Fan Fare

Update - Jackson still “Bad”. Memorial ticket sales top 1.6 million

Bob Tourtellotte — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:14:48 +0000

(Writing and Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic)

The number of fans hungering to say goodbye to the King of Pop more than doubled on Saturday, days before a special memorial service is due to be held in Michael Jackson’s honor.

A firm involved with organizing the event said on Saturday that 1.6 million people had registered for free tickets by late evening, up from half a million registrants for the lottery a day earlier.

The problem: there are only 17,500 tickets to go around.

The city of Los Angeles is bracing for an onslaught of fans and has plans to seal off the area around the Staples Center, where the event will take place on Tuesday. Jackson died of sudden cardiac arrest last month.

Only 11,000 lucky fans will get tickets to the Staples Center, with 6,500 fans getting tickets to watch the show on a big screen at the nearby Nokia Theater.

The tickets will be distributed through an online lottery system with winners expected to be notified on Sunday. People can register at www.staplescenter.com.

Meanwhile, details of the Jackson family’s private funeral arrangements remain unclear.

Aerosmith’s wings clipped by ailing singer, again

Dean Goodman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:29:11 +0000

Here’s Aerosmith by numbers: The veteran rock band has performed seven shows on its summer tour, but now two of its five members are on the sick list forcing the postponement of at least three shows. In the latest development singer Steven Tyler, 61, has been hobbled by an unspecified injury, putting the kibosh on Cincinnati (July 1), Hershey, Pa. (July 3) and Virginia Beach, Va. (July 5).

Guitarist Joe Perry sent out a Twitter message on Friday expressing “sincere apologies,” and asking fans to pray for Tyler’s speedy return. “It really bums me out too — you have no idea,” he said.

The tour was looking shaky before it even started in St. Louis on June 10. Guitarist Brad Whitford, 57, underwent surgery earlier that month after hitting his head while getting out of his Ferrari. He is scheduled to rejoin his bandmates in Raleigh, N.C., on July 7, assuming Tyler is back in the saddle by then.

The band says the three shows (so far) will be rescheduled. Dates are on tap for the North American trek through Sept. 16 in Detroit. The band’s publicist was unable to provide additional information about Tyler’s health.

Fans have said Tyler appeared to pull a leg muscle at the band’s last show, on Monday. Tyler has been troubled by his feet: In May 2008, he checked into rehab saying he needed “a safe environment to recuperate” following a series of painful foot surgeries. In 2006, the band was forced to cancel the remaining dates on a tour so that Tyler could undergo throat surgery.

Update - Reports mount on Michael Jackson’s drug use

Bob Tourtellotte — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:13:22 +0000

Update - And the Fan Fare goes on. (See below)

Another day, another Michael Jackson drug story.

Since the King of Pop died last Thursday of cardiac arrest, many news outlets and reporters have seized on his possible prescription drug use as a reason. It makes for a good story and, after all, the King of Pop did admit to an addiction to painkillers in his past.

Update here: Saturday’s spotlight shone on a group of at least five physicians who prescribed drugs to Jackson, according to an unnamed law enforcment sources cited in a Los Angeles Times story.

Friday’s headlines quote an unnamed Los Angeles law enforcement official as saying police found Diprivan, which also goes by Propofol, in his rented Los Angeles mansion. Earlier this week at various times, we heard about needle marks in his body, a nurse whom he had begged for drugs, a stomach full of pills and a head with only fuzz on top. In the immediate days after his death, the key was demerol use.

Most all sourced to unnamed people familiar with the situation — in some way.

The chase for news about Jackson’s drug use this past week mirrors the scramble to get news of his memorial service and funeral these past two days. (Read our blog about that here.) A public memorial was going to be Thursday, then Sunday, then maybe Monday, before it became Tuesday. A funeral would be at Neverland, and then at Forest Lawn cemetery and still no one really knows. And so it goes on.

In these stories, there’s always a scramble for news. It happens. (Anyone remember David Carradine and autoerotic asphyxiation.) That’s not saying we’re going to ignore the question of whether Michael Jackson died of a possible drug overdose. Or, other parts of the dark side to Michael. We haven’t. (Read about that here.) After all, where there’s smoke…

But chatter about memorials and innuendoes of drug use are two different things. One is an event, the other impacts a legacy. And so, we leave to you. Michael Jackson, was he on drugs when he died? And if so, why? Or, is all the media speculation, as Shakespeare said, much ado about nothing?

Karla and Vitolio get the “kiss of death” on “So You Think You Can Dance”

Solarina Ho — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:03:25 +0000

Judge Mary Murphy hit it on the nail when she said, “This competition is probably the closest competition in ‘So You Think You Can Dance‘ history.”

The race on the fifth season of Fox’s summer hit has been incredibly tight from the beginning and this week’s bottom couples exemplified that.

Despite a good performance choreographed by Jean Marc Genereux, a third time in the bottom was not a charm for Karla Garcia and Vitolio Jeune, who could not escape the curse of the quick-step — a.k.a. the “kiss of death.”

The company they kept at the bottom this week may have made a tough decision easier, as the other two couples performed memorable and distinctive routines praised by the judges.

Phillip Chbeeb and Jeanine Mason, who performed a unique Tabitha & Napoleon hip hop routine that literally chained the dancers together, found themselves in the bottom for the first time. Voters may have agreed with guest judge and choreographer Mia Michaels, who found the chain distracting, despite the unique and difficult routine. It was perhaps a blessing in disguise as their solos reminded judges and viewers why they deserved to be on the show. “I know it’s entirely selfish, but I’m so glad you got to perform your solo,” host Cat Deeley told Chbeeb.

Kupono Aweau and Kayla Radomski’s bottom three placement also came as a surprise. Michaels called their “Twilight”-inspired number by Sonya Tayeh “perfection.” “Everything about it was absolutely tremendous,” she said. “To me, you were the best performance last night.”

This week’s standouts included Brandon Bryant and Janette Manrara, who performed a high-energy Cha Cha choreographed by Genereux that generated over-the-top enthusiasm from the judges. Executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe shouted, “It was possibly the best damn Cha Cha I have ever seen on this show!” Murphy punctured a few eardrums screaming out “two first class tickets” onto her coveted “hot tomale train.”

Bryant was moved to tears this week when Michaels finally praised his dancing and talent. During the “green mile” episode where dancers were told whether they made it into the top 20, Michaels sparked a heated scene with other judges when she told Bryant, “I can’t take you. I can’t take what you bring to the floor as an artist. It annoys the *bleep* out of me.”

Audiences also fell in love with Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi’s Romeo and Juliet pas de deux by Thordal Christensen. “You can’t fake classical ballet — that exposes everything — and you were brilliant,” said Michaels.

“Who would have believed that in five seasons, we are now doing classical ballet,” asked Lythgoe, highlighting how the show brings together every genre from hip hop to ballet.

SYTYCD is a week away from finding out who the top 10 dancers will be. The performers have been fairly evenly matched, with favorites changing week to week. With a competition this tight, what will it take for dancers to stand out as the field narrows?

Caption: Mia Michaels (R), choreographer and judge of the reality series “So You Think You Can Dance”, takes part in a panel discussion with show host Cat Deeley at the Fox TV network summer press tour in Beverly Hills, California July 14, 2008. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

Summer ‘09: A Hollywood Requiem

Laura Isensee — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:09:47 +0000

Every year in Hollywood when the long, hot days of summer set in, some story comes along to shake up the media, and reporters seem to bite into it like a dog with a bone. Absent anything else going on in town, that story is becomes the tale of Hollywood’s summer.

So far, early in this summer of 2009, the story has been celebrity deaths. When Karl Malden died yesterday, he was added to a growing list of celebrities who either died after long illnesses or suddenly, topped off by the King of Pop himself Michael Jackson.

When Jackson died last week, fans across the world went into shock and are still waiting news of an official funeral or public memorial.

Also catching fans by surprise was the strange demise of “Kung Fu” actor David Carradine, who was found in the closet of his Bangkok hotel on June 4. A pathologist who oversaw a private autopsy told

Reuters the cause of death was asphyxiation, but so far an official cause has not been released by Thai police.

However, most of the stars who have passed on to that major studio in the sky were in poor health or had a serious illness.

Farrah Fawcett, the 1970s icon who captivated teenage boys with her smile and golden wavy hair, ended her struggle with cancer on June 25, the same day Jackson died.

Ed McMahon, America’s favorite sidekick on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” died on June 23 at 86 and had battled a series of illnesses.

Karl Malden, who won acclaim for his roles in “A Streetcar Named

Desire” and “On the Waterfront,” had been in failing health in

recent years. The actor, famous for playing ordinary guys, died in his sleep on July 1. He was 97.

And over the weekend, there were three other deaths: impressionist and singer Fred Travalena, who could voice nearly everyone from Bugs Bunny to George W. Bush; pitchman Billy Mays; and 1950s sitcom star Gale Storm. Maybe they were not all on the A-list. But they were well-known during their time.

The real question is whether the stretch of celebrity deaths is over? There is an old saying that celebrity deaths come in threes, and so far, we’ve had far more than three.

Michael Jackson WILL have a funeral, right??

Dan Whitcomb — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:51:07 +0000

Its been a full week since Michael Jackson died. So …. When is the King of Pop’s funeral? And where?

So far, the answers have proven surprisingly elusive.

Though Michael’s father, Joe Jackson, has had time to turn up at the BET awards and plug his new record label, the family hasn’t uttered a word about the possibility of a funeral or memorial service.

With solid information scarce, the rumors have been flying. For several days last week, media reports said that the family was planning to bury Michael at his once-beloved Neverland Valley Ranch — following an elaborate motorcade four hours up the coast of Los Angeles with the pop star’s body carried to its final resting place in glass-sided, horse-drawn carriage.

That news touched off a stampede to the central California estate by reporters and devoted fans — who were then told there was nothing happening after all. Meanwhile the mayor of Gary, Indiana, piped up to say that Jacko’s hometown was also planning some kind of memorial service.

Then came a new story: A massive Jackson celebration would be held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. Or maybe at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. On Sunday. Or maybe on Tuesday night. Wait, make that Tuesday morning.

Stay tuned …

Photo: Michael Jackson fan Jessica Mathis waits outside Neverland (Reuters/ Phil Klein)

U2 links up to Space Station and blasts off new tour

Bob Tourtellotte — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:49:05 +0000

(Reporting and Writing by Ben Harding)

It was typical U2 that, in the unofficial scrap to be called ´World´s Biggest Band,’ the Irish super group
would seek to cross an audacious new frontier, outer space.

A live link-up to the International Space Station half way through an exhilarating first night of their 360 Tour in Barcelona Uwas not just a cheeky stunt, but also a bold statement harking back to a pre-YouTube era when the eyes of the world would be glued to the big acts on stage in huge arenas.

Of course, it was a savvy move to choose Barcelona to blast off their first tour in three years — Mediterranean crowds can usually be relied upon to go completely nuts and get things rocking. But most in the press pack on Tuesday night seemed to agree U2 had earned the adulation.

Alongside the usual theatrics, the band went straight for fan appeal with early tracks like “City of Blinding Lights” and “The Unforgettable Fire” — a song they had not performed on tour for 20 years — and largely eschewed their dance tracks from the 1990s.

The new album “No Line on the Horizon”, seems to have been put together with big stadiums in mind and went down well, but it was not until “Beautiful Day” that the crowd hit full throttle on an evening so hot it must have tempted The Edge to finally discard his trademark beanie hat.

Bono got the 90,000 crowd jumping with passionately delivered classics like “Pride” and “Where the Streets have no Name” and by the time they had reached a pulsating rendition of “Vertigo” the press box, suspended from the roof, was shaking disturbingly.

But above all it was the staging that threw the gauntlet down to rivals.

The circular construction, ringed by a runway for Bono and The Edge to strut their stuff on, was a novel and effective way to connect with the crowd encircling them.

Topped with a clever barrel-shaped video screen and dwarfed under the canopy of a towering ´claw´ — the seminal image of this tour — U2 have just raised the bar for those staging the biggest gigs.

Will the Rolling Stones, Coldplay and others be able to respond?

Jackson’s Neverland fans: They came, they waited, now they can Beat It

Alex Dobuzinskis — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:59:56 +0000

When the family of Michael Jackson on Wednesday told the world to expect no public memorial at Neverland Valley Ranch, it came too late for the many fans and journalists who, in the hopes of seeing the King of Pop one last time, rushed to take up residence near his former retreat in central California.

Hotels in the area quickly booked up after media reports on Tuesday that said Jackson’s body would come to Neverland. A representative from one inn told celebrity website TMZ that it sold out in 20 minutes when the news broke. Authorities in the area braced for a crowd of mourners, and the inevitable overload of the rural area’s small road network.

Fans bearing flowers and wreaths gathered outside the gates of Neverland Ranch. Tim Brown told Reuters that Jackson’s death compares to Elvis Presley’s sudden demise in 1977. “No matter how you feel about him personal life, his music, really told a story that touched so many people,” Brown said.

The fans expected to see Jackson in a public viewing on Friday, but now that his family has said not to expect any memorial service at Neverland, all those fans will have to go home, or await official word on where the memorial will happen and rush over there. Of course, it’s not just fans who are left in the lurch. A representative at the Marriott Hotel in nearby Buellton told Reuters that his establishment was mainly full of journalists.

The King of Pop’s last testament

Reuters Staff — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:07:31 +0000

Details of Michael Jackson’s will began to emerge on Wednesday with all of his multimillion-dollar estate being placed in a family trust, even as plans for his highly anticipated funeral remained sketchy.

The will, signed in 2002, estimates his estate at that time to be worth in excess of $500 million and was filed with a Los Angeles Court. In it, Jackson leaves his entire estate to the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which ultimately benefits his three children, mother and unnamed charities.

Jackson’s 79-year-old mother, Katherine Jackson, is nominated to be guardian of Jackson’s children Prince Michael I, 12, Paris Michael Katherine, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7, and if she should be unwilling and unable to be guardian, Jackson nominated his friend, pop star Diana Ross, to be the children’s guardian.

Read the full document here:

Family, friends gather to mourn Farrah Fawcett

Bob Tourtellotte — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:48:00 +0000

(Writing and Reporting by Laura Isensee)

Family members and friends gathered to mourn 1970s TV star Farrah Fawcett, who died last week after a long battle with cancer. You can read about the memorial service here.

Reporters were not allowed Los Angeles’ Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to witness Fawcett’s memorial, but we were outside to catch the casket being brought into the church, and we talked to a couple of fans outside. Click below to watch.