We had a few comments on yesterdays post regarding Michael's state of affairs with Sony. It's easy to see by now that Sony was going in the red just prior to AEG engaging in a contract with Michael and later then the board members of Sony corporation. The people Michael himself once had fired.
It was around the year 1993 when Michael fired his then manager John Branca for embezzlement and shady dealings. That was also the year Mr Branca, so finely tuned in the media, began a campaign to end Michael's career. Child abuse allegations surfaced and tormented Michael's personal life as well as his career. When the ordeal was over, there was still a struggle for control of the much sought after musical catalog Michael had in his possession. It was 1995, after gaining momentum in the public after slaughtering his name, that we find Michael's catalogs being transferred in the US Copyrights office. It was this same catalog Michael referenced to me after his death. Document Number V3142P354 states a title defined as "(I took an) overdose & 777 other titles". When one blog commenter posted that they had been after Michael for some time, she wasn't kidding.
Even after the second trial Michael was afraid to stay in the states. He moved from place to place with his children in tow. He was like a nomad, afraid they would kill him and afraid they would take his children away. At one time I had even offered for him to stay with me. At the time, I wasn't privy to everything that was going on and was actually surprised he considered it. When Michael said to me they are tying to kill me, my mind went to outsiders believing he was a child molester, not his own management team.
If you don't know what they did to him here are some nuts and bolts. The media in the industry is very powerful and Michael says "a hungry machine". They'll feed on any story you give them. People in the industries careers are built and taken down by the media. In Michael's case they dismantled what he built, had him stake his assets for everything then came in for the rescue. These are power plays by those seeking control. They put people in the position of needing them.
With Michael's album sales down, the media scrutinizing his every move, and wanting just a normal place to stay and raise his children, by 2009 Michael was ripe for picking. AEG swooped in with promises to give him a stable home in Vegas for him and the children. I know how much this meant to him because we talked about it. He could work in Vegas without traveling. He did not like to tour and be on the road. He liked to perform. There is a difference.
Talk about pulling at your heart strings, Michael's children and their well being was his life. This in and of itself was a motivating factor for Michael to sign the deal. AEG offered to not only provide him with a home in Vegas, but pay for his housing and security and everything he needed until then. Something that, at the time, was in a sense a relief to Michael. Not only that, but the carrot to top it off was to get his career back in full swing. Put on a show no one had ever seen before. Fuel the fires and the passion Michael had - for his music and his children. Yet this all came with a small cost; everything he owned was at stake on the contract. Even the catalog renamed "I took an overdose" in 1995.
To an outsider it might look like simply business, but taking a closer look, you'll realize that Randy Phillips from AEG was in contact with John Branca, Michael's ex manager and shareholder/soon to be executor of Michael's estate that December, 2008. Emails confirm their conversations and soon early in 2009 the deal was signed. Originally for 10 shows. Not only is this aspect on paper but it's what Michael told me at the time. When he later said it would be for more, that he would be spending more time away from the states, I balked. When I look back at the contract now I find it very strange that Michael would stake his entire catalog and life and put it all up for collateral for only "10" shows.
That number increased as time went by and so did his "advisers". When Conrad Murray came onto the scene in April, he was also followed by a slew of people Michael had previously fired. Frank DiLeo, also on the board of Sony Corp., John Branca, his former manager, Sony shareholder and the one person who had a copy still of the OLD will Michael had drawn up in 2002. Not only were these the new kids on the block, but you'll find letters being written left and right with Michael's signature (or not) letting others go. His accountant, for instance, was now being let go to allow the old accountant affiliated with, you guessed it, John Branca step in. His lawyers, his nanny, I don't believe there was much left for them to try and control in Michael's life.
Top it off with their yelling, screaming, sarcasm, grabbing his arms, pushing him through doors, and treating him like a child and you have some very nasty people running the show.
It's hard to imagine that people would go to this extent and treat another human being the way they treated Michael. If you could hear the comments from the other side right now from Elizabeth, his friend, she's not shy about sharing her feelings about it. "Unimaginable". The way and manner that they set about drugging him, then setting it up as if it was his own doing was well thought out and pre-meditated. For in just a few short months, just after Conrad Murray was hired, Michael's health deteriorated from doing multiple spins in front of his crew, to barely being able to do one. When he first died this was my first clue to his death. I felt like someone had been drugging me. It had been going on for a while.
The infamous shot that killed Michael still remains in evidence at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Still, I believe, not tested for fingerprints. The press, the word on the street, every where I turn is that Michael died from an overdose. Those words bring me back to 1995 and the title of that catalog "I Took an Overdose" every time I hear it. It makes me wonder what kind of childhood John Branca must have had for his actions to be so crass and cold hearted.
If you're like me, even when you hear the truth, sometimes get it thrown right in your face, you don't want to believe it. Michael was sweet, genuine, and wished nothing but healing and love for the world. He wasn't perfect, but no one could even fathom anyone wanting to wish him harm. Thanks to another blog commenter yesterday, we can see how things like this do transpire. Unbeknownst to me, another musician was murdered not that long ago by his manager. The press screamed "overdose" while everyone else knew his manager did it. As it was said, he was worth more dead than alive.
Jimi Hendrix's roadie says guitarist's manager murdered him
Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/nme/45021#JDihgtBedIbXu1Hj.99
It was around the year 1993 when Michael fired his then manager John Branca for embezzlement and shady dealings. That was also the year Mr Branca, so finely tuned in the media, began a campaign to end Michael's career. Child abuse allegations surfaced and tormented Michael's personal life as well as his career. When the ordeal was over, there was still a struggle for control of the much sought after musical catalog Michael had in his possession. It was 1995, after gaining momentum in the public after slaughtering his name, that we find Michael's catalogs being transferred in the US Copyrights office. It was this same catalog Michael referenced to me after his death. Document Number V3142P354 states a title defined as "(I took an) overdose & 777 other titles". When one blog commenter posted that they had been after Michael for some time, she wasn't kidding.
Even after the second trial Michael was afraid to stay in the states. He moved from place to place with his children in tow. He was like a nomad, afraid they would kill him and afraid they would take his children away. At one time I had even offered for him to stay with me. At the time, I wasn't privy to everything that was going on and was actually surprised he considered it. When Michael said to me they are tying to kill me, my mind went to outsiders believing he was a child molester, not his own management team.
If you don't know what they did to him here are some nuts and bolts. The media in the industry is very powerful and Michael says "a hungry machine". They'll feed on any story you give them. People in the industries careers are built and taken down by the media. In Michael's case they dismantled what he built, had him stake his assets for everything then came in for the rescue. These are power plays by those seeking control. They put people in the position of needing them.
With Michael's album sales down, the media scrutinizing his every move, and wanting just a normal place to stay and raise his children, by 2009 Michael was ripe for picking. AEG swooped in with promises to give him a stable home in Vegas for him and the children. I know how much this meant to him because we talked about it. He could work in Vegas without traveling. He did not like to tour and be on the road. He liked to perform. There is a difference.
Talk about pulling at your heart strings, Michael's children and their well being was his life. This in and of itself was a motivating factor for Michael to sign the deal. AEG offered to not only provide him with a home in Vegas, but pay for his housing and security and everything he needed until then. Something that, at the time, was in a sense a relief to Michael. Not only that, but the carrot to top it off was to get his career back in full swing. Put on a show no one had ever seen before. Fuel the fires and the passion Michael had - for his music and his children. Yet this all came with a small cost; everything he owned was at stake on the contract. Even the catalog renamed "I took an overdose" in 1995.
To an outsider it might look like simply business, but taking a closer look, you'll realize that Randy Phillips from AEG was in contact with John Branca, Michael's ex manager and shareholder/soon to be executor of Michael's estate that December, 2008. Emails confirm their conversations and soon early in 2009 the deal was signed. Originally for 10 shows. Not only is this aspect on paper but it's what Michael told me at the time. When he later said it would be for more, that he would be spending more time away from the states, I balked. When I look back at the contract now I find it very strange that Michael would stake his entire catalog and life and put it all up for collateral for only "10" shows.
That number increased as time went by and so did his "advisers". When Conrad Murray came onto the scene in April, he was also followed by a slew of people Michael had previously fired. Frank DiLeo, also on the board of Sony Corp., John Branca, his former manager, Sony shareholder and the one person who had a copy still of the OLD will Michael had drawn up in 2002. Not only were these the new kids on the block, but you'll find letters being written left and right with Michael's signature (or not) letting others go. His accountant, for instance, was now being let go to allow the old accountant affiliated with, you guessed it, John Branca step in. His lawyers, his nanny, I don't believe there was much left for them to try and control in Michael's life.
Top it off with their yelling, screaming, sarcasm, grabbing his arms, pushing him through doors, and treating him like a child and you have some very nasty people running the show.
It's hard to imagine that people would go to this extent and treat another human being the way they treated Michael. If you could hear the comments from the other side right now from Elizabeth, his friend, she's not shy about sharing her feelings about it. "Unimaginable". The way and manner that they set about drugging him, then setting it up as if it was his own doing was well thought out and pre-meditated. For in just a few short months, just after Conrad Murray was hired, Michael's health deteriorated from doing multiple spins in front of his crew, to barely being able to do one. When he first died this was my first clue to his death. I felt like someone had been drugging me. It had been going on for a while.
The infamous shot that killed Michael still remains in evidence at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Still, I believe, not tested for fingerprints. The press, the word on the street, every where I turn is that Michael died from an overdose. Those words bring me back to 1995 and the title of that catalog "I Took an Overdose" every time I hear it. It makes me wonder what kind of childhood John Branca must have had for his actions to be so crass and cold hearted.
If you're like me, even when you hear the truth, sometimes get it thrown right in your face, you don't want to believe it. Michael was sweet, genuine, and wished nothing but healing and love for the world. He wasn't perfect, but no one could even fathom anyone wanting to wish him harm. Thanks to another blog commenter yesterday, we can see how things like this do transpire. Unbeknownst to me, another musician was murdered not that long ago by his manager. The press screamed "overdose" while everyone else knew his manager did it. As it was said, he was worth more dead than alive.
Jimi Hendrix's roadie says guitarist's manager murdered him
Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/nme/45021#JDihgtBedIbXu1Hj.99
My mother liked Jimi Hendrix and that's how I became aware of his story.
ReplyDeleteI haven't researched a lot about Branca, but my observation on what I have seen is that he is an ambitious (not in a good way) man who, I'll bet, probably always wanted to be 'King pin'. He (to me) is like Scar's jealousy of Mufasa and Simba in 'The Lion King'.
It's not just the money that such characters crave, in my opinion. They want the power, command over men and the adulation that comes with it. They would not get that on their own, they need the gifted and pure to get it. Yet they resent the fact that they have that need and so become controllers, convincing their 'prey' that without them, they would be nothing when in fact, the opposite is true.
Wanting what others have, in terms of the gifts that God has placed inside of others, instead of being content with and cultivating our own gifts and being blessed by and happy for the gifts in other people is a slippery slope towards hateful behaviour and the end of it is what we see and have seen in front of our eyes throughout history to the present day.
I'm being inspired to comment a lot of late. Not sure why. Lol!
X
Thank you for your comment. Your words are wise and introspective and they are also leading me to posts I would not have thought of without you. Of late, this has been an issue someone wants known. So thank you for paying attention to your inspiration and writing what you have. It helps me and others a great deal. xxoo
DeleteThank you, for allowing me the space and platform to express these things and to keep my anonymity (I am quite shy and very private). If anything I have said has been helpful, inspiring or healing to you or to anyone that gives me joy. None of the wisdom is mine. I consider it a gift from God and I look to Him to show me what to say and how to say it.
ReplyDeleteIn so far as I may fail in that task, that is just me getting in the way of the flow, so forgive me for that. Encouraging the quest for Truth in Love is the overwhelming feeling I get when I write here. I expect Wisdom will comprise the third strand of the 'threefold cord which is not easily broken'.
Bringing these three strands to the table of of our communications, with ourselves and others can only be a good thing, can't it?
X
Absolutely. I appreciate and value you and your contributions ;) xxoo
DeleteThank you. Please know that the feeling is mutual.
ReplyDelete:-)
X
The pressure on Michael all his life was enormous and yes the controversy with all the wheelings and dealings and untrustworthy people he had around him all his life and the fear he felt throughout his life must have been terrible. I've often wondered about the song he wrote called Morphine! As I said before, Michael sees the whole picture of his life and death, he will know the souls who were around him, what their blueprints were etc. I believe he did have a problem with addiction. Like many other stars, like Marilyn Monroe to name just one, there will be always be controversy..
ReplyDelete