Looks like we've got a real genuine detective agency right here on the Gangster.bb !!

People with tickets to Michael's London concert will have the choice of a refund or a souvenir ticket. Duh! That's a no brainer. I'm keeping that ticket.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/30/jackson.refunds/index.html

No money for dad. He'll find a way to get his hands on some of it I'm sure. He'll beat up Katherine and steal it from her.

Michael Jackson signed a will in 2002 providing for his children and his mom, but leaving nothing to daddy Joe -- this according to the Wall Street Journal.

As we reported yesterday, attorney John Branca has the will and plans to file it with the court within 30 days of the singer's death. According to the will, Jackson reportedly left his estate -- estimated at $1 billion -- to his mother, 3 children and one or more charities.

As for why Joe was left out -- Jackson has said during his childhood his father beat him.

Anothe question for Kly regarding a will or lack of.

If MJ had no will at all, what is likely to happen. I am certain the kids would get nearly all right?

I hear today that the family says there is a recent will but can't find it. If there is no recent will, will the older one, reportedly made in 2002 be legal?


Although I haven't seen it in its entirety, they've shown the Jackson movie on tv, and if accurate, even back then, it seems Daddy was trying for the brass ring thru his sons, wheeling, dealing and appointing himself boss of everything. I see the more things change, the more they stay the same. The more Joe opens his mouth the more I dislike him.

TIS

Ok, this whole "Who's your daddy" scenerio with these 3 kids is getting out of control now. Now they're sayind Debbie Rowe wasn't the biological mother, just the surrogate, and that Jackson never adopted any of the kids.

Bottom line, he's the presumptive father. I don't think anyone else besides the Jackson family would have a fighting chance in court.

http://www.tmz.com/

The dermatogist did it. Debbie Rowe did work for this guy...so who knows. These poor kids. How many screwed up people do they have in their life?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06302009/new...al_f_176868.htm

Michael Jackson's body will be taken to Neverland Ranch for a public viewing on Friday.

In a way, for the sake of his children, I hope they can somehow manage to buy back the Ranch and bury him there, and turn it into a Graceland. The money from that will ensure the childrens' futures.

you saw the jackson movie on tv land? but, yea joe is a jackass who just wants money. because of that he screwed michael up, and the other members of the jackson 5 just didnt want to stay due to there father.

Listen, Michael Jackson is one of those people who was just destined for stardom and although driven to it in part by his father's cruelty, he seemed to take full advantage of it.

The man was 50 years old and even according to friends had been in a downward spiral for the past several years. Physically, financially and psychologically. There came a time when he had to stop blaming daddy, let go of the Neverland, man/child, poor me personna, and take a good long look at himself. Especially after becoming the father and SOLE parent of 3 children. I don't think he ever did. When friends tried to talk to him he curled up in a fetal position and didn't want to hear about it.

He was about to do the only thing he knew, perform again...and even THEN, didn't have the brains to prepare his body, which he knew he had done damage to. If he hadn't dropped dead last week, it probably would've happened at some point during the upcoming tour. Quite possibly on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans.

We can all get on Joe Jackson's case and call him a jackass, but he saw talent in his kids and got them out of that shack in Indiana, and he gave The Jackson Five and then Michael Jackson to the world. Without Joe, we would never have heard of the rest of them. He cannot be held responsible for how Michael Jackson messed up his own life over the past 10+ years.

CNN website has breaking: MJ's body will be moved to Neverland Ranch for public viewing on Friday.

Btw, someone mentioned the possibility of making Neverland into a Graceland tourist site.




TIS

Holy cow...what a circus THAT will prove to be!!

well that will be big

FWIW They are saying that it cost about 10 million per month to keep up Neverland. However, of late it's been "let-go" to an extent and needs much work.

And I thought my monthly upkeep/utilities were high.

And yes, it will be a circus. People are already starting to try to milk this. I guess the Mayor of Gary Ind. is trying to convince the family to bury him there. Normally that wouldn't be so surprising, but I sense there will be much much more of this kind of thing to come.


TIS

Speaking of circus, maybe MJ's chimp will be there. What was his name?????

Bubbles. I read a piece on him the other day. He's in some wild life conservatory. I laughed when the person wrote, "No one has told him of Michael's passing yet". Like that chimp would know the difference.

Maybe a dumb question, but I hear the Apollo theater is having a tribute letting 600 people at a time in to see this show; Neverland will be showing Michael and I am sure there are other tributes. I assume people are charged admission????



TIS

if joe jackson is running things then yea

Actually, I am thinking it's Joe that wants the showing and thus Joe that wants a profit. Maybe I am reading him totally wrong, but he is coming across that way. As if it isn't a circus enough, I don't know that I'd have the public viewing. Yet, I'm sure the fans won't mind. But, to pay for it?


TIS

well its either joe or al sharpton...if joe is running things then i hope his wife is making sure he isnt charging those who wants to pay there last respects. also too apple yes he did give us the jackson 5 and michael, but it did screw michael up and that was the risk of being famous that age.

Is anyone surprised that Joe's name is no where to be found in the will? I'm glad that Katherine was granted temp custody of the children but I'm concerned about her age and health to provide for them through their formative years.

AppleOnYa, you made good points about Michael's need to be accepted. He has been traveling this road as a child prodigy alone and felt that other artists would be the only people who understood him.

I'm going to try to make it to the memorial service at the Apollo tonight, too. TIS, I'll check but I don't think they're charging for admission.

the apollo they shouldnt be charging...the service at neverland ranch might be charged if joe is making the plans. also too i am not surprised that joe is not in the will. i bet he is pissed off, and because of that will charge. but hey the media is all over this, so we will know.

Although I'm sure there are some dolts out there who would actually be willing to pay, there will almost certainly be no 'admission' charge for Jackson's public viewing.

"...Yes he did give us the jackson 5 and michael, but it did screw michael up and that was the risk of being famous that age..."

No, I don't think Joe's ambition for his sons screwed up Michael to the extent of what he became.

AP Exclusive: Insomniac Jackson begged for drug
By LYNN ELBER, AP
39 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said Tuesday that she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug, Diprivan, which is given intravenously.

But a frantic phone call she received from Jackson four days before his death made her fear that he somehow obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep, Lee said.

While in Florida on June 21, Lee was contacted by a member of Jackson's staff.

"He called and was very frantic and said, `Michael needs to see you right away.' I said, 'What's wrong?' And I could hear Michael in the background ..., 'One side of my body is hot, it's hot, and one side of my body is cold. It's very cold,'" Lee said.

"I said, `Tell him he needs to go the hospital. I don't know what's going on, but he needs to go to the hospital ... right away."

"At that point, I knew that somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system," she said, adding, "He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out."

Jackson did not go to the hospital. He died June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest, his family said. Autopsies have been conducted, but an official cause of death is not expected for several weeks.

"I don't know what happened there. The only thing I can say is he was adamant about this drug," Lee said.

Following Jackson's death, allegations emerged that the 50-year-old King of Pop had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. But Lee said she encountered a man tortured by sleep deprivation and one who expressed opposition to recreational drug use.

"He wasn't looking to get high or feel good and sedated from drugs," she said. "This was a person who was not on drugs. This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest."

Jackson was rehearsing hard for what would have been his big comeback — his "This Is It" tour, a series of performances that would have strained his aging dancer's body. Also, pain had been a part of his life since 1984, when his scalp was severely burned during a Pepsi commercial shoot.

Several months ago, Jackson had begun badgering Lee about Diprivan, also known as Propofol, Lee said. It is an intravenous anesthetic drug widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. It is generally given through an IV needle in the hand.

Patients given Propofol take less time to regain consciousness than those administered certain other drugs, and they report waking up more clear-headed and refreshed, said University of Chicago psychopharmacologist James Zacny.

It has also been implicated in drug abuse, with people using it to "chill out" or to commit suicide, Zacny said. Accidental deaths linked to abuse have been reported. The powerful drug has a very narrow therapeutic window, meaning it doesn't take doses much larger than the medically recommended amount to stop a person's breathing.

An overdose that stops breathing can result in a buildup of carbon dioxide, causing the heart to beat erratically and leading to cardiac arrest, said Dr. John Dombrowski, a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Because it is given intravenously and is not the kind of prescription drug typically available from pharmacists, abuse cases have involved anesthesiologists, nurses and other hospital staffers with easy access to the drug, Zacny said.

In recent months, Lee said, Jackson waved away her warnings about it.

"I had an IV and when it hit my vein, I was sleeping. That's what I want," Lee said Jackson told her.

"I said, 'Michael, the only problem with you taking this medication' — and I had a chill in my body and tears in my eyes three months ago — 'the only problem is you're going to take it and you're not going to wake up," she recalled.

According to Lee, Jackson said it had been given to him before but he didn't want to discuss the circumstances or identify the doctor involved.

The singer also drew his own distinctions when it came to drugs versus prescription medicine.

"He said, `I don't like drugs. I don't want any drugs. My doctor told me this is a safe medicine,'" Lee said. The next day, she said she brought a copy of the Physician's Desk Reference to show him the section on Diprivan.

"He said, 'No, my doctor said it's safe. It works quick and it's safe as long as somebody's here to monitor me and wake me up. It's going be OK,'" Lee said. She said he did not give the doctor's name.

Lee said at one point, she spent the night with Jackson to monitor him while he slept. She said she gave him herbal remedies and stayed in a corner chair in his vast bedroom.

After he settled in bed, Lee told Jackson to turn down the lights and music — he had classical music playing in the house. "He also had a computer on the bed because he loved Walt Disney," she said. "He was watching Donald Duck and it was ongoing. I said, `Maybe if we put on softer music,' and he said, `No, this is how I go to sleep.'"

Three and a half hours later, Jackson jumped up and looked at Lee, eyes wide open, according to Lee. "This is what happens to me," she quoted him as saying. "All I want is to be able to sleep. I want to be able to sleep eight hours. I know I'll feel better the next day."

Lee, 56, is licensed as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner in California, according to the state Board of Registered Nursing's Web site. She attended Los Angeles Southwest College and the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Sciences in Los Angeles.

Comedian Dick Gregory, who knows Lee and her work, said he believes Jackson's insomnia had its roots in the pop star's 2005 trial on child molestation charges. Jackson's health had deteriorated so much that his parents called Gregory, a natural foods proponent, for help.

Gregory said Jackson wasn't eating or drinking at the time and, after he was persuaded by Gregory to undergo testing, ended up hospitalized for severe dehydration.

But Jackson obviously was healthy enough to withstand the level of medical scrutiny needed to insure him for the upcoming high-stakes London concerts, Gregory said. "That you don't trick," he said of the exams.

Lee, who has also worked with Stevie Wonder, Marla Gibbs, Reynaldo Rey and other celebrities, said she was introduced to Jackson by the mother of one of his staff members. Jackson's three children had minor cold symptoms and their pediatrician was out of town.

Lee said she went to the house in January, the first of about 10 visits there through April, and treated the children with vitamins. Michael, intrigued, asked what else she did and took her up on her claim she could boost his energy.

After running blood tests, she devised protein shakes for him and gave him an intravenous vitamin and mineral mixture — known as a "Myers cocktail," after Dr. John Myers — which Lee said she uses routinely in her practice.

"It wasn't that he felt sick," she said. "He just wanted more energy."

Lee said she decided to speak out to protect Jackson's reputation from what she considers unfounded allegations of drug abuse or shortcomings as a parent.

"I think it's so wrong for people to say these things about him," she said. "He was a wonderful, loving father who wanted the best for his children."

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner in Chicago and AP Television Writer David Bauder in New York contributed to this report.

Jackson's will.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07012009/news/jackson_will.pdf

Interesting, although I'm sure I don't understand it totally.

Diana Ross is designated to get the kids if for some reason Kathryn Jackson can't take them. I knew they were friends, but didn't realize they were that close. At least he has in writing his wishes, and I guess that should at least "control" any protests. Ya think?



TIS

Can our lawyer friends here decipher all the legal jargon of the will? He has no money, all his assets are tied up in just the catalog and royalties? Are his trustees responsible for making sure his kids are taken care of, even if Katherine has custody?

Pictures inside of Neverland Ranch.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/07/01/inside-neverland-ranch/

Looks pretty simple to me. He put everything into a trust, and whatever assets he has outside of the trust go into it per the will. The trick for the creditors will be to penetrate the trust which was formed in 2002 when Jackson was already having financial problems. If they can show the trust was a device to protect the assets from creditor, they can get to it.

Apparently from what I understand, Michael Jackson's estate could make enough money to pay everyone off and then some. For starters there is already a huge spike in sales of all things Michael Jackson. That flows into the estate. Second, now that he is dead, Michael Jackson can't go on those elaborate spending sprees for which he was famous. Third there is talk of regaining Neverland Ranch, and burying him there and making it a West Coast Graceland. That is a bonanza. The executors' job will be to work with these creditors and get them paid off with what the estate makes in the coming years.

Also as a part of the trust I have read that there are 200 or so songs he wrote that go to his kids. That is huge. They have zero value right now, but could earn them a ton.

P.S. I liked the part about Diana Ross being the alternate guardian.

Thanks DT,

Who is the executor of the will and doesn't that mean that person will be in charge of seeing that the intents of the will are met??

I do think they should (and probably will) make a West Coast Graceland type thing. It'll make a bundle I'm sure.


TIS

I think Joe Jackson is so against turning Neverland into a museum. I guess cause he would get nothing out of it. They should just tell him to shut up and stay out of it.

Now I'm hearing there's NOT going to a public viewing at Neverland. All this in-fighting. Let the man rest in peace for goodness sakes.