Results tagged “michaeljackson”

Trick or treat, it's chocolate Michael Jackson! That Cult that began around the late performer opened their first chapel "praising the life and teachings of Michael Jackson" in Brooklyn earlier this season, and now they're chocolatizing their leader.

Surely this Halloween will bring every era of Michael Jackson back to life in costume form, but this Long Island City local has put up a scarecrow tribute to the late performer. Apparently he wears two gloves in the afterlife!

Stuck somewhere in purgatory, with luxury condos stalling mid-development and local gangs slashing hipsters with machetes, Williamsburg might as well just be opening up its gutter punk track-marked arms to religions of any kind. And it is!

       

Yesterday, music legend Michael Jackson was buried at Forest-Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, ten weeks after his death. While the attendees were limited to two hundred family members and friends (including ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Corey Feldman, Macaulay Culkin, Barry Bonds, and Chris Tucker), the Reverend Al Sharpton kept his Twitter followers appraised of the services, Tweeting, "I am sitting at the burial services of michael jackson. I am talking to actress lisaraye mc coy who was at NAN when MJ came and tom mesereau," "What MJ went through was so unfair, yet he succeeded. In the end, he was the biggest artist ever. He faced the headwinds but he made it," "I just spoke at the conclusion of tributes. Gladys knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him top rest," and "MICHAEL JACKSON HAS BEENb LAID TO REST." Sharpton has defended Jackson's reputation and was at the Brooklyn MJ celebration last weekend.

Don't expect any subway lines to be renamed the Neverland Express anytime soon, but Councilwoman Letitia James will get Michael Jackson some sort of tribute underground even if she has to break in Poster Boy style and do it herself. As we all know by now, the King of Pop's epic 16-minute video for "Bad" (directed by Martin Scorsese) was filmed in the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Brooklyn, and the MTA (because of some such rules that exist) refuse to rename the station after him, or even give him a plaque. That's just not how they roll. So James has come up with an alternative: a mural. The NY Post reports that she is trying to work with the MTA to commission an art contest honoring the performer, saying, "I think it would be a big tourist draw for the cash-strapped transit authority." But the MTA says they only add new artwork to stations undergoing rehabilitation, which isn't happening at Hoyt-Schermerhorn for at least five years. Could it be that someone at the organization just isn't a fan?

                     

Yesterday, Michael Jackson fans gathered in Prospect Park to celebrate Michael Jackson's 51st birthday, in a celebration thrown by Spike Lee. The party, moved from Fort Greene Park to the much larger Prospect Park, attracted thousands of people who braved the initially dreary weather for a day of music and fun and writer-director Lee told them, "I'm like everybody else - somebody who loved his talent. We're here to celebrate Michael Jackson."

The King of Pop's posthumous birthday celebration will go on as planned tomorrow in Prospect Park (after being moved from Fort Greene). We talked to the Parks Department and they're currently putting up some fencing for the event, which will run from noon to 5 p.m. They say on top of deejays, a jumbotron and Marty Markowitz declaring it Michael Jackson Day in the borough, organizer Spike Lee will be overseeing the day. According to Bloomberg News, around 10,000 people are expected, and Lee put down $11,000 for a permit. And as for the weather, "it's rain or shine—though if there was severe weather, like heavy winds and constant lightning—then the Parks Dept. and/or NYPD could cancel or postpone the event." If you make it over there, be sure to send us your pics or tag them "gothamist" on Flickr! Elsewhere in town there will be a Michael Jackson Tribute show by Rent musical performers at Sullivan Hall, which will take place at 7:30 p.m.; and as pointed out in our newsletter, there will be another birthday bash at (Le) Poisson Rouge at 10 p.m.

City Councilwoman Letitia James won't stop til she gets enough ... rejection from the MTA? She's still lobbying for the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway station to be named after the late King of Pop, or for a plaque to go up recognizing he filmed his video for "Bad" there. She told the Daily News, "The Transit Authority has already said, 'Beat it,' literally" since MTA guidelines prohibit plaques and memorials in subway stations for some reason. As for renaming the station, the organization is still developing the guidelines for station naming rights. Earlier this year, however, the MTA agreed to sell naming rights at Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street to Bruce Ratner for $4 million (over 20 years). So James wonders, "if the Michael Jackson foundation offered them $10 million for naming rights they'd consider listening." Not that the foundation has offered that, but if they were the MTA should definitely consider it. In the meantime, James is starting a petition drive at the singer's 51st birthday celebration. If you've never seen the full 16-minute version of the Martin Scorsese-directed video, you can watch it here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Michael Jackson was not a New Yorker, but that doesn't mean this city isn't trying to make him an honorary one posthumously. Block parties, amusement park rides, and now a tribute underground? City Councilwoman Letitia James wants a plaque in tribute to the performer placed at Brooklyn's Hoyt-Schermerhorn station... and has even suggested "Jackson" be added to station name. Okay, well, he did film his Martin Scorsese-directed "Bad" video there, so maybe it makes sense to put up a dedication, but it seems unlikely that anyone will ever call it the Hoyt-Schermerhorn-Jackson stop. In fact, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said a tribute of any kind is unlikely. Sounds harsh, but he added that they prohibit station plaques of any kind. Still, James says she's going to start a petition, "Having Michael Jackson visit and moonwalk at this station was a huge deal not only for Brooklyn, but all of New York in the '80s. And renaming this station in his honor would put it on the map and help ensure that people don't forget." If that doesn't happen, maybe we can just all think of the JMZ line (sans Z) as the MJ line from now on.

The Michael Jackson birthday celebration in Brooklyn that was accused on the New York Times blogs as being "Spike and Marty’s big ego trip" just got bigger—eighteen times bigger. The event in honor of what would have been the singer's 51st birthday is being thrown next weekend by filmmaker Spike Lee and was originally set to be a block party taking place at Fort Greene Park. But now it has been moved to the much roomier Prospect Park after the city became involved when concerns arose over the celebration's growing publicity. The event that the Post uncomfortably refers to as "JACKOFEST" will now take place next Saturday at noon in Nethermead at the center of Prospect Park, with organizers saying they expect a crowd that could reach over 10,000. A Parks official succinctly told the Brooklyn Paper, “There were concerns about the size of the event.” This month also marks the fifteenth anniversary of the HIStory teaser video being shot in Budapest—maybe it's time for an update to Prospect's James S.T. Stranahan Statue.

Did anyone actually think a Michael Jackson birthday celebration hosted by Spike Lee wasn't going to be publicized? The free event was set to be held on August 29th in Brooklyn, but The Local reports they're looking to move it after “The mayor’s office has conceded that now that this has been publicized, Fort Greene Park is just not big enough to accommodate the kind of crowds that are foreseeable." The date may also be changed, and incidentally, Jackson's funeral date was also pushed back (originally the 29th and now the 31st).

Plans for Michael Jackson's burial have finally been set for August 29th, the same day the King of Pop entered the world, and would have been celebrating his 51st birthday. While the private ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. on the West Coast (in the Great Mausoleum at Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California), the East Coast will be celebrating his life in a different way.

Raise your one-gloved hand if you believe that Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, only ever had one portrait of himself done in his entire lifetime. One couple is claiming they hold the one and only painting MJ ever posed for, and CityRoom reports that it's, unsurprisingly, now up for sale. It last sold nearly twenty years ago for $2.1 million, and it's now on display in a Harlem car showroom (at Lenox Avenue and West 129th) after being kept in storage in New Jersey. Classy! Just like the masterpiece itself. The portrait is by Brett-Livingstone Strong, a friend of Jackson's whose other work you can see here, and is currently owned by toy inventors Marty Abrams and John Gentilly. They say the painting hasn't drawn many crowds, because “we don’t put a big sign in the window, ‘Michael Jackson Painting Here.’” Speaking of New Jersey toy collectors with connections to Michael Jackson, under the June 28th entry here, a significantly lesser known musician discusses his dinner with the King of Pop at a toy inventors home in New Jersey.

Last night Joe's Pub hosted a Michael Jackson edition of their Our Hit Parade series. Some adorable kids joined in on the fun (video here), performing as the Jackson 6, only to be upstaged by one Mr. Alan Cumming. Watch him adorably fumble over the words to "You Are Not Alone" and "Smile":

A day after news broke that former New Jersey Net Richard Jefferson left his bride-to-be at the altar in the eleventh hour, the one-time Olympian is hitting the press to clarify just what went down. He tells the Post that he gave former Nets' dancer Kesha Ni'Cole Nichols a full week's notice that the wedding was off after a contentious Fourth of July weekend in LA where they were at each other's throats. The engagement had already seen its fair share of disappointment—the pair had tickets to see Michael Jackson perform in London for their honeymoon.

Last night, Bill O'Reilly had two very vocal figures discuss Michael Jackson on his show last night—Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island), who blasted the media attention devoted to a "pedophile" "lowlife", and Rev. Al Sharpton, who told Jackson's children that there was "nothing strange" about their father. First, O'Reilly had King on; O'Reilly pointed out that Jackson was acquitted of molestation charges and that settling the other case "doesn't mean you're admitting anything" (which the talk show host knows about first hand). King responded:

Bill, I would say an adult male who sleeps with young boys is a child molester. If nothing else, he's molesting and abusing their psyche. How are those children going to possibly grow up normal after spending nights in bed with Michael Jackson? So — and I would say also there's not a daycare center in the United States that would be allowed to hire him...

Continue reading "O'Reilly Has Rep. King, Rev. Sharpton Discuss Michael Jackson"

Coney Island already has Michael Jackson’s Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster (albeit only temporarily), but now they want another piece of the King of Pop! Don't stop til you get enough, etc. ATZ reports there's an opportunity to snag a Neverland ride on a permanent basis, as the bumper cars designed for and by Michael Jackson are up on the auction block at eBay. The man behind the auction is carnival owner Earl “Butch” Butler, who brought the aforementioned Dragon Wagon to town. The bidding is currently at $46,100.00 (and has not met the reserve price), and the Coney folks are suggesting Mayor Bloomberg buy it as a gift for the City of New York. Should Coney Island consider a new design plan: Neverland II?

       

Yesterday, millions of people watched the Michael Jackson memorial—whether at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, at screenings around the country (including a few in NYC), or online. One woman in Times Square told the Post, "It's such a sad day, but it's nice to be with people who feel like I do," while another said, "This is like someone in my family has died. I've just been a wreck all week. I can't stop shaking." And the Reverend Al Sharpton delivered strong words at the memorial in L.A., telling Jackson's children, "There weren't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with but he dealt with it," which brought Sharpton a standing ovation.

As Michael Jackson memorialmania continues to sweep the nation, nay, The World, here's a nice little tribute that recently went down at the Trinity Wall Street Church. That's right, the June 28th service included "Beat It," "ABC," and other hits from MJ's catalogue.

While most networks are carrying live coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial, New Yorkers have a chance to watch it with other fans. According to WCBS 2, viewing locations include the Adam Clayton Powell state office building on West 125th Street (Manhattan), Chelsea Cinemas on West 23rd Street (Manhattan), and the Park Slope Pavilion 9 (Brooklyn). The memorial at the Staples Center, which features Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Kobe Bryant, Brooke Shields, Berry Gordy, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Usher and many more, starts at 1 p.m. EST, but coverage begins hours before then. Additionally, the LAPD just announced that Jackson's casket will be headed to the Staples Center (with SWAT team escort)—it's unclear whether the route will be announced.

Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island), who is eyeing a 2010 Senate run, posted a YouTube video in which he rails against the coverage of late music legend Michael Jackson. He says, "Let's knock out the psychobabble. He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct."

To accompany its Michael Jackson package of articles, the Village Voice put a 1976 photograph of the music legend on its cover. The Voice's Runnin' Scared blog explains that the picture of a dynamic Jackson against the city was "taken on a balcony on the Upper East Side by music photographer Michael Putland. Whatever brought him to town, Jackson was a tough subject, Putland says. He could hardly believe that someone who projected such a giant personality on stage could be so fragile and soft-spoken in person. 'I felt almost sorry for him while taking the photos. I wanted to say, "It's OK, Michael."' Putland also said that it was hard getting Jackson to show his personality, noting that he seemed "very child-like." Also: "It was Jackson's request to wear the deerstalker. Putland remembers thinking that it was a silly hat, but he didn't have the heart to say no." Also check out the Voice's archives of Jackson reviews and articles. In other MJ news, tickets for Jackson's memorial in LA next Tuesday will be randomly drawn (enter here), the powerful sedative Diprivan was found in his home, and he will be buried in a $25K casket.

       

Last night, Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater was dedicated to the memory of Michael Jackson, one of the biggest stars to be discovered at the legendary West 125th Street venue. Impersonators and fans took turns showing off MJ moves. Here's video from USA Today of some of the highlights:

                  

Yesterday, thousands of Michael Jackson fans waited to celebrate the pop legend's life at the Apollo Theater. They waited hours to enter the venue where Jackson and his brothers were discovered in 1967—they cried, sang, danced, and cheered in his memory. According to the Daily News, the Reverend Al Sharpton "scoff[ed] at critics who continue to portray" Jackson as a "freak and child molester" in his "fiery eulogy painting the entertainer as a trailblazing phenomenon," saying, "Michael opened the door to us and we won't let them close the door on you."

The King of Pop's death and legacy was honored by the City Council today. But PolitickerNY, which took video (below), noticed that some City Council members walked out—Republicans Jimmy Oddo, Vinny Ignizio and Eric Ulrich and Democrats Peter Vallone Jr. and Lew Fidler—during fellow members Inez Dickens' and Helen Diane Foster's tributes.

You can ride on a piece of Michael Jackson history right on Coney Island! That sounds weird, but it's true. The Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster is the very same one that used to reside in Michael Jackson’s private amusement park at Neverland Ranch. Reportedly Earl “Butch” Butler, CEO of California-based Butler Amusements purchased the ride last year. Butler is old pals with recent Coney addition John Strong "whose sideshow has been operating in Sitt’s would-be Dreamland since April. Strong kept calling him and said they were having trouble getting rides. Butler agreed to fly out and see the situation. His impression: 'Coney Island needs upgrading.'" And that's how a piece of Neverland ended up in Brooklyn. [via Amusing the Zillion]

The Apollo Theater is ready to open its doors between 2 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. for mourners to remember music icon Michael Jackson. During 45 minute intervals, 600 mourners at time will be allowed inside the theater where Jackson and his brothers won Amateur Night in 1967. The mourners will be able to leave memorabilia and flowers, while Jackson's music will be played along with video tributes. Mourners can also sign the tribute wall outside the theater. Under the Apollo's marquee, Reverend Al Sharpton will be leading a moment of silence at 5:26 p.m.—Jackson's time of death—and give a eulogy. On Wednesday night, there will be a moonwalking component during Amateur Night at the Apollo. Apollo Theater Foundation President Jonelle Procope said, "We at the Apollo thought it was important to put these events together to give Michael's fans the chance to remember him as the consummate entertainer that he was." The Apollo Theater is on West 125th Street, between between Adam Clayton Powell (7th Avenue) & Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Avenue).

Obama-mania is still sweeping the city, and while all those Obama Fried Chicken joints were faced with protesters, less, um, controversially-named establishments could stand a shot (Obama coffee and Meal O'Bama seem to be avoiding much trouble). Clinton Hill Blog reports on the latest "tribute" to the President: a 24-hour deli opening on Myrtle between Vanderbilt and Clinton called Obama Deli and Grocery. Okay, so when are all the Michael Jackson-inspired places opening? Jacko's Lanterns, Jackson 5 Brothers Burgers, Bubbles Hot Tubs, King of Poppyseed Bagels, Pizza in the Mirror... a little help in the comments!

Just in case you were wondering, the Reverend Al Sharpton is headed to California to be with Michael Jackson's family—his spokesperson said, "Reverend Sharpton is on his way to Los Angeles to meet with Michael's parents and siblings and to talk about the needs to preserve and protect Michael's legacy." Sharpton, who spoke outside the Apollo right after Jackson's death was announced, will lead a moment of silence and read a eulogy for the pop singer during the Apollo's tribute to Jackson, planned on Tuesday. Between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., 600 mourners per 45-minute interval are invited to leave memorabilia and flowers and remember Jackson's life. And on Wednesday, the Apollo's Amateur Night will feature a moonwalking competition. Apollo Theater Foundation President Jonelle Procope said, "We at the Apollo thought it was important to put these events together to give Michael's fans the chance to remember him as the consummate entertainer that he was."

       

With the arrival of the first official weekend of summer, skies glowing in mesmerizing patterns and everyone looking for a breather from a full month of June gloom, New Yorkers already out in the streets have continued to form their own impromptu tributes to the late Michael Jackson. In Washington Square Park, a spontaneous dance party broke out yesterday at dusk with fans doing the signature moves of Moonwalker and Thriller alike, led by the few who showed up in fedoras, gloves on one hand and one MJ lover who went the full nine and had the classic red leather jacket.