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'Michael Forever' concert rescinds invitation for Kiss to perform following complaints from estate and fans.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment
Several weeks after announcing their intention to celebrate the life of Michael Jackson with an all-star concert called "Michael Jackson Forever," the initial lineup for the October 8 show at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, was revealed last week.
According to promoters, the Michael Forever show is slated to feature such stars as Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Motown legend Smokey Robinson, in addition to less globally popular talents, including Alexandra Burke, Pixie Lott, Leona Lewis, JLS, Craig David, Alien Ant Farm and a pair of Jackson-related groups, 3T and the Jackson Brothers.
The one thing the event does not have, however, is the approval of Jackson's powerful estate, which had kept silent about the show put together by parents Joseph and Katherine Jackson, along with siblings Jackie, Tito, Marlon, LaToya and Rebbie. Brothers Jermaine and Randy have not been involved in the plans and have publicly objected to the event because it falls in the middle of the involuntary manslaughter trial of Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray.
On Tuesday (August 16) a spokesperson for the estate — which has handled all of Jackson's affairs since his 2009 death — confirmed that estate lawyer Howard Weitzman sent a letter to concert organizers last week raising some pointed questions about the show.
"I represent the Executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson. As the legal caretakers of Michael's intellectual property, we believe it is our duty to contact you directly regarding the growing number of questions that have been addressed to the Estate, as well as multiple concerns that have emerged in recent days," reads the letter.
After reminding organizers that the estate is the only entity that can sign off on the use of Jackson's image or his intellectual property — the concert's website is careful not to feature any images of the singer or samples of his music — the letter said the estate was "especially disappointed" by the announcement on Monday that greasepaint rockers Kiss have been added to the bill.
Specifically, the beef was that outspoken Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has made a number of disparaging comments about Jackson in the past. "It was extraordinarily embarrassing when no sooner had you announced this 'news' that [Simmons] would participate in your concert that TMZ posted an item noting that Mr. Simmons called Michael Jackson ... a child molester, notwithstanding the fact that Michael was acquitted by a jury," read the letter.
Jackson fansite MJ4Justice was flooded with negative comments about the addition of Kiss, announced on Monday by Katherine Jackson on CNN, and has called for a boycott of the show. The concert's Facebook page has also been inundated with concerns over the booking of Kiss.
And the complaints worked. On Tuesday, the concert's promoter, Global Live Events, canceled Kiss' "invitation" to appear in the show. "We have listened to Michael's fans and are grateful to have been alerted to these unfortunate statements by Gene Simmons," CEO Chris Hunt said in a statement. "Under the circumstances we fully agree that even though Kiss is a band Michael admired we have no choice but to rescind our invitation to them to appear in our tribute concert. We offer our sincerest apologies to Mrs. Jackson and the family for this oversight — our primary concern must be to do justice to Michael's memory, and to put on a tribute that the family and the fans will find suitable and fit for a King, our King of Pop."
The estate also expressed concerns about the promotion of the concert as a charity event, noting that it is using Jackson's "good name" to promote contributions, when the charitable element of the show is voluntary. "It appears from your interviews and from your website that none of the (approximately $90-$390) per person ticket price is committed to charitable causes," the letter states. The estate asked for clarity on to whom the charitable contributions are going , as well as an explanation of the small type clause that says that refunds will not be offered if "50% or more of the number of contracted artists attend and perform."
A spokesperson for the concert had not returned requests for comment about the donations at press time. Tickets are being distributed in lottery fashion, with fans asked to register for the chance to buy them in order to, "avoid the usual frantic rush and confusion when tickets for big events go on sale," according to the concert's website.
"Michael Jackson always made sure his fans were treated to concert experiences so spectacular that they would remember the evening for the rest of their lives," lawyer Weitzman concluded. "He always treated his fans with the utmost respect. In light of the questions raised above and the confusion surrounding this 'event,' we are extremely concerned about Michael's legacy, his fans and the public-at-large." The letter asks promoter Global Live to address those concerns and those of the singer's fans as soon as possible.
Related ArtistsSpears set to shoot clip for new single in London.
By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears' <i>Criminal</i>
Photo: Jive/Sony
Britney Spears recently shared that she plans to shoot her video for "Criminal" in England, and now fans are not only learning more details about her plans to promote the single but also getting a look at the cover artwork.
The turquoise-and-red single art for the song — which is now all over the blogs — features a serious-looking Spears looking out into the distance, her wavy hair falling on her bare back. A mysterious hooded man is also featured on the cover. A rep confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (September 14) that the art is official.
Spears has promised that the video will be eye-catching. "Actually, the song, when I first heard it, it's really different and it's not anything I've heard like this before. So I really wanted to deliver this song. I was thinking of a really cool concept for the video just to make it interesting," she told us last month. "You'll have to see."
As for the location of the shoot, Spears gushed about it on Twitter. "So excited to stop over in the UK before I start my European tour in a few weeks," she wrote. "Can't wait! I LOVE London, it's like my second home. Decided to shoot the 'Criminal' video in the streets of merry old England when I get there."
As Spears gears up for the release of "Criminal," she's also got a few other projects in the works, including a remix album due out next month and a concert special set to air on Epix. The just-released trailer for the special, set to air in November, uses concert footage from her Femme Fatale Tour, which Brit is gearing up to take to Europe later this month.
What are you hoping to see from Brit's "Criminal" video? Tell us in the comments!
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Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli
'We were shocked to see this,' read the Jacksons' message; Durbin tweeted an apology on Thursday.
By Gil Kaufman
James Durbin performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox
Some people might argue that it's patently unfair to take rank amateurs, put them on the biggest show on TV and then expose them to potential worldwide ridicule every week. Because it's one thing to tune in to "American Idol" from your living room or play shows at the local wings joint, it's another thing entirely when you get up on that stage and open your mouth with tens of millions watching and listening.
James Durbin learned this lesson the hard way this week when he made what he thought was an innocent crack about not setting himself on fire during his pyro-tastic cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" on Wednesday night.
Asked by host Ryan Seacrest if he was worried about dancing around among the flames shooting up from the piano onstage, Durbin joked, "I have a lot of hairspray in my hair to keep it from jumping around — so much so, the one thing I was worried about was having a 'Pepsi moment.' "
The seemingly innocent crack was a reference to the 1984 on-set accident in which late pop icon Michael Jackson was badly burned during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial by some wayward pyro effects. The serious burns he suffered in the incident allegedly led to his longtime addiction to pain medication and prescription drugs.
The Jackson family was not amused by the quip and sent a statement to TMZ on Thursday.
"We were shocked to see this. It's nothing to make light of and everybody should be focusing on who was responsible for Michael's death," read the statement. Family patriarch Joseph Jackson also was reportedly miffed that "Idol" producers did not cut the comment from the West Coast feed of the show.
Durbin defended his slip-up in a tweet, which has since been scrubbed from the singer's official "Idol" Twitter feed, that explained, "For anyone talkin ... I said pepsi NOT MJ! I have no disrespect for Michael. I grew up singing his art. I guess youll take it how you want it." He later added, "Talkin about MJs passing is too soon. Making a reference to an incident 25 years ago..not too soon. The stab was at pepsi people."
It's worth noting that Pepsi's bitter rival, Coca-Cola, is the main "Idol" sponsor, a fact that Seacrest reminded Durbin of in an awkward moment after the comment on the show.
What did you think of James Durbin's "Pepsi" quip? Tell us in the comments.
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Up-and-coming rockers Young the Giant also among those benefitting from post-show sales boost.
By Gil Kaufman
Beyoncé performs at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Getty Images
Beyoncé's surprise pregnancy reveal wasn't the only bump to show up this week. A number of artists also got an expected iTunes VMA bump, as their singles shot up the iTunes digital charts in the wake of their performances on the record-setting broadcast.
The biggest leap was made by Adele, whose second single, "Someone Like You," shot right up to #1 on the tally in the wake of her dramatic appearance on the broadcast, a rise of 441 percent. The song was not even in the top 10 when iTunes released the charts for the week ending August 22. Though iTunes does not release sales figures, there was clearly some serious online purchasing that went on, in addition to a major flood of Twitter traffic caused by the VMAs.
Among the other beneficiaries were Lady Gaga, whose Jo Calderone-fueled take on "Yoü and I" pushed that song back into the top 10 to #4 as of Thursday (September 1). And, after dropping Tha Carter IV at midnight on Sunday, Lil Wayne was all over, with "Mirror" moving into the #5 position, "Blunt Blowin' " at #13, "MegaMan" at #23 and "How to Love" at #15.
Beyoncé herself had a boost from the night, as her "Love on Top" performance pushed the not-officially-released-as-a-single single to #3 (currently at #9) as sales picked up by 221 percent. Pre-show performers Cobra Starship were feeling the love also, as "You Make Me Feel" moved up to #6 after having faded to #11 before the broadcast.
Also benefitting were rockers Young the Giant, whose performance likely helped breakthrough single, "My Body," shoot up 223 percent to land at #2 on the alternative singles charts and #24 on the overall chart. The band's self-titled disc also saw some serious love, with sales expanding by 220 percent, moving up to #4 on the iTunes album chart. House artist Jessie J got the bump as well, with sales of her album, Who You Are shooting up nearly 200 percent.
Chris Brown's high-flying VMA medley also pushed him up the charts, as his singles "Beautiful People" and "Yeah 3X" soared by 904 and 149 percent, respectively, on the iTunes singles chart.
The love was spread far and wide, as evidenced by the 1,375 percent jump for Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse's version of "Valerie" — performed by Bruno Mars during the Amy Winehouse tribute — and the Foo Fighters' VMA-winning "Walk," which had a 120 percent jump on the iTunes singles chart. Sales of Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends" were up 76 percent on the iTunes singles chart after the song was heard in the Britney tribute to the pop star and Pitbull's summer jam "Give Me Everything" surged 71 percent on the iTunes song tally following his performance.
The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.
