AFP - Tuesday, July 14LOS ANGELES (AFP) - -
The father of Michael Jackson slammed the gruelling 50-date schedule drawn up for his son's comeback, saying the star was not capable of completing the series of sold-out concerts.
In an interview aired by ABC News, Joe Jackson said he had harbored concerns about his son's schedule, which had been due to get underway in London on July 13 until the tragic King of Pop died on June 25.
Jackson, 79, said his son had initially only wanted to perform in 10 concerts before more dates were added.
"Michael only agreed to 10 shows. Then they went and added all these shows," Joe Jackson told ABC News.
"I was worried about his health because all the shows I'm seeing, no artist can do all those shows, back-to-back like that. I knew Michael couldn't do all those shows without a rest in between."
Jackson's misgivings were echoed by his son's financial advisor Leonard Rowe, who also told ABC News that the star was in no condition to make a comeback, describing reports that he was in good shape as "totally untrue."
"Michael Jackson was not ready. He was not fit. If you can call weighing about 110 to 115 pounds fit. Besides that MJ told me himself that he never wanted to do 50 shows he only wanted to do 10," Rowe told ABC.
Randy Phillips, chief of concert promoters AEG Live, told ABC that it had been Michael Jackson's idea to increase the original run of concerts from 31 to 50, saying the singer would have been averaging under three shows a week.
"If that was too many, then one would have been too many," Phillips said.
Jackson's physical condition in the days leading up to his death last month has been the subject of intense debate, with sharply different versions offered by the singer's associates.
Phillips had earlier said Jackson, 50, appeared to be in "fantastic" shape at a concert rehearsal on the eve of his death.
Another member of the rehearsal, magician-comedian Ed Alonzo, said Jackson "looked great and had great energy."
However reports detailing alleged findings from Jackson's autopsy have painted a different picture, with CNN and ABC both reporting the star's body was riddled with needle marks and had several collapsed veins.
Jackson, 50, died on June 25 after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest at his rented mansion in an up-market neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Michael Jackson toxicology reports expected soon
AP - Tuesday, July 14
LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles coroner's official says toxicology reports that may determine the cause of Michael Jackson's death could be completed this week.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Monday that some results from tests to determine what substances Jackson had in his body when he died are in. The remaining results are expected at the end of this week or early next week.
Winter said his office would announce when all the tests are done, then publicly release the results the next day.
Jackson died June 25.
Authorities are investigating claims the pop star consumed large amounts of prescription medications. The powerful sedative Diprivan, normally only administered in hospitals, was among items found in his home.
LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles coroner's official says toxicology reports that may determine the cause of Michael Jackson's death could be completed this week.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Monday that some results from tests to determine what substances Jackson had in his body when he died are in. The remaining results are expected at the end of this week or early next week.
Winter said his office would announce when all the tests are done, then publicly release the results the next day.
Jackson died June 25.
Authorities are investigating claims the pop star consumed large amounts of prescription medications. The powerful sedative Diprivan, normally only administered in hospitals, was among items found in his home.
Fans gather in London where Jackson was to perform
Reuters - Tuesday, July 14
LONDON - Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans gathered outside London's O2 Arena on Monday to pay their respects to the entertainer on the day he was to have opened a run of 50 concerts at the venue.
Jackson died on June 25, just weeks ahead of his eagerly awaited comeback following years of living as a virtual recluse.
The London concerts sold out in record time and some of the 750,000 tickets sold traded hands at hugely inflated prices on the Internet.
Underlining fans' devotion to the "King of Pop", hundreds turned up to the venue anyway, determined to celebrate their favorite musician.
"This was going to be the best summer of my life," said fan Michael. "I was going to go to five shows altogether, it would have been fantastic. I can't believe rather than coming here to see him perform I'm here to mourn ... It's devastating, it really is."
Some fans sat quietly beneath a large screen with a picture of Jackson and the words "Michael Jackson 1958-2009" reflecting on what might have been.
Others, including several Jackson impersonators, led sing-a-longs of his greatest hits.
Will, another fan, said: "We've come here today even if there's no gig tonight. We're making our own gig, our own carnival atmosphere, we're making this what it would have been if Michael had been here."
The man behind chart-topping songs like "Thriller," "Billie Jean" and "Man in the Mirror" has been mourned the world over since his sudden death at the age of 50, and sales of his records have soared.
AEG Live, promoters of Jackson's planned comeback "residency" in London, have offered fans either full refunds for the canceled shows or the option of keeping their commemorative tickets as keepsakes.
Jackson died while rehearsing for the concerts, and AEG has said it hopes to stage a tribute including elements of the This Is It spectacle. Several reports have said organizers are aiming for a date in late August.
LONDON - Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans gathered outside London's O2 Arena on Monday to pay their respects to the entertainer on the day he was to have opened a run of 50 concerts at the venue.
Jackson died on June 25, just weeks ahead of his eagerly awaited comeback following years of living as a virtual recluse.
The London concerts sold out in record time and some of the 750,000 tickets sold traded hands at hugely inflated prices on the Internet.
Underlining fans' devotion to the "King of Pop", hundreds turned up to the venue anyway, determined to celebrate their favorite musician.
"This was going to be the best summer of my life," said fan Michael. "I was going to go to five shows altogether, it would have been fantastic. I can't believe rather than coming here to see him perform I'm here to mourn ... It's devastating, it really is."
Some fans sat quietly beneath a large screen with a picture of Jackson and the words "Michael Jackson 1958-2009" reflecting on what might have been.
Others, including several Jackson impersonators, led sing-a-longs of his greatest hits.
Will, another fan, said: "We've come here today even if there's no gig tonight. We're making our own gig, our own carnival atmosphere, we're making this what it would have been if Michael had been here."
The man behind chart-topping songs like "Thriller," "Billie Jean" and "Man in the Mirror" has been mourned the world over since his sudden death at the age of 50, and sales of his records have soared.
AEG Live, promoters of Jackson's planned comeback "residency" in London, have offered fans either full refunds for the canceled shows or the option of keeping their commemorative tickets as keepsakes.
Jackson died while rehearsing for the concerts, and AEG has said it hopes to stage a tribute including elements of the This Is It spectacle. Several reports have said organizers are aiming for a date in late August.
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