justlooking2

Amen to that! Pray God it isn't true too. Nancy

Believe what you want.

OK -- Listen -- Let's be honest ok. PR people don't always tell the TRUTH. I mean, we want to believe her but I think we need to be realistic. And who cares if he gets $125 million a year. That's NOTHING with his expenses. Obviously believe what you want but I choose realism

EXACTLY Ann -- no one forced anyone to go to this. And my other thought -- again -- everyone says "he should just make a good album and then he'd have money." Well, gee, if it's that simple, we should ALL just go make good albums and have lots of money. i should just go write a Pulitzer prize winning book and then I'll have money. Sorry guys, but I think as much as we all like to dream and pontificate, we need to be realistic on this. He is trying to get money to get his career on track, to pay his bills.

I think we need to agree to disagree on this -- I write about the music industry every day and talk to record company people every day. He could not "easily get a contract with any major music label or one album with full control." If only things were that simple.

It's been reported several times, just not this succinctly. As much as I hate to think it, I am sure it is true.

From Fox News - Roger Friedman Jacko Will Lose Beatles Catalog in 2008 Michael Jackson had better hold on to whatever money he pocketed in Japan this week during a promotional tour. I can report today that Jackson will lose his hold on the Beatles catalog and Sony/ATV Music Publishing on May 31, 2008. That date, revealed here for the first time, is known as the "Liquidation Sale" among insiders. And Jackson knows this. He even hired a famous law firm, White & Case, to evaluate the deal he made with Sony and Fortress Investments when he refinanced his shaky empire last year. This doesn't mean that Jackson won't still owe Fortress $300 million after the liquidation sale is over. He will, but he can pay them back from the money Sony pays him to buy out their half the music company. Its value is somewhere between $1.1 and $1.6 billion, according to a Fortress exec who was deposed last year in preparation for a $48 million lawsuit brought against Jackson by Darien Dash, cousin of hip hop entrepreneur Damon Dash, as Prescient Capital Group. Recently, both Jackson and Prescient have asked the judge in the New York to speed things along, and an answer is pending. At question is whether or not Don Stabler, an accountant hired by Randy Jackson, Michael's brother, had the authority to enter into agreements on Jackson's behalf. Stabler agreed to pay Prescient/Dash a nine percent fee for finding financing to replace Jackson's $270 million at Bank of America. Dash found Fortress, which offered over $500 million to help Jackson buy out Sony in his agreement. That much wasn't needed, but Dash is asking for his fee on that amount. The original Jackson-Prescient-Fortress deal went down in May 2005 while Jackson stood trial in Santa Maria, California for child molestation. But, unbeknownst to anyone, the negotiations had actually begun in November 2004. A year later, in the spring of 2006, Jackson ? now bidden to Fortress ? was out of money again and renegotiating his terms. Sony Music came to his rescue, but at a price: they would be able to trigger a purchase of Jackson's entire stake, not just half of it, at the end of May 2008. And Jackson agreed to more than just that: he also signed a promissory note with Fortress for $20 million. It comes due this October. Selling his half of Sony-ATV back to Sony won't be so easy for Jackson or so lucrative. According to testimony in various Prescient depositions, Jackson could be charged as much as $250 million ?off the top? by Sony for expenses they've incurred while running the partnership. That would whittle down his potential $600 million windfall almost by half. A further subtraction of the $300 million loan to Fortress would leave him with little wiggle room. Jackson, it's also revealed in the depositions, once tried to sell his half of the company to billionaire Ron Burkle during the child molestation trial. ?I remember precisely at court in the bathroom stall with the cell phone in my hand, saying why don't you just buy it? I want to sell it you.? Burkle, Jackson said, declined, telling him he had to keep the music catalog for his children. Jackson's deposition in the Prescient case, which is now becoming public, is otherwise the usual symphony of ?I don't knows? and ?I don't remembers? that Jackson offers in these circumstances. It was conducted last June 12 at Jackson's expense ? possibly $100,000?at a hotel in Versailles, France, at his request. But Jackson is far from stupid. His answers and vagueness seem coached, but from the Marx Brothers and Abbott & Costello. At one point he starts calling the proceedings ?ridiculous,? an adjective he invokes often. Asked what's ridiculous about the case, Jackson answers: ?Three Stooges .? There is also a long debate about where he lives. He doesn't know the address, can't tell the difference between Bahrain, Dubai and Oman, or the various palaces he's been in. ?The Muslim names are kind of confusing to me, so it's hard,? he says. Jackson is also fairly embittered by his experiences in the music business. ?It's full of sharks,? he says to one of the lawyers, ?charlatans and imposters. Because there's a lot of money involved, there's a bunch of schmucks in there.? Of course, it's the wrong word: schmuck means, loosely, losers. At another time, it's implied that flashy Florida attorney Willie Gary made an offer to buy Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Now shuttered, Neverland is leveraged by Jackson with a $25 million loan, also with Fortress. There's an upside to all this: Jackson, under the renegotiation, receives an annual advance from Sony of $6.5 million. He gets another $2 million under another clause. It's not a lot for a celebrity who likes to travel, stay in expensive hotels, and shut down toy stores for private shopping. But it's nothing to sneeze at either. What's interesting about all this now is that it's no longer about Jackson. His career is finished. It's now more about what a hot potato the Beatles catalog has become, and why its ever-increasing value has permitted Jackson to live outside the norm. It may be the wisest investment ever made by a celebrity. Jackson should be sending thank you letters to John Branca and Frank DiLeo, his two former advisers, every day of the week.

From Reuters Pop star Michael Jackson's less wealthy fans got a chance to meet him at a "fan appreciation" event in Tokyo on Friday, a day after he posed for photos with those willing to pay 400,000 yen ($3,400) for the privilege. Jackson was not expected to sing or dance at Friday's event, which cost a relatively modest 15,000 yen ($130) per head, but organizers said he would talk to all attendees. No cameras were to be allowed inside. "I love his eyes, his nose and his dance," said 7-year-old Jun Sahs, waiting outside the Studio Coast venue. The event was scheduled for March 9, because the date can be pronounced "san kyu," which sounds like "thank you" in Japanese, organizers said. "I am simply happy that he's come to see us half-way around the globe and I will be able to breath the same air as he is," said Yoko Gomi, a 57-year-old housewife. Since being acquitted of child molestation charges at a trial that ended in June 2005, Jackson has mostly kept a low profile, spending time in Bahrain and Ireland. He last visited Japan, where he has a huge fan base, in May to accept a music award. Since arriving at the weekend, he has been mobbed by fans during a shopping trip and a visit to Disneyland. In November, Jackson sang at an awards ceremony in London, his first public performance since the trial, but his efforts were panned by critics.

Look at the writing in the back of the second one Fleur. It's in Japanese. Nope, looked through all the stuff. It's from this trip. Thanks though!

I've followed this guy all my life. If he is greedy (I'll never say he's evil) then I support him. As I said earlier, if people would pay me $3500 to meet me, I'd do it. No one is holding a gun to the fans' heads, making them pay this.

Unfortunately that costs a TON of money to do. It'd be nice if it ws simple, but it's not. And even if he is worth $100 million, he has major expenses. Again, I hear what all of you are saying. But I support him.

It's not that I don't believe you -- seriously -- I just have to support him on this. I still think he's desperate and if peole wil pay that much he will do it. And again, there are lower priced tickets if people want them. I hope you know I'm not trying to be a jerk. I've followed him all my life though and I think he wouldn't do this if he wasn't desperate.

I don't think he is worth that much - I think he's totally tapped out -- But who knows? I'm sorry -- I support him -- But I understand if others don't -- seriously

Guys I hear you -- I really do -- But he's DESPERATE -- I really do have empathy for him. I hear what you're saying though -- I do - b ut he's despeate.

Yeah I saw this -- He's so cute THANKS for posting

I know what you guys are saying. And I'can't believe I'm supporting this. But he's desperate -- he really is -- In my view -- N.

I know why you feel that way -- totally. I just can't feel like that toward Michael though. .He's been through so much. And if people want to pay to meet him -- What can I say?

UGH -- no one is gonna like me when I write this, but here it is -- I think the point is people will pay that money to meet hiim and he needs the money. In fairness to Michael, there are some fairly low priced tickets too and he's doing that art contest, which is cool (I guess - I feel badly for people who couldn't participate). If someone would pay that to rme, I'd go for it. Seriously. I mean people would do anything to meet him. So....

Thanks for posting Aaron -- There's always something -- I guess we'll see soon

OK -- this is just a thought but you should organize a chat party (I know you're thinking - YOU do it). But no seriously - like a nice chat party so the new folks can meet the folks who've been on, etc. Just an idea -- might be a good way to built site traffic too

Oh Fleur I think you're mistaken. That photo #2 was shot outside a store where he shopped -- it was the third of three in a series I was sent (the other two were already posted). I could be wrong but that's what it said and he was wearing the same clothes in all -- N.

Gosh I haven't in a while. I'm sure it'll pick up though as we get more people. I'll make it a point to go in regularly.

INTERESTING -- -Finally -- SOME NEWS!!! Thank you -- Nancy

Hey guys -- As many of you know, I'm a music writer. I just interviewed Chuck D. of Public Enemy and asked him if he thinks Michael can come back in popularity. Here's what he said: Michael doesn't need to come back. He never left. He is the king. That's not gonna change. People all over the world respect Michael's music....It's like asking if Paul McCartney can make a come back. Are you kidding me? A come back? He was a Beatle. What does he have to prove. It's the same for Michael. He doesn't need to "come back." He'll always be the king."

I read that thread on MJNO -- I have to be honest -- I really think it's just a wild rumor. I haven't seen anything about that anywhere. And I've LOOKED. So, no I don't think so. PS -- for those of you who don't know -- the person who posted it wouldn't say where he got it from.