By Roger Friedman

Michael Jackson may be cold in the music world, but someone thinks he’s hot
in the book biz.

Listed on Amazon.com right now is a new book called “My World: The Official
Photobook, Vol.1.” There’s no publisher listed yet, but sources say that the
authorized work is registered to the German company owned by Jackson’s
former associate Dieter Wiesner.

Wiesner, you may recall, was one of the five unnamed conspirators in
Jackson’s child molestation case last year. He wasn’t indicted, but Wiesner
and his partner Ronald Konitzer were known as “the Germans” when they
managed Jackson from 2001 to 2003. They are considered to be the ones who
bungled the handling of the Jackson-Martin Bashir documentary, and
consequently the Arvizo family.

Shortly after Jackson was arrested in November 2003, Wiesner and Konitzer
got the boot from Jackson’s affairs. But now I’m told that Jackson’s early
February visit to Hamburg - the one where he stayed with the Schleiter
family - was also to work with Wiesner on putting together “My World.”

The book contains photographs, poems and drawings. It also supposedly will
carry the lyrics to a song Jackson told his fan clubs he was writing for
them during the trial. It’s called “You Are So Beautiful,” not to be
confused with the famous song of the same name written by Billy Preston and
recorded by Joe Cocker.

Wiesner has frequently been described by Jackson and other witnesses in his
various cases as trying to come up with business ventures for the King of
Pop.

According to sources, “My World” will go on sale around the world on April
17.

Source: FOX News

Video Greatest Hits - HIStory falls 4 places to #33 on the Top 40 Music DVD
Charts. For the record, this is the 81st week that this DVD has been in the
Top 40.

Source: ARIA

Bad debuted at #16 this week in the UK singles chart.

Source: MJ.INF

MICHAEL Jackson has been walking around in our minds since we were about
five years old. He has made a big impression on our lives, and we want him
and everybody to know how nice a person we think and know he is. And believe
us, he really is!

Through many years, Michael Jackson has done much for this wounded world we
are living in. He is always keeping the faith, and believes in goodness in
all. Others could learn so much from him.

Maybe you can’t see it at first sight, because of all the stupid allegations
which have dominated tabloids for years, but we can tell you this - If you
look deep into your heart and see what kind of person he is, you can’t but
love him! We have done this, and that’s why we believe Michael Jackson is a
person whom you can’t describe in words.

Tabloids fill you up with rumours and allegations, and that’s not the truth.
Why don’t people listen to the truth from the man they are hurting?

Many people may like Michael Jackson because of his enormous talent and his
songs, but it is not just the way he entertains people around the world - in
a class of its own - that makes us adore him, but also the personal and
emotional things he has been doing.

Starting projects like Heal the World and helping children live a happy life
even though they are very ill, takes a lot of courage and a big heart. Who
else but Michael can do such divine things?

Michael Jackson has such big dreams and visions about making the world a
better place but he can’t do it on his own. We must come together and help
him.

Michael, we love and adore you more than words can say. But now we have
tried.

Louise and Mia, fans. Europe loves you!

Source: Gulf Daily News

By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: An offer by Michael Jackson to buy a Bahraini businessman’s house
ended up with the ‘King of Pop’ sharing dinner with his family and making
new friends but not buying the prized property, sources on Sunday told Gulf
News.

“Michael was being chauffeured in the Saar area when he spotted a house he
liked. He did not hesitate to call on the family and ask them if they were
willing to sell their house.

“The family, astonished by the unexpected appearance of the superstar and
amused by the offer, told him the house was not for sale, but that he was
welcome to share their dinner.”

The sources said Jackson’s visit lasted about four hours. Jackson, who has
lived in Bahrain since June following his acquittal on child molestation
charges in California wants to settle permanently in the kingdom. He is
staying in a large villa but wants to buy a mansion.

“He is in much better shape now and has been going out more. Last week, he
visited several malls in Manama,” the sources said.

The 47-year-old star watched the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 12 from the VIP
tower and was quoted as saying that he liked the race, the first he has ever
seen live in his life.

His sister La Toya on Saturday said: “He is doing really well and he is
happy with where he is.”

She also confirmed he did not intend to return to his fantasy Californian
estate Neverland.

Source: Gulf News

By Roger Friedman

Michael Jackson is back in the USA. In fact, he’s back in New York City.

Jackson sneaked back here on Wednesday according to my sources. The purpose
was to give a deposition in the $48 million lawsuit filed against him by
Prescient Partners, aka Darien Dash, cousin of hip hop entrepreneur Damon
Dash.

The Prescient case is a typical Jackson dilemma: the pop singer or someone
representing him-possibly his brother Randy-signed an agreement that if
Prescient could find him financing to buy out his Bank of America loans,
Jackson would pay them a 9 percent fee.

Prescient claims it found over $500 million in financing from Fortress
Investments. Now Dash wants his money.

Jackson has other pressing financial problems at the moment which brought
him back to the United States from Bahrain. Fortress could foreclose on him
at any time on $270 million in loans. Sony Music, Jackson’s partner in
Sony/ATV Music Publishing-is trying to buy the loans from Fortress with help
from Citigroup. The latter is asking for a small piece of Jackson’s holdings
in order to do this. Fortress, my sources say, won’t give up, and wants a 20
percent piece of Jackson’s pie.

Then, of course, there are the problems in California, most notably the
closing down of Neverland. Jackson still has fines to pay to the Department
of Labor. And if he ever wants to have a staff there again, he has to get a
workmen’s compensation policy.

And where is Jackson exactly? Sources say the Four Seasons Hotel is his
likely crib of choice, although he’s also used the Palace on Madison Avenue.
Paparazzi, start your engines!

Source: FOX News

Budapest - Michael Jackson’s image has appeared across Budapest on posters
that accuse Hungary’s liberal party of promoting paedophilia.

Self-proclaimed ‘anti-liberal’ activists plastered the city centre with
posters lampooning the Free Democrats’ (SZDSZ) campaign, which centres on a
young boy called Pisti Kovacs.

The posters - featuring Kovacs, Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin - say
‘more SZDSZ, more paedophiles.’

The posters are playing on the fact that an SZDSZ member, who was planning
on running in this April’s election, is being investigated for allegedly
owning child pornography.

The SZDSZ has been running a campaign asking: ‘Who will take care of little
Pisti Kovacs?’ and even right-leaning newspaper Magyar Nemzet attempted to
link the accusations with the SZDSZ campaign.

Michael Jackson, 47, was last June found not guilty of abusing a 13-year-old
boy at his Neverland ranch in 2003.

Home Alone star Culkin, 25, sprang to Jackson’s defence during the trial,
denying that the singer had ever molested him as young boy.

Source: Monsters and Critics

In the week from March 13 to 19, ‘Billie Jean’ has entered the charts at #1. It is followed by the three previous singles released: ‘Rock With You’ at #2, ‘Thriller’ at #3, and ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ at #4.

Source: Promusicae

In addition to writing and producing hits for singers such as Michael
Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Bobby Brown, Teddy Riley is noted for two
significant contributions to contemporary music.

And those are his creation of the New Jack Swing sound by combining R&B and
rap, and discovering Virgina teens Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, now
super producers known as The Neptunes, at a talent show.

But there’s a third gift of which he is equally proud: “I had the first
booty record played on MTV,” says the 38-year-old Harlem, N.Y., native by
phone from his Virginia Beach base.

That would be the 1992 No. 2 pop single “Rump Shaker,” which Riley co-wrote
and produced for the group Wreckx-N-Effect, which included his younger
brother Markell.

The video for the raunchy song (I don’t mind stickin` it to her every single
night) sparked an enduring and controversial trend with its buxom
bikini-clad babes.

“I don’t take the credit for all of it, but I’ll take the credit that was
given to me,” said Riley. “If you asked me if I would do it again - yeah, I
would because it’s original and I originally done it.”

One can be sure, however, that his 18-year-old daughter who is currently
exploring showbiz as a backup dancer won’t be shaking her tail feather on
camera.

“Oh! No way!”

“The thing about it is my daughter has a choice. We had a choice. Just like
you had a choice to like that music or be offended by it. You all have a
choice to dance on that song, sing the song, make the song, arrange the
song. It’s our choice and we’re grown enough to make that choice.”

Riley, who has also done a fair bit of dancing and singing himself, will be
making his first Canadian appearance tomorrow with his erstwhile male vocal
groups Guy and BLACKstreet as part of the New Jack Swing Reunion Tour, which
also features ’90s favourites Tony!Toni!Tone! and SWV.

After two successful albums, Guy (1988) and The Future (1990), Guy - his
trio with brothers Aaron and Damion Hall - disbanded amidst infighting and
record label wrangling. Riley formed BLACKstreet; Aaron and Damion put out
solo records before reuniting for the lukewarm Guy III in 2000 and current
tour.

“We had to get ourselves together and grow up,” said Riley. “We did our solo
things and now when we get back together people appreciate it even more.

“Especially when you see that we haven’t missed a beat. The compliments and
the responses that we’ve been getting … people say we look the same, as a
matter of fact, they say we look younger and better.”

Really?

“Oh, man! Wait ’til you see. We don’t play on the stage. We are the
originals. We know what the Ushers and all the different people have been
doing, but they wouldn’t have been doing what they’ve been doing if it
wasn’t for Guy.

“And I’m not cocky. This is something that would usually come from Aaron.
Me, myself it’s a pleasure to still be doing what we’re doing and have
people still receiving our music almost two decades later.

“We have not been fairly compensated financially for our contributions, but
we’ve always been respected.

“Our compensation comes in our blessings and it is a blessing that we’re
back together. We could’ve been on drugs or just can’t do it no more.
“Keeping God first, that’s the main thing - we all come from spiritual
families - and then having our families, my children, I’m a single man and I
have a life with my children.”

How many children does he have?

“I really wouldn’t like that to be printed, that’s like my personal life,
just say my kids … having that sense to be in their lives and still get
along with their mothers and everything going smooth and I can go out and
make my money and do what I do and bring it home and chill with my
children.”

Currently writing songs for Michael Jackson and rapper Nas, as well as
working on new Guy and BLACKstreet albums, Riley isn’t worried about making
it on youth-dominated radio.

“I don’t get into music for the competition,” he said. “I know if I write a
great song, its going to be played - today, tomorrow, 15 years from now -
like Guy records are still being played.”

Source: TheStar.com

Beat It debuted at #15 this week in the UK singles chart. Number Ones falls
15 places in the UK Album Chart to #78.

Source: MJ.INF