Michael Jackson's Kids

The late Michael Jackson's children Prince, 14, Paris, 13, and Blanket, 9, celebrated their father today by helping stamp his famed sequined glove and a pair of his shoes in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Justin Bieber and "Thriller" producer Quincy Jones hit the stage in front of the Hollywood landmark to speak about the King of Pop's influence. Tito, Marlon, Jackie and Katherine Jackson all attended the ceremony, which featured special performances by the cast of "Glee" and the Jackson-based Cirque Du Soleil show "Immortal." The ceremony was timed to coordinate with "Immortal's" first dates at Los Angeles' Staples Center. "Glee" will air its Michael Jackson tribute episode next week.

Jackson's children have been in the public eye far more in the years since his death, appearing at the Grammy Awards to accept an honor on behalf of their father and at the "Immortal" premiere in Canada. Paris Jackson appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in December to talk about her role in the film "Lundon's Bridge and the Three Keys." She told the host that her father helped her prepare for the role. "We would do improv together," Jackson told DeGeneres. "He would give us little scenarios. He would (say), 'OK, in this scene you're going to cry' and I'd cry on the spot."

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By Jonathan Mussman

"Michael Jackson Immortal," the latest Cirque du Soleil collaboration, had its US premiere Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas. On hand to celebrate were a host of major celebs as well as Katherine, Tito and Jackie Jackson and Michael's kids, who got a full backstage tour prior to the performance. Katherine and the kids entered the arena to a standing ovation from the crowd. "Michael would definitely be proud," Jackie Jackson mentioned backstage following the performance. "He always loved Cirque performances, this show made the most sense for his fans," added Tito Jackson.

In questioning how much of the "This Is It" concert segments were included in "Immortal," Travis Payne, Michael's long time choreographer, added, "All of the iconic 'chunks' as we know them including 'Thriller,' 'Smooth Criminal' and some things from Dangerous were not changed and we took those moments and brought them to this show and surrounded them with new ideas." A few of the original "This Is It" videos and dance segments were included, helping make this arena-based show feel more like an actual MJ concert.

Unlike most highly innovative and creative Cirque shows, "Immortal" relies heavily on dancing and music elements in addition to the jaw-dropping aerial, trampoline and acrobatic acts we expect. Everything was set to an absolutely amazing MJ mash-up soundtrack mastered by musical designer Kevin Antunes, who felt like a kid in a candy shop when producing the score (album now available). "I was given full access to the MJ library with no restrictions," he told MTV News. Working with family members, the estate and Sony archivists, Antunes was able to include legendary songs such as "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" as well as rarely (if ever) heard tracks from ABC and a Spanish-sung version of "I Just Can’t Stop Loving You." All of Michael’s leads are from recordings while the back-up and instrumentals are performed live. Read More...

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Conrad Murray

A verdict in the case against Dr. Conrad Murray, the late Michael Jackson's personal physician, was just revealed. Following six weeks of testimony from 49 witnesses, the seven-man, five-woman jury found Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the untimely and tragic death of the King of Pop.

>>>Michael Jackson Doctor Trial: Sizing Up Defense, Prosecution Cases

Murray's trail has been under an expected-but-still intense media spotlight from the beginning. The details of the trial have been dissected publicly, with lawyers and other legal experts weighing in constantly on the events of each day.

>>>Michael Jackson Doctor's Trial: A Timeline

So, given that we're certain you are pretty familiar with the major facts of the court proceedings, we were curious about your thoughts on the verdict.

>>>Why Did Michael Jackson's Doctor Talk To Police?

Let us know if you agree or disagree with the jury's decision by voting in our poll below.

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It's hard to think of something more embarrassing for a 17-year-old boy than going to the mall with his mom to buy jeans and having her measure his inseam while all his friends fall out of their food court chairs giggling.

Well, except being a 17-year-old international pop superstar and having your manager discuss the status of your little fellas with all the world. Cue to what we can only imagine was a very red-faced Justin Bieber slouching on a couch during a cover story interview with Billboard magazine recently in which his longtime manager, Scooter Braun, dropped this bon mot. "Vocally, his balls have dropped," Braun said of the vocal changes fans might hear on the singer's upcoming Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe.

Wow, okay. Thanks Scooter, but seriously dude, TMI.

Of course, Bieber isn't the only teen dream who's had to deal with ch-ch-ch-changes to his voice at the peak of his powers. Read More...

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O Music Awards

If you've ever seen "Grease," you know that dance-offs were a thing back in the 1950s. But MTV's O Music Awards are updating the bop-till-you-drop tradition with an attempt to break the Guinness World record with an upcoming shot at snagging the 55-hour dance marathon title.

Some dedicated hoofers will trying to keep it poppin' right up until the second the O Music Awards kick off at 11:30 PM on October 31 in Los Angeles.

That got us thinking about other wacky music-related records tallied by Guinness and, believe it or not, trying to dance for more than two days is not close to the strangest record in the books.

Here are a few of our favorites: Read More...

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By Zachary Swickey

Arguably one of the most iconic items in musical wardrobe history, the red and black calfskin jacket that Michael Jackson wore in his classic “Thriller” music video (above) has sold at auction for an astounding $1.8 million.

Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, states the jacket was purchased over the weekend by Milton Verret, a commodities trader from Austin, Texas. Verret plans on sending the jacket on tour and using it as a fundraising tool for children’s charities. In addition, some of the auction’s proceeds will benefit the Shambala Preserve, a large cat sanctuary located in California that currently cares for two tigers previously owned by Jackson.

The $1.8 million price tag trumped the original estimated auction price of $400,000, and the two-year anniversary of MJ’s death is likely the reason. If you think almost two million bucks for a 30-year-old jacket is ridiculous, here’s a sampling of some of the crazy and pricey music memorabilia that has hit the auction block.

John Lennon’s 1965 Rolls Royce Phantom V - $2.3 million

Any item that has even been touched by John Lennon of The Beatles is worth a pretty penny. A 1965 Rolls Royce Phantom V limousine would be pricey today by any standard, but when previously owned by Lennon, it catapults in value exponentially to a pricey $2.3 million. That’s how much his wildly painted, psychedelic ride sold for at a 1982 auction (adjusted for inflation, it would likely go for several times that today). That’s a little bit more than the $2.1 million that “Faith” singer George Michael paid in 1990 for the cigarette-burned piano Lennon composed “Imagine” on.

Elvis Presley’s hair - $115,000

Elvis Presley’s barber must have been an interesting man or simply knew he was regularly hedging a gold mine every time he snipped some of The King’s hair. A few tresses of Presley’s hair sold for a freakish $115,000. Apparently, the hair-auctioning-biz is a legit market to tap into.

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Michael JacksonIt's been a long time since news about Michael Jackson focused on his music. But with the recent announcement of his forthcoming string of shows at London's O2 Arena, hopefully all that will change.

It's been a full 12 years since the self-styled King of Pop went on tour, but not the last time he performed onstage. In 2006 I was lucky enough to be a guest at the World Music Awards in London when MJ took to the stage for a highly anticipated performance. Unfortunately, what was billed as the singer's comeback performance was actually MJ singing just a few lines of "We Are the World." It was quite an anticlimax, leaving many fans with mixed feelings. Yes, people were thrilled to see MJ back onstage, but singing just a few lines — with no dancing whatsoever — just didn't cut it.

So last week, when MJ held a press conference in London announcing that he would be making a full-on return to the stage this summer — for what is now 50 dates, stretching from July into next February — ticket-sale hotlines were gridlocked with requests within minutes. The O2 arena is no small venue — only the biggest, most in-demand acts in the world play there.

Michael Jackson still fits that bill, and obviously his drawing power can't be underestimated: Organizers told the BBC that the shows are the fastest-selling in history.

The "This Is It" shows — an odd name, since Jackson hasn't clarified whether these are his last shows or just his last shows in London — are nonetheless history in the making. In his press conference MJ promised fans that he would be performing the songs that his fans want to hear — so what are the best Michael Jackson songs? Let us know…

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By James Montgomery and Rachel Josue

Have you ever wished that, while practicing the Moonwalk in your bedroom, you had Michael Jackson's magical white glove to complete your best "Billie Jean" performance? Well, now you can — provided you can pony up the estimated starting bid of $6,000 to $8,000.

Today, Julien's Auctions, the "premier auction house in high-profile celebrity and entertainment auctions" and the folks behind last year's Osbourne auction, announced that it will auction off more than 2,000 pieces of Michael Jackson memorabilia in April of next year. From April 14 to April 20, items will be on display at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Then, starting on April 21, the gavel will fall.

Which means that, if you've got the loot, the entry gates to Neverland Ranch (estimated starting bid: $10,000 to $20,000) can soon keep the paparazzi away from your front door. This potential sale begs the question: Who or what will then keep the riffraff out of Neverland, considering Jacko saved it from foreclosure last May? Read More...

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Coldplay's Chris Martin

Sitting in the room where they decide who will be nominated for the annual World Music Awards must be awesome.

"Michael Jackson for zee best Pop Male Artist!"

"Vy viss the Michael Jackson again? Alvays viss the Michael Jackson!"

"We shall give zee award to zee Kid Rock, not that Enrique Iglesias. Hees mole makes me sheever. And if Jovanotti does not win the award for Italy, zere is zomezing rotten in Denmark! Haw-haw!"
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Michael JacksonOh Jermaine, when will you learn? Just days after the Jackson brother proudly declared (for, like, the 20th time) that the fabled Jackson 5, including Michael, would be reuniting for a world tour — "It's going to be a family affair," Jermaine told Australia's AAP news agency — Michael has said, Not so fast, J.

"My brothers and sisters have my full love and support, and we've certainly shared many great experiences, but at this time I have no plans to record or tour with them," MJ said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Dr. Tohme. "I am now in the studio developing new and exciting projects that I look forward to sharing with my fans in concert soon."

Given her ongoing problems, we're going to go ahead and doubt Jermaine's claim that "Janet's going to open ... [and] we're in the studio, we're planning on being out there next year."

Can't wait to see what Tito, Marlon and Randy look like these days!

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