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Michael Jackson – This is it!

This Is It was a series of 50 sold out concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at the The O2 arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through March 2010. Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin, Jackson died of a cardiac arrest.

Jackson promoted the concerts by appearing at a press conference on the arena site. AEG Live, the concert promoters, released a promotional video that took up an entire commercial break, setting a record for ITV.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009, following a cardiac arrest, eighteen days before his planned first show. AEG Live, who persuaded Jackson to sign up for the shows, is currently facing a liability of up to £300 million and an empty venue for the next nine months. The O2 arena has stated that full refunds, including all ticket service charges, will be available to those who purchased tickets through authorised agents, but that “fans will have the option to be sent the actual tickets they would have received to attend the shows in lieu of the full refunds which are being offered.” Fans who bought their tickets from private sellers may face difficulties. eBay recommended that purchasers contact their sellers for refunds and stated that those who used PayPal can get their money back if the purchase was made during the last 45 days, then later stated that “all buyers on the site will receive a full refund for their ticket purchase”.

AEG Live recorded one of the last rehearsals prior to his death. Jackson performing his song “They Don’t Care About Us” of June 23, 2009 was released as a short clip of the footage on July 2, 2009. An anonymous AEG Live official reported that Jackson’s final dress rehearsal was recorded and might be released “as a ‘live’ album and DVD.” The rehearsal, held the day before his death, “was recorded in multi-camera high-definition video and multi-track surround-sound audio”. Jackson made a music video, currently known as “Dome Project”, in early June 2009. The video was made to be presented on stage during the This Is It tour while Jackson performed live. It is scheduled to finish post-production in mid-July 2009. Plans for a Michael Jackson tribute concert have been announced, to be held in September 2009. According to AEG, the show will replicate what was planned for the “This Is It” concerts.

Jackson’s family has said it would like to know more about the role of AEG Live in the final weeks of Jackson’s life.

Jackson’s memorial service was held on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, which he had been using extensively as a rehearsal space. Several numbers from “This Is It” were incorporated into the memorial service, using guest performers along with Jackson’s band and dancers. Kenny Ortega stage-managed the service and also gave one of the eulogies.

Michael Jackson’s known love life includes:

Brooke Shields (1984). Jackson and actress/model Brooke Shields had a brief, but well-publicized relationship in 1984.

Madonna (1991). Whether it was a one-night stand or something else, the King of Pop and the Material Girl raised eye brows when they showed up at the Grammys together in 1991. Published reports at the time said while the entered and left together, both were more interested in other people than each other. However, that didn’t spark a media frenzy.

Lisa Marie Presley (1994-96). Presley became Jackson’s first wife in 1994. Originally meeting when they were children, their whirlwind romance last only four months before the couple married. Presley supported Jackson through rough times in his life—including accusations of child-molestation and drug addiction. Presley helped persuade Jackson to settled the molestation accusations out of court and to enter drug rehabilitation. The couple appeared at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards, sharing a kiss on stage. They divorced in 1996, but remained on friendly terms.

Debbie Rowe (1996-99). Rowe was Jackson’s dermatological nurse in the 1980s helping treat his vitiligo—the condition that significantly lightened Jackson’s skin. As his nurse, Rowe became a source of emotional support for Jackson and a confidant. The relationship didn’t turn physical until 1996. Originally, the couple didn’t plan to marry, but when Rowe became pregnant with Jackson’s child, Michael Joesph Jackson Jr. (or Prince), Jackson’s mother convinced the couple to marry. Rowe also gave birth to Jackson’s second child—daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson—Rowe and Jackson divorced in 1999, and Rowe turned over parental rights to Jackson. In 2006, Jackson and Rowe began to share custody of Prince and Paris.