1984 - Michael Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a
Pepsi commercial.
1984 - Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell Gordy
featuring Michael on the
title track is released by Motown.
1990 - Michael attends the unveiling of a
painting of himself titled The Book made
by Australian artist Brett Livingstone Strong at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los
Angeles, CA. “The Book” is said to be
the only portrait Michael personally sat for during his
lifetime. The 40-inch by
50-inch portrait was unveiled in the presence of Mr. Hiromichi Saeki who paid
$2,100,000 for the original, the most expensive portrait of a living person. Mr.
Saeki was one of the most influential Japanese merchandisers and concert
promoters of Michael.
1993 - Michael attends the Superbowl
XXVII
Pre-Show Press Conference held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles,
Ca.
Michael
accepts a cheque of $100 000
from the NFL and Frito Lay (Sponsor of the
Superbowl). Neil Austrian, president of
NFL, presents him with a custom-made
Superbowl jacket. He also receives
500,000 dollars from BEST Foundation for his
Heal The World Foundation.
Heal LA, new United States Children's Relief
Initiative is announced by Heal The World, Michael Jackson and Former President
Jimmy Carter in Los Angeles. This collaborative effort - beginning with "Heal
LA" sustained by "Cities in Schools", "Big Brothers/Big Sisters", "BEST
Foundation", "Watta Health Foundation", and "Partnership for a Drug Free
America"
- will provide immediate action to help solve the pressing needs of
America's inner-city children and youth through instructive programs featuring
AIDS prevention, a substance-free living. The initial Los Angeles effort will
include drug prevention/education, as well as
counseling, mentoring and
immunization campaigns.
"We have to get out the message of the need to
heal our children and heal the world... to recognize that we need each other and
must care for one another, help inspire us to
develop this relief effort for
children. To make
a real difference, we must all care and commit to be a part of
the solution. I know you all
share my concern for inner-city children who are
spread all around us. We must join together to make this world a better place
for each of them.
"Heal LA" is only our first step in making
things better. I'm
very happy to tell you today that former President, Jimmy Carter, and I are
going to be working together to help children in cities all over our country.
President Carter will join me as co-Chair of our new national Heal Our Children
Initiative. We'll work together
here in L.A. to start, then go city by city to
heal children all over America. I would like to express my love and appreciation
to all of you who have already been so generous to this important new Heal The
World program."
2008 - Michael received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 NRJ
Awards, in the year which he will mark the 25th Anniversary of
‘Thriller’.
The awards show took place in Cannes (France) and was aired
on channel TF1. Michael wasn't able to attend the awards show in person but he
recorded a special message for this occasion:
Hello to all
my friends in France! Though I couldn’t be there in person tonight to accept
this prestigious award, I’m so happy to have the chance to send this message to
let all my French fans know how much your support has meant throughout the
years.
It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago, Quincy Jones and I
embarked on an album named “Thriller.” To be able to say that “Thriller” still
holds the record as the biggest selling album
of all time, is just mind blowing.
I have you,
my fans throughout the world to thank for this
achievement.
Though this award tonight honours me for my lifetime
achievements, there is still much
more to come from Michael Jackson. My passion
for music has never stopped. And for those who don’t know, I’ve been in the
studio recording Thriller 25th Anniversary album, with a lot of surprise guests.
It’s my hope that “Thriller” continues to live on for each new generation to
discover.
So thank you TF1 and NRJ for this very special award. It means
so much to me to be honoured by you. And thank you to my fans. I love you from
the bottom of my heart and I hope to see you very soon. I love you. God bless
you.”
2009 - Michael (with Blanket and Dr Tohme Tohme
by his side), meets an AEG delegation headed by Philip Anschutz, its billionaire
founder, AEG's chief executive Tim Leiweke, Randy Phillips, who heads up AEG
Live and Paul Gongaware. Michael signs a deal for 10 concerts in London next
summer and he also accepts to submit to a rigorous medical check-up at his LA
home.
MJ NEWS BELOW 
