Monday, August 10, 2009

Jump on the Money Train - We Can Bury Him Later


Los Angeles County Coroner's officials know what killed Michael Jackson.
But they aren't telling yet.
In a statement today, the office announced it has wrapped its investigation into Jackson's June 25 death, with chief investigator Craig Harvey calling the probe "thorough and comprehensive."

But because the LAPD has put a "security hold" on all documents pertaining to the case, the report
will not be made public anytime soon.
Although the coroner's work is done, Jackson is not yet resting in peace. Despite several media reports, authorities tell E! News that the music legend's body has not—repeat not—been laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.
A spokesperson for L.A.'s Vital Records Office says Jackson's death certificate has not been amended and no burial permit has been issued—a necessary step before his remains can be interred.

Meanwhile, the judge overseeing the singer's will said he had approved several business deals, including a $60 million agreement with Columbia Pictures to make a movie from video of the King of Pop's rehearsals for a series of concerts that had been set to take place in London this past July.

Those shows were dubbed "This Is It" by Jackson, and the movie will be similarly titled. Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp's Sony Pictures Entertainment, said the film, due to be in theaters on October 30, will have performances and behind-the-scenes video of Jackson preparing for the concerts. Some of it will be shown in movie theaters in 3-D.

The judge also agreed to the re-issuance of the singer's autobiography, "Moonwalk," currently planned for October
Lawyers spent much of Monday in court wrangling over merchandising deals still being planned and a traveling exhibition of Jackson memorabilia that concert promoter AEG Live, which had backed the London concerts, wants to mount.
RESURGENT POPULARITY
Attorneys for Jackson's mother, Katherine, said they had concerns about the involvement of AEG in deals struck with the executors of the pop star's estate.
Judge Mitchell Beckloff said he could not approve the deals for the traveling exhibition and merchandising rights until he appoints an attorney to represent the interests of Jackson's three minor children, who along with Katherine Jackson are beneficiaries of the estate.
As a result, he put off his decision on whether to approve the two deals until August 17.
An attorney for AEG Live, which spent as much as $30 million preparing for the comeback concerts, had argued that to help recoup its investment it needed to move quickly to take advantage of the resurgence in the singer's popularity.
Several of the "Thriller" singer's albums, for instance, have returned to the top of the music charts in recent weeks, whereas before his death his CD sales had languished.

"The longer we wait, the more time passes, frankly the less interest there will be on the part of the public to come see the exhibit," said Kathy Jorrie, an attorney for AEG Live.
Jackson's "Number Ones" CD, originally released in 1993, is the second-best selling album of 2009 in the United States, with sales this year of 1.4 million copies, according to tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan. Only Taylor Swift's 2008 release "Fearless," with 1.5 million copies sold so far this year, stands in the way.
Jackson was said to be as much as $500 million in debt when he died, but the value of his estate was reported to be as high as $1 billion given his part ownership in a music catalog and his control of his own songs.
Jorrie told the judge that attorneys for his mother have demanded AEG Live give the estate its rehearsal video, something that AEG is not willing to do. AEG is owned by reclusive Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz.

So everyone is jumping on the money train and the poor guy hasn't even been laid to rest yet. People! Please bury the man and move on . He is not a freak show exhibit. He is a dead human being and should be accorded the respect we give to all our dead. I know you are trying to wring every last dime out of him before you let him go . I'm just afraid you will put him on display like the two headed calf at the Smthsonian, which ,by the way is stuffed.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous4:35:00 PM

    Why don't they bury the man ,they can put him at rest and work out the details later.

    As for the old beady eyed Joe Jackson's deal with "A&E" I hope that show never take form , everyone of MJ's money grubbing family members is only thinking about themselves and not the kids who are the important ones here.

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