By Sam Adams

Miming in front of a mirror with a hairbrush to his mouth the gangly Ilford teenager could never have imagined he would one day enjoy the glittering popstar lifestyle of the idol he adored.

As the world’s best-known Michael Jackson impersonator, Navi (as he prefers to be known) has tasted the sweet fruits of pop superstardom without ever selling a single record, but admits he was mocked for his dreams as a child and teenager.

One of eleven children, he could easily have slipped into obscurity amidst the hustle and bustle of family life, but a momentous decision made at a tender age, ensured he would never be ignored again.

A tenacious dancer since childhood, Navi idolised the new breed of popstar that appeared during the late 1970s and early 1980s, who combined gymnastic physical routines with powerful vocals during their performances.

David Bowie, Luther Vandross and Tina Turner were early influences, but it wasn’t until 1979, the year his family emigrated from Trinidad to Britain, that Navi first experienced the genius of Michael Jackson, the artist who would come to define his life.

He said: “I was about six years old and remember switching on the radio and hearing this incredible sound which just made me want to dance.
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“It was one of the tracks from his early solo album, Off the Wall, and I pretty much knew from that moment that I wanted to be just like him.”

Navi’s family, and Friends at Valentines High School, in Cranbrook Road, teased him for seeking to emulate the former Jackson 5 star, but were soon forced to take him seriously.

He said: “My parents used to think I was just going through a phase I would grow out of, but I knew that I wanted to be a performer.

“I was about 15 years old when I entered, and won, a Michael Jackson impersonation competition which changed the way I saw myself.

“I’d always loved Michael Jackson and wanted to be like him but I’d never thought of impersonating him professionally until that point.”

Navi’s adulation of Jackson was finally cemented when he attended the momentous Bad tour in 1988, where he was mesmerised by the singer’s live routine.

Buoyed with confidence, the ambitious teenager signed up with a talent agency as a Michael Jackson impersonator and, after a disappointing spell advertising a brand of peanut butter, was soon receiving a flood of glamorous bookings.

He said: “Things really started to take off in the early 90s when I started to get well paid work, such as being flown across Europe by Richard Branson to perform at the opening of a load of his Virgin Megastores.

“It was like a dream being able to do precisely what I love doing in front of large crowds of people - and getting paid for it.”

Navi, who has undergone extensive plastic surgery to look more like the American superstar, admits his 19-year career has had its fair share of strange moments.

He said: “I’ve been asked to do some really varied things, from performing at working mens clubs up north to singing at the birthday of a member of the royal family of Bahrain.

“Perhaps the strangest gig I’ve ever had was when Michael’s people hired me to act as his body double in 1993.

“They flew me to Thailand in an attempt to divert press attention away from him during the court case he was involved in at the time.

“Everyone genuinely thought I was the man himself, and I was even pictured on the front cover of The Times newspaper, supposedly as Michael Jackson, which was totally bizarre.”

The 34-year-old, who has visited Jackson at his Neverland estate in California, admits he is glad he can leave the world of pop superstardom behind whenever he chooses.

He said: “After experiencing certain aspects of the life that Michael leads, I can genuinely say that I don’t envy him.

“He is a genius, and the best singer/performer there has ever been, but the price of that has been this unreal world he lives in which he can never really escape.

“Some people like the champagne and caviar thing, but I’m more of a kebab man myself.”

The devout Christian, whose family are regular worshippers at the City Gates Christian Centre, in High Road, Ilford, recently performed to visitors at the Mauritian Cultural Day in Lloyd’s Park, Walthamstow.

Navi’s next London performance will be at the Hippodrome, Leicester Square, on Sunday, August 26, to celebrate Michael Jackson’s 49th birthday.

Source: The Guardian

While being on US tv to promote their latest movie ‘Rush Hour 3′, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Chris sings a part of the song ‘Dangerous’ while Jackie recounts the time that Michael Jackson called him on the phone.

To watch it click here.

Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live

Chris Tucker and Brett Ratner are two of the driving forces behind the Rush Hour series, one of the most commercially successful action-movie franchises in history.

The A.V Club recently sat down to talk with Tucker and Ratner about entertaining the masses, hanging with Michael Jackson and Roman Polanski, saving Africa, and living the Hollywood good life. You can see the full Transcript here.

Below are the MJ Excerpts:

AVC: So Chris, speaking of black music, you’re probably the only man in the world who’s appeared in videos for both Michael Jackson and Tupac. Can you kind of compare and contrast the two?

Tucker: I almost died over in Tupac’s video. I was in the back of a Jeep, and I was being young, and crazy, and we was in a desert going over these sand dunes. Michael Clarke Duncan, from Green Mile, grabbed me, because I didn’t know we was going over sand dunes. I’m in the video like, “Yaaaah!” It was a helicopter shot. It was like, what do you call it? The Warrior?

Ratner: Road Warrior.

Tucker: Yeah, Road Warrior. So I’m playing this crazy guy, and if he didn’t grab my back, I would have fell over the thing. That’s what I remember about the Tupac video. And I met a fine girl on the video set. With Michael Jackson, it was just working with the legend and working with someone that I admired. That was incredible. A lot of my career, I judge it off Michael, because Michael didn’t go out, he didn’t do an album every year. He did an album every five years, and he’ll come out and make a big thing. He never really overexposed himself. I think I learned a lot watching him, and not overexposing myself in a lot of ways.

AVC: Was that the beginning of your friendship with him, working on that video?

Tucker: We knew of each other. Of course I knew Michael Jackson. If you watch all my movies, there’s something to do with Michael in them, for some reason. I guess because I grew up with him. And Scarface, I grew up watching Scarface all the time. That started around Rush Hour 2, yeah, that’s when I met him. I was in New York, and I called and said, “I want to meet Michael. Is Michael around?” Couldn’t get in touch with him. Flew all the way in a private plane back to L.A., and as soon as I landed and I checked my messages, Michael’s people called and said, “Chris, Michael want to meet with you in the morning.” I went up to the cockpit, I told the pilots to fly me back to New York, because I’m going to meet with Michael Jackson tomorrow at the Four Seasons Hotel. They said, “What? We’ve got to call the office, we can’t just do this ****.” They called the office, and they said, “Alright. Another $50,000.” Flew me back to New York, landed, met with Michael that morning, then flew back to L.A. that night. I didn’t even leave the plane. We were just taxiing on the runway, checking my messages. That’s the first time I ever met Michael. I was on a private plane, in L.A., flew back. That’s when I met him. I never told you that. I got crazy, like I spent a lot of money.

AVC: What was kind of your impression of Michael Jackson?

Tucker: He’s just a normal person. Nice. He’s a very kind person, nice. Really shy. Just a lot of fun to be around, because he’s just nice.

AVC: Do you think he’s misunderstood?

Tucker: Yeah, he’s misunderstood, because he’s had a different life. He’s accomplished so much in his life, and he’s so talented. He’s just a genius.

Ratner: He doesn’t really belong on this planet. He’s the most important figure in the history of music. He’ll be remembered far longer than George Bush will. 200 years from now, people will be talking about Michael Jackson, and no one’s going to mention George Bush.

AVC: I remember growing up, he was the most famous person in the world.

Ratner: It’s not even that. It’s like the people who create something. Mozart is much more famous than Napoleon, for instance. Mozart is creating something that’s lasting forever in music. Michael does not even belong. It’s like God is channeling through him. Even if he sits here with us, and just sings like three notes, it’s like, “Oh my God.” It’s beyond anything. I’ve worked with a hundred of the biggest artists in the world, from Madonna to Mariah Carey, and he is just beyond. He’s at a whole other level, spiritually. He’s got the God spot. Everyone has it, everyone has that God spot, but it’s just the way he’s in tune with it. He has it. It’s right there, and when he starts to sing, God has just opened it up for him. That’s why he’s not comfortable around people and things, because he’s just such a unique-he feels blessed just to be himself. “I can’t believe I’m Michael Jackson.” [Laughs.] That’s what it is, really. He is one of the most unique people. I’ve spent a lot of time with him, so has Chris. Just sitting in the back of a car, and music playing, and then him, he moves like God is going through him. Not to knock Usher or anybody else, but you see when they’re dancing, they’re like, “One, two, three, four.” He’s just like, natural. He’s amazing, he really is amazing. He’s got a bad rap, but the truth is, he’s a child. Michael Jackson never grew up, but that’s what makes him so special.

Tucker: That’s what he says about Brett. “I like Brett, because he’s just a kid. He never lost that essence.”

Ratner: Mike has the mind of a kid, and when you have the mind of a kid, you’re smarter than an adult. You see through all the BS. Kids, you know how they are? They just say the truth.

AVC: There’s a sort of purity to it.

Ratner: Purity to it. He’s a pure person. There’s no malicious intent in him at all. He’s a kid. That’s the true essence of a kid. There’s nobody more kid-like than Michael Jackson. People may say, “Oh, he needs to grow up, he’s a 40-something-year-old man,” but the truth is, that’s what makes him special. He sees the world in a different way. He can read the mind of an adult better than an adult can read his mind. That’s what makes him so special.

Tucker: And he understands that, because that’s what he told me about Brett. [Laughs.]

Ratner: “Brett’s an asshole.” “No, Brett’s great!” That’s what we all have in common. See, that’s the thing. Michael loves movies. He loves entertainment. He loves music. We spent all our time with him watching movies. Listening to music. Dancing. Singing. Having fun. Every time Chris would leave the house, we’d be in Miami, and he’d go with Michael Jackson. “Where’d you go?” “Oh, we just went to Barry Gibb’s house and we were just singing Bee Gees songs.”

Tucker: Him and Barry Gibb were singing with each other. It was crazy.

Ratner: [Imitates Barry Gibb.]

Tucker: Michael singing, [Michael Jackson voice] “How deep is your love, is your love.

Source: The A.V. Club

Tonight on Conan O’Brian’s talk show, Chris Tucker spent several minutes talking about his friendship with Michael and how they go to the movies together. Here’s a short transcript of the MJ segments:

Conan: You also, I gotta ask about this, you hang out with Michael Jackson?

Tucker: Yeah. Michael is my boy, we hang out. We don’t see each other that much, but when I see him–

Conan: No, cause he isn’t, he’s not around hanging out with just other people. You and he are hanging out? You’re friends?

Tucker: We bump into each other around the world, man. It’s like– and it’s cool ’cause he call me sometimes to check up on me, to see how I’m doing. He’s like, “[MJ] How you doing, Chris?” And when he really miss me, he call me Christmas. “[MJ] Hey Christmas, how are you?”

Conan: He calls you Christmas?

Tucker: He call me Christmas. It feel good, at first I was like, “why you call–” but then it started sounding good and I was like, “Say that again, Mike.” “[MJ] Christmas, is that what you mean?” Yeah!

Conan: Do you ever go in public anywhere with Michael Jackson? Cause what’s that like?

Tucker: You know what, we go to the movies sometimes. We go to the movies, both of us like going to the movies. So we go to the movies, but it’s hard because Michael got to sneak in the movie right before it start, so Michael come in there with like a ninja suit on; he’s hiding, all black. All of a sudden I’m sitting there wondering, “Where’s Michael?” And I turn around and he’s like, “[MJ] Hey Chris!” And I’m like, “Ooh Man! How long you been here?!?” “[MJ] About five minutes. I’m sorry. Did I scare you? Sorry Chris.” And then you know, we sneak in, all this stuff. He sneaks in at the last minute, he does all this stuff, security bring us popcorn and stuff, you know, like he tryin’ to hide, you know. “[Impersonation] Here you go, Mr. Jackson.” You know.

Conan: Yeah.

Tucker: And then all of a sudden, we watching a movie, he’s the loudest person in there!

Conan: Really?

Tucker: Yeah. He’s watching a movie, he’s like, “[MJ] Hee hee!” I say, “Michael, would you shut up before people see you?!” “[MJ] I’m sorry, it was funny Chris!”

Conan: Yeah, and then Prince is somewhere else, “[Prince] Woo hoo!” “[MJ] Hee hee!”

Tucker: (Jokingly) “That sound like Prince in the movie theater too! Why we all stuck in here?” “[MJ] Cause he came with me.”

Conan: Wow, that’s just– I gotta try that sometime. I gotta try and bump into you guys when you do that.

Tucker: It’s fun, you know? You get to hang out with other celebrities, man. People I idolize, so it’s cool.

Conan: That’s very cool.

Click here to see the short video.

Source: Late Night With Conan O’Brian

R&B superstar and songwriter Ne-Yo is writing songs for extraordinary singers such as Beyonce (`Irreplaceable’), Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Mary J. Blige. However, in a recent interview he admitted that he’s particularly thrilled to be working for Michael Jackson. The pair has already started exchanging song ideas but Ne-Yo’s lips are sealed to secrecy as to any specifics.

Interestingly, the collaboration almost derailed because Ne-Yo refused to believe it was actually Michael Jackson the first time the music legend called him:

“When Michael Jackson called me, he was like, ‘Hi, this is Michael Jackson.’ I said, ‘This is not Michael Jackson.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s really Michael Jason.’ I said, ‘C’mon man. Someone is playing with me,’” Ne-Yo laughs. “I almost hung up the phone, but then I realised it was Michael Jackson - and then I almost dropped the phone.”

Ne-Yo plans to to write perfect pop songs for Michael Jackson, rather than working him into some sort of trend.

“I think when you take someone who is a little older and try to make them young again, that’s where you screw up. You’re not supposed to be young again. You’re supposed to make music that is relevant. You’re not following a trend. I don’t want to go in and have Michael Jackson singing ‘Hey shorty.’ I’m going to do what Michael Jackson does.”

To read the complete interview click here.

Source: Dose

The publishing company Sony/ATV has licensed the use of the Beatles song ‘All you need is love’ for a series of new advertisements of the pharmaceutical and cosmetics firm Proctor & Gamble. Michael Jackson still has a stake in the music publishing company Sony/ATV, which owns the rights to the Beatles catalogue. The song will appear in adverts for the Luvs branded nappys.

The company’s decision is a “surprise” to John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono, because they had always given her advance notice of their intentions in the past.

Source: New York Daily News

The mother of Michael Jackson’s 2004 accuser is no longer a felon.

TMZ was in court Wednesday as Janet Arvizo (whose married name is now ironically Janet Jackson) told a judge - through her attorney - that she successfully completed her community service in connection with a no contest plea to felony welfare fraud.

During cross-examination in the 2005 molestation trial, Arvizo admitted she had failed to disclose income that would have disqualified her from receiving $8,606.98 in welfare benefits.

After the judge was satisfied that Arvizo complied by paying the fine and doing the community service time, she reduced the felony to a misdemeanor.

Source: TMZ

Roland (Ro Ro) Tabor (30) is a celebrity choreographer who has been dancing with the stars since the age of 16. Born in St. Louis, Tabor has meanwhile choreographed for some of today’s hottest entertainers, including Ciara, Missy Elliott, and Aaliyah. In 2005, he starred in ‘Get Krump’, a documentary that focuses on the rise of Krump dancing. He also has choreographed and danced in movies such as ‘Save the Last Dance’ (2001) and ‘You Got Served’ (2004).

And Tabor is a big fan of Michael Jackson. Asked who influenced him when he grew up he replied:

“Michael Jackson. Definitely Michael Jackson, he was the man, everything he did amazed me. I would imitate his dance moves when I was younger. I would love to choreograph for Michael Jackson. I still got love for Michael.”

To read the complete interview Click Here.

Source: Detroit Free Press