Michael Jackson Guitarist Slams Gene Simmons' Child Abuse Accusations

 Jennifer Batten performing with Michael Jackson on the Bad tour from September 12, 1987 to January 27, 1989. Photo Credit: Sawf News
February 27, 2010, (Sawf News) - Michael Jackson's former tour guitarist has slammed Gene Simmons' recent allegations against the King of Pop.

In an interview earlier this month, Simmons told Classic Rock that a musician friend had quit a Michael Jackson tour after 'seeing boys coming out of the hotel rooms'.

But Jennifer Batten, who accompanied Jackson on all three of his world tours, says the allegations are untrue and that nobody ever left a Jackson tour after it hit the road.

 

Jennifer Batten performing with Michael Jackson on the Bad tour from September 12, 1987 to January 27, 1989. Photo Credit: Sawf News

She said: "Number one, there's no truth to it. Number two, I would guess that it was somebody who got fired. Somebody who was embarrassed that they got fired and so they made up a story."

Batten added that only two musicians were ever fired and they were let go 'like a week before we took out on the road', meaning that they couldn't have witnessed anything going on inside hotels.

The guitarist also blasted the media for widely publishing inaccurate stories, saying that after Jacksons death, "They were respectful for about two or three hours and then they turned it into a tabloid festival... It's all about money now, not about truth. People can be very cold."

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Shahid Kapoor will become Michael Jackson for 8 minutes

Michael Jackson, who passed away, last year, was, undoubtedly, one of the greatest performers to ever grace the stage. The ‘King of Pop’ died prematurely and his death brought tears to the eyes of almost every music lover.

But, come Saturday, and you will be witness to the resurrection of the legendary dancer. Because, Shahid Kapoor will be stepping into his shoes and pay a heartfelt tribute to Jackson in his own style. It’d be an uphill task for Shahid to bring out the magic that Michael used to unleash on his mesmerized audience but, nevertheless, Shahid is a top-notch dancer and his homage to the revered pop singer is praiseworthy.

And, if you wanna be witness to Michael’s resurrection in the body of Shahid, then book your seats for the 55th Filmfare Awards to be held this Saturday on 27th February, 2010.

Shahid Kapoor is devoted towards his dancing and has always been an ardent Michael Jackson fan (after all, who isn’t) and an excited Shahid says,

“The Filmfare organisers felt I could do the Michael Jackson tribute. And I took up the challenge. We didn’t have much time to rehearse, only four days. But I’ve grown up watching MJ’s music videos, am a huge fan, so it wasn’t difficult to master the choreography. I will be paying a tribute, not copying MJ. But it is better not to adulterate his steps.”

And his performance will be a live one. “Yes, I’ll be going live… an eight-minute homage,” he adds.

So, for those 8 minutes, Shahid Kapoor will become Michael Jackson as he gears up to give the most significant and soulful performance of his life…….

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Michael Jackson death tape appears online

A new Michael Jackson video has appeared online - one which has recorded paramedics declaring the pop legend dead.

Femalefirst.co.uk reports that the tape, which is believed to feature a Los Angeles Fire Department medical calling ahead to the UCLA Hospital in Santa Monica, could be used as an evidence in the trial against Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

The voice in the tape said: "Patient is Michael Jackson, the pop star singer. No pulse, no breathing. Unresponsive. Tried to resuscitate him. Unsuccessful. We've done everything we can. We should be there in five minutes. It doesn't look good. It doesn't look good."

The tape was found on ambulance workers' web forum and is believed to be the first time the announcement was made that Jackson was dead on June 25 last year, although authorities do not yet know whether it is genuine.

"I couldn't confirm that it is one of our workers. It could be. They refer to 'pop star Michael Jackson' but it is not our practice to name names," said an LAFD

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Legal team wary of Jackson prosecutors

THE legal team of Conrad Murray, the doctor charged with involuntary homicide over the death of Michael Jackson, said LA prosecutors are being "suspiciously slow" in turning over documents to them, reports said today.

Reports on celebrity gossip website TMZ said Conrad's defence team are skeptical about the delay from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

"The prosecution had eight months to accumulate their evidence and we still haven't received it. Something here isn't right," one source told TMZ.

A spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office dismissed any suggestion of impropriety as "ridiculous," telling TMZ, "There are hundreds of documents that are being stamped and when the process is completed, they will be turned over."

It comes after reports claimed Jackson had boasted that his doctor was the "best in the world", telling aides, "I trust this guy with my life" just two days before he was killed by drugs administered by Murray.
A report in the News of the World on Sunday revealed how Jackson, who died of a Propofol overdose on June 25, 2009, praised cardiologist Murray as he prepared for a dress rehearsal at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on June 23, 2009.

Jackson had also insisted the doctor was paid almost $3 million for his round-the-clock services during the This Is It concerts - threatening to pull out if his demands were not met.

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He’s Tiger Woods, but he’s also Michael Jackson

It’s official now. Tiger Woods is in pursuit of a second legacy.

The image-battered golfer might just catch Jack Nicklaus’ record for major championships and Michael Jackson’s descent into pop-culture weirdness.

As of this writing, I’ve had 30-plus hours to digest and multiple opportunities to rewatch Woods’ waterboarding-inspired, sexual-infidelity apology that was transmitted across the globe.

Objective eyes and ears were shocked at what they saw and heard.

The cuddly tyke introduced to America at age 2 on “The Mike Douglas Show” and marketed to the world by his father, Earl Woods, and Nike as the boy-next-door who might save the planet has somewhat predictably evolved into a no-people-skills freak.

I cannot stress to you how much it pains me to write this. You would be hard-pressed to find a more passionate fan of Michael Jackson and Tiger Woods than yours truly.

But it’s impossible to deny that fame, fortune, corporate manipulators and fathers hell bent on producing once-in-a-lifetime entertainers stripped Jackson and Woods of anything approaching normalcy when it comes to human interaction.

Perhaps pale from being away from the golf course and stuck in hibernation born of embarrassment, Woods’ complexion on Friday even resembled Jackson’s late-life hue.

At the height of their popularity and earning power, the King of Pop and the King of Swing were both shot down by stories of sexual impropriety. The child-molestation allegations leveled against Jackson were obviously far more heinous than the noncriminal extramarital affairs currently dogging Woods, but the image damage seems just the same.

Before their controversies, Jackson and Woods had positioned themselves as racially transcendent superstars. Crotch-grabbing and brief, on-course tantrums were as controversial as Jackson and Woods got.

Now they’re polarizing.

The dubious and money-driven attacks on Jackson reshaped our view of the rock star and seemingly drove him deeper into seclusion, plastic surgery and odd behavior. We don’t know which direction Woods will head in the aftermath of his public comeuppance.

On Friday, he strangely disappeared alone behind a blue curtain and was reportedly on his way back to the prisoner-of-sexual-repression camp where he’d already survived 45 days of shock treatment.

Maybe Tiger’s handlers know better than all the critics who demand that Woods sit down with Oprah, Barbara Walters or some other high-profile interviewer. Maybe the less the public knows about a man groomed on a golf course the better.

You don’t shoot a front-nine 48 at age 3 and break 80 over 18 holes at age 8 because your parents made you spend your free time socializing with relatives, hanging with the boys and girls from your ’hood or playing team sports.

Just like Jackson, it appears Woods burned a good deal of his childhood developing a professional skill rather than social ones.

Another similarity between Woods and Jackson is that they were both raised outside the American religious mainstream. That is not written to express the superiority of Christianity. It’s written to suggest that their religious upbringing — Jackson, a Jehovah’s Witness, and Woods, a Buddhist — contributes to their public awkwardness.

“Awkward” is about as flattering as you can get in describing Woods’ delivery of Friday’s speech. It was emotionless and impersonal. A man we’ve grown used to seeing express a wide range of nationally-televised emotion on a golf course — anger, jubilation, regret, tear-stained joy — mustered none when trying to publicly make amends for destroying his life, his wife’s, his children’s and a legacy crafted from birth.

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Michael Jackson dad court win

Tragic Michael Jackson's money-grabbing dad, Joe, WILL be able to see his son's medical records.

And now he is poised to launch a wrongful death lawsuit.

A judge ruled Joe is entitled to copies of Michael's medical records - but only those since his death in June last year.

The singer's estate was opposed to Joe seeing the records, feeling it breached doctor-patient privilege.

But lawyer Howard Weitzman said: "The court order adequately protects Michael's interests and limits what Mr Jackson was asking for."

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Michael Jackson's guitarist pays tribute to lost superstar

GUITAR ace Jennifer Batten yesterday told of her heartache at the loss of her superstar mentor Michael Jackson.

The guitarist was Jacko's "right-hand woman" on three sell-out world tours - with the Bad star responsible for creating her famous hair-do.

Now she is to pay an emotional tribute to the King of Pop on her first Scottish concert tour.

In 1987, Jennifer was hand-picked by the singer from 100 guitarists who had auditioned to play on his Bad tour.

Jacko was so impressed that she joined him on the road for the next 10 years, playing on his Dangerous and HIStory tours to more than 4.5 million fans.

But the New York-born musician still hasn't come to terms with the death of her friend, from a drug overdose last June, aged 50.

"I was in LA when a friend called to say Michael had died," said Jennifer, 52. "I'd heard so many rumours over the years that I didn't believe it, but when I turned on the news I found it was true.

"It was a huge shock. Michael had so much to live for.

"He was so into being a good father to his children. He wanted nothing but the best for other people. I miss him."

Jennifer plays The Inn at Lathones in St Andrews on Friday with other gigs in Glasgow and Strathpeffer over the weekend as part of her first solo tour of Scotland.The highlight of her show will be an emotional 12-minute medley of Michael's songs.

Jennifer, who has also played with Jeff Beck, Brian May of Queen and Natalie Cole, still can't believe Jacko plucked her from obscurity to set her on the road to stardom.

"I heard Michael was looking for a guitarist and had organised an open audition." she said.

"I went into a rehearsal room in Hollywood and was surprised to see there was no band, it was just me playing alone. I played Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller, note perfect. It was videoed and Michael chose me from 100 other guitarists."

A few weeks later, Jennifer came face to face with Michael in a massive production hangar in Los Angeles.

"Michael walked in with his manager Frank Dileo to watch a run-through by the band," said Jennifer.

"I'd been told if he was happy with the music he'd start dancing and he did a few steps right away. Next thing I knew I had a ticket for the opening night of the Bad tour."

For the video of smash hit Another Part Of Me Jacko devised a complete image makeover for his new guitarist and Jennifer's distinctive big hair and sci-fi-style costumes were born.

"Michael had an artist draw a new image for me and had a team of wardrobe people make my costumes," she said.

"Two huge extension pieces were sewn into my own hair to add volume. It certainly worked- my hair was almost as big as the guitar I was holding.

was "I didn't have any problem with it because I understood the show was pure theatre and I was playing a role.

big as I was "I'll always be 'the girl in Michael's band with the big hair'. A lot of people only know me for that, and that's no bad thing. It helped me immensely."

show and I a On each Jacko tour, Jennifer had to sign a confidentiality deal not to reveal how his stage stunts were done.

Inevitably, there were nights when things went pear-shaped.

"During the routine for Beat It I had to wear fibre optic laser lights in my hair, costume and around my guitar so that I lit up during the song," she said.

"I was attached to a 100ft cable which was linked to a computer so the lights changed colour. As I ran across the stage, somebody stood on my cable, the lights went out and I got whiplash."

Jennifer was disturbed by the child sex abuse allegations which dogged Michael's life and led to a court case in 2005.

He was acquitted on all charges and the guitarist believes he was a victim of his phenomenal success.

"I think Michael was innocent. You get a creepy vibe from people who do things like that, but I didn't with him. Michael was just a big kid," said Jennifer.

"I don't know anybody who could have stayed mentally healthy after all the accusations thrown at him. But people are obsessed with extortion. It gives them power. Once lawyers and the Press get involved the stories run on their own."

Jackson will be in Jennifer's thoughts when she performs in Scotland next week. It's the first time since she's played here since the Dangerous tour at Glasgow Green on August 18, 1992.

Jennifer said: "Playing with Michael for 40,000 fans in Glasgow was a whole new experience. I flew first class and stayed in the best hotels. It was like a fantasy.

"I'm very proud of touring with him.

Just having the name 'Michael Jackson' on my resume helps a lot.

"Sadly, we won't ever see him realise his true potential. He was such a talent, there's no telling what he could have done next."

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Batman, Michael Jackson win Carnival's top award

Brazil's Carnival revelry drew to a close yesterday with the anxiously awaited award for the best parade in Rio de Janeiro going to a show featuring skiers dressed like Batman and a pregnant drum queen.

The Unidos da Tijuca samba group won the battle for Rio bragging rights for the first time in 74 years for their parade entitled "It's a Secret!" that also featured rapid-fire costume changes and a dancing impersonator of the late pop singer Michael Jackson.

Its drum section was led by a four-month pregnant television presenter, Adriane Galisteu.

The Viradouro group, which whipped up controversy by selecting a seven-year-old as its drum queen, finished last and was relegated to the second division. Rio's samba schools are organized into two separate divisions.

Each year 12 samba "schools" of samba parade elaborate sparkling costumes, props and extravagant floats. Judges' marks for the parades are painstakingly read out for over an hour on national television on Ash Wednesday.

The schools, which provide an annual coming-out for many of Rio's most impoverished slum areas, often have skit-like elements, making the overall experience a cross between Disney World and an Italian opera.

"It's a spectacle that has a lot of culture, a lot of history and a bit of theater. I get goose bumps, it's a very strong, very nice feeling," said Amanda Souza, 24, as she waited for a parade at Rio's Sambadrome stadium Sunday night.

Brazil's Carnival revelry drew to a close yesterday with the anxiously awaited award for the best parade in Rio de Janeiro going to a show featuring skiers dressed like Batman and a pregnant drum queen.

The Unidos da Tijuca samba group won the battle for Rio bragging rights for the first time in 74 years for their parade entitled "It's a Secret!" that also featured rapid-fire costume changes and a dancing impersonator of the late pop singer Michael Jackson.

Its drum section was led by a four-month pregnant television presenter, Adriane Galisteu.

The Viradouro group, which whipped up controversy by selecting a seven-year-old as its drum queen, finished last and was relegated to the second division. Rio's samba schools are organized into two separate divisions.

Each year 12 samba "schools" of samba parade elaborate sparkling costumes, props and extravagant floats. Judges' marks for the parades are painstakingly read out for over an hour on national television on Ash Wednesday.

The schools, which provide an annual coming-out for many of Rio's most impoverished slum areas, often have skit-like elements, making the overall experience a cross between Disney World and an Italian opera.

"It's a spectacle that has a lot of culture, a lot of history and a bit of theater. I get goose bumps, it's a very strong, very nice feeling," said Amanda Souza, 24, as she waited for a parade at Rio's Sambadrome stadium Sunday night.

PARTYING TO LAST MINUTE

Rio street parties, or "blocos," as they are known in the city, continued on Wednesday as revelers partied up until the vote. With names like "Christ's Arm Pits" and "Don't Move Because It Stinks," they have increased in popularity in recent years as an alternative to the scripted parades.

Although near-naked women in tiny bikinis have become the iconic image of Rio's Carnival, exposed flesh is a small aspect of the elaborate displays that provide thousands of people with work and happiness each year.

"Without Carnival, I don't think I could live." said Luiz Paulo, 22, as he waited to parade.

The samba songs that accompany each parade speak of social issues, national heroes and important moments in Brazilian or world history.

A school this year honored the 50th anniversary of the founding of Brasilia, the nation's capital. The blue-and-white Beija Flor school launched the parade with a float of Brasilia's iconic cathedral and sang "Brasilia: the capital of hope."

Another group opened its pink-and-green parade with a mock confrontation between police and prisoners to show how music -- its theme this year -- was a liberating force for the country during its 1964-1985 military dictatorship.

A spectator said the Carnival helps her to overcome some fears in a city that suffers from frequent violence and confrontations between the police and drug-traffickers.

"We forget our problems. We get courage to walk on the streets," said Inaura dos Santos Martins, 58, who attends the annual event at the Sambadrome.

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Coroner releases new details about Michael Jackson's death

With Dr. Conrad Murray officially charged in Michael Jackson's death, the Los Angeles coroner has released the autopsy report that said it was a homicide.

The 51-page report gives vivid detail supporting last August's conclusion that Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication."

Murray told investigators he gave Jackson propofol, a powerful anesthetic, to help him sleep.

An anesthesiology consultant hired by the coroner to review the findings of the investigation said that "there are NO reports of its use for insomnia relief, to my knowledge," according to the report.

"The only reports of its use in homes are cases of fatal abuse (first reported in 1992), suicide, murder and accident," Dr. Selma Calmes wrote.

"The standard of care for administering propofol was not met," she wrote.

Autopsy report lists details of Jackson's death (PDF)

Murray, who was with Jackson when he died, is charged with involuntary manslaughter by acting "without malice" but also "without due caution and circumspection."

Jackson, who hired Murray as his physician while he prepared for what was to have been a series of comeback concerts, called the doctor to his rented Holmby Hills mansion last June 25 at about 1 a.m., the report said.

"The decedent complained of being dehydrated and not being able to sleep," it said.

A police affidavit previously made public said that the doctor told investigators he gave Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep that morning.

Murray told them he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. He had given Jackson 50 milligrams of the sedative propofol diluted with the local anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip.

The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and was trying to wean him off it.

During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep.

Coroner investigators first examined Jackson's body at UCLA Medical Center less than three hours after he was pronounced dead. They used the picture on his California driver's license to confirm it was the singer.

"The decedent's head hair is sparse and is connected to a wig. The decedent's overall skin has patches of light and dark pigmented areas," an investigator wrote.

Jackson suffered permanent hair loss when his scalp caught fire while he was taping a Pepsi commercial in 1984. He was known to wear wigs in public after the mishap.

Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, told CNN last year that he had treated Jackson for vitiligo, a skin condition that causes irregular patches of white skin.

Jackson weighed 136 pounds and was 69 inches tall, according to measurements taken during the autopsy the morning after his death.

The front of Jackson's scalp, from his hairline, was tattooed with dark ink over "frontal balding." His eyebrows and the border of his eyelids were also tattooed.

"There is a pink tattoo in the region of the lips," the report said.

The autopsy report noted several broken ribs, apparently suffered during the efforts to revive him.

The autopsy also said that Jackson's left lung was affected by "widespread respiratory bronchiolitis and chronic lung inflammation" that could have had an "adverse health effect." But it was not "considered to be a direct or contributing cause of death," a pathologist hired as a consultant concluded.

Calmes, the consultant, concluded that propofol was administered without the recommended equipment being present, including a "continuous pulse oxymeter, EKG and blood pressure cuff."

Use of the anesthesia requires "full patient monitoring by a person trained in anesthesia," she wrote. Murray is a cardiologist.

"There was no evidence of an infusion pump for control of an IV infusion. No monitors were found at the scene; a blood pressure cuff and portable pulse oxymeter were recovered from a closet in the next room," Calmes wrote.

The consultant said supplemental oxygen "should always be delivered" when propofol is being administered.

An oxygen tank was found near where Jackson slept, but it was empty when the coroner investigator checked it two weeks after Jackson died, Calmes said.

"Multiple opened bottles of propofol were found with small amounts of remaining drug," Calmes said. "A used bottle should be discarded six hours after opening, to avoid possible bacterial growth."

"The levels of propofol found on toxicology exam are similar to those found during general anesthesia for major surgery," Calmes said.

During such surgery, any patient would be "intubated and ventilated by an anesthesiologist," she said.

The consultant's report said the level of lorazepam, a powerful anti-anxiety agent found in Jackson's body, "would have accentuated the respiratory and cardiovascular depression from propofol."

An involuntary manslaughter charge against a physician is a "very unusual thing to see," according to Bruce Cranner, a New Orleans defense lawyer in medical cases.

Cranner said prosecutors may have a "pretty good case" against Murray if they can show he did not take proper precautions when giving Jackson the propofol.

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Key dates after Michael Jackson's death

LOS ANGELES: Key dates following the death of pop star Michael Jackson, after the singer's doctor Conrad Murray was charged with involuntary

manslaughter here on Monday: -- June 25: Michael Jackson dies at age 50 in his Los Angeles home of an apparent cardiac arrest.

-- June 26: The Los Angeles coroner says after an initial autopsy that there was "no indication... of foul play" in Jackson's death. A final ruling is deferred pending toxicology tests.

-- June 27: Jackson's family says it wants a second autopsy. The doctor who was at Jackson's home on June 25, Conrad Murray, says he is not a suspect in the death.

-- June 29: A Los Angeles court names Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, 79, temporary guardian of his three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7, as well as of his estate, which includes his Neverland ranch and rights to songs by The Beatles.

-- June 30: A former nurse who cared for Jackson says the pop star pleaded with her to provide him with a powerful anesthetic in the last months of his life to help him sleep.

-- July 4: Reports surface saying investigators had found the powerful sedative propofol at Jackson's home.

-- July 7: Jackson is honored by a televised, star-studded memorial celebration in Los Angeles watched by millions around the world.

-- July 12: Jackson's sister La Toya alleges, in interviews with British newspapers, her brother was "murdered" by a "bad circle" of hangers-on.

-- July 22: Federal agents search Murray's offices in Houston, Texas, as his lawyers say police are treating the star's death as possible manslaughter.

-- July 28: Police raid Murray's Las Vegas home.

-- August 3: A Los Angeles judge names Katherine as permanent guardian of the star's three children following an agreement granting visitation rights to his ex-wife Debbie Rowe for Prince Michael and Paris.

-- August 10: The Los Angeles County coroner's office says it has completed the autopsy, but will not release the results until police complete their investigation.

-- August 24: Court documents are unsealed revealing Murray told investigators two days after Jackson's death that he had been giving him nightly propofol injections for six weeks to treat chronic insomnia.

-- August 28: Coroners rule Jackson's death a homicide, saying "acute intoxication" from propofol was the primary cause of death but that his body also contained five other powerful prescription drugs.

-- August 29: Fans around the world mark what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.

-- September 3: Jackson is buried in a sunset service in a mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

-- October 27: Jackson concert movie "This Is It" released.

-- February 8: Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles.

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Jackson's spirit seeks apology from ex-wife

Late pop legend Michael Jackson's "unsettled" spirit has apparently begged ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley to forgive him at a seance,her friend Karen Fayehas revealed.
Faye, who was Jackson's make-up artist, said she and Marie Presley, 42, contacted the King of Pop using a psychic last week where he asked for forgiveness for his wrongs to her, reports thesun.co.uk.

"He seemed to be on a mission to reach out to people in his life and be forgiven. Michael spent his time explaining his faults and wanting us to forgive him. He seemed unsettled," said Faye.

Faye insisted the medium had "no idea" of their link to Jackson, who died aged 50 last June.

"There were definite, deep insights that would have been difficult to make up. It was detailed on the inner dynamics of his family and his levels of pain and emotional inability," she said.

She further informed Jackson would not discuss manslaughter charges faced by his doctor Conrad Murray in Los Angeles.

"He said he was detached from things," he said.

Jackson married Marie Presley in 1994 before splitting after 18 months. Late pop legend Michael Jackson's "unsettled" spirit has apparently begged ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley to forgive him at a seance, her friend Karen Fayehas revealed.
Faye, who was Jackson's make-up artist, said she and Marie Presley, 42, contacted the King of Pop using a psychic last week where he asked for forgiveness for his wrongs to her, reports thesun.co.uk.

"He seemed to be on a mission to reach out to people in his life and be forgiven. Michael spent his time explaining his faults and wanting us to forgive him. He seemed unsettled," said Faye.

Faye insisted the medium had "no idea" of their link to Jackson, who died aged 50 last June.

"There were definite, deep insights that would have been difficult to make up. It was detailed on the inner dynamics of his family and his levels of pain and emotional inability," she said.

She further informed Jackson would not discuss manslaughter charges faced by his doctor Conrad Murray in Los Angeles.

"He said he was detached from things," he said.

Jackson married Marie Presley in 1994 before splitting after 18 months.

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More Details Of Michael Jackson's Autopsy Revealed

Due to charges being filed against his doctor for manslaughter, the entire sad results of Michael Jackson's autopsy have been filed. In short, dude was as messed up as he seemed to be. Apparently he had tattoos on his eyebrows to make them darker, and a similar tattoo around his lips for the same purpose. He was also wearing a wig all the time, as he was found to have short curly hair and male pattern baldness. He was also covered in small scars on his nose, knee, shoulder, neck and behind both ears, among other places. It doesn't seem like the sordid details of Jackson's life are going to be far from the headlines for some time.

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Grammy Awards 2010: Prince Michael and Paris in emotional Michael Jackson tribute

Paris Jackson pays tribute to her father, flanked by brother Prince Michael and singer Lionel Richie Photo: AFP/GETTY

In their first public appearance since Jackson's memorial service, Prince, 12, and Paris, 11, dressed in black suits with red armbands, an outfit which Jackson often wore.

Although nervous, they spoke clearly and with great composure as they paid tribute to their father, who died last June.
Prince said: "We are proud to be here to accept this award on behalf of our father, Michael Jackson.

"First of all, we would like to thank God for watching over us for these past seven months, and our grandma and grandpa for their love and support.

"We would also like to thank the fans - our father loved you so much because you were always there for him.

"Our father was always concerned about the planet and humanity. Through all his hard work and dedication he has helped many charities and donated to all of them.

"Through all his songs, his message was simple - love. We will continue to spread his message and help the world. Thank you."

The siblings were surrounded by their cousins on stage at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, where Jackson was in final rehearsals for his tour when he died.

Paris followed her brother to the podium and said simply: "Daddy was supposed to be here. Daddy was going to perform this year. He couldn't perform last year.

"Thank you, we love you, Daddy."

An Earth Song video which Jackson intended to show during his tour was played at the awards as a backdrop to a tribute performance by Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Usher and Carrie Underwood.

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Grammy Awards will pay tribute to Michael Jackson

It’s been seven months since the King of Pop Michael Jackson died but the celebrations of his life are no where near coming to an end as the Grammys announced they will pay tribute to MJ.

The planned tribute to the multi-award winning star at the upcoming 52nd annual Grammy Awards will feature the first-ever 3-D performance on an awards show.

Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich said a 3-D mini-movie created for Jackson’s “Earth Song” will be presented as part of a tribute performance featuring Smokey Robinson, Usher, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood.

Ehrlich said he met with Jackson at the Staples Center in LA, the day before he died to discuss a Halloween project that MJ was working on with CBS, where he also saw the mini-movie of MJ.

He said that just before the meeting, he watched the mini-movie with Jackson, which was to be a standalone piece during the live show in the “This Is It” tour.

He told me this was to be one of the most important elements of the show to him because it was his opportunity to deliver a really strong message about the environment in the same way that it had done when he first did the song several years ago,” Ehrlich said on a media conference call. “This film, and the 3-D in which it was done, it’s pretty brilliant and it’s pretty wonderful.”

Jackson is being honored with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

But rumours have it that show producers are doing this to hike the show’s ratings and the critics agree.

Jim Farber, music critic for the New York Daily News, said the combination of 3-D technology and Michael Jackson could be a strong way for the show to get viewers talking.

“Obviously there is a tremendous amount of interest in Michael Jackson since his death,” Farber said. “There was plenty before that, but even more since.”

The hope is also that it will get viewers tuning in, Farber said, at a time when network television has been losing its audience.

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Michael Jackson’s family angry over last minute invites to the Grammys

Most people might have been wondering where the Jackson family was when the 52nd Grammy Awards happened this year, well MJ’s brother Randy Jackson has confirmed that they were “not invited to the awards”.

On Sunday, Michael Jackson was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award at the event, where his children Prince and Paris Jackson accepted the award on behalf of their father who passed away last year June.

“So proud, my brother being honored tonight with the Lifetime Achievement Award,” Michael’s brother and former bandmate Randy wrote on his Twitter page. “My family would love to be there but, truth is, we weren’t invited.”

“Do you want more truth? Let me be clear. When I said ‘my family’ I meant my brothers, sisters and parents.”

Michael’s three children — Paris, 11; Prince Michael I, 12; and seven-year-old Prince Michael II — aka Blanket — were there to honor their father but Randy is convinced the children were only invited as an afterthought.

“Randy was incandescent,” a source told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

“He believed the Grammys only thought of including Michael’s children at the 11th hour as dad Joe Jackson complained there was no family representation. The brothers were hoping to attend and wear their silver gloves and matching suits to honor their brother. They feel insulted and hurt that they have been snubbed in this way. Michael would’ve wanted them there. The Jackson 5 was where the magic began. They’re a huge part of his story and felt they had been horribly overlooked.”

The eldest children took to the stage wearing black suits with red armbands to accept Michael’s award — which he was given for his contribution to the music industry, while Blanket remained backstage with his grandmother Katherine Jackson.

“Michael’s children themselves decided just Prince Michael I and Paris would speak on stage and accept the award on behalf of their dad,” the source said.

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Lawyer: Michael Jackson's doctor to surrender

Dr. Conrad Murray has admitted giving Michael Jackson a powerful anesthetic before his death.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Dr. Conrad Murray flew to Los Angeles last week in expectation of charges
• He was Jackson's personal physician at the time of his death June 25
• Murray admits giving Jackson prescription drugs, anesthetic to help him sleep

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray expects to surrender to Los Angeles authorities this week on charges relating to the death of Michael Jackson, his lawyer said Tuesday.

"Dr. Murray is more than ready to surrender and answer to any charges," attorney Ed Chernoff said.

Prosecutors have not announced any charges, however, and Murray has not been told how or where he should surrender, according to Miranda Sevcik, spokeswoman for Murray's legal team.

Murray traveled to Los Angeles from his home in Houston, Texas, last week in anticipation of possible charges, which he expects to be announced within 24 to 48 hours, Sevick said.

Murray was hired to be Jackson's personal physician last spring as the entertainer prepared for his comeback concerts set for London, England, starting in July.

The doctor told Los Angeles Police investigators that he was with Jackson through the early morning hours of June 25 in an effort to help the pop star fall asleep, according to a police affidavit.

He administered various sleep aids, and after Jackson finally began sleeping in the late morning hours, Murry said, he left the bedroom for "about two minutes maximum," the affidavit said."Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing," it said. Murray stayed with Jackson as an ambulance rushed him from his $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills to UCLA Medical Center.

Efforts at CPR proved fruitless, and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m.

The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam.

The coroner's statement said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but there were "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect." Lorazepam and two other drugs Murray said he used are benzodiazepines.

Murray told investigators he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, a police affidavit said.

Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. He told investigators he gave Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diripan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip.

Murray told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it.

During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep.

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