Jan. 8 in history

18 Years Ago --- One Line On The News USA Today January 08, 1988 Michael Jackson's chimp, named Bubbles, is having a tuxedo made by Rick Pallack, the tailor to Sylvester Stallone and Michael J. Fox. There was no suitable alternative. --- 17 Years Ago --- Michael Jackson Video May Prove Breakthrough The Ottawa Citizen January 08, 1989 When Vestron's The Making of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' sold more than 500,000 units in the mid '80s - when the home-video industry was starting to boom - video companies started jumping on the music video bandwagon. But the long-form music video - primarily just a compilation of the kind of promo clips made famous by MTV - never caught on. Now music videos are just a tiny segment of the home-video industry, which is dominated by major-movie rentals. However, the long-form music video seems poised for another breakthrough. The leader of the new wave? Jackson again. His 94-minute Moonwalker (CBS Music Video Enterprises) - an eclectic anthology of related musical segments - is due out Tuesday. It could help revive interest in the long-form music-video. Moonwalker, featuring songs from his Bad album, some new music and a version of the Beatles's Come Together, was released as a movie this fall in many foreign countries. There have been some music-video hits in the home-video market recently, such as Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet: the Video (190,000 units) and Def Leppard's Historia (170,000 units). But Moonwalker is in a different league. CBS will ship 300,000 copies to retailers and distributors. That is about the size of the initial shipment of rental copies of the latest hit movie. --- 16 Years Ago --- Jackson Serves Up Barbecue For 80 Series St. Petersburg Times January 08, 1990 Pop superstar Michael Jackson threw a party for 80 abused or neglected children at his 3,000-acre ranch in Santa Ynez, Calif. Jackson gave the children, from the Village of Childhelp in Beaumont, a tour of his well-stocked game and toy rooms, then served up a barbecue lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs under sunny blue skies. "I'm so happy you came and glad you can share all these pleasures with me," Jackson told the kids at lunch Saturday, accompanied by his pet chimpanzees Max and Alexandria dressed in blue coveralls and striped T-shirts. The party was private and the singer's comments to the children were relayed through publicist Lee Solters. The kids also got to play volleyball and bounce on a trampoline. After lunch, Jackson and the kids went to the ranch's theater to watch The Little Mermaid and Back to the Future Part II. The children autographed a life-size cutout of Jackson and presented it to the singer. "He's getting a big kick. He's like the Pied Piper," the singer's spokesman said. --- 12 Years Ago --- Swiss Hospitality USA Today January 08, 1994 A small restaurant in the Swiss town of Appenzell on Friday offered Michael Jackson free room and board to protest what it called the unfair treatment the pop superstar has been given by media. Luki Hoffmann, owner of Restaurant Sternen, said Jackson was invited to stay in a secluded and secret location in the town until his innocence of alleged sexual molestation was proven. "The media should not interfere in people's personal life and stir up pre-judgments through premature and sensational articles," Hoffmann said. There are no rooms to rent in the restaurant, but Hoffmann said he would arrange for Jackson to stay in a secret location. --- 10 Years Ago --- Short Stuff News & Observer January 08, 1996 Michael Jackson had business meetings scheduled last weekend in New York - his first trip back to the Big Apple since collapsing during a concert rehearsal. Jackson, 37, also planned to take in a New York Knicks basketball game with director Spike Lee on Tuesday, Jackson spokesman Lee Solters said. --- 5 Years Ago --- Oh Baby, Give Them One More Chance Belfast Telegraph January 08, 2001 Michael Jackson is to record and tour again this year with a reunited Jackson Five, his brother Jermaine has claimed in a radio interview. Jermaine told Sirius Satellite Radio in Las Vegas that the legendary soul group would play together for the first time since 1984. "We're in the studio working very hard on a new J-5 album that will be released this summer," Jermaine told DJ Holly Levis. "We're going to do a new tour. We're very, very excited." While Jermaine offered no further specifics, when asked if the new CD and tour would include Michael, Jermaine replied: "Absolutely." It has been rumoured for years that the brothers would reunite for the first time since the much-hyped 1984 Victory Tour. Rap star Lana Moorer- better known to her fans as MC Lyte- was there when her pal Jermaine spoke to the station, and told The New York Post she believes he is telling the truth. "I don't think he'd joke about something like this," she said. The siblings from Gary, Indiana -brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, Randy and Tito- performed under a host of names including The Jacksons, The Jackson Five and The Jackson Family. The brothers produced a string of hit songs in the 1970s, including pop landmarks such as I'll Be There, ABC and Never Say Goodbye. --- --- Clark Showcases Another Jackson The Post Tribune January 08, 2001 Dick Clark thinks he has a nice connection with Michael Jackson and his clan. "I go back a long way with that family," said Clark last week. The legend behind TV's "American Bandstand" gave the Jackson 5 one of its first big doses of national exposure on his teen-oriented show. Michael Jackson was a mere tyke at the time, but the Gary native proved he had the necessary ham in him to shine as a star. "When I went to interview him, he took the microphone away from me," recalled Clark. "I knew he was trying to stand out." Michael went on to win the "Award of Merit" on Clark's "American Music Awards." Tonight, Michael's sister Janet gets the same entertainment- contribution award. --- 4 Years Ago --- Jacskon To Appear On Awards Bash The Vancouver Sun January 08, 2002 Michael Jackson will appear on the 29th annual American Music Awards Wednesday to accept the artist-of-the-century award. Executive producer Dick Clark filed a $15-million lawsuit against Recording Academy president Michael Greene, who oversees the annual Grammy Awards. Jackson had originally agreed to take part in the AMA ceremonies, but backed out, allegedly because of what Clark claims is Greene's policy that artists who appear on the AMAs are not allowed to participate in the Grammys telecast. Britney Spears, Mick Jagger, Cher, Toby Keith, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Shaggy, Brooks & Dunn, Yolanda Adams and show co-host Sean "P. Diddy" Combs will perform on the show being broadcast on ABC at 8 p.m. on CTV and ABC- KOMO. --- 2 Years Ago --- Leak of Jackson Memo Criticized Los Angeles Times January 08, 2004 An attorney for the boy allegedly molested by Michael Jackson has filed a complaint with a Los Angeles County child welfare agency about the leak of a confidential memo. The memo said child welfare officials were told in February that Jackson might have molested the boy. Officials investigated the allegation, the memo said, but concluded the accusation was not true. The memo was leaked to thesmokinggun.com website last month, about the time Jackson was charged with child molestation. Attorney Larry Feldman sent the complaint to child welfare officials, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. He demanded that officials try to determine who leaked the memo, according to a source close to the case... ---