Michael Jackson’s body moved from crypt to basement
Jul 14, 2009 Michael Jackson
The fear that Michael Jackson’s fans might break into his crypt have led his body to be moved into a basement.
Jackson’s coffin was put inside a tomb belonging to Motown founder Berry Gordy after the epic Staples Center memorial service in Los Angeles.
The Jackson family wanted to keep its location secret, but information as to its whereabouts at Hollywood’s Forest Lawn Cemetery was leaked. With a decision about the final resting place still being made, thousands of fans and tourists flocked to the site.
The decision is also said to be delayed by testing of Jackson’s brain that is needed to determine the answer to the riddle of his sudden death at the age of 50.
Disagreement is said to have torn Jermaine Jackson and Michael’s other brothers and Jackson’s mother, Katherine, over where he should be laid to rest. Jermaine favours Neverland Ranch, but Katherine believes it to be too tainted for a burial place.
Jackson lived at the Neverland property from 1988 to 2003 before he was charged with child molestation. He never returned, and his mother thinks that’s how things should stay in his death.
Source: Splash News
Tags: cultural icon, dead, died, Family, funeral, global, heart attack, Jermaine Jackson, king pop, Michael Jackson, Neverland Ranch, painkillers, prescription drugs, superstar, tragic
Michael Jackson’s brain ‘missing’ at memorial service
Jul 9, 2009 Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s brain was reportedly missing when his body was laid in a golden casket for his memorial service.
Reports claim that Jackson’s brain has been kept by experts who are still carrying out toxicology tests to work out if the star’s heart attack was brought on by painkillers.
The assistant chief coroner, Ed Winter, said: “As soon as we are done with the brain, we’ll return it. The last I heard, they are not burying the body yet.”
It has also been claimed that the whereabouts of his body are currently unknown. However, British newspaper The Sun is claiming the body is still at the mortuary at Forest Lawn Cemetary, where the family held a private service.
Source: Splash News
Tags: brain, cultural icon, dead, died, Family, Forest Lawn Cemetary, funeral, global, heart attack, king pop, memorial service, Michael Jackson, painkillers, prescription drugs, superstar, tragic
Jackson family gather to say their final goodbyes to King of Pop
Jul 7, 2009 Michael Jackson
Dressed in black, Katherine Jackson led her family into the private memorial service for her son Michael Jackson.
The Jackson clan gathered to say their goodbyes to their most famous and successful son at LA’s cemetery, Forest Lawn, where legendary stars such as Bette Davis are buried.
The family left their Encino compound at about 8am this morning (Los Angeles time).
Escorted by the LAPD, the procession travelled 12 miles from the family home to Forest Lawn, along deserted highways that are normally heaving with rush-hour traffic.
Two of the city’s busiest motorways were closed specially for Jackson’s funeral procession.
Upon arrival at Forest Lawn, the family entered the chapel for a brief service.
About 30 minutes later, they left and the funeral procession, including a hearse reportedly carrying the King of Pop’s body, set off for downtown LA and Staples Centre, where the public memorial is being held.
A crowd of fans had already gathered outside the venue, while those lucky enough to have tickets started taking their seats.
The public memorial is due to start at 10am (LA time).
Source: Splash News
Tags: cultural icon, dead, died, Family, Forest Lawn, funeral, global, heart attack, Katherine Jackson, king pop, LA’s cemetery, Michael Jackson, painkillers, prescription drugs, Staples Centre, superstar, tragic
Tickets for Michael Jackson’s memorial service snapped up by ticket touts
Jul 6, 2009 Music
Tickets for Michael Jackson’s memorial service have been snapped up by ticket touts who plan to make money out of the tragic event.
Jacko passed away aged 50 in LA on June 25 after he reportedly suffered a heart attack.
The memorial is being held at the Staples Center in LA, and tickets for the event were posted online for fans but quickly sold out.
British fan Julian Nelson, 27, was unable to get one of the exclusive tickets and, talking about the touts, he said: “It’s totally out of order and against the spirit of the whole event.
He added: “I was gutted not to get a ticket.
“But it’s worse knowing others did and all they care about is making a quick buck. The touts should be ashamed.
“You just don’t get lower than tryng to make money off a person’s death.”
Source: Splash News
Tags: cultural icon, dead, died, Family, funeral, global, heart attack, king pop, memorial service, Michael Jackson, painkillers, prescription drugs, superstar, ticket, tragic
Michael Jackson had two more albums in pipeline
Jul 3, 2009 Akon, Black Eyed Peas, Jazz, Michael Jackson, Will.I.Am
Michael Jackson had two albums in the works at the time of his death, Billboard magazine has reported.
The singer was collaborating on a pop album with singer-songwriters Claude Kelly and Akon, and another collection of classics.
Kelly said: “He was the King of Pop, the biggest to ever do it, and the one thing you never lose – whether known by the whole world or just 10 people – is your love for music. That never goes away and it never went away for him amidst his troubles.”
Akon (pictured) said: “My fans are still there. They still love me. They’re alive … His kids are like his first priority, and they had never seen him perform live. He was trying to create the most incredible show for his kids.”
Jackson was also working on an instrumental album, collaborating with composer David Michael Frank. “He had two demos of two pieces he’d written, but they weren’t complete,” Frank reportedly told Billboard.
“For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords – I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music.”
Further compositions were also in the pipeline, a jazz track among them. “He mentioned more instrumental music of his he wanted to record, including one jazz piece,” said Frank, who hopes the Jackson family will decide to record the music as a “tribute and show the world the depth of his artistry”.
Meanwhile, Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am earlier this week said Jackson had recordings of new songs the pair had worked on together. “He had all the hard drives because I didn’t want to be responsible for that.”
Source: Splash News
Tags: Akon, Black Eyed Peas, Claude Kelly, died, frontman, healthy, heart attack, Hollywood, Jazz, Michael Jackson, pop king, Rapper, superstar, today show, Will.I.Am
Michael Jackson filmed a video just two weeks before his death – with key scenes eerily set in a cemetery.
Jun 30, 2009 Music Artists, Music Videos
The elaborate ‘Dome Project’ was the last video ever shot by Jackson, whose career feature many of the most important videos in pop history.
Jackson had key scenes set in a cemetery to remind fans of his pioneering 1983 video for his hit Thriller.
But now the video – expected to be ready for screening next month – will instead have a spooky, emotional impact for fans as Jackson is scene in the cemetery.
Asked about the video, Jackson’s close friend Miko Brando said: “True.”
Asked when the video would be released, Miko – the son of late acting legend Marlon Brando – said: “That’s a good question. We’d love to see that. I would think soon, hopefully.”
The video was produced by Robb Wagner and filmed a Culver Studios, which 70 years ago was the set for the classic film Gone With the Wind.
The cemetery scenes are one of four sets in the video.
Besides the cemetery, one set featured an oversized portrait of Jackson in his Thriller werewolf costume, another was a jungle, and the fourth a construction site.
Source: Splash News
Tags: cemetery, cultural icon, dead, died, Family, fears, global, king pop, Michael Jackson, painkillers, prescription drugs, superstar, Thriller, tragic, Video, wake up, warned
Akon: Michael Jackson was one of the healthiest guys I’ve ever met
Jun 26, 2009 Akon, Michael Jackson
R&B star Akon said Michael Jackson was “one of the healthiest guys” he’s ever met.
Despite widespread speculation over the pop superstar’s misuse of prescription drugs, the rapper said he was extremely health conscious.
Asked whether he thought Jackson, who died from a suspected heart attack, was physically up to the challenge of his upcoming tour, Akon told NBC’s Today Show: “From my experience with Mike he was one of the healthiest guys I’ve ever known.
“He was always very conscious about his diet, very conscious health-wise. For his age, he moved better than anyone I’ve known. His death came as a complete shock to me.”
Source: Splash News
Tags: Akon, died, healthy, heart attack, Hollywood, Michael Jackson, pop king, Rapper, superstar, today show