November 19, 2007: Michael Jackson News & Mentionings

SunsetDriver

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Happy week-start to everyone.

Today Ebonyjet.com has released behind-the-scene pics of Michael's photoshoot. You can see all the new pics and also a video in this thread

MJ News:

A fan from San Diego reported that in yesterday's San Diego local newspaper there was a brief article about Michael having visited the San Diego Art Museum. The article hadn't any pics though.


MJ Mentionings:

http://www.livedaily.com/news/13208.html
'Idols' sweep American Music Awards
November 19, 2007 10:11 AM
By Christina Fuoco
LiveDaily Contributor
[...]
Usher [ tickets ] presented Beyonce [ tickets ] with the international artist award, making her the first female artist to receive that honor; past winners include Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart and Aerosmith.

"I'm so blessed to wake up every morning and do what I love," Beyonce said. "I don't take it for granted. I'm so grateful, so honored and so humbled by this award."


http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1574605/20071119/daughtry__chris.jhtml
Daughtry, Carrie Underwood Stage 'Idol' Takeover At American Music Awards; Usher Offers Support To Kanye
Plus, a Jonas Brother takes a big fall onstage — watch it here!

By Gil Kaufman
[...]
Fellow three-time nominee Beyoncé, however, got blanked in the competitive categories and had to make do with a special International Artist Award of Excellence, which has been bestowed on some pretty heavy hitters in the past, including Rod Stewart, the Bee Gees, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and Michael Jackson.


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20161374,00.html
AMAs After-Party: One Tough Ticket
MONDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2007 12:30 PM EST
By Marisa Laudadio and Jessica Herndon
[...]
Favorite female Soul/R&B winner Rihanna, wearing a brown, floor-length Zac Posen gown, eschewed the fancy fare for a glass full of French fries, which she carried around as she told PEOPLE that Chris Brown's performance was one of the night's best.

"He was fun, energetic. Definitely entertaining! He had one of those performances that you remember, like a Michael Jackson performance," she said. "It was great."


http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_7505276
Church hosts Special Olympics fundraiser
By ERIN JAMES
Evening Sun Reporter
[...]
The Special Olympics is a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower intellectually disabled people through sports competition and training. According to the organization's Web site, 2.5 million people in 165 countries currently benefit from the program.

Confirmation students and Special Olympians mingled on the dance floor Sunday while musicians ranging from Justin Timberlake to the Rolling Stones to Michael Jackson blared from the stage's sound system.

Today in Michael Jackson History

1991 - Michael Jackson's "Dangerous Gift-Pack" was released.

1996 - Michael Jackson did an interview with Ian "Molly" Meldrum while in Australia. The interview was aired on Australian television.

2003 - CBS announced that it was postponing its "Michael Jackson Number Ones" special. The show was planned to air on November 26th.
 
I wonder if this quote is real...

http://www.sleafordstandard.co.uk/latest-entertainment-news/Now-it39s-David-Gest-The.3502830.jp

Now it's David Gest, The Musical

Former I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! star David Gest has announced his own musical.

Gest, 54, the ex-husband of Liza Minnelli, will star in David Gest Is Nuts... My Life As A Musical.

His best friend, fallen pop star Michael Jackson said: "We never thought we would see the day David Gest would sing and dance in public.

"Now he is working on flips and dances with little people. Considering David can't sing and can't dance it will be amazing to see just how nuts he gets on stage!
"

Tito Jackson joked: "The fact that David Gest will be singing with so many of these legendary artists is scaring Michael and I to death. One thing is for sure - this is going to be one entertaining show!"

Gest, who won over the public on the last series of I'm A Celebrity, admitted: "In my wildest imagination, I never thought I'd be dancing, singing and performing to over 100,000 people throughout the UK - considering I have no real talent, this is quite a feat."

The "musical play" kicks off on February 20 next year at London's Hammersmith Apollo before touring around the UK. The two nights in London will benefit the Caudwell Children charity, of which Gest is an ambassador, for terminally ill children.

The musical tells the story of Gest's life with comedy and music and will feature 20 top five records performed by the original artists.

They include Gloria Gaynor singing I Will Survive and Shalamar performing I Can Make You Feel Good.

It will also feature many of the characters Gest made famous in the jungle such as the "little people in David land".

Press Association Ltd. 2007
 
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LMAO @ Michael :rollin: btw when did he say that ? :mello:
 
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Oh :p with the "fallen pop star" nonsense! LOL the only people that believe that are the people that write it up. :D Didn't "fall" anywhere.

As for the musical - that sounds VERY interesting! Wonder if that's even a direct quote. It sounds kinda sketchy but oh well..does sound interesting!
 
1996 - I remember the interview with Molly Meldrum, he has interviewed MJ a lot! It was a good interview, and they filmed it right before MJ performed in the Brisbane HIStory concert. I remember Molly saying how he had a list of questions he had submitted to MJ's team and the interview went well, but then right at the end, Molly slipped in a question that wasn't on the list, and MJ's face was priceless! He asked him about working with Stephen King and got MJ to autograph a Stephen King book for him! It's on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsqsmdPKNGE
 
Thanks for the news.

My sister told me this today so take it as you will.

Donny Osmond was on the Today show to talk about the issues that his sister, Marie Osmond was and is going through. Now, I did not see the interview on my own because I was working. However, my sister did and she said that Michael called Donny after the news broke that Donny's late father had passed. MJ called to send his condonlenses (forgive my spelling) and then Donny said that MJ and him talk about ideas of having the Jacksons and the Osmonds touring together. When my sister told me this I was like, "get out! Imma go to that concert." LOL. So, I just wanted to share that.
 
The Osmonds and the Jacksons touring together?

.........................................no comment.........................................
 
Thanks for the news.

My sister told me this today so take it as you will.

Donny Osmond was on the Today show to talk about the issues that his sister, Marie Osmond was and is going through. Now, I did not see the interview on my own because I was working. However, my sister did and she said that Michael called Donny after the news broke that Donny's late father had passed. MJ called to send his condonlenses (forgive my spelling) and then Donny said that MJ and him talk about ideas of having the Jacksons and the Osmonds touring together. When my sister told me this I was like, "get out! Imma go to that concert." LOL. So, I just wanted to share that.


that's nice :) but i don't really care to see the osmonds :lol: let alone all the jackson's :lol:

michael and janet are enough for me:D
 
I love the way he looks in the Molly Meldrum Interview, he's so sweet and shy! He makes me go "awwww"...LOL
 
ohhh bless! lol "Considering David CAN'T sing and CAN'T dance" LMAOOOOO

That molly interview, man MJ's got some serious eyelashes. If he bats them without warning someone could get seriously hurt :lol:
 
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since the 20th news thread is not up yet.. so I will put this business news here.. that I found kind of interesting:

Global Banking Corporation in strategic move to develop investment resource globally


Posted on
Monday, 19 November 2007


Industry Sector
Banking

Country
Bahrain




Press Release Content


Global Banking Corporation (GBCORP) today announced the appointment of Mr. Ahmed Al Khan as Head of Investment Banking. Mr. Al Khan, is an acknowledged management professional and investment specialist in Sharia'a compliant Islamic Investment Banking and brings unquestionable management expertise and strategic investment initiative to GBCORP.


With over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry including working in New York, Mr. Al Khan is recognized for his innovative approach in enabling business growth. His successful portfolio of work and achievements at major business organisations have earned him appointments to the boards of various leading establishments.


Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Ahmed Al Khan said: "As Head of Investment Banking at Global Banking Corporation I look forward to leading my team into a new era of business growth and financial well-being, bridging the Middle East markets with European markets to offer clients better investment opportunities and ensuring clients better return on investments."

Speaking on Mr. Ahmed Al Khan's appointment, Mark Hanson, Chief Executive of GBCORP said: "At GBCORP, our global team transcends geographic boundaries to serve as an economic accelerator for investment from within the GCC to markets in the Mena region, Europe and of course the emerging markets of China and India. I am confident that the GBCORP Investment Banking team under Ahmed's leadership will be able to further consolidate and build on our strategic investment initiatives and continue to provide our clients with unsurpassed value added services, thereby laying a strong foundation for growth."

GBCORP offers highly-differentiated, quality value-driven investment products and services. The unique competitive advantage of GBCORP will be its ability to source transactions not only in the GCC but also in MENA, South Asia and Europe offering investors and clients the ability to diversify their investment opportunities. Mr. Al Khan will undoubtedly bring his entrepreneurial flair and financial expertise to ensure GBCORP maintain and advance this service.

Mr. Al Khan holds an MBA from Seton Hall University, New Jersey, USA and a BSC in Marketing from Caldwell College as well as an Executive Diploma in Entrepreneurship Development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His appointment as Head of Investment Banking at GBCORP is another recognition in an illustrious career that has earned him accolades and a position on the board of Sony-ATV, Gulf Energy Corporation and International Mercantile Exchange (IMEX) to name a few.

Global Banking Corporation commenced operations this June with a capital of USD 250 million and an authorised capital of US$500 million. GBCORP combines diverse thinking and expert risk analysis to offer a high-yield, Sharia'a compliant investment portfolio for clients. The organisation focuses on core business areas including Private Equity and Venture Capital, Real Estate and Infrastructure Development and Advisory Services in Corporate Finance and Capital Markets.
 
Thanks for the news.

My sister told me this today so take it as you will.

Donny Osmond was on the Today show to talk about the issues that his sister, Marie Osmond was and is going through. Now, I did not see the interview on my own because I was working. However, my sister did and she said that Michael called Donny after the news broke that Donny's late father had passed. MJ called to send his condonlenses (forgive my spelling) and then Donny said that MJ and him talk about ideas of having the Jacksons and the Osmonds touring together. When my sister told me this I was like, "get out! Imma go to that concert." LOL. So, I just wanted to share that.

:)I did see the interview of Donny & just to be precise, what I heard was that Meredith Veira shared that Donny told her that Michael had called to offer his condolences after his father's death & had mentioned performing together, that they were friends & both families became well known in the same era, whether that meant touring I don't know. But I would love it. I like both families & grew up with them.
 
http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Cover_Story/2007/11/22/Hit_Man/

.
Hit Man
From bookie to record mogul to big-screen gangster to Music Row exec, the strange but true life of Frank Dileo

by Jack Silverman

cover_frank_dileo_400.jpg

Frank Dileo

Frank Dileo was at his home in eastern Ohio, just outside of Pittsburgh, when he got the phone call that would have him blowing Joe Pesci’s Technicolor brains all over the big screen. It had been just two days earlier that he’d received another, far less heartening call. With the punch of a few buttons, he’d been sacked from the most coveted job in the music industry, a job he’d held for five years—that of Michael Jackson’s manager.
It was late winter 1989, and Dileo and Jackson had just finished the grueling 16-month-long Bad World Tour. The stress of moving the MJ circus—213 strong—every three days across four continents had caused Dileo to put on considerable weight. So he headed to Duke University’s medical center to trim down and regain his health. Good thing, too, because doctors discovered he’d developed diabetes. A week into his weight-loss regimen, he got the news that he’d been unceremoniously dumped by the King of Pop.
Dangerously overweight. Diabetic. Fired by Michael Jackson. Not what you would call an auspicious turn of events. But if you ever see Frank Dileo pick up the dice at a craps table, put all your chips on the pass line—because if history’s any indicator, he’ll roll a 7 or 11. Screw the law of averages. His hot streaks make the Harlem Globetrotters look like Charlie Brown with a football.
But that didn’t stop the vultures from circling the Duke campus once the Jackson news dropped. To escape the media frenzy, Dileo headed for the refuge of his Ohio home. The following day, Frank recalls, people were calling his house to see what happened. It didn’t sound like any big deal when his wife said, “Hey, Martin Scorsese’s on the phone.”
Three years earlier, Scorsese had directed Jackson’s “Bad” video. Offhandedly, he told Dileo, the video’s executive producer, that he looked like a character in the director’s next picture. Wiseguys, it was called, based on a true-crime book about a mobster who flipped on his cronies. Dileo wrote it off as banter. Now here the guy was, years later, calling out of the blue.
“I thought, OK, he probably wants to say, gee, sorry to hear what happened,” Dileo says. “So I say, ‘Hey Marty, how you doin’?’ He said, [impersonating Scorsese’s clenched delivery] ‘Hey, you remember three years ago, I talked to you about doing a movie?’ I said, ‘Yeah, the book Wiseguy.’ He said, ‘Well, I’m casting today. Will you still do it?’ And I said, ‘Yeah. I thought you were calling because I got fired.’
“And he says, ‘Oh, did you get fired?’ He didn’t know.”
cover_dileo_goodfella_400.jpg

Funny How? Tuddy (Frank Dileo) gets ready to whack Tommy (Joe Pesci).

Just like that, a guy with neither acting experience nor aspirations winds up working for perhaps the greatest director of his generation in one of the best movies of the decade, Goodfellas. Not to mention he gets to turn Pesci’s gray matter red in one of cinema’s most storied whack jobs. All this, just two days after being fired by the biggest act in the business.
For anyone else, this would all be highly improbable. But for Frank Dileo, it’s par for the course. His life story has more highlights than Farrah Fawcett’s hair and reads better than half the screenplays floating around Hollywood. And in January, it brought him back to Nashville—where he lived briefly in the early ’70s—to get back into what he insistently calls “show business.” He already opened a management company and is getting ready to open a publishing company.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As Frank Dileo knows better than anyone, timing is everything.
On the wall of Dileo’s Music Row apartment hangs a framed cartoon by the renowned late cartoonist for the London Evening Standard, Raymond Allen Jackson (known as Jak). An enormous lit cigar, so big that four men are holding it, is coming through the front doors of the Mayfair Hotel. The smoker is not yet visible. The caption reads, “I don’t know about Michael Jackson—but here comes his manager.”
..........................



Still, Dileo’s hot streak at Epic can hardly be pinned exclusively on his use of indies. Every major label at the time had a sizable budget for independent promotion—whether or not it was a shady business, the playing field was level. Yet in a short time, Epic had risen from No. 14 to No. 2, in no small part because of the way Dileo handled a record that would become the greatest-selling album of all time. That wasn’t lost on the man whose name is emblazoned, in script, in the upper left corner of its cover.
cover_dileo_jackson_400.jpg

The Kingmaker Dileo and Jackson during their ’80s reign

In the wake of Michael Jackson’s free fall into scandal and talk-show punchlines, it’s easy to forget how he galvanized pop music almost exactly 25 years ago. When Jackson released Thriller in December 1982, in the heart of Frank Dileo’s Epic reign, it went on to sell more than 51 million copies. Though exact sales vary, these facts do not: The album was No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart for 37 weeks, it spawned seven Top 10 hits (tied for the record), and it helped bring Jackson an unprecedented eight statues at the 1984 Grammy Awards.
Jackson may look naive, but when it comes to business, he’s no chimp-cuddling moonbeam. In Hit Men, Walter Yetnikoff says of Jackson, “He has made observations to me about things like promotion which indicate he would be totally qualified to run a record label if he so desired.” Dannen himself describes Jackson as “an ambitious man with extensive knowledge of the record industry’s workings.”
In his 1988 autobiography Moon Walk, Jackson writes, “Frank was responsible for turning my dream for Thriller into a reality. His brilliant understanding of the recording industry proved invaluable. For instance, we released ‘Beat It’ as a single while ‘Billie Jean’ was still at No. 1. CBS screamed, ‘You’re crazy, this will kill “Billie Jean.” ’ But Frank told them not to worry, that both songs would be No. 1 and both would be in the Top 10 at the same time. They were.
Not to mention that Dileo convinced a recalcitrant Jackson to do the video for “Thriller,” a 14-minute film considered by some the best music video of all time. “Actually, he only wanted to do two videos—‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Beat It,’ ” Dileo says. “So while I was still working for Epic, [product manager] Larry Stessel asked me to fly out there and talk him into doing ‘Thriller,’ because he was pretty adamant that he wouldn’t do it.”
Jackson, who had been without a manager for eight months, asked Dileo to fill the position on a Monday in March 1984 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Two days later, when Dileo accepted, the music industry was abuzz. One unnamed source in Dannen’s book says, “Everyone turned fucking green when Frank pulled that one off.”
Out of the record-label frying pan, into the megastar-management fire. Dileo started managing Jackson three months before the start of the Victory Tour, which reunited all of the Jackson brothers.
“Believe me, that was work,” Dileo says. “Every brother had a lawyer and an accountant. We had to have white promoters and black promoters. It was quite a complicated fiasco. But I got Michael through it safely.” Among the three black promoters: Don King and the Rev. Al Sharpton. “That was before Rev. Al Sharpton owned a suit. He was still in sweats,” Dileo recalls. Bill Bennett, head of Warner Nashville and a friend of Dileo’s since the late ’70s, has one particularly fond memory of the Victory Tour’s opening night. “We were in Kansas City,” Bennett says, “and I said, ‘Frank, I’m going to Arthur Bryant’s,’ which is one of the most famous homes of barbecue in the world. And Michael looked at me and said, ‘Oh no, Bill, Frank’s a vegetarian now.’ So Frank goes, ‘Yeah, Michael’s looking out for my health.’ As he walks me out the door, he gives me a key and says, ‘Meet me in this room when you get back, and bring some barbecue.’ ”
cover_dileo_jackson-king.jpg

Heady Company Dileo with Jesse Jackson and Don King

“Michael used to moderate everything I ate,” Dileo says. “It’s amazing—when I started with him I was 210; when I ended with him, I was 265. So that’s what eating healthy does to you.”
After the Victory Tour, Jackson spent the next two years working on Bad. It sold a mere 32 million albums globally. Though it had fewer Top 10 hits than Thriller, it outdid its predecessor—and every other album in history—in another statistic: five No. 1 singles. In September 1987, Jackson embarked on his first tour as a solo performer, the Bad World Tour, which Dileo produced. Though the hassles of dealing with the Jackson brothers’ handlers were absent, Dileo was in for the ride of his life—123 dates over 16-and-a-half months. It was the largest-grossing tour of all time, putting Michael in front of 4.4 million fans on four continents.
“It was a headache,” Dileo says—a grand understatement to be sure. “You were moving 213 people every three days. In London, we played Wembley Stadium seven times in a row, 72,000 people a night. And we could have probably played it 10 or 12 nights, but at the time they only had seven available.”
Of course, there was a lot more to managing Michael Jackson than producing world tours. “We did a lot of things, Michael and I,” Dileo says fondly. “I got to executive produce all the videos of the Bad album. I did Moonwalker. I got nominated for two Grammys: for ‘Smooth Criminal’ and ‘Leave Me Alone.’ And I won a Grammy for ‘Leave Me Alone’—as the producer of the video, not the record.”
Another managerial coup from Dileo’s Jackson stint was his negotiation for the Pepsi commercial. “I got [Pepsi CEO] Roger Enrico to pay me up front, which was never done before,” he says. “In fact, we cut the deal on the Pepsi jet. Once we agreed upon a price, I said to Roger, ‘OK, there’s just one more thing. You’ve got to pay it all up front.’ He says, ‘I don’t know.’ And I said, ‘Roger, did Elvis Presley ever do a commercial for Pepsi?’ He said no. I said, ‘Did The Beatles?’ He said no. I said, ‘What do you want to be—0 for 3?’ He shook his head and went into the men’s room and came back and said, ‘OK, you got a deal.’ ” Dileo harbors no ill will toward Jackson over his firing in February 1989. “It’s a shame it ended,” Dileo says. “I really like Michael. It ended for a lot of reasons. First of all, Michael and I spent every day together for five-and-a-half years. A lot of people were jealous of that. And at that point in time, we had a lot of power between us. There was one or two record executives, and a lawyer, possibly two lawyers, that sort of needed me to get out of the way, so that they had more control with Michael. And it also was a way for them to get rid of Yetnikoff, who had a lot of power and was my friend.”
cover_dileo-jackson-exec.jpg

Dileo with an executive and Michael Jackson

It’s not hard to imagine why a bunch of industry suits wanted to get their hands on Jackson. But how was Jackson convinced? “Unfortunately, they talked Michael into it,” Dileo says, “by promising him—now this is according to Michael, and I believe this—by promising him that if he fired me and hired Sandy Gallin, that he’d be able to make movies in Hollywood. Now the truth be told, Michael never made a movie. The only movie [besides 1978’s The Wiz] he’s ever made was with me, and that was Moonwalker.”



Contrary to what you might expect, Frank Dileo’s Music Row office is a humble space in a nondescript building on Music Row. There’s no Mercedes or Rolls out front, just a dented 1992 Honda Accord. He’s not preoccupied with impressing anyone. In fact, he was hesitant to be the subject of a newspaper profile—“I just don’t want to come off as cocky,” he says. Several times, he mentions peers that he says he’d love to get into the story, to share the credit, and he makes a point to emphasize that he’d be lost without his assistant, Lauren Denig, whom he affectionately refers to as “Little Caesar.”
cover_frank_dileo_104.jpg

Wheelin’ and Dealin’ Dileo’s Music Row office

But hanging on those office walls are enough gold and platinum records to make your head spin, many of them multiples: Culture Club’s Colour by Numbers, Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual, The Clash’s Combat Rock, and the crowning jewel: a case with 31 platinum copies of Thriller. Not to mention singles by Electric Light Orchestra, Charley Pride, Billy Swan, Harry Nilsson and Elvis Presley.
But the real eye-poppers are the framed photographs. Seven Goodfellas stills are arranged in one large frame that hangs over the couch. There are shots of Frank with Prince Charles, with Charlie Daniels, with Michael and the Reagans at the White House.
Immediately to the right of the door are four small photos that sum up the Frank Dileo story. Frank and his good friend, the late Col. Tom Parker. Frank and Martin Scorsese. Frank and—wait, is that him kissing Pope John Paul II’s ring? Believe it. A CBS executive in England wanted to thank Frank for his work on several records by overseas acts, including Nena’s “99 Luftballoons.” “He asked what he could do for me,” Frank recalls. “I said I want to meet the pope. Believe it or not, as wild of a life as I’ve led, I don’t miss church on Sunday.”
cover_dileo_pope.jpg

Who’s the Guy in the Hat? Dileo gets (gives?) some sage advice.

The fourth shot is of Frank and Michael Jackson, from behind, standing at urinals in a public restroom. Above Michael’s head, in Michael’s handwriting, are the words, “This water sure is cold.” Above Frank’s head, he wrote, “It’s deep too.”
When Jackson went on trial in 2005, Frank stayed in Los Angeles for over three months, on his own dime. “I know that he is innocent,” Dileo says. “A lot of people attack him for a lot of different reasons. One is, everybody would love to get their hands on the Beatles’ publishing. And he’s just one of those guys, he’s real kind and real nice and he can easily be taken advantage of.
“In this particular case, this kid had cancer, he found him a doctor, they didn’t have any money, he allowed them to live on his ranch. And when it was over, they didn’t want to leave. It was like blackmail. That’s all it was.
“We talked at each and every break,” Dileo continues. “I wanted to let him know that I know he didn’t do it. In fact, when I went there, he didn’t know I was coming. It was very emotional. He went, ‘Frank, I can’t believe you’re here.’ And he started to cry. And I went over and I hugged him and we got on the elevator and he told [defense attorney] Tom Mesereau, ‘This is Frank Dileo. He used to manage me. I’ve had nine managers since then. He’s the only guy that showed up, or even called to see how I’m doing.’ That was a very rough thing on him, a very emotional thing.”
The years since the whirlwind 1980s have been a little less action-packed. In the ’90s, Frank opened a New York office and managed or co-managed several acts, including Taylor Dayne, Jodeci and Laura Branigan. And he got into the restaurant business, partnering with Robert De Niro on New York City’s famed Tribeca Grill.
“I was the first guy up with the money,” he says. “Outside of Bobby and Drew [the manager], there was me.” Several other investors had smaller shares, among them Christopher Walken, Lou Diamond Phillips, Sean Penn, Bill Murray and Ed Harris. Dileo sold his share after more than 11 years, splitting his portion three ways among the restaurant’s three oldest employees.
Since the mid-’90s, Dileo’s been keeping a low profile. He’s a family man—he’s been married to his wife Linda for 31 years, and wanted to be near his son and daughter, both of whom were attending the George School. So he moved for a while to Bucks County, outside Philadelphia. After his daughter graduated, nearly eight years later, he moved back to Ohio.
Shortly thereafter, Dileo started to lose his eyesight. By 2004, he was blind, a result of diabetic retinopathy. But a series of four operations over the next couple of years restored much of his sight. Since coming to Music City in January, Dileo had attempted to help get the failing nightclub 12th & Porter out of dire straits. But that endeavor fell through last week.
cover_frank_dileo_107.jpg



“It’s been in Chapter 11,” Dileo says. “I’ve been trying to save it for the writing community, because it does have the best sound. But unfortunately, with the past debt, the leases that have been incurred and the obscure management style, there’s just no way to overcome the debt to make it work. So I have to pull out of it and let nature take its course.”
Meanwhile, he’s started a management company, where he’s working with singer-songwriter Galen Griffin. And he’s about to pen a deal to start a publishing company with a successful songwriter/producer. He doesn’t want to name names until the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.
So after so much success, why keep going? “I’m in it for the love of it,” Dileo says. “I mean, hey, I want to make some money for my kids. I’d like to make it more comfortable for them and my grandson, who’s 3 years old now. And I really love the music, I love the business, I love the artists. That’s why I’m here.”
Perhaps Frank Dileo was just born to be a mover and shaker, a notion that McGee Management’s Frank Rand confirms. “I was an A&R guy before [Frank] started working for Michael,” Rand says. “And A&R people and promotion people are always butting heads—they can never get us enough airplay and we can never give them enough hits. So one day I went in to Frank’s office and we started talking, and we had a constructive argument. I don’t even know what brought it up, but I said, ‘Frank, we’re in the record business!’ “And Frank said, ‘Hold on right there! You’re in the record business. I’m in show business.’ ”
 
wow at the Dileo article. Man that says something and it's really touching he went to support MJ. Geez he had 9 managers since and Dileo was the ONLY one to support him...thats nuts.
 
The Osmonds and the Jacksons touring together?

.........................................no comment.........................................

I think it would be a great idea. Call me nutty, but why not?

I have to correct some things because my sister just revealed to me that she was not clear on who actually said what regarding MJ and Donny talking about their families touring together. Ok, Donny did not actually say in the interview that MJ told him the information that I posted. It was Meredith Vierra from the Today show who told Matt Lauer that Donny said that Michael called him to give his condolneces (spelled wrong,I know) about his father's (Donny's) passing. Then, they disccused together that they should do a Jackson/Osmond tour and that it might happened. So, that was what was said. I apologized for the horrid mistake. LOL. I told my sister that I will not rely on her for MJ news that I missed ever again. LOL.
 
I’ve had nine managers since then. He’s the only guy that showed up, or even called to see how I’m doing.’ That was a very rough thing on him, a very emotional thing.”

Wow, this was a very difficult time for Mike. I hope he's learned a lot from this bad experience. Things like this only serve to make you stronger. I'm so glad that Frank mentioned the catalog. All of this information is coming out slowly but sholey and pretty soon, the world will know the rest of the story. Thanks for posting.

ps - I wish Mike had kept Frank as his manager; he's probably have 2 or 3 movies in the can by now.
 
The Deleo article was actually a lot longer but I had to pair it down so the forum would let me post it. I think I got all of the stuff about Michael posted though. Deleo is quite versatile it seems. I can see where he and Michael would have been an unbeatable team.
 
Here is one more article. This one was spawned by the Ebony article.

http://www.thehilltoponline.com/hom...Story_id=b8fa2cbe-bc08-4d80-b9b5-0831d244695d

'Wacko Jacko' Not So Wacko



By:

Posted: 11/20/07

Michael Jackson. Common first and last name, but when you put them together, there is only one man any of us think of - The King of Pop. Since the age of six, Michael Jackson has treated us to the music that some would say has defined generations.

Songs like "Never Can Say Goodbye," "ABC" and

"I'll Be There" were some of the first songs Michael released with The Jackson 5. Songs like "Beat It," "Bad," "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" and "Thriller" have shaped the way music is made today.

While most 6-year-olds were outside getting muddy on the little league or football field, Michael and his four brothers were in the house on a daily basis, rehearsing songs and dances for their soon-to-be hit group. Many psychologists say this is the basis for his "creative" way of life.

The December issue of Ebony magazine displays Michael in his seventh solo cover (he has also had five covers with the Jackson 5 band). Michael, wearing a cream and gold ensemble with wispy jet black hair, is the Michael we all know and love. Some may prefer Michael as he was born, but Michael will always be Michael...black or white.

Aside from more than a dozen albums, more than a dozen No. 1 singles, more than 750 million records sold worldwide and 13 Grammy Awards from his solo career alone, we often view Michael Jackson as "different." We regard him as being "so cute" when he was a part of the Jackson 5, but when his hair texture started to change little by little, followed by the shape of his nose and his skin color, we began to regard him as "weird."

There were also the unforgettable incidents involving Michael, such as dangling one of his children over a hotel balcony and allegations that he molested a number of young boys at his multi-million dollar Neverland ranch. These acts and characteristics began the trend of distance from Michael Jackson. People began to see him as almost not human - a strange being that lurked behind the untouchable gates of his estate.

The article and interview in Ebony magazine, however, puts some human characteristics to the name of Michael Jackson, also often known as "Wacko Jacko."

The photographs of him laughing and conversing with Quincy Jones and other producers give a personal aspect to Michael. Descriptions by the writer, detailing his interaction with his youngest son, Prince Michael Jackson II (aka "Blanket"), also give him a human-like quality he seemed to lack before. Many did not believe these children existed, let alone that they belonged to him. They were first and foremost white in color, and no matter what color Michael changes his skin to, his DNA still reads "black," so to speak.

Photographs of him acting goofy and silly during the photo shoot are a clear indication that Michael is no longer the sad, serious creature we once believed him to be. He is no longer the "smooth criminal" (no pun intended) with a serious demeanor that the media and courtroom tried to prove him to be.

Michael Jackson is Michael Jackson, and no matter his appearance or demeanor, you cannot deny the trail he blazed for so many current artists, such as Chris Brown, Ne-Yo (whom Michael considers to be one of the best performers, according to his Ebony interview), and Usher.
© Copyright 2007 The Hilltop
 
Thank You! That Frank Dileo article is fabulous! I'm almost in tears! I wish there was some way Michael & Frank could get together again :D Thanks for posting!
 
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