MJ NEWS: OPRAH INTERVIEW, BREAKING NEWS, NE-YO SONGS

[JumpinJack AJ]

Michael Jackson's Parents, Children Open Up On 'Oprah'
When asked what she missed most about her father, Paris responded, 'Everything.'

By Gil Kaufman

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In her first major interview since her son Michael Jackson's death last year, Katherine Jackson opened up to Oprah Winfrey on Monday (November 8) during a tearful talk in which she discussed the day her son died, the devastating impact of his 2005 child-molestation trial and the legacy Jackson left for his three young children.

"I don't think I will ever be healed," Katherine said when asked if she believes that time will make things easier. "It will get better, but some days it's like it just happened. ... It hurts. It really hurts."

During the hour-long special, Katherine said her youngest son was "misunderstood" and she had trouble talking about Michael, often tearing up when remembering him.

Michael died June 25, 2009, of a heart attack caused by an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol, and Katherine said she learned of her son's death from his personal doctor, Conrad Murray, after arriving at the hospital. "He came out, and he was talking, and it took him so long." Frustrated, Katherine asked, "Did he make it?" and Murray said, " 'No, he's gone.' That's all I remember," she said, tearing up once more at the memory. She called it the worst day of her life.

Murray has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's death, and prosecutors allege that his actions at the mansion Jackson was renting in Los Angeles were grossly negligent and directly caused Jackson's death. Murray has pleaded not guilty.

Though family patriarch Joseph Jackson has discussed his feelings about Murray, Katherine has kept relatively mum on the subject, until now. "Why didn't he take care of my child? Why did he give that [propofol] to him?" she asked. "It's very dangerous; why did he do it? ... I can't accuse him of murder. I don't know if it was accidentally done or it was intentionally done. I don't want to get into that, but I have my thoughts."

She said she'd never heard of propofol before and had no idea Michael was taking prescription drugs to help him sleep. She knew he had taken drugs to treat his burns from an accident during the filming of a 1984 Pepsi commercial and that he had become addicted to those drugs and that his siblings had attempted an intervention at one point. "I spoke to him about [drugs] once, when I had heard it, and he denied it," she said. "I was telling him I didn't want to one day hear that he had overdosed because it would break my heart, it would kill me too. He kept saying he wasn't, saying, 'My own mother don't believe me.' "

In addition to the burns, Katherine said MJ's addiction was fueled by his devastating 2005 child-molestation trial, in which he was acquitted of all charges but not before his career, and public image, were irreparably damaged.

"All his life, he had to go through stuff like this, and they were just lying on him," she said, asserting that she never once questioned his innocence in the matter. "I never thought [he could be guilty of molesting a child], because I know he wouldn't. He loved children, and he was around children all the time ... 'I'd rather slit my own wrists than to hurt a child' — he would always say that."

After the trial, she said, Jackson didn't trust anyone. And now, Katherine is raising his three children — Paris, Prince Michael and Blanket — and she admitted that she didn't approve of the way her son kept their faces shrouded during his life. After a cloistered existence, Katherine said the children are adjusting "very well" to their new life, which includes going to regular schools, playing and camping with their cousins and going out in public.

Along with some cousins, the kids came to visit near the end of the show, with Blanket proving to have inherited his dad's shy nature. Prince Michael said, in addition to loving video games, he wants to produce movies and direct, while a self-assured Paris said she'd like to be an actress after years of improv practice with her dad. Paris said Michael tried to hide his worldwide fame from them but she realized the veils and disguises were to protect them from prying eyes.

While Paris revealed that he was a strict dad (and an excellent cook, whose specialty was French toast), Blanket interjected, "He could get away with anything." When asked what she missed the most about her father, Paris responded, "Everything."

After an initial nose job, Michael began getting a series of surgeries, Katherine said, including ones that made his nose look like a "toothpick." Mostly, though, she said he treated his skin to erase the marks of a condition that made it splotchy.

"He didn't want to start looking 'like a spotted cow,' he said," Katherine recalled of Jackson's skin surgeries to treat his vitiligo. "I don't know what in the world he did to change that, but he did." Her comments appeared to contradict something Jackson himself told Winfrey several years ago when he claimed to have only had two surgeries. "He had more than two; he was just embarrassed," Katherine said.

In a surprise, Katherine was joined by husband Joseph later in the interview, with both refuting rumors that they are estranged or divorced. After years of similar denials, Joe once again asserted that he had never beat Michael. "I don't think he was afraid of me," he said. "I never beat him like the media tried to say. That never happened." Winfrey reminded him that Michael had said in a 1993 interview with her that Joseph had beaten his son, and then he asked her to specify between "beat or whipped."

Joe replied that he was proud that Michael was raised in such a way that he was a beloved, successful singer and not a drug or violence casualty like so many peers from Gary, Indiana. "You might as well admit it: That's the way black people raised their children," Katherine answered. "He used a strap."

Seemingly admitting it, Joseph again said he was proud none of his nine children ever landed in jail, suggesting that his hard hand kept them on the straight-and-narrow. "I don't [regret the beatings]," he said. "It kept them out of jail, and I raised them right and they were good kids."

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Michael Jackson's 'Breaking News,' first single from King of Pop's new album, 'Michael,' is released

By Soraya Roberts
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

'Breaking News'
Breaking News: Michael Jackson's new song has dropped.

"Breaking News," the first single from the King of Pop's upcoming posthumous album, "Michael," is streaming on his official website for one week only amid claims by family members that the vocals may be fake.

Following a few seconds of staticky radio news centering on MJ -- "The paparazzi would not leave him alone… Here we go again, another lawsuit for Michael Jackson… More allegations against him" -- the music kicks in, reminiscent of the musical beats in "Black or White."

"Everybody wanting a piece of Michael Jackson, reporters stalking the moves of Michael Jackson, just when you thought he was done, he comes to give again," Jackson sings amidst violins and his trademark yelps.

He later sings more blatantly about people wanting to write his "obituary" and waiting for him to "fall."

"Who is that boogie man you're thinking of?" he asks.

According to www.michaeljackson.com, the song was recorded in New Jersey in 2007 at Eddie Cascio's home and was completed posthumously, though Sony has not revealed how much production was done following Jackson’s death.

But the singer’s mother, Katherine, reportedly told Oprah in an interview to air Monday, that she believes some of the tracks from the new album are "fake."

"She says the Cascios have added some things and given the Sony corporation false tracks," reporter Diane Dimond, investigative reporter and author of "Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case," told Canada's CTV News Channel.

Jackson's daughter, Paris, and son Prince also reportedly do not believe the voice on parts of the new album belong to their father, according to gossip website TMZ.com.

But Sony released a statement last week that it had "complete confidence" that the vocals belonged to MJ after doing voice authentication on the album.

Regardless of the authenticity, Jackson’s father appears to believe his unreleased tracks should have died with him.

"The songs which are being released on the new Michael Jackson album were unfinished and incomplete tracks that Michael said over and over many times he never wanted released," Brian Oxman, a lawyer for Joe Jackson, said in a statement on Friday. "We should honor Michael Jackson's wishes."

Meanwhile, Katherine Jackson's business partner, Howard Mann, has apologized for publishing an "unreleased MJ track," "Opis None," on www.jacksonsecretvault.com. The song turned out to simply be a different version of an old track called "Destiny."

"Michael" is set for release on Dec. 14.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/11/08/2010-11-08_michael_jacksons_breaking_news_first_single_from_king_of_pops_new_album_michael_.html#ixzz14zQpW5v7

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Ne-Yo 'Doesn't Know What To Do' With Songs He Wrote For Michael Jackson
'I can't sell them on to someone else, as that would be disrespectful,' the singer said.

By James Dinh

While producer Rodney Jerkins is expecting to begin work on an album of unreleased Michael Jackson music, Ne-Yo, on the other hand, isn't sure what to do with the material he wrote for the late King of Pop before MJ's death last year. The R&B singer/songwriter told Australia's Daily Telegraph that he was sending Jackson three or four drafts a week prior to his unexpected death. More than a year later, Ne-Yo now still stands at a crossroads as he contemplates what to do with the songs he created specifically for the one and only MJ.

"I can't sell them on to someone else, as that would be disrespectful, but I also think it might be disrespectful to bring them out myself. So I don't know, I'll sit on them and wait. It's definitely quality music but they were songs written absolutely for Michael Jackson."

According to the newspaper, Jackson hand-picked Ne-Yo as well as Black Eyed Peas producer Will.I.Am to work on his comeback album. It was only a matter of time before Ne-Yo was met face to face with his musical idol.

"I felt quite bad, as I'd allowed what the media had done to his name and image to have me thinking, 'OK, what's this about to be? Is this going to be weird?' " he recalled. "But he walked in a black suit and some sunglasses and was a genuine, nice guy. And it wasn't because he wanted something from me, he just had no reason other than to be a decent guy."

During their meeting, the duo talked about the current state of the music industry, something Ne-Yo says Jackson wasn't too pleased with. "He believed what was wrong with a lot of music today is that people aren't singing about anything. If it's not about a party or sex then it's about money, and there's not really much to that."

Ne-Yo, who has penned hits for Beyoncé and Rihanna as well as himself, explained that the entertainer wanted songs that were "melodic and meaningful." "Michael told me the melodies needed to be the ones you heard once and could sing back, and the lyrics needed to have meaning and depth," he said.

Unfortunately, Ne-Yo's submissions weren't recorded by Jackson, because the singer put his album on hold to rehearse for his This Is It concert series at London's 02 Arena before passing away.

But Ne-Yo has hope that one day he'll figure out what to do with the Jackson tracks. "Hopefully the songs will see the light of day, it just has to be the right way," he said.

[VIsqo]

Let the man R.I.P. A lot of people want to keep paying their respects and keeping the legacy alive, but it seems like there are soo many others who just want to profit or keep getting profit out of MJ that this is ridiculous.