Jan. 10 in history

20 Years Ago --- Grammys Tab 'We Are The World' Chicago Tribune January 10, 1986 The American music industry's plea for an end to starvation in Africa, "We Are the World," was nominated for honors Thursday in three of the most prestigious categories in the 28th annual Grammy Awards. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and performed by the biggest names in the industry, collectively known as U.S.A. for Africa, "We Are the World" gained nominations as top single, best album, and, the most prestigious of all, song of the year. The highest number of nominations, eight, went to artist-composer- producer Mark Knopfler, including his work with the group Dire Straits and country artist Chet Atkins. --- 18 Years Ago --- Michael Jackson Considers Orlando Stop Orlando Sentinel January 10, 1988 With the new year comes word that two major stadium concerts may hit Orlando in 1988. Although plans are still tentative, Michael Jackson may bring his tour to the Florida Citrus Bowl-Orlando late this year. Jackson's tour representatives have contacted city officials and originally reserved the stadium for possible concert dates in the spring. However, the Florida leg of the tour has now been rescheduled for the fall. Jackson reportedly would prefer to perform in Orlando -- close to his personal hotel room at Lake Buena Vista -- than Jacksonville, which hosted the Jacksons' Victory Tour in 1984. The change in the Jackson tour plans allowed the city to reserve the Citrus Bowl this spring instead for a possible return performance by Pink Floyd. Promoters for the band, which played a sold-out show at Tampa Stadium in October, have asked the city to hold dates at the stadium in late April and early May for that concert. --- 17 Years Ago --- Jackson's 'Moonwalker' Offers A Lot For the Money Star Tribune January 10, 1989 "Moonwalker" gives the viewer a lot for the money. For less than $25 (thanks in part to the Pepsi commercial that opens the tape), there are seven short music videos, including "Badder," a takeoff on the "Bad" clip; a performance of "Come Together," the first time [Michael Jackson], who owns the Beatles' 251-song catalog, has publicly performed a Beatles song, and "The Moon Is Walking," an epilogue by the 10-man Zulu choir from Paul Simon's "Graceland," Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The heart of "Moonwalker" is the 40-minute special-effects-laden video for "Smooth Criminal," in which Jackson indulges his love of dancing, science fiction and fantasy. --- --- Jackson Earns Special Tribute For Bad Album The Ottawa Citizen January 10, 1989 Music sensation Michael Jackson will receive a special American Music Awards tribute this month to acknowledge the international impact of his Bad album. The American Music Award of Achievement trophy will be presented to the entertainer Jan. 30. The trophy honors Jackson "because his album Bad is the first ever to contain five No. 1 singles, and in recognition of its international impact in becoming 1988's best-selling album in the world," the organizers said in a statement Monday. Jackson, who already has received 13 American Music Awards, is also a double nominee this year - for male vocalist in the pop-rock and soul-rhythm and blues categories. --- 15 Years Ago --- Michael Heads Back To 'Eden' Chicago Sun Times January 10, 1991 Pop music sensation Michael Jackson embarks this month on a 10-day expedition to Africa, his first visit to what he calls the "cradle of civilization" in nearly two decades. Jackson's sojourn begins Jan. 21 in Libreville, Gabon, a publicist said Wednesday. "Michael Jackson is renowned for his love of animals, his fascination for Africa and his belief that the continent is the cradle of civilization. His feelings are, `Come to Africa, come back to Eden,' " he said. Jackson's only prior visit to Africa was as a member of the Jackson 5 nearly 20 years ago when the group performed in Senegal. --- 11 Years Ago --- Legal Beat Wall Street Journal January 10, 1995 A Rome judge recently issued a temporary injunction against sales in Italy of Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" album and prohibited all forms of broadcast of one of the album's songs. The action follows a complaint for plagiarism by Italian pop singer Albano Carrisi, who claims that Mr. Jackson's 1991 song "Will You Be There" is a knockoff of one of his own songs, "I Cigni di Balaka" -- the Swans of Balaka -- published in 1987. "Michael gets accused, like all well-known singers, of copyright infringement all the time," says Eve Wagner, Mr. Jackson's lawyer in Century City, California. But "this is the first time I'm aware of" that her client is being sued overseas, says Ms. Wagner, adding that Mr. Jackson has won three previous plagiarism cases in the U.S. Mr. Jackson's Rome-based lawyer, Lorenzo de Sanctis, argues that Mr. Carrisi's song isn't protected by copyright because it's based on a common popular tune. Mr. de Sanctis, a partner in the Rome office of Loeb & Loeb, claims to have found other interpretations of the same tune, one of them published in the U.S. as far back as 1939. "I Cigni di Balaka," he argues, is thus devoid of any "originality," one of the necessary conditions for copyright protection. --- 5 Years Ago --- Family The Vancouver Sun January 10, 2001 Jackson, the 42-year-old father of two, will host a celebrity panel about balancing "romantic love, familial love and professional dedication" at a benefit for his charity, Heal the Kids, on Valentine's Day. Tickets will sell for $45-$65. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of the book Kosher Sex and a friend of Jackson's, will moderate the event at Carnegie Hall. Other participants include Johnnie Cochran, Chuck Woolery and Dr. Drew Pinsky, Jackson's publicist said Monday. --- --- Michael Jackson To Join Brothers On Album Cincinnati Post January 10, 2001 Pop superstar Michael Jackson will perform with his brothers on an upcoming reunion album, the first collection of new material by the singing siblings in more than a decade. The "King of Pop" will appear on two or three tracks of the album but has not yet gone into the studio for the project. No details of the as-yet untitled album were immediately available. Jackson and his five brothers - Randy, Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Jackie - will record the album under Randy Jackson's label, Modern Records. Randy Jackson has said the album is expected to blend pop with rhythm and blues, in the tradition of the hit-making Jackson 5. The brothers' 1984 "Victory" album, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard pop album charts, featured the hit single "State of Shock" sung by Michael Jackson. --- 4 Years Ago --- Jackson Best of the Century Evening News January 10, 2002 Michael Jackson made a controversial appearance at the American Music Awards amid the threat of legal action against the rival Grammy awards. The pop legend's scheduled appearance prompted the AMA's producer to sue the man in charge of the Grammys for 7 million pounds in December. It was alleged that Michael Greene, president of the Recording Academy, had threatened to deny Jackson an opportunity to perform at next month's Grammys if the singer was present at the American Music Awards. Jackson accepted an Artist of the Century award, but did not sing. Britney Spears did perform, however, singing "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" at the 29th AMA ceremony in Los Angeles. --- 3 Years Ago --- New Record Label For Mottola New York Times January 10, 2003 After a tumultuous year at Sony Music Group, Thomas D. Mottola, the chief executive who fostered the careers of superstars like Celine Dion, Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey, is leaving the company to start his own record label. --- 2 Years Ago --- Dick Gregory Supports Jackson The Washington Post January 10, 2004 Having just ended a 40-day fast to show support for Michael Jackson, comedian Dick Gregory, 71, said he's resolved to do what it takes to prove his friend is innocent of child molestation charges. "I would leave a child of mine with him, sure I would," Gregory told the New York Post. "If you had a choice between leaving a child with him or Crocodile Dundee, who would you pick?" he said, referring to "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. --- 1 Years Ago --- High-profile Pair Willing To Testify On Jackson's Behalf Knight Ridder Tribune News January 10, 2005 "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin and Britney Spears' famous choreographer Wade Robson are willing to testify that their pal Michael Jackson never molested them during their many childhood sleepovers at Neverland, sources say. The famous pair, who hung out with Jackson when they were kids more than a decade ago, may be called as defense witnesses at Jackson's upcoming child molestation trial, a source close to Jackson said. "Mac and Wade have always said very clearly from the beginning -- nothing ever happened. Michael did not molest them," the source said. The pair and another young Jackson pal, Australian-born Brett Barnes, 21, all have said that if they are called, they will testify on Michael's behalf, the source said. But Culkin's rep would not confirm that. ... Just last week, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies grilled Jeremy Jackson, the son of Jackson's brother Jermaine, asking him whether his uncle ever had "improper contact" with him, the Santa Barbara News Press reported and a Jackson source confirmed. The nephew denied any impropriety took place. "It's beyond belief. This is how desperate these prosecutors are," said the source. ---