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Like Elvis and Tupac, Jackson’s still a thriller after death
Steve Knopper
| MCT News Service
Like Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain and Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson is just beginning his career as Pop Star Who Will Never Really Die.
His movie “This Is It,” based on rehearsal footage for the tour he was supposed to begin in July, came out Tuesday, and his first posthumous album, the movie soundtrack, also is out. Four months after his death, he’s one of the most active performers in the music business, and he’s up for five American Music Awards, too. More music
“This Is It,” a lovesick ballad — co-written with Paul Anka — with slinky funk guitar and strings, is Jackson’s first “new” song since he died. And it just happens to share a title with the movie. The song is actually one of the hundreds of unreleased tracks he left in the vaults, according to estimates from Sony Music executives, and surely just the beginning of a flood of new releases. Before his death, Jackson recorded with R&B star Akon and the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, among other hot producers, but it’s unclear when that music will reach the public. The film
A 12-minute clip for the film was previewed for the media last week, showing Jackson practicing and singing in fine form, according to The Associated Press. Though the King of Pop looked frail, he playfully danced with a woman as he sang “The Way You Make Me Feel” and was shown warming up during a performance of “Human Nature.”
Reality sets in
Before Jackson’s death, ex-Jackson 5 singers Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon
were filming the A&E reality show “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty.” It’s still supposed to air in December — and is likely to be a bigger ratings bonanza than it was before June 25. The preshow drama: Will Jackson’s three children — Prince (12), Paris (11) and Blanket (7) — appear? A&E reps first said “no” but later pleaded too-soon-to-tell. Mark your calendar
Speaking of Jermaine Jackson, the singer is still planning a tribute show, “In Memory of Michael Jackson,” in London next June. “Several leading artists” will participate, Jermaine writes on thetribute2010.com, and the still-to-be-announced venue will hold 70,000 people. If this thing actually comes together, here’s hoping Pia Zadora will show up to revisit “When the Rain Begins to Fall,” her smash 1985 duet with Jermaine. Estate battle
The battle for Jackson’s estate remains in limbo. On one side, his court-appointed executors, attorney John Branca and music-business veteran John McClain, have made massive deals worth $100 million, much of it from the “This Is It” movie. On the other, Jackson’s mother, Katherine, has been complaining that her family lacks “a seat at the table,” and has been shuffling attorneys to help her gain more control in L.A. courts. Death can’t stop him
Jackson has sold 5.9 million solo albums since his death — provoking sad flashbacks to 1982, when “Thriller” all but pulled the record business out of a recession. “Without a doubt, (Jackson’s death) helped the music industry,” says Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard’s charts director. “But the lifeblood of the music industry is new acts, and you can’t rely on these kinds of occurrences to sustain an industry.” Jackson is likely to be the best-selling artist of 2009; album sales overall are down 20 percent, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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Enlarge photo
Jackson in 1993
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Director-choreographer wanted Jackson healthy
Kenny Ortega was responsible for some of Michael Jackson’s biggest concerts, including what were to be his comeback shows in London. But in the singer’s final days, the producer-director-choregrapher felt like he needed to take on another responsibility — making sure Jackson stayed healthy.
“Michael had sleepless nights and we had to look after him. (I’d say to him), ‘Stay hydrated, have a protein shake — did you eat today before you came?’” Ortega said.
When Jackson would say he had, a skeptical Ortega would say — “Michael?”
“Michael’s an adult. ... We didn’t want to baby him,” he said. “(But) I had concerns and we had conversations, wanting to make sure he was doing everything he could to build himself and not break himself down.”
Jackson died June 25 at age 50. The coroner ruled Jackson’s death a homicide, caused primarily by the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative. Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, has not been charged with a crime but is the focus of the police investigation.
Ortega’s work with Jackson included world tours for Jackson’s “Dangerous” and “HIStory” albums. He was directing “This Is It” — which would have marked the performer’s comeback concerts in London’s O2 Arena in July — and was brought on to direct a film adaptation of those taped rehearsals after Jackson’s death.
In a 12-minute clip previewed for media last week, a strong-voiced King of Pop is shown enthusiastically practicing some of his biggest hits.
Jackson, though frail-looking, is shown warming up his vocals during a performance of “Human Nature.” That’s followed by the singer running through the song in various outfits.
Later, he playfully dances with a woman as he sings “The Way You Make Me Feel,” touching her thigh and holding her waist.
“One more time,” Jackson says toward the end of the song after being told the last eight bars were to be cut.
Ortega says although he worried about Jackson’s health, he doesn’t believe the preparation for the shows wore the singer down. In fact, he says it was the opposite.
“I can tell you this experience, working on this show, was invigorating, was nourishing. ... (It) wasn’t taking away from Michael,” he said.
Musical director Michael Bearden recalls Jackson’s lofty goal to try to capture all of his music in one, over-the-top show.
“He had so, so much music that we tried to get everything in but not cheat the audience at the same time, which is a delicate balance if you will to try to get everything in and still feel like you’re getting a full song,” he said.
Ortega says Jackson was adamant about the look of the tour — from the length of the songs to lighting.
“From the very beginning Michael was very vocal, and very up-front about what he wanted to do and why he wanted to do it,” he said.
“That’s what ‘This Is It,’ Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ the film, is about — it’s a privileged peak into the final creative process of Michael’s last theatrical work.”
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