I spent the whole night watching it over and over again. From the realtime live casting till the EDT4pm and 7pm replay. Nothing spectacular about it. I'm expecting more of his past performances then others sang for him. The whole event actually ends at EDT 4pm. Which is a 12hours different from Singapore. And expecting a 4AM replay, it only flashed some particular highlights while at the same time, motorcade the casket. It was a good one. A helicopter was sent to follow them and we saw freeways and roads closed to make ways for them. They were ended up in a hotel i guess at ard EDT 5pm+. I was waiting for the updates of why they were there till 7.
Nothing was reported or maybe i missed it cos i was really too tired placing my eyes on the monitor for almost 7hours. I had fell into subconscious state. And soon after the replay started.
Many of my friends didn't managed to catch the event online. They were hoping for something interesting and i shared some of the interesting stories with them.
Few of my friends did stay awake for the event and after the discussion, we do find that some part of this memorial service looks fake. For the first moment i saw Paris giving the speech when she broke into tears in Janet's arms and till the recasting....First time watching it, it might seem to be hell touching. We were wondering how Paris made it to control her emotion over the past 3hours. Thus, i decided to focus my attention on her right before she speaks. Marlon was giving his speech on his brother before passing the mic to her. Marlon was really shattered, and he almost unable to carry on. At this point of time, i saw Paris wiping her cheeks with a handkerchief, then she shove it into her clutch bag. Janet's turned over and seem to be speaking to her while Paris expressed very calm. Maybe she's young. I really like the way she described her dad as. Well, all are my personal perception anyway.(Maybe i just wouldn't want to accept MJ death)
MJ left behind his fans and family. Leaving his beautiful daughter, Paris and 2 son, Prince Micheal and "Blanket".
Beside the interesting Paris speech, Magic Johnson really helped to relieve the tension of the ceremony with how he met MJ. His speech made the audiences alive, breaking into laughter.
Magic Johnson ordred a grilled chicken with the chief and the chief served him with the grilled chicken and Michael Kackson with a box of Kentuckey Fried Chicken. He was so shock but ended up, he and Michael Jackson sat on the floor enjoying the Kentuckey Fried Chicken.
Michael love KFC?
Others highlights will be Al Sharpton speech and also the touching ones given by Brooke Shield.
Below are the news after the memorial.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Michael Jackson's young daughter, Paris, stepped out of the shadows Tuesday to pay moving tribute to the late star saying: "Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine."
The 11-year-old, speaking for the first time in public, fought back tears as she addressed millions of people around the world watching the ceremony, and hit back at all the gossip about their strange family life.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much," she told the hushed audience, before breaking down in tears.
After tributes from Jackson's brothers, Jermaine and Marlon, Paris said she wanted to talk and struggled only slightly with adjusting the microphone to her height.
"Speak up," her aunt Janet Jackson said softly, as Paris, dressed in a simple black dress, with a white waistband and holding a black clutch bag, bade her father a public goodbye.
Paris Katherine and her brothers, Prince Michael, 12, and Prince Michael II, seven, had joined a host of stars on the stage at the end of the long tribute singing along to "We are the World."
It was the first time the world had caught more than just a fleeting glimpse of the three youngsters, as Jackson, 50, always fiercely shielded his children from the public limelight.
His former wife of three years, Debbie Rowe, is the mother of the two eldest children, while the third also known as "Blanket" was born in 2002 to a surrogate whose identity has never been made public.
After being thrust into the spotlight from the age of five, Jackson went to extreme lengths to protect his children such as covering their faces in veils or masks whenever they were in public.
And they have not been seen since his mysterious death on June 25 from an apparent cardiac arrest.
But the three children joined other members of the Jackson clan at the Los Angeles Staples Center ceremony Tuesday, sitting between their grandparents Katherine and Joe Jackson just in front of the 14-karat gold casket bearing the body of their father.
At times Paris dissolved into tears as star after star spoke of Jackson's legacy to the world, while her youngest brother played with a Michael Jackson doll on his lap.
But she stood and applauded as civil rights leader Al Sharpton addressed the children directly and said fiercely: "There weren't nothing strange about your daddy."
"It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it," Sharpton said, his voice rising in the rich cadence of a sermon.
Temporary custody of the children has so far been granted to Katherine Jackson, in line with the terms of Jackson's will, which also names pop diva Diana Ross as a back-up guardian.
But Rowe, who signed away her parental rights to her two children in 2001, has vowed to fight for them in what could presage a bitter legal battle, even though they are believed to have had little contact over the years.
"I want my children," Debbie Rowe told NBC television's local network in Los Angeles last week, adding she was willing to submit to any testing, including DNA, to prove she was the biological mother of Prince Michael and Paris.
Her lawyer Eric George later appeared to dial back on his client's comments, saying in a conference call no final decision had been made.
A custody hearing has now been set for Monday.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Jackson memorial unites diverse media outlets
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer David Bauder, Ap Television Writer – Tue Jul 7, 7:15 pm ET
NEW YORK – Queen Latifah called Michael Jackson "the biggest star on Earth," and it was hard to argue when his memorial service united television networks as diverse as ABC, MTV, Fox News Channel, BET and ESPN News.
They all carried at least part of the Los Angeles ceremony on Tuesday, a mix of music and remembrances capping an extraordinary dozen days of coverage since the pop star's death from cardiac arrest on June 25.
It was a celebrity send-off unique in scale, unifying TV networks in a manner not seen since the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Millions of people watched worldwide on TV screens or on computer through Web sites such as TMZ and Hulu, although a backlash simmered among people who wondered whether it was too much for an entertainer.
The two-hour plus ceremony saved its emotional wallop for the end, when Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine, approached the microphone with a tearful goodbye to her father as his golden casket sat in front of her. "I just wanted to say I love him so much," she said.
"If nothing else about this got you," NBC's Lester Holt said, "all of us can understand the grief of a girl who has lost her father."
ABC was the first of the major broadcasters to commit to televising the event. But unlike CBS' Katie Couric and NBC's Brian Williams, chief ABC anchor Charles Gibson did not go to Los Angeles. He quarterbacked the coverage from a New York studio. NBC had initially said it wasn't televising the memorial, but executives changed their minds Sunday and sent Williams out West.
The cable news networks each carried the ceremony, although Fox News Channel kept its eye on the outside world by continuing to run a crawl of news headlines on the bottom of the screen.
CNN's Larry King was in the third row on the Staples Center floor, an invited guest of the Jackson family. He was almost bubbly when Anderson Cooper debriefed him, asking about Jackson's casket.
"What did it look like?" Cooper said.
"Very expensive, obviously," King replied. "It looked like pure gold."
MTV had a black ribbon affixed to the station's insignia on the bottom of the screen. MTV's airing of such hits as "Beat It" and "Thriller" in the 1980s sent Jackson's career into the stratosphere, but only after Jackson changed MTV: The network didn't air videos by black artists until "Billie Jean" desegregated music TV.
Former MTV personalities Mark Goodman and John Norris returned to say how the fragmentation of pop culture made it unlikely another music star would unite the culture in the same way.
"Michael Jackson taught each and every member of my family to dance," said MTV correspondent Sway Calloway.
ESPN News dipped in when Los Angeles Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson spoke, and turned away when the basketball players left the stage.
At BET, correspondents April Woodard and Jina Johnson said they wanted to hear none of the stories of drug use or alleged child abuse that dominated the last decade of the 50-year-old entertainer's life.
"We're not going to talk so much about the speculation or allegations surrounding his death," Woodard said. "What we are going to talk about is a celebration of his life."
Every funeral, every memorial service offers the chance to remember the best of a life. In Jackson's case, participants used the moment to sweep aside the sad spectacle his life had become. "People wanted to go back to the Michael Jackson they remembered," commentator Nancy Gibbs said on ABC.
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy said Jackson was "simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived." Al Sharpton, noting Jackson's success in breaking racial barriers, said he helped create the atmosphere that made President Obama's election possible.
Yet the lionization of Jackson has turned off some TV viewers. ABC's "Good Morning America" message board was clogged with people expressing disgust.
"I've had it with all this emphasis on the death of a court jester. What a waste of air time," wrote one viewer.
Added another: "Enough is enough!" Fox News reported Tuesday about the family of an American soldier killed in Afghanistan the same day Jackson died who wondered why the celebrity's death has received so much more attention. During Molly Henneberg's report, a box filled a portion of Fox's screen showing Forest Lawn Cemetery, where a family service was held for Jackson.
A half-hour delay in starting the memorial was too much time for some networks, leaving ABC's Gibson the opportunity to vamp on bad covers of Jackson songs that he had heard at weddings, and a variety of accounts on the crowd's mood at the Staples Center.
"It's a little more somber here (than outside)," MTV's Katie Byrne said. "We haven't seen any stars yet."
CNN's Don Lemon had a different view: "It is not solemn here. It's celebratory."
NBC's Lee Cowan said the mood depended on what Jackson song was being piped into the public address system: "When it is a softer tempo, some people get quiet," he said. "When it is upbeat, people get into it."
Wait. Don't stop 'til you get enough.
"I have never heard 16,000 people as quiet as I have now," said ABC's Cynthia McFadden.
___
Associated Press Television Writer Frazier Moore contributed to this report.
Celebs Tweet Final Respects to Michael Jackson
Jennifer Cady Jennifer Cady – Tue Jul 7, 7:26 pm ETLos Angeles (E! Online) – So today was Michael Jackson's memorial. Pretty big, historical, epic moment, obviously. And pretty big, historical, epic moments don't go unnoticed by Twitter (unless you're a Hills castmember).
M.J.'s farewell dominated the entire Twitterverse and its trending topics all day, as everyone paid tribute to the King of Pop and documented their reactions to everything from Al Sharpton's powerful speech to Paris Jackson's tearful words about her father.
Our favorite tweeting celebs, whether actually at the Staples Center or watching TV like the rest of us, made sure to share their thoughts on the Michael Jackson memorial experience, 140 characters at a time...
Kim Kardashian: "Michael's children were so brave brave 2 stand there on stage & speak to the world about their father...I spoke at my dad's funeral & it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I was shaking & crying & what Paris did was sooo soooo brave!"
Nick Cannon: "A day of mourning. Here in the Staples Center, God is absolutely present."
Ryan Seacrest: "This makes the world feel so small...everyone connected right now."
Sherri Shepherd: "Loved what Al Sharpton said to MJ's kids 'wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with.' Michael's kids needed to hear that said....'nothing strange about your daddy.' "
Serena Williams: "Today, we honor Michael Jackson for his love, music, & being a genius. I'm still shocked. Please, share your favorite songs. Thriller is great. Remember the Time is such a classic as well. Life is short, but his music will never die. MJ was subjected to harsh words, but I hope that people find understanding & stop judging."
Emmy Rossum: "Beautiful memorial. I cried when Paris spoke. I hope the family is able to grieve and their privacy will be respected during this time."
Paris Hilton: "In tears watching the MJ Memorial Service on TV, so touching. Everyone loves you Michael!"
Brandy: "Michael Jackson will forever inspire my soul and forever live in my heart. He is an angel that can now see his wings. R.I.P"
Nicky Hilton: "I was in awe of how respectful all of the media and fans were. I expected chaos. Despite what is shown on tv everyone was very gracious."
MC Hammer: "May the movement and message of The Dancer continue to move the Soul of the People to Joy, Peace, Restoration and Glory. God Bless MJ"
Kelly Osbourne: "MJ's children are so brave to stand up there and remember their father while the whole world is watching!"
Paula Abdul: "Remembering MJ and the true legend that he was and will live on to be..I'm taking some time to reflect today."
Larry King: "I was surprised MJ's body was there, but it was very touching. Al Sharpton gave such a commanding speech, so dramatic in tone & content. There was so much emotion when Usher & Brooke Shields took the stage. this has all been phenomenal but I hope the stories die down soon. Let's let him have some peace."
Grateful Jackson fans moved by memorial service
By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen, Ap Entertainment Writer – Tue Jul 7, 8:01 pm ETLOS ANGELES – Fans who were lucky enough to score tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial service Tuesday knew they were witnessing history. "It was amazing," said 35-year-old Gregory Vernon, who wore sunglasses as he walked solemnly out of Staples Center after the service. "We'll probably never see anything like it again."
Two stay-at-home moms from Arizona left their kids with their husbands and caught a last-minute flight to attend the memorial.
"Love him or hate him, this is the experience of a lifetime," said 38-year-old Carly Stoltenberg of Gilbert, Ariz. "This brought back his humanness."
Her friend Katey McPhearson said the service, like the man it memorialized, "totally transcended all races, all cultures, all ages."
Erma Trinidad of Irvine, Calif., was thrilled to be among the fans outside Staples, but she felt guilty for calling in sick to her job as a defense contractor.
"This is the most unprofessional I've ever been," said the 34-year-old Jackson fan.
Clarisse Que was feeling guilty, too. Instead of inviting her father to the memorial, she took a friend, Trinidad.
"I'm DVR-ing it for my dad," Que said.
Fans gathered outside Staples beforehand to snap photos of the scene, the giant sympathy card for Jackson and a tribute in red and white roses that read, "We love you Michael."
Guests were mostly orderly as they moved through metal detectors. Each was handed a program, submitted to a check of their purses or packages and shuffled into the giant arena. Once inside, audience members mostly remained seated and sedate.
But they also cheered the arrival of celebrities such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Once the ceremony began, they stood and sang along with Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz, who reprised their cover of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," and gave a standing ovation to Stevie Wonder, who sang George Michael's "They Won't Go When I Go."
The ceremony had all the trappings of any big Hollywood show, relying on Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich and veteran stage manager Valdez Flagg, who works on the Oscars and Grammys.
But plenty of people without tickets to enjoy the spectacle still made the pilgrimage downtown. Fans crowded the corner just outside the police perimeter, where more than 20 uniformed officers kept watch. Dozens of street vendors also were in the mix, selling buttons, posters, T-shirts, bouquets and glittery gloves.
"Show your love, get a glove," a woman shouted, carrying a cardboard box of spangled white gloves.
Single mom Tamanika Hines made her own Jackson tribute T-shirt and asked her son's father to watch the baby so she could come to the memorial. Her friend, Sharhon Tinsley, took the day off from her day care job to attend.
"Everyone knows this is my Michael Jackson day," she said.
Andrea Hernandez of Los Angeles said she was looking forward to seeing photos of Jackson at the memorial: "I like how he looked when he was younger."
The 21-year-old Hernandez was also excited that Jackson's body would be at the service, "only because it makes it that much more special. Spiritually ... he's here. But physically, it's just like, whoa. It makes it that much more powerful. It's something that I'll tell my kids about."
Norma Paramo of Fontana, Calif., said she used to sing "I'll Be There," translated into Spanish, to her aunt who raised her.
"He was a hero for me as I was growing up," Paramo said of Jackson. "When there was hard times, his music would make me feel happy. I could get lost in his music and forget about everything we were going through, and I'm going to miss him."
She wiped away tears as she said, "This will be closure for me."
___
AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report.
By JESSE WASHINGTON, AP National Writer Jesse Washington, Ap National Writer – Tue Jul 7, 8:04 pm ET LOS ANGELES – They sang his songs among the stars and imagined him dancing across the moon, and for a few hours, during this most public of memorials, all eyes were on Michael Jackson one last time.
Some 20,000 people gathered inside the Staples Center on Tuesday for a somber, spiritual ceremony, watched by untold millions more around the world as they celebrated a man whose immense talents almost drowned beneath the spectacle of his life and fame.
A star-studded lineup of performers closely linked to Jackson's life and music reached back for the essence of the man. They remembered Jackson as an unparalleled singer, dancer and humanitarian whose music united people of all backgrounds.
"Don't focus on the scars, focus on the journey," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose fiery eulogy was an emotional high point of the service. "Every time he got knocked down, he got back up," Sharpton said, and the applauding crowd again jumped to its feet.
Sharpton rode the moment, building to a crescendo. "There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with!" he said to Jackson's three children in the front row, drawing the longest ovation of the service.
Jackson's daughter, Paris-Michael, later provided the only real surprise of the service: the first public statement of her 11 years.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father I could imagine," she said, dissolving into tears and turning into the embrace of her aunt Janet. "I just want to say I love him so much."
Unlike Jackson's life, the ceremony was not spectacular, extravagant or bizarre. Outside the arena, however, the celebrity-industrial complex that Jackson helped create ground on.
More than 3,000 police officers massed downtown to keep the ticketless at bay. Helicopters followed the golden casket as it was driven over blocked-off freeways from Forest Lawn cemetery to the Staples Center. A bazaar of T-shirts, buttons, photos and other memorabilia sprouted in the blocks around the memorial. Movie theaters played the service live and people paused around the world to watch.
Inside, however, the atmosphere was churchlike, assisted by an enormous video image of a stained-glass window with red-gold clouds blowing past that was projected behind the stage.
The ceremony began with Smokey Robinson reading statements from Jackson's close friend Diana Ross — "Michael was part of the fabric of my life" — and then Nelson Mandela — "Be strong."
A silence of several minutes followed, punctuated only by a steady twinkle of camera flashes. The thousands of mourners spoke softly to those in neighboring seats or contemplated their private thoughts.
Celebrities made their way to their places in front of the stage: Kobe Bryant, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Lou Ferrigno, Don King, the Kardashian sisters, Magic Johnson, Brooke Shields, Larry King. While Jackson was among the most famous faces in the world, today's megastars were largely absent. Those present mostly reflected some connection to Jackson's life or work.
Among those conspicuously elsewhere were Elizabeth Taylor, Ross and Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of Jackson's two oldest children.
The fans, clutching tickets that 1.6 million people had sought, were a visual representation of Jackson's life: white, black and everything in between; from Mexico, Japan, Italy or America; wearing fedoras, African headdresses, sequins or surgical masks. Actor Corey Feldman showed up fully costumed as Michael Jackson.
"Words can't express how I feel," said Dani Harris, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom from Los Angeles.
"You think about one person, larger than presidents and kings and queens," Harris said. "People in countries you can't even see on the map know his face, his music."
The pre-ceremony stillness was broken by the organ strains of "Soon and Very Soon," a gospel hymn by Andrae Crouch. "Hallelujah, hallelujah, we're going to see the King," a choir sang. The crowd cheered and rose to its feet.
The Rev. Lucious W. Smith of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the greeting, standing on the same stage where Jackson had been rehearsing for a comeback concert before his death on June 25 at age 50. Then Mariah Carey sang a sweet rendition of the Jackson 5 ballad "I'll Be There," a duet with Trey Lorenz.
Queen Latifah read a poem composed by Maya Angelou for Jackson. "Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon," Angelou wrote.
"We had him, whether we knew who he was or did not know. / He was ours, and we were his."
Lionel Richie sang gospel, "Jesus Is Love." Berry Gordy remembered the prodigy of young Michael, drawing a standing ovation when he said the title King of Pop would no longer suffice: "He is simply the greatest entertainer who ever lived."
When Sharpton brought down the house, it seemed as if some sort of wall had broken. Shouts went up from the crowd of "We love you Michael!" After Sharpton left the stage, chants of "Mi-chael! Mi-chael!" filled the arena.
The parade of famous names continued: Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Martin Luther King III and his sister Bernice, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Kobe Bryant. Magic Johnson cracked up the crowd with an anecdote about Jackson and a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
For a performer who smashed the race barrier on MTV and did as much as anyone to make black music mainstream — not to mention was accused of trying to turn himself white through skin treatments and plastic surgery — the ceremony had a remarkably black cast. John Mayer and Brooke Shields were the only white celebs with major roles.
Another unexpected aspect was the logistics. The mayhem and traffic snarls that had been feared by city officials never materialized. The thousands of ticketholders began filing in early and encountered few problems, and traffic was actually considered by police to be lighter than normal. An estimate of up to 700,000 gawkers turned out to be about 1,000.
The city of Los Angeles set up a Web site to allow fans to contribute money to help the city pay for the memorial, which was estimated to cost $1.5 million to $4 million.
It was not clear what will happen to Jackson's body. The Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills cemetery, where a private service was held, is the final resting place for Jackson's maternal grandmother and such stars as Bette Davis, Andy Gibb, Freddie Prinze, Liberace and recently deceased David Carradine and Ed McMahon.
But Jackson's brother Jermaine has expressed a desire to have him buried someday at Neverland, his estate in Southern California.
The ceremony ended with Jackson's family on stage, amid a choir, singing "Heal the World."
"All around us are people of different cultures, different religions, different nationalities," Rev. Smith said as he closed the service. "And yet the music of Michael Jackson brings us together."
___
AP Entertainment writer Sandy Cohen, AP Music writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Associated Press writers Solvej Schou, Christina Hoag, Amy Taxin, Andrew Dalton, Anthony McCartney, Danica Kirka, and AP researcher Monika Mathur contributed to this report.
Jackson's kids emerge from behind the veil
By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen, Ap Entertainment Writer – Tue Jul 7, 9:36 pm ET
LOS ANGELES – For all the hasty preparations, hand-wringing over security, breathless media competition to scoop details and soul-wrenching performances, the essence of Michael Jackson's memorial service came down to 20 poignant, powerful seconds: the moment when 11-year-old Paris-Michael Jackson inched up to the microphone and, in a statement no one saw coming, referred to the late pop superstar as "Daddy."
It was a remarkably humanizing moment. Then again, it was remarkable just to see Jackson's three children in public to begin with.
A fiercely protective father, Jackson rarely brought his brood out into public, covering their faces in veils and party masks to protect their identity when he did.
Now here they were, unveiled, before an audience of thousands at Staples Center and millions more around the globe. Starting out seated in the front row, the three youngest Jacksons eventually joined the rest family onstage as the two-hour service wound to a close.
Dressed in the same dark suits and yellow ties as the rest of the Jackson men, 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, chewed gum and toted the memorial service program; 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, held his program and clutched a Michael Jackson doll.
Paris, wearing a black dress with white trim, turned a small patent-leather purse over in her hands as other family members spoke. And then a dramatic hush fell over the crowd as family members whispered that the little girl, whose lifetime of public exposure amounted to a small handful of paparazzi photographs, Paris-Michael wanted to say something.
She furtively emerged from the tight circle of family members, who rushed to lower the microphone to her level. And with her uncle Randy on one side and aunt Janet on the other, Jackson's little girl stood center stage.
"I just wanted to say," Paris began weakly.
"Speak up, sweetheart, speak up," Janet encouraged, sweeping the girl's long hair back. "And get close."
Paris put one hand behind her neck, another on the microphone, and began again.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said, her tiny voice cracking.
Rebbie and Marlon Jackson moved in closer to comfort their niece. She shut her eyes tight.
Then she wrapped her hands — little fingernails painted red — around the microphone and fought back tears as she continued: "And I just wanted to say I love him — so much."
She collapsed in tears into her aunt's arms.
"It's OK, baby. It's OK," Janet Jackson said as she held Paris close. Prince joined in on the hug.
And all at once, Jackson wasn't the larger-than-life King of Pop, or Wacko Jacko the tabloid freak. He was a doting father who had left three adoring young children behind.
He was "Daddy."
Jackson joke cut from new Bollywood film: report
MUMBAI (AFP) – A joke about US singer Michael Jackson has been cut from a new Bollywood film after it was deemed insensitive, according to the Mumbai Mirror.
The 11th hour edit of "Short Kut: The Con Is On" was made after actor Arshad Warsi showed the film to friends and family last Friday, the day after the 50-year-old superstar's death, the daily tabloid said, quoting unnamed sources.
Arshad realised the scene, which lampooned the late King of Pop's trademark dance style, "would be in bad taste given the pop star's sudden demise," one source was quoted as saying.
"The scene was initially intended to bring some comic relief. Arshad called up director Neeraj Vora and insisted that he delete the scene," the source said, without specifying the precise nature of the joke.
"Short Kut: The Con Is On" is due in cinemas on Friday. Anil Kapoor, most recently seen as the quizmaster in the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire", produced the film through his company Anil Kapoor Productions.
"Anil agreed to cut out the scene regardless of the additional costs he'd have to incur," another unnamed source at the production house told the newspaper. "We couldn't have been insensitive to MJ."
The 11th hour edit of "Short Kut: The Con Is On" was made after actor Arshad Warsi showed the film to friends and family last Friday, the day after the 50-year-old superstar's death, the daily tabloid said, quoting unnamed sources.
Arshad realised the scene, which lampooned the late King of Pop's trademark dance style, "would be in bad taste given the pop star's sudden demise," one source was quoted as saying.
"The scene was initially intended to bring some comic relief. Arshad called up director Neeraj Vora and insisted that he delete the scene," the source said, without specifying the precise nature of the joke.
"Short Kut: The Con Is On" is due in cinemas on Friday. Anil Kapoor, most recently seen as the quizmaster in the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire", produced the film through his company Anil Kapoor Productions.
"Anil agreed to cut out the scene regardless of the additional costs he'd have to incur," another unnamed source at the production house told the newspaper. "We couldn't have been insensitive to MJ."
With stores restocked, Michael Jackson's music sales climb
By Keith Caulfield Keith Caulfield – Wed Jul 8, 4:11 am ETLOS ANGELES (Billboard) – On the day the world said goodbye to Michael Jackson, his star continued to shine on Billboard's charts, a testament to his lasting musical legacy and impact.
Based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, Jackson's catalog of solo albums sold a whopping 800,000 copies in the U.S. in the tracking week that ended at the close of business Sunday (July 5). That's an increase of 90 percent from the previous week, when his combined albums sold 422,000.
A jump in sales was expected, since this was the first full week of sales since Jackson's passing on June 25. Most physical retailers swiftly sold out of available Jackson albums in the days after his death, but last week Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group replenished brick-and-mortar stores with CDs to meet customer demand.
Physical albums accounted for 82 percent of Jackson's sales last week -- 656,000 physical albums versus 144,000 download albums. In the week previous, when Jackson's albums moved 422,000 copies, physical albums accounted for 43 percent of that sum (181,000), and digital albums made up 57 percent (241,000).
When SoundScan's charts are released Wednesday morning (July 8), Jackson's "Number Ones" collection will be the top-selling album in the United States, with 339,000 (up 215 percent), and will also be No. 1 on Billboard's Top Comprehensive Albums chart. "Thriller" will be No. 2 with 187,000 (up 86 percent). The third-place set will be the newly released "Now 31" compilation of various pop artists, which will start with 169,000.
Jackson will again dominate the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. It tallies albums that are more than 18 months old, have fallen below No. 100 on the Billboard 200 and don't have a current radio single. Catalog albums are ineligible to appear on the Billboard 200 chart -- the main album chart -- but they can make it onto the Top Comprehensive Albums chart.
Last week, Jackson had a record eight albums out of the top 10 on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart, and a Jackson 5 compilation also found its way into the upper tier. This week, the entire top 10 belongs to Jackson. He alone has albums at Nos. 1-6 and Nos. 8-10, with a Jackson 5 title ("The Ultimate Collection") residing at No. 7.
On Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, Jackson will hold down five of the top 10 slots, with "Man in the Mirror" leading as his top-selling digital download song of the week (159,000; down 3 percent). Overall, it ranks as the second-best-selling song of the week, next to the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" (215,000; up 6 percent).
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
Michael Jackson's daughter takes center stage
By Dan Whitcomb Dan Whitcomb – Wed Jul 8, 5:39 am ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – In a memorial to Michael Jackson on Tuesday that featured superstars Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, the moment that may be best remembered came when his 11-year-old daughter Paris spoke a few heart-wrenching words.
Paris was quietly ushered onstage with her brothers as the nearly two-hour event wound down to the strains of Jackson's charity single "We Are the World," then appeared to catch even members of her family off guard by addressing the hushed crowd at Staples Center.
Embraced by her aunt, Janet Jackson, who held back her long brown hair and urged her to "speak up," Paris stepped to the microphone, tears streaming down her face, as some in the audience were already filtering out of the sports arena.
"I just want to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine, and I just wanted to say I love him so much," Paris said, sobbing as she stood near his gold coffin.
To gasps from the throng of about 18,000 people, she then turned and buried her face in Janet Jackson's arms and was hugged by other family members.
Coming at the end of a largely scripted tribute to Jackson that included such fiery orators as civil rights activist Al Sharpton, observers quickly predicted that Paris' simple, impromptu eulogy to her father would be long remembered.
"Nobody was prepared for that. That will be one of the iconic moments from today's service," said media historian Ron Simon, who compared it to the salute to slain President John F. Kennedy by his son John during his 1963 funeral.
Paris and her brothers, Prince Michael Jr. and Prince Michael II, have rarely been seen in public, their faces typically shielded from photographers by masks or veils when they accompanied their famous father. Jackson, who felt hounded by paparazzi, closely guarded his children's privacy.
"This kid in an odd sort of way has been liberated," Syracuse University media scholar Robert Thompson said. "Literally, the veil has been dropped from her, and one gets the sense that this liberation will be a good thing. But then she opens her mouth and reminds us that she's lost her daddy."
(Additional reporting by Steve Gorman, editing by Vicki Allen)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – In a memorial to Michael Jackson on Tuesday that featured superstars Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, the moment that may be best remembered came when his 11-year-old daughter Paris spoke a few heart-wrenching words.
Paris was quietly ushered onstage with her brothers as the nearly two-hour event wound down to the strains of Jackson's charity single "We Are the World," then appeared to catch even members of her family off guard by addressing the hushed crowd at Staples Center.
Embraced by her aunt, Janet Jackson, who held back her long brown hair and urged her to "speak up," Paris stepped to the microphone, tears streaming down her face, as some in the audience were already filtering out of the sports arena.
"I just want to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine, and I just wanted to say I love him so much," Paris said, sobbing as she stood near his gold coffin.
To gasps from the throng of about 18,000 people, she then turned and buried her face in Janet Jackson's arms and was hugged by other family members.
Coming at the end of a largely scripted tribute to Jackson that included such fiery orators as civil rights activist Al Sharpton, observers quickly predicted that Paris' simple, impromptu eulogy to her father would be long remembered.
"Nobody was prepared for that. That will be one of the iconic moments from today's service," said media historian Ron Simon, who compared it to the salute to slain President John F. Kennedy by his son John during his 1963 funeral.
Paris and her brothers, Prince Michael Jr. and Prince Michael II, have rarely been seen in public, their faces typically shielded from photographers by masks or veils when they accompanied their famous father. Jackson, who felt hounded by paparazzi, closely guarded his children's privacy.
"This kid in an odd sort of way has been liberated," Syracuse University media scholar Robert Thompson said. "Literally, the veil has been dropped from her, and one gets the sense that this liberation will be a good thing. But then she opens her mouth and reminds us that she's lost her daddy."
(Additional reporting by Steve Gorman, editing by Vicki Allen)
Resolution honoring Jackson faces GOP opposition
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer Suzanne Gamboa, Associated Press Writer – Wed Jul 8, 5:50 am ETWASHINGTON – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee may have trouble keeping the promise she made at Michael Jackson's public memorial for a House resolution that "forever" honors the late pop star.
Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, took the stage Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and hoisted a framed copy of the resolution, embossed with a gold seal. The measure will be debated on the House floor, she said.
For that framed, embossed resolution to be completely legit, it must first get past some opposition.
Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican who called Jackson a "pervert, child molester, pedophile" in a video he posted on YouTube this week, vowed Tuesday to do "whatever I have to do" to oppose honoring Jackson.
Without mentioning King by name, Jackson Lee noted at the memorial that Michael Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges. She blasted critics who "don't understand the hearts of entertainers" and "don't know how they heal the world on behalf of America."
"We understand the Constitution. We understand laws and we know people are innocent until proven otherwise. That is what the Constitution stands for," Jackson Lee said, clutching the framed resolution in front of her shiny white suit.
Her legislation, House Resolution 600, lists several charitable acts by Michael Jackson over his long career and proclaims him as an American legend, musical icon and world humanitarian. He is, Jackson Lee said, "someone who will be honored forever and forever and forever and forever and forever."
In the House, non-controversial resolutions honoring a person who has died or carried out a noteworthy accomplishment normally move quickly from committee to the House floor and then pass on a voice vote. The Michael Jackson resolution, introduced June 26, is awaiting action in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of which Jackson Lee is a member and King is not.
An opponent could ask for a recorded vote, which then requires a two-thirds majority for passage. So far, Jackson Lee's resolution has just one co-sponsor, Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif.
Jackson Lee hosted a 2004 meeting in her Capitol Hill office that brought Michael Jackson together with ambassadors to the U.S. from African countries. At the time, Jackson was considering a tour to raise money to fight AIDS. However, he was also facing child molestation charges and was unable to leave the country without court permission.
Even so, Jackson was greeted by screams, applause and flashing cameras.
Jackson also visited Iraq veterans at Walter Reed Hospital while in Washington
Jackson's death certificate leaves cause unknown
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's death certificate has been released without a listed cause of death and a coroner said investigators are still testing the singer's brain.Public health officials issued the death certificate on Tuesday, the same day public and private memorials were held in Los Angeles. The cause of death is listed as "deferred."
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Jackson's brain, or at least part of it, was still being held by investigators and would be returned to the family for interment once neuropathology tests were completed.
"As soon as we are done with the brain, we will return it," Winter said. "There is a whole series of tests that will be done."
It is not uncommon for the coroner to hold on to a brain or samples from it. Winter said families sometimes delay burying a loved one until after the brain has been returned, but he had received no word from the Jackson family about their intentions.
"The last I heard, they are not burying the body yet," Winter said.
Police and coroner's officials continue to probe what killed the 50-year-old singer on June 25.
On the certificate, Jackson's occupation is listed as a musician. He is described as a high school graduate and divorced. The information provided for the document was given by Jackson's sister, La Toya, one of several family members who rushed to the hospital where Jackson was pronounced dead.
The document doesn't state where Jackson will be buried.
Rock Hall of Fame holds Jackson candlelight vigil
CLEVELAND – More than 2,000 people have attended a candlelight vigil at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in celebration of the life of Michael Jackson.Fans left handwritten notes, flowers and teddy bears inside the hall of fame lobby Tuesday night. On the museum plaza, they danced to "Billie Jean" and other Jackson hits.
A local church pastor led the crowd in an a cappella version of "I'll Be There" by the Jackson 5.
Earlier Tuesday, the museum unveiled a special memorial wall dedicated to Jackson, a two-time hall of fame inductee. He was inducted in 1997 as part of the Jackson 5 and then again in 2001 as a solo artist.
The hall's collection includes several outfits Jackson performed in and one of those very familiar gloves.
Information from: Cleveland Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com
International idol, Jackson mourned around globe
LONDON – Fans in Asia stayed awake into the wee hours, bars across Europe held Michael Jackson theme nights and television stations from Sydney to Paris cleared their schedules Tuesday to broadcast the King of Pop's star-studded memorial service from Los Angeles.Fans mourned the singer and celebrated his life along with the thousands attending the U.S. event, where entertainers including Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie paid tribute to Jackson, who died June 25. The 12-year-old Welsh schoolboy Shaheen Jafargholi, who wowed TV audiences earlier this year with the Jackson 5 song "Who's Loving You" on "Britain's Got Talent" got a standing ovation after he sang the same song to the stadium.
In London, dozens of fans sheltered under umbrellas against the rain as they watched the event on a big screen outside the 02 Arena, where Jackson was to have performed 50 comeback shows starting next week. Many more stayed dry at home after the BBC announced it would cancel scheduled programming and show the ceremony live.
"His whole life was a global broadcast in a way, so I suppose it's fitting that his death also is," said barista Robert Anderson, 26, in London.
Crowds gathered outside Harlem's Apollo Theater in New York — where the Jackson 5 won "Amateur Night" in 1967 — and in Detroit, where his career was launched with Motown Records.
"I think he was somebody who really did change the style of music," said Jonathan Contreras, a 23-year-old college student from Westland, Michigan. "They call him the King of Pop. I call him the King of Music."
Fans gathered at Berlin's O2 World arena and at a bar just off Paris' Champs-Elysees, where about 20 people, many dressed in black, Jackson-style hats or white gloves, watched the ceremony.
"I didn't want to experience this moment alone," said Marie-Anne Le Saux, 25, an insurance company employee who helped organize the ceremony.
In Santiago, Chile, national police band played "We Are the World" during the traditional guard change at the presidential palace La Moneda, as hundreds watched.
About 50 fans lit candles and laid flowers in the main square in Stockholm, as "Billie Jean" and "Earth Song" poured out of a small stereo.
Hannah Ralme, 14, from Stockholm, said she had been heartbroken by Jackson's death. "It's like a piece of me died," she said. "The music, the way he danced, the way he expressed it showed me how to live my life — to be childlike and think about other people."
At a Pan-African culture festival in Algiers, Algeria, hundreds of singers and dancers from across the continent performed The Jackson 5's "Blame it on the Boogie" as a tribute.
Several hundred Jackson fans gathered at a Hong Kong mall late Tuesday to remember their idol and watch the memorial on a big screen, surrounded by shuttered store fronts. Holding white candles, Hong Kong singer William Chan and Taiwanese pop star Judy Chou led the audience in observing a 30-second silence. Many fans clutched red roses and wore black; some donned Jackson's trademark fedora hats.
In Japan, home to some of Jackson's most passionate fans, about 100 people gathered at a Tower Records store in downtown Tokyo to watch his videos on a big screen hours before the Los Angeles memorial. The store, which Jackson visited twice, displayed his hand print in a cement block and large posters celebrating his performances. Several shelves dedicated to the pop star were stacked with his CDs and DVDs.
"I love him," said Namiko Hayakawa, a 31-year-old housewife, one of the first to grab a seat. "He is one of the greatest and most original solo performers. He also has a message about peace. He is such a big star, but he has a message for every little person."
In the Philippines, noontime television variety show "Eat Bulaga" said it would hold a Jackson dance contest Wednesday in honor of the pop icon.
For some, the relentless media coverage of Jackson since his death was too much.
"In Ireland we like a good funeral, so we'll be tuning in. There's no good sports match on tonight anyway," said barman Peadar O Docherty, 24, in the Stag's Head pub in central Dublin.
But, he added, "a lot of the adulation is completely over the top."
___
Associated Press writers Jessica Letchford in Brussels, Nardine Saad in London, Patrick McGroarty in Berlin, Keith Moore in Stockholm, Angela Charlton in Paris, Alfred de Montesquiou in Algiers, Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo, Min Lee in Hong Kong, Kristen Gelineau in Sydney, Oliver Teves in Manila, Jim Irwin in Detroit and Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin contributed to this report.
Would Any Other Celeb Death Be Such a Big Deal?
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Would any other celebrity death cause as big a ruckus as this two-week public mourning of Michael Jackson?
—Outstanding
Interesting question to mull. At first you might think of a Bruce Springsteen or Madonna or whatnot. Or even a Barack Obama, who certainly is credited with, you know, making hope spring anew, and all this.
But then again, maybe not. Lots of people are record-ripping hitmakers or worldwide hope generators, but I doubt we'd see the same collective hair tearing over Mariah Carey or Nelson Mandela.
Why? Let's face it. One of the reasons people are dissolving into such sanctimonious hysterics over M.J.'s death is...
...the image of loneliness and vulnerability he had in life.
"Madonna's image is more hardass," explains Leo Braudy, author of The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History. "But Jackson's was all about vulnerability, more like Marilyn Monroe—fans wanting to take care of a person seen more as a victim, someone you would ferociously defend. When someone like that dies, fans feel like they've failed."
And then they react accordingly—with an outpouring of love and adoration that isn't necessarily proportional to achievement.
Don't believe me? Look at Princess Diana. Judy Garland. People who induced a collective public guilt because we, as fans, somehow didn't do more to protect them from all that sad.
If Braudy is right, that eliminates Obama, who, if anything, can handle himself. And Springsteen, being a champion of the working man and whatnot, doesn't quite embody helplessness.
So who's left then?
Lindsay Lohan? The child star/stage mom factor might cause people to see her as more of a victim than a diva. But her public antics also may make her too unsympathetic for a huge public outpouring.
Britney Spears? She has been seen as a vulnerable figure at certain points in her career, but she's also shown a desire to defend herself in public. That may prevent her from the kind of Judy Garland-like victim-star perception that would merit a Michael Jackson-style reaction.
Miley Cyrus? She rarely offends anyone, and media attacks on her have been met with vigorous defenses by loyal fans. She lacks the inherent sadness of an M.J., but she certainly has millions of fans, across multiple generations, who would mourn her loss.
Oprah Winfrey? Sure, she's seen as a self-made billionaire, a strong capable friend, not vulnerable at all. But she's simply too much a part of America's daily life to not cause a complete meltdown on the day of her passing.
Who else? I have no idea. But you do.
—Outstanding
Interesting question to mull. At first you might think of a Bruce Springsteen or Madonna or whatnot. Or even a Barack Obama, who certainly is credited with, you know, making hope spring anew, and all this.
But then again, maybe not. Lots of people are record-ripping hitmakers or worldwide hope generators, but I doubt we'd see the same collective hair tearing over Mariah Carey or Nelson Mandela.
Why? Let's face it. One of the reasons people are dissolving into such sanctimonious hysterics over M.J.'s death is...
...the image of loneliness and vulnerability he had in life.
"Madonna's image is more hardass," explains Leo Braudy, author of The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History. "But Jackson's was all about vulnerability, more like Marilyn Monroe—fans wanting to take care of a person seen more as a victim, someone you would ferociously defend. When someone like that dies, fans feel like they've failed."
And then they react accordingly—with an outpouring of love and adoration that isn't necessarily proportional to achievement.
Don't believe me? Look at Princess Diana. Judy Garland. People who induced a collective public guilt because we, as fans, somehow didn't do more to protect them from all that sad.
If Braudy is right, that eliminates Obama, who, if anything, can handle himself. And Springsteen, being a champion of the working man and whatnot, doesn't quite embody helplessness.
So who's left then?
Lindsay Lohan? The child star/stage mom factor might cause people to see her as more of a victim than a diva. But her public antics also may make her too unsympathetic for a huge public outpouring.
Britney Spears? She has been seen as a vulnerable figure at certain points in her career, but she's also shown a desire to defend herself in public. That may prevent her from the kind of Judy Garland-like victim-star perception that would merit a Michael Jackson-style reaction.
Miley Cyrus? She rarely offends anyone, and media attacks on her have been met with vigorous defenses by loyal fans. She lacks the inherent sadness of an M.J., but she certainly has millions of fans, across multiple generations, who would mourn her loss.
Oprah Winfrey? Sure, she's seen as a self-made billionaire, a strong capable friend, not vulnerable at all. But she's simply too much a part of America's daily life to not cause a complete meltdown on the day of her passing.
Who else? I have no idea. But you do.
Shields says she felt young with Jackson
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Actress Brooke Shields on Tuesday paid an emotional tribute to her former companion Michael Jackson, saying the two former child stars felt young and free with each other.Shields was overcome with tears as she spoke at the memorial service for the King of Pop, whom she dated in the 1980s when he was in his heyday as a global superstar and she was a young actress and model.
Shields said that captions on pictures of them together "usually said something like, an odd couple or an unlikely pair but, to us, it was the most natural and easiest of friendships."
"Both of us needed to be adults very early but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun," she said.
Shields, now 44, was a model since she was an infant; Jackson was a child singing sensation before rising into one of pop music's most influential figures. He died on June 25 at age 50.
She remembered Jackson as "mischievous," saying the two of them sneaked into Elizabeth Taylor's room for a peek at her dress when they were invited to her wedding.
"To the outside world, Michael was a genius with unchallenged ability. To the people who were lucky enough to know him personally, he was caring and funny, honest, pure, nonjaded and he was a lover of life," Shields said.
Shields, who studied French literature at Princeton University, said she saw Jackson in the title character of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "The Little Prince" who fell in love with the simple beauty of a flower.
"Michael's sensitivity was even more extraordinary than his talent and his true truth resided in his heart," she said. "As The Little Prince also said, eyes are blind."
Shields has hinted that her relationship with Jackson was asexual. Shields, despite making suggestive advertisements for Calvin Klein jeans, has said she remained a virgin through her university years due to low self-image.
Talk of Donations Continues as the Jackson Memorial Wraps Up
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Now that the Michael Jackson memorial has come and gone, people are still waiting to find out just how much the celebration cost the city of Los Angeles.The event was projected to surpass the LAPD's "extraordinary events" budget by upward of $3.5 million, but at last Friday's press conference, acting Mayor Jan Perry reached out to the city for financial assistance in honoring Jackson.
Today Perry, stepping in for vacationing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, revealed that fans have been generously making donations to help L.A. cover memorial expenses.
"I've received emails that are really kind of touching, because they're obviously coming from fans," says Perry. "They're very sweet, saying things like, 'I can give $10, $25 and I can organize my friends.' "
While some taxpayers have been adamant about money being spent frivolously during the economic downturn, Perry alludes to a bit of positive news regarding the exact number of donations received, stating: "I think there will be a significant announcement that we'll be able to make in the next day or so."
It has also been rumored that some of the donations have come from Jackson's famous friends and wealthy corporate sponsors, but Perry declined to comment on the extra source of funds.
Perry and city officials want to make known that even though the Staples Center festivities have passed, donations are still greatly appreciated. In fact, Mayor Villaraigosa took to his Twitter, Facebook and official website with the appeal, which reads:
"Help the city of Angels provide the extraordinary public safety resources required to give Michael the safe, orderly and respectful memorial he deserves. If you're a Michael fan, consider giving a small donation to help us celebrate his extraordinary life and music."
And if the sympathy approach doesn't tug at your purse strings, there's always the old push that all donations are tax-deductible.
Sales of Michael Jackson albums soared last week
NEW YORK – Nielsen SoundScan says 800,000 copies of Michael Jackson albums were bought in the U.S. last week — nearly double his sales from the previous week.Jackson is claiming the entire Top 10 roster on the Top Catalog Album chart this week. His "Number Ones" collection is the top seller, followed by "Thriller." Solo albums occupy every position but No. 7, where the Jackson 5's "Ultimate Collection" album resides.
Data from the week ending Sunday — the first full week since Jackson's June 25 death — shows physical albums accounted for 80 percent of his sales.
On Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, Jackson holds five out of the top 10 slots, with "Man in the Mirror" leading as his top-selling digital download song of the week.
Four Jackson CDs also are in the top 10 albums sold on iTunes, and five of the top 10 singles for the week ending Monday.
Clarification: Michael Jackson-National Audience
Wed Jul 8, 2:21 pm ET
NEW YORK – In a story July 7, The Associated Press reported that a simulcast of Michael Jackson's memorial service at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, drew only about 10 people. The library now says that viewers of the simulcast grew to about 60 people at the event went on
Michael Jackson vs. Princess Di: The Winner Is...?
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Whose farewell scored more viewers: Michael Jackson's or Princess Diana's? Who is the new Mr. Big? And is a guy from Kentucky the new Susan Boyle?The answers—and more questions—in this week's ratings quiz:
1. Michael Jackson or Princess Diana? Diana, but it was very close. According to Nielsen Media Research, nearly 31 million people caught yesterday's live coverage of the Jackson memorial. Princess Di's funeral drew 33.3 million in 1997. Remarkably, Diana pulled in her audience from only eight networks, compared to the whopping 19 that carried the Jackson memorial.
2. Michael Jackson or Ronald Reagan? Both. The Jackson memorial outdrew Reagan's 2004 funeral (20.8 million); the Reagan burial—Nielsen counts the same-day events as separate and distinct—outdrew the Jackson memorial, with 35.1 million viewers.
3. Michael Jackson or Pope John Paul II? Jackson, in a rout. The pope's 2005 funeral, which aired in the wee, small hours of the morning in the States, drew a combined audience of 8.8 million.
4. Michael Jackson or Anna Nicole Smith? As big as the Smith story was—and if you think back to early 2007, it was huge—the Jackson saga has generated "about twice as much attention," the Pew Research Center found. (Emphasis added for, well, emphasis.) According to the group, Jackson coverage ate up 30 percent of network news airtime, and 28 percent of cable news airtime for the week of June 29-July 5.
5. Was the memorial service the beginning of the end of Jackson coverage? Hardly. Last night, hours after the service had concluded and the spotlight presumably had moved on, ABC, CBS and NBC still got a combined 17.5 million people to tune in their prime-time recaps of the service.
6. What's the name of TV's new Mr. Big? Ray Drecker, Thomas Jane's well-endowed basketball coach cum gigolo in HBO's Hung, which scored 2.8 million viewers in its June 28 debut. Although the number didn't put the show in the same league as Sex and the City, home of the real Mr. Big, it was the, well, biggest audience for an HBO series premiere in two years. True Blood, which leads into Hung, is driving HBO's return from the wilderness.
7. Is Kevin Skinner the new Susan Boyle? Going strictly by YouTube views, nope. Not even close. But the Kentucky man's downright fine down-home act did help boost the buzz on America's Got Talent—and led the show's Tuesday installment to a week-best 13.1 million viewers, per Nielsen Media Research. Other summer TV standouts (broadcast division): 48 Hours Mystery (8.02 million), Wipeout (8 million) and The Bachelorette (7.9 million).
8. Why hasn't So You Think You Can Dance been mentioned yet? Because the show got hammered by America's Got Talent on Wednesday and fell from 11th place in Nielsen's previous weekly standings to 17th in the latest rankings, with 7.7 million viewers. Demographically, the franchise fared better, with Wednesday's episode scoring more 18-49-year-olds than any show, save, yes, Tuesday's America's Got Talent.
9. Which sea creatures are happiest about Jon and Kate Gosselin's split? Crabs. With Jon & Kate Plus 8 on hiatus, Deadliest Catch reigned as cable's most-watched reality series, with 3.45 million viewers. The Next Food Network Star was a close second (3.4 million).
10. What hasn't Hannah Montana done in two years? Be as big as it was the night it aired after the premiere of High School Musical 2. The Miley Cyrus show came as close as it's gotten to that record performance with an all-new, hour-long episode that averaged a cable-best 6.9 million viewers. Other prime-time cable standouts: The Closer (6.3 million); Sonny With a Chance (5.2 million); a Hannah Montana rerun (4.1 million) and Army Wives (3.6 million).
(Originally published July 8, 2009, at 11:35 a.m. PT)
Jackson memorial draws 31.1 million U.S. TV viewers
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – More than 31 million Americans watched the public memorial for Michael Jackson live on television -- well below the TV audience for former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's burial and the funeral of Britain's Princess Diana.
Nielsen Media Research said on Wednesday that Jackson's two-hour memorial in Los Angeles was carried live on Tuesday by 18 U.S. television networks and cable channels, drawing an audience of 31.1 million.
Although the figure did not include millions more who are thought to have watched on the Internet or in replays, the audience paled in comparison to the 37.8 million who watched a full day of President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, and the 49.5 million Americans who tuned in for Obama's first White House news conference in February.
Internet company Akamai, which handles 20 percent of the world's Web traffic, reported on Tuesday that it ran some 2.8 million audio and video streams during the Jackson memorial webcast, making it the most widely viewed on the Internet since Obama's inauguration.
Singers Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Usher were among artists who performed for some 18,000 fans, family and friends of the singer in the emotional two-hour tribute at the Staples Center arena.
Giving comparisons for other recent major televised funerals, Nielsen said the Jackson memorial audience ranked third on U.S. TV after Reagan's burial (35 million) in 2004 and the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997 (33.2 million).
It was also just ahead of the 30.6 million in 2005 who tuned in to learn that Jackson had been acquitted on child molestation and other charges after a four-month trial.
Live television audience figures in the United States have slipped in recent years as Americans watch more recorded TV and live streaming on the Internet, mobile phones and other platforms.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Eric Walsh)
They Saved Michael Jackson's Brain!
Los Angeles (E! Online) – What do Michael Jackson and Albert Einstein have in common...besides pure genius? Both their brains are in a glass jar—at least for the time being.The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office says it's holding onto a section of the late King of Pop's brain as part of its investigation into how he died.
Because toxicology tests take several weeks and are not yet complete, a coroner spokesman says pathologists need to wait for the organ to harden before they can conduct neuropathology tests to help determine what caused Jackson's apparent cardiac arrest and subsequent death.
Investigators have focused on the possibility that Jackson accidentally overdosed on a potent anesthetic, and a thorough examination of brain tissue might shed some light on what drugs were in his system.
The coroner's office has told Jackson relatives they have the option of burying Michael without the missing portion of his brain, or they can wait until tests are done and the tissue returned to its original place before finally laying him to rest.
That could explain why relatives have yet to hold a burial service for the late pop star.
The whereabouts of his remains are not known, having disappeared from public view following yesterday's poignant public memorial; however, a family friend told E! News Michael would be back at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, where a private funeral service was held earlier Tuesday.
Jackson's death certificate, signed by his sister La Toya, was also issued Tuesday, listing the cause of death as "deferred." A burial permit filed with the Los Angeles County's Office of Vital Records has not been made public.
Michael Jackson albums flying off digital shelves
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – The untimely death of Michael Jackson has set off an unprecedented surge in interest in his musical legacy. The self-proclaimed "King of Pop" certainly ruled the Billboard charts in the 1980s and beyond, but his posthumous sales are setting all kinds of new records.
The top two selling albums in the United States during the week ended July 5 week are Jackson's "Number Ones" and "Thriller." More Jackson albums were purchased during this past week alone -- 800,000 -- than through the entire first 26 weeks of 2009. In fact, for the first time ever, all Top 10 chart positions on Billboard's Catalog Album Chart are occupied by one artist as Jackson takes each spot.
Digitally, Jackson's sales are breaking new ground as well. In the past two weeks, Nielsen SoundScan has captured more than 5.6 million digital track sales covering North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This past week Nielsen SoundScan processed nearly 2.7 million Michael Jackson digital track sales across the three regions compared to 2.95 million last week and 52,000 track sales the previous week. Prior to this week, there were 419,000 Jackson digital track downloads in Europe/Oceania through the first 25 weeks of 2009; this week alone there are 552,000 digital track sales.
Over the past two weeks there have been more than 4.3 million Jackson tracks purchased. Prior to this week, there were 1.3 million of the artist's digital track sales during 2009. Each of the past two weeks there have been 2 million digital track sales from the "King of Pop." Nine of Jackson's songs were downloaded more than 100,000 times each and 16 songs downloaded more than 50,000 times this week alone.
Jackson is also setting music-video sales records. "Number Ones" was purchased 50,000 times this past week by consumers; the top 4 spots on this week's Music Video chart belong to Jackson; and the nearly 90,000 Jackson music videos purchased this week amounts to a 250% increase over the previous week after being up 2000% the week before.
Jackson is even cleaning up in ringtones. This week there were more than 336,000 Jackson ringtone purchases, up from the week ending June 28 when there were 200,000 Jackson ringtone sales in the U.S. Prior to this week, he had 83,000 ringtone sales during 2009. Since September 2006, Nielsen RingScan has captured more than 1.4 million Jackson ringtone purchases.
(Editing by Deangoodman at Reuters)
The top two selling albums in the United States during the week ended July 5 week are Jackson's "Number Ones" and "Thriller." More Jackson albums were purchased during this past week alone -- 800,000 -- than through the entire first 26 weeks of 2009. In fact, for the first time ever, all Top 10 chart positions on Billboard's Catalog Album Chart are occupied by one artist as Jackson takes each spot.
Digitally, Jackson's sales are breaking new ground as well. In the past two weeks, Nielsen SoundScan has captured more than 5.6 million digital track sales covering North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This past week Nielsen SoundScan processed nearly 2.7 million Michael Jackson digital track sales across the three regions compared to 2.95 million last week and 52,000 track sales the previous week. Prior to this week, there were 419,000 Jackson digital track downloads in Europe/Oceania through the first 25 weeks of 2009; this week alone there are 552,000 digital track sales.
Over the past two weeks there have been more than 4.3 million Jackson tracks purchased. Prior to this week, there were 1.3 million of the artist's digital track sales during 2009. Each of the past two weeks there have been 2 million digital track sales from the "King of Pop." Nine of Jackson's songs were downloaded more than 100,000 times each and 16 songs downloaded more than 50,000 times this week alone.
Jackson is also setting music-video sales records. "Number Ones" was purchased 50,000 times this past week by consumers; the top 4 spots on this week's Music Video chart belong to Jackson; and the nearly 90,000 Jackson music videos purchased this week amounts to a 250% increase over the previous week after being up 2000% the week before.
Jackson is even cleaning up in ringtones. This week there were more than 336,000 Jackson ringtone purchases, up from the week ending June 28 when there were 200,000 Jackson ringtone sales in the U.S. Prior to this week, he had 83,000 ringtone sales during 2009. Since September 2006, Nielsen RingScan has captured more than 1.4 million Jackson ringtone purchases.
(Editing by Deangoodman at Reuters)
Obama inauguration audience trumped Jackson memorial
NEW YORK (AFP) – Millions worldwide watched the memorial service for Michael Jackson, but the event failed to attract more viewers in the US than the inauguration of President Barack Obama, experts said Wednesday.
Though no definitive international figures are available, viewership for the Los Angeles farewell ceremony was probably comparable to Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 watched by 2.5 billion people globally, experts said.
"It's a global event for a global celebrity," said Rich Hanley, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac University.
"The difference with Princess Diana is the role of the Internet, allowing more people to watch," Hanley told AFP.
In the United States, media metrics institute Nielsen said 31.1 million people watched Jackson's memorial on television. A total of 18 US television stations broadcast the proceedings into 20.6 million US homes.
That compared with 33.2 million Americans who watched Diana's funeral. Other figures provided by European monitors also suggested that slightly fewer people had tuned in for Jackson's memorial.
Tuesday's figure was topped though by the 37.8 million people who followed Obama's inauguration on January 20, and overshadowed by the record 85.6 million glued to their sets in January 1991 for the first day of the Gulf War.
Hanley noted that sites including Facebook and Twitter now allowed people worldwide to follow the Los Angeles ceremony, even without a television.
"Now, all the fans, all over the globe could participate in this global spasm of mourning," Hanley said.
"You have many more appliances -- cell phones, laptops etc." that are connected to the Internet, he said, also noting that the "King of Pop" had a global fanbase unapproached by most stars today.
Columbia University professor Todd Gitlin, a media expert, told AFP that Jackson "was variously seen as talent, as victim, as singer, as dancer, as black, as post-racial."
"Somehow, he condensed all these assumptions and embodied them -- once as an avatar of excitement, even beauty, now as a fallen hero," Gitlin said.
According to high-tech company Akamai, which provides high-speed Internet access and streaming, three events caused major Internet traffic spikes in 2009: Obama's inauguration on January 20; June 25, the day when Jackson's death was reported and Tuesday's memorial.
Obama's inauguration drew most traffic, according to Akamai, which recorded seven million online visitors a minute for the event.
When news of Jackson's death was breaking, 4.2 million people a minute got online to find out details, and 3.9 million people a minute accessed the Internet during the Tuesday memorial ceremony, according to Akamai.
Experts cited a number of factors that contributed to the high figures for Obama's inauguration, ranging from its historic nature to the likelihood people would be indoors during the cold January months.
Journalism professor Hanley also said Obama appealed to young people in a way Jackson did not.
"My students have no connection with him," Hanley said. "The 80s are more their parents' concern. Obama appealed more to the younger people."
According to the Nielsen institute, fewer Americans tuned in for Jackson's ceremony than did for the burial of former president Ronald Reagan (35 million), the OJ Simpson verdict (54.6 million) or former president Bill Clinton's apology to the country for his infidelity with White House intern Monica Lewinsky (67.6 million).
But the Los Angeles proceedings did draw more US viewers than 8.8 million who watched the 2005 funeral of Pope John Paul II, Nielsen said.
Though no definitive international figures are available, viewership for the Los Angeles farewell ceremony was probably comparable to Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 watched by 2.5 billion people globally, experts said.
"It's a global event for a global celebrity," said Rich Hanley, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac University.
"The difference with Princess Diana is the role of the Internet, allowing more people to watch," Hanley told AFP.
In the United States, media metrics institute Nielsen said 31.1 million people watched Jackson's memorial on television. A total of 18 US television stations broadcast the proceedings into 20.6 million US homes.
That compared with 33.2 million Americans who watched Diana's funeral. Other figures provided by European monitors also suggested that slightly fewer people had tuned in for Jackson's memorial.
Tuesday's figure was topped though by the 37.8 million people who followed Obama's inauguration on January 20, and overshadowed by the record 85.6 million glued to their sets in January 1991 for the first day of the Gulf War.
Hanley noted that sites including Facebook and Twitter now allowed people worldwide to follow the Los Angeles ceremony, even without a television.
"Now, all the fans, all over the globe could participate in this global spasm of mourning," Hanley said.
"You have many more appliances -- cell phones, laptops etc." that are connected to the Internet, he said, also noting that the "King of Pop" had a global fanbase unapproached by most stars today.
Columbia University professor Todd Gitlin, a media expert, told AFP that Jackson "was variously seen as talent, as victim, as singer, as dancer, as black, as post-racial."
"Somehow, he condensed all these assumptions and embodied them -- once as an avatar of excitement, even beauty, now as a fallen hero," Gitlin said.
According to high-tech company Akamai, which provides high-speed Internet access and streaming, three events caused major Internet traffic spikes in 2009: Obama's inauguration on January 20; June 25, the day when Jackson's death was reported and Tuesday's memorial.
Obama's inauguration drew most traffic, according to Akamai, which recorded seven million online visitors a minute for the event.
When news of Jackson's death was breaking, 4.2 million people a minute got online to find out details, and 3.9 million people a minute accessed the Internet during the Tuesday memorial ceremony, according to Akamai.
Experts cited a number of factors that contributed to the high figures for Obama's inauguration, ranging from its historic nature to the likelihood people would be indoors during the cold January months.
Journalism professor Hanley also said Obama appealed to young people in a way Jackson did not.
"My students have no connection with him," Hanley said. "The 80s are more their parents' concern. Obama appealed more to the younger people."
According to the Nielsen institute, fewer Americans tuned in for Jackson's ceremony than did for the burial of former president Ronald Reagan (35 million), the OJ Simpson verdict (54.6 million) or former president Bill Clinton's apology to the country for his infidelity with White House intern Monica Lewinsky (67.6 million).
But the Los Angeles proceedings did draw more US viewers than 8.8 million who watched the 2005 funeral of Pope John Paul II, Nielsen said.
Michael Jackson Resting, for Now, at Forest Lawn
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Michael Jackson's soul could very well be resting in peace now, which is more than anyone has been able to say for sure about the King of Pop's body.But though the death certificate issued by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office lists the funeral site, Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks and Mortuaries, as the "temporary" disposition of his body, the L.A. County Vital Records Office tells E! News that the cemetery is indeed Jackson's "rest place."
Spokesman Bryan Hill says that Jackson's body was transported back to Forest Lawn following yesterday's all-star memorial at Staples Center—thereby answering the once puzzling question of where Jackson's remains ended up last night.
Of course, "temporary" still could very well mean temporary, as the family has yet to reveal any official burial plans.
"'Temporary' means the mortuary or the place where that person is sitting is where they will sit until [the Jackson family makes] a diagnosis of what they want to do," Hill said. "If he was to be buried somewhere else, they'll have to show the permit to let the county know they're going to do that.
"Once they make that decision, they'll have to file a brand-new amendment, which will change the status of the temporary box, and then they'll announce what they're going to do with the body. At that time they'll file another permit."
Meanwhile, the Jackson family's decision to transport Michael's casket to Staples was in compliance with county ordinances—which also stipulated that the body had to be returned to the cemetery, the rest place of record.
"It's just like you taking the body from one church to the funeral site, you can do that," Hill said. "He didn't stay at the Staples Center. Forest Lawn is his rest place. It's just like if you had a parent pass away. You do it at an outside church, then you bring it back to the cemetery."
Well, in this case, the parent of three children did pass away, only it was a parent who happened to have been lauded by 19,500 people in an arena as a means of saying good-bye.
And the records office isn't going to be personally checking to ensure that Jackson's body is where protocol dictates it be.
"Are we going to police it as a county to make sure he doesn't leave there? You know how entertainment goes," remarked Hill.
Forest Lawn spokesman Bill Martin would not share any details, telling E! News that the Jackson family's privacy will continue to trump all inquiries.
L.A. funeral director Abe Lara tells us it is extremely rare to see a family file for temporary disposition.
"I have not seen this done," he said. "He has not been interred somewhere. He is being held."
—Reporting by Whitney English and Lindsay Miller
Michael Jackson Not Resting Among the Stars...Yet
Los Angeles (E! Online) – As befitting the King of Pop, Michael Jackson may forever be part of Hollywood's starriest constellation...eventually.Led by a police escort, the Jackson family arrived at Forest Lawn Memorial Park at approximately 8:15 a.m. for an hour-long service, while nearly a dozen helicopters hovered overheard and hundreds of press and fans gathered outside the gates.
But the morning ceremony did not include a burial. Instead, after the private funeral inside the cemetery's Hall of Liberty ended shortly after 9 a.m., Jackson's coffin was loaded into a hearse to be transported 11 miles away to Los Angeles' Staples Center for the public memorial.
A motorcade of more than 30 vehicles—including Rolls Royce limousines, black Escalades and two small shuttle buses, and escorted by 12 CHP motorcycle units—left the family compound in nearby Encino shortly after 7 a.m. The trip across L.A.'s San Fernando Valley—in the teeth of rush hour—took about an hour.
Dozens of curious onlookers gathered on a grassy area adjacent to the cemetery to watch the spectacle unfold.
It is not yet known whether his body will be interred at Forest Lawn. Officials say there is no immediate plan for a motorcade back to the grounds following the memorial.
The heavy police presence at Forest Lawn began last night, as the Jacksons gathered for a viewing—an event Jackson matriarch Katherine hoped would "focus the family" before today's events, an insider tells E! News.
"It's kind of mind-boggling. An estimated billion people are going to watch this across the world," Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine told CNN this morning. "I don't think there's ever been a world entertainer like Michael Jackson...it's unparalleled."
Meanwhile, with the logistical costs of Jackson's funeral expected to approach $4 million, the cash-strapped City of Los Angeles is now soliciting tax-deductible donations to help cover the tab.
"Donations are being accepted to help defray the costs of providing public safety, traffic control and related costs associated with the Michael Jackson Memorial at the Staples Center. Please submit your donations by check payable to: 'City of Los Angeles,' " per the city's Website.
If Jackson's body is ultimately be interred in the picturesque cemetery nestled in the Hollywood Hills, it will be near the graves of his idols Sammy Davis Jr. and Fred Astaire.
Already a necessary stop on any star tour, Forest Lawn is also the final resting place of Bette Davis, Gene Autry, Humphrey Bogart, Jean Harlow and, more recently, Ed McMahon and David Carradine, who preceded Jackson by a matter of days.
—Additional reporting by Lindsay Miller
(Originally published on July 7, 2009, at 7:20 a.m. PT)
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Fate of fans' flowers, cards for Jackson undecided
LOS ANGELES – Since Michael Jackson died June 25, fans from around the world have expressed their grief in flowers, balloons, teddy bears, candles, pictures and handwritten notes left throughout the city — at his rented Holmby Hills mansion, at the Jackson family home in Encino, at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and at his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County.Now that the King of Pop has been memorialized publicly and privately, some say it's time to start clearing the mementos away. The family has yet to decide what to do with the keepsakes, spokesman Ken Sunshine said Wednesday.
Just as the sun was rising, city workers began packing up flowers, cards and gifts left on Jackson's star on Hollywood Boulevard. By afternoon, they had filled five boxes, which they delivered to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for safe keeping.
Chamber spokeswoman Ana Martinez-Holler, who has overseen activities on the Walk of Fame for more than two decades, said she has never seen so many mementos left for a fallen star.
"This has never happened at this magnitude," she said. "We didn't want to throw things away. This was a tribute paid to Michael by his fans. We just want to know if the family wants them and we're hoping to hear back from them soon."
Fans continued to contribute to the makeshift memorials outside the family compound and Neverland Ranch on Wednesday.
Sandra Darvish, 42, was moved by Tuesday's televised memorial to pay respects in person at the family's home. As she left a bouquet of tulips, the official export from her homeland of Holland, Darvish said she wasn't always a Jackson fan.
"But after yesterday, I sort of understood the family," she said. "It was very touching."
While she and others added to the collection of flowers, balloons, posters and flags from around the world in front of the home, a groundskeeper piled up the mementos to give to the family. Dead flowers peeked out from one of eight black plastic trash bags sitting nearby.
Anjanette Butler, who went to Encino from Ventura, said she hoped the family would keep fans' cards and letters for Jackson's children.
"Maybe they can show it to the kids to show how much everyone loved Michael," the 32-year-old Butler said. "It was their father, not this whole icon."
Sisters Tanya and Yolanda Vasquez, who left a colorful bouquet of flowers, were sad to see the keepsakes being cleared.
"They're taking them down and it's kind of upsetting," said Tonya Vasquez, 23. "I think we should still be able to leave stuff."
Her 27-year-old sister suggested that the family might take the mementos to Neverland as part of a permanent display.
Scores of fans gathered Wednesday at Jackson's sprawling ranch north of Los Angeles, where hundreds of flower bouquets flanked the estate's front gates.
One woman left a velvet painting of Jackson. Others left flowers and stuffed toys. One note read, "Hawaii loves you, Michael." Another said, "Angels aren't supposed to live on Earth. Thank you for trying."
Fans decorated the outside walls with posters and hung toys and flags in the trees.
Owen Blicksilver, a spokesman for Colony Capital LLC, which owns the ranch with Jackson, said there are no plans to move any of the tributes.
"Out of respect to Michael and his family we will continue to be a steward for the tributes, flowers and mementos brought to Neverland by his extended family of loving and respectful fans from all parts of the globe," he said Wednesday.
Police said that representatives for the Jackson family also began packing up the photos and flowers left outside Jackson's rented home.
When Princess Diana of Wales died in 1997, fans left toys and nearly 15,000 tons of flowers outside her homes at St. James Palace, Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace. About five days after her funeral, Diana's family donated the stuffed toys and some of the flowers to local children's hospitals.
___
Associated Press writer Michelle Rindels and APTN senior cameraman Bill Gorman in Los Olivos contributed to this report.
Jackson 'riddled' with needle marks: reports
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Michael Jackson's body was riddled with needle marks when he died, indicating possible use of a powerful sedative at the center of the investigation into his death, US media reported Wednesday.CNN and ABC News both cited unidentified sources involved in the probe as saying multiple track marks and several collapsed veins were discovered after Jackson's body was examined following his death on June 25.
The marks on Jackson's body "could certainly be consistent with the regular IV use of a drug, like Diprivan," CNN quoted the source as saying.
Several bottles of Diprivan, the brand name for the potent sedative propofol, were reportedly found at Jackson's home after his death.
Diprivan is commonly used to induce unconsciousness in hospital patients ahead of major surgery.
Experts say there is no conceivable reason why Jackson could have had the drug at his home and that it should only be administered by a trained anesthesiologist.
Last week a nutritionist who worked with Jackson earlier this year told CNN in an interview the star had pleaded with her to acquire Diprivan.
Michael Jackson's family silent on burial plans
By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES - More than 31 million Americans watched Michael Jackson's public memorial on television, but mystery surrounded the whereabouts of his body on Wednesday and plans for his burial.
A day after Jackson's casket was taken to a Los Angeles basketball arena for an emotional memorial for fans, friends and his family, attention returned to how Jackson got his hands on powerful prescription drugs reportedly found in his rented mansion after his sudden death on June 25.
Sales of Jackson's albums soared for a second week, with his solo albums jumping another 90 percent to 800,000 copies in the United States, tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan said.
Nielsen Media Research said 31.1 million Americans watched Tuesday's Los Angeles memorial live on television. The figure is lower than the TV audience of some other recent events.
Some 49.5 million Americans tuned in for U.S. President Barack Obama's first White House news conference in February, and 35 million watched former President Ronald Reagan's 2004 burial live on TV.
The Nielsen figures do not include viewing on the Internet or other platforms, which has grown rapidly in the last few years.
The Jackson family spokesman did not return calls for comment on burial plans for the "Thriller" singer, who died of cardiac arrest at age 50.
NO REQUEST FOR NEVERLAND BURIAL
California officials and those in Santa Barbara County said the family has not asked for the required special permission to bury Jackson at his abandoned Neverland Valley Ranch in central California.
Media reports said the Los Angeles coroner's office was conducting neuropathology tests on part of Jackson's brain, which could be behind the delay in the family's burial plans.
One of Jackson's doctors, Beverly Hills dermatologist Arnold Klein, on Wednesday denied he was one of the targets of a police investigation over drugs seized from Jackson's home after his death.
"I was not one of the doctors who participated in giving him overdoses of drugs or too much of anything," Klein told ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview.
"I always was concerned about him. No matter what he wanted, someone would give it to him," he said. Klein also denied media reports that he was the sperm donor of Jackson's two children with his ex-wife Debbie Rowe.
Jackson's music is enjoying the commercial success that eluded the "King of Pop" in recent years.
The singer's "Number Ones" compilation was the top-selling album in the United States during the week ended July 5, and his 1982 blockbuster "Thriller" took second place.
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