A video has surfaced on YouTube featuring Michael Jackson's friend and stylist Christian Audigier claiming that the star flew into London today and will announce his O2 residency in a press conference on Thursday.
As such, it is possible that last week's sudden silence regarding Jackson's residency was manufactured in order to create a calm before the proverbial storm, ensuring that the announcement makes a much bigger splash than it would have done if information had continued to leak steadily for another week.
Could it be that O2 and Sony were told that the announcement would be made on the wrong Thursday in order to ensure that any leaked information did not spoil the surprise?
Could rumours of Lopez's dismissal have been an elaborate exercise in misdirection?
Meanwhile, Sony BMG has today redesigned Michael Jackson's official website.
Sony sources told the Newshound that they were expecting an announcement via Jackson's official website on Thursday of last week. Could this development lend more credence to the theory that staff were told of the wrong Thursday in order to ensure leaked information did not spoil any official announcements?
More skeptical fans have said that the website, largely designed around the artwork for Jackson's 'Off The Wall' album, is merely setting up another re-release. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the album's launch. Could fans be seeing 'Off The Wall 30' released hot on the tails of 'Thriller 25'?
If so, the decision could anger some fans, who are tiring of Jackson's consistent failure to deliver on promises of new material, instead favouring a string of bland re-releases. The mood amongst the fan community will be worsened still if the re-release is announced in place of, rather than alongside, a tour.
Seemingly, all will become clear on Thursday.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
August 10, 2010
Jackson announcement this morning?
Sony sources are telling the Newshound that today (Thursday 26th February), at 9am GMT, an announcement regarding Michael Jackson's O2 residency will be made via his official Sony website.
The Newshound must stress, though, that this may be misinformation.
For example, a year ago when rumours of an O2 residency were circulating, a high up Sony source told various fansites that the concerts were to go ahead. Plainly, the shows did not go ahead. This is just one of many instances of misinformation about Michael Jackson being distributed by authoritative sources.
In the world of Michael Jackson nothing is concrete until it is officially announced. Sometimes the star changes his mind on a whim. On other occasions people act beyond their briefs and leak information before it has been confirmed. Sometimes false information is intentionally leaked with the intent of distracting the press and public from ongoing negotiations. Other times high-ups float false information as part of a mole hunt - the aim is to discover and plug the leak.
The Newshound has decided to publish this breaking news as it was delivered directly by numerous Sony sources. However, there is every chance that for one of the aforementioned reasons, the announcement will not be made.
Fingers crossed, however.
The Lowly Newshound
The Newshound must stress, though, that this may be misinformation.
For example, a year ago when rumours of an O2 residency were circulating, a high up Sony source told various fansites that the concerts were to go ahead. Plainly, the shows did not go ahead. This is just one of many instances of misinformation about Michael Jackson being distributed by authoritative sources.
In the world of Michael Jackson nothing is concrete until it is officially announced. Sometimes the star changes his mind on a whim. On other occasions people act beyond their briefs and leak information before it has been confirmed. Sometimes false information is intentionally leaked with the intent of distracting the press and public from ongoing negotiations. Other times high-ups float false information as part of a mole hunt - the aim is to discover and plug the leak.
The Newshound has decided to publish this breaking news as it was delivered directly by numerous Sony sources. However, there is every chance that for one of the aforementioned reasons, the announcement will not be made.
Fingers crossed, however.
The Lowly Newshound
April 29, 2009
Another twist in the Visteon saga; Cowardly bosses sack union covenor for empathising with redundant labourers
A union worker last night barricaded himself in his office after he was sacked for empathising with laid off Visteon workers.
Rob Williams was acting union covenor at the Swansea Linamar plant, formerly a Visteon plant, which is part owned by Visteon bosses Stephen Gawne and Len Drury.
Williams was sacked yesterday after it emerged that he had travelled to Essex to support Visteon workers on a march through Basildon town centre.
The company blamed the dismissal on a 'breakdown of trust and confidence'.
Outraged by the ludicrous grounds upon which he was dismissed, Williams locked himself in his covenor's office.
In a show of solidarity, day workers at the plant left their jobs.
According to the Newshound's man on the ground, police were still attempting to forcibly eject Williams from the premises at 10pm last night.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
Rob Williams was acting union covenor at the Swansea Linamar plant, formerly a Visteon plant, which is part owned by Visteon bosses Stephen Gawne and Len Drury.
Williams was sacked yesterday after it emerged that he had travelled to Essex to support Visteon workers on a march through Basildon town centre.
The company blamed the dismissal on a 'breakdown of trust and confidence'.
Outraged by the ludicrous grounds upon which he was dismissed, Williams locked himself in his covenor's office.
In a show of solidarity, day workers at the plant left their jobs.
According to the Newshound's man on the ground, police were still attempting to forcibly eject Williams from the premises at 10pm last night.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
April 15, 2009
50 Nights in London. A Jackson press conference retrospective
In the world of Michael Jackson, onlookers must often wait for the dust to settle before events become clear. The star is erratic, his plans are rarely concrete and his motivation is often beyond comprehension.
Events surrounding Jackson's press conference last month were typically baffling, but the Newshound is now able to shed some light on the confusion that surrounded the announcement of his London concerts.
In February the Newshound became the first journalist to break news of Michael Jackson's summer residency. Shortly afterwards, the Newshound received information from Sony and O2 sources that a press conference would take place on Thursday 26th February.
The date came and went and the Newshound's sources were bemused. At the time, it was speculated that company heads could have leaked the wrong date as a diversionary tactic.
The Newshound can now reveal that this was not the case - Jackson really was due to announce the concerts on Thursday 26th February.
Sources involved in organizing funding and sponsorship for the concerts say the star is a 'loose cannon' who simply failed to show up in London at the appointed time.
Jackson fired lawyer Peter Lopez early in the week that the announcement had been scheduled, leaving organisers unable to contact him and forcing them to scrap their plans.
When concert promoters eventually contacted Jackson through his manager, Dr Tohme Tohme of Colony Capital, the press conference was rescheduled for the following week.
When anxious organisers received word that Jackson had boarded his flight to London on Tuesday 3rd March, a source contacted the Newshound to leak the star's arrival time and accommodation details. Organisers also ensured that news was leaked to Jackson's many fansites.
Those responsible claimed to be leaking the information on Jackson's behalf, saying that the star wanted his fans to greet him upon his arrival.
This later proved untrue - Jackson hid behind an umbrella at the airport and entered his hotel through a back door, shunning the fans who organisers had urged to wait outside the hotel all afternoon.
The true reason for the leak was that the previous week's event had served as a stark reminder to concert organisers that Jackson is entirely unreliable.
In an act of desperation, information was leaked to the Newshound and to the fan community in the hope that the mainstream press would pick up on it. If the press caught Jackson sneaking into the country, thought the organisers, there was no way he could pull out of the press conference and sneak back out again.
It was The Sun who delivered the golden egg, capturing long lens photographs of Jackson exiting his private jet at Mohammed Al Fayed's private airstrip.
The Newshound can today reveal that despite having been captured on camera arriving in London, Jackson still attempted to pull out of his press conference.
The Newshound was issued accreditation for the press conference and so was stuck in the holding pen, otherwise known as the Indigo2 nightclub inside the O2 complex, as a drama secretly unfolded at Jackson's hotel.
As the appointed time of 4pm drew closer, press and photographers grew ever more anxious: Why were they not being allowed into the foyer for the announcement? Annoyed snappers and reporters began gathering at the nightclub doors, much to the chagrin of PR staff.
"Nothing will be happening for at least twenty minutes," press were told, "so you may as well sit down." Twenty minutes soon became thirty, then forty. Forty minutes became an hour.
Press were eventually led into the arena at around 4.30pm, after relieved PR staff received confirmation that Jackson had finally left his hotel. The star would later appear onstage at 5.30pm, an hour and a half late.
The official reason for Jackson's lateness was that he had become stuck in traffic en route to the O2 complex.
This story was later contradicted by reports that before Jackson took the stage for his announcement, he became the first person to walk around the O2's new exhibition, the 'British Music Experience'.
This was self-serving spin designed to accomplish two goals. The first was to give the impression that Jackson had been at the O2 centre all along, distracting press from the real reason for his lateness, and the second was to shamelessly promote the complex's latest attraction.
In fact, both stories are easily disproved.
When Jackson left his hotel for the press conference he was, as usual, accosted by a mob of fans and photographers.
Photographers snapped the star leaving his hotel at approximately 4.15pm - a quarter of an hour after he was supposed to have taken the stage. He wasn't stuck in traffic and he wasn't walking around an exhibition - he hadn't even left his hotel.
The Newshound can exclusively reveal that Jackson had barricaded himself in his hotel room and spent several hours refusing to attend the press conference. Minders were forced to stand in the hotel corridor and plead with him through the door to his room. By the time he was persuaded to leave, he was already significantly late for the announcement. Meanwhile, at the O2, PR staff were becoming concerned and irritable.
Once at the O2 Jackson remained reluctant to take the stage. After Dermot O'Leary introduced the star, it was several minutes before he eventually stepped through the curtains. Footage of the press conference on the star's official website was later edited to give the impression that he had sauntered immediately onstage.
When Jackson did take the stage he abandoned his teleprompter and gave a disjointed speech. Rather than the upbeat concert announcement fans had expected, they were instead subjected to a rambling retirement announcement in which Jackson sounded audibly irritated by the fact that he was to perform again, sternly informing the audience, "This is the final curtain call, OK?"
Caitlin Moran later wrote of the event, "He seems borderline tetchy about being here at all... It sounds like a weary warning. I will not be performing for you now, is the subtext. I will give you nothing else... After announcing that the concerts will be in July, and that he loves us all so, Jackson is gone - giving four minutes to people who have been waiting five hours, and 12 years, and a lifetime."
After Jackson left the stage one young female follower was carried from the building, sobbing that Jackson had sounded angry with his fans.
Reports suggested that Jackson later returned to his hotel drunk and complaining loudly about the prospect of his live comeback.
Since Jackson's announcement British tabloids have been awash with stories surrounding the upcoming concerts. These have included stories about four separate properties Jackson will supposedly live in (Rod Stewart's Essex mansion, a house on the Thames so he can travel to the concerts by boat, a castle built atop a network of haunted caves and a private house in suburban East London), stories about Jackson hiring David Copperfield to help orchestrate magic tricks, and suggestions that Jackson will enter the stage astride an elephant.
The Newshound can reveal that most, if not all of these stories, are false - but they are not the concoctions of tabloid reporters. The stories are in fact being systematically planted on an almost daily basis by concert promoters AEG Live, who have developed an obsession with keeping the concerts in the headlines.
The reason? Although the official line is that all of the concerts are sold out, the company is facing a ticketing crisis.
Just days after the concerts were announced, 'The Times' revealed that AEG Live had secretly given up to 1000 tickets per concert to commercialized touting company Viagogo. The tickets would be sold at inflated prices on the condition that both companies shared the profits.
At the time a spokesperson defended the move, saying, "To suggest that there won't be a premium market is unrealistic." Indeed. But isn't that why several blocks of seats at each concert were reserved for £800-a-ticket premium packages?
After reserving several blocks per show for official premium packages and donating up to a further 1000 tickets per show to Viagogo, almost 10% of all seats for the residency were being sold for hugely inflated prices. That is without taking into account the number of business-minded buyers who snaffled tickets in the official sales with the specific intention of re-selling them for several times their face value on Ebay.
Consequently, although the shows are officially billed as 'sold out', somewhere in the region of 50,000-100,000 tickets currently remain onsale in the form of VIP packages on Ticketmaster, overpriced tickets on Seatwave and Viagogo and countless tickets being touted on Ebay.
AEG now has a dilemma on its hands. The company has fallen victim to its own greed. Bosses accurately predicted that the shows would be immensely popular and would sell out, leaving a huge excess demand. What they over-estimated, however, was the number of people who could actually afford to pay hundreds of pounds for a concert ticket.
As Britain slips deeper into recession, the number of punters with hundreds or, in many cases, thousands of pounds to spare for one pair of Michael Jackson tickets is dwindling and the Newshound is skeptical as to whether, even at the height of the economic boom, there were ever 50,000 people who would be willing to splash that much cash on a night out.
AEG's reaction has been to release a steady stream of false stories to the popular press in an attempt to keep the concerts on everybody's lips but, publicity or no publicity, the public simply cannot afford the extortionate Viagogo prices.
If sales of premium tickets remain slow, organisers face the prospect of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of empty seats at each of the 50 concerts. Worse still, some of the empty seats will be directly in front of the stage. Ironically, had the seats been included in the general sale they would have sold out immediately. As it stands, inflating the ticket prices has actually cost company bosses significant profits - not exactly the desired effect.
A final note from the Newshound on Jackson's father, who has recently hit headlines fo attempting to stage a coup and oust his son's current management. Reports suggest that Joseph Jackson emailed media outlets and fansites two weeks ago claiming he had assumed control of his son's affairs.
The 79 year old was reportedly hoping to cut himself in on Jackson's 50 nights in London and convince the star to piggyback a Jacksons reunion tour on his own solo success.
The debacle led to the publication of a strange article by Celebrity Access which seemed to quote Frank Dileo claiming to be Jackson's manager. This is not the case. Jackson is still managed by Dr Tohme Tohme and Colony Capital, but that Dileo is speaking on Jackson's behalf is an interesting development. The Newshound revealed in April of last year that Dileo was becoming a more regular fixture in Jackson's camp.
The Newshound can reveal that Joseph Jackson has been trying to worm his way back into his son's affairs ever since he learnt that the O2 deal was being finalised. Jackson was sticking his nose in so regularly that staff involved in fundraising for the Jackson concerts believed he was integral to the deal. Jackson told them he was also arranging a Jacksons reunion concert to compliment the residency. Rumour was that a Jacksons concert at Wembley Stadium would be announced in early April, but evidently that did not happen.
The Newshound wonders, though, whether there may be some truth to the rumour. The Jacksons were involved in negotiations for a Wembley Stadium concert in Summer 2007 but the deal was never finalised. Reminiscent indeed of the O2 residency, which was first discussed over 18 months before it finally came to fruition.
As is always the case where Michael Jackson is concerned, only time will tell.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
Events surrounding Jackson's press conference last month were typically baffling, but the Newshound is now able to shed some light on the confusion that surrounded the announcement of his London concerts.
In February the Newshound became the first journalist to break news of Michael Jackson's summer residency. Shortly afterwards, the Newshound received information from Sony and O2 sources that a press conference would take place on Thursday 26th February.
The date came and went and the Newshound's sources were bemused. At the time, it was speculated that company heads could have leaked the wrong date as a diversionary tactic.
The Newshound can now reveal that this was not the case - Jackson really was due to announce the concerts on Thursday 26th February.
Sources involved in organizing funding and sponsorship for the concerts say the star is a 'loose cannon' who simply failed to show up in London at the appointed time.
Jackson fired lawyer Peter Lopez early in the week that the announcement had been scheduled, leaving organisers unable to contact him and forcing them to scrap their plans.
When concert promoters eventually contacted Jackson through his manager, Dr Tohme Tohme of Colony Capital, the press conference was rescheduled for the following week.
When anxious organisers received word that Jackson had boarded his flight to London on Tuesday 3rd March, a source contacted the Newshound to leak the star's arrival time and accommodation details. Organisers also ensured that news was leaked to Jackson's many fansites.
Those responsible claimed to be leaking the information on Jackson's behalf, saying that the star wanted his fans to greet him upon his arrival.
This later proved untrue - Jackson hid behind an umbrella at the airport and entered his hotel through a back door, shunning the fans who organisers had urged to wait outside the hotel all afternoon.
The true reason for the leak was that the previous week's event had served as a stark reminder to concert organisers that Jackson is entirely unreliable.
In an act of desperation, information was leaked to the Newshound and to the fan community in the hope that the mainstream press would pick up on it. If the press caught Jackson sneaking into the country, thought the organisers, there was no way he could pull out of the press conference and sneak back out again.
It was The Sun who delivered the golden egg, capturing long lens photographs of Jackson exiting his private jet at Mohammed Al Fayed's private airstrip.
The Newshound can today reveal that despite having been captured on camera arriving in London, Jackson still attempted to pull out of his press conference.
The Newshound was issued accreditation for the press conference and so was stuck in the holding pen, otherwise known as the Indigo2 nightclub inside the O2 complex, as a drama secretly unfolded at Jackson's hotel.
As the appointed time of 4pm drew closer, press and photographers grew ever more anxious: Why were they not being allowed into the foyer for the announcement? Annoyed snappers and reporters began gathering at the nightclub doors, much to the chagrin of PR staff.
"Nothing will be happening for at least twenty minutes," press were told, "so you may as well sit down." Twenty minutes soon became thirty, then forty. Forty minutes became an hour.
Press were eventually led into the arena at around 4.30pm, after relieved PR staff received confirmation that Jackson had finally left his hotel. The star would later appear onstage at 5.30pm, an hour and a half late.
The official reason for Jackson's lateness was that he had become stuck in traffic en route to the O2 complex.
This story was later contradicted by reports that before Jackson took the stage for his announcement, he became the first person to walk around the O2's new exhibition, the 'British Music Experience'.
This was self-serving spin designed to accomplish two goals. The first was to give the impression that Jackson had been at the O2 centre all along, distracting press from the real reason for his lateness, and the second was to shamelessly promote the complex's latest attraction.
In fact, both stories are easily disproved.
When Jackson left his hotel for the press conference he was, as usual, accosted by a mob of fans and photographers.
Photographers snapped the star leaving his hotel at approximately 4.15pm - a quarter of an hour after he was supposed to have taken the stage. He wasn't stuck in traffic and he wasn't walking around an exhibition - he hadn't even left his hotel.
The Newshound can exclusively reveal that Jackson had barricaded himself in his hotel room and spent several hours refusing to attend the press conference. Minders were forced to stand in the hotel corridor and plead with him through the door to his room. By the time he was persuaded to leave, he was already significantly late for the announcement. Meanwhile, at the O2, PR staff were becoming concerned and irritable.
Once at the O2 Jackson remained reluctant to take the stage. After Dermot O'Leary introduced the star, it was several minutes before he eventually stepped through the curtains. Footage of the press conference on the star's official website was later edited to give the impression that he had sauntered immediately onstage.
When Jackson did take the stage he abandoned his teleprompter and gave a disjointed speech. Rather than the upbeat concert announcement fans had expected, they were instead subjected to a rambling retirement announcement in which Jackson sounded audibly irritated by the fact that he was to perform again, sternly informing the audience, "This is the final curtain call, OK?"
Caitlin Moran later wrote of the event, "He seems borderline tetchy about being here at all... It sounds like a weary warning. I will not be performing for you now, is the subtext. I will give you nothing else... After announcing that the concerts will be in July, and that he loves us all so, Jackson is gone - giving four minutes to people who have been waiting five hours, and 12 years, and a lifetime."
After Jackson left the stage one young female follower was carried from the building, sobbing that Jackson had sounded angry with his fans.
Reports suggested that Jackson later returned to his hotel drunk and complaining loudly about the prospect of his live comeback.
Since Jackson's announcement British tabloids have been awash with stories surrounding the upcoming concerts. These have included stories about four separate properties Jackson will supposedly live in (Rod Stewart's Essex mansion, a house on the Thames so he can travel to the concerts by boat, a castle built atop a network of haunted caves and a private house in suburban East London), stories about Jackson hiring David Copperfield to help orchestrate magic tricks, and suggestions that Jackson will enter the stage astride an elephant.
The Newshound can reveal that most, if not all of these stories, are false - but they are not the concoctions of tabloid reporters. The stories are in fact being systematically planted on an almost daily basis by concert promoters AEG Live, who have developed an obsession with keeping the concerts in the headlines.
The reason? Although the official line is that all of the concerts are sold out, the company is facing a ticketing crisis.
Just days after the concerts were announced, 'The Times' revealed that AEG Live had secretly given up to 1000 tickets per concert to commercialized touting company Viagogo. The tickets would be sold at inflated prices on the condition that both companies shared the profits.
At the time a spokesperson defended the move, saying, "To suggest that there won't be a premium market is unrealistic." Indeed. But isn't that why several blocks of seats at each concert were reserved for £800-a-ticket premium packages?
After reserving several blocks per show for official premium packages and donating up to a further 1000 tickets per show to Viagogo, almost 10% of all seats for the residency were being sold for hugely inflated prices. That is without taking into account the number of business-minded buyers who snaffled tickets in the official sales with the specific intention of re-selling them for several times their face value on Ebay.
Consequently, although the shows are officially billed as 'sold out', somewhere in the region of 50,000-100,000 tickets currently remain onsale in the form of VIP packages on Ticketmaster, overpriced tickets on Seatwave and Viagogo and countless tickets being touted on Ebay.
AEG now has a dilemma on its hands. The company has fallen victim to its own greed. Bosses accurately predicted that the shows would be immensely popular and would sell out, leaving a huge excess demand. What they over-estimated, however, was the number of people who could actually afford to pay hundreds of pounds for a concert ticket.
As Britain slips deeper into recession, the number of punters with hundreds or, in many cases, thousands of pounds to spare for one pair of Michael Jackson tickets is dwindling and the Newshound is skeptical as to whether, even at the height of the economic boom, there were ever 50,000 people who would be willing to splash that much cash on a night out.
AEG's reaction has been to release a steady stream of false stories to the popular press in an attempt to keep the concerts on everybody's lips but, publicity or no publicity, the public simply cannot afford the extortionate Viagogo prices.
If sales of premium tickets remain slow, organisers face the prospect of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of empty seats at each of the 50 concerts. Worse still, some of the empty seats will be directly in front of the stage. Ironically, had the seats been included in the general sale they would have sold out immediately. As it stands, inflating the ticket prices has actually cost company bosses significant profits - not exactly the desired effect.
A final note from the Newshound on Jackson's father, who has recently hit headlines fo attempting to stage a coup and oust his son's current management. Reports suggest that Joseph Jackson emailed media outlets and fansites two weeks ago claiming he had assumed control of his son's affairs.
The 79 year old was reportedly hoping to cut himself in on Jackson's 50 nights in London and convince the star to piggyback a Jacksons reunion tour on his own solo success.
The debacle led to the publication of a strange article by Celebrity Access which seemed to quote Frank Dileo claiming to be Jackson's manager. This is not the case. Jackson is still managed by Dr Tohme Tohme and Colony Capital, but that Dileo is speaking on Jackson's behalf is an interesting development. The Newshound revealed in April of last year that Dileo was becoming a more regular fixture in Jackson's camp.
The Newshound can reveal that Joseph Jackson has been trying to worm his way back into his son's affairs ever since he learnt that the O2 deal was being finalised. Jackson was sticking his nose in so regularly that staff involved in fundraising for the Jackson concerts believed he was integral to the deal. Jackson told them he was also arranging a Jacksons reunion concert to compliment the residency. Rumour was that a Jacksons concert at Wembley Stadium would be announced in early April, but evidently that did not happen.
The Newshound wonders, though, whether there may be some truth to the rumour. The Jacksons were involved in negotiations for a Wembley Stadium concert in Summer 2007 but the deal was never finalised. Reminiscent indeed of the O2 residency, which was first discussed over 18 months before it finally came to fruition.
As is always the case where Michael Jackson is concerned, only time will tell.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
April 14, 2009
Local newspaper picks up on Newshound's Visteon exclusive
Essex newspaper 'The Echo' today picked up on the Newshound's exclusive story about how Visteon tricked Basildon workers into an extra hour's labour on the day that they were made redundant.
Award winning reporter Jon Austin mentioned the extra labour in his report about Visteon workers' protest march through Basildon's town centre on Saturday morning.
However, The Echo, constrained by libel laws, could not print the allegation in full, ie. that the surplus stock was never accounted for and was allegedly to be sold under the radar of the Inland Revenue.
The story did not appear in full on the newspaper's website, but appeared in the newspaper's Basildon edition on Monday 13th April.
Award winning reporter Jon Austin mentioned the extra labour in his report about Visteon workers' protest march through Basildon's town centre on Saturday morning.
However, The Echo, constrained by libel laws, could not print the allegation in full, ie. that the surplus stock was never accounted for and was allegedly to be sold under the radar of the Inland Revenue.
The story did not appear in full on the newspaper's website, but appeared in the newspaper's Basildon edition on Monday 13th April.
April 12, 2009
Basildon Visteon plant housing secret stock; Workers cheated into surplus labour
As Friday became Saturday, and clubbers and party-goers at Basildon's Festival Leisure Park celebrated the Easter weekend, few paused to remember that roughly one mile away a handful of unemployed labourers huddled around a makeshift bonfire.
But rather than spending Easter Friday in a busy nightclub, the Newshound whiled away the wee hours of yesterday morning on the picket line outside the town's now notorious 'Visteon' plant.
Axed Visteon workers, who supplied car radiators to Ford for over 45 years, have been picketing the building since they were made redundant on Tuesday 31st March.
Workers were given no notice of their redundancy and were told that they would not receive the severance packages that their contracts guaranteed them.
The Newshound can now exclusively reveal that on Tuesday 31st March, the day that the company went into administration, office staff at the plant were ejected from the premises at noon. Company computers were swiftly shut down.
However, manual labourers were ordered to continue producing stock for another hour.
Workers were not paid for the extra hour, meaning that their labour went unaccounted for, and the absence of office staff ensured that the surplus radiators were never logged either.
Echo reporter Jon Austin last week revealed that company director Stephen Gawne is planning to re-open the firm under a new name, scrap the existing Ford contracts and employ cheap labourers from Eastern Europe.
Speculation at the plant is that the secret stash of radiators was to be sold, under the radar of the Inland Revenue, to tide Gawne over until his plan came to fruition.
However, protestors have stymied the rumoured plot by blocking both major entrances to the plant for the last fortnight, making it impossible to shift the radiators from the premises.
Stay tuned for a full account and exclusive pictures of the Newshound's time on the picket line.
But rather than spending Easter Friday in a busy nightclub, the Newshound whiled away the wee hours of yesterday morning on the picket line outside the town's now notorious 'Visteon' plant.
Axed Visteon workers, who supplied car radiators to Ford for over 45 years, have been picketing the building since they were made redundant on Tuesday 31st March.
Workers were given no notice of their redundancy and were told that they would not receive the severance packages that their contracts guaranteed them.
The Newshound can now exclusively reveal that on Tuesday 31st March, the day that the company went into administration, office staff at the plant were ejected from the premises at noon. Company computers were swiftly shut down.
However, manual labourers were ordered to continue producing stock for another hour.
Workers were not paid for the extra hour, meaning that their labour went unaccounted for, and the absence of office staff ensured that the surplus radiators were never logged either.
Echo reporter Jon Austin last week revealed that company director Stephen Gawne is planning to re-open the firm under a new name, scrap the existing Ford contracts and employ cheap labourers from Eastern Europe.
Speculation at the plant is that the secret stash of radiators was to be sold, under the radar of the Inland Revenue, to tide Gawne over until his plan came to fruition.
However, protestors have stymied the rumoured plot by blocking both major entrances to the plant for the last fortnight, making it impossible to shift the radiators from the premises.
Stay tuned for a full account and exclusive pictures of the Newshound's time on the picket line.
March 06, 2009
March 03, 2009
Jackson's London arrival is imminent...
A trusted inside source contacted the Newshound this morning to say that Michael Jackson will touch down at a private airport in Luton at 14.20 today.
He will stay at the Lanesborough Hotel, Park Lane.
A press conference is tentatively scheduled for Thursday.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
He will stay at the Lanesborough Hotel, Park Lane.
A press conference is tentatively scheduled for Thursday.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
February 28, 2009
The O2 residency; Jackson cries off again?
Sad but predictable news has reached the Newshound that Michael Jackson's O2 negotiations have faltered for a third time.
Selected staff at Sony BMG's London HQ had been briefed that Jackson would announce details of his O2 residency on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, staff at the O2 arena were told over a week ago that the residency would be announced in a press conference on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
By midday on Thursday there was confusion at Sony HQ as to why the announcement had not been made. However, staff were reassured that the announcement would be made by the end of the day.
The announcement never came.
The Newshound is now hearing whispers that Jackson has fired Peter Lopez, the star's music lawyer of several years. Lopez had been representing Jackson in negotiations surrounding the residency since they began in 2007.Rumours of the lawyer's dismissal are as yet unconfirmed and the reasons behind the alleged dismissal remain unclear.
The Newshound, however, will be so bold as to venture that should these rumours prove true, there is just one reason behind the decision.
Jackson is extremely work shy and has been since the late ninties. In 1999 the star signed contracts to perform two concerts at the turn of the millennium. However, Jackson failed to perform those concerts and never offered a legitimate reason as to why.
Jackson approached his next studio album, Invincible, so lazily that Sony rejected it in its original state. Insiders claim that Jackson was so addicted to alcohol and painkillers that friends and colleagues feared for his life. The star reportedly had no interest in the project, earning most of his songwriting credits by changing occasional words in other people's compositions.
Prior to the album's release, Jackson performed two largely mimed concerts in New York, infuriating producer David Gest by showing up high on painkillers.
The star went on to record one music video for Invincible but shunned all subsequent promotion, branding his record company 'racist'.
Later, in a 2003 television special, the star declared that he hated touring.
In late 2003 Jackson struck a peace deal with Sony, agreeing to embark on a short European tour to promote his 'Number Ones' compilation album. However, it is worth noting that although Jackson technically agreed to the tour, he had already got wind of an impending child abuse allegation and hired Mark Geragos as his defence lawyer. As such, it could be the case that Jackson knew he would never have to fulfill that particular obligation.
Since his child molestation trial Jackson has promised charity singles, a music video and an album - and, more recently, claimed to be 'finalising' TV specials and a world tour. To date none of these projects, some of which date back to 2005, have ever seen the light of day.
No evidence exists to suggest that the star has completed any work on his new record apart from a lackluster duet with Akon, featuring a vocal so half-hearted that Jackson could have recorded it in under an hour.
Jackson displayed further laziness early last year when he reneged on a deal with Sony to promote 'Thriller 25' at the Grammy Awards. The star was due to perform a live medley and then complete a backstage interview for the promotional podcast series known as the 'Thrillercasts'.
Jackson angered Sony by failing to complete either activity and enraged Grammy organisers to such an extent that they cancelled an 'all-star salute to the King of Pop', despite having already advertised it on national television.
Sony sources also told the Newshound in late 2007 that Jackson had recently backed out of an X Factor appearance, claiming he had done so because the press had 'ruined the surprise'.
During the last 18 months Jackson has become involved in serious discussions with AEG Live - promoters for the O2 arena - on three separate occasions; once in late 2007, once in early 2008 and once during the last fortnight.
It seems that firing Peter Lopez could be Jackson's way of backing out for a third time, effectively killing the negotiations by removing his only point of contact. This would be typical of Jackson's cowardly approach to dealing with problems, which tends to consist of either running away and leaving somebody else to clear up his mess or trying to place the blame on a third party. Or, quite often, both.
However, speculation is rife that the O2 has already booked dates for Jackson's residency, with no concerts currently being marketed between July 6th and August 5th. Rumour also suggests that some papers could already have been signed, which - if true - could leave Jackson fighting one of the most intense legal battles of his career.
The future of Jackson's O2 residency is unclear. The only certainty is that Sony employees and O2 employees were expecting an announcement on Wednesday or Thursday. That announcement never came. At the same time, the steady stream of leaked information has once again dried up, suggesting that negotiations have ceased.
More as and if the Newshound hears it.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
Selected staff at Sony BMG's London HQ had been briefed that Jackson would announce details of his O2 residency on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, staff at the O2 arena were told over a week ago that the residency would be announced in a press conference on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
By midday on Thursday there was confusion at Sony HQ as to why the announcement had not been made. However, staff were reassured that the announcement would be made by the end of the day.
The announcement never came.
The Newshound is now hearing whispers that Jackson has fired Peter Lopez, the star's music lawyer of several years. Lopez had been representing Jackson in negotiations surrounding the residency since they began in 2007.Rumours of the lawyer's dismissal are as yet unconfirmed and the reasons behind the alleged dismissal remain unclear.
The Newshound, however, will be so bold as to venture that should these rumours prove true, there is just one reason behind the decision.
Jackson is extremely work shy and has been since the late ninties. In 1999 the star signed contracts to perform two concerts at the turn of the millennium. However, Jackson failed to perform those concerts and never offered a legitimate reason as to why.
Jackson approached his next studio album, Invincible, so lazily that Sony rejected it in its original state. Insiders claim that Jackson was so addicted to alcohol and painkillers that friends and colleagues feared for his life. The star reportedly had no interest in the project, earning most of his songwriting credits by changing occasional words in other people's compositions.
Prior to the album's release, Jackson performed two largely mimed concerts in New York, infuriating producer David Gest by showing up high on painkillers.
The star went on to record one music video for Invincible but shunned all subsequent promotion, branding his record company 'racist'.
Later, in a 2003 television special, the star declared that he hated touring.
In late 2003 Jackson struck a peace deal with Sony, agreeing to embark on a short European tour to promote his 'Number Ones' compilation album. However, it is worth noting that although Jackson technically agreed to the tour, he had already got wind of an impending child abuse allegation and hired Mark Geragos as his defence lawyer. As such, it could be the case that Jackson knew he would never have to fulfill that particular obligation.
Since his child molestation trial Jackson has promised charity singles, a music video and an album - and, more recently, claimed to be 'finalising' TV specials and a world tour. To date none of these projects, some of which date back to 2005, have ever seen the light of day.
No evidence exists to suggest that the star has completed any work on his new record apart from a lackluster duet with Akon, featuring a vocal so half-hearted that Jackson could have recorded it in under an hour.
Jackson displayed further laziness early last year when he reneged on a deal with Sony to promote 'Thriller 25' at the Grammy Awards. The star was due to perform a live medley and then complete a backstage interview for the promotional podcast series known as the 'Thrillercasts'.
Jackson angered Sony by failing to complete either activity and enraged Grammy organisers to such an extent that they cancelled an 'all-star salute to the King of Pop', despite having already advertised it on national television.
Sony sources also told the Newshound in late 2007 that Jackson had recently backed out of an X Factor appearance, claiming he had done so because the press had 'ruined the surprise'.
During the last 18 months Jackson has become involved in serious discussions with AEG Live - promoters for the O2 arena - on three separate occasions; once in late 2007, once in early 2008 and once during the last fortnight.
It seems that firing Peter Lopez could be Jackson's way of backing out for a third time, effectively killing the negotiations by removing his only point of contact. This would be typical of Jackson's cowardly approach to dealing with problems, which tends to consist of either running away and leaving somebody else to clear up his mess or trying to place the blame on a third party. Or, quite often, both.
However, speculation is rife that the O2 has already booked dates for Jackson's residency, with no concerts currently being marketed between July 6th and August 5th. Rumour also suggests that some papers could already have been signed, which - if true - could leave Jackson fighting one of the most intense legal battles of his career.
The future of Jackson's O2 residency is unclear. The only certainty is that Sony employees and O2 employees were expecting an announcement on Wednesday or Thursday. That announcement never came. At the same time, the steady stream of leaked information has once again dried up, suggesting that negotiations have ceased.
More as and if the Newshound hears it.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
February 18, 2009
Jackson Residency; The Times Jumps Onboard
Last night the Newshound brought you news of a potential Michael Jackson residency at London's O2 arena. The Times has today confirmed that AEG believe they are on the verge of announcing a Jackson residency in July.
According to the article, news of this residency was leaked on 'Twitter' by a celebrity PR called Mark Borkowski.
In 2001 Jackson visited London to launch a new charity, hiring Borkowski to handle the PR. As such, it is possible that Jackson has asked Borkowski to handle his London PR again. But the Newshound can't help but wonder why...
The 2001 visit descended into a farce. Jackson, looking like a china doll in a bad hairpiece, hobbled into the Oxford Union with a broken ankle and gave a heartfelt speech announcing his new charity, 'Heal The Kids'. The following day, the press ran with sneering headlines pertaining to Jackson and children, cruelly portraying a charitable gesture as an elaborate grooming ritual.
On the same trip Jackson privately visited Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he donated hundreds of toys, read stories to sick children and handed out concert tickets. The media picked up on the story and, the following day, ran with the angle that Jackson had shown up late to the hospital and spent barely any time with the children, callously using them as a publicity stunt to boost his own reputation. This angle was not only spiteful, but also entirely fictitious.
Jackson left London with his tail between his legs, having been made to feel guilty for his selflessness.In Borkowski's defence, the British media's animosity towards Jackson is difficult to contain, even for the most skilled of PR workers. Borkowski was rumoured to have also handled Jackson's British PR work in the wake of Martin Bashir's 'Living with Michael Jackson', which must have been a thankless task.
Returning to the subject of the rumoured residency, The Times claims that any performances by Jackson will likely rely on 'Britney-style vocal enhancements'. In other words, they will be mimed. This is unsurprising. When Jackson embarked on his 1996/7 HIStory Tour, the only live vocals - bar the odd ad-lib - were reserved for 'Wanna Be Startin Somethin' and a lackluster Jackson 5 medley. Across each two-hour concert, ticketholders were treated to approximately ten minutes of singing.
Fans on Jackson websites have long urged the singer to look to his idol, James Brown, and his greatest contemporary rival, Prince, for inspiration when it comes to planning new shows. Rather than sacrificing live vocals in an attempt to out-dance his previous concerts, they say he should slow down and pace himself. It seems Jackson has half taken their advice - The Times suggests that although Jackson will indeed cut back on his dancing, he will mime the concerts anyway.
Fans are already threatening to picket the concerts and demand refunds if Jackson is caught miming in London.
This is all presuming Jackson actually performs the residency. As The Times says, a week is a long time in the world of Michael Jackson. Even if the star has decided to perform in July, tomorrow he may decide not to. The star is changeable - a law unto himself. He thinks little of signing a contract to perform a series of concerts, then backing out with no explanation. Just ask Marcel Avram...
In 1999 Avram, a concert promoter, signed Jackson to perform two millennium concerts. He spent millions of dollars organising and promoting the shows only to discover that - despite having signed a contract - Jackson no longer had any intention of staging the concerts. It took almost three years and a lengthy court case before Jackson was ordered to reimburse Avram for his outgoings. The star never offered a legitimate reason for his failure to perform on those evenings.
The Newshound remains doubtful that this residency will ever come to fruition. Jackson is a loose cannon. He has lost his passion for his art - it has been beaten out of him by years of abuse and mockery at the hands of the media, and years of back-stabbing by those he held dear. His only pleasure in life today is travelling the world with his children. It will only be his desire to fund this extended holiday that has inspired him to ink any performance contract.
What AEG must now bank on - if indeed this contract has been signed - is that Jackson won't disappear with the advance.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
According to the article, news of this residency was leaked on 'Twitter' by a celebrity PR called Mark Borkowski.
In 2001 Jackson visited London to launch a new charity, hiring Borkowski to handle the PR. As such, it is possible that Jackson has asked Borkowski to handle his London PR again. But the Newshound can't help but wonder why...
The 2001 visit descended into a farce. Jackson, looking like a china doll in a bad hairpiece, hobbled into the Oxford Union with a broken ankle and gave a heartfelt speech announcing his new charity, 'Heal The Kids'. The following day, the press ran with sneering headlines pertaining to Jackson and children, cruelly portraying a charitable gesture as an elaborate grooming ritual.
On the same trip Jackson privately visited Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he donated hundreds of toys, read stories to sick children and handed out concert tickets. The media picked up on the story and, the following day, ran with the angle that Jackson had shown up late to the hospital and spent barely any time with the children, callously using them as a publicity stunt to boost his own reputation. This angle was not only spiteful, but also entirely fictitious.
Jackson left London with his tail between his legs, having been made to feel guilty for his selflessness.In Borkowski's defence, the British media's animosity towards Jackson is difficult to contain, even for the most skilled of PR workers. Borkowski was rumoured to have also handled Jackson's British PR work in the wake of Martin Bashir's 'Living with Michael Jackson', which must have been a thankless task.
Returning to the subject of the rumoured residency, The Times claims that any performances by Jackson will likely rely on 'Britney-style vocal enhancements'. In other words, they will be mimed. This is unsurprising. When Jackson embarked on his 1996/7 HIStory Tour, the only live vocals - bar the odd ad-lib - were reserved for 'Wanna Be Startin Somethin' and a lackluster Jackson 5 medley. Across each two-hour concert, ticketholders were treated to approximately ten minutes of singing.
Fans on Jackson websites have long urged the singer to look to his idol, James Brown, and his greatest contemporary rival, Prince, for inspiration when it comes to planning new shows. Rather than sacrificing live vocals in an attempt to out-dance his previous concerts, they say he should slow down and pace himself. It seems Jackson has half taken their advice - The Times suggests that although Jackson will indeed cut back on his dancing, he will mime the concerts anyway.
Fans are already threatening to picket the concerts and demand refunds if Jackson is caught miming in London.
This is all presuming Jackson actually performs the residency. As The Times says, a week is a long time in the world of Michael Jackson. Even if the star has decided to perform in July, tomorrow he may decide not to. The star is changeable - a law unto himself. He thinks little of signing a contract to perform a series of concerts, then backing out with no explanation. Just ask Marcel Avram...
In 1999 Avram, a concert promoter, signed Jackson to perform two millennium concerts. He spent millions of dollars organising and promoting the shows only to discover that - despite having signed a contract - Jackson no longer had any intention of staging the concerts. It took almost three years and a lengthy court case before Jackson was ordered to reimburse Avram for his outgoings. The star never offered a legitimate reason for his failure to perform on those evenings.
The Newshound remains doubtful that this residency will ever come to fruition. Jackson is a loose cannon. He has lost his passion for his art - it has been beaten out of him by years of abuse and mockery at the hands of the media, and years of back-stabbing by those he held dear. His only pleasure in life today is travelling the world with his children. It will only be his desire to fund this extended holiday that has inspired him to ink any performance contract.
What AEG must now bank on - if indeed this contract has been signed - is that Jackson won't disappear with the advance.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
December 06, 2008
8 Months Later... A Jackson Update
8 months after the Lowly Newshound lifted the lid on Michael Jackson's wheelings and dealings, lots has happened but little has changed.
Whilst the Newshound's sources were largely correct, it would seem that certain information proved incorrect, namely that Jackson was moving back into Neverland.
That said, in the world of Michael Jackson, nothing is ever concrete. The star is a law unto himself and it is more than plausible that he intended to move back home then changed his mind on a whim.
The Lowly Newshound did, however, accurately detail one enormous shift in Jackson's team; the firing of his manager Raymone Bain, who was terminated following the near foreclosure of Neverland Ranch.
Shortly after journalist Roger Friedman suggested that Bain's dealings on Jackson's behalf had seen her hiding large sums of money from the star, sources say Jackson became convinced that Bain was stealing from him and terminated her employment.
Jackson spent the next few months with neither a manager nor a spokesperson, raising questions about the legitimacy of his claims to be working on new music. However, in recent months two representatives have spoken on Jackson's behalf, indicating that he may be thinking about going back to work.
The first was a mysterious 'Dr Tohme', who released a statement on Jackson's behalf denying brother Jermaine's claims that he would join the Jacksons on a reunion tour. Tohme did state, however, that Jackson was 'busy working on projects that he looked forward to sharing with his fans in concert soon'.
Jackson's recent refusal to speak about a new album (favouring, instead, the non-specific term 'projects') has raised further questions among his fanbase as to whether the new album he promised in 2007 even exists - and his comments about concerts have been met by even more intense skepticism.
More recently, Celina Aponte of the Outside Organisation issued a statement on Jackson's behalf following his settlement of the civil case brought against him by the Prince of Bahrain.
Incidentally, the Lowly Newshound brought you the lowdown on that case - or at least the Prince's side of the story - back in April of this year when the Prince filed papers in London and New York.
In a shameless display of bias, the mainstream media jumped all over Jackson's decision to settle the case and commentators began speculating that he had done so in order to avoid a 'humiliating public appearance'. In actuality, Jackson looked set to win the case.
The Prince of Bahrain claimed to have signed Jackson legitimately to his own label, 2 Seas Records, for which he said he had paid Jackson a $7million cash advance. However, testimony on Friday 21st November proved devastating for the Prince's case.
In the morning, the Prince's own employee took the stand and was forced to admit that 2 Seas Records - the company the Prince had signed Jackson up to - did not technically exist.
In the afternoon, Jackson's former manager Guy Holmes added insult to injury by revealing that Jackson only signed a draft paper, never a finalized contract.
In short, the Prince had used a void contract to sign Jackson to a non-existent company.
It was also revealed during the week's testimony that most of the purported $7million advance was given to Jackson in the form of gifts long before he ever signed anything - some of it before the pair had even met.
In court, the Prince produced a list of items and cash sums for which he said he wished to be compensated - a list so petty as to seek reimbursement for, among other things, a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
The media failed to report any of this information and instead portrayed Jackson's decision to settle as a sign of guilt and weakness.
It has since emerged that Jackson was ready to board an airplane to London when he was told of the settlement, which indicates that the settlement was most likely initiated by the Prince, not Jackson, when he saw his case crumbling before his eyes.
The terms of the settlement remain unknown but in addition to whatever Jackson agreed to pay the Prince, he also settled two outstanding debts this month. Both were small, but undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Sources tell the Lowly Newshound that if Jackson continues to pay off his loans at a steady rate, he will be debt free by the end of 2010.
He could be debt free far quicker, though, if rumours of a tour prove true. The online media was recently awash with reports that Jackson was planning a tour - 30 dates in 30 cities. However, this claim was originally attributed to Jackson by an unnamed fan, not an authoritative source, and thus is entirely unfounded.
What is true, however, is that AEG did offer Jackson a 30 night residency at London's O2 arena at approximately this time last year. Jackson became involved in serious negotiations but never signed the contracts. Rumours surrounding this offer have begun circulating again in recent weeks but nothing is confirmed.
Good news for Jackson comes in the form of a new estimate on the Sony/ATV catalogue - often referred to as the 'Beatles Catalogue'. The catalogue, in which Jackson owns a 50% stake, was recently valued at $30billion. As such, Jackson appears to be sitting on a $15billion fortune, somewhat dwarfing his alleged $300million debts.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
Whilst the Newshound's sources were largely correct, it would seem that certain information proved incorrect, namely that Jackson was moving back into Neverland.
That said, in the world of Michael Jackson, nothing is ever concrete. The star is a law unto himself and it is more than plausible that he intended to move back home then changed his mind on a whim.
The Lowly Newshound did, however, accurately detail one enormous shift in Jackson's team; the firing of his manager Raymone Bain, who was terminated following the near foreclosure of Neverland Ranch.
Shortly after journalist Roger Friedman suggested that Bain's dealings on Jackson's behalf had seen her hiding large sums of money from the star, sources say Jackson became convinced that Bain was stealing from him and terminated her employment.
Jackson spent the next few months with neither a manager nor a spokesperson, raising questions about the legitimacy of his claims to be working on new music. However, in recent months two representatives have spoken on Jackson's behalf, indicating that he may be thinking about going back to work.
The first was a mysterious 'Dr Tohme', who released a statement on Jackson's behalf denying brother Jermaine's claims that he would join the Jacksons on a reunion tour. Tohme did state, however, that Jackson was 'busy working on projects that he looked forward to sharing with his fans in concert soon'.
Jackson's recent refusal to speak about a new album (favouring, instead, the non-specific term 'projects') has raised further questions among his fanbase as to whether the new album he promised in 2007 even exists - and his comments about concerts have been met by even more intense skepticism.
More recently, Celina Aponte of the Outside Organisation issued a statement on Jackson's behalf following his settlement of the civil case brought against him by the Prince of Bahrain.
Incidentally, the Lowly Newshound brought you the lowdown on that case - or at least the Prince's side of the story - back in April of this year when the Prince filed papers in London and New York.
In a shameless display of bias, the mainstream media jumped all over Jackson's decision to settle the case and commentators began speculating that he had done so in order to avoid a 'humiliating public appearance'. In actuality, Jackson looked set to win the case.
The Prince of Bahrain claimed to have signed Jackson legitimately to his own label, 2 Seas Records, for which he said he had paid Jackson a $7million cash advance. However, testimony on Friday 21st November proved devastating for the Prince's case.
In the morning, the Prince's own employee took the stand and was forced to admit that 2 Seas Records - the company the Prince had signed Jackson up to - did not technically exist.
In the afternoon, Jackson's former manager Guy Holmes added insult to injury by revealing that Jackson only signed a draft paper, never a finalized contract.
In short, the Prince had used a void contract to sign Jackson to a non-existent company.
It was also revealed during the week's testimony that most of the purported $7million advance was given to Jackson in the form of gifts long before he ever signed anything - some of it before the pair had even met.
In court, the Prince produced a list of items and cash sums for which he said he wished to be compensated - a list so petty as to seek reimbursement for, among other things, a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
The media failed to report any of this information and instead portrayed Jackson's decision to settle as a sign of guilt and weakness.
It has since emerged that Jackson was ready to board an airplane to London when he was told of the settlement, which indicates that the settlement was most likely initiated by the Prince, not Jackson, when he saw his case crumbling before his eyes.
The terms of the settlement remain unknown but in addition to whatever Jackson agreed to pay the Prince, he also settled two outstanding debts this month. Both were small, but undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Sources tell the Lowly Newshound that if Jackson continues to pay off his loans at a steady rate, he will be debt free by the end of 2010.
He could be debt free far quicker, though, if rumours of a tour prove true. The online media was recently awash with reports that Jackson was planning a tour - 30 dates in 30 cities. However, this claim was originally attributed to Jackson by an unnamed fan, not an authoritative source, and thus is entirely unfounded.
What is true, however, is that AEG did offer Jackson a 30 night residency at London's O2 arena at approximately this time last year. Jackson became involved in serious negotiations but never signed the contracts. Rumours surrounding this offer have begun circulating again in recent weeks but nothing is confirmed.
Good news for Jackson comes in the form of a new estimate on the Sony/ATV catalogue - often referred to as the 'Beatles Catalogue'. The catalogue, in which Jackson owns a 50% stake, was recently valued at $30billion. As such, Jackson appears to be sitting on a $15billion fortune, somewhat dwarfing his alleged $300million debts.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
April 05, 2008
Neverland Ahoy? Jackson re-shuffles team, moves back home and halts work on new album?
Michael Jackson is turning his back on his new team in favour of old friends, it seems.
Sources tell the Newshound that Frank Dileo is becoming an ever more prominent fixture in Michael Jackson's new team. Dileo managed Jackson throughout his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' years and is widely credited with Jackson's phenomenal success during these periods.
Sacked on Valentines Day 1989 with little explanation, Dileo believes he was elbowed by Sony, who felt he had too much influence over the star.
Dileo's return to Jackson's team began during the star's 2005 child molestation trial. Since then the star has been in frequent phone contact with Dileo. Jackson first approached Dileo after the trial with the intention of producing a film in which Jackson would star as a man who would transform by night into a magic car, and a young boy would drive him around solving mysteries. That the film didn't come off was probably the most fortunate outcome for all involved.
The pair's reconciliation hit a rough patch about a year ago when Jackson's manager, Raymone Bain, instructed the star's staff to start screening the his calls. Fox columnist Roger Friedman was first to break the story that Bain was cutting Jackson off from friends and family, but was widely criticised by Jackson's fans, who labelled his story an outrageous fantasy. However, insiders soon began leaking information that Dileo's calls were not reaching Jackson.
Eventually, miffed by the lack of contact from Dileo, Jackson telephoned him from a hotel suite in London and the two had a lengthy conversation. However, moments after Jackson hung up, he flew into an apparent rage, telephoned Dileo back and told him he'd not sounded grateful enough to receive his call.
Since then bridges have been built and whilst Dileo is not officially on Jackson's payroll, nor is it clear whether the two have met face to face since the trial, phone calls between the two are becoming increasingly frequent.
It was during one of these recent conversations that Jackson confided in Dileo that he had terminated his manager, Raymone Bain. Roger Friedman wrote a column recently in which he detailed some dodgy dealings between Bain and various businessmen. Whilst Bain claimed to be saving Jackson's Neverland Ranch from foreclosure, her methods sounded unusual - placing large amounts of money in escrow without Jackson's knowledge or consent.
Jackson is now under the impression that Bain and a second party known only as Adene attempted to scam him out of $4million dollars.
Further evidence that Jackson's latest motto is 'out with the new, in with the old' comes in the shape of his former make-up artist Karen Faye. Faye was unceremoniously ditched after Jackson's 2005 trial when he jetted off to the Middle East.
However, some insiders say Jackson was better off rid of her. Using the nickname 'Turkle', Faye had a tendency to visit fansites, whilst still under Jackson's employ, and post messages about the size of her boss's crotch.
Jackson, according to the Newshound's sources, recently bought Faye an iPhone and a large plasma television to apologise for cutting her off. Sources say Jackson is planning to move back into Neverland and has provided Faye with his new phone number and invited her to visit him at the ranch.
In a 2003 interview with Ed Bradley Jackson described the mess police officers had made of his ranch and proclaimed that Neverland would forevermore be just a house, never a home. As such, the Newshound presumes that his sudden decision to move back in is little more than a money-saving exercise.
Since leaving the Middle East Jackson has splurged millions of dollars on rented accommodation and hotel rooms, all the while failing to pay off his mounting debts. After almost losing his ranch last month Jackson may be moving back home to save money on rented accommodation and channel it instead into paying off his loans.
Whilst Jackson has publicly stated that he never intends to live at Neverland again, losing the ranch would be a terrible blow to his already shredded public image. It is the last remaining symbol of his stature and his success.
Meanwhile this week producer Will.I.Am has caused upset for Jackson fans by telling Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash that Jackson has no plans to record or release any music in the near future. His statement directly contradicts months of bragging by Ne-Yo, Akon, Kanye West and various other generic hip-hop stars who all claim to be working on Jackson's new album.
The comment comes in the same week that a member of monotonous hip-hop producer Timbaland's crew claimed to be working on new material with Jackson, so it is unclear whether Will.I.Am's comments were misconstrued by Slash or whether these urban hipsters are merely fabricating their involvement in the project as a self-promotional exercise.
Will.I.Am is on record as saying he's worked with Jackson on brand new material, so if the Black Eyed Peas producer is correct in his assertion that Jackson is no longer working on any new material, the Lowly Newshound wonders just what scared him off.
One possibility is Prince Abdullah of Bahrain. While staying in the Middle East after his 2005 trial Jackson signed a contract with Prince Abdullah to release two albums under the Prince's record label, 2Seas Records, as well as agreeing to write a book and produce a broadway style show.
It is unclear whether Jackson was aware of what he was agreeing to as he has since conceded in depositions that he was addicted to painkillers at the time. Either way, he absconded with the $7million cash advance and never completed any work.
Prince Abdullah has filed civil suits against Jackson in New York and London and it is quite possible that any new material Jackson does decide to release will become the property of the Prince's record label by default.
Either way, Jackson desperately needs to work soon because despite the success of his recent cash cow release 'Thriller 25' he remains on the brink of financial collapse.
That is not to say Jackson isn't earning. On the contrary, the star earns in excess of $10million every month through royalties from his own music and his stake in the Sony/ATV catalogue, otherwise known as the 'Beatles Catalogue'.
Jackson's problem is that after years of terrible financial advice he has been left with debts of approximately $300million. The money was originally borrowed from the Bank of America and plunged into a succession of ill-advised business ventures with string of foreign businessmen. The loan was subsequently transferred to Fortress Investments and more recently to HSBC.
Jackson's debts do not stop there, though. Whilst struggling to pay off his debts to the Bank of America he remortgaged his Neverland Ranch and also his family's home in Encino, known as 'Hayvenhurst'. In addition to this, Jackson's bad business history has left him facing dozens of lawsuits, the majority of which he either loses or settles, meaning he owes tens of millions of dollars to various disgruntled lawyers, accountants, promoters, producers and assorted business owners.
As such, whilst Jackson earns between $100-150million a year, the majority of his monthly earnings is channeled into an account known as the 'New Haven Trust', which is used to pay off his debts. With the cash being spread so thinly between the various companies and individuals to whom he owes money, Jackson's repayments often barely cover the interest.
With future musical releases looking questionable and almost certain to result in yet more legal feuding between Jackson and Prince Abdullah, live performance seems to be Jackson's only way to boost his bank balance.
Promoters AEG have offered Jackson $1million a night to perform at London's O2 arena but the star is hesitant to perform. He has lost confidence in his abilities and his 2005 trial has left him paranoid. He is obsessed with bettering his past achievements and sees little point in taking to the stage if he cannot equal the phenomenal performances he pulled off in his earlier career.
Indeed, last November a Sony source told the Lowly Newshound that Jackson was in discussions to perform at the Grammy Awards in February. The plan was for Jackson to perform a medley of Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller, accompanied by a full orchestra and an 8 member dance troupe. Fox Columnist Roger Friedman announced days before the event that Jackson was holed up in a rehearsal studio but the next day reported that Jackson had skipped town.
In pulling out Jackson let down the Grammy organizers, who were so angry that they called off an all-star tribute to Jackson - despite having already advertised it on national television - and later leaked a rumour that they had turned him away because of his diva demands.
He also burnt bridges with Sony; Jackson was due to be interviewed at the Grammy Awards for an edition of the 'Thrillercasts' - a series of podcasts being released to promote 'Thriller 25'. By skipping the ceremony, Jackson cost Sony an entire episode of the podcast series and in doing so failed to complete the only promotional exercise he'd agreed to undertake. This will surely leave Sony wondering whether it is worth their effort to invest any time or money in whatever new material Jackson does eventually muster.
Relations between the star and the label first deteriorated in 2002 after Jackson refused to promote his last album, 'Invincible', because the he felt the corporation was not lending him its full support.
In actuality, the label had pumped millions of dollars into the album's debut video, 'You Rock My World', and not recouped that money through sales of the single.
So naturally, when Jackson asked for an even larger budget to produce his next video, 'Unbreakable', the label refused to put up the money. Jackson threw his toys out of the pram and refused to appear in any more music videos, as well as refusing to tour.
Jackson made up with the label in 2003 when he agreed to embark on a short European tour to promote a greatest hits compilation, entitled 'Number Ones'. However, allegations of child molestation hit before the plans could be announced and Jackson seems to have undermined that good will gesture by failing to promote 'Thriller 25', his first major release since his acquittal.
It is difficult to see what Jackson's next step will be, or even what options are available to him. One thing's for sure, though. Jackson needs to get his skates on.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
Sources tell the Newshound that Frank Dileo is becoming an ever more prominent fixture in Michael Jackson's new team. Dileo managed Jackson throughout his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' years and is widely credited with Jackson's phenomenal success during these periods.
Sacked on Valentines Day 1989 with little explanation, Dileo believes he was elbowed by Sony, who felt he had too much influence over the star.
Dileo's return to Jackson's team began during the star's 2005 child molestation trial. Since then the star has been in frequent phone contact with Dileo. Jackson first approached Dileo after the trial with the intention of producing a film in which Jackson would star as a man who would transform by night into a magic car, and a young boy would drive him around solving mysteries. That the film didn't come off was probably the most fortunate outcome for all involved.
The pair's reconciliation hit a rough patch about a year ago when Jackson's manager, Raymone Bain, instructed the star's staff to start screening the his calls. Fox columnist Roger Friedman was first to break the story that Bain was cutting Jackson off from friends and family, but was widely criticised by Jackson's fans, who labelled his story an outrageous fantasy. However, insiders soon began leaking information that Dileo's calls were not reaching Jackson.
Eventually, miffed by the lack of contact from Dileo, Jackson telephoned him from a hotel suite in London and the two had a lengthy conversation. However, moments after Jackson hung up, he flew into an apparent rage, telephoned Dileo back and told him he'd not sounded grateful enough to receive his call.
Since then bridges have been built and whilst Dileo is not officially on Jackson's payroll, nor is it clear whether the two have met face to face since the trial, phone calls between the two are becoming increasingly frequent.
It was during one of these recent conversations that Jackson confided in Dileo that he had terminated his manager, Raymone Bain. Roger Friedman wrote a column recently in which he detailed some dodgy dealings between Bain and various businessmen. Whilst Bain claimed to be saving Jackson's Neverland Ranch from foreclosure, her methods sounded unusual - placing large amounts of money in escrow without Jackson's knowledge or consent.
Jackson is now under the impression that Bain and a second party known only as Adene attempted to scam him out of $4million dollars.
Further evidence that Jackson's latest motto is 'out with the new, in with the old' comes in the shape of his former make-up artist Karen Faye. Faye was unceremoniously ditched after Jackson's 2005 trial when he jetted off to the Middle East.
However, some insiders say Jackson was better off rid of her. Using the nickname 'Turkle', Faye had a tendency to visit fansites, whilst still under Jackson's employ, and post messages about the size of her boss's crotch.
Jackson, according to the Newshound's sources, recently bought Faye an iPhone and a large plasma television to apologise for cutting her off. Sources say Jackson is planning to move back into Neverland and has provided Faye with his new phone number and invited her to visit him at the ranch.
In a 2003 interview with Ed Bradley Jackson described the mess police officers had made of his ranch and proclaimed that Neverland would forevermore be just a house, never a home. As such, the Newshound presumes that his sudden decision to move back in is little more than a money-saving exercise.
Since leaving the Middle East Jackson has splurged millions of dollars on rented accommodation and hotel rooms, all the while failing to pay off his mounting debts. After almost losing his ranch last month Jackson may be moving back home to save money on rented accommodation and channel it instead into paying off his loans.
Whilst Jackson has publicly stated that he never intends to live at Neverland again, losing the ranch would be a terrible blow to his already shredded public image. It is the last remaining symbol of his stature and his success.
Meanwhile this week producer Will.I.Am has caused upset for Jackson fans by telling Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash that Jackson has no plans to record or release any music in the near future. His statement directly contradicts months of bragging by Ne-Yo, Akon, Kanye West and various other generic hip-hop stars who all claim to be working on Jackson's new album.
The comment comes in the same week that a member of monotonous hip-hop producer Timbaland's crew claimed to be working on new material with Jackson, so it is unclear whether Will.I.Am's comments were misconstrued by Slash or whether these urban hipsters are merely fabricating their involvement in the project as a self-promotional exercise.
Will.I.Am is on record as saying he's worked with Jackson on brand new material, so if the Black Eyed Peas producer is correct in his assertion that Jackson is no longer working on any new material, the Lowly Newshound wonders just what scared him off.
One possibility is Prince Abdullah of Bahrain. While staying in the Middle East after his 2005 trial Jackson signed a contract with Prince Abdullah to release two albums under the Prince's record label, 2Seas Records, as well as agreeing to write a book and produce a broadway style show.
It is unclear whether Jackson was aware of what he was agreeing to as he has since conceded in depositions that he was addicted to painkillers at the time. Either way, he absconded with the $7million cash advance and never completed any work.
Prince Abdullah has filed civil suits against Jackson in New York and London and it is quite possible that any new material Jackson does decide to release will become the property of the Prince's record label by default.
Either way, Jackson desperately needs to work soon because despite the success of his recent cash cow release 'Thriller 25' he remains on the brink of financial collapse.
That is not to say Jackson isn't earning. On the contrary, the star earns in excess of $10million every month through royalties from his own music and his stake in the Sony/ATV catalogue, otherwise known as the 'Beatles Catalogue'.
Jackson's problem is that after years of terrible financial advice he has been left with debts of approximately $300million. The money was originally borrowed from the Bank of America and plunged into a succession of ill-advised business ventures with string of foreign businessmen. The loan was subsequently transferred to Fortress Investments and more recently to HSBC.
Jackson's debts do not stop there, though. Whilst struggling to pay off his debts to the Bank of America he remortgaged his Neverland Ranch and also his family's home in Encino, known as 'Hayvenhurst'. In addition to this, Jackson's bad business history has left him facing dozens of lawsuits, the majority of which he either loses or settles, meaning he owes tens of millions of dollars to various disgruntled lawyers, accountants, promoters, producers and assorted business owners.
As such, whilst Jackson earns between $100-150million a year, the majority of his monthly earnings is channeled into an account known as the 'New Haven Trust', which is used to pay off his debts. With the cash being spread so thinly between the various companies and individuals to whom he owes money, Jackson's repayments often barely cover the interest.
With future musical releases looking questionable and almost certain to result in yet more legal feuding between Jackson and Prince Abdullah, live performance seems to be Jackson's only way to boost his bank balance.
Promoters AEG have offered Jackson $1million a night to perform at London's O2 arena but the star is hesitant to perform. He has lost confidence in his abilities and his 2005 trial has left him paranoid. He is obsessed with bettering his past achievements and sees little point in taking to the stage if he cannot equal the phenomenal performances he pulled off in his earlier career.
Indeed, last November a Sony source told the Lowly Newshound that Jackson was in discussions to perform at the Grammy Awards in February. The plan was for Jackson to perform a medley of Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller, accompanied by a full orchestra and an 8 member dance troupe. Fox Columnist Roger Friedman announced days before the event that Jackson was holed up in a rehearsal studio but the next day reported that Jackson had skipped town.
In pulling out Jackson let down the Grammy organizers, who were so angry that they called off an all-star tribute to Jackson - despite having already advertised it on national television - and later leaked a rumour that they had turned him away because of his diva demands.
He also burnt bridges with Sony; Jackson was due to be interviewed at the Grammy Awards for an edition of the 'Thrillercasts' - a series of podcasts being released to promote 'Thriller 25'. By skipping the ceremony, Jackson cost Sony an entire episode of the podcast series and in doing so failed to complete the only promotional exercise he'd agreed to undertake. This will surely leave Sony wondering whether it is worth their effort to invest any time or money in whatever new material Jackson does eventually muster.
Relations between the star and the label first deteriorated in 2002 after Jackson refused to promote his last album, 'Invincible', because the he felt the corporation was not lending him its full support.
In actuality, the label had pumped millions of dollars into the album's debut video, 'You Rock My World', and not recouped that money through sales of the single.
So naturally, when Jackson asked for an even larger budget to produce his next video, 'Unbreakable', the label refused to put up the money. Jackson threw his toys out of the pram and refused to appear in any more music videos, as well as refusing to tour.
Jackson made up with the label in 2003 when he agreed to embark on a short European tour to promote a greatest hits compilation, entitled 'Number Ones'. However, allegations of child molestation hit before the plans could be announced and Jackson seems to have undermined that good will gesture by failing to promote 'Thriller 25', his first major release since his acquittal.
It is difficult to see what Jackson's next step will be, or even what options are available to him. One thing's for sure, though. Jackson needs to get his skates on.
Mahalo!
The Lowly Newshound
March 21, 2008
Debbie's 'close friend' behind Jackson home movie leaks
Debbie Rowe's 'close friend' Marc Schaffel has spoken out on her behalf today, claiming that Rowe 'wants what's best for her two young children'. Schaffel has been acting as a semi-official spokesperson for Rowe ever since Jackson died on June 25th.
Schaffel, aficionados will remember, is an ex-gay porn director who wormed his way into the King of Pop's life by disguising his past and telling the star he had worked in film. Jackson, who had long sought to break into the film industry, brought Schaffel onboard to produce a music video - and Schaffel burrowed himself in like a tic.
In the ensuing years Schaffel became like a right hand man to Jackson and helped to produce two rebuttal documentaries for the star in the aftermath of the Martin Bashir fiasco. However, Jackson was eventually alerted by his advisors to Schaffel's pornographic past and swiftly fired him, realising the implications that consorting with an ex-gay porn director could have for his already bruised image.
Schaffel subsequently sued Jackson for unpaid loans and the case was eventually settled out of court.
Schaffel and Rowe are believed to have met when she recorded an interview for Jackson's rebuttal documentary 'The Footage You Were Never Meant To See', which included damning evidence of Martin Bashir's lies and manipulation during the filming of 'Living With Michael Jackson'.
It is unclear, though, whether Debbie Rowe realises that her 'close friend' Schaffel has been selling home videos of Jackson and his children to various American networks for six figure sums, all the while releasing statements on behalf of the children's mother, who is rumoured to be embroiled in a custody battle.
It is thought that the home videos came into Schaffel's possession when he was putting together a documentary titled 'Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies', which was aired in 2003 and included footage of Jackson interacting with his children. However, Jackson insisted that their faces were blurred in the broadcasted show.
But footage of Jackson at home with his children - in which their faces are distinctly unblurred - has been leaking steadily to an assortment of US television networks. Sources tell me that this footage is being pedaled by Schaffel, who could have made more than half a million dollars so far from selling out Jackson's private family moments.
If Rowe is indeed aware of Schaffel's actions then her insistence that she wants the best for her children must be taken with a pinch of salt. If she doesn't know, then Schaffel obviously isn't the 'very close friend' she thought he was.
Schaffel, aficionados will remember, is an ex-gay porn director who wormed his way into the King of Pop's life by disguising his past and telling the star he had worked in film. Jackson, who had long sought to break into the film industry, brought Schaffel onboard to produce a music video - and Schaffel burrowed himself in like a tic.
In the ensuing years Schaffel became like a right hand man to Jackson and helped to produce two rebuttal documentaries for the star in the aftermath of the Martin Bashir fiasco. However, Jackson was eventually alerted by his advisors to Schaffel's pornographic past and swiftly fired him, realising the implications that consorting with an ex-gay porn director could have for his already bruised image.
Schaffel subsequently sued Jackson for unpaid loans and the case was eventually settled out of court.
Schaffel and Rowe are believed to have met when she recorded an interview for Jackson's rebuttal documentary 'The Footage You Were Never Meant To See', which included damning evidence of Martin Bashir's lies and manipulation during the filming of 'Living With Michael Jackson'.
It is unclear, though, whether Debbie Rowe realises that her 'close friend' Schaffel has been selling home videos of Jackson and his children to various American networks for six figure sums, all the while releasing statements on behalf of the children's mother, who is rumoured to be embroiled in a custody battle.
It is thought that the home videos came into Schaffel's possession when he was putting together a documentary titled 'Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies', which was aired in 2003 and included footage of Jackson interacting with his children. However, Jackson insisted that their faces were blurred in the broadcasted show.
But footage of Jackson at home with his children - in which their faces are distinctly unblurred - has been leaking steadily to an assortment of US television networks. Sources tell me that this footage is being pedaled by Schaffel, who could have made more than half a million dollars so far from selling out Jackson's private family moments.
If Rowe is indeed aware of Schaffel's actions then her insistence that she wants the best for her children must be taken with a pinch of salt. If she doesn't know, then Schaffel obviously isn't the 'very close friend' she thought he was.
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