Feb. 8 in history

22 Years Ago --- 25 Million Records And a Tribute to Jackson New York Times February 08, 1984 Michael Jackson, still recovering from burns suffered while filming a commercial in Los Angeles, was given awards from his record company and the Guinness Book of World Records last night at the American Museum of Natural History for his hugely successful album, "Thriller." Mr. Jackson, wearing a black military jacket and jeans, arrived onstage along with 32 dancers and amid a shower of confetti, which landed mostly on the 1,500 formally dressed guests. Accompanying Mr. Jackson was Brooke Shields, the actress. "Thriller" has sold at least 25 million copies, more than any other solo album, according to Walter Yetnikoff, the president of CBS Records. President Reagan and Mayor Koch sent congratulations, and Manhattan Borough President Andrew J. Stein designated yesterday "Michael Jackson Day." Some 500 fans stood outside the museum and more than a hundred policemen were on hand for crowd control. Some 150 private security men were on duty inside. Others who attended the celebrity- studded ceremony included the actress Joan Collins; the real estate developer Donald Trump and his wife, Ivana; and the designer Calvin Klein, who said Mr. Jackson had walked up to him and confided, "I'm wearing your jeans, Mr. Klein." --- 19 Years Ago --- Themed Fun Houston Chronicle February 08, 1987 By now, after playing host to the chief justice of the Supreme Court, to freed journalist Nicholas Daniloff and to thousands of media types at an October birthday bash, it must be common knowledge that Walt Disney World is luring customers in its 15th anniversary year with a new 3-D film starring Michael Jackson; an expanded Skyleidoscope show featuring ultralight aircraft and hang gliders; and a car-a-day giveaway. Admission is $24.50 for a single day for adults; it's $19.50 for a single day for children 3 to 12 years old. (Children under 3 are admitted free)... --- 18 Years Ago --- Baubles For the Paranoid San Francisco Chronicle February 08, 1988 Car bombs, corporate spies, Abscam, DeLorean, hostages on Rodeo Drive, hijackings everywhere: The headlines are enough to make a millionaire shake in his Guccis. They're also causing CEOs, sheiks and stars from Kenny Rogers to Michael Jackson to seek out a host of high-tech security devices that would turn 007's head... Salway is reluctant to discuss celebrity purchases in detail, but he outlines a few: Singer Kenny Rogers stopped by for a bulletproof briefcase, actor Roddy McDowall bought a disguised recording system, and representatives of superstar eccentric Michael Jackson often drop in... --- 17 Years Ago --- Michael Jackson's Visit to Stockton a Thriller Houston Chronicle February 08, 1989 Michael Jackson thrilled hundreds of youngsters Tuesday in a lightning visit to Cleveland Elementary School, where five students were killed and 30 injured last month by a drifter armed with an assault rifle. "I think they'll remember this for a long time," said Stockton Unified School District spokesman John Klose. Later, the entertainer paid a brief visit to San Joaquin General Hospital, where two victims of the attack are being treated. Hundreds of people gathered outside the school hoping to spot the pop superstar, but he was whisked into a rear entrance by a limousine and left the same way after about 20 minutes inside. He visited classrooms where kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade students were gathered, then dropped in on an assembly of fourth through sixth-graders. No reporters or photographers were allowed to watch as Jackson met with the youngsters. "He just smiled and that's it," said 6-year-old Lanisha, who said she couldn't remember her last name. "And then he left." Hannah Schardt, 11, of Stockton, attends another school but came with her mother to see Jackson. "He just made a peace sign and left right away after about five seconds," she said. "He just kind of said 'Hi' and nodded." Barbara Knox of Stockton brought her 2-year-old son, Xzavier, "to see Michael Jackson, to get a glimpse of him, his hair, his glove, it doesn't matter." Jackson, wearing a dark military-style jacket with red epaulets, spent a few minutes at the hospital with Vann Sa, 7, and Long Keo, 6. "It was not what I would call a dialogue," said hospital spokeswoman Sharon Booker. "It was an appearance. But five to seven minutes with Michael Jackson - what can you compare it to?" "He was very warm, very pleasant with the children," said Booker. "They were very excited to see him..." --- --- Ron Field, Director, Noted Choreographer Sun Sentinel February 08, 1989 Ron Field, a Tony and Emmy award-winning director and choreographer who created innovative dances and cabaret numbers for the Broadway musical Cabaret, died on Monday. He was 55... During a career that spanned about 45 years, Mr. Field choreographed Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Ray Bolger, Ben Vereen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Cyd Charisse, Debbie Allen, Michael Jackson, Carol Lawrence, Chita Rivera, Sandy Duncan, Marge Champion, Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds, Raquel Welch, Ann- Margret, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Tommy Tune and others... --- 13 Years Ago --- Lawsuit May Disclose What Jackson Earns Seattle Times February 08, 1993 The question has tantalized the entertainment world for years. Michael Jackson's latest record and movie deal, signed with Sony in 1991, was rumored to be worth $50 million-plus. The guessers may find out the truth today, thanks to an obscure lawsuit filed by the inventor of a high-tech microphone allegedly used to record parts of Jackson's blockbuster 1987 album "Bad." Attorneys for Hugo Zuccarelli, who developed the Holophonics recording technology, have asked a judge to order Sony to turn over a copy of Jackson's contract, which they say contains the smoking gun he needs to win. The technology creates striking three-dimensional sound. The lawsuit says Jackson failed to pay a license fee, then removed the sound effects from the album without removing the Holophonics credit from the album cover. Industry insiders say public disclosure of Jackson's contract could prompt bedlam as other artists measure their deals against his. In addition to detailing his generous royalty fees and collateral agreements, the contract presumably contains the singer's movie deals, marketing budgets, advances, album schedules, touring commitments, rights to other projects and special allowances... His 1982 album, "Thriller," still holds the title of all-time best-selling album, with 48 million copies sold worldwide. His follow-up, "Bad," sold 25 million. But last year's "Dangerous" has sold only 4 million domestically so far. Sony lawyer David Battaglia told Superior Court Judge David Yaffe the contract's release would put Sony "at a serious competitive disadvantage in future negotiations with other recording artists." But the judge seemed unimpressed, saying he didn't feel "that the world is going to fall down just because it's publicized what Michael Jackson is getting for his records from Sony." Yaffe was scheduled to rule today. --- --- Jackson's Foundation Aimed At Helping Children Seattle Times February 08, 1993 Michael Jackson's halftime appearance at the Super Bowl created a stir, but it was all for a good cause. Jackson, who performed with lots of children dressed in costumes of various nationalities, received no compensation for his performance. Instead, his Heal the World Foundation got a $100,000 contribution from the National Football League, said Pat Harris, a spokeswoman representing the foundation in Los Angeles. The NFL also donated a 30-second TV spot during the game to plug for contributions to the foundation's new effort, Heal L.A. But the question in many minds is: What is Heal L.A.? Heal L.A. is Jackson's effort to raise money to help a variety of programs and services for youngsters in the riot-torn East Los Angeles area, Harris said. Jackson also has pledged proceeds from the sale of his "Heal the World" single and video to Heal L.A. Total funding committed to Heal L.A. exceeds $1.5 million, according to a press release outlining the new effort. In a full-page advertisement that ran in USA Today last week, Jackson pushed for contributions to Heal L.A. by providing the toll-free number, and a coupon that could be clipped and mailed in along with a contribution. Those donating $35 or more to the cause were promised a Heal the World T-shirt. "I started Heal the World Foundation to improve the conditions for children throughout the world," Jackson said in the ad, which showed him kissing a baby. The ad also said that former President Jimmy Carter had agreed to serve as co-chairman of Heal L.A. A spokeswoman at the Carter Center in Atlanta confirmed that Carter is part of the effort. Heal L.A. is part of Jackson's Heal the World Foundation, which he started last year to try to improve the lives of poor children. To maximize its effectiveness, the foundation gives money to established organizations so that the foundation can eliminate excessive overhead and keep administrative costs to a minimum, Harris said. --- 12 Years Ago --- Woman Suing Jackson Called Obsessed San Francisco Chronicle February 08, 1994 An unknown songwriter who claims Michael Jackson stole the song "Dangerous" from her is obsessed with the superstar, Jackson's attorney told a jury yesterday. "Crystal Cartier has an obsession about Michael Jackson and she fantasizes about Michael Jackson. Those obsessions and fantasies relate directly to this case," said Jackson's attorney Daniel Hoffman during opening statements of a copyright infringement lawsuit. Hoffman denied Jackson stole the song from Cartier. But Cartier's attorney Robert Eberhardt told the jury that Jack son had possession of Cartier's song. "On July 9, 1991, she sent to Michael Jackson by mail a copy of the tape and a promotional pack," the attorney said. Cartier's lawsuit estimates damages at more than $20 million for lost revenue. She also seeks at least $5 million in punitive damages. An eight-person jury was chosen yesterday for the trial in federal court that is expected to last as long as eight days. Hoffman said Cartier began writing a novel titled: "The Immortal Obsession," in which one of the heroes is a character called "Michael the Meak." Jackson is expected to appear on his own behalf, according to court sources, although he taped a deposition that could be entered as his testimony. Besides Jackson, other defendants are MJJ Productions, his production company; Epic Records, the label that makes and releases his records; and Sony Music Entertainment, Epic's parent company. Cartier, 38, contends Jackson had access to her song "Dangerous" because she left a tape recording of it at Epic during a promotional trip to Los Angeles record companies in July 1990. Epic's and Jackson's policies are to return such unsolicited material, according to pretrial testimony. Last month a California jury found for Jackson in another copyright infringement case, in which two boyhood friends of the Jackson family claimed they wrote several songs for him. Two weeks ago Jackson settled a child molestation lawsuit in Los Angeles. At a pretrial hearing Thursday, Cartier testified she no longer had a copy of the recording she said she took to Los Angeles. "I gave my last tape away," she told U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham. --- 11 Years Ago --- MJ's Latest Arrival: Quo Washington Informer February 08, 1995 The Los Angeles rap scene has seen it all, from Snoop Doggy Dogg to Ice Cube. Now, L.A. has spawned two youngsters that spew lyrics like grease at McDonalds. Quo is the name of the group that encompasses the rappers Kaos and JD Tru. Quo is the first rap group to be released under the neophyte record label MJJ, owned and operated by Michael Jackson himself... Quo Funk is also a good tune with its real funk sound. The background sounds as if Parliament got back together just for this tune. The sound is further helped along by a chorus done to the tune of Michael Jackson's HeartBreak Hotel. The CD is good for Cruising and chillin' to but you probably won't hear their jams in a club anytime soon. Overall I would give this one three out of five with almost a point because they're so young. --- 10 Years Ago --- Brazil Gets Spike'd As Banana Republic Over Video Boston Globe February 08, 1996 Director Spike Lee yesterday called attempts to bar him from filming a Michael Jackson video in a Rio de Janeiro shantytown "pathetic and ridiculous" and said authorities were acting like a banana republic. "Michael Jackson loves Brazil and the Brazilians and doesn't need to go half the way around the world to show that shantytowns exist in Rio," Lee told daily Jornal do Brasil in an interview published yesterday. The dispute over Jackson's video for the song, "They Don't Care About Us," erupted last week when a Rio official said the use of a shantytown as a backdrop could "devastate" attempts to rebuild the city's image and be host to the 2004 Olympics. The state governor then accused the singer of exploiting poverty, a judge ordered the shoot be suspended for 20 days - a period he then cut to five - and Jackson's visa has been reportedly held up for bureaucratic reasons. "This is ridiculous and pathetic," Lee told Jornal do Brasil. "We're not trying to topple the Brazilian government." Images of Jackson filmed in the Dona Marta shantytown would appear in only two or three scenes of the video, which will depict human suffering over the ages, Lee said. "In the eyes of the world, complicating Michael Jackson's visa is making Brazil appear a ridiculous country, as if it were a banana republic," he added. --- 8 Years Ago --- Macaulay Culkin To Be Godfather News of the World February 08, 1998 Michael Jackson has asked Macaulay Culkin to be godfather to his son Prince. The former child star of the Home Alone movies is now a sulky 17-year-old who likes to stay out of the public eye, but has agreed to help out his old friend. After all they have been pals since he was eight. --- 7 Years Ago --- Create Your Own Special Effect Images Computimes Malaysia February 08, 1999 HAVE you ever thought how Michael Jackson's Black or White music video was made? Have you ever wondered how they superimposed the faces in that music video? Now here is a chance for you to superimpose anything with your own home computer. With the latest version of Print Artist Pro Morph V.2.5 from Sierra Home, it is so easy that even a 10-year-old kid can do it. Professional artists in Hollywood have been using morphing technology for years to create special effects that give their movies a more appealing look... --- 4 Years Ago --- Ticked-off Jackson Fan Sues For $20M New York Post February 08, 2002 A Manhattan woman is mad, she's mad, really, really mad about her lousy seats at Michael Jackson's tribute-to-himself concert - so mad, she's filed a $20 million suit against Ticketmaster and Madison Square Garden. Dana Gross was out of town and couldn't be reached for comment, said her lawyer, Peter Agulnick. But one of her friends and a fellow concertgoer, Glen Rosenberg, said they went to the Garden expecting a "Thriller," and instead got something just plain "Bad." --- --- Magic Master South Bend Tribune February 08, 2002 First you see, then you don't. The magic and mystery of master illusionist Franz Harary will amaze audiences of all ages when he performs at 8 p.m. CST today, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Star Plaza Theatre, Interstate 65, Merrillville, Ind. A native of Ann Arbor, Harary has performed around the world and worked with a variety of celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men and more. He has created more than 130 original illusions, including making Egypt's famed Sphinx disappear and turning Michael Jackson into a black panther. Tickets are $26 for adults and $17 for ages 12 and younger... --- 3 Years Ago --- My Dad, Michael; Cancer Boy's Mother Tells How He Looks Upon Jackson As His Father and Wants To Travel The World With Him Daily Mail February 08, 2003 The mother of the 12-year-old cancer sufferer who shares Michael Jackson"s bed has revealed how the boy thinks of the singer as his father and even calls him Daddy. As it emerged last night that Jackson will face a police investigation into his behaviour, Janet Arvizo said she was perfectly comfortable with her son Gavin and her two other children staying at the star"s Neverland ranch. She hopes Jackson will include the children in his entourage when he travels around the world. "Michael has brought something special into our lives," Mrs Arvizo told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview. "He has pet names for all of my children and Gavin even calls him Daddy. He is the father they never had. He is a saint to them." Gavin, who was given only two weeks to live when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer two years ago, tells his mother: "I am living for my Daddy, Michael." The family has suffered so much hardship that it is perhaps not surprising that they see Jackson as a guardian angel. Struggling to scrape together enough welfare cash to feed and clothe Gavin, his 11-year-old brother Star and sister Davelin, 16, Mrs Arvizo was once so poor that she was forced to take the children to live in a stable. Courtesy of Jackson, they now have a car, numerous other gifts and live in a small but comfortable flat. Mrs Arvizo, 34, is clearly doing all she can to encourage the connection with their celebrity friend. "The children are hoping to spend a lot more time with him in the future," she said. "It is not just Gavin - all of my kids have stayed over with Michael. They have spent a lot of quality time with him on their own. "Sometimes they stay overnight. I am totally comfortable with that. They are happy with him and have a lot of fun. I don"t need to be there all the time. I am not worried about Michael at all. He has been so good to all of us." Her voice brimming with excitement, Mrs Arvizo added: "So far, they have only been with him at Neverland, but they are hoping to travel the world with him. That is what he has told them will happen. It"s a dream come true for them. He is their angel. "Whenever they feel sad, Michael sends them a card and invites them over to see him. They really look forward to that." The revelations about Jackson"s relationship with Gavin were one of the main talking points from Martin Bashir"s documentary about the singer, which was screened to 15million viewers by ITV on Monday. Many have since questioned the motivation of a man sleeping with children who are not related to him and last night a criminal investigation was launched into the documentary"s revelations. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon said: "It is anticipated that it (a videotape of the programme) will be reviewed. "The conduct of any adult under these circumstances sleeping with a child is certainly calculated to raise concerns and be considered by most reasonable people as unusual, at best. For this reason, all local departments having responsibility in this are taking this matter seriously." Before meeting 44-year-old Jackson two years ago, Gavin was unquestionably at the very lowest point in his difficult upbringing in a rundown district of Los Angeles. While Jackson would not blink at spending millions in a morning shopping spree on Beverly Hills" Rodeo Drive, just a few miles away Gavin"s mother was struggling to keep the family together. Preoccupied with her daily struggle for survival, Mrs Arvizo had paid no attention to the child molesting allegations ten years earlier that resulted in Jackson paying pounds 10million to settle a civil suit brought by Jordy Chandler, his 13-year-old alleged victim. It was not that she knew nothing of abusive men. Friends say she was forced to take out a restraining order against her husband, David, 36, claiming he abused her and the children. Trying to bring up the youngsters alone, she constantly struggled to find a decent home. "They were living in a stable with the hay and horses in Bakersfield, California, for a long time," said family friend Jamie Masada. "I went to visit them another time to see just how bad things were and they were all living in a tiny room in Compton that wasn"t even big enough for one person to live in. "They couldn"t afford to buy clothes or food. It was heartbreaking to see people living like that in Los Angeles. It made me cry. "It is hard to believe there could be this kind of poverty in a country like America." Ironically, it was Gavin"s battle with kidney cancer that turned his life around. The first two occasions his mother took him to a community hospital complaining of stomach pains, he was turned away because he did not have insurance. On the insistence of Mr Masada, the owner of the Laugh Factory comedy club, Mrs Arvizo took Gavin back again. Doctors found a tumour the size of a football. Surgeons at Kaiser Hospital in Los Angeles operated to remove the cancer and were forced to take out one of Gavin"s kidneys and his spleen. Exhausting chemotherapy sessions made all his hair fall out and sapped his spirit. All the time, the medical bills were mounting. Gavin, Star and Davelin had earlier attended a comedy camp that Mr Masada holds each summer for underprivileged children. He kept in touch with the family and, after Gavin became ill, asked the boy for a wish-list of the celebrities he wanted to meet. After Adam Sandler, a comedian who appears on the American show Saturday Night Live, and Chris Tucker, from the Rush Hour movies, the third name on the list was Jackson"s. "Gavin said he"d seen him dance on TV and wanted to meet him," said Mr Masada. "It was like meeting these people was giving him something to live for. "I contacted Quincy Jones who talked to Michael and he came to the club but Gavin wasn"t there. "Then Michael spoke to Gavin on the telephone and called him a couple more times before he asked him if he wanted to visit Neverland. "Gavin and his brother, Star, went to Neverland and they stayed for two days. Janet would drop them off and pick them up after the weekend. "No matter what people may say about Michael Jackson, he came in and helped this boy to survive. That"s the most important thing to me. "Gavin said Michael was like a kid. They had fun and played games. Gavin is not a naive kid. He would have said something if something bad had happened." Mrs Arvizo"s ex-husband refused to comment on his son"s relationship with Jackson. He lives in an eastern suburb of Los Angeles with his mother, Marleen, who said: "He has not been able to see Gavin for about a year. I don"t even know where they are living now." ---