UK radio station ‘Gold’ is celebrating the month of November with Motown Month, focusing on the famous record company and its artists.

For example you can enjoy the return of the award winning documentary ‘The Magic of Motown’.

The Magic Of Motown - Part 1
November 19, 2007 - 7 pm
Introduced by Smokey Robinson, the story of the world’s favourite record company is told by legendary Motown president Barney Ales and the many voices of the artists, songwriters and producers who had the whole world singing and dancing for over half a century.

Part 1 covers Motown’s early days in Detroit, the creation of ‘The Motown Sound’, the grooming of its artists and the ways in which the writers and producers fought for studio time to create the worldwide hits. Special guests include Diana Ross, Martha Reeves, Jimmy Ruffin plus producers Mickey Stevenson and Lamont Dozier. Music comes from Mary Wells, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, and more.

The Magic Of Motown - Part 2
November 22, 2007 - 7 pm
The Motown story moves to Los Angeles, and the Vietnam War has a startling affect on the label and its artists; the discovery of Michael Jackson; The Commodores and Lionel Richie and the sad but steady decline of the hit label, seemingly lost 2000 miles away from its original home in Detroit. Special guests include Michael Jackson, Edwin Starr and Lionel Richie with music from The Temptations, Diana Ross, The Jackson Five, and Thelma Houston.

For more info on the Gold radio station, their Motown programme and how to listen online please visit http://www.mygoldmusic.com/motown.

Gold is the UK’s newest and biggest classic hits radio network. It was formed in August 2007 following the merge of the Capital Gold and Classic Gold radio networks. The radio station is aiming to deliver the widest breadth of music currently available anywhere else on commercial radio. Gold plays the greatest songs from the last five decades and entertains with a variety of specialist music shows, exclusive interviews, free downloadable celebrity podcasts, special guest DJs and VIP gigs.

Source: ‘Gold’ Station

A lawsuit was re-filed this week in Santa Maria, against Michael Jackson, Marian Medical Center, and Catholic Healthcare West.

The family of Manuela Ruiz says the 73-year-old patient was pushed out of her own hospital room to make space for Michael Jackson back in 2005. At the time, Ruiz was in critical condition and on life support. She later died.

The lawsuit names four members of Ruiz’s family, who allege elder abuse and distress caused by the hospital.

No court date has been set.

In August 2007, Judge Rodney Melville, who had also served as judge in Michael’s child molestation trial, had ordered that the lawsuit previously filed by the family could not continue as filed. He thus allowed challenges to the complaint filed by attorneys for Michael and the hospital. They argued that the facts did not support the complaint. The judge gave the plaintiff’s attorney 30 days to redraft the complaint.

Source: KSBY 6 Action News

In the Ebony interview, Michael says he hasn’t changed all that much since releasing his blockbuster album ‘Thriller’ nearly 25 years ago:

“That Michael is probably the same Michael here. I just wanted to get certain things accomplished first. But I always had this tug in the back of my head, the things I wanted to do, to raise children, have children. I’m enjoying it very much.”

What does he make of today’s music?

“I don’t think people are being as experimental and innovative enough. I know people can easily say, ‘Well, we don’t have the Michael Jackson budget.’ Wrong, you can be so creative with almost nothing. And that’s usually the best stuff, when you strip it down to the bare minimum and go inside yourself and invent.”

Producer Quincy Jones and Steven Spielberg nicknamed Michael ‘Smelly’ because he once used the word instead of swearing:

“I say a few swear words now - but especially then, you couldn’t get me to swear. So I would say, ‘That’s a smelly song.’ That would mean, ‘It’s so great.’”

Source: MJFC-USA

In his latest interview, Michael told Ebony magazine that he’s “just about wanting to do wonderful music.” He said:

“I’m writing a lot of stuff right now. I’m in the studio, like, every day.”

Michael didn’t say though if and when he’d have a new album coming out.

He did talk at length about the making of the album ‘Thriller,’ his unveiling of the moonwalk during the 25th Motown Anniversary Special, and breaking barriers at MTV.

“I’m very proud that we opened doors, that it helped tear down a lot. Going around the world, doing tours, in stadiums, you see the influence of the music. When you just look out over the stage, as far as the naked eye could see, you see people. And it’s a wonderful feeling, but it came with a lot of pain, a lot of pain.”

Michael also explained that being a pioneer and “on top of your game” makes artists targets to people that want to “get at them.” Nevertheless he’s grateful:

“All those record-breaking things, to the biggest albums, to those No. 1’s, I still feel grateful.”

Looking ahead to the future, Michael doesn’t see himself performing in 30 years:

“The truth is, umm, no. Not the way James Brown did, or Jackie Wilson did, where they just ran it out, they killed themselves. In my opinion, I wish [Brown] would have slowed down and been more relaxed and enjoyed his hard work.”

And what does he think about all the rumours about him?

“I don’t pay attention to that. In my opinion, it’s ignorance. It’s usually not based on fact. It’s based on, you know, myth. The guy who you don’t get to see. Every neighborhood has the guy who you don’t see, so you gossip about him. You see those stories about him, there’s the myth that he did this or he did that. People are crazy!”

The complete interview is featured in the December issue of Ebony magazine which is hitting newsstands on November 12, 2007.

Source: MJFC-USA

Thriller has climbed 46 places to #53 on the UK Singles Chart this week.

Source: BBC Radio 1, MJ.INF

Supermodel Alek Wek (30), who was born in the Sudan, just gave an interview to the British magazine The Observer. The article is entitled ‘This much I know’ and in the interview Wek expresses her longtime admiration for Michael Jackson:

“Michael Jackson really is the king of pop. When my friends talk about childhood, I’ve never heard of any cartoons or TV they remember. The only thing we share is Michael Jackson. That’s how far his music travelled - to a remote village on the other side of the world. When the militias came to Wau, they would blast out ‘Thriller’ as they moved down the dirt streets.”

Source: The Observer Magazine

In a recent interview for HipHop-Elements.Com, Frank Lucas Jr talks about being the offspring of a real American gangster and shouts-out Michael Jackson for a possible collaboration for Jackson’s new album. Lucas Jr. is the son of Frank Lucas — the basis for Ridley Scott’s new movie being released on Nov 2 starring Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas.

Lucas Jr. says he was greatly inspired by The Jackson Five along with a long list of other incredible artists like Earth Wind & Fire, The Bee Gees, EPMD, Rakim and LL Cool J.

When asked about his Jackson influences, Lucas told Rap Industry Dot Com, “I think my strongest was The Jackson 5. Matter of fact, I know Michael is working on a project. We should collaborate — That would be gangster!”

You can check out Frank Lucas’s myspace page here.

Source: HipHop-Elements.Com

US TV show Access Hollywood featured a special report on the Ebony photoshoot in New York - including wonderful footage of the actual shooting.

To view the video click here. The video also includes the actual cover of Ebony magazine’s December issue featuring Michael.

For today, Access Hollywood announces to air an exclusive and intimate interview with Michael. Something you surely shouldn’t miss!

Source: Access Hollywood

Michael will be featured on the cover of the December issue of ‘Ebony’ magazine. The issue will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of ‘Thriller’.

For the photoshoot Michael was in New York City’s Brooklyn Museum. He posed to his own classic hits and showed off his untouchable dance moves for Ebony magazine. According to the NY Post, he acted “sweet” and was curious about everyone on the crew, asking questions about their lives.

Ebony magazine is to hit newsstands on November 12, 2007.

On the Ebony web site you can also view the teaser for this special issue.

Source: Ebony, Access Hollywood, NY Post