Was It Really Michael Jackson ?????????????
The square chin. The deep voice. But was it really Michael Jackson?
By Paul Harris
Last updated at 1:36 AM on 14th March 2009
Something didn't seem quite right. There was that impossibly square chin, for a start - a bizarre cosmetic enhancement, even for Michael Jackson.
Then there was the voice, several octaves lower than the dog-whistle whisper the King of Pop normally adopts in front of his adoring fans.
Study the walk as well - a slightly hunched gait you might not expect from someone who ranks among the world's most spectacular dance performers.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/...99_468x728.jpg The real King of Pop? Michael Jackson leaving his London hotel last week
Amid massively hyped scenes at London's O2 Arena nine days ago, this was Michael Jackson addressing a press conference. Or was it?
As tickets for his extended series of 50 summer shows sold out in record time yesterday - with prices of up to a staggering £25,000 being demanded on the resale market - an intriguing question was beginning to trouble even some of his most unwavering supporters. Was the quivering figure in the aviator shades and sparkly jacket that day an imposter?
Naturally, the official response is that it was Jacko. But they would say that, wouldn't they? Others are speculating that - for whatever reason - it was merely a convincing impersonator.
The internet is buzzing with suggestions that the MJ the world saw during a four-minute appearance at O2 might not have been the MJ fans know and love.
Ludicrous conjecture? Well, maybe so. But like many internet-based rumours, this one is beginning to snowball.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/...95_468x596.jpg Double trouble: Michael Jackson, left, with impersonator Navi
Speculation began even before the nervous-looking figure stepped through the scarlet silk curtains. No explanation was given for why he was more than 90 minutes late. Questions over his health circulated in the throng.
The first glimpse of him was on a giant video screen above the stage. It certainly looked like Michael Jackson. The jacket was a cross between circus-ring MC and Eastern European military. Boots, sunglasses, and jet-black hair. All OK so far.
But then came the walk, an awkward, loping stride. He paused momentarily beside a golf cart, probably assuming it was going to take him into the arena - but was ushered in on foot.
Next, the voice. The few words he stumbled over at the microphone had far more bass than many expected. If you closed your eyes you would surely have had trouble identifying him as the more familiar, childlike 50-year-old with a penchant for spending time innocently with small boys.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/...52_233x394.jpg The old face: Jackson in the Thriller video in 1984
Trouble is, surgery and image enhancement mean that few people really know what MJ will look like when they meet him.
Whatever differences there might have been, however, it was enough to get the internet theorists moving. One site draws attention to his hands (fingers not long enough to be Michael's, apparently). Another suggests he was too tall.
But why use a lookalike? The (speculative) theory is that Jackson - filmed falling on the steps of his minibus before it left for the Arena - was either injured or too ill to appear in person. With millions at stake in ticket sales, who would be bold enough to disappoint the waiting fans and international broadcasters now?
Jackson, a 13- Grammy award winner, is one of the most successful performers on the planet. He has sold over 750million records.
Spoof stories about him are rife, including one detailing how an impersonator has been fooling fans for years after MJ's corpse was found on his Neverland ranch.
Nor is it the first time he has been at the centre of 'lookalike' controversy. In 1999 'Michael' made an unlikely appearance at the Queen's Theatre in Barnstaple, north Devon, during an event run by martial arts school entrepreneur Matt Fiddes. Accompanied by ten bodyguards, he sang four numbers before vanishing in a stretch limo.
Many of the 450 present, including backstage theatre staff, were convinced they had been in the presence of a music legend. Even a statement from Jackson's record company, making it clear he was in Los Angeles at the time, failed to dampen enthusiasm.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/...52_468x321.jpg This is it: Jackson announces plans for a summer residency at the O2 Arena
Mr Fiddes, 28, has always refused to confirm the identity of his star turn - but had no such reservations about the O2 appearance. 'It was definitely Michael,' he said. 'He looked a bit thinner than normal, and maybe he didn't seem quite himself, but the voice was right.'
Jackson's double 'Navi', regarded as his No 1 impersonator, also dismissed the rumours.
The Essex-based lookalike, who has previously acted as a decoy for the star, was mobbed outside the Arena that day by fans who were convinced he was the real thing. 'That was Michael Jackson, I'd stake my life on it,' he told me. 'He is so reclusive, most people don't know what he really looks like. When he's not on stage, he does walk with a slight hunch.
'If that wasn't Michael Jackson, I might as well give up - because it means there must be someone out there who's better than me.'
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the rumours were greeted with derision in the Jackson camp.
'It's completely ridiculous,' an Arena source said. 'We can categorically guarantee it was Michael Jackson on stage. Maybe Elvis was at the press conference too.'
kylie Minogue gets £800K for Bollywood song
Kylie Minogue was reportedly paid £800,000 for performing one song for the Bollywood film Blue.
The Australian singer bagged the title of the highest paid foreign celebrity and also reportedly enchanted her co-star Akshay Kumar with her performance.
Kumar told the Daily Star: "Kylie couldn't have been more perfect. Her beautiful voice and bubbly personality are adored by so many. She is the perfect diva."
Minogue, who pocketed a rumoured £1.5 million for a 45-minute set in Dubai, said she had 'arrived on set as a stranger but left considering myself as family'.
Katona hubby forced to drive 'chav car'
Kerry Katona has forced her husband Mark Croft to sell his sports car in favour of a cheaper vehicle, according to reports.
The former Atomic Kitten star is said to have cancelled a £600-a-month direct debit for Croft's Nissan GT-R, forcing him to drive a 1980s Ford Escort XR3i, which he bought off eBay for £1,200 in December.
"It's the ultimate chav car - but then Mark is hardly a man of taste," a source told The Sun.
"It's been in storage but without the Nissan he’ll probably be forced to drive it."
The couple were rumoured to have broken up last week after Katona changed her Facebook status to "single". She later appeared to have taken Croft back after the pair were spotted together on the weekend.
"She only let him back in because he has nowhere to go. Mark thinks he’ll win Kerry back again," the source added.
"But the smirk will be wiped off his face when the car is taken."
Hilton feels 'violated' over phone theft
Paris Hilton has admitted that she felt "violated" after learning that a man attempted to sell her mobile phone online.
Hotel manager Marc Marrouche, 30, was arrested on March 5 after trying to flog the device for $5,000 to an undercover police officer on an internet listing site.
Speaking to Radar Online, the heiress said: "That was my private property. I can't believe someone would try and sell my phone on Craigslist. I feel violated."
Marrouche reportedly received the mobile from his ex-girlfriend, who discovered it at New York's Marquee nightclub in 2005.
He has been charged with criminal possesion of stolen property and could face up to one year in prison.
McFadden, Goodrem to marry at Christmas
Brian McFadden has revealed that he is planning to marry Delta Goodrem at Christmas.
The former Westlife star announced his engagement to Goodrem in November 2007 following a three-year romance.
Speaking about the wedding plans, McFadden told Herald.ie: "We're looking at the end of year, Christmas time, in Australia. During the next couple of weeks, we'll definitely be setting a date."
The singer added that he sympathises with his ex-wife Kerry Katona following her recent problems with husband Mark Croft.
"I do feel sorry for her," he explained. "It is like a soap opera. I just watch it like everyone else."
McFadden recently claimed that he is now a household name in Australia.
Lohan 'involved in minor car crash'
Lindsay Lohan has reportedly been involved in a minor car crash in Los Angeles.
According to E! News, the Mean Girls star was a passenger in a vehicle that smashed into a wall outside West Hollywood's Mondrian Hotel yesterday morning.
Onlookers claimed that hotel security kept the driver of the SUV, who is also Lohan's bodyguard, for questioning and to provide a report of the accident.
Representatives for the hotel have declined to comment.
Earlier this week, a judge quashed an arrest warrant that had been issued for Lohan in relation to a 2007 drink driving offence, saying that the star had not violated the terms of her probation.
Forsyth: 'I feel like a 30-year-old'
Bruce Forsyth has claimed that he still feels like a 30-year-old when he's working on TV.
The Strictly Come Dancing host dismissed rumours that he is planning to retire, insisting that he still loves show business.
"Even though I'm 81 when I walk on to a studio floor, I feel 30," he said at the Royal Television Society [RTS] awards yesterday.
"People have been asking if I'm going to retire for the last 10 or 15 years. It's getting to be an old question - I'm nearly as old as the question!
"I'll know when I've had enough and probably the audience will know when I've had enough as well. When it happens, I'm ready for it."
Forsyth picked up the lifetime achievement gong at the ceremony in London.
"Thanks to legendary catchphrases, one or two glamorous assistants and an irrepressible energy to delight whatever audience he's put in front of, he is one of the few stars every generation of a British family will know and love," said the RTS judges.
Wish I felt less than half my age
Kanye West charged for theft, vandalism
Kanye West has been charged with three criminal misdemeanours in relation to a camera-smashing incident at LAX Airport.
The rapper has been charged with vandalism, battery and grand theft after he allegedly broke a camera light last September, TMZ reports.
West's manager Don Crowley has also been charged with two counts of vandalism, two counts of battery and two counts of grand theft after he was accused of breaking a still camera and another belonging to the website.
Both men are due in court to face the charges on April 14 and could face a jail sentence for the offences.
Lohan pays tribute to co-star Richardson
Lindsay Lohan has paid tribute to her former co-star Natasha Richardson, who passed away yesterday following a skiing accident.
Lohan made her big screen debut opposite Richardson at the age of eleven, when she played the star's daughter in a remake of Disney's The Parent Trap.
In a statement, Lohan said: "She was a wonderful woman and actress and treated me like I was her own. I didn’t see much of her over the years but I will miss her."
She added: "My heart goes out to her family. This is a tragic loss."
Richardson, 45, passed away after sustaining serious head injuries in a beginners' skiing lesson in Quebec on Monday. Her husband Liam Neeson and their two sons - Michael, 13 and 12-year-old Daniel - have said that they are "shocked and devastated" by the actress's death.
Stacey Keach recovering from stroke
Actor Stacy Keach is recuperating in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke, his publicist has confirmed.
He said the 67-year-old had sustained "a very mild stroke with no impairment of his motor or speech abilities."
The actor, he continued, "remains in a Los Angeles hospital for observation and routine precautionary procedures."
Keach had been appearing as President Richard Nixon in a touring production of Frost/Nixon, running at the Ahmanson Theatre until the end of the month.
Its producers, said his spokesman, "look forward to his speedy recovery and to his return to the show as soon as he is able".
Keach, best known for his role as TV detective Mike Hammer, was admitted to an undisclosed hospital on Tuesday.
Born in Savannah, Georgia in 1941, he was recently seen in Oliver Stone's W and the independent film Honeydripper.
Understudy Bob Ari has taken Keach's role in Frost/Nixon, which continues at the Ahmanson until 29 March.
Keach's role was originally played by Frank Langella in Peter Morgan's award-winning play and, subsequently, the Oscar-nominated film.
According to the Hollywood Reporter's critic, the late Richard Nixon "might be pleasantly surprised to see how well Stacy Keach has treated him".
Hope he recovers quickly
Madonna files adoption papers in Malawi
Madonna has filed papers in advance of adopting a second child from Malawi, officials have confirmed.http://d.yimg.com/i/ng/ne/itn/200903...wi.jpg#300,225 Reports suggest that the 50-year-old singer will travel to the region over the weekend with a possible court hearing coming as soon as Monday.
Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg declined to comment on the issue, but officials in both the US and Malawi have said that an adoption bid is under way.
An official at the Malawian welfare department said that adoption documents had been filed by the singer.
Madonna has established ties with the country over the past few years, setting up the Raising Malawi charity to raise the profile of the plight its people.
According to local reports, the singer said she would consider adopting another child after adopting David Banda in 2006, but only with the support of the Malawian people.
His adoption was shrouded in controversy after critics claimed it was illegal. The Malawi government was accused of skirting laws that ban non-residents from adopting children in the country.
Madonna is expected to bring David on the trip and visit a site where her charity will start building a multi-million dollar school for girls, the officials said.
David's father, Yohane Banda, said that he may see his son next week.
Mr Banda said: "Someone from Raising Malawi visited me last week and told me that my son may be visiting me sometime next week. I am delighted, I want to see my son."
Madonna, who began adoption proceedings in 2006, took David when he was 13-months-old after his father had placed him in an orphanage following the death of his wife.
She has said he was happy to be involved in a case that might pave the way for more adoptions in Malawi. An estimated one million children in the country have been orphaned by Aids.
Child rights activist John Soo Phiri said Madonna may find it more difficult to adopt another child as a single parent after her divorce from film director Guy Ritchie.
"She will have to prove that as a single parent she still has the abilities to raise another child alone," he said.
look where some models go for cosmetic surgery!!
Malawi girl 'prepared for Madonna'
A four-year-old girl in Malawi named Mercy James has been taken to a luxury lodge to prepare her for adoption by Madonna, it has been claimed.
The pop superstar is expected to visit the country this weekend after she filed adoption papers there, the Daily Mail reports.
A source said: "Mercy has been handed over to Madonna's people, who are already at the lodge, and is being cared for by a nanny.
"They are waiting for Madonna to arrive so mother and daughter can be united and then Madonna is expected to take Mercy with her when she leaves."
The child had been living at an orphanage near Blantyre in southern Malawi and was moved to Kumbali Lodge near Lilongwe.
Madonna adopted David Banda from Malawi in 2006.
