King Baby Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Michael Jackson, Celebrated and Sold By RAVI SOMAIYA CARDIFF, Wales — At a tribute concert here on Saturday evening, Michael Jackson’s music thumped and cracked as usual, his fans screamed on cue, and conflict and controversy simmered beneath the surface as they have since Mr. Jackson found fame as a child. Outside Millennium Stadium, where a fleet of S.U.V.’s deposited stars like Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight, Mr. Jackson as a commodity was omnipresent. Official merchandise stalls did a brisk trade in T-shirts that commemorated his death in 2009 ($31), coffee mugs ($15) and a slim official program ($19). Unofficial hawkers, equally keen to comfort mourning fans, sold stacks of his trademark fedora, in black and white, some adorned with sequins ($10). White gloves, another signature accessory, were draped over plastic wands that glowed ($7). Scalpers offered tickets for $50, a discount on the original prices of $90 to $300. The concert’s organizers, and many of his family members, had been accused of similarly leveraging Mr. Jackson’s legend. His estate, which is held separately from his family, said in a letter that it was concerned that the concert was “piggybacking on Michael’s good name and charity.” The event was planned as a commercial affair, though its backers emphasized that an unspecified portion of the proceeds would go to philanthropic causes. Fan groups were outraged at the idea of a profit-making tribute, with one saying that without the estate’s cooperation, the concert was “nothing more than a money grab.” Before the show Mr. Jackson’s brothers Tito, Marlon and Jackie were asked to comment on the concerns. A publicist tried to stop them from speaking, saying it was “not an appropriate question.” But Marlon Jackson, wearing large sunglasses and a loose blazer, spoke up. “Those people have a right to feel whatever they feel,” he said. “But we knew our brother better than anyone else, and we want to remember the positive things about him.” His brothers remained silent, and all three were ushered away. They reappeared later to sing the Jackson 5’s “Blame It on the Boogie,” bringing the crowd to its feet with a rendition that recalled their brother’s phrasing and tone. Among the other pyrotechnic and elaborately choreographed renditions of Mr. Jackson’s hits, Mr. Foxx sang “Rock With You,” Mr. Robinson sang the ballad “She’s Out of My Life,” and Mr. Jackson’s sister LaToya, who was instrumental in this event, performed songs from his album “Dangerous.” Mr. Jackson’s three children — Prince, 14; Paris, 13; and Michael Jr., 9; wide-eyed and dressed in outfits reminiscent of their father’s — could be seen during the concert standing away from the stage outside an executive suite. They were watched over by two bodyguards, observing the machine dedicated to their father (organizers, entourages, publicists, reporters) in full operation, as it had been during his life. Later they went onstage and introduced, with brief written statements, a video recorded by Beyoncé, sporting an Afro and singing “I Wanna Be Where You Are.” The 74,500-capacity stadium appeared to be only partly full; its top tier was empty, and there were patches of empty seats among the crowd lower down. Organizers said approximately 50,000 tickets were sold. Indications of how much money investors, family members and charities would receive were not immediately available. There had been speculation that a series of controversies might dent ticket sales. Fan groups, already incensed at the business nature of the concert, had been angered when the band Kiss initially appeared on the bill. The band’s lead singer, Gene Simmons, had said that he believed Mr. Jackson might have molested children despite his acquittal on child-abuse charges in 2005. Kiss did not appear on Saturday. Last week the Black Eyed Peas, perhaps the biggest act on the roster, pulled out. The concert’s organizers cited only “unavoidable circumstances” for the withdrawal. And on Friday it emerged that plans to stream the concert on Facebook had been quietly abandoned because of licensing issues. Perhaps most strikingly, Janet Jackson and her brothers Jermaine and Randy declined to be involved, saying that a tribute concert was inappropriate while the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, who was with Mr. Jackson when he died, was under way in Los Angeles. But at the concert, even the most dedicated fans were resigned to the controversy. A woman, who gave her name only as Simona, said that she and three friends had traveled “from Italy for Michael.” The women had also made a pilgrimage to Mr. Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, she said, adding that any turmoil was a family matter. “It is their private problem,” she said, and “not for the fans.” Debbie Ewart, a hairdresser from Birmingham, England, said she came to compensate for missing out on Mr. Jackson’s This Is It tour; she had tickets, she said, but Mr. Jackson died before the tour began. There would always be controversy attached to Mr. Jackson, said Ms. Ewart, wearing a sequined black jacket and a black fedora. “People made money off him when he was alive,” she said, “so why should they stop now he’s dead?” More in Music (16 of 48 articles) ‘Giovanni’ as Snapshot of a New Met Read More » Close Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bu. Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Yes No Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnd Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Yes No Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyna ♔ Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Yes No Yes This^3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock & Roll Hall of Game Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 No FUCK NO Yeah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twistedvelvet Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 No because I would have expected a live televised special, and better performers. No cause Janet is Janet No cause it would just be a mess again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
--- Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 So its not being televised at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyna ♔ Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 No because I would have expected a live televised special, and better performers. No cause Janet is Janet No cause it would just be a mess again. You know the family, the last one is a yes. They are gonna do these til it sticks, mostly his brothers. I doubt Katherine and the kids will be on board again, and neither Randy nor Janet will be on again. But the brothers? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*~WhitePicketDreams~* Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 No No No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laveaux Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 No No You know they will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idrag4mj Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 It actually wasn't it a success..they sold 10k tickets and gave 40k away for free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrietta. Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Yes No Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock & Roll Hall of Game Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 It actually wasn't it a success..they sold 10k tickets and gave 40k away for free Ouch!! # fail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janetDAYZ Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 So its not being televised at all? I read somewhere its gonna be on PPV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janetDAYZ Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 It actually wasn't it a success..they sold 10k tickets and gave 40k away for free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bu. Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 No because I would have expected a live televised special, and better performers. No cause Janet is Janet No cause it would just be a mess again. It is being televised on Sky later this year from various articles I've read... So its not being televised at all? It will be in the UK...not sure about USA It actually wasn't it a success..they sold 10k tickets and gave 40k away for free We're judging by the reviews ...but yeah on the day of the tribute Seatwave were still selling tickets at a MUCH reduced price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock & Roll Hall of Game Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 We're judging by the reviews ...but yeah on the day of the tribute Seatwave were still selling tickets at a MUCH reduced price. no one wants to see C-list and below artists perform MJ's hits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bu. Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 no one wants to see C-list and below artists perform MJ's hits I only wanted to go to see the kids tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyna ♔ Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 This should answer people's question 3: http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/michael-jackson-s-family-plans-more-tribute-shows/9256020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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