Michael Jackson News

More than one billion cans will be imprinted with the late pop icon's image.
By Gil Kaufman

<P>More than three years after <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jackson_michael/artist.jhtml">Michael Jackson's</a> <a href="/news/articles/1614744/michael-jackson-dies-at-50.jhtml">death</a>&#8232;, the pop icon will be at the beach, the pool, the 7-Eleven and everywhere in between this summer thanks to a new deal with PepsiCo.</P><P>According to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304746604577381792902984470.html?KEYWORDS=pepsi" target="_blank"><I>The Wall Street Journal</I></a> the #2 soda company is going back to the future with a massive campaign that will have Jackson's image imprinted on more than one billion cans of soda as part of its new global "Live For Now" marketing push.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Remembering Michael Jackson - One Year Later" id="id:1642144" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>Nearly 30 years after Jackson first agreed to be the voice of the brand, an agreement has been reached with Jackson's estate, though reps for both sides declined to disclose the financial terms of the deal. When Jackson signed on to shill Pepsi in 1984 he was paid a then-record $5 million. A representative for the estate said the PepsiCo campaign is the first branding deal executed since Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50.</P><P>While Jackson was handsomely paid in the 1984 deal, it was during the filming of an ad for that sponsorship that his life was forever altered. While shooting a commercial for Pepsi, a pyro effect went wrong and Jackson's hair caught fire, seriously burning his face and scalp and requiring multiple skin grafts and resulting in intense pain. It has been speculated that Jackson's addiction to pain medications may have begun after the mishap.</P><P>The new campaign is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Jackson's <I>Bad</I> album. PepsiCo will start distributing the special-edition cans in China this weekend and they will arrive in the U.S. later this month. The 16-ounce, collector's-edition can in the U.S. will feature a special download code that will link to downloads of <I>Bad</I> remixes. Though TV ads will debut in China later this month, it has not been determined yet if similar spots will air in the U.S.</P><P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></p>

• Remembering Michael Jackson - One Year Later

• Michael Jackson

Departed artists like Whitney Houston, Queen's Freddie Mercury and John Lennon also get mentions from fans in Times Square.
By Kate Callahan

<P><b>NEW YORK</b> &#8212; After the <a href="/news/articles/1683238/tupac-coachella-hologram-.jhtml">Tupac hologram performance</a> at Coachella made such a huge splash, the team behind the projection system floated the possibility this week of an <a href="/news/articles/1683909/justin-bieber-elvis-hologram.jhtml">Elvis hologram to perform with Justin Bieber</a>. Even '90s girl group <a href="http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/26/tlc-reunion-tour-left-eye-hologram">TLC is rumored to be considering</a> a virtual version of <a href="/news/articles/1683858/left-eye-tlc-death.jhtml">the late Left Eye</a> on their upcoming tour.</P><P>With all that talk, MTV News hit Times Square to ask fans which departed artists they would most like to see perform in hologram form. While some of those interviewed wanted to see other rappers like the Notorious B.I.G. or Nate Dogg, one fan thought Whitney Houston should get the honors.</P><P><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:764208/cp~vid%3D764208%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A764208" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed></P><P>"I love her, I grew up singing her [songs], just walking around the house when I was seven or eight," Shayana of Houston said.</P><P>Brits Amy Winehouse and John Lennon of the Beatles were also popular picks, and a few rock fans mentioned Queen's flamboyant frontman. "It would have to be Freddie Mercury because Queen were one of the all-time greatest bands and he was a showman," said a fan named Rob.</P><P>Blane Mader would like to see a hologram of another <a href="/news/articles/1683289/tupac-hologram-coachella-future-of-touring.jhtml"> great showman, Michael Jackson</a>.</P><P>"It's a really clich&#233; answer, but in my time I've never seen him and it would just be something awesome to watch," Mader said of the King of Pop.</P><P>Members of the Jackson 5 recently announced that they would love to have a <a href="http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/04/23/michael-jackson-hologram-jackson-brothers-tour">virtual Michael</a> on their upcoming Unity Tour. "Wouldn't that be wonderful? As a matter of fact, we had that idea two years ago for Michael's Cirque du Soleil show," Michael's brother Jackie Jackson told E! News.</P><P><i>Share your wish-list for future hologram performers in the comments below!</i></P><P><center><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></center></p>

• Tupac's Hologram At Coachella

• Michael Jackson
• Amy Winehouse
• Whitney Houston

MTV News gets a behind-the-scenes look at the Cirque Du Soleil tribute to the King of Pop.
By Uptin Saiidi

<P><b>NEWARK</b> &#8212; Since its opening, <a href="/news/articles/1682347/michael-jackson-immortal-cirque.jhtml">Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour</a> by Cirque Du Soleil has honored the King of Pop through music, dance and acrobatics 117 times. Night after night, artists celebrate the life of the late Michael Jackson, but how do they take his iconic legacy and put it into a production? When the tour came to New York City this week, MTV News went behind the scenes to talk with the creative forces and performers to find out.</P><P>The artists (all 65 of them) had limited time to train and learn choreography -- an especially difficult feat when it's honoring MJ's signature moves. It was a kind of pressure that creative director Tara Young certainly learned to channel into a positive force.</P><P><CENTER><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:755805/cp~vid%3D755805%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A755805" width="430" height="242" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed></CENTER></P><P>"I think it is a pressure for sure; something I share with the whole building here is that we have nothing to prove, only to share," Young told MTV News. "We have an opportunity to share what Michael would have wanted to share and the pressure is only there to achieve excellence."</P><P>For Felix Cane, a two-time world champion pole dancer who does a captivating performance to "Danger," it was all about using that pressure to help the audience to remember the pop icon. "You are sharing this passion with them, and this love of MJ. There's times in the show when some people and I, myself, might have shed a few tears."</P><P>That pressure never felt as great as when the Jackson family sat in the front row at a show in Montreal, an experience Young described as "inspiring." When asked what MJ would think if he were sitting there with them, Young smiled, "He would feel such a sense of pride of what he has given us to work with. It evokes emotions in people that they didn't even know were going to come out."</P><P>I think everyone feels inspired, which evokes a certain feeling of change," Young added. "You feel a sadness too because he is not with us anymore, and that is an emotion that is wonderful too actually ... just to honor him."</P><P>The tour will continue in North America through the summer, before heading to Europe this fall.</P><P><i>Have you seen Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour? What did you think? Leave your comment below!</i></P><P><center><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></center></p>

• Michael Jackson

Cirque du Soleil show pays tribute to late icon with world tour.
By Uptin Saiidi

<P><B>NEWARK, New Jersey</B> &#8212; Music, dance and acrobatics combine in celebration of <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jackson_michael/artist.jhtml">Michael Jackson</a>'s iconic life in the "Immortal" World Tour. From trapeze artists to acrobats and even a world-champion pole dancer, guests at the Cirque du Soleil show can expect a high-energy tribute to the legend.</P><P>The tour stopped for two nights in Newark, New Jersey, this past weekend (its 40th stop) and will open Tuesday night (April 3) at New York's Madison Square Garden, where it will remain through Thursday. From there, it will continue across North America through the summer before heading to Europe in the fall.</P><P><center><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:755805/cp~vid%3D755805%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A755805" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed></center></P><P>Having already produced the <a href="http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/love/default.aspx" target="_blank">Beatles "Love" show</a> in Las Vegas, Cirque is no stranger to musical tributes.</P><P>"Immortal" serves as a sensory explosion that starts on the subdued side and progresses in both spectacle and energy. More than 60 artists perform to 32 songs in a presentation that feels much like a concert with an ensemble of circus-inspired acts elegantly melding together. The stage is two levels with a long peninsula extending into the audience, where the majority of the acrobatics takes place. MJ's famed choreographic style was present in nearly all the numbers, and the audacious task of the performers was well-received by the audience.</P><P>The progression of the musical numbers moved seamlessly. The energy kicked into high gear with Jackson-like characters performing "Fanatics Medley" as Jackson 5 &#8212; one of them in MJ's signature fedora and another as a gold-suited mime. Jackson's youth was remembered in "Childhood" during which a recording of Jackson's voice referred to his early stardom as he sang, "Have you seen my childhood?/ It's been my fate to compensate/ For the childhood I've never known."</P><P>While the moving screens, elaborate stage designs and detailed costumes were impressive, one of the most awe-inspiring moments was witnessing what the human body is capable of during the pole-dancing number. Felix Cane, a two-time world pole-dancing champion, maneuvered in the sky dancing on a pole &#8212; with no harness &#8212; appropriately performing to "Dangerous," as the audience was captivated by her every move.</P><P>Another highlight was "Human Nature," during which the back screens were dominated by Neverland graphics and an image of a young Michael sitting on the moon. In front of the backdrop, a half-dozen artists wrapped in multicolored LED costumes soared through the air in sync, representing the constellations.</P><P>"Beat It" got the crowd moving while they watched performers in MJ's signature accessories, including his famous glove and penny loafers, dance in dynamic movement. A rock-infused duel between an electric guitar and electric cello capped the song.</P><P>After an elaborate performance to "Black or White," as the night seemed to be over and the audience slowly started spilling into the aisles, the lights illuminated one last time for an encore to "Man in the Mirror." The artists appeared to take a bow in front of exploding fireworks.</P><P><i>Have you seen "Immortal"? Share your review below!</i></p>

• Michael Jackson

'You will always remember where you were ... when you heard the news,' Simon Cowell says, echoing the sentiments after Jackson's death.
By Tomika L. Anderson

<P>Few people will forget where they were when they heard that the King of Pop, <a href="/news/articles/1614744/michael-jackson-dies-at-50.jhtml">Michael Jackson, had died</a> in June 2009. And now, the same can be said for 1980s and '90s <a href="/news/articles/1679029/whitney-houston-dead.jhtml">Queen of Pop Whitney Houston</a>.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Celebrities React To Whitney Houston's Passing" id="vid:733106.id:1679030" width="240" height="211"></div><p></P><P>The beloved, long-suffering singer died Saturday inside a Beverly Hills hotel room, hours before she was expected to attend a <a href="/news/articles/1679046/whitney-houston-dies-grammys-clive-davis.jhtml">pre-Grammy Awards party thrown by her longtime mentor Clive Davis</a>.</P><P>And while the official cause of death is yet unknown &#8212; what's been speculated so far is that <a href="/news/articles/1679049/whitney-houston-dies-details.jhtml">Houston may have drowned</a> in the bathtub after taking prescription drugs, including Xanax &#8212; given her very public struggle with substance abuse, depression and anxiety over the past decade, it's hard not to conclude that some drug- or alcohol-related accident may have been to blame.</P><P>It's much like, most recently, British singer Amy Winehouse and the late, great Michael Jackson before her, who died after taking a fatal cocktail of propofol and two other drugs. Also like Jackson, Houston's sudden death &#8212; at the age of 48 &#8212; has stopped the world in its tracks, an enormous, one-of-a-kind musical flame forever extinguished.</P><P>Even Jackson's brother, Jermaine &#8212; who was first introduced to Houston years ago by Clive Davis at the same Beverly Hills Hilton where the singer passed away &#8212; could not help but draw the comparison. In an interview with CNN overnight, he paid tribute to the two fallen musical giants. "They shared a lot of success in the late '80s and they were great friends," he said. "I'm happy and honored to have been a part of their lives."</P><P>And oh, what lives they led: Like Jackson &#8212; who died at just 50 years old, after years of struggling with personal demons &#8212; Houston, too, had an intensely profound and everlasting impact on the world of entertainment.</P><P>Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and countless other chart-topping entertainers have all name-checked her as their musical mentor, icon and inspiration: To date, she is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with more than 170 million albums, songs and videos sold.</P><P>In her lifetime, Houston achieved what precious few of them have or ever will &#8212; stacking an astonishing 415 awards, including six Grammys, two Emmys, 22 American Music Awards, 30 <i>Billboard</i> Awards.</P><P>Her voice, in its prime, was a national treasure.</P><P>"X Factor" mastermind Simon Cowell may have summed it up the best: On "Piers Morgan Tonight," he said, "She was one of the greatest voices in our lifetime. Whitney was the number one singer that other singers want to emulate. People like that can't be manufactured. They've either got, it or they don't."</P><P>He added, "You will always remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news."</P><P>Like Michael before her, gone too soon.</P><P><center><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:733107/cp~id%3D1679030%26vid%3D733107%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A733107%26instance%3Dmtv" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed></center></P><P><b>MTV News' Sway and James Montgomery will be live from the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/grammys/">Grammys</a> red carpet tonight starting at 5 p.m. ET to get reactions from music's biggest stars on the death of Whitney Houston. Watch reactions and remembrances at MTV.com.</b></P><P><I>Share your condolences with Whitney's family and friends on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mtvnews/posts/381732435187118&rdquo" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page.</I></p>

• Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon

• Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos

• Whitney Houston
• Michael Jackson

King of Pop's takeover leads to some head-scratching song choices.
By Jim Cantiello

<P>"Glee" paid tribute to Michael Jackson during Tuesday night's episode and, shockingly, kept the story moving along in the midst of several MJ-inspired musical numbers. Kurt, Rachel and Quinn all received great news about college, Rachel finally accepted Finn's proposal and evil Sebastian's plot to harm Kurt with a doctored slushee backfired when Blaine took the hit for his boyfriend.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="'Glee'-Cap: Michael Jackson Takes Over McKinley High" id="vid:730282.id:1671179" width="240" height="211"></div><p></P><P>Yet the forced "all Michael, all the time" song selection led to some head-scratching scenes including Kurt, Rachel and Finn serenading an injured Blaine with Jackson's love song to a rat, "Ben," and two different music-video re-enactments only appealed to Jackson superfans. The rest of us can enjoy my latest "Glee-cap"! Hit play on the embedded video and sing along with these lyrics.</P><P>"Glee," "Glee" 's really hit the skids<br> MJ would have loved all the singing kids</P><P>Time for a tribute<br> Veiled as a dispute<br> They all imitate<br> Michael's vocal takes</P><P>Wish they didn't try<br> To simply ape his sigh<br> I guess "Glee" got paid<br> In tickets to <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/12/07/jackson-family-and-crew-talk-about-new-cirque-du-soleil-show-michael-jackson-immortal/">Cirque du Soleil</a></P><P>It's bad! It's bad! Come on!</P><P>Oh, pointless themed episodes<br> Make me push fast-forward on my TiVo</P><P>Artie's "Scream" remake<br> Complete with head shakes<br> Tired of getting dissed<br> Mike Chang's now his sis?</P><P>Warblers fight for songs<br> No prob doing wrong<br> They're all blindly cruel<br> Since Blaine left their school</P><P>Quinn sang goodbye to every ex<br> Have a seat, this'll take awhile<br> (She's had lots of sex)<br> Quinn got into Yale<br> And I'm all, "How?" <br> Then got distracted by Damian's hyper eyebrows</P><P>They're bad! They're bad! Relax them! <br> If you don't, I will come wax them!</P><P>Slutpig tried to slushee Kurt<br> But Blaine got in the way<br> Left him needing surgery<br> How dare you hurt my gay! <br> Despite Blaine's cute eye patch<br> Kurt is hungry for revenge<br> But that's a different better show on ABC, my friend</P><P>"Glee," drop the shtick, you're better than this<br> Forcing Jackson songs is just as bad as this forced kiss<br> Just because you can afford it doesn't mean it has worth<br> Unless you're trying to give me nightmares<br> In that case, it worked</P><P>No more bells and whistles, please<br> Clever songs are all you need<br> I get it, Ryan Murphy, Blaine had to bleed<br> So <a href="/news/articles/1676997/darren-crisis-how-to-succeed-in-business.jhtml">Darren could star in "How to Succeed"</a></P><P>But making Kurt and Finchel sing "Ben" to Blaine<br> Is the very definition of insane<br> I hope next week they get it right<br> With no stupid guests hogging "Glee" 's spotlight</P><P>[<i>Cue clip of next week's episode starring Ricky Martin</i>]</P><P>Whoops!</P><P><i>What did you think of this week's "Glee"? Let us know in the comments!</i></p>

• Musical 'Glee'-Caps Of Season 3

• Michael Jackson