Michael Jackson's home on sale for $23.9 million

LOS ANGELES: The plush Los Angeles mansion where Michael Jackson died is on sale for $23.9 million, and a major celebrity is interested in buying it, according to realtors and the TMZ celebrity website.

The seven-bedroom, 13-bathroom property, described as the centrepiece of an "elegant and sophisticated French chateau estate," includes its own movie theater, a gym and a pool, said the realtors' website.

"The estate... offers a glamorous theater for screenings in a grand style, a magnificent wine cellar and tasting room, elevator, a spacious spa with gym, and an elegant guesthouse," as well as an "expansive pool and gardens," it said.

The house, built in 2002 in the Holmby Hills district west of Los Angeles, includes more than 17,000 square feet (1,580 square meters) of living space with 12 working fireplaces, and is set in a "lush and mature landscape" of some 1.26 acres (0.5 hectares).

TMZ reported that the property went on sale on Monday, and said a "major celebrity" is set to visit it on Thursday.

Realtor Mauricio Umansky, head of The Agency in Beverly Hills, will only show the property to serious buyers who have pre-qualified, meaning they have the money to buy it.

Pictures on the website appeared to include shots of the bedroom -- including what looks like the same bed headboard, if not bed -- as the one where the King of Pop died on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50.

The realtor's office did not immediately respond to an inquiry over whether the bed is the same.

The contents of the home, which Jackson rented, were sold at auction in December, although the bed and headboard were not included in items for sale, at the request of the Jackson family.

Jackson's personal doctor Conrad Murray was jailed for four years in November after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter of the star, who died from an overdose of the anesthetic drug propofol.

The singer, who was in Los Angeles rehearsing for a series of comeback London shows at the time of his death, was being treated with the drug as well as others to help him battle chronic insomnia. (AFP)

Jacksons, buffs join for UK tribute gig

CADRIFF: Thousands of Michael Jackson fans gathered at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday for a controversial concert attended by his mother, three children and some, but not all, of his siblings.

"Michael Forever" is going ahead despite a series of setbacks, including squabbling in the Jackson clan, angry fans and a major headline act pulling out at the last moment.

"It's going to be a huge and spectacular event," said Chris Hunt, head of Global Live Events, which is staging the show for up to 50,000 fans.

In a sign of the difficulties he has faced putting the tribute together and promoting it, 10,000 tickets were still unsold in the days before the gig.

Among the acts taking part will be Jackson's brothers Marlon, Tito and Jackie and his sister La

Toya, who will be performing live in public for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Also expected are his mother Katherine, three children and several other close family members.

But brothers Jermaine and Randy have criticized the concert, because it coincides with the involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles of Jackson's doctor. Janet Jackson has declined to take part citing the same reason.

"Thriller" singer Michael, one of the most successful yet troubled artists of the pop era, died in 2009 aged 50 while rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts.

"BEST THERE IS"

In addition to the Jacksons, the lineup includes Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Jamie Foxx, Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson, and among British stars appearing will be Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, JLS and Diversity.

Beyonce will appear in a video performance but Black Eyed Peas, originally confirmed to attend, pulled out earlier this week without explanation.

Some fan clubs have also protested against organizers, questioning the timing of the gig and confusion over charitable donations.

Hunt told Reuters earlier this week that some of the profits would go to two appointed charities as well as a trust for Jackson's children.

While acknowledging that the difficulties had taken some of the gloss off the event, fans gathering outside the stadium were excited to be able to pay homage to their idol.
"He was the best there is," said Kerry Hall-Smith, from Cardiff, who had a special T-shirt printed for the event.

"He's one of the legends, he's like Elvis. They are the people you remember forever." (Reuters)

Michael Jackson doctor due in court in LA

LOS ANGELES: Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray finally goes on trial Tuesday accused over the King of Pop's death two years ago, aged 50, from an overdose of a powerful drug.

A jury of seven men and five women will be sworn in at Los Angeles' Superior Court to decide Murray's fate on involuntary manslaughter charges over the star's death on June 25, 2009.

Murray, 58, faces up to four years in jail if convicted at the twice-delayed trial, expected to last five weeks.

Murray is accused of giving Jackson an overdose of the powerful sedative propofol to help alleviate his insomnia at a rented estate in the posh Holmby

Hills neighborhood while rehearsing for a series of London comeback shows.

The doctor has never denied administering the drug -- typically used as an anesthetic during surgery -- to Jackson, but denies having "abandoned his patient" at the fatal moment.

His lawyer Ed Chernoff is expected to argue that the world-famous "Thriller" singer, desperate for sleep, administered more of the drug himself while Murray was out of the room.

The trial will be televised live, but judge Michael Pastor has stressed that jurors cannot be recorded in any way. He has rejected a defense request for them to be sequestered, as took place during the O.J. Simpson trial.

Security will be ratchet-tight at the court in downtown Los Angeles, where a major media circus is expected to be joined by often colorful Jackson supporters lamenting the star's demise and demanding justice.

Some fans complain that Grenada-born Murray, who was being paid $150,000 a month by Jackson at the time of his death, faces only four years in jail. He has been free on $75,000 bail since being charged in February 2010.

"I believe the trial is going to be a big disappointment no matter what the outcome is," said Wesley Noorhoff, head of the Legendary Michael Jackson Fan Association, which has members in over 180 countries.

The jurors include high school graduates, some with a college education and one with an MBA. Six substitute jurors were chosen in case any of the first 12 selected drop out.

Half are Jackson fans -- one of those selected, a 54-year-old woman, wrote that she "loved his music as a very young girl, as an adult not so much," while a man of the same age said he thought Jackson was a "gifted performer."

The trial was originally due in March, but was delayed twice. In that time the judge has rejected a string of requests, notably to let Jackson's former doctors testify, in what the defense hoped would prove he was a drug addict.

On the eve of the trial the judge ruled that footage of Jackson the London comeback shows cannot be shown in court.

Murray's defense lawyers claimed the footage showed Jackson already under the influence of drugs -- by implication out of control -- while prosecutors said the footage was "absolutely irrelevant."

Jackson's family is expected in court -- his mother and father, Katherine and Joe Jackson, as several of his siblings who attended six days of pre-trial hearings in January.

But simmering tensions between them were stirred in July, when Katherine Jackson announced a tribute concert for her son, scheduled in Britain on October 8, a couple of weeks into the trial.

Two of her sons, Randy and Jermaine, immediately criticized the plans as "inappropriate" and an "ill-timed event" during the LA trial of their brother's doctor. (AFP)

Plans for Jackson tribute show ignite family row

Michael Jackson's mother and four siblings announced Monday plans for a star-studded tribute concert for the late pop icon, but the show was blasted as "ill-timed" by two other Jacksons.

Jermaine and Randy Jackson said the family should be concentrating on the upcoming manslaughter trial of their brother's doctor, which will be going on in Los Angeles when the planned show is staged in Britain in October.

The Michael Forever show is set for October 8 in Cardiff, Wales, and will be broadcast to 30 countries around the world, said his mother Katherine Jackson, sister La Toya and brothers Tito, Marlon and Jackie.

"The world's greatest performing artists" will play at the show, according to its website, although promoter Chris Hunt declined to name names, saying they will announce artists at another press conference in London on August 3.

Jackson's mother said "as many members of my family that are available" will be at the concert, adding: "Michael gave his entire life to the world through his love, his music and his devotion to healing the planet.

"I am positive that this event will be an event great enough in scale, talent and imagination to form a worthy celebration of Michael's life," she said at a press conference in Beverly Hills.

But Randy and Jermaine Jackson -- who tried but failed to organize a tribute show after Jackson's 2009 death -- blasted the timing of the new show, which will coincide with the September manslaughter trial of Jackson's doctor.

"While we wholeheartedly support the spirit of a tribute that honors our brother, we find it impossible to support an event that is due to take place during the criminal trial surrounding Michael's death," they said.

Doctor Conrad Murray, charged with manslaughter for giving the singer an overdose of powerful sedative propofol, is due to go on trial with opening statements on September 20, less than three weeks before the Cardiff concert.

"In light of this, we feel it is inappropriate to be involved with such an ill-timed event and its promoter, Global Live," said Jermaine and Randy Jackson in a statement.

"Furthermore, the decision to proceed with this concert disrespects opinions and wishes expressed in the strongest terms to Global Live during conversations in April when this event was presented to the majority of the family."

Global Live chief Chris Hunt defended the Cardiff plans, saying they would be "worthy of Michael's musical genius ... something fun and authentic that you would envision Michael attending with excitement and joy."

Tickets for the concert in the 75,000-seat Millennium Stadium in Cardiff -- with a fully retracting roof the biggest indoor venue in Europe, according to the organizers -- will go on sale online on August 4, they added.

The concert will raise money for charities including Prince Charles' Prince's Trust in Britain, and the AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). (AFP)

Jackson 'Thriller' jacket sells for $1.8 million

LOS ANGELES: The red and black leather jacket worn by Michael Jackson in his ‘Thriller’ video has been sold for $1.8 million, a day after the second anniversary of the pop icon's death.

The jacket, which fetched several times its estimate of between $200,000 and $400,000, has "Love Michael Jackson" written on the sleeve, and a dedication in the lining to his long-time costume designers, to whom he gave it.

No details were disclosed about the buyer, after the amount of the winning bid was posted on the website of Beverly Hills auction house Julien's.

The auctioneer described the jacket as "among the most recognizable and famous garments of the 20th century," saying it sparked a 1980s fashion craze when it was copied and sold to adoring Jackson fans worldwide.

"The black and red style of the jacket became so identifiable with Jackson's groundbreaking (video) that he continued to use jackets of the same design when performing the song 'Thriller' for the duration of his career," it said.

The jacket is one of two which Jackson used during the ghoulishly iconic video, the other being on display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

Part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the Shambala Preserve in California, where Jackson’s two Bengal tigers, Thriller and Sabu, have been living since 2006 when Jackson left the Neverland Ranch, it said.

On Saturday, fans paid their respects on the second anniversary of Jackson's death at the age of 50. (AFP)

Michael Jackson, "Fans celebrate second death anniversary "

Today marks the second death anniversary of legendary pop singer Michael Joseph Jackson, widely known as the ‘The King of Pop’.

The stars demise on 25 June, 2009 due to cardiac arrest, shocked fans all over the world. Today the legendary pop star lives on through his music and fans remember him by holding tributes and vigils across the globe.

Hometown Gary Indiana will remember the star by holding a ‘Tribute to Michael’ where performers, vendors and fans will celebrate his career, culminating in a candlelit vigil at his childhood home.

Los Angeles will see a customized motorbike fashioned with photos of the star, drive through Forrest Lawn Memorial Park where the star was cremated and laid to rest.

A select few will be able to celebrate the stars 2nd death anniversary by taking a private helicopter departing from Santa Barbara airport to the stars estate, The Neverland Ranch. 36 flights have been scheduled by Channel Marine Helicopters with tickets costing $175 to $500 for private flights allowing passengers to drop red roses over the stars property from the side window.

Brother Jermaine Jackson also honored his brother by paying a tribute to him at the 12th Indian International Film Awards Festival in Toronto. Paired with Indian Singer Sonu Nigam, Jermaine’s nostalgic performance of Michaels chartbusters entertained fans in Toronto however it failed live up to the stars unique style and charm.

The star suffered through his share of controversies while he lived, but the enigmatic effect he had on his fans allows him to live on in their hearts and minds as an entertainer, philanthropist and humanitarian.

Jackson voted greatest singer of all time

LOS ANGELES: Late singer Michael Jackson has been voted the greatest singer of all time in a new poll. Fans have honoured him by making him top the list of the Greatest Singer Of All Time in a poll conducted by Nme.com. The King of Pop died June 25, 2009, after suffering a cardiac arrest following an overdose of anaesthetic Propofol.

Queen frontman Freddie Mercury came second, while Elvis Presley placed third. Guns N' Roses star Axl Rose came in fourth and John Lennon rounded out the top five, reports contactmusic.com.

David Bowie, Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin also featured in the top 10 list.

I'm cool aunt to Michael's kids, "Janet Jackson"

Janet Jackson has revealed that she is often referred to as the "cool aunt" by her nieces and nephews.

The 'Make Me' singer told Closer that she has a good relationship with her family, particularly the late Michael's kids Prince, Paris and Blanket.

"'We are a very close family. I love them all very much," Jackson explained.

"A lot of my nieces and nephews come to me when they need someone to talk to. I've been told I'm the cool aunt!'

The For Coloured Girls star previously confessed that she thinks of her late brother every day as they shared "every dream, every confidence".

Jackson has previously revealed that she would not want to have children while in the public eye as she believes that fame is too difficult for kids to handle.

She is currently in the middle of an international greatest hits tour and also signed a production deal with Lionsgate Films earlier this year.

Sonu Nigam to honour Michael Jackson at IIFA

Sonu Nigam will perform with Jermaine Jackson at the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) weekend as a tribute to Michael Jackson.

The performance will take place on June 25 - the second anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.
The tribute song, composed by Nigam, was featured on the album The Beat of our Hearts, an 18-song compilation CD honouring Michael Jackson.

Speaking about the performance, Nigam told IANS: "Yes, I am performing with [Jermaine] the MJ tribute song that is being released by Universal America next week. It is called 'This Is It'.

I wrote and composed the song and [Jermaine] sang it for me in Los Angeles. It is the first ever tribute song in the world post-MJ's sad demise that is endorsed by a member of Michael Jackson's family."

Sabbas Joseph, one of the founding directors of Wizcraft International Entertainment, said: "We were fortunate to have met with Michael Jackson in 1996 when we brought him to India for his concert. With IIFA in Toronto, we will be commemorating Michael Jackson's second death anniversary with a performance by his brother Jermaine Jackson on the 'IIFA Rocks' stage. He will be joined by Sonu Niigam."

Nigam, who is known to be a huge Michael Jackson fan, paid tribute to the superstar after his death, saying: "Being an artist, it is my duty to appreciate the commendable work of a great artist like Michael Jackson. He has brought a lot of changes in the music industry and I think no one else around the world can touch his level."

Michael Jackson death pics used in Murray trial

Photographs of Michael Jackson's dead body will be shown in court.

A judge ruled that the two images, which were taken at the late singer's autopsy, can be used by prosecutors as evidence in the involuntary manslaughter trial of his doctor Conrad Murray.

According to TMZ, one of the images shows Jackson fully clothed and laid out on a gurney, while the other shows his naked body. The judge said that "certain parts" will be "blocked out" when the pictures are presented in court.

He insisted that the photos are relevant to the case and are "not gruesome, graphic or inflammatory".

Earlier this month, Murray's defence attorney Edward Chernoff described Jackson as a "desperate man" and claimed that he was so worried over his financial situation that he committed suicide.

Murray has always maintained that he is "an innocent man", but he could serve up to four years in prison if found guilty.

Biggest act of digital age

Michael Jackson has been named the most popular act of the digital age.
Information collected from Gracenote, which compiles its data from billions of searches on services such as iTunes, Google lyrics and through Sony products, has indicated that Michael Jackson is the most looked-up, reports Music Week.

Other artists who follow Jackson on the list include Bob Marley and Tupac Shakur.
Gracenote added that The Beatles rank highly in Europe and North America, but do not appear in the uppermost parts of the data in other territories.

Jackson was recently overtaken as the most popular person on Facebook by Eminem.

Jermaine Jackson confirms book on Michael

Jermaine Jackson is writing a book about his brother Michael, it has been announced.

The musician is penning a set of memoirs titled You Are Not Alone, Michael: Through A Brother's Eyes. The book will chart The Jackson 5's rise to fame and Michael's life story, including the circumstances surrounding his death in 2009 aged 50.

He said: "We don't want Michael's life - or death - to be an eternal mystery. This is the truth as we know it.

"I have read so much about what people think they know about Michael, but this is about what really happened. I hope to make sense of the occasions when the outside world struggled to understand my brother's world."

The 56-year-old, who has previously slammed the press for its portrayal of his late sibling, explained that he hoped the book would show his brother in a new light.

"By sitting down and sharing memories, I hope his millions of fans will see him anew, and that those who have not been so kind will find room for more compassion," he added.

"Everyone has said it all about Michael and us. They cannot say anything more. Now it is our turn. We cannot bring our brother back but we can ensure his legacy is never forgotten in a book that commemorates his life - and says the things he never got the chance to say."

The book will be published this autumn by Harper Collins in the UK and Touchstone in the US.

New Michael Jackson video premieres

A new Michael Jackson music video has premiered online.

The clip is for Jackson's second posthumous single 'Hollywood Tonight', which is taken from his album Michael.

Led by Sofia Boutella, the French dancer leads the promo with dance routines that are heavily inspired by Jackson's own iconic movements.

Its main focus is the struggle of a dancer moving to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of success.

The video was aptly shot in Hollywood by director Wayne Isham, who also worked with Jackson on his 1995 hit 'You Are Not Alone'.

Jackson's children recently revealed that they want to follow the career of their father.

Jackson doctor to stand trial for manslaughter

A judge on Tuesday ordered Michael Jackson's personal doctor to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges for allegedly killing the singer with an overdose of powerful sedatives.

Conrad Murray, who claims he was just treating the pop icon for insomnia when he died in June 2009, also had his license to practice medicine in California suspended.

The doctor will be arraigned on January 25, the Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled after six days of hearings which heard evidence that Murray tried to cover having given Jackson an overdose of the drug propofol.

Jackson's death shocked the entertainment world and triggered intense debate over the performer's health in the run-up to the London concerts, known as the "This is It" tour.

Murray, who was born in Grenada and raised in Trinidad before he moved to the United States, could face up to four years in jail and lose his doctor's license if the case goes to full trial and he is convicted.

Prosecutors claim his defense team will argue that Jackson effectively killed himself by administering an extra dose of propofol while Murray was out of the room, although the defence have not commented on this.

Specifically they allege that Murray, 57, "abandoned his patient" after administering the propofol some time between 10:40 am and 11:00 am to help Jackson sleep, and then tried to cover it up after the singer's death.

Tuesday's widely-expected ruling came shortly after a forensic expert testified Tuesday that Jackson's death was homicide, saying the singer was in generally good health when he died on June 25, 2009 at his LA mansion.

Christopher Rogers, head of forensic medicine for the Los Angeles County coroner's office, said the star died of acute intoxication with propofol, which is usually used as an anaesthetic in hospital settings.

He said he would describe Jackson's death as homicide even if, as claimed by Murray, the singer had himself administered an extra dose of propofol while the doctor was out of the room.

"Based on the quality of the medical care, I would still call this a homicide, even if the doctor did not provide the propofol to Mr Jackson," he said, on the second week of the pre-trial hearings.

Last week the pre-trial hearings heard from a series of witnesses who testified that Murray delayed calling 911, tried to conceal what drugs he had administered, and did not know how to carry out emergency resuscitation.

Paramedic Martin Blount said that when he arrived Jackson seemed to have been dead for at least 20 minutes, despite Murray's claim that he had stopped breathing a minute before they were called.

He added that Murray initially denied having given Jackson any medications, but said he saw the doctor holding a needle and spotted three bottles of the anesthetic Lidocaine on the floor.

On Friday investigator Elissa Fleak said she found 12 vials of propofol in Jackson's house after he died, while a pharmacist testified Monday that he supplied 255 vials of the drug to Murray in the two months before his death.

On Tuesday forensic expert Rogers said propofol should not be used to treat insomnia, adding that he was told "that the doctor left Mr Jackson while he was anesthetized, and this is something you would not do."

"Bad things can happen very quickly" when a patient is anaesthetized, he added.

Various members of Jackson's family have been attending the LA pre-trial hearings. On Tuesday they included sisters Janet and LaToya and his brother Randy.

Waitress was on phone to doctor of dying Jackson

A cocktail waitress recounted how she was called by Michael Jackson's personal doctor the day the pop icon died and heard a "commotion," apparently as the medic struggled with the crisis.

Sade Anding, of Houston, Texas, was one of 11 people with whom the physician, Conrad Murray, spoke by telephone in the hours leading up to Jackson's shock death on June 25, 2009.

In other testimony at hearings into whether Murray should stand trial for involuntary manslaughter, the court heard that 12 vials of the powerful sedative propofol which killed Jackson were found in a closet at his home.

The waitress said she had met Murray in a Texas steakhouse in February 2009. The pair had exchanged phone numbers, and she received a call from the doctor on the morning of the fateful day.

"He told me that he was doing well," she said, adding she had cut him off and started talking, but realized five or 10 minutes later that Murray was no longer on the phone.

"I heard a commotion... coughing, mumbling of voices," she said, adding that she was unsure if the mumbling was coming from Murray.

Anding said she stayed on the phone for about five minutes, saying it was unusual for Murray to stop responding. "I just remember saying, 'Hello? Hello? Hello? Are you there?' Are you there? Are you there?'" she said.

The waitress eventually hung up and tried to call Murray back and send him text messages, but got no reply.

Prosecutors allege that Murray, 57, negligently administered an overdose of the powerful sedative propofol to help Jackson sleep and then tried to cover it up. The doctor denies the charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Paramedics and emergency room doctors this week have said Murray initially failed to mention having administered propofol, and that Jackson appeared to have died at least 20 minutes before they arrived at his mansion.

On Thursday paramedic Martin Blount said that when he arrived Jackson seemed to have been dead for at least 20 minutes, despite Murray's claim that he had stopped breathing a minute before they were called.

Blount added that Murray initially denied having given Jackson any medications, but said he saw the doctor holding a needle and spotted three bottles of the anesthetic Lidocaine on the floor.

In new evidence Friday coroner's investigator Elissa Fleak said she found 12 vials of propofol in the wake of Jackson's death.

One was found empty on the floor near the singer's bed shortly after his death, while the other 11 were discovered four days later in a closet at his rented home.

Two had been opened and were found inside a dark-blue Costco bag, while the other nine, some of them open, were found in another bag, Fleak said.

Anding meanwhile said she heard nothing more until police contacted her. She called Murray, who apologized for involving her, and urged her to call his lawyer to be present if she met with detectives.

Los Angeles detective Dan Myers told the hearing that Murray had made or received 11 cellphone calls, totaling some 90 minutes of conversations, in the roughly five hours leading up to midday on the fateful day.

These included a 32-minute call to his medical practice in Las Vegas and an 11-minute call shortly before Murray called Jackson's personal assistant at 12:12 pm to say the singer had had a "bad reaction."

Prosecutors allege that Murray "abandoned his patient" after administering the propofol some time between 10:40 am and 11:00 am.

Murray could face up to four years in jail and lose his doctor's license if the case goes to full trial and he is convicted.

Jackson's death shocked the entertainment world and triggered intense debate over the performer's health in the run-up to the London concerts, known as the "This is It" tour.

Discovery cancels Michael Jackson autopsy TV show

The Discovery television network on Friday said it canceled plans to air a reenactment of the autopsy on Michael Jackson's body, citing an upcoming court hearing and concern by the late pop star's estate.

The show, "Michael Jackson's Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson," had been set to air in several countries of western Europe and in the United Kingdom on Jan. 13.

"Given the commencement of legal proceedings beginning next week, and at the request of Michael Jackson's estate, the scheduled broadcast of the medical documentary related to Michael Jackson's official autopsy has been postponed indefinitely," Discovery Networks International said in a statement.

A Discovery (DISCA.O) spokesman declined comment beyond the statement. Co-executors of the estate responded in their own statement saying they were "pleased" with the decision.

The "Thriller" singer died suddenly of a prescription drug overdose on June 25, 2009, age 50, only weeks before beginning a series of comeback concerts. An autopsy by Los Angeles officials showed Jackson died chiefly of an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol that he used as a sleep aid.

Discovery's show, which was not scheduled to air in the United States, was an unofficial, fictional account of what the autopsy must have been like and its results.

But Jackson fans worldwide protested in an online petition launched earlier this month, and the co-executors of his estate sent a letter this week to Discovery Networks calling the program "insensitive" and "in shockingly bad taste."

A print advertisement for the program shows a body covered by a sheet, with one hand poking out wearing the singer's well-known sequined glove.

Following Discovery's decision, McClain and Branca released a statement saying, "we are hopeful that this show will never run in any market in the future."

"While Discovery cited legal proceedings and our request as the reasons for its decision, none of this would have happened had it not been for the incredible passion displayed by countless Michael Jackson fans worldwide who knew they stood as one and that their voices could not be ignored," the statement said.

Jackson's physician at the time of his death, Dr. Conrad Murray, has admitted giving the singer propofol, which is often used in surgery, and Murray has been charged by authorities with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

Murray has pleaded not guilty, and a preliminary hearing to determine if enough evidence exists to make him stand trial begins in Los Angeles on Jan. 4.

Jackson's mansion to turn into music school

King of pop Michael Jackson's house Neverland Ranch might turn into a music school for teenagers soon.
The mansion owners want to turn the building into a fame school for teenaged musicians, where children from all walks of life could learn to write and perform music, reports thesun.co.uk.

"It's an interesting idea and we'd be open to it," said a spokesman for Jackson's estate.

The mansion is owned by a private real estate firm Colony Capital that is looking into using Jackson's name to promote the venture.

However, Santa Barbara County officials are yet to sign the project.

MJ's glove sold for 330,000 dollars at auction

Michael Jackson's glove sold for 300,000 dollars at an auction.

Items from Jackson''s stage wardrobe were included in an auction of celebrity memorabilia in Beverly Hills, reports Fox News.

Julien''s Auctions said a lone glove worn by Jackson during the 'Bad' tour in the late 1980s sold for 330,000 dollars at the 'Icons and Idols' auction Saturday night.

A jacket signed by Jackson brought in 96,000 dollars and a fedora he wore on stage went for 72,000 dollars at the Julien''s Auctions event.

Other highlights from the auction were an x-ray of Albert Einstein''s brain, which brought 38,750 dollars, and a pair of Marilyn Monroe''s empty prescription bottles sold for 18,750 dollars.

A military-style jacket worn by John Lennon for a 1966 Life Magazine photo shoot sold for 240,000 dollars.

The two-day event brought in more than 3 million dollars.