Evidence is sparse that Michael Jackson’s will is a fake

Evidence is sparse that Michael Jackson’s will is a fake

by Kevin Noble Maillard | July 31, 2012 at 8:31 AM

Is Michael Jackson’s will valid? It depends on who you ask. Janet, Randy, Rebbie, and Jermaine Jackson argue that the executors of their late brother’s estate falsified the will. Their primary argument centers on the discrepancy between the date of the will’s execution and Jackson’s location at that time it was signed. The will was executed on July 7, 2002 in Los Angeles, the same weekend that Michael Jackson was reportedly in New York City. Randy Jackson observed in an interview on Politics Nation with Al Sharpton on MSNBC that Michael “cannot be in two places at one time.”

Even Al Sharpton attested to Michael’s location. “He was in fact in Harlem with me that weekend. That Saturday he was there,” Sharpton concurred on his show. “That Sunday we were out together, and that Monday, he was with Johnny Cochran and I.”

The siblings strongly argue that the conflict of Michael’s location and the stated place of execution proves that the will is false. They claim they are not interested in money, but rather in the proper administration of the estate. In his MSNBC interview, Randy Jackson said that the executors are “using the children to try and put pressure on my mom to try and come out and get her to say things in their favor to kind of clean up their image. They know that they’ve been caught. They know that they falsified a document. And they know that there are questions we want answered.”

Yet, executors John Branca and John McClain insist that their actions are in alignment with Michael’s testamentary intent and his children’s beneficiary interests. In other words, they are just doing their job to see that Michael Jackson’s will is carried out. They have a special duty to serve the interests of the people named in Michael Jackson’s will (which was accepted as valid by the courts): Katherine, Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson.

In many will contests, family members feel entitled to object to the distribution of the estate. Siblings, also known as collateral heirs, often object when disinherited. In reality, not even children are entitled to distribution, as the selection of beneficiaries is entirely left up to the testator. The only person entitled to a minimum share is a surviving spouse, which Jackson did not have. So, the Jackson siblings have no claim on Michael’s estate on the basis of kinship ties.

In addition, no part of Jackson’s will or family trust includes his brothers and sisters. His will makes no mention of his siblings, and neither does his trust—two different documents, both signed on different dates. Michael’s will is actually very short, and only names his executors, beneficiaries, and intention to create a trust. The will directs his executors to “pour” all of his property into the trust, which is a separate written document that goes into much greater detail about distribution. Like the will, the trust—which is uncontested—leaves nothing to his siblings.

The Jackson siblings may have standing to object to the will as blood relatives, yet their brother had no intention of an estate plan that included them. Because there are two documents that fail to mention the siblings, the validity scale tips in favor of Michael Jackson’s executors, because all of Jackson’s actions show that he wanted to provide only for his mother and children.

The siblings are placing a lot of weight on the will’s signature to prove or disprove validity, which is unlikely to be the sole factor of consideration. In order to assess the validity of a will, courts look to extrinsic evidence. This allows a court to resolve any ambiguities, like a flawed description, an incorrect address, or a questionable signature. There would have to be much more extrinsic evidence demonstrating that the current will did not represent the interests of the testator than just the location question.

The trust instrument, dated March 2002, coincides with the intent of the will, dated July 2002. Seven years passed between the execution of the will and Jackson’s death. The named beneficiaries—Michael’s Jackson’s children—are the unsurprising recipients of the testator’s bounty in both the will and the trust documents. Right now, the extrinsic evidence in the form of the trust puts more weight in favor of the will being authentic.

The siblings may argue that the executors replaced Michael’s interests with their own in a falsified version of the will, but they lack sufficient evidence to prove that Michael wanted anything other than to leave everything to his kids with his mother to guide them. His brother’s intent is clear, even if the nature of the signature is ambiguous.

Kevin Noble Maillard is a professor of law at Syracuse University. Follow him on Twitter at @noblemaillard.


Source: http://thegrio.com

Michael Jackson's Kids Met With Attorney After Attempt To Take Them From Their Home

Thank You Jesus . These children need help.  ~Qbee


 Michael Jackson's Kids Met With Attorney After Attempt To Take Them From Their Home

Michael Jackson's children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, met with their court-appointed attorney, Margaret Lodise, on Monday evening after Jermaine, Randy and Janet Jackson attempted to take the kids to Arizona, and Lodise could be going to court on Tuesday to address concerns she has about the kids' well being and safety, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

The King of Pop's children were given their own attorney to represent their best interests after their father tragically died three years ago, and Margaret Lodise was appointed to be their guardian ad litem.

"Margaret went to the house on Monday evening as a meeting with the children was requested," a source close to the situation tells Radar. "This came after Jermaine, Randy and Janet tried to take them out of state. Katherine has now been out of the picture for over a week, and legal options are now being pursued in order to ensure that the children are safe.

"It's certainly extremely concerning to Margaret Lodise that Katherine has been out of town for over a week and that the children haven't spoken to her in that time. Katherine needs to get home quickly because there could be far reaching consequences as far as custody of the kids goes as it pertains to Katherine. It's very likely that Lodise will be going to court as early as Tuesday to express her concerns to the judge, as she has a legal obligation to do so.

"Paris got into a scuffle with her aunt Janet upon entering the house because she told Paris she had to stop posting family information on Twitter. Janet physically tried to take Paris' cell phone from her, but she wouldn't give it up. It was just a very, very unfortunate situation that didn't need to occur. If Katherine isn't physically capable of taking care of the kids anymore, then the Courts are going to get involved, and very quickly. The kids can't be caught in the middle of the ongoing drama of the Jackson family, period."

Meanwhile, as RadarOnline.com previously reported, Jermaine, Randy and Janet Jackson have been barred from their mother Katherine's Calabasas home after attempting to remove the kids from the house on Monday. The situation adds to the ongoing drama with the Jackson family, as Katherine has been in Arizona for more than a week and hasn't spoken to her grandchildren, of whom she is the legal guardian. "It was just total chaos when Jermaine, Randy and Janet descended on the house," the source revealed.

"The plan to take the kids out of the house was going to be a publicity stunt. The kids were going to be paraded into the house in Arizona where Katherine is staying and those photos would be published on a website favored by Randy Jackson."

Paris posted on her Twitter: "8 days and counting . something is really off , this isn’t like her at all .. i wanna talk directly to my grandmother!!<|3"

Reports circulated on Monday night that Trent Jackson was manipulating Paris to post negative things about the family.

"That is absolutely laughable," the source says. "Prince, Paris and Blanket could all be hauled into court to tell the judge what is going on and Paris would reveal that no one forced her to do anything as far as her Twitter is concerned. In fact, the last thing the Jackson family would want is for those kids to testify under oath about what is really going on in the family. The kids are ready to go to court, as they feel the only thing that can bring their grandmother home," the source says.


Source: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives

The Jackson Siblings try to force Michael's Children from their home / MJ Estate makes Statement

Its been 8 days and the Jackson's Sibling still refuse to allow Paris, Prince and Blanket to speak to their  grandmother. Even after Paris pleading publicly on twitter to do so.  The Jackson's have released a very staged looking picture of Katharine looking happy and healthy in Arizona with her daughter Reebie and her fam. So I can notfor the life of me understand why they are not allowing the children to speak to their only guardian and Grandmother by phone.  Something seems very sinister  here in my eyes and I'm very scared and concerned over the well  being of Katherine and Paris Prince and Blanket.  Now the Jackson's siblings after allowing this madness to go on for over week went Monday to try and force the children from their Calabasas  home. The Children refused to go with them. The police were called and Jackson clan  asked to leave the premises.  I think the children do not trust them now after they denied them access to grandma and all they want is to talk directly to their Grandma so they know what they should do.  Its very sad and scary  Michael's children are being used as pawns and place in the middle of the Jackson family disputes. I think they are learning very early why Michael himself kept them at bay :(

Please pray for Michael's  Children. ~ Qbee

Michael Jackson Siblings Barred From Mom's House After Attempting To Remove His Kids

Posted on Jul 23, 2012 @ 08:33PM
WENN/Splash News  By Jen Heger

Jermaine, Randy and Janet Jackson have been barred from their mother Katherine's Calabasas home after attempting to remove their brother Michael's three children from the house on Monday,

The situation adds to the ongoing drama with the Jackson family, as Katherine has been in Arizona for more than a week and hasn't spoken to her grandchildren, of whom she is the legal guardian. "It was just total chaos when Jermaine, Randy and Janet descended on the house.

"Randy was telling Prince Michael he had to leave with them and that he had a private jet chartered to take them all to Arizona to see Katherine. Prince firmly held his ground and told Randy he wasn't going anywhere with them. The security detail prevented the three of them from taking the kids out of state. The cops had to be called and Janet kept saying they had a legal right to be at the house when in fact they don't. The rental house is in the name of Michael Jackson's estate, so they were told to leave immediately. For the time being, they won't be allowed to come back to the rental house and guards at the security gate have been told under no circumstances are they to allow them in. Paris was absolutely hysterical and kept telling her uncles to just bring her grandmother home," a source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com.


"The plan to take the kids out of the house was going to be a publicity stunt. The kids were going to be paraded into the house in Arizona where Katherine is staying and those photos would be published on a website favored by Randy Jackson."

As previously reported Janet was behind Katherine's removal from her home to Arizona, after becoming adamant that her mom needed bed rest and to be checked out by an independent doctor. And a source has revealed that Katherine is doing just fine.


"Katherine is very well,” a family member told RadarOnline.com. “Janet was behind the whole thing – she felt that Katherine needed medical help and was desperate for her to get some bed rest."

"Michael's children are being cared for by their nanny and legal options are being explored about ensuring their safety. The children are very, very smart and they are surrounded by excellent bodyguards that won't allow anything unsavory to happen to them. The kids just want their grandmother back, and want the family drama to end. Now that Paris and Prince are old enough, they understand why Michael didn't have much of a relationship with anyone in the family except for Katherine," the source says.


Meanwhile, Paris Tweeted Monday afternoon, "gotta love family."



Source: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives

T.J. Jackson (3T) replies to Paris tweet / Apparently he is standing with MJ children in this matter

The Estate of Michael Jackson Weighs in

@MJonlineteam

FROM THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL JACKSON

We thank the fans for their keen interest in the matters that have been reported on recently regarding the Estate and Mrs. Jackson. We will not comment any further on the letter we received from certain of the Jackson siblings. We think our letter in response speaks for itself.

We are acutely concerned about the welfare of Mrs. Jackson, and most particularly with Michael's minor children. We are concerned that we do what we can to protect them from undue influences, bullying, greed, and other unfortunate circumstances.

While we do not have standing to directly intervene, we have monitored the situation and will continue to do so. We believe measures are being put in place that will help protect them from what they are having to deal with.

We take these matters very seriously and will continue to report on them as appropriate.

Sincerely,
 John Branca
 John McClain
 Co-Executors
 The Estate of Michael Jackson

Katherine Jackson 'Blindsided' By Her Children's Letter To Michael Jackson's Executors

Created 07/20/2012 - 12:00pm

Katherine Jackson was blindsided by news a letter had been written by several of her children to the executors of Michael Jackson's estate, demanding their resignation, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

As we previously reported, several media outlets obtained a letter allegedly from Janet, Rebie, Tito, Randy, and Jermaine Jackson demanding that the Jackson Estate executors John Branca and John McClain resign immediately because they (the Jackson siblings) believe that the late singer's will was a fake. This comes after three failed legal challenges in the matter already. The letter also alleged that Katherine Jackson was in bad health and had recently suffered a mini-stroke. Katherine's lawyer told CNN she is in good health and did not suffer a mini-stroke.

Katherine "had absolutely NO idea that her children had written to the executors of Michael's estate. Katherine was extremely upset because this isn't something that she would ever authorize or support, period. Katherine has no issues with the executors, and she is satisfied with the work that John Branca and John McClain are doing. Katherine is extremely upset with her children for writing the letter, and is extremely disappointed that the letter was made public," a source close to the matriarch of the Jackson family tells us.

On Wednesday, Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris, put her aunts and uncles on notice and said on Twitter that she will, "defend my beloved family member with all I have, even if it means from other family members. I am going to clarify right now that what has been said about my grandmother is a rumor and nothing has happened, she is completely fine. I will defend my beloved family member with all I have, even if it means from other family members."

According to our sources, the letter was written because "the wrongful death lawsuit that Katherine Jackson was pressured into filing against AEG for the wrongful death of Michael is turning into a disaster. Katherine has been deposed, and it was a grueling process, and it's very taxing on her. The Jackson siblings wrote this letter, even though there have been three failed challenges of the will, and the statute of limitations to contest the will has expired to try and get money from Michael's estate. Make no mistake, this is all about money.

 There is a very good reason why Michael intentionally left his siblings and his father out of the will. Michael's will was very clear, and the beneficiaries are his three children and Katherine. Period. End of story. The Jackson siblings have no legal recourse as far as the will is considered and the person responsible for Michael's death is behind bars, Dr. Conrad Murray," the insider revealed.

At the time of Michael Jackson's death he was over $500 million dollars in debt. Recent court documents filed by the executors state that the estate has a gross earnings of $475 million dollars, and the outstanding debt will soon be whittled down to nothing in the very near future. "Michael Jackson's legacy and the financial legacy has been single-handedly resurrected by John Branca and John McClain, and the lucrative deals they have made for the estate. Many people said that Michael was naive when it came to business, yes, he spent money he didn't have, but the smartest thing he ever did, besides buying the Beatle's record catalogue, was to appoint John Branca and John McClain as the executors. Michael trusted those two men and respected them as human beings. He knew they would always do the right thing, and they have. They have carried out his wishes to the letter,' the source said.

Katherine has requested "increases in her monthly allowance for expenses, and the Estate has never opposed that, and it has always been granted. The only thing Katherine's children are doing now is causing her more stress than she needs. Katherine has an excellent lawyer who looks out for her best interests," the insider stated.

Whenever the executors are about to sign a new contract on behalf of the estate, "the lawyers submit it to the judge for his review. Almost all of the deals are approved by the judge, even though the Estate often isn't required to get approval. There has been absolute transparency in all of the business deals that the executors have made, as well as the debts that have been paid off," the source said.

Source: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/

***************************************

As Posted on MJJCommunity/Ivy

Jen Heger the managing editor at Radar Online has answered questions during a chat at Justice4MJ group with the fans. Caps and bold are her answers

https://www.facebook.com/groups/324254322849/

Do the children (PPB) still have a "guardian ad litem"? It certainly seems as though it would be in their best interest to have one at a time when their own extended family members appear to be attempting to sway their grandmother's opinion. I am concerned that there is an objective third party who is legally able to defend the children's interest while all of this is taking place--

YES-KIDS STILL HAVE GUARDIAN AD LITEM

Since the Will was deemed valid... Is there anyway the other family members, not mentioned in the will, can get the executors to step down? and do these family members have any legal rights at all???

 NOTHING FAMILY CAN DO TO ASK EXECUTORS TO STEP DOWN & THE JOHN'S WOULDN'T DO ANYWAY. FAMILY HAS NO LEGAL RECOURSE AS FAR AS MAKING ANY CLAIMS OF MJ'S ESTATE.


What makes the "family" think that the will is unvalide? Because Michael didn't leave them any money? I can see Michael feeling that his sibs are all adults and need to support themselves.

 MJ'S SIBLINGS LETTER THIS WEEK TO EXECUTORS IS ALL ABOUT $$$  SADLY.

do we know who was the author of that letter-

NOT DEFINITIVELY. I'M TOLD THIS IS BEING DRIVEN MAINLY BY JERMAINE & RANDY.

I am curious as to the legality of the letter that was leaked to the media from the member of the family involved since it appeared poorly constructed and was full of errors etc.

 EXCELLENT QUESTION--LETTER HAS NO LEGAL STANDING WHATSOEVER.

are all signatures real?

APPEARS LIKELY SINCE JANET, RANDY, JERMAINE TWEETED IT WAS AUTHENTIC. ETC.

do you have a copy of the document?

 NO, BUT HAVE READ IT ONLINE FROM THE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MEDIA OUTLETS THAT PUBLISHED IT.

What is behind the timing of this letter, was the Estate notified before it was sent to the media?

 NO, NOR WAS THE ESTATE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND BEFORE PUBLISHED. SOURCES CLOSE TO EXECUTORS WERE BAFFLED BY THE TIMING & THE CONTENTS OF THE LETTER.

.do you know why Katherine was taken to AZ?

TO GET HER OUT OF TOWN WHEN THIS LETTER WAS "LEAKED" TO THE MEDIA

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MEDIA TO FULLY VET A STORY BEFORE GOING WITH IT. THAT LETTER CONTAINED NO NEW INFORMATION, AND HAS NO LEGAL STANDING. ALL IT DID WAS UPSET MJ'S CHILDREN, AND CAUSE MORE STRESS TO THOSE CHILDREN. IF YOU ARE GOING TO PUBLISH THAT LETTER, YOU NEED TO AT LEAST BE FAIR AND GET RESPONSE FROM ESTATE.

Where are you getting your info from?

SOURCES VERY CLOSE TO THE SITUATION.

Considering Paris's involvement yesterday, has she been able to talk to Katherine?

NO, NOT YET. MRS. J IS STILL OUT OF TOWN AT THE SPA.

Who is with the kids? THEIR NANNY

Do you think this is part of a larger plan to get Katherine deemed unfit being their guardian, so they can get access to the money via guardianship? and if so what is that likelihood?

 YES. BUT THE ESTATE WOULD ABSOLUTELY OPPOSE THE MRS J'S CHILDREN BEING GIVEN CONSVERATORSHIP OF HER BUSINESS & FINANCIAL AFFAIRS. THEY WOULD WANT AN INDEPENDENT PERSON APPOINTED, BUT THAT ISN'T IN PLAY NOW AS SHE IS IN GOOD HEALTH (FOR SOMEONE HER AGE)

It was reported Janet was with Katherine, pics have surfaced from Italy with her vacationing with her boyfriend..do we know is Katherine alone?

NO, NOT ALONE. REBY IS MOST LIKELY WITH HER.

does the Estate have any recourse to the continued harassment by the Jackson's?

YES THAT IS ALL I CAN SAY AT THIS POINT.

LET ME ALSO SAY THIS -- THE LETTERS THE MJ FANS HAVE WRITTEN IN SUPPORT OF THE EXECUTORS & AGAINST THE SIBLINGS HAVE BEEN READ BY THEM. THEY ARE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF IT.

THE EXECUTORS ARE COMMITTED TO HONORING MJ'S WISHES, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHILDREN & MRS. J.

Has the Estate has seen the letter written by MJJC?

 YES, YES, YES.

What do you think the next step will be for all parties involved?

 GOOD QUESTION, YOU CAN NEVER PREDICT WHAT THE JACKSON FAMILY WILL DO/SAY/CLAIM - I'M REFERRING TO MJ'S SIBLINGS.

Any idea where Michael's siblings would be able to come up with the sort of funds necessary to fight the estate?

EVEN IF THEY HAD THE MONEY, THERE IS NO FIGHT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T CONTEST BECAUSE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS TO DO SO HAS PASSED.

Do you think we'll see a statement from Katherine about the letter by her kids?

 I SINCERELY DOUBT IT AS SHE LOATHES HAVING THIS DRAMA PLAY OUT IN THE PRESS.

Is Diana Ross still involved with the kids, she was Michael wish to tke care of the kids after his mother...?

YES, MS. ROSS IS

You can read or join the ungoing discussion at  MJJCommunity

http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/forums/11-Michael-Jackson-The-News-And-The-Announcements

Open Letter On Behalf Of Michael Jackson Fans in Support of MJ Estate

An open letter from the Michael Jackson Fan communties respectfully addressing the Jackson Sibling's letter and showing support for The Michael Jackson Estate, Katherine Jackson and the Children. ~Qbee


Open Letter On Behalf Of Michael Jackson Fans in Support of MJ Estate

Michael Jackson's fan base is aware of derogatory statements made by certain members of the Jackson family, against the executors of his Estate. We are shocked and saddened that propaganda, rather than seeking avenues to address their concerns legally, have been used to gain sympathy. While we most certainly support the beneficiaries of Jackson's Estate, Katherine Jackson and Michael's children, we equally support the executors, Mr. John Branca and Mr. John McClain.

Jackson's fans understand that the task both Branca and McClain took on when Michael died was staggering. Weighted in nearly $400 million in debt, with an overwhelming amount of pending lawsuits, the Executors took the reins of the Estate and went to work.

Posthumously, the Executors have ensured the highest grossing music documentary of all time, This Is It, two successful albums, the number one tour in the world, Cirque du Soleil's IMMORTAL, sold millions of Michael Jackson The Experience video games, and are planning a huge release for the 25th anniversary of Jackson's legendary Bad album. Although every fan does not agree with all decisions the Estate has made, we agree that overall, the Estate has done well in preserving Michael's legacy. In addition, we agree with the Estate, that "false and defamatory accusations grounded in stale Internet conspiracy" do nothing to promote the positive ethic Michael Jackson espoused while alive.

In three years, Jackson's Estate is thriving, nearly debt free and Michael Jackson's music is still at the forefront of the music industry. We wholeheartedly support Michael Jackson's final wishes; that he trusted both John Branca and John McClain to continue his message through his music. The Michael Jackson fan base thanks the Executors for continuing to do just that, with grace and dignity.


Sincerely,

MJJCommunity, MJJUnderground, MJJJusticeProject, United4MJsLegacy, MJ Fans of NYC, MJ4Justice, Justice4MJ, TributoMJ, MJTruthNow, MJNation, SOMJ, Canadian MJ Fan Club, The Jam Café, Michael Jackson Vindication 2.0, Stop Global Airwave Abuse, Michael Jackson fans of Montreal, MJHellas.gr , MJFSC, JacksonVillage, MJJUniverse, MJJsource.eu, Jackson Québec, One Rose For Michael J. Jackson,

************************************

* Note to fan groups: Please sign the letter and post it at your websites,blogs, forums, facebook and twitter accounts. Notify us and we'll add your name to the list.
* Note to individual fans: Please post the letter at your blogs, facebook and twitter accounts and help with circulation of it.

Letter was drafted at MJJCommunity
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/123543-Open-Letter-from-MJ-fans-in-Support-of-MJ-Estate

Michael Jackson’s Siblings Demands Estate’s Executors Resignation / Estate Responds

I am just so flabbergasted over this ill written letter sent to the tabloids by Randy Jackson  and to the Executors of Michael Jackson's Estate a few days ago.  The amount of slander/defamation in this letter is incredible. Below the letter you  will find a response from the Estate and a link to a fan rebuttal of the letter point by point.  Half of the Jackson family have refused to sign it and that includes Katherine. They went over her head and are even attacking her advisers. This is insane. They come a cross as bitter disgruntled siblings angry because they were left out of Michael's will.  Katherine and the children are very well supported and taken care of by the Estate. Branca and Mclain are doing a phenimonal  Job in builing MJ's Estate as was just reported they have made over $475Million for Michael's Estate and will pay off the loan against The Sony/ATV catalog by the end of the year. Plus all the great #ONE projects they are offering to the fans right now.now. Michael is  about to shine again with the release of BAD25  when will this stop  ~ Qbee

Michael Jackson’s Siblings Demands The Estate’s Executors Resignation

Dear Mr Branca and Mr McClain,

With all due respect, and after meaningful thought and consideration, we address this letter directly to you.

WE insist that you resign effective immediately as executors from the estate of our brother, Michael Joe Jackson. For good cause we make this appeal to you, as will be represented thereon in this letter, and further revealed in the coming weeks.

Since passing of Michael, our beloved brother, you have failed to perform your duties as executors of his estate, but what you have not failed at is taking advantage of a grieving mother, father and a grieving family. Your egregious behavior first become obvious only days after his death. John Branca, when we called you regarding the will you didn’t want to interrupt your vacation. You said you wouldn’t return for four days, at which time you presented to our family an incomplete Will. The Will you presented did not have our brothers signature on it, nor did it have a signature page attached to it. When asked about the missing signature page, John Branca replied, ”it was on its way, and you were having just a little problem finding it.”

The shock of Michael’s sudden unexpected passing was overwhelming to our family, to say to least. At that time we could’t possible fathom what is so obvious to us now: that the Will, without question, it’s Fake, Flawed and Fraudulent.

Amongst many other inconsistencies in the Will, there is also conflict around Michael’s location on the day he supposedly signed the Will, July 7, 2002. According to what is witnessed in the document, it is impossible and illogical that he could have been in two places at one time. We have evidence that undoubtedly supports and proves that Michael was absolutely not in Los Angeles, California, on the date of his signature reflected in the Will at-hand.

Our brother told us, in no uncertain terms and without hesitation in the moths prior to his death, that he despised both of you and that he did not want either of you to have anything to do with his life or estate for that matter. We know that and you knew that. We believe you relied on the presumption that no one would be so bold as to suggest that you would perpetrate such unconscionable deceit; but you were wrong.

Tragically your deceitful actions abrogate our brother’s hopes and dreams for the lives of his children, family and legacy. Even worse still is what you have done and continue to do right now to our mother since you fraudulently assumed the position as the executors of the estate of her son. You keep lying to her, you manipulate her, and you make promises that you know will never happen. In the midst of such promises, on two occasions, you’ve managed to get her to agree to increase your percentage of the gross income from out brother’s estate.

She is an eighty-two year old woman. Your actions are affecting her health, and on top of that, we’ve just found out she recently had a mini-stroke. Please understand, she is not equipped to handle the stress load you are putting her. She feels, as she said, “I’m stuck on the middle”. She too knows and acknowledges the Will was forged. She wants to do the right thing, and move on in the direction of justice for her son and family, yet she fears the POWERS THAT BE.

However, for some strange reason her advisors Lowell Henry, Perry Sanders and Trent, although in agreement with her regarding the validity of the Will, are telling her to disregard what she knows as fact. Instead, her so called advisors are convincing her to let them negotiate “deals” with Branca and McClain on her behalf, or is it on the behalf of all of you. Her advisor’s loyalty seems to be skewed by the percentage you offer them, preventing them from advising her properly. She has been deceived and led to believe that like AEG, you the executors, Branca and McClain, are “just too powerful”.

She is being hit from all sides. AEG is now evoking fear into our mother in an attempt to convince her to call off the wrongful death lawsuit against AEG. AEG has been very vocal about how they are going to destroy her and her family publicly and blame her for Michael’s death. Since then, they’ve waisted no time harassing each and every family member, including Michael’s children in a barrage of depositions, where they are asking personal, inappropriate and disrespectful questions that, to say the least, have nothing to do with his passing. This is something children should never have to experience; neither should an eighty-two year old woman. There has been no objection from you, the executors of Michael’s estate, regarding AEG heinous and heartless threats toward our mother, our family or his children. Why?

However, you did not hesitate writing a letter to Judge Palazuelos presiding over the AEG wrongful death case, wherein, you asked the judge to keep ALL documents handed over by AEG for discover under court seal, clearly protecting AEG, but not protecting our mother nor our niece and nephews Paris, Prince and Blanket. Who are you working for? What is it that you don’t want to be known?

We know there is most certainly a conspiracy surrounding our brother’s death and now coarse manipulation and fear are being used to cover it up. Your heartless pursuit of wealth, fame and power is at the expense of our family, whose deepest desire is to give to the world a gift of hope, love and unity through our music. Though we lost our brother, we live and will continue to fight in unity.

THIS HAS TO STOP NOW;NO MORE! You will not succeed. John Branca, after our brother passed, you said to our mother, “I AM MICHAEL JACKSON NOW.” How dare you. Make no mistake, Mr Branca, before we hit the stage, we were family and still to this day we are a family. We’re not going to let anyone abuse our mother, nor will we tolerate any further attempts to divide us.

You’ve dishonored everything that our brother Michael stood for. Your greed and hasty business decisions have shown that you have no regard for the preservation of his legacy, nor the quality of work that he exemplified. You have disrespected our parents and family too many times. We do not respect you as executors, and we do not respect the projects and choices you’ve made, nor do we appreciate the public perception the the Jackson family is behind all of this, exploiting Michael our brother for finacial gain, when clearly it’s the two of you and your affiliates who do so.

We are going to take every appropriate action to seek justice and to see it that the truth be known. Be informed, we are considering retaining the law firm, Baker Hosteler, who have advised us on potential criminal misconduct in your actions. We will hand this over to the proper authorities.

Signed:
Tariano Jackson (Tito)
Randy
Jermaine
Janet
Maureen (Rebbie)

Cc: Randy Phillips; Paul Gongaware; Tim Leiweke; Trent Jackson; Laurel Henry; Perry Saunders; Howard Weitzman; Martin Bandler; Philip Anschutz; Tom Barrack

STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL JACKSON ESTATE ATTORNEYS:

Recently, a letter was posted online from some of Michael Jackson's siblings, whom Michael chose not to name in his will, questioning the document’s validity and the naming of John Branca and John McClain as his Executors. Here is a statement from attorneys for the Estate in response to the online posting:

Any doubts about the validity of Michael’s will and his selection of Executors were thoroughly and completely debunked two years ago when a challenge was rejected by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the California Court of Appeals and, finally, the California Supreme Court.

Under the supervision of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff, Co-Executors John Branca and John McClain have diligently carried out their fiduciary duties as well as their obligation to Michael to make sure that his Estate benefits the only family members he named in his will – his mother and his three children.

We are saddened that false and defamatory accusations grounded in stale Internet conspiracy theories are now being made by certain members of Michael’s family, whom he chose to leave out of his will. We are especially disheartened that they come at a time when remarkable progress has been made to secure the financial future of his children by turning around the Estate’s finances as well as during a time when so many of Michael’s fans, old and new, are enjoying his artistry through exciting new projects.

A Fan's Take/Rebuttle from Ivy on MJJC

Medical Board Files More Serious Charges Against Conrad Murray

I found this article posted on MJJCommunity.com from ReportingonHealth.org. by William Heisel.  It Looks like the media had other things to report on as stated below.  The Medical board seem to be taken this very serious and has added mored charges in the complaint against Conrad Murry.  I hope his license is revoked permamenent.  You can read the official Medical Board document here. Thanks to Ivy on MJJC for posting it  http://www.docstoc.com/docs   ~ Qbee

 Medical Board Files More Charges Against Conrad Murray in Michael Jackson Death

By William Heisel
July 11, 2012

With Justin Bieber ticketed for dodging paparazzi and Katie Holmes awarded primary custody, the gossip press can be forgiven for missing the latest in the case of the doctor who overdosed Michael Jackson.

Conrad Murray has been slapped with a new round of allegations from the Medical Board of California. The timing may seem odd. Jackson died in June 2009, after taking anesthesia drugs prescribed and administered by Murray. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison in November 2011. The medical board filed its first round of charges against Murray in February 2012. This new amended accusation is dated June 27, 2012.

In the accusation against Murray filed in February, there were two causes for action: conviction of a crime and failure to maintain adequate records. As I wrote at the time, the document seemed like fill-in-the-blank boilerplate, with more space devoted to the state code Murray violated than the details of the violations.

The amended accusation still includes the conviction and records violations, but it adds “gross negligence-inappropriate administration of dangerous drugs,” “repeated negligent acts-inappropriate administration of dangerous drugs,” and “incompetence-inappropriate administration of dangerous drugs.”

The new charges are much more detailed and provide a full explanation of just how far Murray strayed outside the standards of practice when administering the anesthetic propofol – and other drugs – to Jackson. It breaks down the “gross negligence” violation into four parts. Here are quotes from each:


Excessive administration of dangerous drugs/sedatives:

Propofol is not indicated for the induction of sleep and/or to treat insomnia. It is strictly indicated for moderate or deep sedation in a monitored hospital setting, or an accredited outpatient facility that meets the requirements set forth in Health and Safety Code sections 1248.1 and 1248.15. … [Murray] used dangerous drugs to sedate patient M.J. at his home for the purpose of inducing sleep. On more than 40 occasions between April 2009 and June 25, 2009, patient M.J. was sedated with a combination of benzodiazepines and propofol.


Inadequate monitoring:

The patient is required to have a continuous oxygen delivery system, continuous cardiac monitoring, a continuous intravenous access line established, continuous pulse oximetry monitoring, and continuous blood pressure monitoring, all with audible alert systems. In addition, the following operable equipment is necessary in the room and must be ready for use: oxygen, suction, oral and nasopharyngeal airways, a crash cart with backboard, appropriate emergency resuscitation drugs, and a defibrillator. … [Murray’s] failure to secure appropriate equipment for patient monitoring and his failure to maintain emergency equipment and medications is an extreme departure from the standard of care. Furthermore, no competent physician or surgeon would sedate a patient without ensuring that the appropriate patient monitoring and equipment is readily available.


Failure to maintain medical records:

When a patient is administered medications for sedation and/or anesthesia the standard of care requires that the physician maintain medical records detailing the care rendered to the patient. Documentation of sedation and anesthesia is required for the provision of good medical care and quality assurance.


The board sums it up this way:

[Murray] failed to appropriately monitor patient M.J. He abandoned his patient by leaving M.J. unattended while he was under the influence of heavy sedatives. In addition, he administered propofol and other dangerous drugs to patient M.J. in a home setting without appropriate medical equipment and staff to monitor the maintenance of patient M.J.’s hemodynamics, and did not continuously monitor the patient’s vital signs.

All of this happened in June 2009. Since that time, Murray has been tried, convicted and sent to prison. Murray’s medical license was suspended in Texas and has been allowed to expire in Nevada and Hawaii. Yet, the California medical board is still months – if not years – away from revoking Murray’s license, assuming it does not end up in some settlement agreement with him. It’s still in the charging phase, while the criminal prosecutors and other state boards have gone all the way through the process and moved on.

In March, after the board made its first accusation against Murray, I asked the board’s Director of Public Affairs, Dan Wood, what took so long. He said that the board was waiting for the criminal proceedings to finish before filing charges. He wrote:

To put it in simple terms, once a door is closed and locked no matter who closed and locked it, to rush to repeat the action is redundant. Basically our action now will be the equivalent of placing a sign on the door saying, “This door is now closed and locked officially.”


I wrote him this week to ask whether the door was now being reopened and, if so, what the board hoped to accomplish. I’ll let you know if he responds.



Source:  William Heisel http://www.reportingonhealth.org/

About ReportingonHealth.org
ReportingonHealth is an online community for people passionate about fostering great health and medical coverage of our communities. ReportingonHealth provokes conversations about health journalism, blogging, and storytelling. It provides its members with a place to swap ideas, to showcase their work and to benefit from our reporting toolkits and tip-filled blogs.
A project of USC Annenberg's California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, ReportingonHealth is funded by a generous grant from The California Endowment.
To join the ReportingonHealth community, click here.


You can join the Discussion thread at MJJC. http://www.mjjcommunity.com
( I think you have to be a member with at least 10 posts to view the Trial and Tribulation forum )

Michael Jackson’s Ex Lawyers: One a Hero, the Other Disbarred

I love seeing Tom Mesereau being acknowledged and admired. He doesn't get enough praise in my opinion.   He did so much for Michael and continues to defend him any chance he gets. Tom is a man of good character like Michael and  has remained a good friend and ally to the MJ fan base.  On the Other hand Brian Oxman  character is lacking  as a person and as an attorney based on the  charges that got him disbarred. I just want to give you some background so you can see why some fans have no tolerance for this man.  It's well known that he used Michael and the fans for media attention to promote his own shady agendas.  Brian also wrote some very condescending words about Tom  Mesereau and tried to minimise his role in bringing justice  for Michael. That was when I saw his true colors and started scrutinising him more carefully. Mesereau was a God send for Michael.  I thanks God Michael hired him to represent him and  I fear what would have happened otherwise. Tom Mesereau eventually dismissed  Brian Oxman  (see video)  for his antics during the 2005 Trial. ~ Qbee

Brian Oxman Dismissed by Tom Mesereau

 

Michael Jackson’s Ex Lawyers:  One a Hero, the Other Disbarred

Michael Jackson’s former attorneys have quite divergent paths since the child molestation trial in 2005. This week, Brian Oxman was disbarred by the California Bar Association for a host of malfeasance. Meanwhile, Thomas Mesereau continues to be a hero, handling pro bono cases to exonerate the wrongly accused in Alabama. Here’s a release from the Mesereau office about their latest accomplishment. Can you imagine that Mesereau had to put up with Oxman during the Jackson trial?  The man has patience.

 The Hero

July 9, 2012 – The Firm of Mesereau & Yu, LLP, is pleased to announce that Tom Mesereau’s former client, Wesley Quick, who was acquitted of capital murder and avoided the death penalty in 2003, has been listed in the “National Registry of Exonerations.”  A joint project of the University of Michigan Law School and Northwestern University School of Law, The National Registry of Exonerations is a newly published report on exonerated defendants between the years 1989 and 2012.

Mr. Quick was originally represented by other counsel when he was convicted of two counts of capital murder by a jury in Birmingham, Alabama in 1997.  He received the death penalty and spent four and a half years on Alabama’s death row before his convictions were reversed on a technicality.  The original jury heard evidence of devil worship, excessive drug use, and random targeting of innocent citizens for murder.

After his conviction was reversed, Mr. Quick hired Mesereau’s colleague and friend in Birmingham, noted criminal defense lawyer Charles Salvagio.  Mr. Salvagio asked Mr. Mesereau to try the case with him.  In a stunning reversal, Mr. Quick was acquitted of all counts in a high profile jury trial.  This resulted in a widely read editorial about injustice in death penalty cases by the Birmingham news.

Mr. Quick’s listing in the National Registry of Exonerations means that he has been completely exonerated from all legal obligations associated with this death penalty case.

 At the time, Mr. Quick’s acquittal was the third high profile victory in a capital murder trial for Mr. Mesereau and Mr. Salvagio.  They had previously acquitted a homeless black man, who was charged with murdering a beautiful white woman in Birmingham.  This trial was also controversial and subjected to enormous media coverage.  On a prior occasion, the Mesereau/Salvagio team had won a high profile capital murder trial in Bessemer, Alabama, in which they represented a young mother charged with murdering her baby daughter with an M & M filled bottle.  She was acquitted of capital murder and murder and convicted of the lesser-included offense of manslaughter.

Mr. Mesereau has been defending clients accused of capital murder for the last fourteen years.  All of these cases have been in Alabama and Mississippi.  Mr. Mesereau defends one to two capital murder cases in the Deep South each year for no legal fees.


 read also: http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/07/06/brian-oxman-disbarred-was-once-michael-jackson-lawyer-sort-of

Source: http://www.showbiz411.com

AWARD WINNING FILMMAKER SPIKE LEE IMMERSED IN MICHAEL JACKSON DOCUMENTARY

I am am even more exited about This Documentery after watching this short clip of   "The Way You Make Me Feel"  (below)  from Spike Lee's Documentery. Spike also gives us some insite of what material we can look forward to with the release of Bad 25 and in the coming years. In an  an article from Boston.com.

 ‘‘We have footage in this documentary that no one’s ever seen, stuff that Michael shot himself, behind-the-scenes stuff,’’ he said in an interview Monday. ‘‘We had complete access to the vaults of Michael Jackson. ... He wrote 60 demos for the ‘Bad’ record. Only 11 made it. So we got to hear a lot of that stuff, too, so it was just a great experience.’’

We have so much to look foward to with this BAD 25 release and we are so lucky to have Spike Lee  directing and producing the the BAD 25 Documentery. There is really no one else who could do  this the right way.  Plus dont forget his annual Brooklyn  Loves Michael Party. Its suppose to be a BAD25 theme this year but with  many MJ and J5 Classisc too  - He says bigger and Badder then ever.   ~ Qbee

AWARD WINNING FILMMAKER SPIKE LEE IMMERSED IN

MICHAEL JACKSON DOCUMENTARY

FILM FOCUSES ON THE KING OF POP'S GROUND-BREAKING BAD ALBUM, TOUR AND VIDEOS TO CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALBUM'S RELEASE

BAD 25 MJ FINGER SNAPS  CLIP

Will  knock you off your feet now baby !

http://bcove.me/48sv1k5w

New York, NY – It was announced today that Academy Award nominated filmmaker Spike Lee, inconjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music, is in the final stages of post production of a Michael Jackson documentary focusing on Michael's landmark BAD album and worldwide tour. The project marks the first ever in-depth, behind the scenes film project to chronicle a Michael Jackson album, and is being filmed amid the 25th anniversary celebration of the iconic album, record-breaking world tour andgroundbreaking short films that changed music history.

 The documentary features over 40 interviews conducted personally by Spike Lee with Michael's confidants, choreographers, musicians and other collaborators who collectively unveil the real story of this "coming of age" project through their vivid recollections of what it was like to work day in and day out and live this project with Michael. BAD's lasting influence is captured through interviews with some of today's top artists, including Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Cee Lo Green and Sheryl Crow, who was a back-up singer on the BAD tour.

The Michael Jackson BAD documentary joins an incredible body of Spike Lee documentaries including the Peabody and Emmy Award winning, When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts and its follow up, If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don't Rise, Kobe Doin' Work, and the Oscar Nominated, 4 Little Girls. Lee directed both short films for Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us" in 1996.

Spike Lee comments, "I'm more than just a huge fan of Michael Jackson, and having the chance to actually know him and work with him, I deeply care about his legacy. With this BAD project I was able to uncover just what made this such a huge, important coming of age in his career and unearth compelling stories surrounding the making of the album, the long awaited follow-up to Thriller – the best selling album of all time - the short films and the tour that may have never seen the light of day."

Among the interviewees are Oscar-winning film director Martin Scorcese, Joe Pytka andother filmmakers who worked with Michael to bring the stories in his songs to life on the screen through short films that remain today some of the most vivid and creative storytelling by a musical artist as well as one of his Michael's personal engineers, Matt Forger, who worked with Michael at the recording studio at Michael's Hayvenhurst home where the songs first came to life, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, who worked on the album and then the BAD Tour. Also shedding light on the BAD album, short films and tour are individuals like former CBS Head Walter Yetnikoff, as well as choreographers Jeffrey Daniel and Vincent Paterson.

John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of The Estate of Michael Jackson comment, "Spike Lee's genius as a storyteller combined with his passion and first-hand appreciation of Michael's artistry makes him the logical filmmaker to tell the story of BAD. We are thrilled to be working with him on this unique project."

The third and final album collaboration for Jackson and Quincy Jones, BAD launched a pivotal coming of age for the King of Pop as a performer, composer and producer. The album was #1 around the world, made history with five consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard chart, produced ten chart-topping singles, nine ground breaking short films and to date, the BAD album has generated over 45 Million units in sales. BAD was nominated for six Grammys and won two; the album earned Michael the first-ever Video Vanguard Award at the MTV VMA Awards. Songs on the original album are: "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Speed Demon," "Liberian Girl," "Just Good Friends" featuring Stevie Wonder, "Another Part of Me," "Man in the Mirror," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "Dirty Diana," "Smooth Criminal," with "Leave Me Alone" added to the CD version of the album once released.

Spike Lee's film supports the 25th anniversary of BAD, which will also be celebrated with the September 18th release of BAD 25, a must-have deluxe package featuring three CDs, two collectible booklets, and features the first-ever authorized DVD release of a concert from the record breaking BAD tour, the concert at Wembley Stadium on July 16, 1988 attended by Princess Diana, Prince Charles and a sold-out crowd of 72,000 fans. A BAD 25 two CD standard edition featuring the original album plus the CD of demos and new remixes will also be made available as will a stand alone edition of the DVD and a picture disc of the original album.

More details on this and other exciting projects relating to BAD's 25th anniversary will be announced soon.   :)

http://www.MichaelJackson.com/
http://www.facebook.com/michaeljackson

    #WhosBAD

Jackson Family Attorney Brian Oxman Disbarred

This is something I have been waiting to hear since Jan when he was recommended to be disbarred.  Oxman always  claimed to be an expert on Michael Jackson but only promoted his own agenda and threw MJ  under the bus with his drug addict and conspiracy stories after his death. In my opinion he is a dishonest low life and only sought the attention of the media and not the best interest of his clients. Please read the back story at the bottom to see how dishonest Oxman really is. He was also bringing harm to Michael during the 2005 trial by running his mouth to the media appearing on various TV shows. Tom Mesereau specifically asked him and  those involved with Michael to stop speaking on his behalf  to the media and he even had Oxman removed from the court during the trial for his antics.  Veteran MJ fans knew Brian was Bad news from his past antics and the lies he was reporting to the media before and after Michael's passing.  Many unaware supported him because of his involvement with the Jackson family or because they believed in his unfounded conspiracy theories. They found out quickly what Oxman was all about as the truth about MJ unfolded.  He was representing Joseph Jackson in his latest law suite and when he was recommended to be disbarred his wife Maureen took over the that case. But guess what ? She is also recommended to be disbarred like Brian for dishonest practicing of the law.  I posted two articles below plus a link to the CA Appellate Court  and  CA State Bar ~ Qbee

Tom Mesereau reeming Brian Oxman during the 2005 trial

California Appellate Court Docket (Register of Actions)
OXMAN ON DISCIPLINE  Case Number S201599
http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=0&doc_id=2010742&doc_no=S201599

State Bar Of California - Rickey Brian Oxman - #72172
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/72172

Former Michael Jackson Attorney Brian Oxman Disbarred (Exclusive)

Brian Oxman, a former attorney for Michael Jackson and a favorite talking head on news programs, has been disbarred.

Last week, the California Supreme Court denied Oxman's appeal of a state bar ruling recommending that the high-profile lawyer be stripped of his right to practice law, according to public filings.




The State Bar of California said Oxman had used his client's trust account to evade creditors, commingled his personal funds in that account, and failed to cooperate with disciplinary investigations.  He was also charged with one count of failing to report a judicial sanction.

The state bar also recommended a suspension for Oxman's wife, Maureen Patricia Jaroscak.

The complaints against the couple involved clients other than Jackson.

In denying Oxman's petition for writ of review, the court wrote that he was "disbarred from the practice of law in California and that his name is stricken from the roll of attorneys."

Oxman was part of Jackson's defense team during his 2005 trial for child molestation, but parted ways before the trial concluded with Jackson's acquittal. He also appeared as a legal expert on a range of programs such as "Good Morning America," "Nancy Grace" and "Larry King Live."

A call left at Oxman and Jaroscak's most recent known number was not immediately returned.

Source: The Wrap
http://www.thewrap.com/media/article/jackson-attorney-brian-oxman-disbarred-46741

 

Brian Oxman Disbarred,  Former Michael Jackson Lawyer..
Sort of

Brian Oxman, the attorney who always held himself out as the lawyer and spokesman for Michael Jackson and his family, has finally been disbarred by the California Bar Assocation. Oxman has been disciplined several times over the yeas by the California Bar, but this time it’s for good.

He’s out and so is his wife, who also practiced law. The wife, Maureen Jaroscak, has been suspended for 18 months.

The deciding judge writes: “We recommend Oxman be disbarred to protect the public, the courts, and the legal profession.”

Oxman was like a court jester in the Jackson family sagas. Randy Jackson, Michael’s brother, insisted that Oxman be part of Michael’s defense team in his 2005 child molestation trial. After many screw ups, and falling asleep in court several times, lead attorney Tom Mesereau fired him.

Nevertheless, media outlets kept using Oxman as an authority on Jackson. They wouldn’t accept the fact that just because a person wants to be on TV, they know nothing.

Mesereau, a brilliant attorney who was saddled with Oxman, must be thrilled. He only thought of him as a jackass who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

The disbarment didn’t come from the Jackson case. Rather, it was from what the Bar decision described as mismanagement of client funds, failure to properly represent a woman in her divorce and other infractions.

The disbarment is already on the Cal Bar site, and is effective July 27, 2012.


Source: Roger Friedman
http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/07/06/brian-oxman-disbarred-was-once-michael-jackson-lawyer-sort-of


Back Story (more details)
You can join other fans to discuss this story or read more about it at
MJJCommunity.com

Take a Virtual Tour of Michael Jackson's Old Stomping Ground, Westlake Recording Studio in Hollywood.

Morinen, one of Michael's fans and a member of mjjcommunity.com  shared his experience of  visiting Westlake Studios where Michael recorded Off The Wall, Thriller and the BAD Album.  Westlake Recording Studios in Hollywood offered a three hour tour to Michael Jackson Fans  on June 21 - 29.  If they ever do it again, I hope you can attend. This is one experience MJ  fans don't want to miss. I want to thank Morinen for sharing his experience and the great pictures.  So much  MJ History is contained inside Westlake.  I hope you Enjoy  your virtual tour with Morinen. ~ Qbee


I know that many people won't be able to experience this, so I wrote down this story hoping to share a part of what I felt there with all of you. But if you have a chance to go next year or whenever they continue the tour, go. You won't regret it. ~ Morinen

I ended up going Westlake Recording Studios . It was worth every cent.

This year, on the 3rd anniversary of Michael's passing, Westlake recording studios opened their doors to the public and fans for the very first time. The 3-hour tour that included viewing of the two studio buildings in LA cost $99, and at first I felt a bit cautious about the whole setting. But in the end, I decided, it was worth the spend. For a long time I was curious to peek into those seemingly unremarkable buildings - because that was the place where history had been written. At Westlake Michael recorded his three most iconic albums: Off the Wall, Thriller и Bad. Thus, on June 26 at 7:30 am, somewhere between a motel and the airport I found myself on the back parking lot of Westlake Studio D on Santa Monica blvd.

The back lot of the studio looks nothing but ordinary, but the moment I saw it, I vividly pictured Michael clumsily parking here in his car.



At first, with the $99 price tag for the tour, I expected I might be the only one attending. However, a minivan was already waiting in the parking lot, and it turned out to be nearly packed. With the complete group of 13 or 14 people, it took off towards the first historical building of the Westlake Studios on Beverly boulevard. The group that gathered in the van consisted mostly of middle-aged fans some of whom followed Michael since the early days of the Jackson 5 career. Some people remembered seeing Ed Sullivan show on TV, others - going to Triumph and Victory shows. One lady claimed that she had attended concerts from every MJ tour in North America.

The tour was guided by two guys: Roy, a Westlake Studio employee, and Cory, a fellow fan. Cory was a fan of Michael since childhood, a collector and an activist: he contributed to "For The Record" book by Halsted and Cadman, and was one of the admins of The Michael Jackson Archives facebook page. He seemed a very lively and enthusiastic guy - asking each of us where we had seen Michael, which records where our favorite, etc. During the trip we all discussed books, youtube videos, and other MJ stuff. Everyone kept saying how amazing Michael was and how his every song and performance were timeless. It was awesome.

Finally arriving at Westlake Studio A on Beverly boulevard, a plain white-and-brown single-floor building. This is the very studio where Michael Jackson recorded the two albums that changed American music: Off the Wall and Thriller. To look at it, you'd never say.



At the entrance the Westlake staff greets us warmly and promises unforgettable experience. Videotaping is not allows inside, however we are encouraged to take photos. Unfortunately, it is pretty dark in the studio (baring one's soul to music is an intimate process), so many of my photos came out blurry. But I managed to capture the most important things.

In the foyer, near the door there is a display of platinum records, some of which are Michael's.



Beyond that - from the front door and throughout the whole studio - the walls are covered in his memory. His photos, his drawings, his handwritten lyrics. Everywhere you look, you see Michael Michael Michael... I'm forgetting now where exactly each of these pictures belongs (the halls there are narrow and it's hard to capture a broad view), so I'll just post everything from the walls that came out in decent quality, to give you the feeling.



"The Wall" composition is a gift from Quincy Jones.








Michael's drawings made in the studio (these are replicas):



In the main hall we were shown a short video about Michael's work with Quincy. All in all, nothing new there.
The studio interior is stylish and cozy:



Entering the control room. This is the room where the musical director and engineers do recording and mixing of tracks.



Here we are welcomed by friendly engineer Ben. He is going to show us how to work with a mixing desk.



The control room is a tiny room, and as you can see on the photo, its walls are not rectangular. All of this is for better acoustics. Sound speakers are attached to the walls along the room perimeter. You can even notice speakers on the ceiling - they were mounted there specifically for Quincy who liked to listen to the mix while settling back in a chair, facing up.

Across the engineer, behind the window, is the singer's vocal booth.



The acoustics in this room are truly nothing short of spectacular! The first thing they did when we entered the room was blasted "Thriller" full out. Because the room is so small and soundproof, you are feeling the music as if it's been playing inside of you. Right there, at that moment, I understood why Michael loved his music extremely loud and how a good mix could make him dance in the studio. Being not a very musical person, even I couldn't stand still there. For Michael who was dancing to sounds of a washing machine, this was the only natural and sincere way to respond to music that was genuinely good. I felt how he was hearing his own music. It has nothing to do with how it sounds in iPod headphones. When "Human Nature" started playing, I felt like I was being whisked to another universe.
And then Ben switched the track to "Black or White" a cappella, and I forgot to breathe.

You see, turns out they have some of Michael's songs in multitracks. A multitrack is a set of original vocal and instrumental parts that can be laid out on the mixing console and used to make a different mix. So Ben did this and wanted to show us how to mix a song by tuning out all parts except the lead vocals and then adding instruments one by one, adding rap and backgrounds. While he was doing this I was standing there gulping and whispering, "Leave the vocals... Oh my God... Leave the a cappella..." But it wasn't for me to decide. Instead Ben let all of us play with the console, turn handles and push buttons on it. It looks pretty scary, but you can master it easily - all you need to do is move those sliders in the bottom. They even have sticky notes with tips about which part each slider corresponds to.



This is what the multitrack of "Black or White" looks like:



I left this room in awe of these people who were laughing so causally while owing unthinkable treasures.



Then we went to the room with the vocal booth.
This chair, they say, has been standing here practically since the times of Michael's recordings. And they allow you to sit in it, take photos in front of the mike and even sing along to the music in real headphones. I don't usually take photos of myself, but even I did that, because how can you not?! He probably sang "She's Out of My Life" in this chair!



This is the very piano on which MJ and Paul McCartney played "The Girl Is Mine". At this point I was ready to go down on all fours and touch the floor these people walked on.



But hold on, there's more. See this shred of a carpet near the sofa? No, this is not someone's smart design idea, this is the real carpet that Michael and Quincy walked on when they worked on Thriller. The carpet got worn out, you know, and they decided to throw it away. But you can't just throw away a historic thing like this, can you? So they carefully cut a piece and kept it as an exhibit.



This was where I threw all manners to the wind and crawled down to feel the thing with my own hands.



Before leaving the studio A, at this poster Cory asks everyone from the group which one of Michael's albums we would take with us to a deserted island. He says, the most popular answer is Invincible. Perfect music for an island, isn't it?




Riding back to Studio D on Santa Monica. Passing the CBS building where Michael gave the interview to Diane Sawyer. Remember them walking out of the film stage and him lamenting about being so shy? It happened right here.



Briefly peeked into this industrial-looking back lot on one of the side streets. What for, you might ask? Apparently, here, under the "Free Delivery" banner is a great historic attraction related to MJ. Guess what it is!



This shady wall is the very wall from the Off The Wall album cover! The owner of the property happened to be not so sensitive to the culture and bluntly painted out the historic heritage with ugly grey.



Passing the original Motown building in Los Angeles. This was were The Jackson 5 recorded most of their songs. The building still belongs to Motown Records today, but artists don't work here anymore.



Across the street from the Motown building there is a park. Remember how Michael said he often used to look at kids playing in a park across the studio and wish he could join them when he had to work? This is the park he remembered.




Arriving at Westlake D. In this studio MJ and Q mainly worked on the Bad album. This building was constructed around that time, and it was designed with Michael and Quincy in mind. They were the main tenants of the studio, so the layout, the furnishing and the equipment where chosen to meet their needs. And with this, Westlake D set a sort of a standard in the industry. Once it had been build, other recording studios where modeled after it.



Michael's records with Q's autographs meet us right at the entrance.







Walls are covered in Michael's pictures again... Someone questioned skeptically when those photos appeared here, hinting that maybe it had been done just to please the fans and follow the trend of posthumous MJ love. "Oh, most of these pictures have been here for years..." replied Roy, remembering which of them were the earliest. "Of course they have. All these rooms exist because of Michael." Michael is the Deity of the place. The way people cherish his memory there... I can't even describe it.



Westlake D is a two-storey building. On the second floor there is a private lounge that used to be occupied by Michael. I remember the story of Russ Ragsdale, a recording engineer who worked with Michael during the Bad sessions: "At Westlake Michael had his own little private room upstairs with a window that looked out into the tracking room. If he needed to get away during times he really wasn't needed, he often went to this room, where he would trash it with pop corn all over the place, he was really quite messy, as he probably is used to having someone pick up after him, this was usually me !!!"

So, we saw that room.



Very modest, no luxury, no splendor.



The studio staff calls this room "Bubbles room" because when Michael was doing his vocals, they used to lock Bubbles in here and he was going wild. Maybe the popcorn was his doing



The window, indeed, looks over the recording room downstairs.
The stage in it was built specially for Michael, so that he could practice dancing in between sessions.



Coming downstairs, we see Quincy's lounge and a bathroom with a shower cabin. An absolutely necessary thing in the studio, as artists and producers are known to work overnights. Besides the shower cabin is useful for its great acoustics. Michael used its hollow sound to record percussive clapping parts for "Man In The Mirror" and other songs on Bad. It's amazing to see and touch, and you are allowed to go inside, step in it and take photos...



Westlake D's control room. It looks very similar, only a little larger.





This time Ben, who came here with us, decided to do the same multitracking trick with the "Bad" song. When he started the playback of an a cappella full force, I got tears in my eyes. It's simply fantastic - you can hear it all: Michael's finger snaps, his stomping, and even the feeble sound of music that the mike is catching off his headphones. And then you add instruments to it one by one: the guitars, the horns, the claps from that bathroom. There are so many little things in the song, that you suddenly begin to hear!



The tour ended in the large room with the stage and the film screen, on which we were invited to watch an arrangement of Michael's short films. By this time the emotions where barely contained.



Of course, the video ended with "You Are Not Alone." The screen was lifted... All of us where in tears.



They even had a box of Kleenex close at hand - this emotional manipulation was carefully orchestrated!

At the back of the stage, behind the curtain, there is a mirror, of course...



I asked Roy what's happening with the studios today and what their plans for the future are. He said that both buildings are working. The studios have state-of-the-art equipment, and the studio time is expensive. That's one of the reasons why the tour costs so much - they obviously cannot rent out the studio for the time of the tour. Westlake studios have seen many popular artists such as Rihanna, Ne-Yo and Justin Bieber. Roy says that when artists come here to work, the first thing they all ask is to see Michael's room. The thought that he worked on one of the greatest records of all time here inspires them a lot.

This is the first year when the studios opened doors for general public. Before they had only conducted a few private tours for fan-clubs. I can honestly say that the tour absolutely lived up to all the promises and expectations. For me, it was one of my top experiences of Michael The Artist. I don't know if they are be able to continue this initiative in future (I sincerely hope so), but I came out of there with a feeling, that, open to the public or not, the place will always remain a memorial to him.



I know that many people won't be able to experience this, so I wrote down this story hoping to share a part of what I felt there with all of you. But if you have a chance to go next year or whenever they continue the tour, go. You won't regret it.


Source: Morinen /MJJC
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/122997-Westlake-Recording-Studios-offers-tour-to-MJ-Fans-June-21-29-Update-morinen-Visits-Westlake-17