Private and public funerals have been set for the late Michael Jackson, according to CNN.
Hs body will return to his Neverland Ranch for a public viewing on Friday, CNN reports. (Jackson's brothers Jackie, Jermaine and Tito visited the grounds over the weekend and a delivery truck was spotted there Tuesday dropping off boxes.)
A private memorial service is slated for Sunday, according to CNN.
See how Michael Jackson's appearance has changed through the years
There is still no word on where Jackson will be buried, but his hometown of Gary, Ind., is hoping the family to send him there.
"I believe that his body will lie in state in Gary, Ind.," Gary Mayor Rudy Clay told Chicago radio station WGN Tuesday. "Now, it may not happen, but I believe it will."
Look back at Michael Jackson's life
At the very least, Clay said he hopes Jackson's body will be taken to Gary for a July 10 memorial service at U.S. Steel Works ballpark.
The memorial would be "fit for the prince of peace and a memorial that's fit for Gary, Indiana's favorite son, the greatest entertainer that ever lived."
Revisit Michael Jacksons most unforgettable moments
Gary officials may even propose that that the singer be buried near a proposed Jackson family museum and a performing arts center, Clay's spokeswoman Lalosa Burns said.
"The mayor had spoken with a contact of the Jackson family and expressed our interest in having that to be a part of the history of this great family," Burns said. "We have not received confirmation on that."
See photos of Michael Jackson and his kids through the years
On Tuesday, fans gathered for a public tribute to Jackson at Harlem's Apollo Theater, where the singer performed as a child.
Jackson died at age 50 June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Lawyer: Jackson's doc didn't give excessive drugs
LOS ANGELES – A lawyer for Michael Jackson's doctor said his client never gave or prescribed Jackson the painkillers Demerol or OxyContin, and denied reports suggesting that the doctor gave the pop star drugs that contributed to his death.
Edward Chernoff said in an interview Sunday with The Associated Press that any drugs that Dr. Conrad Murray gave Jackson were prescribed in response to a specific complaint from Jackson.
"Dr. Murray has never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson," Chernoff said. "Not ever. Not that day. ... Not Oxycontin (either) for that matter."
Londell McMillan, the Jackson family attorney, said on NBC's "Today" show Monday that the family was "quite clearly troubled" about the circumstances surrounding the death, given that Jackson had appeared healthy enough to be rehearsing for his upcoming concerts.
Asked whether the family suspected foul play, McMillan said those words were "too strong an indictment."
Chernoff, also on "Today," said he didn't think that his client was "ready for this kind of attack" on his credentials and actions in the case. But he said that "it's expected, considering the circumstances."
Once the full investigation is complete, Chernoff said, he expected Murray would be exonerated and the family would feel differently.
Jackson still had a faint pulse and a warm body when Murray found him in bed and not breathing Thursday afternoon, Chernoff said in the AP interview.
Chernoff said Murray was at the pop icon's rented mansion when he discovered Jackson in bed and not breathing. The doctor immediately began administering CPR, Chernoff said.
"He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn't breathing," the lawyer said. "Mr. Jackson was still warm and had a pulse."
Jackson's family requested a private autopsy in part because of questions about Murray, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said. Murray also told the family an autopsy should be performed, Chernoff said.
People close to Michael Jackson have said since his death that they were concerned about his use of painkillers. Los Angeles County medical examiners completed their autopsy Friday and said Jackson had taken unspecified prescription medication.
Asked if the Jackson family was worried about Murray's role in the death, the Rev. Al Sharpton said on CBS' "Early Show": "They have not taken an accusatory tone toward anyone."
Sharpton, a family friend, said the family was getting a second autopsy because they wanted to be sure they have all the facts, not because they have any specific suspicions.
Paramedics were called to the mansion while the doctor was performing CPR, according to a recording of the 911 call.
Because Jackson was so frail, Murray "administered with his hand behind his back to provide the necessary support," Chernoff said. Some have speculated the doctor botched the CPR.
"He's a trained doctor," Chernoff said. "He knows how to administer CPR."
Medics spent three-quarters of an hour trying to revive Jackson. He was pronounced dead later at UCLA Medical Center.
Murray was interviewed by investigators for three hours Saturday. His spokeswoman called Murray "a witness to this tragedy," not a suspect in the death, and police described the doctor as cooperative.
The attorney said Murray will wait to speak publicly until after the police and forensics investigation is complete.
A second autopsy can allow the family to get some information about a death almost immediately, including signs of heart, brain or lung disease or fresh needle punctures, said Dr. Michael Baden, a medical examiner not involved in the Jackson case.
"Usually if it looks normal with the naked eye, it looks normal under the microscope," said Baden, who recently performed a second autopsy on actor David Carradine.
Los Angeles County coroner's officials said their autopsy found no indication of trauma or foul play. But because of additional tests, an official cause of death could take weeks to determine.
Three days after the death of the King of Pop, celebrities descended on Los Angeles for a spectacular celebration of Jackson's life at the annual BET awards show.
Joe Jackson, Michael's father, walked on the red carpet wearing a black hat, sunglasses and a dark suit. He did not appear on stage during the show.
"I just wish he could be here to celebrate himself," he said. "Sadly, he's not here, so I'm here to celebrate for him."
In a statement read at the show, Jackson's parents said they solely had the personal and legal "authority for our son and his children." It was their strongest declaration yet about their son's affairs.
A tearful Janet Jackson appeared on stage in a white dress at the end of the BET awards. After a long pause to gather herself, she spoke haltingly but deliberately to the audience.
"I'd just like to say that to you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts," she said.
There was no word from the family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.
Sharpton planned to visit the Jackson compound Monday and would talk with the family about how to memorialize the late pop star. Sharpton said they want to hold memorials in key cities around the globe and also planned a memorial service Tuesday at the Apollo Theater in New York.
Edward Chernoff said in an interview Sunday with The Associated Press that any drugs that Dr. Conrad Murray gave Jackson were prescribed in response to a specific complaint from Jackson.
"Dr. Murray has never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson," Chernoff said. "Not ever. Not that day. ... Not Oxycontin (either) for that matter."
Londell McMillan, the Jackson family attorney, said on NBC's "Today" show Monday that the family was "quite clearly troubled" about the circumstances surrounding the death, given that Jackson had appeared healthy enough to be rehearsing for his upcoming concerts.
Asked whether the family suspected foul play, McMillan said those words were "too strong an indictment."
Chernoff, also on "Today," said he didn't think that his client was "ready for this kind of attack" on his credentials and actions in the case. But he said that "it's expected, considering the circumstances."
Once the full investigation is complete, Chernoff said, he expected Murray would be exonerated and the family would feel differently.
Jackson still had a faint pulse and a warm body when Murray found him in bed and not breathing Thursday afternoon, Chernoff said in the AP interview.
Chernoff said Murray was at the pop icon's rented mansion when he discovered Jackson in bed and not breathing. The doctor immediately began administering CPR, Chernoff said.
"He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn't breathing," the lawyer said. "Mr. Jackson was still warm and had a pulse."
Jackson's family requested a private autopsy in part because of questions about Murray, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said. Murray also told the family an autopsy should be performed, Chernoff said.
People close to Michael Jackson have said since his death that they were concerned about his use of painkillers. Los Angeles County medical examiners completed their autopsy Friday and said Jackson had taken unspecified prescription medication.
Asked if the Jackson family was worried about Murray's role in the death, the Rev. Al Sharpton said on CBS' "Early Show": "They have not taken an accusatory tone toward anyone."
Sharpton, a family friend, said the family was getting a second autopsy because they wanted to be sure they have all the facts, not because they have any specific suspicions.
Paramedics were called to the mansion while the doctor was performing CPR, according to a recording of the 911 call.
Because Jackson was so frail, Murray "administered with his hand behind his back to provide the necessary support," Chernoff said. Some have speculated the doctor botched the CPR.
"He's a trained doctor," Chernoff said. "He knows how to administer CPR."
Medics spent three-quarters of an hour trying to revive Jackson. He was pronounced dead later at UCLA Medical Center.
Murray was interviewed by investigators for three hours Saturday. His spokeswoman called Murray "a witness to this tragedy," not a suspect in the death, and police described the doctor as cooperative.
The attorney said Murray will wait to speak publicly until after the police and forensics investigation is complete.
A second autopsy can allow the family to get some information about a death almost immediately, including signs of heart, brain or lung disease or fresh needle punctures, said Dr. Michael Baden, a medical examiner not involved in the Jackson case.
"Usually if it looks normal with the naked eye, it looks normal under the microscope," said Baden, who recently performed a second autopsy on actor David Carradine.
Los Angeles County coroner's officials said their autopsy found no indication of trauma or foul play. But because of additional tests, an official cause of death could take weeks to determine.
Three days after the death of the King of Pop, celebrities descended on Los Angeles for a spectacular celebration of Jackson's life at the annual BET awards show.
Joe Jackson, Michael's father, walked on the red carpet wearing a black hat, sunglasses and a dark suit. He did not appear on stage during the show.
"I just wish he could be here to celebrate himself," he said. "Sadly, he's not here, so I'm here to celebrate for him."
In a statement read at the show, Jackson's parents said they solely had the personal and legal "authority for our son and his children." It was their strongest declaration yet about their son's affairs.
A tearful Janet Jackson appeared on stage in a white dress at the end of the BET awards. After a long pause to gather herself, she spoke haltingly but deliberately to the audience.
"I'd just like to say that to you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts," she said.
There was no word from the family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.
Sharpton planned to visit the Jackson compound Monday and would talk with the family about how to memorialize the late pop star. Sharpton said they want to hold memorials in key cities around the globe and also planned a memorial service Tuesday at the Apollo Theater in New York.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Coors Light Joins the Parade
Official Beer Sponsor Celebrates Puerto Rican Summertime Festivities While Supporting Educational Endeavors
MILWAUKEE and GOLDEN, Colo., June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the historically largest Hispanic festivities take place this week to celebrate Puerto Rican heritage. In New York, three million spectators are expected to span 42 blocks in Manhattan for the 52nd annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, where Reggaeton legend Tito "El Bambino" will perform on the Coors Light Float. In Chicago, the week-long Fiestas Puertorriquenas include the 43rd Puerto Rican Day Parade, which is the largest Hispanic event in the Windy City, attracting an estimated 700,000 people.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/coorslight/38778/
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090612/NY31789 )
These mega-events and parades are sponsored this year by Coors Light, the best-selling beer in Puerto Rico and New York City. This is the third year in a row that Coors Light is sponsoring the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
To continue the celebrations, Coors Light is helping develop the next generation of leaders by providing $75,000 in scholarships to the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and Diversity Foundation Scholarship Funds. Students nationwide who exemplify academic excellence and a commitment to advancing Puerto Rican culture, heritage or education are eligible to apply through certified affiliates of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Additionally, Coors Light is launching the Emboricuate campaign. Emboricuate invites everyone to join in the fun, share the pride of being a boricua (Puerto Rican) regardless of your cultural background, and celebrate the heritage of the Caribbean with refreshment as cold as the Rocky Mountains. The eye-catching visuals will be on subway platforms, in supermarkets, bodegas and bars, and even on hundreds of Emboricuate domino playing stations set up at local clubs and establishments.
To reinforce the pride in Borinquen Querido, legal-drinking-age consumers in several states can enter to win a trip for two to Puerto Rico ($3,500 trip value).
"Puerto Rico, or la Isla del Encanto, has enriched the daily lives of those of us who make our homes stateside," said Joedis Avila, Coors Light multicultural relations manager. "The contributions Puerto Ricans have made in our society are especially evident in politics, economic development, education, music, sports, our local communities and even the ranks of our military. That pride is at the core of these celebrations. You cannot escape the passion, vitality and enthusiasm exemplified in our Puerto Rican Day festivities. Since Coors Light is about bringing people together for good times, this is one fiesta we don't want to miss."
"More than 12 million viewers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico tune in to our televised parade each year," said Carlos Velasquez, marketing director, National Puerto Rican Day Parade. "That's an enormous number. Yet equally important is the impact we can make in the lives of 25 young people and their families through the generous scholarship donations Coors Light is making to encourage our youth to achieve their dreams and ambitions through education and hard work."
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade and Diversity Foundation Scholarship Funds ensure that students will be able to complete their high school education and/or continue their studies at an institution of higher learning. More than 500 students from 25 states have benefited from the program since its inception in 1997.
Coors Light wants these and all celebrations to be remembered for all the right reasons. Therefore, the brand encourages everyone to have fun, drink responsibly and celebrate responsibly, which may include planning ahead and designating a driver or calling a cab. This message is highlighted in a special poster designed specifically for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
About MillerCoors
Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MillerCoors brews full-calorie beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel's craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and two microbreweries, the Leinenkugel's 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to become the best beer company in America by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.
MILWAUKEE and GOLDEN, Colo., June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the historically largest Hispanic festivities take place this week to celebrate Puerto Rican heritage. In New York, three million spectators are expected to span 42 blocks in Manhattan for the 52nd annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, where Reggaeton legend Tito "El Bambino" will perform on the Coors Light Float. In Chicago, the week-long Fiestas Puertorriquenas include the 43rd Puerto Rican Day Parade, which is the largest Hispanic event in the Windy City, attracting an estimated 700,000 people.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/coorslight/38778/
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090612/NY31789 )
These mega-events and parades are sponsored this year by Coors Light, the best-selling beer in Puerto Rico and New York City. This is the third year in a row that Coors Light is sponsoring the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
To continue the celebrations, Coors Light is helping develop the next generation of leaders by providing $75,000 in scholarships to the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and Diversity Foundation Scholarship Funds. Students nationwide who exemplify academic excellence and a commitment to advancing Puerto Rican culture, heritage or education are eligible to apply through certified affiliates of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Additionally, Coors Light is launching the Emboricuate campaign. Emboricuate invites everyone to join in the fun, share the pride of being a boricua (Puerto Rican) regardless of your cultural background, and celebrate the heritage of the Caribbean with refreshment as cold as the Rocky Mountains. The eye-catching visuals will be on subway platforms, in supermarkets, bodegas and bars, and even on hundreds of Emboricuate domino playing stations set up at local clubs and establishments.
To reinforce the pride in Borinquen Querido, legal-drinking-age consumers in several states can enter to win a trip for two to Puerto Rico ($3,500 trip value).
"Puerto Rico, or la Isla del Encanto, has enriched the daily lives of those of us who make our homes stateside," said Joedis Avila, Coors Light multicultural relations manager. "The contributions Puerto Ricans have made in our society are especially evident in politics, economic development, education, music, sports, our local communities and even the ranks of our military. That pride is at the core of these celebrations. You cannot escape the passion, vitality and enthusiasm exemplified in our Puerto Rican Day festivities. Since Coors Light is about bringing people together for good times, this is one fiesta we don't want to miss."
"More than 12 million viewers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico tune in to our televised parade each year," said Carlos Velasquez, marketing director, National Puerto Rican Day Parade. "That's an enormous number. Yet equally important is the impact we can make in the lives of 25 young people and their families through the generous scholarship donations Coors Light is making to encourage our youth to achieve their dreams and ambitions through education and hard work."
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade and Diversity Foundation Scholarship Funds ensure that students will be able to complete their high school education and/or continue their studies at an institution of higher learning. More than 500 students from 25 states have benefited from the program since its inception in 1997.
Coors Light wants these and all celebrations to be remembered for all the right reasons. Therefore, the brand encourages everyone to have fun, drink responsibly and celebrate responsibly, which may include planning ahead and designating a driver or calling a cab. This message is highlighted in a special poster designed specifically for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
About MillerCoors
Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MillerCoors brews full-calorie beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel's craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and two microbreweries, the Leinenkugel's 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to become the best beer company in America by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.
What Will Happen To Michael Jackson's Children?
The death of Michael Jackson at the age of 50 has raised many questions about his health, finances, and legacy. But at the top of many people's list of questions is the fate of his three children: How are they coping, and who will get custody of them?
Debbie Rowe, a nurse who Jackson married in 1996 and divorced in 1999, is the mother of Prince Michael, 12, and Paris, 11; Prince Michael II (also known as Blanket), 7, was reportedly born to a surrogate mother, whose name has never been released.
A former Jackson attorney and family friend, Brian Oxman, told Radaronline Thursday that Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother, is the likeliest candidate to initially look after the children:
"Probably Mrs. Jackson will take care of them, she loves them dearly," Oxman said.... [The children] are currently still in L.A. and with a nanny."
Oxman later told "The Early Show":
"I suspect that the death of Michael Jackson is only the beginning of the legal battles over not only his property, but also his children."
Debbie Rowe could also make a play for Prince Michael and Paris. It is unknown if Jackson designated a guardian for the children in a will, but Rowe could claim that her care is in the best interest of her children, and head to court. E! reports:
If Rowe decides to make a bid for at least the two children she carried, she has quite a case, too....
Although many reports indicate Rowe legally waived her parental rights over the two kids after her divorce from Jackson, that decision actually was reversed by a judge. Eventually Jackson and Rowe reached a specific agreement of their own: Rowe retained parental rights and got a fat check while Jackson retained custody.
The children, who have lived at Neverland Ranch and in Ireland and Bahrain, were most often seen in public with their faces covered by veils or masks. In 2002, Jackson was highly criticized when he dangled Blanket, then an infant, over the balcony of a Berlin hotel to show him to screaming fans below.
The three children, like Michael and his siblings, will be growing up amid a blizzard of media attention. While the Jackson family is often in the spotlight for their tumultuous relationships, this may provide an opportunity for the family to heal past wounds.
Mark Lester, godfather to Jackson's children, told the "Today" show:
"The Jackson family is a very large family, and, you know, in times of need families get together and put aside all the differences."
Debbie Rowe, a nurse who Jackson married in 1996 and divorced in 1999, is the mother of Prince Michael, 12, and Paris, 11; Prince Michael II (also known as Blanket), 7, was reportedly born to a surrogate mother, whose name has never been released.
A former Jackson attorney and family friend, Brian Oxman, told Radaronline Thursday that Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother, is the likeliest candidate to initially look after the children:
"Probably Mrs. Jackson will take care of them, she loves them dearly," Oxman said.... [The children] are currently still in L.A. and with a nanny."
Oxman later told "The Early Show":
"I suspect that the death of Michael Jackson is only the beginning of the legal battles over not only his property, but also his children."
Debbie Rowe could also make a play for Prince Michael and Paris. It is unknown if Jackson designated a guardian for the children in a will, but Rowe could claim that her care is in the best interest of her children, and head to court. E! reports:
If Rowe decides to make a bid for at least the two children she carried, she has quite a case, too....
Although many reports indicate Rowe legally waived her parental rights over the two kids after her divorce from Jackson, that decision actually was reversed by a judge. Eventually Jackson and Rowe reached a specific agreement of their own: Rowe retained parental rights and got a fat check while Jackson retained custody.
The children, who have lived at Neverland Ranch and in Ireland and Bahrain, were most often seen in public with their faces covered by veils or masks. In 2002, Jackson was highly criticized when he dangled Blanket, then an infant, over the balcony of a Berlin hotel to show him to screaming fans below.
The three children, like Michael and his siblings, will be growing up amid a blizzard of media attention. While the Jackson family is often in the spotlight for their tumultuous relationships, this may provide an opportunity for the family to heal past wounds.
Mark Lester, godfather to Jackson's children, told the "Today" show:
"The Jackson family is a very large family, and, you know, in times of need families get together and put aside all the differences."
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Top 10 Most Thrilling Michael Jackson Moments
As we mourn the loss of Michael Jackson, the undeniable King of Pop, who succumbed to cardiac arrest Thursday, we take a look back at some of top news making moments in his life.
10) Michael Extends A Hand
Michael teamed with fellow pop star Lionel Richie to write the song "We Are The World," an All-Star benefit that included dozens of noted artists: Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Middler and Cyndi Lauper. The Quincy Jones produced song benefited United Support Of Artists For Africa and sold 800,000 copies.
9) Michael Amuses Himself
Since Michael's hectic professional work schedule prevented him from having a normal childhood, it is not surprising the he would eventually build his own personal amusement park. Michael opened the Neverland Ranch in 1988 on the lot of his estate in California's San Ynez Valley. The 2,800 acre attraction was both a zoo and theme park featuring a Ferris wheel, children's roller coaster, merry-go-round and exotic animals. Neverland was once valued at $120 million and is now in foreclosure proceedings as Michael's financial strains prompted him to relocate.
8) Michael Makes A "Thriller"
Michael recorded arguably the most popular music video to date. The video for Thriller's title track was shot like a scary film intermixed with dance sequences.
7) Michael Real Life Transformer
While Michael has never spoken candidly to the media about his alleged multiple plastic surgeries, the drastic changes to his facial features over the years have lead the public to draw its own conclusions.
6) Michael: "The Kid Is My Son"
Years before having a child, Michael sang the song "Billie Jean" which told the story of a man on the heels of a paternity suit. Michael's lyric notes, "the kid is not my son." On February 13, 1997, some 15 years later, Michael experiences parenthood, becoming the first time father to Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr.
5) Michael Too Hot For TV
Michael's hair catches on fire during the taping of a Pepsi commercial featuring pyrotechnics. Michael experiences third degree burns on his scalp.
4) Michael Accused Of Molestation
Michael is charged with molesting Jordan Chandler, the 13-year-old son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler. Michael denied the charges and settled out of court for an estimated $18 to $20 million.
3) Michael Faced Additional Molestation Charges
In April 2004, 10 years after the first set of charges, Michael again is accused of molesting a young boy. This time, Michael fought the case on trial and was found not guilty.
2) Michael Scores Best Seller
Michael's sixth studio album Thriller has sold an estimated 42 - 108 million copies worldwide. The album was the first record to include more than four No. 1 hits. Thriller actually contained seven No. 1 hits and earned seven Grammys at the 1984 award show.
1) Michael Lands On The Moon
Michael introduced his Moonwalking dance move on the TV special Motown 25: Today, Yesterday, Forever.
10) Michael Extends A Hand
Michael teamed with fellow pop star Lionel Richie to write the song "We Are The World," an All-Star benefit that included dozens of noted artists: Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Middler and Cyndi Lauper. The Quincy Jones produced song benefited United Support Of Artists For Africa and sold 800,000 copies.
9) Michael Amuses Himself
Since Michael's hectic professional work schedule prevented him from having a normal childhood, it is not surprising the he would eventually build his own personal amusement park. Michael opened the Neverland Ranch in 1988 on the lot of his estate in California's San Ynez Valley. The 2,800 acre attraction was both a zoo and theme park featuring a Ferris wheel, children's roller coaster, merry-go-round and exotic animals. Neverland was once valued at $120 million and is now in foreclosure proceedings as Michael's financial strains prompted him to relocate.
8) Michael Makes A "Thriller"
Michael recorded arguably the most popular music video to date. The video for Thriller's title track was shot like a scary film intermixed with dance sequences.
7) Michael Real Life Transformer
While Michael has never spoken candidly to the media about his alleged multiple plastic surgeries, the drastic changes to his facial features over the years have lead the public to draw its own conclusions.
6) Michael: "The Kid Is My Son"
Years before having a child, Michael sang the song "Billie Jean" which told the story of a man on the heels of a paternity suit. Michael's lyric notes, "the kid is not my son." On February 13, 1997, some 15 years later, Michael experiences parenthood, becoming the first time father to Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr.
5) Michael Too Hot For TV
Michael's hair catches on fire during the taping of a Pepsi commercial featuring pyrotechnics. Michael experiences third degree burns on his scalp.
4) Michael Accused Of Molestation
Michael is charged with molesting Jordan Chandler, the 13-year-old son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler. Michael denied the charges and settled out of court for an estimated $18 to $20 million.
3) Michael Faced Additional Molestation Charges
In April 2004, 10 years after the first set of charges, Michael again is accused of molesting a young boy. This time, Michael fought the case on trial and was found not guilty.
2) Michael Scores Best Seller
Michael's sixth studio album Thriller has sold an estimated 42 - 108 million copies worldwide. The album was the first record to include more than four No. 1 hits. Thriller actually contained seven No. 1 hits and earned seven Grammys at the 1984 award show.
1) Michael Lands On The Moon
Michael introduced his Moonwalking dance move on the TV special Motown 25: Today, Yesterday, Forever.
RI closer to changing state name over slavery
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The country's smallest state has the longest official name: "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."
A push to drop "Providence Plantations" from that name advanced farther than ever on Thursday when House lawmakers voted 70-3 to let residents decide whether their home should simply be called the "State of Rhode Island." It's an encouraging sign for those who believe the formal name conjures up images of slavery, while opponents argue it's an unnecessary rewriting of history that ignores Rhode Island's tradition of religious liberty and tolerance.
The bill permitting a statewide referendum on the issue next year now heads to the state Senate.
"It's high time for us to recognize that slavery happened on plantations in Rhode Island and decide that we don't want that chapter of our history to be a proud part of our name," said Rep. Joseph Almeida, an African-American lawmaker who sponsored the bill.
Rhode Island's unwieldy name reflects its turbulent colonial history, a state that consisted of multiple and sometimes rival settlements populated by dissidents.
Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his unorthodox religious views, minister Roger Williams set out in 1636 and settled at the northern tip of Narragansett Bay, which he called Providence Plantations. Williams founded the first Baptist church in America and became famous for embracing the separation of church and state, a legal principle enshrined in the Bill of Rights a century later.
Other settlers made their homes in modern-day Portsmouth and Newport on Aquidneck Island, then known as the Isle of Rhodes.
In 1663, English King Charles II granted a royal charter joining all the settlements into a single colony called "The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." The name stuck. Rhode Island used that royal charter as its governing document until 1843.
Opponents of the name charge argue that "plantations" was used at the time to describe any farming settlements, regardless of slavery.
Rhode Island merchants did, however, make their fortunes off the slave trade. Slaves helped construct Brown University in Providence, and a prominent slave trader paid half the cost of its first library.
Still, Stanley Lemons, a professor emeritus of history at Rhode Island College, said changing the state's name ignores the accomplishments of Williams, whose government passed laws trying to prevent the permanent servitude of whites, blacks and American Indians.
"There are different meanings for this word," Lemons said. "To try to impose their experience on everyone else wipes out Roger Williams."
A push to drop "Providence Plantations" from that name advanced farther than ever on Thursday when House lawmakers voted 70-3 to let residents decide whether their home should simply be called the "State of Rhode Island." It's an encouraging sign for those who believe the formal name conjures up images of slavery, while opponents argue it's an unnecessary rewriting of history that ignores Rhode Island's tradition of religious liberty and tolerance.
The bill permitting a statewide referendum on the issue next year now heads to the state Senate.
"It's high time for us to recognize that slavery happened on plantations in Rhode Island and decide that we don't want that chapter of our history to be a proud part of our name," said Rep. Joseph Almeida, an African-American lawmaker who sponsored the bill.
Rhode Island's unwieldy name reflects its turbulent colonial history, a state that consisted of multiple and sometimes rival settlements populated by dissidents.
Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his unorthodox religious views, minister Roger Williams set out in 1636 and settled at the northern tip of Narragansett Bay, which he called Providence Plantations. Williams founded the first Baptist church in America and became famous for embracing the separation of church and state, a legal principle enshrined in the Bill of Rights a century later.
Other settlers made their homes in modern-day Portsmouth and Newport on Aquidneck Island, then known as the Isle of Rhodes.
In 1663, English King Charles II granted a royal charter joining all the settlements into a single colony called "The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." The name stuck. Rhode Island used that royal charter as its governing document until 1843.
Opponents of the name charge argue that "plantations" was used at the time to describe any farming settlements, regardless of slavery.
Rhode Island merchants did, however, make their fortunes off the slave trade. Slaves helped construct Brown University in Providence, and a prominent slave trader paid half the cost of its first library.
Still, Stanley Lemons, a professor emeritus of history at Rhode Island College, said changing the state's name ignores the accomplishments of Williams, whose government passed laws trying to prevent the permanent servitude of whites, blacks and American Indians.
"There are different meanings for this word," Lemons said. "To try to impose their experience on everyone else wipes out Roger Williams."
Incierto el futuro de los hijos de Jackson
La muerte del Rey del Pop marcaría el inicio de una intensa batalla legal por la custodia de los tres herederos
Washington - La repentina muerte de Michael Jackson no sólo ha dejado desamparados a millones de fans alrededor del mundo, también ha dejado huérfanos a sus tres hijos, cuyo futuro, aún en el aire, atrae todo tipo de especulaciones.
Los interrogantes sobre quién obtendrá la custodia de Prince Michael, de 12 años, Paris Catherine, de 11 y Prince Michael II "Blanket", de 7, que siempre han vivido con Jackson, llenaban hoy las portadas de los medios de los que él trataba, sin mucho éxito, mantenerlos alejados.
Los niños, que no acudieron ayer al hospital de Los Ángeles en el que su padre falleció a los 50 años, sí estaban con él cuando sufrió el paro cardíaco, tras lo cual se quedaron en casa con su niñera, Grace, a la que la cadena ABC apunta como la candidata más probable a quedarse con la custodia de los niños.
Por ahora, los tres se encuentran con su abuela, Katherine, según dijo a US Magazine el abogado de la familia Jackson, Brian Oxman, que no descarta que sea ella quien obtenga la tutela.
La ex mujer de Jackson y madre de sus dos hijos mayores, la enfermera Debbie Rowe, renunció a la custodia de los niños tras el divorcio, aunque volvió a reclamar la tutela en varias ocasiones.
Pese a que varios biógrafos pusieron en duda que Michael y Paris tengan lazos biológicos con su padre, en el caso de que Rowe decidiera hacerse cargo de ellos, debería iniciar una batalla legal, según Oxman.
El futuro de "Blanket" es aún más incierto, puesto que fue concebido artificialmente con el esperma de Jackson y él nunca conoció a la madre.
Marcados por las excentricidades de Jackson, que les puso a los tres su nombre de pila, los niños han tenido una infancia alejada de lo común, sumergidos en un mundo de fantasía, juguetes y viajes espectaculares.
En un intento por protegerlos de la inevitable avalancha de medios que lo seguía a todas partes, Jackson cubría los rostros de sus hijos con mantas o máscaras de disfraces en casi todas sus apariciones públicas.
Pero lejos de lograr alejar los flashes de los niños, los excesos de Jackson los mantuvieron permanentemente en las portadas de tabloides y blogs.
"Fue maravilloso con sus hijos", dijo Oxman.
La imagen que más dañó la reputación de Jackson se tomó en 2002, cuando las cámaras le captaron en el balcón de un hotel de Berlín (Alemania) sosteniendo en brazos a su hijo "Blanket" sobre el vacío, con la intención de mostrar el bebé a sus fans, que se encontraban en la calle.
La supuesta implicación de Jackson en varios casos de pederastia y sus problemas para pagar a sus abogados, a los empleados de su rancho "Neverland" e incluso la hipoteca de esa famosa propiedad, terminaron de enturbiar el icono del "Rey del pop".
Washington - La repentina muerte de Michael Jackson no sólo ha dejado desamparados a millones de fans alrededor del mundo, también ha dejado huérfanos a sus tres hijos, cuyo futuro, aún en el aire, atrae todo tipo de especulaciones.
Los interrogantes sobre quién obtendrá la custodia de Prince Michael, de 12 años, Paris Catherine, de 11 y Prince Michael II "Blanket", de 7, que siempre han vivido con Jackson, llenaban hoy las portadas de los medios de los que él trataba, sin mucho éxito, mantenerlos alejados.
Los niños, que no acudieron ayer al hospital de Los Ángeles en el que su padre falleció a los 50 años, sí estaban con él cuando sufrió el paro cardíaco, tras lo cual se quedaron en casa con su niñera, Grace, a la que la cadena ABC apunta como la candidata más probable a quedarse con la custodia de los niños.
Por ahora, los tres se encuentran con su abuela, Katherine, según dijo a US Magazine el abogado de la familia Jackson, Brian Oxman, que no descarta que sea ella quien obtenga la tutela.
La ex mujer de Jackson y madre de sus dos hijos mayores, la enfermera Debbie Rowe, renunció a la custodia de los niños tras el divorcio, aunque volvió a reclamar la tutela en varias ocasiones.
Pese a que varios biógrafos pusieron en duda que Michael y Paris tengan lazos biológicos con su padre, en el caso de que Rowe decidiera hacerse cargo de ellos, debería iniciar una batalla legal, según Oxman.
El futuro de "Blanket" es aún más incierto, puesto que fue concebido artificialmente con el esperma de Jackson y él nunca conoció a la madre.
Marcados por las excentricidades de Jackson, que les puso a los tres su nombre de pila, los niños han tenido una infancia alejada de lo común, sumergidos en un mundo de fantasía, juguetes y viajes espectaculares.
En un intento por protegerlos de la inevitable avalancha de medios que lo seguía a todas partes, Jackson cubría los rostros de sus hijos con mantas o máscaras de disfraces en casi todas sus apariciones públicas.
Pero lejos de lograr alejar los flashes de los niños, los excesos de Jackson los mantuvieron permanentemente en las portadas de tabloides y blogs.
"Fue maravilloso con sus hijos", dijo Oxman.
La imagen que más dañó la reputación de Jackson se tomó en 2002, cuando las cámaras le captaron en el balcón de un hotel de Berlín (Alemania) sosteniendo en brazos a su hijo "Blanket" sobre el vacío, con la intención de mostrar el bebé a sus fans, que se encontraban en la calle.
La supuesta implicación de Jackson en varios casos de pederastia y sus problemas para pagar a sus abogados, a los empleados de su rancho "Neverland" e incluso la hipoteca de esa famosa propiedad, terminaron de enturbiar el icono del "Rey del pop".
Michael Jackson deja $500 millones de deudas
El astro del pop confiaba en su gira venidera para salir del hoyo financiero
Nueva York (EFE) - El fallecido cantante Michael Jackson acumulaba una deuda superior a los $500 millones y confiaba en su vuelta a los escenarios en julio para superar sus acuciantes problemas financieros, que le habían llevado a hipotecar o vender gran parte de sus activos.
Aunque el "rey del pop" vendió casi 750 millones de discos y en alguna ocasión dijo que durante su carrera de musical de cuatro décadas había ganado $700 millones, sus deudas alcanzaban ya los $500 millones, informó hoy The Wall Street Journal.
Su abogado, Brian Oxman, detalló durante una entrevista televisiva que la cantidad exacta "es algo que Michael siempre mantuvo en privado", pero "efectivamente era una cifra considerable que estaba gestionando, y lo estaba haciendo bien".
En ese sentido, puso el ejemplo de su catálogo musical, que "es uno de los más valiosos de la industria del entretenimiento, si no el más valioso".
Oxman precisó que "hace ocho o diez meses Sony/ATV (la empresa conjunta formada por el artista y la compañía Sony) compró éxitos musicales por $400 millones en efectivo".
La cadena de televisión CNBC aseguró hoy que, en conjunto, el valor de los activos del artista, fallecido el jueves en Los Ángeles, podría superar el millón de dólares.
Sin embargo, durante el juicio que se siguió contra él en 2005 se aseguró que su ritmo de gasto anual superaba en $30 millones sus ingresos, que cayeron tras las acusaciones de abuso de menores, y por sus inversiones en propiedades y la adquisición de animales exóticos y objetos de colección.
Al parecer, el cantante había comprometido gran parte de su capital para pedir dinero prestado, como ocurrió con parte del catálogo de las canciones de los Beatles, que utilizó para respaldar un préstamo de $200 millones.
Según un artículo de la revista Rolling Stone escrito antes de que el cantante ganador de 13 Grammys muriera, su vuelta a los escenarios iba a solucionar la mayor parte de estos problemas.
"En teoría este tour iba a resolver los problemas de Jackson, ya que hay cálculos de que iba a ganar entre $50 y $100 millones. Iba a ser una solución rápida, pero desafortunadamente nunca lo veremos", aseguró el coautor de ese artículo, Steve Knopper, en una entrevista televisiva este viernes.
50 conciertos=$50 millones
Se calcula que, si sólo hubiera actuado en los 50 conciertos previstos y que comenzaban en Londres, Jackson habría podido ganar cerca de 50 millones de dólares (un millón por actuación), pero si hubiera ampliado con otras actuaciones en Europa y EE.UU.,tal y como se había contemplado, esas ganancias se habrían duplicado.
"Se encontraba en unas circunstancias financieras bastante interesantes" y estos "lucrativos conciertos definitivamente las habrían aliviado", consideró Knopper.
Al anunciarse su regreso, y en cuestión de horas, un millón de personas intentaron conseguir entradas para los 10 conciertos programados inicialmente, que pronto se convirtieron en 50.
AEG Live, promotora de sus conciertos, y Ticketmaster, especializada en la venta de entradas por Internet, vendieron en cuatro horas 750,000 entradas.
No hay duda de que Jackson tenía capacidad para seguir generando ingresos: Un día después de su muerte, los recopilatorios de Michael Jackson son los cinco discos más vendidos de iTunes, la mayor tienda electrónica de música.
Con su fallecimiento, los promotores de su regreso tendrán que hacer frente a las pérdidas derivadas de la cancelación de los conciertos en el London O2 Arena en plena temporada alta. Según la CBNC, AEG Live vendió $85 millones en entradas e invirtió al menos $30 millones en la producción de las actuaciones.
Nueva York (EFE) - El fallecido cantante Michael Jackson acumulaba una deuda superior a los $500 millones y confiaba en su vuelta a los escenarios en julio para superar sus acuciantes problemas financieros, que le habían llevado a hipotecar o vender gran parte de sus activos.
Aunque el "rey del pop" vendió casi 750 millones de discos y en alguna ocasión dijo que durante su carrera de musical de cuatro décadas había ganado $700 millones, sus deudas alcanzaban ya los $500 millones, informó hoy The Wall Street Journal.
Su abogado, Brian Oxman, detalló durante una entrevista televisiva que la cantidad exacta "es algo que Michael siempre mantuvo en privado", pero "efectivamente era una cifra considerable que estaba gestionando, y lo estaba haciendo bien".
En ese sentido, puso el ejemplo de su catálogo musical, que "es uno de los más valiosos de la industria del entretenimiento, si no el más valioso".
Oxman precisó que "hace ocho o diez meses Sony/ATV (la empresa conjunta formada por el artista y la compañía Sony) compró éxitos musicales por $400 millones en efectivo".
La cadena de televisión CNBC aseguró hoy que, en conjunto, el valor de los activos del artista, fallecido el jueves en Los Ángeles, podría superar el millón de dólares.
Sin embargo, durante el juicio que se siguió contra él en 2005 se aseguró que su ritmo de gasto anual superaba en $30 millones sus ingresos, que cayeron tras las acusaciones de abuso de menores, y por sus inversiones en propiedades y la adquisición de animales exóticos y objetos de colección.
Al parecer, el cantante había comprometido gran parte de su capital para pedir dinero prestado, como ocurrió con parte del catálogo de las canciones de los Beatles, que utilizó para respaldar un préstamo de $200 millones.
Según un artículo de la revista Rolling Stone escrito antes de que el cantante ganador de 13 Grammys muriera, su vuelta a los escenarios iba a solucionar la mayor parte de estos problemas.
"En teoría este tour iba a resolver los problemas de Jackson, ya que hay cálculos de que iba a ganar entre $50 y $100 millones. Iba a ser una solución rápida, pero desafortunadamente nunca lo veremos", aseguró el coautor de ese artículo, Steve Knopper, en una entrevista televisiva este viernes.
50 conciertos=$50 millones
Se calcula que, si sólo hubiera actuado en los 50 conciertos previstos y que comenzaban en Londres, Jackson habría podido ganar cerca de 50 millones de dólares (un millón por actuación), pero si hubiera ampliado con otras actuaciones en Europa y EE.UU.,tal y como se había contemplado, esas ganancias se habrían duplicado.
"Se encontraba en unas circunstancias financieras bastante interesantes" y estos "lucrativos conciertos definitivamente las habrían aliviado", consideró Knopper.
Al anunciarse su regreso, y en cuestión de horas, un millón de personas intentaron conseguir entradas para los 10 conciertos programados inicialmente, que pronto se convirtieron en 50.
AEG Live, promotora de sus conciertos, y Ticketmaster, especializada en la venta de entradas por Internet, vendieron en cuatro horas 750,000 entradas.
No hay duda de que Jackson tenía capacidad para seguir generando ingresos: Un día después de su muerte, los recopilatorios de Michael Jackson son los cinco discos más vendidos de iTunes, la mayor tienda electrónica de música.
Con su fallecimiento, los promotores de su regreso tendrán que hacer frente a las pérdidas derivadas de la cancelación de los conciertos en el London O2 Arena en plena temporada alta. Según la CBNC, AEG Live vendió $85 millones en entradas e invirtió al menos $30 millones en la producción de las actuaciones.
Descubrir la causa de muerte de Jackson tomará 2 meses
Examinador forense ordenó pruebas más exhaustivas. La autopsia no revela trauma ni mano criminal. Familia sospecha que murió por sobredosis de morfina. Escucha la llamada al 911
El portavoz del examinador forense del condado de Los Angeles, Craig Harvey, dijo que determinar la causa de muerte de Michael Jackson requerirá pruebas más exhaustivas, que tomarán de seis a ocho semanas.
Harvey precisó que el cadáver no presenta “indicios de mano criminal” ni de traumas. También señaló que Jackson tomaba medicinas con receta, pero no especificó cuáles.
Estos son los hallazgos preliminares de la autopsia, que la oficina forense había adelantado que revelaría hoy mismo. Sin embargo, la autopsia no permitió concluir cuál fue la causa de muerte, por lo que se ordenaron los análisis toxicológicos adicionales.
En cuanto a la investigación sobre las circunstancias de la muerte, el periódico Los Angeles Times identificó al cardiólogo cuyo carro fue confiscado en la casa de Michael Jackson como el doctor Conrad C. Murray, con práctica en California, Nevada y Texas.
Una mujer que contestó el teléfono en la clínica de Murray en Houston confirmó a Prensa Asociada que el galeno era el cardiólogo de Jackson. La dama rehusó identificarse y no quiso confirmar el reporte del Times de que Murray era quien le practicaba resucitación cardiopulmonar (CPR) a Jackson cuando los paramédicos llegaron a la casa del astro del pop ayer.
La página web de la Junta Examinadora de Médicos del estado de Texas no tiene querellas contra Murray, quien obtuvo la licencia para operar en Texas hace cuatro años.
La Policía de Los Angeles dijo que buscaba entrevistar al doctor, pero hizo hincapié en que el profesional no estaba bajo investigación criminal.
La Policía removió hoy con grúa de la casa de Michael Jackson el auto del galeno, en busca de drogas o piezas de evidencia que ayuden a esclarecer la muerte de su paciente.
“Su carro fue confiscado porque podría contener fármacos u otra evidencia que puede ayudar al forense a determinar la causa de muerte”, explicó Rayner sin identificar al médico.
Las autoridades revelaron esta tarde la grabación de la llamada de la casa de Michael Jackson a la línea de emergencia 9-1-1, informó la Agencia EFE. En la grabación, no se menciona el nombre del cantante, pero indicaba que una persona no respiraba, estaba tendida en una cama y no respondía a la resucitación cardiopulmonar.
El departamento de bomberos de Los Ángeles divulgó la llamada.
La persona que llamó, y que no se identificó, dijo que Jackson se encontraba con su médico particular en ese momento.
Jackson fue declarado muerto horas después en el centro médico de la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles.
Miembros de la familia de Michael Jackson aseguraron que el cantante recibió "una gran dosis de morfina" justo antes de su muerte, según sostiene el portal TMZ, que este jueves dio la primicia de su fallecimiento.
El padre del artista, Joe Jackson, quiso llevar recientemente a su hijo a un centro rehabilitación en Palmdale (California), por lo que él consideraba una "adicción" a la morfina y a fármacos con prescripción médica.
Otros miembros de la familia dijeron que el cantante no estaba preparado para actuar en los próximos conciertos que tenía previstos a partir de julio, precisamente debido al uso de esas sustancias.
De hecho, representantes de esa gira, que estaba prevista que comenzara el 17 de julio, comentaron al portal TMZ que Jackson se encontraba generalmente en estado "letárgico" y llegaba tarde a los ensayos.
Este portal también aseguró que un miembro cercano a la familia de Jackson afirmó que el cantante recibía una inyección diaria de Demerol, un narcótico similar a la morfina, y que este jueves, el día de la muerte de Jackson, recibió una inyección sobre las 11:30 hora local.
Esa persona cercana al artista añadió que la dosis fue "demasiado grande" y que fue la causa de la muerte.
La morfina es el principal alcaloide extraído del opio. Tiene propiedades terapéuticas, sobre todo como analgésico, pero es muy adictiva. En casos de intoxicación pueden presentarse náuseas, vómito, depresión del sistema respiratorio, circulatorio y digestivo. En casos graves se genera coma y muerte.
Brian Oxman, amigo personal de Michael Jackson y abogado de la familia del cantante, señaló el jueves: "No conozco la causa de todo esto, pero es algo que temía. Esto es un caso de abuso de medicamentos, salvo que la causa sea otra".
"Su familia ha estado intentando durante meses cuidar de Michael, pero la gente que le rodeó permitió que esto ocurriera", agregó.
Su hermano Jermaine Jackson relató ayer que los equipos médicos del hospital donde fue trasladado estuvieron durante más de una hora practicando ejercicios de reanimación cardiopulmonar, sin éxito.
El abogado de la familia Jackson y amigo personal del artista, Brian Oxman, sugirió ayer la posibilidad de que el fallecimiento se deba a un consumo excesivo de pastillas y afirmó que el cantante había estado rodeado últimamente de personas que le influían negativamente.
Ex manejador llama "criminales" a los médicos
El ex mánager y amigo del cantante, Tarak Ben Ammar, llamó hoy "criminales" a los médicos que le atendieron durante toda su carrera y que le "destruyeron el rostro".
"Está claro que los criminales en este caso son los médicos que lo atendieron a lo largo de su carrera, que destruyeron su rostro, que le dieron medicamentos para calmar los dolores", declaró el amigo del "rey del pop" en la emisora francesa "Europe 1".
El ex representante de Jackson agregó que el cantante murió "de una crisis cardíaca porque tomaba numerosos medicamentos".
Ben Ammar calificó a Jackson como un "hipocondríaco" y reconoció que "tomaba somníferos", pero aseguró que nunca le vio drogarse.
"Nunca se sabía verdaderamente si estaba enfermo, porque estaba rodeado de médicos charlatanes que vivían de esa enfermedad, que le facturaban miles y miles de dólares de medicamentos, de vitaminas", añadió.
Para Ben Ammar, el tipo de vida que llevaba el autor de "Thriller", con una mala alimentación e incapacitado para hacer deporte, "hubiera tenido las mismas consecuencias" para cualquier otra persona.
El portavoz del examinador forense del condado de Los Angeles, Craig Harvey, dijo que determinar la causa de muerte de Michael Jackson requerirá pruebas más exhaustivas, que tomarán de seis a ocho semanas.
Harvey precisó que el cadáver no presenta “indicios de mano criminal” ni de traumas. También señaló que Jackson tomaba medicinas con receta, pero no especificó cuáles.
Estos son los hallazgos preliminares de la autopsia, que la oficina forense había adelantado que revelaría hoy mismo. Sin embargo, la autopsia no permitió concluir cuál fue la causa de muerte, por lo que se ordenaron los análisis toxicológicos adicionales.
En cuanto a la investigación sobre las circunstancias de la muerte, el periódico Los Angeles Times identificó al cardiólogo cuyo carro fue confiscado en la casa de Michael Jackson como el doctor Conrad C. Murray, con práctica en California, Nevada y Texas.
Una mujer que contestó el teléfono en la clínica de Murray en Houston confirmó a Prensa Asociada que el galeno era el cardiólogo de Jackson. La dama rehusó identificarse y no quiso confirmar el reporte del Times de que Murray era quien le practicaba resucitación cardiopulmonar (CPR) a Jackson cuando los paramédicos llegaron a la casa del astro del pop ayer.
La página web de la Junta Examinadora de Médicos del estado de Texas no tiene querellas contra Murray, quien obtuvo la licencia para operar en Texas hace cuatro años.
La Policía de Los Angeles dijo que buscaba entrevistar al doctor, pero hizo hincapié en que el profesional no estaba bajo investigación criminal.
La Policía removió hoy con grúa de la casa de Michael Jackson el auto del galeno, en busca de drogas o piezas de evidencia que ayuden a esclarecer la muerte de su paciente.
“Su carro fue confiscado porque podría contener fármacos u otra evidencia que puede ayudar al forense a determinar la causa de muerte”, explicó Rayner sin identificar al médico.
Las autoridades revelaron esta tarde la grabación de la llamada de la casa de Michael Jackson a la línea de emergencia 9-1-1, informó la Agencia EFE. En la grabación, no se menciona el nombre del cantante, pero indicaba que una persona no respiraba, estaba tendida en una cama y no respondía a la resucitación cardiopulmonar.
El departamento de bomberos de Los Ángeles divulgó la llamada.
La persona que llamó, y que no se identificó, dijo que Jackson se encontraba con su médico particular en ese momento.
Jackson fue declarado muerto horas después en el centro médico de la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles.
Miembros de la familia de Michael Jackson aseguraron que el cantante recibió "una gran dosis de morfina" justo antes de su muerte, según sostiene el portal TMZ, que este jueves dio la primicia de su fallecimiento.
El padre del artista, Joe Jackson, quiso llevar recientemente a su hijo a un centro rehabilitación en Palmdale (California), por lo que él consideraba una "adicción" a la morfina y a fármacos con prescripción médica.
Otros miembros de la familia dijeron que el cantante no estaba preparado para actuar en los próximos conciertos que tenía previstos a partir de julio, precisamente debido al uso de esas sustancias.
De hecho, representantes de esa gira, que estaba prevista que comenzara el 17 de julio, comentaron al portal TMZ que Jackson se encontraba generalmente en estado "letárgico" y llegaba tarde a los ensayos.
Este portal también aseguró que un miembro cercano a la familia de Jackson afirmó que el cantante recibía una inyección diaria de Demerol, un narcótico similar a la morfina, y que este jueves, el día de la muerte de Jackson, recibió una inyección sobre las 11:30 hora local.
Esa persona cercana al artista añadió que la dosis fue "demasiado grande" y que fue la causa de la muerte.
La morfina es el principal alcaloide extraído del opio. Tiene propiedades terapéuticas, sobre todo como analgésico, pero es muy adictiva. En casos de intoxicación pueden presentarse náuseas, vómito, depresión del sistema respiratorio, circulatorio y digestivo. En casos graves se genera coma y muerte.
Brian Oxman, amigo personal de Michael Jackson y abogado de la familia del cantante, señaló el jueves: "No conozco la causa de todo esto, pero es algo que temía. Esto es un caso de abuso de medicamentos, salvo que la causa sea otra".
"Su familia ha estado intentando durante meses cuidar de Michael, pero la gente que le rodeó permitió que esto ocurriera", agregó.
Su hermano Jermaine Jackson relató ayer que los equipos médicos del hospital donde fue trasladado estuvieron durante más de una hora practicando ejercicios de reanimación cardiopulmonar, sin éxito.
El abogado de la familia Jackson y amigo personal del artista, Brian Oxman, sugirió ayer la posibilidad de que el fallecimiento se deba a un consumo excesivo de pastillas y afirmó que el cantante había estado rodeado últimamente de personas que le influían negativamente.
Ex manejador llama "criminales" a los médicos
El ex mánager y amigo del cantante, Tarak Ben Ammar, llamó hoy "criminales" a los médicos que le atendieron durante toda su carrera y que le "destruyeron el rostro".
"Está claro que los criminales en este caso son los médicos que lo atendieron a lo largo de su carrera, que destruyeron su rostro, que le dieron medicamentos para calmar los dolores", declaró el amigo del "rey del pop" en la emisora francesa "Europe 1".
El ex representante de Jackson agregó que el cantante murió "de una crisis cardíaca porque tomaba numerosos medicamentos".
Ben Ammar calificó a Jackson como un "hipocondríaco" y reconoció que "tomaba somníferos", pero aseguró que nunca le vio drogarse.
"Nunca se sabía verdaderamente si estaba enfermo, porque estaba rodeado de médicos charlatanes que vivían de esa enfermedad, que le facturaban miles y miles de dólares de medicamentos, de vitaminas", añadió.
Para Ben Ammar, el tipo de vida que llevaba el autor de "Thriller", con una mala alimentación e incapacitado para hacer deporte, "hubiera tenido las mismas consecuencias" para cualquier otra persona.
Se libra de cargos estatales Tito Andrea Manfredi Odierna
Fiscalía de Ponce no someterá acusaciones contra el australiano arrestado por supuestamente inducir a una menor a una relación sexual
Las autoridades locales no procesarán criminalmente a Tito Andrea Manfredi Odierna, el joven australiano arrestado el miércoles por las autoridades federales por supuestamente inducir a una menor a una relación sexual.
Según el jefe de los fiscales en el Distrito de Ponce del Departamento de Justicia, Luis Guillermo Zambrana, luego de evaluar los detalles del caso se determinó que una acusación a nivel estatal sería una duplicación de esfuerzos, ya que de ser hallado culpable localmente cumpliría una condena concurrentemente con la federal, de lograrse una convicción en este ámbito judicial.
“Sería impráctico y una duplicidad innecesaria de esfuerzos someter alguna acusación en los tribunales estatales”, dijo Zambrana.
A nivel local, el delito que se hubiera imputado sería el de agresión sexual, que conlleva una pena entre 15 y 25 años de cárcel, dijo el fiscal.
Actualmente, el australiano, de 23 años, enfrenta cargos federales por usar medios interestatales de comercio (internet) para inducir a una menor a una actividad sexual y por realizar viajes interestatales para llevar a cabo una conducta sexual ilícita. La pena máxima por estos delitos es una cadena perpetua.
El australiano fue arrestado el miércoles por las autoridades federales y estatales. Fue encontrado junto a la niña ponceña de 14 años en un hotel en Arecibo. Según la investigación policíaca, el australiano y la adolescente ponceña, que fue reportada como desaparecida el lunes, se conocieron a través de un chat de internet hace más de un año.
Las autoridades locales no procesarán criminalmente a Tito Andrea Manfredi Odierna, el joven australiano arrestado el miércoles por las autoridades federales por supuestamente inducir a una menor a una relación sexual.
Según el jefe de los fiscales en el Distrito de Ponce del Departamento de Justicia, Luis Guillermo Zambrana, luego de evaluar los detalles del caso se determinó que una acusación a nivel estatal sería una duplicación de esfuerzos, ya que de ser hallado culpable localmente cumpliría una condena concurrentemente con la federal, de lograrse una convicción en este ámbito judicial.
“Sería impráctico y una duplicidad innecesaria de esfuerzos someter alguna acusación en los tribunales estatales”, dijo Zambrana.
A nivel local, el delito que se hubiera imputado sería el de agresión sexual, que conlleva una pena entre 15 y 25 años de cárcel, dijo el fiscal.
Actualmente, el australiano, de 23 años, enfrenta cargos federales por usar medios interestatales de comercio (internet) para inducir a una menor a una actividad sexual y por realizar viajes interestatales para llevar a cabo una conducta sexual ilícita. La pena máxima por estos delitos es una cadena perpetua.
El australiano fue arrestado el miércoles por las autoridades federales y estatales. Fue encontrado junto a la niña ponceña de 14 años en un hotel en Arecibo. Según la investigación policíaca, el australiano y la adolescente ponceña, que fue reportada como desaparecida el lunes, se conocieron a través de un chat de internet hace más de un año.
En auge el crimen cibernético
Surgen en la Isla delitos inusuales
En alza y transformándose. Así lucen en Puerto Rico los crímenes cibernéticos, conforme a entrevistas realizadas ayer con agentes estatales y federales.
El inspector José Gorrite, director interino de Interpol en Puerto Rico, percibe el alza como una consecuencia negativa del auge de internet.
“Mi apreciación es que es una tendencia preocupante y en aumento. Entendemos que existen los medios para hacerlo. Está el elemento de desconocimiento de los padres, el elemento de interés de los niños y los padres de usar este medio de comunicación”, dijo Gorrite.
Mientras, la supervisora del grupo de crímenes cibernéticos del Servicio de Inmigración y Aduana (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés), Rebecca González Ramos, detalló que próximamente realizarán los primeros cuatro arrestos por obscenidad infantil en Puerto Rico.
González Ramos dijo que este tipo de casos de obscenidad infantil son adultos que graban sus partes íntimas y muestran esas imágenes a un menor.
“No lo habíamos sometido todavía en Puerto Rico, pero sí en Estados Unidos”, indicó.
Además, de las cinco acusaciones federales de crímenes cibernéticos ya procesadas desde octubre, dos son por poseer pornografía infantil -que tradicionalmente es el caso más común-, otras dos son por producción de pornografía infantil y un quinto caso de turismo sexual.
En este último caso, también atípico, un puertorriqueño residente en Santa Cruz identificado como Víctor Cancel fue acusado y convicto de viajar a República Dominicana y tener sexo con una menor. A Cancel lo atraparon porque tenía imágenes de la niña en su celular, dijo González Ramos.
Mientras, en la jurisdicción estatal tienen en vista preliminar el primer caso de pornografía infantil, dijo el agente Ángel Colón. Explicó que el caso llegó como un referido de Interpol Madrid en 2006 y se acusó al imputado, Moisés Rivera Sepúlveda, en 2008.
“No todos los casos llegan aquí. ICE tiene sus casos, FBI tiene sus casos, y mientras más gente esté afuera es mejor para poder bregar con ese tipo de material”, agregó. “Es un material bien inusual porque los criminales usuales incluso no lo ven con buenos ojos”, sostuvo Colón.
Además de la pornografía infantil, hay otros crímenes cibernéticos, como el caso de la adolescente Myrgia Samyr Plaza Torres, en el que una menor desaparece tras un contacto por internet.
Y no es el único, según Gorrite. “Hemos tenido este año cinco casos de menores que han desaparecido mediante la utilización de internet, de los cuales cuatro han sido esclarecidos”.
La menor que aún no ha aparecido tiene 17 años y reside en San Juan.
“Estamos trabajando en unos planes para fortalecer toda la operación de Interpol y estamos trabajando en una campaña para orientar contra esta situación”, dijo, por su parte, Víctor Carbonell, director del Negociado de Investigaciones Especiales (NIE).
Hay otros crímenes cibernéticos como el robo de identidad y modalidades de fraude, pero se explicó que esto cae en el ámbito de otras agencias.
En alza y transformándose. Así lucen en Puerto Rico los crímenes cibernéticos, conforme a entrevistas realizadas ayer con agentes estatales y federales.
El inspector José Gorrite, director interino de Interpol en Puerto Rico, percibe el alza como una consecuencia negativa del auge de internet.
“Mi apreciación es que es una tendencia preocupante y en aumento. Entendemos que existen los medios para hacerlo. Está el elemento de desconocimiento de los padres, el elemento de interés de los niños y los padres de usar este medio de comunicación”, dijo Gorrite.
Mientras, la supervisora del grupo de crímenes cibernéticos del Servicio de Inmigración y Aduana (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés), Rebecca González Ramos, detalló que próximamente realizarán los primeros cuatro arrestos por obscenidad infantil en Puerto Rico.
González Ramos dijo que este tipo de casos de obscenidad infantil son adultos que graban sus partes íntimas y muestran esas imágenes a un menor.
“No lo habíamos sometido todavía en Puerto Rico, pero sí en Estados Unidos”, indicó.
Además, de las cinco acusaciones federales de crímenes cibernéticos ya procesadas desde octubre, dos son por poseer pornografía infantil -que tradicionalmente es el caso más común-, otras dos son por producción de pornografía infantil y un quinto caso de turismo sexual.
En este último caso, también atípico, un puertorriqueño residente en Santa Cruz identificado como Víctor Cancel fue acusado y convicto de viajar a República Dominicana y tener sexo con una menor. A Cancel lo atraparon porque tenía imágenes de la niña en su celular, dijo González Ramos.
Mientras, en la jurisdicción estatal tienen en vista preliminar el primer caso de pornografía infantil, dijo el agente Ángel Colón. Explicó que el caso llegó como un referido de Interpol Madrid en 2006 y se acusó al imputado, Moisés Rivera Sepúlveda, en 2008.
“No todos los casos llegan aquí. ICE tiene sus casos, FBI tiene sus casos, y mientras más gente esté afuera es mejor para poder bregar con ese tipo de material”, agregó. “Es un material bien inusual porque los criminales usuales incluso no lo ven con buenos ojos”, sostuvo Colón.
Además de la pornografía infantil, hay otros crímenes cibernéticos, como el caso de la adolescente Myrgia Samyr Plaza Torres, en el que una menor desaparece tras un contacto por internet.
Y no es el único, según Gorrite. “Hemos tenido este año cinco casos de menores que han desaparecido mediante la utilización de internet, de los cuales cuatro han sido esclarecidos”.
La menor que aún no ha aparecido tiene 17 años y reside en San Juan.
“Estamos trabajando en unos planes para fortalecer toda la operación de Interpol y estamos trabajando en una campaña para orientar contra esta situación”, dijo, por su parte, Víctor Carbonell, director del Negociado de Investigaciones Especiales (NIE).
Hay otros crímenes cibernéticos como el robo de identidad y modalidades de fraude, pero se explicó que esto cae en el ámbito de otras agencias.
Lo espera una cadena perpetua
Es la pena a la que se expone el joven australiano que raptó a una menor ponceña
Con mameluco de preso color crema y con su pelo suelto y desaliñado, Tito Andrea Manfredi Odierna, el joven australiano que secuestró a una menor en Ponce el pasado lunes, escuchó ayer en el Tribunal Federal los cargos criminales que enfrentará por viajar desde tierras lejanas para tener relaciones sexuales con una niña de 14 años, por los cuales se expone a pasar el resto de sus días tras las rejas.
Era la 1:00 de la tarde cuando el magistrado Justo Arenas inició la vista de comparecencia y comenzó a explicarle a Manfredi Odierna, de 23 años, los dos cargos que contenía la denuncia hecha por la Fiscalía federal.
“Contra usted hay una denuncia por viajar por el comercio interestatal a inducir a una menor a tener relaciones sexuales prohibidas por ley”, señaló Arenas mientras le explicaba al joven oriundo de Burpengary -en el estado australiano de Queensland- que se expone a una cadena perpetua como pena máxima.
De pie y con sus dos manos agarradas en la parte de atrás de su espalda, pero sin estar esposado, el imputado prestaba atención a las expresiones del magistrado y, aunque evitó hacer gestos, lucía nervioso.
Arenas le indicó a Manfredi Odierna que el Gobierno tiene que probar los cargos que pesan en su contra fuera de toda duda razonable.
Además, le manifestó que mientras se celebran la vista de fianza y la vista preliminar, que quedó pautada para el próximo 6 de julio ante la magistrada Camille Vélez Rivé, tendrá que permanecer ingresado en el Centro Metropolitano de Detención en Guaynabo (MDC, por sus siglas en inglés).
Por su parte, el fiscal federal José Capó Iriarte manifestó en sala que la embajada de Australia en Washington D. C. fue avisada de que Manfredi Odierna está acusado por las autoridades federales y que permanece detenido bajo su custodia.
Según la denuncia de la Fiscalía federal, desde febrero de 2008 hasta el 24 de junio de 2009 el joven australiano utilizó los medios del comercio interestatal (el internet), en el distrito judicial de Puerto Rico, para persuadir, inducir y seducir a una persona que él sabía que era menor de 18 años con el fin de comprometerla en una actividad sexual.
Asimismo, la denuncia establece que Manfredi Odierna viajó intencionalmente en el comercio interestatal con el propósito de tener relaciones sexuales con la menor, que es una violación al Título 18 de la Sección 2423(b) del Código de Estados Unidos.
El fiscal Capó Iriarte explicó que los delitos de ofensas sexuales contra menores son considerados como cometidos contra el Estado y esto significa que si la víctima o los padres de la víctima desistieran de acusar al ofensor, comoquiera el Gobierno procesará al acusado.
“Una de las prioridades de la Fiscalía federal en Puerto Rico es proteger a los niños de depredadores sexuales que utilizan el internet y otros medios de comunicación para seducirlos y removerlos de la seguridad de sus hogares. Investigaremos y acusaremos a estos depredadores sexuales y solicitaremos la imposición de las penas máximas que provee la ley de ser hallados culpables”, expresó, por su parte, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez, jefa de la Fiscalía federal.
Manfredi Odierna llegó a Puerto Rico vía Washington D. C. el pasado sábado y fue arrestado el miércoles mientras se encontraba con la menor Myrgia Samyr Plaza Torres, de 14 años, en el hotel Villa Real del barrio Santana de Arecibo.
“Depende de los federales”
Mientras, las autoridades estatales aún no han tomado una decisión final sobre si radicarán cargos criminales contra el australiano, señaló Luis G. Zambrana, fiscal de distrito de Ponce.
“Aún la Fiscalía no ha sido consultada, por lo que no se ha hecho una determinación. Esto se evaluará cuando termine el proceso investigativo del caso a nivel federal”, dijo Zambrana.
No obstante, el inspector Richard Nazario, director auxiliar del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales (CIC) en Ponce, señaló que espera por la transferencia de evidencia de los federales a los estatales para someter cargos contra Manfredi Odierna la semana próxima, probablemente por violación técnica.
Originalmente se planteó la posibilidad de presentar acusaciones por secuestro en la esfera local, pero eso sería revaluado ante la presunta admisión de la menor de que estaba voluntariamente con el joven australiano, a quien en un diario identificó como su novio, indicó Nazario.
“Ellos parece que tenían comunicación desde hace más de un año por internet. Se enamoraron por internet, él vino a Puerto Rico y éste fue el resultado”, expresó Nazario.
Según la investigación estatal, Manfredi Odierna fue visto el lunes dentro de un taxi por vecinos de la urbanización en la que reside la menor, en Ponce. Se alega que el joven estuvo rondando la casa de la menor.
El reportero Ricardo Cortés Chico colaboró con esta historia.
Con mameluco de preso color crema y con su pelo suelto y desaliñado, Tito Andrea Manfredi Odierna, el joven australiano que secuestró a una menor en Ponce el pasado lunes, escuchó ayer en el Tribunal Federal los cargos criminales que enfrentará por viajar desde tierras lejanas para tener relaciones sexuales con una niña de 14 años, por los cuales se expone a pasar el resto de sus días tras las rejas.
Era la 1:00 de la tarde cuando el magistrado Justo Arenas inició la vista de comparecencia y comenzó a explicarle a Manfredi Odierna, de 23 años, los dos cargos que contenía la denuncia hecha por la Fiscalía federal.
“Contra usted hay una denuncia por viajar por el comercio interestatal a inducir a una menor a tener relaciones sexuales prohibidas por ley”, señaló Arenas mientras le explicaba al joven oriundo de Burpengary -en el estado australiano de Queensland- que se expone a una cadena perpetua como pena máxima.
De pie y con sus dos manos agarradas en la parte de atrás de su espalda, pero sin estar esposado, el imputado prestaba atención a las expresiones del magistrado y, aunque evitó hacer gestos, lucía nervioso.
Arenas le indicó a Manfredi Odierna que el Gobierno tiene que probar los cargos que pesan en su contra fuera de toda duda razonable.
Además, le manifestó que mientras se celebran la vista de fianza y la vista preliminar, que quedó pautada para el próximo 6 de julio ante la magistrada Camille Vélez Rivé, tendrá que permanecer ingresado en el Centro Metropolitano de Detención en Guaynabo (MDC, por sus siglas en inglés).
Por su parte, el fiscal federal José Capó Iriarte manifestó en sala que la embajada de Australia en Washington D. C. fue avisada de que Manfredi Odierna está acusado por las autoridades federales y que permanece detenido bajo su custodia.
Según la denuncia de la Fiscalía federal, desde febrero de 2008 hasta el 24 de junio de 2009 el joven australiano utilizó los medios del comercio interestatal (el internet), en el distrito judicial de Puerto Rico, para persuadir, inducir y seducir a una persona que él sabía que era menor de 18 años con el fin de comprometerla en una actividad sexual.
Asimismo, la denuncia establece que Manfredi Odierna viajó intencionalmente en el comercio interestatal con el propósito de tener relaciones sexuales con la menor, que es una violación al Título 18 de la Sección 2423(b) del Código de Estados Unidos.
El fiscal Capó Iriarte explicó que los delitos de ofensas sexuales contra menores son considerados como cometidos contra el Estado y esto significa que si la víctima o los padres de la víctima desistieran de acusar al ofensor, comoquiera el Gobierno procesará al acusado.
“Una de las prioridades de la Fiscalía federal en Puerto Rico es proteger a los niños de depredadores sexuales que utilizan el internet y otros medios de comunicación para seducirlos y removerlos de la seguridad de sus hogares. Investigaremos y acusaremos a estos depredadores sexuales y solicitaremos la imposición de las penas máximas que provee la ley de ser hallados culpables”, expresó, por su parte, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez, jefa de la Fiscalía federal.
Manfredi Odierna llegó a Puerto Rico vía Washington D. C. el pasado sábado y fue arrestado el miércoles mientras se encontraba con la menor Myrgia Samyr Plaza Torres, de 14 años, en el hotel Villa Real del barrio Santana de Arecibo.
“Depende de los federales”
Mientras, las autoridades estatales aún no han tomado una decisión final sobre si radicarán cargos criminales contra el australiano, señaló Luis G. Zambrana, fiscal de distrito de Ponce.
“Aún la Fiscalía no ha sido consultada, por lo que no se ha hecho una determinación. Esto se evaluará cuando termine el proceso investigativo del caso a nivel federal”, dijo Zambrana.
No obstante, el inspector Richard Nazario, director auxiliar del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales (CIC) en Ponce, señaló que espera por la transferencia de evidencia de los federales a los estatales para someter cargos contra Manfredi Odierna la semana próxima, probablemente por violación técnica.
Originalmente se planteó la posibilidad de presentar acusaciones por secuestro en la esfera local, pero eso sería revaluado ante la presunta admisión de la menor de que estaba voluntariamente con el joven australiano, a quien en un diario identificó como su novio, indicó Nazario.
“Ellos parece que tenían comunicación desde hace más de un año por internet. Se enamoraron por internet, él vino a Puerto Rico y éste fue el resultado”, expresó Nazario.
Según la investigación estatal, Manfredi Odierna fue visto el lunes dentro de un taxi por vecinos de la urbanización en la que reside la menor, en Ponce. Se alega que el joven estuvo rondando la casa de la menor.
El reportero Ricardo Cortés Chico colaboró con esta historia.
Padre Alberto se casa hoy por la iglesia
Contraer á matrimonio religioso con Rhuama Canellis en iglesia episcopal de Miami
Miami (EEUU) - El ex sacerdote católico Alberto Cutié contraerá hoy matrimonio religioso con la guatemalteca Rhuama Canellis, tras el escándalo que estalló al descubrirse que tenía relaciones con ella sin haber colgado los hábitos.
La boda se celebrará en la iglesia episcopal Monasterio Español de Miami, en North Miami Beach, y la oficiará el arzobispo Leo Frade, informó hoy el diario The Miami Herald en su edición digital.
La ceremonia, a la que se espera asistan unas cincuenta personas, se llevará a cabo tres días después de que una revista de farándula de Miami publicara una entrevista en la que un hombre dijo que Cutié supuestamente tuvo una relación homosexual con alguien identificado solo como "Leonardo".
Las alegaciones fueron desmentidas por el ex sacerdote que abandonó la iglesia católica y entró en la episcopal, tras ser captado por un fotógrafo en una playa besando y acariciando a Canellis.
Cutié, de origen cubano y nacido en Puerto Rico, se casó por lo civil con su novia en junio y ambos han afrontado graves acusaciones de personas que dicen conocerle o que han tenido algún tipo de relación.
Como es el caso del indonesio Maxi Paulus Ratunuman que presentó una demanda contra el religioso y su esposa.
En la acción judicial, el hombre alegó que ambos se confabularon para que la policía lo detuviera en una cárcel de la ciudad y evitar que revelara datos de Canellis, con quien dice haber vivido tres años.
Cutié, en una carta divulgada esta semana, desmintió esas acusaciones y otras como que Canellis presuntamente consumía drogas y que, además, se las suministraba al ex sacerdote.
El reverendo saltó a la fama por sus programas de radio y televisión en EE.UU. y América Latina, y solía ser uno de los principales invitados a ceremonias en la ciudad.
También fue considerado como uno de los hispanos más influyentes en Estados Unidos.
Miami (EEUU) - El ex sacerdote católico Alberto Cutié contraerá hoy matrimonio religioso con la guatemalteca Rhuama Canellis, tras el escándalo que estalló al descubrirse que tenía relaciones con ella sin haber colgado los hábitos.
La boda se celebrará en la iglesia episcopal Monasterio Español de Miami, en North Miami Beach, y la oficiará el arzobispo Leo Frade, informó hoy el diario The Miami Herald en su edición digital.
La ceremonia, a la que se espera asistan unas cincuenta personas, se llevará a cabo tres días después de que una revista de farándula de Miami publicara una entrevista en la que un hombre dijo que Cutié supuestamente tuvo una relación homosexual con alguien identificado solo como "Leonardo".
Las alegaciones fueron desmentidas por el ex sacerdote que abandonó la iglesia católica y entró en la episcopal, tras ser captado por un fotógrafo en una playa besando y acariciando a Canellis.
Cutié, de origen cubano y nacido en Puerto Rico, se casó por lo civil con su novia en junio y ambos han afrontado graves acusaciones de personas que dicen conocerle o que han tenido algún tipo de relación.
Como es el caso del indonesio Maxi Paulus Ratunuman que presentó una demanda contra el religioso y su esposa.
En la acción judicial, el hombre alegó que ambos se confabularon para que la policía lo detuviera en una cárcel de la ciudad y evitar que revelara datos de Canellis, con quien dice haber vivido tres años.
Cutié, en una carta divulgada esta semana, desmintió esas acusaciones y otras como que Canellis presuntamente consumía drogas y que, además, se las suministraba al ex sacerdote.
El reverendo saltó a la fama por sus programas de radio y televisión en EE.UU. y América Latina, y solía ser uno de los principales invitados a ceremonias en la ciudad.
También fue considerado como uno de los hispanos más influyentes en Estados Unidos.
Exploran el nexo satánico
En la relación de Manfredi con la niña boricua
Las autoridades estatales ayer no tenían un panorama claro de quién es Tito Andrea Manfredi Odierna, el australiano que intentó huir del País con la menor Myrgia Samyr Plaza Torres, con quien estableció una relación amorosa a través del internet.
No obstante, según Richard Nazario, director auxiliar del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales (CIC) de la Policía en Ponce, se investigan versiones preliminares que presuntamente relacionan al sujeto con supuestas sectas satánicas.
Originalmente, al australiano se le vinculó, por su vestimenta oscura, con la subcultura gótica, lo que no necesariamente implica tendencias satánicas. Sin embargo, algunas versiones preliminares en manos de la Policía apuntan a que el sujeto supuestamente fue visto en una actividad relacionada al satanismo o el ocultismo.
“Aparentemente lo que se informa es que el sujeto se cree fue visto en ese ambiente”, dijo el inspector de la Policía, al señalar que se trabaja verificando estas versiones.
Lo otro, un tanto más concreto, que se conoce del joven acusado ayer es que mantenía un interés por las artes. De hecho, en un diario cibernético publicado en el portal DeviantArt.com, Manfredi muestra interés específicamente por la lectura y el dibujo.
En el diario cibernético el joven no hace referencia a asuntos relacionados con satanismo. En cambio, abunda sobre sus cambiantes estados anímicos, sus lecturas y sus intereses musicales.
Este portal parece ser uno de los que sirvió de punto de contacto entre el joven australiano y la menor ponceña sobre temas diversos, en su mayoría relacionados con las artes. Asimismo, en varias ocasiones Manfredi publicó comentarios sobre su supuesto afecto hacia Plaza Torres.
Las autoridades estatales ayer no tenían un panorama claro de quién es Tito Andrea Manfredi Odierna, el australiano que intentó huir del País con la menor Myrgia Samyr Plaza Torres, con quien estableció una relación amorosa a través del internet.
No obstante, según Richard Nazario, director auxiliar del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales (CIC) de la Policía en Ponce, se investigan versiones preliminares que presuntamente relacionan al sujeto con supuestas sectas satánicas.
Originalmente, al australiano se le vinculó, por su vestimenta oscura, con la subcultura gótica, lo que no necesariamente implica tendencias satánicas. Sin embargo, algunas versiones preliminares en manos de la Policía apuntan a que el sujeto supuestamente fue visto en una actividad relacionada al satanismo o el ocultismo.
“Aparentemente lo que se informa es que el sujeto se cree fue visto en ese ambiente”, dijo el inspector de la Policía, al señalar que se trabaja verificando estas versiones.
Lo otro, un tanto más concreto, que se conoce del joven acusado ayer es que mantenía un interés por las artes. De hecho, en un diario cibernético publicado en el portal DeviantArt.com, Manfredi muestra interés específicamente por la lectura y el dibujo.
En el diario cibernético el joven no hace referencia a asuntos relacionados con satanismo. En cambio, abunda sobre sus cambiantes estados anímicos, sus lecturas y sus intereses musicales.
Este portal parece ser uno de los que sirvió de punto de contacto entre el joven australiano y la menor ponceña sobre temas diversos, en su mayoría relacionados con las artes. Asimismo, en varias ocasiones Manfredi publicó comentarios sobre su supuesto afecto hacia Plaza Torres.
Exact details of Jackson death still unclear
LOS ANGELES – The final act of Michael Jackson's life came into clearer focus Friday, a picture of a fallen superstar working out with TV's "Incredible Hulk" and under the care of his own private cardiologist as he tried to get his 50-year-old body in shape for a grueling bid to reclaim his glory.
While the exact circumstances of his death remained unclear, early clues suggested he may simply have pushed his heart too far.
Police said they had towed the doctor's BMW from Jackson's home because it may include medication or other evidence, and a source familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that a heart attack appeared to have caused the cardiac arrest that led to the pop icon's sudden death.
As grief for the King of Pop poured out from the icons of music to heartbroken fans, and the world came to grips with losing one of the most luminous celebrities of all time, an autopsy showed no sign of trauma or foul play to Jackson, who died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center after paramedics not could not revive him.
The AP source who said Jackson apparently suffered a heart attack was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. Jackson's brother Jermaine had said the pop singer apparently went into cardiac arrest — which often, but not always, happens because of a heart attack.
Authorities said they spoke with the doctor briefly Thursday and Friday and expected to meet with him again soon. Police stressed that the doctor, identified by the Los Angeles Times as cardiologist Conrad Murray, was not a criminal suspect.
"We do not consider him to be uncooperative at this time," Beck said. "We think that he will assist us in coming to the truth of the facts in this case."
Craig Harvey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner, said there were no signs of foul play in the autopsy and further tests would be needed to determine cause of death. He said Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medication but gave few other details.
Meanwhile, a 911 call released by fire officials shed light on the desperate effort at the mansion to save Jackson's life before paramedics arrived Thursday afternoon. Jackson died later at UCLA Medical Center.
In the recording, an unidentified caller pleads with authorities to send help, offering no clues about why Jackson was stricken. He tells a dispatcher that Jackson's doctor is performing CPR.
"He's pumping his chest," the caller says, "but he's not responding to anything."
Asked by the dispatcher whether anyone saw what happened, the caller answers: "No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one there."
The president of the company promoting Jackson's shows said Murray was Jackson's personal physician for three years. Jackson insisted Murray accompany him to London, said Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live.
Phillips quoted Jackson as saying: "Look, this whole business revolves around me. I'm a machine, and we have to keep the machine well-oiled." Phillips said Jackson submitted to at least five hours of physicals that insurers had insisted on.
On Friday, the autopsy was completed in a matter of hours, but an official cause of death could take up to six weeks while medical examiners await toxicology tests. No funeral plans had been made public.
Jackson had remained out of the public spotlight during intense rehearsals for the London concerts, but those with access said he was upbeat and seemingly energized by his planned comeback. Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the Grammys, said he watched Jackson dance energetically as recently as Wednesday.
"There was this one moment, he was moving across the stage and he was doing these trademark Michael moves, and I know I got this big grin on my face, and I started thinking to myself, 'You know, it's been years since I've seen that,'" he said.
Lou Ferrigno, the star of "The Incredible Hulk," said he had been working out with Jackson for the past several months.
Still, Jackson's health had been known to be precarious in recent years, and one family friend said Friday that he had warned the entertainer's family about his use of painkillers.
"I said one day we're going to have this experience. And when Anna Nicole Smith passed away, I said we cannot have this kind of thing with Michael Jackson," Brian Oxman, a former Jackson attorney and family friend, told NBC's "Today" show. "The result was I warned everyone, and lo and behold, here we are. I don't know what caused his death. But I feared this day, and here we are."
Oxman claimed Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal to help with pain suffered when he broke his leg after he fell off a stage and for broken vertebrae in his back.
The worldwide wave of mourning for Jackson continued unabated for the man who revolutionized pop music and moonwalked his way into entertainment legend.
"My heart, my mind are broken," said Elizabeth Taylor, who was one of Jackson's closest friends and married one of her husbands at a lavish wedding at the pop star's Neverland Ranch in 1991. She said she had heard the news as she was preparing to travel to London for Jackson's comeback show, and added, "I can't imagine life without him."
Hundreds made a pilgrimage to the Jackson family's compound in Los Angeles, leaving flowers and messages of love. They did the same at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and at the home in Los Angeles' Holmby Hills where Jackson was stricken. Some camped out overnight.
In New York, people stopped at Harlem's Apollo Theater, where Jackson had performed as a child with his brothers in one of rock's first bubblegum supergroups, the Jackson 5.
Scores of celebrities who knew or worked with Jackson — or were simply awed by him — issued statements of mourning. Some came through publicists and others through emotional postings on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, where countless everyday fans were sharing memories as well.
"I truly hope he is memorialized as the '83 moonwalking, MTV owning, mesmerizing, unstoppable, invincible Michael Jackson," said John Mayer. Miley Cyrus called him "my inspiration."
And Diana Ross, the former lead singer of the Supremes who introduced the Jackson 5 at their debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1969, said she could not stop crying. "I am unable to imagine this," she said. "My heart is hurting."
His two ex-wives both said they were devastated. One of them, Lisa Marie Presley, posted a long, emotional statement on her MySpace page in which she said her ex-husband had confided to her 14 years ago that he feared dying young and under tragic circumstances, just as her father, Elvis Presley, had.
"I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that," Presley said.
Presley's father, the King of Rock 'n' Roll to Jackson's King of Pop, died in 1977 at age 42 of a drug-related death.
At rehearsals for Sunday's Black Entertainment Awards show, stars like Beyonce, Wyclef Jean and Ne-Yo were frantically revamping their performances in an effort to turn the evening into a Michael Jackson tribute.
"There's a direct line from Ne-Yo to Michael Jackson," said executive producer Stephen Hill. "There's a direct line from Beyonce to Michael Jackson. There's a direct line from Jay-Z to Michael Jackson. I think they'll want to pay tribute in their own way."
When he was on trial on child molestation charges in 2005, Jackson appeared gaunt and had recurring back problems that he attributed to stress. His trial was interrupted several times by hospital visits, and Jackson once even appeared late to court dressed in his pajamas after an emergency room visit.
After his acquittal, Jackson's prosecutor argued against returning some items that had been seized from Neverland, the Santa Barbara County estate Jackson had converted into a children's playland. Among the items were syringes, the powerful painkiller Demerol and other prescription drugs.
Demerol carries a long list of warnings to users. The government warns that mixing it with certain other drugs can lead to reactions including slowed or stopped breathing, shock and cardiac arrest.
Within hours of Jackson's death on Thursday, fans were inundating Web sites that sell his music, and physical stores reported they had been cleaned out of Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 CDs. All 10 of the albums on Amazon.com's bestseller list Friday were Jackson's; the 25th anniversary edition of "Thriller," the bestselling album of all time, was at the top.
Meanwhile, fans were snapping up every Jackson recording they could get their hands on.
Bill Carr, Amazon.com Inc.'s vice president for music and video, said the Web site sold out within minutes all CDs by Michael Jackson and by the Jackson 5. Jackson's albums accounted for all 10 of Amazon's "Bestsellers in Music" list Friday, with the 25th anniversary edition of the celebrated "Thriller" album taking the top spot.
Barnes and Noble Inc.'s Web site and retail stores also sold out most Jackson CDs, DVDs and books, and its 10 best-selling CDs were Jackson titles as well.
"They love him," said Bill Carr, Amazon's vice president for music and video. "He's a legend, and they're anxious to make sure they have his music in their collections."
While the exact circumstances of his death remained unclear, early clues suggested he may simply have pushed his heart too far.
Police said they had towed the doctor's BMW from Jackson's home because it may include medication or other evidence, and a source familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that a heart attack appeared to have caused the cardiac arrest that led to the pop icon's sudden death.
As grief for the King of Pop poured out from the icons of music to heartbroken fans, and the world came to grips with losing one of the most luminous celebrities of all time, an autopsy showed no sign of trauma or foul play to Jackson, who died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center after paramedics not could not revive him.
The AP source who said Jackson apparently suffered a heart attack was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. Jackson's brother Jermaine had said the pop singer apparently went into cardiac arrest — which often, but not always, happens because of a heart attack.
Authorities said they spoke with the doctor briefly Thursday and Friday and expected to meet with him again soon. Police stressed that the doctor, identified by the Los Angeles Times as cardiologist Conrad Murray, was not a criminal suspect.
"We do not consider him to be uncooperative at this time," Beck said. "We think that he will assist us in coming to the truth of the facts in this case."
Craig Harvey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner, said there were no signs of foul play in the autopsy and further tests would be needed to determine cause of death. He said Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medication but gave few other details.
Meanwhile, a 911 call released by fire officials shed light on the desperate effort at the mansion to save Jackson's life before paramedics arrived Thursday afternoon. Jackson died later at UCLA Medical Center.
In the recording, an unidentified caller pleads with authorities to send help, offering no clues about why Jackson was stricken. He tells a dispatcher that Jackson's doctor is performing CPR.
"He's pumping his chest," the caller says, "but he's not responding to anything."
Asked by the dispatcher whether anyone saw what happened, the caller answers: "No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one there."
The president of the company promoting Jackson's shows said Murray was Jackson's personal physician for three years. Jackson insisted Murray accompany him to London, said Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live.
Phillips quoted Jackson as saying: "Look, this whole business revolves around me. I'm a machine, and we have to keep the machine well-oiled." Phillips said Jackson submitted to at least five hours of physicals that insurers had insisted on.
On Friday, the autopsy was completed in a matter of hours, but an official cause of death could take up to six weeks while medical examiners await toxicology tests. No funeral plans had been made public.
Jackson had remained out of the public spotlight during intense rehearsals for the London concerts, but those with access said he was upbeat and seemingly energized by his planned comeback. Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the Grammys, said he watched Jackson dance energetically as recently as Wednesday.
"There was this one moment, he was moving across the stage and he was doing these trademark Michael moves, and I know I got this big grin on my face, and I started thinking to myself, 'You know, it's been years since I've seen that,'" he said.
Lou Ferrigno, the star of "The Incredible Hulk," said he had been working out with Jackson for the past several months.
Still, Jackson's health had been known to be precarious in recent years, and one family friend said Friday that he had warned the entertainer's family about his use of painkillers.
"I said one day we're going to have this experience. And when Anna Nicole Smith passed away, I said we cannot have this kind of thing with Michael Jackson," Brian Oxman, a former Jackson attorney and family friend, told NBC's "Today" show. "The result was I warned everyone, and lo and behold, here we are. I don't know what caused his death. But I feared this day, and here we are."
Oxman claimed Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal to help with pain suffered when he broke his leg after he fell off a stage and for broken vertebrae in his back.
The worldwide wave of mourning for Jackson continued unabated for the man who revolutionized pop music and moonwalked his way into entertainment legend.
"My heart, my mind are broken," said Elizabeth Taylor, who was one of Jackson's closest friends and married one of her husbands at a lavish wedding at the pop star's Neverland Ranch in 1991. She said she had heard the news as she was preparing to travel to London for Jackson's comeback show, and added, "I can't imagine life without him."
Hundreds made a pilgrimage to the Jackson family's compound in Los Angeles, leaving flowers and messages of love. They did the same at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and at the home in Los Angeles' Holmby Hills where Jackson was stricken. Some camped out overnight.
In New York, people stopped at Harlem's Apollo Theater, where Jackson had performed as a child with his brothers in one of rock's first bubblegum supergroups, the Jackson 5.
Scores of celebrities who knew or worked with Jackson — or were simply awed by him — issued statements of mourning. Some came through publicists and others through emotional postings on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, where countless everyday fans were sharing memories as well.
"I truly hope he is memorialized as the '83 moonwalking, MTV owning, mesmerizing, unstoppable, invincible Michael Jackson," said John Mayer. Miley Cyrus called him "my inspiration."
And Diana Ross, the former lead singer of the Supremes who introduced the Jackson 5 at their debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1969, said she could not stop crying. "I am unable to imagine this," she said. "My heart is hurting."
His two ex-wives both said they were devastated. One of them, Lisa Marie Presley, posted a long, emotional statement on her MySpace page in which she said her ex-husband had confided to her 14 years ago that he feared dying young and under tragic circumstances, just as her father, Elvis Presley, had.
"I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that," Presley said.
Presley's father, the King of Rock 'n' Roll to Jackson's King of Pop, died in 1977 at age 42 of a drug-related death.
At rehearsals for Sunday's Black Entertainment Awards show, stars like Beyonce, Wyclef Jean and Ne-Yo were frantically revamping their performances in an effort to turn the evening into a Michael Jackson tribute.
"There's a direct line from Ne-Yo to Michael Jackson," said executive producer Stephen Hill. "There's a direct line from Beyonce to Michael Jackson. There's a direct line from Jay-Z to Michael Jackson. I think they'll want to pay tribute in their own way."
When he was on trial on child molestation charges in 2005, Jackson appeared gaunt and had recurring back problems that he attributed to stress. His trial was interrupted several times by hospital visits, and Jackson once even appeared late to court dressed in his pajamas after an emergency room visit.
After his acquittal, Jackson's prosecutor argued against returning some items that had been seized from Neverland, the Santa Barbara County estate Jackson had converted into a children's playland. Among the items were syringes, the powerful painkiller Demerol and other prescription drugs.
Demerol carries a long list of warnings to users. The government warns that mixing it with certain other drugs can lead to reactions including slowed or stopped breathing, shock and cardiac arrest.
Within hours of Jackson's death on Thursday, fans were inundating Web sites that sell his music, and physical stores reported they had been cleaned out of Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 CDs. All 10 of the albums on Amazon.com's bestseller list Friday were Jackson's; the 25th anniversary edition of "Thriller," the bestselling album of all time, was at the top.
Meanwhile, fans were snapping up every Jackson recording they could get their hands on.
Bill Carr, Amazon.com Inc.'s vice president for music and video, said the Web site sold out within minutes all CDs by Michael Jackson and by the Jackson 5. Jackson's albums accounted for all 10 of Amazon's "Bestsellers in Music" list Friday, with the 25th anniversary edition of the celebrated "Thriller" album taking the top spot.
Barnes and Noble Inc.'s Web site and retail stores also sold out most Jackson CDs, DVDs and books, and its 10 best-selling CDs were Jackson titles as well.
"They love him," said Bill Carr, Amazon's vice president for music and video. "He's a legend, and they're anxious to make sure they have his music in their collections."
What Happened to Michael Jackson's Millions?
Counting wasn't a problem for Michael Jackson in the 1970 hit "ABC". Love, he chirped in the Jackson 5 song he co-wrote, was as "easy as 1 2 3." When it came to handling the bigger sums the singer would go on to amass, though, Jackson never really got a grip on the numbers. Profligate spending, a slew of legal settlements, and a reliance on ever-increasing bank loans blew a hole in the fortune Jackson earned over four decades of performing. Some estimates put the singer's debt at the time of his death at $300 million. Others put him almost twice as far into the red. (See pictures of people around the world mourning Michael Jackson.)
That the King of Pop earned royal sums for his music, though, there's little doubt. Jackson pocketed more than $300 million from sales of his recordings since the early 1980s, according to The New York Times. Thriller, which was the top-selling album of all time (until eclipsed by the Eagles' Greatest Hits, 1971-1975), brought in a reported $125 million for the singer in the years after its release in 1982. Though there were early signs of an inclination to spend - he apparently missed out on landing the bones of John Merrick, better known as the Elephant Man, despite bidding around $1 million in 1987 - Jackson showed early investment savvy. Shelling out $47.5 million in 1985 for the rights to a catalogue of music that included 251 Beatles songs was a profitable move. Those rights, as well as concerts, endorsements and music videos, would generate more than $400 million over the next two decades. (See the top 10 Michael Jackson moments.)
Little else about his finances was as clever. Blessed with the regular rewards from the Beatles' music and his own, Jackson started to spend. He paid $17 million in 1988 for the 2,800-acre (roughly 1,000 hectare) ranch in California that would become Neverland. Maintaining the theme park - complete with zoo, movie theater and fairground - swallowed up around $5 million annually. As Jackson gradually retreated from work, the additional millions eaten up by plane charters, antiques, lavish gifts and legal disputes - a child-molestation case in the early 1990s cost Jackson around $20 million to settle - left a hole in his fortune. To help plug it, the singer signed over to Sony a 50% stake in the rights to the Beatles' catalogue in 1995 in exchange for almost $100 million. (Watch TIME's video "Appreciating Michael Jackson, the Musician.")
Things would get worse. With sponsors turned off by Jackson's private life - Pepsi and sneaker brand LA Gear, for instance, had backed him - he lost further control of his finances. Duff investments and a divorce settlement with Lisa Marie Presley helped push Jackson to increasingly use his earnings from music as collateral for loans, first from Bank of America (BoA), before Fortress Investment Group, a specialist in distressed debt, took the loans off BoA's hands. By the middle part of this decade, Jackson was believed to be $270 million in debt. (See the all-TIME 100 Albums.)
With annual income from the sale of his and his catalogue's music at around $19 million, according to The Wall Street Journal, Jackson was still stretched. When the singer defaulted on a loan in March last year, pushing Neverland into foreclosure, private equity firm Colony Capital stepped in to bail him out. The 50 concerts planned for London later this year could have netted Jackson as much as $100 million, with a possible world tour to follow generating five times that amount. To Jackson's debtors, if not to the singer himself, that sure would have added up.
That the King of Pop earned royal sums for his music, though, there's little doubt. Jackson pocketed more than $300 million from sales of his recordings since the early 1980s, according to The New York Times. Thriller, which was the top-selling album of all time (until eclipsed by the Eagles' Greatest Hits, 1971-1975), brought in a reported $125 million for the singer in the years after its release in 1982. Though there were early signs of an inclination to spend - he apparently missed out on landing the bones of John Merrick, better known as the Elephant Man, despite bidding around $1 million in 1987 - Jackson showed early investment savvy. Shelling out $47.5 million in 1985 for the rights to a catalogue of music that included 251 Beatles songs was a profitable move. Those rights, as well as concerts, endorsements and music videos, would generate more than $400 million over the next two decades. (See the top 10 Michael Jackson moments.)
Little else about his finances was as clever. Blessed with the regular rewards from the Beatles' music and his own, Jackson started to spend. He paid $17 million in 1988 for the 2,800-acre (roughly 1,000 hectare) ranch in California that would become Neverland. Maintaining the theme park - complete with zoo, movie theater and fairground - swallowed up around $5 million annually. As Jackson gradually retreated from work, the additional millions eaten up by plane charters, antiques, lavish gifts and legal disputes - a child-molestation case in the early 1990s cost Jackson around $20 million to settle - left a hole in his fortune. To help plug it, the singer signed over to Sony a 50% stake in the rights to the Beatles' catalogue in 1995 in exchange for almost $100 million. (Watch TIME's video "Appreciating Michael Jackson, the Musician.")
Things would get worse. With sponsors turned off by Jackson's private life - Pepsi and sneaker brand LA Gear, for instance, had backed him - he lost further control of his finances. Duff investments and a divorce settlement with Lisa Marie Presley helped push Jackson to increasingly use his earnings from music as collateral for loans, first from Bank of America (BoA), before Fortress Investment Group, a specialist in distressed debt, took the loans off BoA's hands. By the middle part of this decade, Jackson was believed to be $270 million in debt. (See the all-TIME 100 Albums.)
With annual income from the sale of his and his catalogue's music at around $19 million, according to The Wall Street Journal, Jackson was still stretched. When the singer defaulted on a loan in March last year, pushing Neverland into foreclosure, private equity firm Colony Capital stepped in to bail him out. The 50 concerts planned for London later this year could have netted Jackson as much as $100 million, with a possible world tour to follow generating five times that amount. To Jackson's debtors, if not to the singer himself, that sure would have added up.
Jackson lived like king but died awash in debt
Michael Jackson the singer was also Michael Jackson the billion-dollar business.
Yet after selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the "King of Pop" died Thursday at age 50 reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt, on the cusp of a final comeback after well over a decade of scandal.
The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the popular mainstream after its launch in 1981. His 1982 hit "Thriller," still the second best-selling U.S. album of all time, spawned a John Landis-directed music video that MTV played every hour on the hour.
"The ratings were three or four times what they were normally every time the video came on," said Judy McGrath, the chairman and CEO of Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks. "He was inextricably tied to the so-called MTV generation."
Five years later, "Bad" sold 22 million copies. In 1991, he signed a $65 million recording deal with Sony.
Jackson was so popular that The Walt Disney Co. hitched its wagon to his star in 1986, opening a 3-D movie at its parks called "Captain EO," executive produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The last attraction in Paris closed 12 years later.
One of Jackson's shrewdest deals at the height of his fame in 1985 was the $47.5 million acquisition of ATV Music, which owned the copyright to songs written by the Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The catalog provided Jackson a steady stream of income and the ability to afford a lavish lifestyle.
He bought the sprawling Neverland ranch in 1988 for $14.6 million, a fantasy-like 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country.
But the bombshell hit in 1993 when he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.
"That kind of represents the beginning of the walk down a tragic path, financially, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, legally," said Michael Levine, his publicist at the time.
He settled with the boy's family, but other accounts of his alleged pedophilia began to emerge.
When he ran into further financial problems, he agreed to a deal with Sony in 1995 to merge ATV with Sony's library of songs and sold Sony music publishing rights for $95 million. Then in 2001, he used his half of the ATV assets as collateral to secure $200 million in loans from Bank of America.
As his financial problems continued, Jackson began to borrow large sums of money, according to a 2002 lawsuit by Union Finance & Investment Corp. that sought $12 million in unpaid fees and expenses.
In 2003, Jackson was arrested on charges that he molested another 13-year-old boy. The 2005 trial, which ultimately ended in an acquittal, brought to light more details of Jackson's strained finances.
One forensic accountant testified that the singer had an "ongoing cash crisis" and was spending $20 million to $30 million more per year than he earned.
In March of last year, the singer faced foreclosure on Neverland. He also repeatedly failed to make mortgage payments on a house in Los Angeles that had been used for years by his family.
In addition, Jackson was forced to defend himself against a slew of lawsuits in recent years, including a $7 million claim from Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain.
Memorabilia auctions were frequently announced but became the subject of legal wrangling and were often canceled.
Time and again, however, Jackson found a way to wring cash out of high-value assets, borrowing tens of millions at a time or leaning on wealthy friends for advice, if not for money.
Al Khalifa, 33, took Jackson under his wing after his acquittal, moving him to the small Gulf estate and showering him with money.
In his lawsuit, Al Khalifa claimed he gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances, cut an album, write an autobiography and subsidize his lifestyle — including more than $300,000 for a "motivational guru." The lawsuit was settled last year for an undisclosed amount. Neither the album nor book was ever produced.
Another wealthy benefactor came to Jackson's aid last year as he faced the prospect of losing Neverland in a public auction.
Billionaire Thomas Barrack, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm Colony Capital LLC, agreed to bail out the singer and set up a joint venture with Jackson that took ownership of the vast estate.
Barrack was unavailable for comment Thursday, but referred to the singer in a statement as a "gentle, talented and compassionate man."
A final piece of the financial jigsaw puzzle fell into place in March, when billionaire Philip Anschutz' concert promotion company AEG Live announced it would promote 50 shows in London's O2 arena. Tickets sold out, and the first show of the "This is It" tour was set for July 8.
Jackson, who has won 13 Grammys, hadn't toured since 1997. His last studio album, "Invincible," was released in 2001.
But the opening date was later postponed to July 13 and some shows moved back to March 2010, fueling speculation that Jackson was suffering from health ailments that could curtail his comeback bid.
His death, caused by cardiac arrest according to his brother Jermaine, raised the question whether an insurer would refund money to ticketholders. AEG Live did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Jackson was practicing for the concert in Los Angeles at the Staples Center with Kenny Ortega, a choreographer and director of the "High School Musical" movies, who has worked on previous Jackson videos like "Dangerous" in 1993.
"We had a 25-year friendship. This is all too much to comprehend," Ortega said in a statement. "This was the world's greatest performer and the world will miss him."
Yet after selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the "King of Pop" died Thursday at age 50 reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt, on the cusp of a final comeback after well over a decade of scandal.
The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the popular mainstream after its launch in 1981. His 1982 hit "Thriller," still the second best-selling U.S. album of all time, spawned a John Landis-directed music video that MTV played every hour on the hour.
"The ratings were three or four times what they were normally every time the video came on," said Judy McGrath, the chairman and CEO of Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks. "He was inextricably tied to the so-called MTV generation."
Five years later, "Bad" sold 22 million copies. In 1991, he signed a $65 million recording deal with Sony.
Jackson was so popular that The Walt Disney Co. hitched its wagon to his star in 1986, opening a 3-D movie at its parks called "Captain EO," executive produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The last attraction in Paris closed 12 years later.
One of Jackson's shrewdest deals at the height of his fame in 1985 was the $47.5 million acquisition of ATV Music, which owned the copyright to songs written by the Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The catalog provided Jackson a steady stream of income and the ability to afford a lavish lifestyle.
He bought the sprawling Neverland ranch in 1988 for $14.6 million, a fantasy-like 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country.
But the bombshell hit in 1993 when he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.
"That kind of represents the beginning of the walk down a tragic path, financially, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, legally," said Michael Levine, his publicist at the time.
He settled with the boy's family, but other accounts of his alleged pedophilia began to emerge.
When he ran into further financial problems, he agreed to a deal with Sony in 1995 to merge ATV with Sony's library of songs and sold Sony music publishing rights for $95 million. Then in 2001, he used his half of the ATV assets as collateral to secure $200 million in loans from Bank of America.
As his financial problems continued, Jackson began to borrow large sums of money, according to a 2002 lawsuit by Union Finance & Investment Corp. that sought $12 million in unpaid fees and expenses.
In 2003, Jackson was arrested on charges that he molested another 13-year-old boy. The 2005 trial, which ultimately ended in an acquittal, brought to light more details of Jackson's strained finances.
One forensic accountant testified that the singer had an "ongoing cash crisis" and was spending $20 million to $30 million more per year than he earned.
In March of last year, the singer faced foreclosure on Neverland. He also repeatedly failed to make mortgage payments on a house in Los Angeles that had been used for years by his family.
In addition, Jackson was forced to defend himself against a slew of lawsuits in recent years, including a $7 million claim from Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain.
Memorabilia auctions were frequently announced but became the subject of legal wrangling and were often canceled.
Time and again, however, Jackson found a way to wring cash out of high-value assets, borrowing tens of millions at a time or leaning on wealthy friends for advice, if not for money.
Al Khalifa, 33, took Jackson under his wing after his acquittal, moving him to the small Gulf estate and showering him with money.
In his lawsuit, Al Khalifa claimed he gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances, cut an album, write an autobiography and subsidize his lifestyle — including more than $300,000 for a "motivational guru." The lawsuit was settled last year for an undisclosed amount. Neither the album nor book was ever produced.
Another wealthy benefactor came to Jackson's aid last year as he faced the prospect of losing Neverland in a public auction.
Billionaire Thomas Barrack, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm Colony Capital LLC, agreed to bail out the singer and set up a joint venture with Jackson that took ownership of the vast estate.
Barrack was unavailable for comment Thursday, but referred to the singer in a statement as a "gentle, talented and compassionate man."
A final piece of the financial jigsaw puzzle fell into place in March, when billionaire Philip Anschutz' concert promotion company AEG Live announced it would promote 50 shows in London's O2 arena. Tickets sold out, and the first show of the "This is It" tour was set for July 8.
Jackson, who has won 13 Grammys, hadn't toured since 1997. His last studio album, "Invincible," was released in 2001.
But the opening date was later postponed to July 13 and some shows moved back to March 2010, fueling speculation that Jackson was suffering from health ailments that could curtail his comeback bid.
His death, caused by cardiac arrest according to his brother Jermaine, raised the question whether an insurer would refund money to ticketholders. AEG Live did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Jackson was practicing for the concert in Los Angeles at the Staples Center with Kenny Ortega, a choreographer and director of the "High School Musical" movies, who has worked on previous Jackson videos like "Dangerous" in 1993.
"We had a 25-year friendship. This is all too much to comprehend," Ortega said in a statement. "This was the world's greatest performer and the world will miss him."
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson, a man apart
(CNN) -- He was lauded and ridiculed. He broke down barriers and built them around himself. He soared to heights unimaginable with his music, and he made the ignominious front page of gutter tabloids worldwide.
For Michael Jackson, the spotlight was always present, and the rest of the world followed.
With "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" -- the latter with Eddie Van Halen's scorching guitar solo -- he was almost single-handedly responsible for getting videos by African-American artists on MTV and helped revitalize the moribund Top 40 format in the early 1980s.
"Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a friend. "Michael did with music what they later did in sports, and in politics and in television. No controversy will erase the historic impact." In Depth: Michael Jackson special report
"Thriller," a 14-minute video extravaganza directed by John Landis, paved the way for the elaborate music videos to follow -- including Jackson's "Scream," recorded with sister Janet in 1995, which cost a reported $7 million and may be the most expensive video ever.
His incredible dance talent, a modern twist on the Motown moves he witnessed as a child, led to a heightened focus on choreography in pop music videos and stage shows.
His 1982 album "Thriller" smashed records. It was No. 1 for 37 weeks and, at its peak, sold a million copies a week. To date, it has sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide. The achievement set a high bar for Jackson; when his 1995 greatest-hits CD, "HIStory," sold 7 million copies, it was considered a relative failure.
Jackson was also a fashion icon, his heavily zippered leather jackets a de rigueur 1980s fashion accessory, his single, spangled glove beyond compare.
On the down side, Jackson also led in making pop stars the subject of the paparazzi and tabloids in a way, perhaps, equaled only by such icons as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the pre-"Sgt. Pepper" Beatles. Rumors abounded, from his pets to his sleeping habits to his cosmetic surgery, all fodder for the press. After stories arose of possible child molestation, he never got back in the media's good graces; he was treated as a traveling circus.
From the time he was a child, it was obvious Michael Jackson was something special. In 1966, when he was 8, he joined his brothers in the band his father put together and started singing lead with brother Jermaine.
Though Motown Records was the top label of the 1960s, inventing what it called "the Sound of Young America," by 1969 -- when Jackson and his brothers in the Jackson 5 first hit the charts -- the label was finding itself out of step with the psychedelic and hard-soul sounds of the times.
Enter the quintet from Gary, Indiana.
Motown signed the group in 1968 and poured its all into the Jackson 5's first single, "I Want You Back" -- the writing and production team were credited as "The Corporation" -- and Jackson's imploring, dramatic vocal rocked America. The song hit No. 1 in January 1970, and was followed by three more No. 1s in quick succession.
Thanks to their squeaky-clean image, the Jackson 5 became teen idols, unusual for a group of African-American youngsters. Michael Jackson's face appeared on the covers of teen magazines; the band even became the subject of an animated Saturday-morning TV show, another first for an African-American group.
But it was in the 1980s, when Jackson became a worldwide phenomenon, that his impact really began to be felt.
He was much imitated, from his hair to his clothes to his dance moves. The music was superbly crafted pop, produced by Quincy Jones and often written by Jackson himself. Even rock critics approved; the album "Thriller" earned an A from the picky Robert Christgau, among others.
There came a moment, around that time, when pop music went into a Jackson era. "Thriller" had nine songs; seven of them became singles. Jackson teamed with Lionel Richie to write the fundraising song "We Are the World"; it was his presence, as much as that of Richie, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, that propelled the song to No. 1.
Jackson reteamed with his brothers for an album, "Destiny," and accompanying tour. It was the hottest tour of the year, despite complaints about sales practices. (Partly because of the controversy, Jackson announced publicly he was donating all his money from the tour to charity.)
He was a role model. At the peak of his fame, there were reports of a humbly dressed Jackson ringing doorbells as part of his Jehovah's Witness faith.
Though Jackson's image eventually became sullied by the molestation allegations and stories of eccentricity, there was never any doubt about his entertainment legacy. "Thriller" and "Bad" are still among the top sellers of all time. His fluid dance moves and stage presence set standards that rising stars -- often compared to Jackson -- struggle to equal.
"Of all the thousands of entertainers I have worked with, Michael was the most outstanding. Many have tried and will try to copy him, but his talent will never be matched. He was truly one-of-a-kind," said Dick Clark, who would know.
And then there's the music, from the early, explosive joy of the Jackson 5 hits to the elegant ballads, down-and-dirty grooves and ecstatic dance hits of his solo years. "The Love You Save," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Bad" -- they are pop music boiled down to its best essence, with a good beat, an engrossing melody and even, sometimes, a message of love and fellowship.
It's enough to take a listener to the moon.
For Michael Jackson, the spotlight was always present, and the rest of the world followed.
With "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" -- the latter with Eddie Van Halen's scorching guitar solo -- he was almost single-handedly responsible for getting videos by African-American artists on MTV and helped revitalize the moribund Top 40 format in the early 1980s.
"Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a friend. "Michael did with music what they later did in sports, and in politics and in television. No controversy will erase the historic impact." In Depth: Michael Jackson special report
"Thriller," a 14-minute video extravaganza directed by John Landis, paved the way for the elaborate music videos to follow -- including Jackson's "Scream," recorded with sister Janet in 1995, which cost a reported $7 million and may be the most expensive video ever.
His incredible dance talent, a modern twist on the Motown moves he witnessed as a child, led to a heightened focus on choreography in pop music videos and stage shows.
His 1982 album "Thriller" smashed records. It was No. 1 for 37 weeks and, at its peak, sold a million copies a week. To date, it has sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide. The achievement set a high bar for Jackson; when his 1995 greatest-hits CD, "HIStory," sold 7 million copies, it was considered a relative failure.
Jackson was also a fashion icon, his heavily zippered leather jackets a de rigueur 1980s fashion accessory, his single, spangled glove beyond compare.
On the down side, Jackson also led in making pop stars the subject of the paparazzi and tabloids in a way, perhaps, equaled only by such icons as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the pre-"Sgt. Pepper" Beatles. Rumors abounded, from his pets to his sleeping habits to his cosmetic surgery, all fodder for the press. After stories arose of possible child molestation, he never got back in the media's good graces; he was treated as a traveling circus.
From the time he was a child, it was obvious Michael Jackson was something special. In 1966, when he was 8, he joined his brothers in the band his father put together and started singing lead with brother Jermaine.
Though Motown Records was the top label of the 1960s, inventing what it called "the Sound of Young America," by 1969 -- when Jackson and his brothers in the Jackson 5 first hit the charts -- the label was finding itself out of step with the psychedelic and hard-soul sounds of the times.
Enter the quintet from Gary, Indiana.
Motown signed the group in 1968 and poured its all into the Jackson 5's first single, "I Want You Back" -- the writing and production team were credited as "The Corporation" -- and Jackson's imploring, dramatic vocal rocked America. The song hit No. 1 in January 1970, and was followed by three more No. 1s in quick succession.
Thanks to their squeaky-clean image, the Jackson 5 became teen idols, unusual for a group of African-American youngsters. Michael Jackson's face appeared on the covers of teen magazines; the band even became the subject of an animated Saturday-morning TV show, another first for an African-American group.
But it was in the 1980s, when Jackson became a worldwide phenomenon, that his impact really began to be felt.
He was much imitated, from his hair to his clothes to his dance moves. The music was superbly crafted pop, produced by Quincy Jones and often written by Jackson himself. Even rock critics approved; the album "Thriller" earned an A from the picky Robert Christgau, among others.
There came a moment, around that time, when pop music went into a Jackson era. "Thriller" had nine songs; seven of them became singles. Jackson teamed with Lionel Richie to write the fundraising song "We Are the World"; it was his presence, as much as that of Richie, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, that propelled the song to No. 1.
Jackson reteamed with his brothers for an album, "Destiny," and accompanying tour. It was the hottest tour of the year, despite complaints about sales practices. (Partly because of the controversy, Jackson announced publicly he was donating all his money from the tour to charity.)
He was a role model. At the peak of his fame, there were reports of a humbly dressed Jackson ringing doorbells as part of his Jehovah's Witness faith.
Though Jackson's image eventually became sullied by the molestation allegations and stories of eccentricity, there was never any doubt about his entertainment legacy. "Thriller" and "Bad" are still among the top sellers of all time. His fluid dance moves and stage presence set standards that rising stars -- often compared to Jackson -- struggle to equal.
"Of all the thousands of entertainers I have worked with, Michael was the most outstanding. Many have tried and will try to copy him, but his talent will never be matched. He was truly one-of-a-kind," said Dick Clark, who would know.
And then there's the music, from the early, explosive joy of the Jackson 5 hits to the elegant ballads, down-and-dirty grooves and ecstatic dance hits of his solo years. "The Love You Save," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Bad" -- they are pop music boiled down to its best essence, with a good beat, an engrossing melody and even, sometimes, a message of love and fellowship.
It's enough to take a listener to the moon.
Michael Jackson dies at 50
On a magical night in 1983, Michael Jackson struck a pose on stage, clasping the black fedora on his head with his white sequined glove. His black jacket and silver vest glittered as white socks showed under his high-water black pants. Then he erupted into a flurry of fluid dance moves in a performance of Billie Jean that would catapult the former child singing sensation into full-blown superstardom.
Probably no celebrity has been as revered and reviled over the past 40 years as Jackson, 50, who died Thursday in Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press. The troubled, reclusive star was rushed to UCLA Medical Center by paramedics responding to a call from his home at about 12:30 p.m.
The cause of Jackson's death was not immediately announced, nor were circumstances surrounding it. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics got to his Los Angeles home, Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.
Jackson had been scheduled next month to begin the first of 50 sold-out concerts at London's O2 Arena, a testament to his enduring popularity with fans around the world, a love affair that reached a peak on that March evening 26 years ago.
The occasion was the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever television special that celebrated a milestone for the legendary label, but it was also a seminal moment for the King of Pop. A then-record 47 million people watched in awe as Jackson unveiled the moonwalk with an electrifying performance. Other Motown greats performed that night and Jackson himself had reunited with brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy for a walk down memory lane with the Jackson 5.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Super Bowl | Sony | Britney Spears | Michael Jackson | Justin Timberlake | Chris Brown | Kanye West | Elvis Presley | Jay-Z | Usher | R. Kelly | Akon | MTV | Thriller | Lisa Marie Presley | Dangerous | Billie Jean | Sony Music Entertainment | Tommy Mottola | Beat It | Super Bowl XXVII | Canadian Pacific Railway Limited | Gary Indiana | I Want You Back | Smooth Criminal
But in that moment, Jackson stood alone in the spotlight, a singular figure riding a wave of popularity rarely seen anywhere. His groundbreaking Thriller— still the biggest selling album of all time — was dominating the charts and Jackson was in the process of reshaping the musical landscape with his videos and celebrity. There were still millions of records to be sold, acclaimed videos to be filmed and record-shattering concert tours to undertaken.
It was also before years of tabloid exposes, bizarre behavior, artistic flops, financial crises, health issues and child sex abuse scandals tarnished his image. His run of triumphs in the 1980s, in addition to Thriller, included the blockbuster albums Off the Wall and Bad.
Since he first arrived on the scene in 1969 as the cherubic 11-year-old phenom singing I Want You Backwith the teen heartthrob J5, Jackson has been at the forefront of pop culture.
The brothers were the eldest sons in a family of nine children born in Gary, Indiana, to steelworker Joe Jackson and his wife, Katherine. The father recognized his sons' talent and molded them into a singing group, one that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
But it was Michael who transformed pop music as a solo act, becoming the first African-American singer to gain mass crossover appeal. The premiere of videos for songs likeBeat It, Billie Jean, Thriller, Bad andSmooth Criminalwere major events and he helped popularize the then-fledgling MTV. It, in turn, brought him into millions of homes daily.
Thriller won a record eight Grammy Awards in 1984. Virtually every song became a hit single and it changed the industry's thinking about how albums were put together and marketed. It also opened the door for artists to have more creative freedom and higher royalty returns. At the same time, he inspired legions of imitators and a line of dolls and accessories.
He spent his life under the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs, but in recent years, he has more often been the subject of negative news about his eccentricities and personal life. Jackson's seemingly charmed life started to change when a pyrotechnics accident during the filming of a Pepsi ad set his hair afire and burned his scalp. He got outpouring of sympathy after that and won a $1.5 million settlement from Pepsi, which he donated to charity.
But his health also became a public fascination, especially as he began to change his appearance through plastic surgery. He had several nose jobs, his lips thinned, and chin clef put in, among other alterations. Meanwhile, Jackson's brown skin grew progressively lighter, rumored to be the result of skin bleaching, but later diagnosed as vitiligo. The skin disorder causes a loss of pigment.
Jackson himself fueled gossip column by leaking false stories that he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, reportedly to slow the aging process, or next to the bones of Joseph Merrick, the 19th century Englishman known as "The Elephant Man" because of his congenital deformities.
He addressed many of these issues in his 1988 autobiography, Moonwalk, in which he also revealed that he had been physically abused as a child. That same year, he built his $17 million Neverland Ranch near Santa Ynez, Calif., replete with an amusement park and exotic animals.
And while none of his post-Thriller albums matched its success, 1987's Bad, 1991's Dangerous and 1995's HIStory were still commercial successes. Jackson reminded the world again of his power as a artist with an exhilarating halftime performance at 1993's Super Bowl XXVII before a U.S. TV audience of more than 135 million.
But despite such triumphs, curiosity and controversy were his constant companions. Not long after the Super Bowl, he talked abot his troubled childhood, his vitiligo and other tabloid issues in a wrenching 90-minute televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. Later that year, he was accused of sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy. The stress of that situation led Jackson to become addicted to various painkillers and rather than stand trial, he ultimately settled with the boy's family for $22 million.
His reputation never fully recovered, even when he married singer Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, later that year. They kept their Dominican Republic ceremony secret for nearly two months, and had an amicable parting two years later.
Jackson's 82-concert HIStory World Tour in 1996 was seen by 4.5 million fans. It was his biggest ever, and also his last. It was also during the tour that he married Deborah Rowe, a dermatologist nurse with whom he had two children — Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. in 1997, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson in 1998. They divorced in 1999, with Rowe giving Jackson full custody rights.
Again, this parting proved amicable, but his split with Sony Records— his label since Off The Wall— was anything but. Just before the release of 2001's Invincible, he accused Sony chief Tommy Mottola of being a racist. It was another commercial success, though short of Jackson's standards.
In 2002, Jackson had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, who he claims was conceived via the artificial insemination of an unidentified surrogate mother. The tabloids scandalized him again after he dangled the baby over a hotel room balcony for photographers.
The following year, he was charged with nine felonies relating to the molestation of a 14-year-old. The charges came after a documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, showed him holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with the boy. Jackson was acquitted of all charges at a highly publicized trial five months later and he left the United States to live in Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah, a member of the royal family who had paid Jackson's legal fees. Jackson constantly struggled with his finances after the 2003 trial, with news reports describing the 2009/2010 London concerts as a fight to erase his crushing debts.
Relations with Abdullah soured recently, with Jackson reaching a settlement in November in the sheikh's $7 million breach-of-contract suit. He had accused Jackson of reneging on a deal to produce an album, an autobiography and a musical for his 2 Seas Records company. Jackson, who earlier in the year was photographed at a Bahrain shopping mall disguised an Arab woman, moved back to California, living in a rented home near the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills.
In November, Jackson gave up the title to his 2,500-acre Neverland ranch, transferring the deed to a company he partly controls. Jackson had gone into default on the $24.5 million he owes on the property and had faced foreclosure before the real estate investment company Colony Capital bailed him out earlier this year by purchasing his loan.
Jackson's most recent controversy found a spokesperson refuting British tabloid reports that Jackson, who has been seen in a wheelchair and frequently wears a surgical mask on his face, was in dire health suffering from Alpha 1-antitryspsin deficiency, a rare lung disease. The rumors stemmed from an interview given by Ian Halperin, author of an upcoming unauthorized Jackson autobiography.
But despite all of his peccadilloes, Jackson remains a revered figure to those in the record industry. A broad range of pop artists, such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Akon, Britney Spears, Usher, Justin Timberlake, R.Kelly, Chris Brown, baby sister Janet, and dozens of others cite his influence on their music and even their desire to be entertainers.
Will.i.am, who this year produced three remixes on the celebratory reissue Thriller 25, explained: "It was the first time a black dude was on MTV. It was the first time you saw things that were happening in the ghettos and kids in the suburbs were copying it. It was like Broadway fused with street performance and his wardrobe was fly. He made it possible to be yourself and be free and just do you."
Jackson is a two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Jackson 5 and solo), a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a 13-time Grammy winner, and has 13 solo No. 1 hits and another four with the Jackson 5. Thriller alone sold more than 27 million copies in the USA.
Whether he was wowing fans as a singing/dancing machine, turning heads with his outlandish wardrobes, or alternately amusing or horrifying everyone with his kooky behavior, Jackson could never, would never be ignored.
The King of Pop was always center stage. And the world was always watching.
Probably no celebrity has been as revered and reviled over the past 40 years as Jackson, 50, who died Thursday in Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press. The troubled, reclusive star was rushed to UCLA Medical Center by paramedics responding to a call from his home at about 12:30 p.m.
The cause of Jackson's death was not immediately announced, nor were circumstances surrounding it. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics got to his Los Angeles home, Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.
Jackson had been scheduled next month to begin the first of 50 sold-out concerts at London's O2 Arena, a testament to his enduring popularity with fans around the world, a love affair that reached a peak on that March evening 26 years ago.
The occasion was the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever television special that celebrated a milestone for the legendary label, but it was also a seminal moment for the King of Pop. A then-record 47 million people watched in awe as Jackson unveiled the moonwalk with an electrifying performance. Other Motown greats performed that night and Jackson himself had reunited with brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy for a walk down memory lane with the Jackson 5.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Super Bowl | Sony | Britney Spears | Michael Jackson | Justin Timberlake | Chris Brown | Kanye West | Elvis Presley | Jay-Z | Usher | R. Kelly | Akon | MTV | Thriller | Lisa Marie Presley | Dangerous | Billie Jean | Sony Music Entertainment | Tommy Mottola | Beat It | Super Bowl XXVII | Canadian Pacific Railway Limited | Gary Indiana | I Want You Back | Smooth Criminal
But in that moment, Jackson stood alone in the spotlight, a singular figure riding a wave of popularity rarely seen anywhere. His groundbreaking Thriller— still the biggest selling album of all time — was dominating the charts and Jackson was in the process of reshaping the musical landscape with his videos and celebrity. There were still millions of records to be sold, acclaimed videos to be filmed and record-shattering concert tours to undertaken.
It was also before years of tabloid exposes, bizarre behavior, artistic flops, financial crises, health issues and child sex abuse scandals tarnished his image. His run of triumphs in the 1980s, in addition to Thriller, included the blockbuster albums Off the Wall and Bad.
Since he first arrived on the scene in 1969 as the cherubic 11-year-old phenom singing I Want You Backwith the teen heartthrob J5, Jackson has been at the forefront of pop culture.
The brothers were the eldest sons in a family of nine children born in Gary, Indiana, to steelworker Joe Jackson and his wife, Katherine. The father recognized his sons' talent and molded them into a singing group, one that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
But it was Michael who transformed pop music as a solo act, becoming the first African-American singer to gain mass crossover appeal. The premiere of videos for songs likeBeat It, Billie Jean, Thriller, Bad andSmooth Criminalwere major events and he helped popularize the then-fledgling MTV. It, in turn, brought him into millions of homes daily.
Thriller won a record eight Grammy Awards in 1984. Virtually every song became a hit single and it changed the industry's thinking about how albums were put together and marketed. It also opened the door for artists to have more creative freedom and higher royalty returns. At the same time, he inspired legions of imitators and a line of dolls and accessories.
He spent his life under the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs, but in recent years, he has more often been the subject of negative news about his eccentricities and personal life. Jackson's seemingly charmed life started to change when a pyrotechnics accident during the filming of a Pepsi ad set his hair afire and burned his scalp. He got outpouring of sympathy after that and won a $1.5 million settlement from Pepsi, which he donated to charity.
But his health also became a public fascination, especially as he began to change his appearance through plastic surgery. He had several nose jobs, his lips thinned, and chin clef put in, among other alterations. Meanwhile, Jackson's brown skin grew progressively lighter, rumored to be the result of skin bleaching, but later diagnosed as vitiligo. The skin disorder causes a loss of pigment.
Jackson himself fueled gossip column by leaking false stories that he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, reportedly to slow the aging process, or next to the bones of Joseph Merrick, the 19th century Englishman known as "The Elephant Man" because of his congenital deformities.
He addressed many of these issues in his 1988 autobiography, Moonwalk, in which he also revealed that he had been physically abused as a child. That same year, he built his $17 million Neverland Ranch near Santa Ynez, Calif., replete with an amusement park and exotic animals.
And while none of his post-Thriller albums matched its success, 1987's Bad, 1991's Dangerous and 1995's HIStory were still commercial successes. Jackson reminded the world again of his power as a artist with an exhilarating halftime performance at 1993's Super Bowl XXVII before a U.S. TV audience of more than 135 million.
But despite such triumphs, curiosity and controversy were his constant companions. Not long after the Super Bowl, he talked abot his troubled childhood, his vitiligo and other tabloid issues in a wrenching 90-minute televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. Later that year, he was accused of sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy. The stress of that situation led Jackson to become addicted to various painkillers and rather than stand trial, he ultimately settled with the boy's family for $22 million.
His reputation never fully recovered, even when he married singer Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, later that year. They kept their Dominican Republic ceremony secret for nearly two months, and had an amicable parting two years later.
Jackson's 82-concert HIStory World Tour in 1996 was seen by 4.5 million fans. It was his biggest ever, and also his last. It was also during the tour that he married Deborah Rowe, a dermatologist nurse with whom he had two children — Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. in 1997, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson in 1998. They divorced in 1999, with Rowe giving Jackson full custody rights.
Again, this parting proved amicable, but his split with Sony Records— his label since Off The Wall— was anything but. Just before the release of 2001's Invincible, he accused Sony chief Tommy Mottola of being a racist. It was another commercial success, though short of Jackson's standards.
In 2002, Jackson had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, who he claims was conceived via the artificial insemination of an unidentified surrogate mother. The tabloids scandalized him again after he dangled the baby over a hotel room balcony for photographers.
The following year, he was charged with nine felonies relating to the molestation of a 14-year-old. The charges came after a documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, showed him holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with the boy. Jackson was acquitted of all charges at a highly publicized trial five months later and he left the United States to live in Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah, a member of the royal family who had paid Jackson's legal fees. Jackson constantly struggled with his finances after the 2003 trial, with news reports describing the 2009/2010 London concerts as a fight to erase his crushing debts.
Relations with Abdullah soured recently, with Jackson reaching a settlement in November in the sheikh's $7 million breach-of-contract suit. He had accused Jackson of reneging on a deal to produce an album, an autobiography and a musical for his 2 Seas Records company. Jackson, who earlier in the year was photographed at a Bahrain shopping mall disguised an Arab woman, moved back to California, living in a rented home near the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills.
In November, Jackson gave up the title to his 2,500-acre Neverland ranch, transferring the deed to a company he partly controls. Jackson had gone into default on the $24.5 million he owes on the property and had faced foreclosure before the real estate investment company Colony Capital bailed him out earlier this year by purchasing his loan.
Jackson's most recent controversy found a spokesperson refuting British tabloid reports that Jackson, who has been seen in a wheelchair and frequently wears a surgical mask on his face, was in dire health suffering from Alpha 1-antitryspsin deficiency, a rare lung disease. The rumors stemmed from an interview given by Ian Halperin, author of an upcoming unauthorized Jackson autobiography.
But despite all of his peccadilloes, Jackson remains a revered figure to those in the record industry. A broad range of pop artists, such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Akon, Britney Spears, Usher, Justin Timberlake, R.Kelly, Chris Brown, baby sister Janet, and dozens of others cite his influence on their music and even their desire to be entertainers.
Will.i.am, who this year produced three remixes on the celebratory reissue Thriller 25, explained: "It was the first time a black dude was on MTV. It was the first time you saw things that were happening in the ghettos and kids in the suburbs were copying it. It was like Broadway fused with street performance and his wardrobe was fly. He made it possible to be yourself and be free and just do you."
Jackson is a two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Jackson 5 and solo), a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a 13-time Grammy winner, and has 13 solo No. 1 hits and another four with the Jackson 5. Thriller alone sold more than 27 million copies in the USA.
Whether he was wowing fans as a singing/dancing machine, turning heads with his outlandish wardrobes, or alternately amusing or horrifying everyone with his kooky behavior, Jackson could never, would never be ignored.
The King of Pop was always center stage. And the world was always watching.
AP Source: Michael Jackson dies in LA hospital
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted "King of Pop" who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world's most influential singer and dancer before his life and career deteriorated in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.
The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves, his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove and tight, military-style jacket were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
As years went by, he became an increasingly freakish figure. His skin became lighter and his nose narrower. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.
In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him. The case took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson's rented home, was roped off with police tape.
In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.
"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."
The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves, his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove and tight, military-style jacket were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
As years went by, he became an increasingly freakish figure. His skin became lighter and his nose narrower. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.
In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him. The case took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson's rented home, was roped off with police tape.
In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.
"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Jon & Kate Plus 8 on Hiatus Until August
Jon & Kate Plus 8 will go on hiatus until August following the Gosselins' separation announcement on Monday's episode, TLC said in a statement.
"TLC continues to support the Gosselin family and will work closely with them to determine the best way to continue to tell their story as they navigate through this difficult time," the statement read.
The network said Monday's upcoming episode will be a retrospective clip show on Jon and Kate's 10-year marriage. The next new episode will air Aug. 3.
"During this time the family will take some time off to regroup and then a modified schedule will be in place to support the family's transition," the statement concluded.
TLC ordered 40 episodes for the season — the series' fifth — but only six have aired.
During their separation announcement on Monday's highly anticipated episode, both Jon and Kate said the show will continue. They said their children will remain in the Wernersville, Pa., home while they will alternate living there. "We interview separately, we'll film different things," Jon said. "Me and the kids, her and the kids."
Jon and Kate never used the word "divorce" to describe their plans in the episode, but Kate filed for divorce in a Pennsylvania court hours before the episode aired. On-screen text later in the episode said that legal papers were filed Monday to dissolve the Gosselins' marriage.
"Over the course of this weekend, Jon's activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children," Kate said in a statement. "While there are reasons why it was appropriate and necessary for me to initiate this proceeding, I do not wish to discuss those reasons at this time, in the hope that all issues will be resolved amicably between Jon and myself. As always, my first priority remains our children."
Jon said in a separate statement on Monday that Kate filed divorce documents and that he is "deeply saddened" to be divorcing.
"This afternoon, Kate filed for divorce. Our kids are still my number one priority. I love them and want to make sure they stay happy, healthy and safe. My job is being the best, most supportive and loving father that I can be to my kids, and not being married to Kate doesn't change that," he said in the statement.
"This will be a difficult transition for all of us, but Kate and I will work out a schedule that enables our kids to have plenty of quality time with both of us at home in Pennsylvania. In terms of my marriage, it's no secret that the past six months or so have been very difficult for Kate and me. We are no different than other couples and parents who are facing a crossroads in their marriage. I am of course deeply saddened that we are divorcing."
"TLC continues to support the Gosselin family and will work closely with them to determine the best way to continue to tell their story as they navigate through this difficult time," the statement read.
The network said Monday's upcoming episode will be a retrospective clip show on Jon and Kate's 10-year marriage. The next new episode will air Aug. 3.
"During this time the family will take some time off to regroup and then a modified schedule will be in place to support the family's transition," the statement concluded.
TLC ordered 40 episodes for the season — the series' fifth — but only six have aired.
During their separation announcement on Monday's highly anticipated episode, both Jon and Kate said the show will continue. They said their children will remain in the Wernersville, Pa., home while they will alternate living there. "We interview separately, we'll film different things," Jon said. "Me and the kids, her and the kids."
Jon and Kate never used the word "divorce" to describe their plans in the episode, but Kate filed for divorce in a Pennsylvania court hours before the episode aired. On-screen text later in the episode said that legal papers were filed Monday to dissolve the Gosselins' marriage.
"Over the course of this weekend, Jon's activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children," Kate said in a statement. "While there are reasons why it was appropriate and necessary for me to initiate this proceeding, I do not wish to discuss those reasons at this time, in the hope that all issues will be resolved amicably between Jon and myself. As always, my first priority remains our children."
Jon said in a separate statement on Monday that Kate filed divorce documents and that he is "deeply saddened" to be divorcing.
"This afternoon, Kate filed for divorce. Our kids are still my number one priority. I love them and want to make sure they stay happy, healthy and safe. My job is being the best, most supportive and loving father that I can be to my kids, and not being married to Kate doesn't change that," he said in the statement.
"This will be a difficult transition for all of us, but Kate and I will work out a schedule that enables our kids to have plenty of quality time with both of us at home in Pennsylvania. In terms of my marriage, it's no secret that the past six months or so have been very difficult for Kate and me. We are no different than other couples and parents who are facing a crossroads in their marriage. I am of course deeply saddened that we are divorcing."
MySpace Set to Lay Off 400 Workers
The latest step in Rupert Murdoch’s effort to turn around the fortunes of his digital businesses came Tuesday in the form of hefty layoffs at MySpace.
MySpace, the social networking site owned by News Corporation, the media conglomerate controlled by Mr. Murdoch, said it was laying off roughly 400 employees, or nearly 30 percent of its staff. After the layoffs, MySpace will have about 1,000 workers.
The company said the layoffs were an attempt to return to a “start-up culture.”
In a statement, Owen Van Natta, a former Facebook executive who became chief executive of MySpace in April, said: “Simply put, our staffing levels were bloated and hindered our ability to be an efficient and nimble team-oriented company. I understand these changes are painful for many. They are also necessary for the long-term health and culture of MySpace. Our intent is to return to an environment of innovation that is centered on our user and our product.”
MySpace, which was acquired by News Corporation in 2005 for $580 million, was once the pre-eminent social networking site. But more recently it has lost some luster to Facebook, and at the same time has come up short of News Corporation’s financial projections.
Until recently, MySpace still had an advantage over Facebook in the United States, although Facebook had more users globally. But recently, according to comScore, Facebook has matched MySpace in the United States, with about 70 million members.
MySpace’s identity is closely associated with entertainment and music — a place where, for example, an upstart band would go to find a following. But Facebook has become the gathering place for users who want to share photos and connect with long-lost friends.
“Right now, MySpace has been attempting to compete to be the biggest social networking site,” said Josh Bernoff, an analyst at Forrester Research. “I don’t think that’s been successful. If MySpace is about your entertainment life, Facebook is about your whole life.”
Financially, MySpace is said to be profitable but has fallen short of expectations at a time when some of News Corporation’s other business, like newspapers and local television, have been a drain on the company’s earnings.
Last year, Fox Interactive Media, the unit that includes MySpace, fell about 10 percent short of a $1 billion revenue projection. In the latest quarter the company did not break out revenue for the unit, but did say that revenue at an operating division, of which Fox Interactive Media is a large component, decreased by $254 million, or 35 percent.
In the previous quarter, the unit had declines in both revenue and operating income.
In addition, News Corporation also cut jobs at the unit. “We are examining the operating structure of Fox Interactive Media and its role as a corporate umbrella for a number of our digital businesses,” said Dan Berger, a spokesman for the unit. “In conjunction with the MySpace staff cuts this week, we reduced our corporate F.I.M. staff and also assigned certain positions to specific business units,” he added, referring to Fox Interactive Media.
To revamp MySpace, Mr. Murdoch has lately engineered a series of management changes.
In April, News Corporation appointed Jon Miller, the former chief executive of America Online, as the chief digital officer of the company, overseeing MySpace and the company’s other Internet businesses — Photobucket, IGN Entertainment and the company’s interest in Hulu, the online video partnership with NBC Universal.
Mr. Miller wasted little time in making changes.
Just weeks later he pushed out Chris DeWolfe, one of the founders and then the chief executive of MySpace. Tom Anderson, another founder of the social networking site, has stayed on.
MySpace, the social networking site owned by News Corporation, the media conglomerate controlled by Mr. Murdoch, said it was laying off roughly 400 employees, or nearly 30 percent of its staff. After the layoffs, MySpace will have about 1,000 workers.
The company said the layoffs were an attempt to return to a “start-up culture.”
In a statement, Owen Van Natta, a former Facebook executive who became chief executive of MySpace in April, said: “Simply put, our staffing levels were bloated and hindered our ability to be an efficient and nimble team-oriented company. I understand these changes are painful for many. They are also necessary for the long-term health and culture of MySpace. Our intent is to return to an environment of innovation that is centered on our user and our product.”
MySpace, which was acquired by News Corporation in 2005 for $580 million, was once the pre-eminent social networking site. But more recently it has lost some luster to Facebook, and at the same time has come up short of News Corporation’s financial projections.
Until recently, MySpace still had an advantage over Facebook in the United States, although Facebook had more users globally. But recently, according to comScore, Facebook has matched MySpace in the United States, with about 70 million members.
MySpace’s identity is closely associated with entertainment and music — a place where, for example, an upstart band would go to find a following. But Facebook has become the gathering place for users who want to share photos and connect with long-lost friends.
“Right now, MySpace has been attempting to compete to be the biggest social networking site,” said Josh Bernoff, an analyst at Forrester Research. “I don’t think that’s been successful. If MySpace is about your entertainment life, Facebook is about your whole life.”
Financially, MySpace is said to be profitable but has fallen short of expectations at a time when some of News Corporation’s other business, like newspapers and local television, have been a drain on the company’s earnings.
Last year, Fox Interactive Media, the unit that includes MySpace, fell about 10 percent short of a $1 billion revenue projection. In the latest quarter the company did not break out revenue for the unit, but did say that revenue at an operating division, of which Fox Interactive Media is a large component, decreased by $254 million, or 35 percent.
In the previous quarter, the unit had declines in both revenue and operating income.
In addition, News Corporation also cut jobs at the unit. “We are examining the operating structure of Fox Interactive Media and its role as a corporate umbrella for a number of our digital businesses,” said Dan Berger, a spokesman for the unit. “In conjunction with the MySpace staff cuts this week, we reduced our corporate F.I.M. staff and also assigned certain positions to specific business units,” he added, referring to Fox Interactive Media.
To revamp MySpace, Mr. Murdoch has lately engineered a series of management changes.
In April, News Corporation appointed Jon Miller, the former chief executive of America Online, as the chief digital officer of the company, overseeing MySpace and the company’s other Internet businesses — Photobucket, IGN Entertainment and the company’s interest in Hulu, the online video partnership with NBC Universal.
Mr. Miller wasted little time in making changes.
Just weeks later he pushed out Chris DeWolfe, one of the founders and then the chief executive of MySpace. Tom Anderson, another founder of the social networking site, has stayed on.
NTSB: past subway train accidents raised concerns
WASHINGTON – Past accidents on the Washington-area subway system raised concerns about the safety commuter trains that were not addressed, said a federal official investigating the cause of a deadly rush-hour crash that killed seven people Monday.
"We know accidents are going to happen," but there must be a better system to prevent them said Debbie Hersman, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
There was conflicting information about the number of fatalities.
Mayor Adrian Fenty announced Tuesday that seven had died in the crash along a part of Metro system track that carries passengers from the District of Columbia into suburban Maryland. The District of Columbia Fire Department Web site announced early Tuesday morning that three bodies had been found in addition to the six fatalities reported earlier.
Fenty said two victims were hospitalized in critical condition. More than 70 others were injured and taken to hospitals on Monday, he said.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Hersman said the NTSB warned in 2006 that there were safety problems related to trains rolling back on their tracks.
"When the train rolled back, the operator was not able to stop it," she said. Hersman said the NTSB recommended that a specific series of cars be phased out or retrofitted to make them more crashworthy.
"We saw that they did not do well against the newer series of cars as far as crash-worthiness," Hersman said.
The Metrorail transit system "was not able to do what we asked them to do," which was to either to retrofit the thousand-series or phase them out, she said.
It was not known whether the trains involved in Monday's crash were in the series that were recommended for replacement or retrofitting.
Monday's crash was the worst in the history of Metrorail, which has shuttled tourists and federal workers to and from the nation's capital for more than three decades.
The only other fatal crash occurred on Jan. 13, 1982, when three people died as a result of a derailment beneath downtown. That was a day of disaster in the capital: Shortly before the subway crash, an Air Florida plane slammed into the 14th Street Bridge immediately after takeoff from Washington National Airport across the Potomac River. The plane crash, during a severe snowstorm, killed 78 people.
In January 2007, a subway train derailed in downtown Washington, sending 20 people to the hospital and prompting the rescue of 60 others from the tunnel. In November 2006, two Metro track workers were struck and killed by an out-of-service train. An investigation found that the train operator failed to follow safety procedures. Another Metro worker was struck and killed in May 2006.
"We know accidents are going to happen," but there must be a better system to prevent them said Debbie Hersman, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
There was conflicting information about the number of fatalities.
Mayor Adrian Fenty announced Tuesday that seven had died in the crash along a part of Metro system track that carries passengers from the District of Columbia into suburban Maryland. The District of Columbia Fire Department Web site announced early Tuesday morning that three bodies had been found in addition to the six fatalities reported earlier.
Fenty said two victims were hospitalized in critical condition. More than 70 others were injured and taken to hospitals on Monday, he said.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Hersman said the NTSB warned in 2006 that there were safety problems related to trains rolling back on their tracks.
"When the train rolled back, the operator was not able to stop it," she said. Hersman said the NTSB recommended that a specific series of cars be phased out or retrofitted to make them more crashworthy.
"We saw that they did not do well against the newer series of cars as far as crash-worthiness," Hersman said.
The Metrorail transit system "was not able to do what we asked them to do," which was to either to retrofit the thousand-series or phase them out, she said.
It was not known whether the trains involved in Monday's crash were in the series that were recommended for replacement or retrofitting.
Monday's crash was the worst in the history of Metrorail, which has shuttled tourists and federal workers to and from the nation's capital for more than three decades.
The only other fatal crash occurred on Jan. 13, 1982, when three people died as a result of a derailment beneath downtown. That was a day of disaster in the capital: Shortly before the subway crash, an Air Florida plane slammed into the 14th Street Bridge immediately after takeoff from Washington National Airport across the Potomac River. The plane crash, during a severe snowstorm, killed 78 people.
In January 2007, a subway train derailed in downtown Washington, sending 20 people to the hospital and prompting the rescue of 60 others from the tunnel. In November 2006, two Metro track workers were struck and killed by an out-of-service train. An investigation found that the train operator failed to follow safety procedures. Another Metro worker was struck and killed in May 2006.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Maker of Famous Vibrating Bed Dead
The Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed made motels the place to be for a good ride
Some inventions just can't be duplicated.
The "Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed," a coin-operated fixture in American motel rooms in the 1960s and 70s, is one of them, if not for the name alone. Its inventor, John Joseph Houghtaling, died Wednesday in his Fort pierce home at the age of 92.
Tinkering in the basement of his New Jersey home, Houghtaling invented the "Magic Fingers" machine in 1958. It caused beds to vibrate when a quarter was dropped in the device. He moved the company to Miami in 1968 and remained its president until he retired in the 1980s.
The kitschy devices made their way into pop culture - celebrated in song by Jimmy Buffett and Frank Zappa and the cause of a beer explosion in the movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."
The device was mounted onto beds, and a quarter bought 15 minutes of "tingling relaxation and ease," according to its label. Other vibrators have since jumped on the idea, making the same claim. But there can be only one Magic Fingers.
"Put in a quarter, turn out the light, Magic Fingers makes ya feel all right," Buffett sang in "This Hotel Room."
Some inventions just can't be duplicated.
The "Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed," a coin-operated fixture in American motel rooms in the 1960s and 70s, is one of them, if not for the name alone. Its inventor, John Joseph Houghtaling, died Wednesday in his Fort pierce home at the age of 92.
Tinkering in the basement of his New Jersey home, Houghtaling invented the "Magic Fingers" machine in 1958. It caused beds to vibrate when a quarter was dropped in the device. He moved the company to Miami in 1968 and remained its president until he retired in the 1980s.
The kitschy devices made their way into pop culture - celebrated in song by Jimmy Buffett and Frank Zappa and the cause of a beer explosion in the movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."
The device was mounted onto beds, and a quarter bought 15 minutes of "tingling relaxation and ease," according to its label. Other vibrators have since jumped on the idea, making the same claim. But there can be only one Magic Fingers.
"Put in a quarter, turn out the light, Magic Fingers makes ya feel all right," Buffett sang in "This Hotel Room."
99-Year-Old's Water Bill Jumps Almost 4000%
WASA: 139,876 gallons went into Northwest house
WASHINGTON -- Stop complaining about your utility bills. Jeannette Cohen's water bill jumped almost 4000 percent.
The 99-year-old northwest Washington woman insists it must be a mistake. Usually, her water bill is $30. In March, she did a double take.
"I got my usual bill and opened the envelope and looked at the amount," she said. "Huh? I looked again."
It was $1,181.
Cohen complained and had plumbers check her house twice. Usually, she uses about 3,000 gallons of water per month. D.C. Water and Sewer Authority's records show that 139,876 gallons went into her house that month, and they insist she must pay for them.
"It's just so obvious that, as the plumber said, 'You couldn't use that much water,'" she told News4's Tom Sherwood.
Ellen Cohen is worried about the stress this could cause her mother in law. Jeannette Cohen has lived in the same, modest house in the Tenley Circle area since 1955, and in December she turns 100.
"She would never dodge something that she owed, but she's also very fair and she has a real belief in justice," Ellen Cohen said.
Jeannette Cohen has a hearing scheduled for June 30.
"Well, I have hopes," she said. "I would love to have it fixed just because it is so stupid and so wrong."
WASA told News4 it reconfirmed its records but is concerned, too, and will investigate further.
WASHINGTON -- Stop complaining about your utility bills. Jeannette Cohen's water bill jumped almost 4000 percent.
The 99-year-old northwest Washington woman insists it must be a mistake. Usually, her water bill is $30. In March, she did a double take.
"I got my usual bill and opened the envelope and looked at the amount," she said. "Huh? I looked again."
It was $1,181.
Cohen complained and had plumbers check her house twice. Usually, she uses about 3,000 gallons of water per month. D.C. Water and Sewer Authority's records show that 139,876 gallons went into her house that month, and they insist she must pay for them.
"It's just so obvious that, as the plumber said, 'You couldn't use that much water,'" she told News4's Tom Sherwood.
Ellen Cohen is worried about the stress this could cause her mother in law. Jeannette Cohen has lived in the same, modest house in the Tenley Circle area since 1955, and in December she turns 100.
"She would never dodge something that she owed, but she's also very fair and she has a real belief in justice," Ellen Cohen said.
Jeannette Cohen has a hearing scheduled for June 30.
"Well, I have hopes," she said. "I would love to have it fixed just because it is so stupid and so wrong."
WASA told News4 it reconfirmed its records but is concerned, too, and will investigate further.
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