kid. We're both going to be
about 8 years old forever in some place because we never
had a chance to be 8 when we actually were. That's
kind of the beautiful and the cursed part of our lives."
When Jackson was accused of child molestation in 1993,
Culkin says, he "would have liked to have said
something in his defense - I still wish I had - but
my father kept me out of it." Culkin calls Jackson "one of my very best friends in the world" and is the godfather of Jackson's son, Prince Michael,
and his daughter, Paris. "Michael and I had an understanding
about my father," Culkin says. "He knew what
that was all about. He'd lived it."
And at the time, Jackson's estate was the largest starfucker-free
zone Culkin had ever been in. "You know there's not
going to be a photographer in the bushes. You can walk
around and no one will stare at you and you can be normal," says Culkin. "Neverland is still the only place
on earth where I feel absolutely, 100 percent comfortable."
The entire interview with Macauley can be found in the
latest issue of New York Magazine.
[source: New York Magazine,]
April
25, 2001: Michael To Perform In Cardiff?
The
following has been taken from MJNI:
Could Megastar Michael Jackson be heading for
the Welsh capital and the Millennium Stadium
later this year?
According to a report from the South Wales Echo
[April 24, 2001] it is understood that Michael Jackson
is top of the shopping list for Millennium Stadium officials
- for a concert that would see the American singer
return to Cardiff for the third time in 13 years.
The King of Pop who releases his latest album at the
end of the summer; celebrating 30 years as a solo artist,
is rumoured to have a world tour in the pipeline.
According to the report, dates in October and December
have been pencilled into the Millennium Stadium diary.
And although Stadium bosses were keeping tight-lipped
about the possibility of a Jackson concert today, a
mystery promoter has been to the arena to study the
complex.
Michael Jackson has come to know Cardiff quite well,
after two sell-out concerts in July 1988 on his Bad
Tour and in August 1992 on the Dangerous Tour in the
Cardiff Arms Park.
Wembley Stadium is still out of commission, and
the Millennium Stadium is very much the obvious venue
in Europe.
The Echo also reports that the stadium's retractable
roof would not hold back a winter date at the end of
the year and could stage a hotly-tipped Jacksons reunion
tour with his brothers.
MJNI
would like to point out that this information has
not as yet been confirmed.
[source: MJNI]
April
22, 2001: Michael Will Not Travel To Africa!
Michael Jackson says although he is deeply disturbed
about reports of child slavery in Africa, he won't
be joining the Rev. Al Sharpton on a fact-finding
mission to the continent.
On Thursday, representatives for Sharpton and
the Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a close friend of
Jackson's, issued a statement that said Jackson would
join them on a trip to Africa to study the issue later
this year.
But on Friday, Jackson's publicist, Cheri
Fine, said there was miscommunication and that the
pop star wouldn't be going. She said the pop star was
too busy completing his new album and preparing
for a 30th anniversary concert at Madison Square
Garden in September.
Boteach told The Associated Press on Friday that Jackson
"remains firmly committed to the issue of child
slavery" and had respect for Sharpton's efforts
on the issue.
The civil rights activist recently went to Africa to
investigate. Besides being friends, Boteach and Jackson
have founded the charity "Heal the Kids'"
together.
NEW
YORK [AP]
- Michael Jackson plans to travel to Africa
to study the plight of children sold into slavery.
"The existence of child slavery shakes me to
my very core," the pop star, a father of two,
said in a statement Thursday.
Jackson will be joined on the trip, later this year,
by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a co-founder of Jackson's
"Heal the Kids" organization, and the
Rev. Al Sharpton.
"The other night, Michael called me crying
like a baby when he heard about the child slave ship
lost off the coast of Africa," Boteach said.
Earlier this week, a frantic search was launched for
a ship believed to be carrying child slaves
along the coast of western Africa. Police have detained
the ship's captain and some of the crew but, so far,
no evidence has emerged to prove the ferry was trafficking
child slaves.
Jackson insisted he will take time off from his music
schedule to spearhead the African mission. A date
for the trip had not yet been set.
"Children need a childhood," Jackson
said. "They can't be forced to work".
Jackson is to soon release a new album and plans a Sept.
7 concert at Madison Square Garden, his first U.S. show
in more than a decade.
Sony Music and Michael Jackson have rescheduled the
release of Michael Jackson's new album. The album is
now tentatively slated for a release in the USA
on September 18, 2001. [A release date for Europe
is yet to come].
With regards to the "HIStory - Greatest
Hits" compilation, the release is still planned
for August 7th in the USA.
[source: Planet
Jackson]
April
19, 2001: Michael Splits With The Firm
Michael
Jackson has been dropped by top entertainment management
company The Firm which handles the careers of
the Backstreet Boys, Limp Bizkit and other top selling
pop and rock acts.
Howard Rubenstein, spokesman for Jackson, confirmed
the singer is no longer with The Firm, but refused
to be drawn on the reasons behind the split saying,
"It just didn't work out and Michael Jackson
thanked them for all of their hard work on his behalf".
In the midst of a yearlong hiatus from the road, veteran
guitarist and bandleader Carlos Santana has recorded
a new song with reclusive pop star Michael
Jackson.
"I was very honored that he called on me to work
with him, and I love the song," Santana said. "He
gave me a call last week, and he was really happy with
it."
A Jackson spokesperson confirmed that the track is intended
for the long-awaited follow-up to 1991's Dangerous,
his last studio LP of all-new material.
Jackson announced Monday that he will reunite with his
brothers as the Jackson 5 and perform with Britney Spears,
'NSYNC and a host of other pop stars at a tribute concert
to himself in September.
April
18, 2001: An All-Star Salute To "The King Of Pop"
Press
Release [taken from MJFC]:
An All-Star Salute to "The King Of Pop"
"Michael Jackson: The Solo Years 30th Anniversary Celebration"
Set For September 7, 2001
At Madison Square Garden
Jackson's First Live U.S. Performance In Eleven Years
will Include Reunion With Jackson 5
"An all-star salute to 'The King Of Pop', Michael
Jackson: The Solo Years 30th Anniversary Celebration
has been set for September 7, 2001 at Madison
Square Garden at 7:45 P.M." announced David Gest,
producer of the event.
According to Gest, "Michael Jackson will make his
first live performance on a U.S. stage in fifteen years,
debut a new single from his first Epic Records
release in more than five years and for this special
occasion reunite with his brothers, The Jackson
5 [Michael, Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy]
for the first time in twenty years. The Jacksons will
perform a medley of their Motown and Epic Records hits
as well as sing a Jackson 5 classic with pop super group
'NSync. Michael will choreograph all the numbers
as well as perform some of his greatest hits."
Gest went on to state, "Michael will also perform
two seperate duets, one with the legendary Whitney
Houston and the other with teen superstar Britney
Spears." Among the other twenty guest stars
performing on the show are: Latin heartthrob Marc Anthony;
Shaggy featuring Ricardo "Rikrok" Ducent, who just topped
the pop charts with two consecutive number one songs
as well as a number one album; R&B/jazz sensation Jill
Scott; three young divas, each of whom has had a number
one pop or R&B smash in the last year, performing together
for the first time: Mya, Tamia and Deborah Cox and numerous
others to be announced during the coming month, including
forty pop, R&B and country legends singing together
in a special tribute to Jackson. The evening will feature
a forty-eight piece orchestra and twelve background
singers. There will also be a three-hundred member gospel-choir,
a two-hundred member children's choir and a forty member
dance ensemble.
Michael Jackson said, "I am very excited to celebrate
my 30th anniversary as a solo artist with such a distinguished
array of talent, friends and fans. I look forward to
performing live and reuniting with my brothers on this
special night."
Chairmen for the event, who will be present for
the concert and a special dinner following
the performance are: Elizabeth Taylor, Veronique and
Gregory Peck, Kathy and Anthony Quinn, Yoko Ono, Sean
Lennon, Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson.
Tickets will go on sale to the public the first week
in June. The evening, a World Events LLC production,
will be filmed as a two-hour television special
and shown throughout the world.
More than two hundred stars from the motion picture,
television, recording and sports field will join together
for this special celebration in honor of Jackson. Dignitaries
from around the globe will also participate in the event.
American Airlines has been set as the "official airline"
for the event.
Gest added, "Michael is a true trendsetter,
legend and innovator who has certainly
paved the way for so many of today's young artists.
It was thirty years ago this September that Michael
released his first solo record on Motown, 'Got To
Be There'. That tune went gold and Michael has never
looked back. He has had an unprecedented career as a
recording artist. With the Jackson 5 he recorded seventeen
top forty hits, four of which went to number one. With
The Jacksons he recorded seven top forty hits, and on
his own has had thirty-six top forty hits, including
thirteen number one records. Throughout the world he
has sold more records than any other solo artist
in the last three decades."
Jackson's 1982 "Thriller" album, with sales of over
46 million copies, is the best selling album in history
by a solo artist. He has won twelve Grammy Awards, as
well as a Grammy Living Legend Award in 1993. He is
also the youngest entertainer to be inducted
into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, first as a
member of the Jackson 5 and the second time as a solo
performer in March of this year.
April
17, 2001: Michael To Perform Live In New York !!!
The
King of Pop is celebrating his 30th anniversary as a
solo artist with a regal concert.
A publicist for Michael Jackson announced Monday
[April 16, 2001] that the superstar will be feted at
an all-star concert at Madison Square Garden on September
07, 2001, entitled "Michael Jackson: The
Solo Years - 30th Anniversary Celebration".
Among the celebrities slated to appear are Jill Scott,
Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, 'NSync, Marc Anthony
and Shaggy, said Cheri Fine, Jackson's spokeswoman.
The concert will also mark a reunion between Jackson
and his brothers, the first time all of them have
performed together since the 1980s.
In a statement, Jackson, 42, said: "I
am very excited to celebrate my 30th anniversary as
a solo artist with such a distinguished array of talent,
friends and fans. I look forward to performing live
and reuniting with my brothers on this special night."
It is anticipated that Jackson will duet with
both Houston and Spears, as well as performing
material from his long-awaited solo album, tentatively
due for release later in the year.
With the Jackson 5, it is anticipated the group
will perform a medley of their greatest hits.
The event will reunite Jackson and his brothers for
the first time since the '80s, with the Jacksons
teaming with 'NSync on at least one song, according
to Jackson's publicists.
According to a press release from Jackson's publicists,
the show's lavish production will include a 300-member
gospel choir, a 200-member children's choir,
a 48-piece orchestra, 40 dancers and 12
background singers. The show will climax with "40
Pop, R&B and Country legends singing together" in tribute
to Jackson, the press release said.
Jackson first hit the charts with The Jackson Five in
1969, and started his career as a solo artist two years
later. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame for his solo work last month; he's already been
inducted as a member of The Jackson Five.
Jackson hasn't performed at a concert in the United
States since his "Bad'' concert tour in the late
1980s.
The concert will be taped for broadcast on television,
Fine [Jackson's publicist] said.
Tickets are expected to go on sale in June.
!!! 144 days and the stage is ready for access again
!!!
April
16, 2001: Teddy Riley Is Working With Michael In Virginia!
Article
by Sam McDonald, Daily Press - published Saturday, April
14, 2001:
Michael Jackson came to Virginia to develop
material for a new album, but now he's thinking
of heading south for warmer weather.
That's the word from veteran producer and songwriter
Teddy Riley, who has played host to the world-famous
King of Pop in recent days. Riley runs Future,
a private Virginia Beach studio just off Virginia
Beach Boulevard.
Riley said Jackson's new tunes are very much in their
early stages and it's too soon to tell if any of their
collaborative work would end up on a future album.
So why does Jackson want to leave so soon?
"It's almost like he's being scared away,"
Riley said, speaking outside his studio Friday afternoon.
Recent media attention was making the superstar uneasy,
he said. Most major news outlets in Hampton Roads have
reported Jackson's presence in the area. At least one
radio station, WNVZ-FM [104.5], asked listeners to call
in and report Michael sightings.
"He needs to be someplace where he can focus,"
Riley added. "He's thinking about Miami; he doesn't
want to go back to New York because it's too cold,"
Riley said.
The producer seemed understandably sad that Jackson
will soon decamp. "It's too bad because this is the
biggest thing happening in Virginia right now. We should
be able to appreciate him coming."
Riley said stars have come through his shop many times:
'NSync, the Backstreet Boys and more recently, Sisqo,
who stopped by on Thursday. "And they all love Virginia
- including Michael."
But never beforehas the media and fan frenzy
reached this level, Riley said. When Jackson visited
Future years ago, word of his whereabouts never leaked.
Apparently, Jackson was more careful then.
"The trip to Barnes & Noble really gave it away,"
Riley said, referring to a book shopping foray that
Jackson reportedly made Sunday to a nearby chain store.
"But he'll be back. But it will be kept very quiet,"
Riley said. "He knows what the area's like now."
[source: Sam
McDonald, Daily Press]
April
12, 2001: Michael Recording In Virginia Beach?
Article
by TV, radio station report sighting, chat by Sam McDonald,
Daily Press:
Michael Jackson visiting Norfolk
The Gloved One walks among us. News broke Wednesday
that Michael Jackson had been bebopping around Hampton
Roads for days, recording music at a studio
in Virginia Beach, shopping for books at a nearby
Barnes & Noble, and expressing his love for Norfolk.
But could it be true? Two newsmen from WAVY-TV Channel
10 managed to finagle what appeared to be a pair of
brief encounters with the 42-year-old megastar, one
in person and one over the telephone.
"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry. You've been very kind, but I'm
not prepared to answer any questions. I'm very sorry,"
a very Michael-sounding voice told reporter Carter Evans
over the phone. "Tell Norfolk I love them, OK?"
Of course, details about what Jackson might be doing
here were hard to come by. But sources within the area's
music community said that Jackson, who in the 1980s
made wearing one glove fashionable, has been in town
doing some recording for a new album. That's not as
far-fetched as it sounds.
First off, Jackson has visited Virginia Beach at least
once before. Teddy Riley, who leads the group
Blackstreet and operates the studio Future in Virginia
Beach, produced tracks for Jackson's 1991 album
"Dangerous." And Riley has said that Jackson has visited
his studio, although the star then had better luck keeping
his movements under wraps.
Secondly, Hampton Roads has hip cachet in the world
of R&B music because local hip-hop stars Missy Elliott
and Timbaland are still putting songs on the charts.
How did WAVY reporter Evans manage to get his apparent
scoop? It was surprisingly easy. Hearing wild rumors
about Jackson being spotted at Barnes & Noble
near Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach on Monday, radio
station WNVZ-FM (104.5) asked listeners to call in with
Michael Jackson sightings.
Incredibly, someone called up offering the name of the
hotel where the star was staying, even the specific
room number. WAVY and the radio station teamed up. At
first, Evans didn't take the story all that seriously.
But once he started reporting, he couldn't believe his
good luck. "At the station, we were talking, and
we said, 'You know, this is the water cooler story of
the day.' So I started digging. And everywhere I dug
I was striking gold."
[source: TV, radio station report sighting,
chat By Sam McDonald, Daily Press]
April
02, 2001: Michael MTV's Next ICON Honoree ? Vote !!
The
biggest selling US magazine, TV Guide, is currently
asking its readers:
Who should be MTV's next Icon honoree?
Michael Jackson, of course!!! Please go and
vote for Michael by visiting TV
Guide's website. Let's support the King of Pop!
