Hello and Welcome!!!!

If you are still having problems seeing pics, after a long period of time, post in this thread. PLEASE do not start new topics about this. The gallery is being reuploaded as we speak. So in only a matter of time will things be back to normal.

Thanks

^^Steady Laughing and MJJPictures are both down. From what I hear they are having financial troubles but they will be back up.

Just want to wish the beloved Michael J. Jackson a very Happy Birthday..


WE LOVE AND MISS YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!

BillieBee83, on 28 August 2010 - 05:17 PM, said:

As far as I know there is no other info about it. Time looks like circa 1995/1996 at Neverland

MJSunshine, on 23 August 2010 - 04:02 AM, said:

IKR. Michael was a horrible driver. Gosh I cant believe they actually gave him a license.

Quote

I think thats what he's talking about..

Remembering a friend

Today marks the one year anniversary of his death.  Over the course of the next few days you will likely hear his music, see news about his estate or kids, perhaps hear jokes and rumors.  His enormous debt has apparently been lowered from $500M to $300M with income continuing to flow, thanks to the business team controlling his estate.  According to Sony Music, 31 million of his albums have sold since he died.  The movie "This Is It" grossed $260 worldwide.  His videos will be in heavy rotation this weekend, and his lighthearted Captain Eo will continue to draw crowds at Disneyland and Epcot Center in Walt Disney World.

People are beginning to remember that beyond all the tabloid headlines, eccentricities and accusations was a remarkably talented guy who created a soundtrack for millions of people.  He was an entertainer, plain and simple, on stage and off.  He was also a good client, boss, and friend.

Many of you know that I worked with him on countless projects spanning some 18 years.  I have had the opportunity to meet and work with many "famous" people, but none more interesting or polarizing than this man.  When people learn that I worked with him for such a long period of time, they are understandably curious.  Typically, the opening line is, "So, was he as weird as he seemed?".  But I can't really blame them.  The media did a great job of painting him in such a way that it seemed he rode around on a monkey carrying the Elephant Man bones in a backpack wearing pajamas on his way to a Boy Scout camp.  

Recently an article was published by a friend of mine in the Huffinton Post.  It went into great detail about how out of line the press was during his 2005 trial.  The event became a global media circus, with soundbites and sensationalism taking the place of facts.  When 14 jurors found him not-guilty, the story was over and the tents were packed up.  

It is not my job to convince you that he was innocent or "normal."  I can only share memories of working with him in the studio and at his home, known as Neverland Valley Ranch.  

When I wrote the following article shortly after his death, I received countless notes of appreciation for introducing people to the artist that I knew.  I will continue to write and compile these stories, as he was a truly unique individual, and he deeply  impacted my life and career path.

If you can turn down the media madness for just a few minutes, I would like to tell you about a friend of mine that died a year ago.  His name is Michael Jackson.

Gone Too Soon

In 1985 I got married, got my first job in a recording studio (Westlake Audio), and met one of the kindest young men I have ever known, Michael Jackson.  Quite a year.  To Brad and Michaeleven attempt to sum up a nearly 20 year working relationship and friendship with Michael in one article is impossible, but let me try to give you a glimpse into the incredible world I was privileged to be a part of.

Michael was working on Captain Eo for Disneyland and Epcot Center.  He was fresh off the Victory Tour, the Thriller album, his dominance of MTV, and he was back in the studio.  I wish I could remember our first meeting, but it was likely just passing each other in the hallway.  He was always warm, yet shy.  Over time we would chat now and then, but it took time to build the trust.

Around that same time he did an often forgotten album, The ET Storybook.  This was when I met Quincy Jones and Bruce Swedien.  Early in 1986 the team moved into Westlake Studio D in Hollywood to record the BAD album, and welcomed me in.  I worked other sessions during the day, but at night I was invited to sit in and learn.  Eventually I worked my way up to technical director for the team, and the trust was solidified.  It was during this time that Michael nicknamed me "Really Really Brad," a twist on the chorus, "Bad, Bad, Really Really Bad."  Check the album credits, it's there.  

Over the next ten years I worked with Michael doing tour prep for the BAD tour in 1988, then back in the studio for the Dangerous album in Los Angeles, followed by the HIStory album in New York.  Toss in countless music videos, the HIStory tour, the Moonwalker project, Blood On The Dance Floor album, and various side projects, and I got to know him pretty well.

So who was Michael Jackson, and why did he have such a profound effect on my life?  Not for a moment do I pretend to have been a close friend of his, or a confidant.  Rather I worked for him and with him, and considered it an honor.

He was a consummate professional.  If his vocals were scheduled for a noon downbeat, he was there at 10 am, with his vocal coach Seth, singing scales.  Yes, scales.  I would set up the mic, check the equipment, make coffee, and all the while he would sing scales for two hours.

He typically drove himself to the studio alone.  For a while he drove a big Ford Bronco with dents and scrapes on it.  He was not a great driver.  More than once he called into the studio to say he would be late after being in a fender bender.

He was intensely curious about "normal life."  He asked me about Christmas once, and couldn't understand how kids could wait until Christmas morning to open the gifts.  You see, he was raised Jehovah's Witness, so Christmas was not celebrated in the Jackson family.

Since I was so close to this world, let me try to give you some insight.  A "typical" MJ album would take between 10 and 16 months in the studio.  His budget allowed for as many as 100 songs to be recorded for any given project.  Some would be discarded early on, while others were fine tuned.  Musicians would be brought in to add their textures and ideas, but in the center of it all was Michael.  The team was remarkably small given the scope of the projects.  Each project was slightly different, but typically there were less then eight of us working day to day, from the first day until the project was mastered.  No entourage.   No Elephant Man bones.  No groupies.  No drugs.  Just music.  And food.

During the BAD album, Fridays quickly became known as "family day."  He would have his two chefs, affectionately known as the Slam Dunk Sisters, prepare a large dinner for the crew, musicians and any family members that might be around. Since I was working sometimes 80 hours a week, it was not uncommon for Deb to come have dinner with us.  Michael loved these family get togethers.  In later projects I would bring my girls, whom he loved and would play with.  There is one moment in time in my head when Deb brought my daughter Amanda, who was just a baby at the time, into the studio for the afternoon.  She set up a play mat and brought some toys, and Michael sat and played with her for a while.  He looked at Deb and said, "This is her own little world, isn't it?"

Brad and MJ playing Jenga

When you work in this environment, your sense of normal begins to shift.  It was not uncommon for celebrities or VIPs to stop in.  One day the Secret Service searched the building for a couple hours before Nancy Reagan came for a visit.  Next it was Princess Stephanie from Monaco.  (She has a cameo on the song "In The Closet.")  The chimps were common guests in the studio, as was a giant snake, both of which I would wind up holding during MJ's vocals.  Michael loved mixing fun and work, but work always came first.

I have watched him write many songs, and the process is amazing.  I asked him where they came from, and he said they were gifts from God.  He could hear the entire song in his head before we could get tape on the machines.  He would sometimes sing the drums, bass, percussion, keyboards, etc., and we would later bring in musicians to replace his demo tracks.

His lounge would be decorated with Disney posters and old Hollywood memorabilia.  He loved innocence, and displayed gentleness, humor and patience.

This driving work ethic also had to escape from time to time.  There were many days we would show up at the studio, only to find he had flown to Europe or Japan for a few days, and neglected to tell us.  This sometimes meant an unscheduled few days off for us, which was awesome.  

There were however memories that he would sometimes share about the endless travel and work schedule when he was just a boy.  I remember him telling me about grown women throwing themselves at him when he was just 9 or 10 years old.  One story I will never forget was him telling of flying with his dad and brothers through a lightening storm at night.  The plane was being tossed around, lightening was flashing, and he started crying in fear.  His dad ignored him, embarrassed.  A flight attendant sat with until the plane cleared the storm.  Hearing him tell that story, with tears in his eyes, gave a glimpse into his life.

There are few people I have worked so closely with for so long than Michael Jackson.  There were many months when I spent more time with him than I did my own wife.  Somewhere around 1991 he asked me to visit a ranch he had purchased, and design a sound system for a carousel.  The next thing I knew I was at Neverland Valley Ranch, in Santa Ynez, CA.  There was construction everywhere, and the amusement park was in the early stages of installation.  Over the next few years Michael asked me to build system after system, putting music on the bumper cars, in the petting zoo, on two trains, all around the amusement park, the boat lake, the train stations, and eventually inside the house, and inside his bedroom and bathroom.  Deb loves to tell of the times Michael would call at 2 in the morning (his sleep schedule was never normal) to talk to me about a new attraction he had coming to Neverland, and if I would put music on it.  I still have an old answering machine tape of him thanking me for one of the systems we had built.

Michael had very little patience when it came to new rides.  When the second train was ordered for the ranch, we were flown to Ohio to install the lights and music before it was trucked to California.  That way, as soon as it rolled off the truck onto the track it was ready for Michael.  He lived for those moments!

In it's day, Neverland Valley was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  He loved that ranch.  He could act like a kid, drive golf carts, throw water balloons and just have fun.  Week after week the buses would roll in, bringing inner city kids, Make A Wish kids, friends and families.  I have been there with sick kids whose dying wish was to spend a day with Michael.

As Neverland grew, I got the bug to continue building systems, and eased out of the recording studio.  Soon I was working for Elizabeth Taylor, building a massive outdoor music system for her, followed by my good friend Quincy Jones.

This was the Michael I knew.  Innocent, perhaps child-like at times, but not childish.  A professional who worked to be the best performer in the world, yet knew how to have fun.   If he was comfortable, he would laugh and joke with everyone, but if someone was there that made him uncomfortable, he would disappear.  

We used to say there were two Michaels:  the one we worked with, and the one who went on stage in front of 100,000 people and entertained them. There have always been singers and dancers, but Michael was in a class by himself.  I have been to perhaps 12 of his concerts (my daughter Amanda was on stage with him in Paris with several other kids singing "Heal The World"), and there is really no one that comes close to his level of artistry.    

Yes, there were allegations.  No, I don't believe them.

Yes, he changed his color and facial shape.  No, I really don't care.

I have worked with plenty of normal looking people who thrive on pain and anger.  I'll take a guy who might be abnormal looking and eccentric yet shows kindness, love, generosity, patience, humor and humility any day of the week.  I could write page after page of simple acts of kindness I have seen firsthand.

But the eccentricities increased.  

The last time I spoke with Michael was around 2003.  He wanted some additional work done at the ranch, but clearly things had changed.  It was an awkward conversation between us, with me declining to do the work for what he was offering.  Then he drove away in a golf cart.  As I walked to my car, I knew it was the last time I would ever see him. I remember looking across the valley with the amusement park well past it's prime, the grass not as green as it once was, and Michael driving over the bridge back to his house.  I was a long way from that hallway in a studio where we first met nearly 20 years before.  

But I would not trade a minute of it.

Thank you Michael, for letting me be a small part of your world.  You have taught me more than you will ever know.  Your friendship and trust is something I will always cherish.  Rest in peace my friend.

Brad.

[Source]

[Spanish Translation @ MJHideOut.com]

blackat, on 22 August 2010 - 12:52 PM, said:

LMAO

I did the same thing to my folders for MJ. I'm still in the process of organizing them. Is it bad that my Bad folder holds the majority of my MJ photos. LOL

Welcome to MJPC!!!!!

I guess this means I need to get a PS3 or a game console that supports this. lol

Thanks for telling your story. I'm happy that you just decided not to listen to what everyone else said and stand up for Mikey. He would've loved it.

It's so amazing how he could do that.

WOW

I'll see if I have any stashed away on my laptop to upload.

Ubisoft has announced that 'Michael Jackson: The Experience' will be playable at 'GamesCon' in Germany from August 18 - 22!


http://news.google.c...MgBvhrw_zoYHPRM

I think it's amazing what this group does.

I plan on going to FL next summer with some friends. Fingercrossed that Captain EO will still be showing!!!

Welcome. *waves*

Glad to have you here.

Hmm

I like MITM, TWYMMF and Dirty Diana the most. But Smooth Criminal always gets me moving especially the Moonwalker version.

As he came into the window
It was the sound of a crescendo
He came into her apartement
He left the bloodstains on the carpet
She ran underneath the table
He could see she was unable
So she ran into the bedroom
She was struck down, it was her doom
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok, are you ok Annie?

(Annie are you ok?)
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
(There's a sign in the window)
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
(He came into your apartement)
(He left the bloodstains on the carpet)
(The you ran into the bedroom)
(You were struck down)
(It was your doom)

Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
You've been hit by
You've been hit by - a smooth criminal

So they came into the outway
It was Sunday
What a black day
Every time I tried to find him
He's leaving no clues
Left behind him
And he had no way of knowing
Of the suspect
Or what to expect
Mouth to mouth resuscitation
Sounding heartbeats
Intimidations

Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok, are you ok Annie?
(Annie are you ok?)
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
(There's a sign in the window)
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
(He came into your apartement)
(Left the bloodstains on the carpet)
(Then you ran into the bedroom)
(You were struck down)
(It was your doom)

(Annie are you ok?)
(So, Annie are you ok?)
(Are you ok Annie?)
(You've been hit by)
(You've been struck by - a smooth criminal)

[Police]
Okay, I want everybody to clear the area right now!

Aaow!
(Annie are you ok?)
I don't know!
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
I don't know!
(There's a sign in the window)
I don't know!
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
I don't know!
(He came into your apartement)
I don't know!
(Left the bloodstains on the carpet)
I don't know why baby!
(The you ran into the bedroom)
I don't know
(You were struck down)
(It was your doom - Annie!)

(Annie are you ok?)
Dad gone it - baby!
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
Dad gone it - baby!
(There's a sign in the window)
Dad gone it - baby!
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
Hoo! Hoo!
(He came into your apartement)
Dad gone it!
(Left the bloodstains on the carpet)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
(The you ran into the bedroom)
Dad gone it!

(You were struck down)
(It was your doom - Annie!)
Aaow!!!

Lovely, on 12 August 2010 - 02:20 PM, said:

Welcome to the forum Lovely. I hope you enjoy your stay here!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Michael Jackson's Irish hideaway | Travel | The Observer
Even in the context of the bizarre, twisted fairy tale of Michael Jackson's life, the time he spent living in a converted cowshed in rural Ireland shortly before he died takes some believing. But in the summer of 2006, after his acquittal in the previous year's court case, having left Neverland and spent some time in Bahrain, the King of Pop secretly arrived in County Westmeath with his children. Relieved he had found a sanctuary away from the paparazzi and enchanted by an area so rich in history, myth and folklore, Jackson ended up staying for the rest of the year.


Michael Jackson stayed at Coolatore House in County Westmeath. Photograph: Colin O'Toole


I've been given some odd assignments by the Observer, but none quite so off the wall as sleeping in what used to be Michael Jackson's bed, after discovering that the Irish country homes he stayed in are now available to rent for weekend breaks.

Grouse Lodge is a secluded Georgian estate located down an unsigned, winding, potholed gravel drive near the village of Rosemount. It was converted into a residential recording studio in 2002 by owners Paddy and Claire Dunning, and has been used by everyone from REM to Doves, Muse to Ms Dynamite, Snow Patrol to Shirley Bassey. Paddy is a modern-day renaissance man in his mid-40s whose life at times seems only slightly less fantastical than Jackson's. He started out as a Dublin dustman and became one of the founding fathers of the resurgence of the Temple Bar district of the capital. Now his Dublin businesses include Temple Lane Studios, the Sound Training Centre, the Button Factory nightclub and The National Wax Museum Plus.

In 2006 a woman called Grace Rwaramba arrived to check out Grouse Lodge studio for an unnamed A-list pop star. She liked what she saw and booked the studio plus a three-bed cottage on the grounds that had been converted from a cowshed. But she still didn't reveal who the artist was. Paddy and Claire only discovered the identity of their new lodger when a bus turned up and out trooped Prince Michael Junior, Paris and Blanket, followed by their father Michael Jackson, nanny Grace and the children's tutor.

Grouse Lodge is set around an old farmyard, and there's a collection of converted outbuildings that form a second grassed courtyard, none of which is visible from the road, so it's not hard to see why Jackson felt safe and secluded here. He began work on new material at Grouse Lodge with Will.I.Am and Rodney Jerkins, producers who flew in from America.


Paddy Dunning in front of Coolatore

Jackson fell in love with County Westmeath and, after a month in the converted cowshed, moved to the equally secluded neighbouring estate of Coolatore, also owned by the Dunnings. Because Jackson didn't have his own driver in Ireland, Paddy enlisted local taxi driver Ray O'Hara to drive Michael and the kids around in a borrowed people carrier with blacked-out windows.

The Dunnings somehow managed to keep the fact that the King of Pop was in residence a secret for several months. Even when Jackson began to venture out and there were rumoured sightings of him in the nearby villages of Moate or Kilbeggan, the Dunnings would deny all knowledge. "If someone said to me I've heard Michael Jackson is there, I would tell them: 'Yeah, so is Elvis Presley!' says Paddy.

The only security Grouse Lodge arranged was to post three guards on rotation at the top of the drive to intercept unwelcome visitors. When word eventually began to leak out, locals in the know became protective of Jackson, sending reporters the wrong way, and one farmer even threatened to empty his slurry trailer over the car of a paparazzo.

The Irish Midlands are often overlooked by people rushing from Dublin to Galway or other parts of the west coast, but it's a magical land dotted with ringforts and medieval castles. Within a few miles of Coolatore are the twin historic hills of Cnoc Aiste and Uisneach; there's Lough Ennell and Lilliput, where Jonathan Swift first conceived Gulliver's Travels (Paddy is planning on an eco village in woods near Lough Ennell, along with a seven-storey model of Gulliver); and Locke's Distillery in Kilbeggan, now a museum. There are also a few local pubs that haven't changed for decades, such as the William Fox in Loughnavalley, and Gunnings in Rathconrath, which doubles as shop, newsagent, garage and community centre.

Traditionally, the hill of Uisneach is the geographical centre of Ireland. It's only 600ft high, but from the top you can see 20 counties on a clear day. It was the ancient seat of the kings of Meath, the most sacred site in the world in Pagan times, and home of the ancient festival of the fires, Bealtaine, which attracted Egyptians up the Shannon 2,000 years ago. It's also home to the Cat Stone (or Stone of Divisions), said to be the burial place of the goddess Ériu (who gave her name to Ireland, or Eire) and where the ancient provinces of Ireland were divided.

Uisneach is now part of the farm belonging to David Clarke, and on 1 May this year, Clarke and Paddy organised the first Festival of the Fires for more than 1,000 years, attracting a diverse mix of locals, farmers, clairvoyants, witches, wizards and gurus from far and wide. A beacon was lit on Uisneach, sparking a chain of fires on 73 different hills across the country, from Dingle to Donegal. "Michael was interested in history," says Paddy, "and smitten by the intricacies of Irish music."

The Dunnings have a wealth of stories from the time they spent with Jackson. "One night we ended up in the studio," Paddy recalls. "Michael was on the drums, I was playing guitar and [American producer] Nephew was on the keyboards and we just started getting a rhythm together, and slowly but surely Nephew just creeped the song in to 'Billie Jean'. It was just mad playing 'Billie Jean' with Michael Jackson – I never thought I'd do that."

Paddy is a natural raconteur. He tells me how, when he bought the Wax Museum Plus – Dublin's answer to Madame Tussauds – the resident Elvis was looking a little tired, so Paddy retired him, placing him in the woods by Coolatore. He had forgotten about him until Michael Jackson came in from a walk one day looking shaken. "Paddy," he said, "I just met my father-in-law in the woods!"


The waxwork Elvis in the woods.

Towards the end of his stay in Westmeath, Jackson started to look at prospective houses to buy. When the Dunnings bought a further property, Bishopstown House, a derelict Georgian estate a mile or so away, Jackson visited it and discussed the renovations with Paddy. So, although it would be a little disingenuous to call Bishopstown the House that Jacko built, it's certainly the house built with Jacko in mind. Jackson had a base in London for his ill-fated 50-date run of gigs at the O2, but according to Paddy he also planned to spend time in Ireland, escaping the media glare of the English capital.

Both Coolatore and the newly converted Bishopstown are now available for hire. Coolatore is the larger estate of the two – a beautiful 1866 Victorian country retreat with long halls and vaulted ceilings, grand living and dining rooms, a library and a hidden staircase that leads down to a basement bar installed by the Guinness family. Bishopstown, having been derelict for years before the Dunnings took it over, has been converted in a much more contemporary style, with a wood- clad extension added to the original Georgian house, along with a secret fourth-floor roof garden, designed to afford Jackson panoramic views of the countryside without being seen himself. Both houses have six bedrooms and five bathrooms.


The bedroom at Coolatore House where Michael Jackson slept. Photograph: Bryan Meade

The houses are rented primarily as self-catering properties, and if you use all the available beds, they can work out costing €100 a night each. It is also possible to have meals supplied by nearby Grouse Lodge (they can also arrange everything from massages to clay pigeon shooting), with menus focusing on local produce and vegetables grown in their own walled garden. Claire and the staff at Grouse Lodge cooked for Jackson, who favoured a simple, healthy diet of porridge for breakfast and main meals of fish or chicken with vegetables. "The guy was fit – he was getting stronger," Paddy says, "and I reckon if he had lived here and stayed here, he wouldn't have died."

Wait is thread for how many Michael Jacksons concerts we've seen on youtube or in general?


Well in general i've been to a few.

Janet
Chris Brown
Monica
Mary Mary
Shaina Twain
and a few festivals....

Aww MJ was so romantic....

http://koplmp.rapidb....com/index.php?

Michael Jackson Lisa Marie forum. Come Join..

This is for all the MJJLMP lovers...

KOPLMP King of PoP Lisa Marie Presley forum

Michael Jackson Lisa Marie Presley

Hello.

As you all can see my name is tessa#2. I would've put my username as Tessa(my realname btw) but it seems it was already taken lol. I cant wait to start Michaeling with everyone here..