Jermaine Jackson: ‘I’m Not Trying to Cash in on Michael’s Death’
Jermaine Jackson has blasted claims he is trying to “cash in” on his brother Michael’s death by planning a series of tribute concerts.
Jermaine, 54, insists it’s his duty to keep the King of Pop’s music alive.
“That is absurd,” Jermaine said of the cashing in claims. “That is the most ridiculous thing ever. It is not about cashing in on what has happened. It is responsibility on all of our parts as brothers and sisters to keep his legacy alive.
“I would love to see something done in my brother’s honor every year, because he was that well respected around the globe. So for the media to say this is absurd. It is stupid. It is crazy.
“Because we want the world to know we have created this as the Jackson 5 – that was the foundation of Michael’s success, of Janet’s success, of everybody’s. How are we cashing in on something that we created?”
Meanwhile, Michael’s sister LaToya, says the tragic star’s daughter, Paris, blames his This Is It tour for killing him.
“Paris asked me in the hospital, ‘How could this happen? The cardiologist was the best, so how could this happen?’” La Toya, 53, recently told UK TV program The Paul O’Grady Show.
“She said, ‘You know, Auntie La Toya, they worked him too hard. He never got the chance to rest, it was just non-stop work.’ I said, ‘You’re kidding,’ and she said, ‘You don’t understand. They just worked him constantly and daddy didn’t want that.’ ”
Michael had been rehearsing for his London shows — which were expected to be his final tour dates — when he died.
However, before his passing Michael — who also had sons Prince Michael I, 12, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, known as ‘Blanket’ — told La Toya he feared he would be killed over his huge song catalog, which included tracks by The Beatles and other big name performers.
“I thought that from day one,” she said. “You must understand something Michael always told me. He said, ‘If anything happens to me, if I die, it’s because someone murdered me. They’re trying to kill me’. It wasn’t that he was being delusional, they did this over the catalog.
“He owned The Beatles catalogue. Most entertainers out there, he owned their music. He would say, ‘They’re going to kill me over that catalog. It’s dangerous.’ Look what happened.”
Showbiz spy / Thanks Joy C!