Michael & Janet Jackson Duet in We Are the World

By: Roger Friedman   //   Wednesday February 10, 2010

Less than 48 hours before “We Are the World 25″ premieres on the Olympics, I can tell you that the finished version has a duet of sorts with Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.

It comes at the midpoint of the Quincy Jones produced record. Just like in the original version from 1985, Michael sings the bridge, with Janet joining in. The vocal and the video of Michael are taken from the original version of the record. On the new video, Michael’s image pops up from the old video, followed by Janet’s from the new one.

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Fergie Joins ‘We Are the World,’ But No Jackson Kids So Far

By: Roger Friedman   //   Friday February 5, 2010

59496350I gotta feeling: The gorgeous and full-throated Fergie — Stacy Ferguson — of the Black Eyed Peas has joined the cast of Quincy Jones’s “We Are the World 25.” The powerhouse song and video for Haiti relief debuting next Friday, February 12th during the Olympics.

Fergie did not make the recording session this past Monday, but she has since added her vocals and been filmed by Paul Haggis’s video crew. Her pea in the pod, Will.i.am, participated in Monday’s marathon session.

Fergie is only the second artist to add vocals to the record. On Thursday, Janet Jackson added hers by satellite link from Atlanta.

That’s it, then. No other artists are scheduled. As for Michael Jackson’s kids, Quincy Jones has an idea to have them read a poem by Maya Angelou at the end of the video version of the new recording. But so far nothing’s happened in that regard.

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Michael Jackson’s Kids Spent Christmas With Surrogate Family

By: Roger Friedman   //   Wednesday January 13, 2010

I can tell you something now that I knew a couple of weeks ago: Michael Jackson’s three kids didn’t spend the holidays with the Jackson family at their Hayvenhurst Rd home in Encino, California.

Even though Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, has custody of Prince, Paris and “Blanket,” the three kids weren’t with her on Christmas or New Year’s.

Instead, nanny Grace Rwaramba arranged to take the kids for an extended visit with family friends. This is contrary to reported stories that the three were with their aunt, Janet Jackson, in New York. That was a decoy story. It’s amazing how every blog from Perez Hilton to the most insignificant picked up that story on Christmas Eve and ran it without checking a single fact. Imagine what that means for other celeb blog “exclusives.”

“They were extremely happy and they had a great time,” says a source of the no-Jackson holiday. “It wasn’t a big deal Christmas with elaborate gifts. It was very humble.”

The reason? Katherine Jackson, a Jehovah’s Witness, doesn’t celebrate holidays. If the kids had remained with her in Encino, they would have been deprived, a source says, of their annual Christmas celebration. Katherine, they say, was wise enough to sign off on the visit, and allowed Rwaramba to make the arrangements.

And the word on the kids? “They seemed fine, well adjusted, they’re doing their school work. They don’t talk about Michael’s death but they do mention him.”

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Michael Jackson’s Father: The Awful Truth

By: Roger Friedman   //   Sunday July 12, 2009

No one can stop the avaricious, evil father of Michael Jackson.

In the 18 days since Michael’s tragic death, Joseph Jackson has made at least a half million dollars off his late, famous son.

This week, according to sources, “Good Morning America” paid Jackson around $200,000 for a series of interviews that commence tomorrow morning.

ABC says it’s done this as part of a deal for a one-hour documentary on the Jackson family.

At the same time, Jackson is said to be arriving in London tomorrow, the day that Michael was set to start his shows at the O2 Arena. Sources tell me that the British tabloids are paying Jackson at least $250,000 plus expenses to exploit Michael’s memory.

Meanwhile, Michael—remember him? – is lying in a borrowed vault in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, still not permanently buried or interred because the Jackson family hasn’t figured out which location would maximize their profits best.

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No Jackson 5 (or Six) Reunions Next Week

By: Roger Friedman   //   Sunday July 5, 2009

Despite crazy reports today in the New York Post, the Jackson family is not reuniting to fulfill brother Michael’s gigs in London.

Jackson’s ticketholders are already getting refunds for the London shows, set to begin a week from tomorrow, July 13th. Further, the sets for the show are still in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.

Even more problematic: the O2 Arena has already started booking the lost dates with new attractions.

Also, it’s fairly unlikely that Janet Jackson will be going out on the road with her brothers doing Jackson 5 tribute shows. She has her own, thriving concert career. She’s never mixed that message with the Jackson 5. Her music is totally different, and so is her approach to performance in general.

What might happen: the Jackson brothers doing a tribute/memorial show to Michael and their career with him. It’s funny, because they could have done that years ago, set up shop in Las Vegas at a hotel, and had at it. But the brothers were always hopeful that Michael would join them. It was never going to happen. But hope sprang eternal.

Meantime, the same newspaper reports managed to mix up the Jackson family home in Encino and Michael’s rented home in Bel Air. There’s nothing left in the latter—it’s all been cleaned out by movers.

At the same time, the British press is having a field day printing scurrilous reports about Jackson’s alleged pedophilia—all from sources and witnesses who were discredited years ago. But the British press, like a few U.S. outlets, pays for info whether it’s true or not. Buyer beware when this stuff boomerangs back across the Atlantic. I guess the proper British readers don’t mind that it all reads like pornography!

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Janet, Brothers May Do MJ Tribute Tour

By: Roger Friedman   //   Saturday June 27, 2009

In the chaos surrounding Michael Jackson’s death, there is no limit to the rumors, wild speculations, and self-motivated people who are making pronouncements everywhere—on TV, the Internet, and in print.

Still, my readers know that Showbiz411 sources are rock solid. And these sources are telling me that on the table for consideration is a Janet Jackson/Jackson Brothers tribute tour to celebrate the life of Michael Jackson.

As with everything else concerning Michael and his family, Michael would be horrified to hear this. He’s not even in his grave, but his soul is no doubt spinning. With the exception of Jermaine, and Janet, Michael had little interest in his family.

Nevertheless, the proposal is either that the Jacksons fulfill some of Michael’s London shows, or do a U.S. tour where they would perform his hits and theirs with him. Janet would be the star of such a show, substituting for Michael since none of the brothers would be remotely capable of being the lead performer.

Stay tuned, as this is among many ideas to honor (exploit?) Michael takes shape.

And the word is that at least some or all of the Jacksons may turn up on tomorrow night’s BET Awards live from Los Angeles, hosted by Jamie Foxx. The appearance could be step one in showing family unity.

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Michael Jackson Burial Could Be At Neverland

By: Roger Friedman   //   Saturday June 27, 2009

What’s the hold up with Michael Jackson funeral arrangements? I am told that there is right now a discussion going on within his family and advisors about burying him at Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California.
michael jackson Michael Jackson Burial Could Be At Neverland
Sources tell me that the proposal came from Tohme Tohme, Jackson’s former manager, the non doctor and special ambassador to Senegal. Tohme works with Colony Capital LLC, the firm that holds the mortgage note on Neverland. Their idea is to turn Neverland into Graceland, with Jackson’s grave the central attraction.

This isn’t so easy. For one thing, as lawyers have pointed out, you can’t simply bury someone in your backyard. Permits are required. For another, the town of Los Olivos was sounded out about a “Graceland” idea a long time ago and rejected it. Neverland is on a two-lane country road across from a school way in the hills along the Santa Ynez Valley. The locals feel it’s not equipped for that kind of traffic.

But the Graceland plan is being pushed by Colony and Tohme, as Tohme agitates for it within a split and confused family. Much discussion is going on right now, especially among Michael’s brothers, about ways to maximize his estate—in other words make money.

“Michael would be mortified to know this,” one of his business associates said to me today, and I agree. I am personally mortified for Jackson, knowing not only how private he was, but how much he did not want his family mixing in his business.

Nevertheless, in death Michael will not be able to control the things he kept a tight leash on in life. Already, his sister Janet invaded his space today by bringing moving trucks to his rented home in Bel Air and emptying it of all his belongings. On Friday, sources tell me, LaToya Jackson also went to the rented house, presumably to look for bags or suitcases full of cash that Michael may have hidden in various locations.

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Jacko Album and Singles Sales Skyrocket

By: Roger Friedman   //   Friday June 26, 2009

Death has put Michael  Jackson back on the charts as King of Pop.

He currently has 18 singles in the ITunes Top 100.

On Amazon.com, the top 15 albums are all his. Then 14 of the next 25 are either by Michael, the Jackson 5, or things like soundtrack to “The Wiz.” Ten more Jackson related CDs fill out the numbers 50-100 on Amazon’s top sellers. It’s pretty much the same on the ITunes Top 100 Albums, as well.

Everything connected to Michael and the Jacksons is selling out. Oddly, Michael’s death has had no effect on Janet Jackson’s albums. Janet has been AWOL since yesterday. She remains the only family member unaccounted for.

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JACKO SHOWS DELAYED, BUT ARE DEFINITELY ON

By: Roger Friedman   //   Monday May 11, 2009

MICHAEL JACKSON LONDON SHOWS DELAYED; LEGAL THREATS ‘BOGUS’

Michael Jackson’s London concerts are going forward as planned, despite legal threats from miscellaneous types who’d like to cash in on the action.

The latest threat, reported on tmz.com, is “bogus” according to insiders and has no legal standing.

Concert promoters who never came up with the money and never had real agreements are suing Jacko and former (like in the 80s) manager Frank DiLeo claiming that they’d agreed to be part of some kind of Jackson family tour with the Jackson 5 and Janet Jackson.

Good luck: DiLeo does not represent Jackson and never signed anything, say insiders. Jackson never signed anything either.

Somewhere at the bottom of this latest minor intrigue is promoter Leonard Rowe and Michael’s dad, Joseph Jackson. I reported a few months ago that these two were trying to worm their way into Jacko’s world. It’s not happening.

Meanwhile, as I reported exclusively last week, the Jackson shows will be delayed from July 8th to July 13th or 14th for their start. Director Kenny Ortega should announce tomorrow that he needed a  little more time for rehearsals and sets. Ortega is putting together a hot show, I am told, featuring Cirque du Soleil dancers and performers.

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