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MICHAEL JACKSON’s longtime producer pal QUINCY JONES will go to his grave failing to understand the King of Pop’s need to be as white as possible.
Jones, who worked with the late pop superstar on epic albums like Thriller and BAD, calls his friend’s obsession with changing his appearance "ridiculous" and admits he often spoke to him about his cosmetic surgery.
Jackson only confessed to having gone under the knife twice, but experts insist he had multiple cosmetic surgeries and a host of other procedures.
And Jones reveals to Details magazine, "It’s ridiculous, man! Chemical peels and all of it. And I don’t understand it.
"He obviously didn’t want to be black."

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MICHAEL JACKSON has made chart history in America by claiming the top nine spots on Billboard’s Top Pop Catalog Albums countdown.
For the first time in Billboard history, the Catalog Albums chart-topper sold more than the number one album on the Billboard 200 countdown. In fact the new chart’s top three albums - Jackson’s Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller - have all outsold the Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D.
The only non Jackson album in the Catalog chart top 10 this week is a reissue of the Woodstock movie soundtrack, which debuts at 10.
Eight of the nine albums in the top 10 are Jackson solo albums and one is a Jackson 5 hits compilation.
The King of Pop’s Number Ones claims the top spot 108,000 sales - an increase of 2,340 per cent. The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller also topped 100,000 sales.
Completing the new Top Pop Catalog album top five is Jackson’s Off the Wall and the Jackson 5’s The Ultimate Collection.
Jackson’s solo albums sold a collective 415,000 this past week - more than 400,000 more than the week leading up to his death last Thursday (25Jun09).
Jackson also claims six of the top 10 spots in the new Top Digital Albums chart, which is led by The Essential Michael Jackson.
On the main Billboard album chart, the Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. returns to number one with 88,000 sales.
Catalog albums are ineligible to appear on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

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The woman who claimed she was the biological mother of MICHAEL JACKSON’s three children has filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court demanding the late star’s estate.
Nona Paris Lola Ankhesenamun Jackson, who has claimed to be Jackson’s secret wife, filed for a legal separation from the King of Pop in December (08) and prior to that went public with claims she carried the pop star’s children, Paris, Prince Michael and Prince Michael II, to term - and called Jacko’s official ex, Debbie Rowe, an impostor.
The London-based woman, who has described herself as "a black Jew born in Britain," also went to court in 2006 in a bid to lay claim to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, child support payments and shared custody of the pop star’s three children.
Nona Jackson claimed she’s known Jackson since he was a teenager, and that she’s written over 3,000 songs for him.
The lawsuit was thrown out in 2006 and rejected again in 2007, but the case wasn’t dismissed completely - Nona Jackson was told to make a better presentation of her evidence.
Following Jackson’s death last week (25Jun09), Nona Jackson posted a heartfelt message online, stating, "I have become a widow, I have paid ultimately for loving Michael Jackson but it is all I have to give him, the gift of eternity. He had to be loved even once in this lifetime and I have done that. I too, can die in peace some day." She signed off as "Michael Jackson’s wife, Nona Paris Lola Ankhesenamun Jackson." In her latest suit, she’s demanding all of Jackson’s property, insisting, "All my husband’s properties, monies and assets must be transferred to me immediately," ruling, "My husband’s body must be returned to the coroner’s body or the mortuary immediately."

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s family has confirmed reports a planned public viewing of the King of Pop’s remains at his former Neverland Ranch home has been scrapped.
The body of the late superstar was expected to arrive at the Santa Barbara County, California estate on Thursday, ahead of a planned memorial on Friday (03Jul09).
Some reports even suggested Jackson would be laid to rest at Neverland - the home he deserted after investigators raided it looking for evidence to use against the singer in his 2004 child molestation trial.
But now it seems the media members and fans who have booked out hotels all around Santa Barbara over the 4 July (09) weekend, in the hope of being part of the Thriller star’s big farewell, have wasted their money.
A new statement from the Jackson family reads, "Contrary to previous news reports… there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland.
"Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson." On Tuesday (30Jun09), the late pop star’s former business partner Thomas J. Barrack, Jr. sent an open letter to all Santa Barbara, California residents, urging them to get ready for an invasion of fans and media later this week (ends03Jul09).
The Colony Capital, LLC boss, who set up a joint venture with Jackson to take on ownership of Neverland, warned locals to be patient as the world descends on Santa Barbara County.
He wrote, "Prepare to accommodate Michael’s family’s wishes as they contemplate the location of his final resting place and their own return to the tranquil grounds of the Michael Jackson family compound." Barrack, Jr. went on to call Neverland a "temporary sanctuary" for Jackson fans who "will come, with or without permission or an invitation."

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Oscar winner ANNA PAQUIN was left shocked and disturbed when an online impostor attempted to dupe her fans into thinking she was seriously ill.
The Piano star was on-set shooting hit new TV drama True Blood when an assistant told her someone pretending to be her had been hospitalised.
Paquin tells TheEnvelope.LATimes.com, "A while back someone posed as me on (website) Facebook and said I was in hospital, which was funny because I was on set at the time and have never been in hospital since I was born.
"(I) thought it was a bit thoughtless because if that info trickled out to friends or family they would be worried."

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BEYONCE proved there were no hard feelings between herself and singer LETOYA LUCKETT when she "went out of her way" to greet her former DESTINY’S CHILD bandmate backstage at the BET Awards on Sunday night (28Jun09).
Rumours of a rift have been rife since Luckett and pal LaTavia Roberson were kicked out of the girl band they co-founded with Beyonce and Kelly Rowland in 2000.
The rejected pair subsequently filed suit against the group’s manager, Beyonce’s dad Mathew Knowles, accusing him of a breach of partnership; the matter was settled out of court.
Reports of an ongoing feud continued to circulate after the BET Awards on Sunday (28Jun09), and Beyonce was forced to deny claims her management team had demanded event bosses ban Luckett from singing at the ceremony in Los Angeles if they wanted the Crazy In Love star to perform.
Luckett has admitted the pop diva pair’s past differences are now firmly behind them and reveals they found time for a brief catch-up backstage at the awards show.
She says, "We did get a chance to see each other backstage and it was really cool. I hadn’t seen her in a while. She went out of her way to get around security to basically say, ‘Hey girl.’ It was cool." And Luckett, who has since launched a solo career, insists she would love to reunite with her childhood pal in the studio.
She adds, "I would love to do a song with B. She’s just an amazing person and we already know how talented she is."

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The stars of teen vampire drama TWILIGHT are to be immortalised with their own Barbie dolls.
Fans of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s characters will be able buy their own miniature versions of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan when the figures hit stores in November (09), following the release of Twilight sequel New Moon.
Their jealous co-star Kellan Lutz says, "It blows my mind to see how much Twilight merchandise there is out there. A fan once made me an Emmett (his character) doll, but I need one my parents can buy."

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Singer/actress HILARY DUFF is set to join the cast of hit U.S. drama GOSSIP GIRL - as a famous movie star.
The 21 year old will feature in several upcoming episodes, opposite show regulars Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley, as a celebrity studying at New York University.
Her first appearance on the show is set to air in the U.S. in October (09), according to EW.com.

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The TRANSFORMERS sequel is now the most blooper-laden film of 2009 - with eagle-eyed cinemagoers spotting 40 continuity errors and movie mistakes.
The Michael Bay blockbuster made over $200 million (GBP133 million) in U.S. cinemas alone during it’s first five days on release last week (24-28Jun09), but the film is far from perfect - and website MovieMistakes.com is listing all the errors.
Just 24 hours after the film’s release, the site had already listed 13 errors, and now those have spiralled.
Website creator Jon Sandys tells WENN, "Transformers 2 is now up to 40 mistakes, making it the most blooper-ridden movie of 2009. Angels and Demons is at number two, with 19 errors." The biggest blunders in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen include make-believe desert and mountains adjacent to the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia and a glass-is-half-full, empty and then half-full again scenario in a party scene.
Sandys explains, "When Shia LaBeouf’s character Sam is at the frat party, just after he has written the code on the table with cake, he goes and gets a drink. The glass is full, we cut to the girl talking and then back to Sam and the glass is nearly empty, cut to the girl once more and then back to Sam, who has a full glass again."

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Actress JACLYN SMITH regrets pulling out of two planned CHARLIE’S ANGELS TV reunions - because now she’ll never have the chance to work with the late FARRAH FAWCETT again.
Smith, who was among the celebrities in attendance at Fawcett’s funeral in Los Angeles on Tuesday (30Jun09), has revealed there were firm plans to bring the three original Angels back together for a TV special before the release of the second Charlie’s Angels movie in 2003 - but it fell flat.
She says, "They wanted us to do something that was so embarrassing." And Smith, Fawcett and Kate Jackson also had the opportunity to sit down for a reunion special in 2006 - the same year the trio teamed up to pay tribute to Charlie’s Angels creator Aaron Spelling at the Emmy Awards.
She tells TV Guide magazine, "Now I feel regret - why didn’t we do it? We’d have that forever."

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Beloved British TV actress MOLLIE SUGDEN has died, aged 86.
The TV star passed away in hospital in Surrey, England on Wednesday (01Jul09) after a long running illness, according to her agent.
Her twin sons Robin and Simon were by her bedside.
Sugden shot to fame in Brit sitcom Are You Being Served? in 1972 and appeared in a string of other television shows, including The Liver Birds and long-running soap opera Coronation Street.
David Croft, one of the Are You Being Served? writers, remembers the actress as a "marvellous character" who loved to make people laugh.
He says, "She would never refuse any sort of comedy situation, no matter how undignified it was she would always go along with it. She was marvellously funny." Sugden is survived by her two sons and several grandchildren.

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Oscar winner KARL MALDEN has died at his home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, three years shy of his 100th birthday.
The Streets of San Francisco star was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1912 and raised in Gary, Indiana - ironically the birthplace of Michael Jackson, who died last week (25Jun09).
A former steelworker and teacher, Malden studied acting at the Goodman Theater Dramatic School in Chicago and chose to take his talents to New York, where he became involved with the fabled Group Theater.
He made his stage debut in 1937 and struck up a theatrical partnership with legendary director Elia Kazan, who cast Malden in a host of successful Broadway shows.
After serving in World War Two, the actor landed his big movie break in 1940’s They Knew What They Wanted and he quickly became an in-demand film star, winning an Oscar for his performance as Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1951.
He also landed roles in classics like On the Waterfront and Baby Doll.
Malden became a household name in America when he teamed up with Michael Douglas in TV cop drama The Streets of San Francisco in the early 1970s.
He also became the pitchman for American Express - a position he held for 21 years.
In 1988, he was elected President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - a title he held for five years.
Malden’s memoir is called When Do I Start?: A Memoir.
As well as his Best Supporting Actor Oscar win in 1951, the actor also claimed an Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy in 1985 for the TV series Fatal Vision.
Malden was honoured with Life Achievement Awards at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival in 1998 and the Screen Actors Guild Awards of 2004.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame can be found at 6231 Hollywood Boulevard.

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MICHAEL JACKSON was so broke in the years before his death he performed secret shows for Arab sheikhs for $2.5 million (£1.66 million) a time.
The Thriller legend was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy after handouts from his pal Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa - the son of the king of Bahrain - dried up in 2006.
And he was so desperate to make ends meet, the singer staged a series of private shows for mega-rich Arabs and Russian businessmen in London, according to a new report.
Acclaimed investigative journalist Gerald Posner writes on DailyBeast.com, "He was virtually insolvent. Since his 2005 acquittal on sexual abuse charges, he initially supported himself at the largesse of Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, son of Bahrain’s king.
"When that money pipeline was cut off, The Daily Beast learned that Jackson resorted to doing one-night gigs for private parties for Arab sheikhs and Russians in London. These gigs, I am told, commanded up to $2.5 million for an hour performance or sometimes were bartered in exchange for works of art."

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One of the illuminated white gloves MICHAEL JACKSON wore on THE JACKSONS’ 1984 Victory Tour is to go under the hammer at a Profiles In History auction in October (09).
The glove, which is adorned with crystals from the late superstar’s ‘Suit of Lights’ is considered the single most iconic piece of Michael Jackson memorabilia in the world, and was specially designed by Ted Shell of Ted Shell Designs.
The item is emblazoned with bugle beads and Austrian crystal rhinestones and fitted with 50 small lights powered by a single battery placed in the cuff of the glove.
Profiles In History spokesman Marc Kruskol says, "The consignor set the price at $60,000 to $80,000 before Michael Jackson’s death, so we’ll start there, but the price for this item could even approach $1 million." The illuminating glove, one of only two Jackson wore on The Victory Tour, was returned to Shell as a gift from the pop star in 1986. It is accompanied with a signed letter of authenticity by Shell, as well as a signed letter by L.A. Marquee Special Lighting Effects boss Judie Mallen, who installed the lights in the glove for the tour.
The auction will take place in California on 2 and 3 October (09) and feature a treasure trove of Jacko memorabilia.
Another Shell glove Jackson wore in the mid-1980s was among the items pulled from auction in Los Angeles in April (09) over a dispute regarding the ownership of the items, which were collected from the King of Pop’s former Neverland Ranch home by Julien’s Auctions.
Profiles in History bosses plan to display the glove at their booth at San Diego, California comic book convention ComicCon later this month (Jul09).
A spokesman says, "We want fans to have the opportunity to view this iconic piece of entertainment history."

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s This Is It shows in London were just the beginning of his live comeback - he was planning a six-month residency in Las Vegas for next year (10).
The legendary singer was booked to play 50 dates at London’s O2 Arena from July (09) until February (10) - his first public concerts since 2002.
Debt-riddled Jackson was then lining up a massive six-month stay in Sin City - which would have made the singer a stunning $100 million (£66.6 million).
Investigative journalist Gerald Posner writes on DailyBeast.com, "Jackson’s advisers were in talks with two hoteliers in Las Vegas to create a six-month show for the pop star, starting soon after his London dates finished in early 2010, which would fetch him, I was told, up to $100 million. Jackson, according to one close adviser, resented the pressure to start performing to pay past bills and avoid losing his music catalogue."

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GWYNETH PALTROW is desperate to work with directors PEDRO ALMODOVAR and ALEJANDRO AMENABAR - because she’s keen to show off her Spanish language skills on the big screen.
The Hollywood actress speaks fluent Spanish after spending time in the country during her youth.
She regularly returns to Spain and even filmed cooking show Spain… On the Road Again with chef Mario Batali there last year (08), which saw them travel around the country sampling and recreating its traditional cuisine.
Oscar winner Paltrow admits she harbours dreams of teaming up with the likes of Almodovar, Amenabar and Mexico’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu to further her acting abilities by shooting a whole movie in Spanish - but she’d have to start small.
She says, "I would love to (film in Spanish). I haven’t found the script yet, but the first (movie) would have to be a small role, not very important, because I imagine I would have to get used to acting in Spanish."

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LIONEL RICHIE has finally paid tribute to his close friend MICHAEL JACKSON, almost a week after the King of Pop’s sudden death.
The pair first met as young performers in the 1960s and formed a firm and long lasting friendship. Jackson was also godfather to Richie’s adopted daughter Nicole - so his death has hit the soul star hard.
Speaking to People magazine, Richie reminisces about the Jackson he knew, saying, "I knew him since he was seven. He would put itching powder in your hat. Or ice in your shoes when you left them outside your hotel door to get polished. I know how difficult it was to be at his altitude. I wouldn’t have wanted that pressure." He also insists Jackson was serious about his comeback concerts, which were due to kick off this month (Jul09): "Michael told me his hopes for his London concerts. He was going to throw everything but the kitchen sink out there. It would have been brilliant." The Thriller hitmaker died after suffering a cardiac arrest last Thursday (25Jun09). He was 50.

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MICHAEL JACKSON threatened to cancel his entire run of This Is It shows when 40 concerts were added without his permission, according to a new report.
The singer announced at a press conference in London on 5 March (09) he would be performing 10 gigs at the city’s O2 Arena in July (09).
Within days, 40 more shows had been added to the schedule - but Jackson was reportedly unaware of the plan by promoters AEG Live, and threatened to axe all 50 dates when he found out.
Investigative journalist Gerald Posner writes on TheDailyBeast.com, "Jackson apparently knew his own limits. He insisted on no more than 10 performances… Behind the scenes, AEG and Jackson’s financial advisers had evidently worked out a deal that required the pop star to do more shows.
"When Jackson learned of that after the press conference, it kicked off several days of stormy meetings, with Jackson at times threatening not to do any."

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