Feb. 9 in history

18 Years Ago --- Pop/Rock Los Angeles Times February 09, 1988 ...Nearly 100 avid Italian fans of Michael Jackson mobbed a Rome bank and halted traffic over the weekend when a radio station goofed and announced that tickets for the singer's Rome shows would go on sale immediately. Organizers of Jackson's Italian tour said the 430 branches of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro would start selling the $45 and $30 tickets on Wednesday. But when a private Rome station reported that tickets were available immediately, dozens of young people wove through traffic and stuffed the Lavoro bank on Via Veneto. The bank decided to oblige them by taking their orders for the shows, set to take place in the Eternal City's 50,000-seat Flaminio Stadium on May 23 and 24. --- --- Jackson Concert Sellout Madison Square Garden Corp February 09, 1988 It was a Thriller for the nearly 4,000 people who gathered at Madison Square Garden early yesterday morning to buy tickets for Michael Jackson's March 5 and 6 concerts: For 1,000 selected by lottery, it was Victory. For the rest, it was Bad. The approximately 30,000 tickets for the two shows also were available through Ticketmaster, the order-by-phone ticket service, and sold out within an hour, according to Ticketmaster Chairman Fred Rosen. All tickets for Jackson's first New York show on March 3 were purchased by the singer's tour sponsor, Pepsi-Cola, with proceeds to benefit the United Negro College Fund. The line at Madison Square Garden had started at 4 p.m. Sunday, and a few hundred people spent the night on the pavement, braving single-digit temperatures. But continuing a policy begun in 1986 partly to thwart scalpers, the Garden distributed only 1,000 tickets through a random drawing of numbers given to the waiting fans. There was a six-ticketper-buyer limit for the $27.50 tickets. "By 8 a.m., a thousand people were in order ready to stand on line," said Garden spokesman John Urban. Pepsi is selling the March 3 tickets for $50 to $350 through a special campaign to benefit the United Negro College Fund. --- --- Michael Jackson Concert Sells Fast San Francisco Chronicle February 09, 1988 Tickets for next month's Michael Jackson concerts at Madison Square Garden sold out yesterday in slightly more than four hours. Several thousand fans were on hand before the box office opened at 10 a.m., but Garden officials sent most of them away after holding a lottery for 1,000 places in line. Each person in line was entitled to six tickets. The rest of the fans were given a list of nearby Ticketmaster outlets, which also sold the $27.50 tickets. About 30,000 tickets were sold out by 2:30 p.m., arena spokesman John Urban said. --- --- Jackson 'Happy' With U.K. Award The Ottawa Citizen February 09, 1988 Musicians George Michael, Alison Moyet and Michael Jackson were among the winners at the eighth annual British record industry awards. Michael was announced best British male artist for the year 1987 in the ceremonies at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday night. Moyet won the best British female artist award. Jackson won best international solo artist. In a taped reaction, Jackson said, "I'm very honored and very happy and I love all of you very much." --- 17 Years Ago --- Surprise Visit Orlando Sentinel February 09, 1989 Singer Michael Jackson's visit to the California elementary school where Patrick Purdy killed five children last month was so thrilling that one child couldn't even remember her last name. "It was kind of neat to see after what the school has experienced," said Ron Teague, 36, who helped organize the Cleveland Elementary School pupils for Jackson's visit Tuesday. "The children were just ecstatic, they treated him like a brother." Jackson also dropped in at San Joaquin General Hospital, where two youngsters still were being treated. The two were among 30 wounded when Purdy, 26, returned to his old elementary school and opened fire before killing himself. --- 14 Years Ago --- Michael Jackson's Glove Fetches $1,000 At Auction Los Angeles Times February 09, 1992 A silver-sequined glove belonging to singer Michael Jackson was sold for $1,000 Saturday at an auction in Oxnard. Thomas Boe, 53, who maintains residences in Ventura and South Dakota, beat out four other bidders for the glove, said Robert Foster, who runs MC Auctions. Boe did not buy any other Jackson paraphernalia, but spent several thousand dollars on other collectibles, Foster said. "My father has been a collector of all kinds for years," said Boe's son, Robert. "I don't think he's a Jackson fan . . . but usually he knows what's collectible." Foster discovered the glove a few months ago when he opened the top of a piano that had been left in a large storage locker in the San Fernando Valley. He auctions the contents of public storage lockers at 10 different storage facilities in Southern California when the rent has not been paid for several months. Foster did not know who had rented the locker. "One of the keys wouldn't play, so we opened it up, and it was on top of the keys," Foster said. The glove is made of mesh material and hand-stitched with silver sequins. Jackson confirmed that it was his glove when he visited Foster's Oxnard warehouse Friday night to look for any personal papers, Foster said. "He said it was one of his early gloves and that it wasn't of any significance," he added. The 33-year-old star was accompanied by two bodyguards and stayed to sing "Man in the Mirror" for some children in the warehouse, Foster said. "The bodyguards were wearing pistols, so I wasn't going to ask for any ID, but I asked him, 'Are you really Michael Jackson? Then sing something.'" Jackson didn't show up for the auction Saturday, which was held at the warehouse at 4155 S. Bank Road and drew about 300 bidders. "It was chaos," Foster said... --- --- Soundscan's R&B Blind Spot? Los Angeles Times February 09, 1992 * Michael Jackson's sales for his new "Dangerous" album were underreported by as many as 360,000 copies last year, according to Peter Anderson, vice president of sales at Epic Records. If true, this means that "Dangerous" sold almost 2.2 million in the United States in 1991 rather than the 1.8 million reported by SoundScan... --- 13 Years Ago --- Sony To Hand Over Jackson Contract USA Today February 09, 1993 Are we soon to know Michael Jackson's worth? Probably not. Monday, Sony was planning to hand over Jackson's recording contract to an L.A. judge. And despite being one of the most-guarded documents in the entertainment industry, the conglomerate isn't afraid details will become public. Sony was ordered to deliver the recording part of Jackson's latest contract, a 1990 movie/TV/record document said to be worth $50 million plus. This week, the judge will privately review it, deciding if it is relevant to a pending lawsuit. If so, the documents will be handed over to lawyers representing a man suing Jackson and Sony for $48 million. Sony attorney Wayne Smith says it's a "silly" ploy, and he's confident the contract will be returned. "They do understand how much we want to keep them (all Jackson's contracts) confidential," Smith says. "If they push for disclosure ... they put Sony and Jackson in a difficult position." Even if the judge decides the plaintiff should have the contracts, it's unlikely the contents will ever be made public. Just to be safe, Sony attorneys have already asked for a court order prohibiting anybody from talking about the details. The issue centers on a Jackson song; Hugo Zuccarelli is suing for business he says he lost after Jackson removed his Holophonic sound technique from I Just Can't Stop Loving You, on 1987's Bad album. The judge could dismiss the case at a March 12 hearing. --- 12 Years Ago --- Jackson Attorneys Attack 'Expert' Testimony Colorado Springs Gazette February 09, 1994 Defense attorneys representing Michael Jackson tried to discredit an "expert witness" called by plaintiffs Tuesday in the copyright trial involving Denver songwriter Crystal Cartier. Cartier claims Michael Jackson's 1992 hit "Dangerous" mirrors a version she wrote in 1985 with her band Love Story and copyrighted on July 29, 1991. The case is in being heard its second day of testimony in U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham's courtroom. Michael Jackson did not appear in court Tuesday. Cartier plans to seek $40 million or more in damages if she prevails in her lawsuit. She is represented by Bob Eberhardt of Denver. Denver musician Kris Farrell gave testimony as the two versions of "Dangerous" by both Jackson and Cartier were played to a stoic courtroom audience. "I think the most important similarity is in the choruses of the songs," he said. "...And the most obvious similarity is the use of the word 'dangerous.'" In cross-examination, defense attorney Rich Gabriel first questioned the credibility of Farris' status as a witness in the case. "Do you understand the concept of independent expert?" he said. Gabriel read a definition which stated impartiality as a requirement. "Do you agree that the opinion that you gave today was in collaboration with Ms. Cartier?" he asked Farris. Farris answered "Yes." Gabriel also challenged each similarity cited by Farris between the two songs. Those included sharing the same drumbeat, key and theme of dangerous love. "Are you aware, sir, there are over 200 songs copyrighted since the mid-1930s under the title, 'Dangerous?' " he asked, to which Farris replied no. "The concept of dangerous is not unique or original to either Ms. Cartier or Mr. Jackson," said Gabriel, to which Farris agreed. --- 7 Years Ago --- Grammy Artists Together On 1 Disc Milwaukee Journal Sentinel February 09, 1999 ...Last-minute Valentine entries continue to trickle in this week. Quincy Jones' "From Q With Love" on Warner Brothers is a double-disc compilation of love songs that Jones produced, arranged or wrote. The artist lineup includes Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Tevin Campbell... --- 6 Years Ago --- Crocked Doc Won't Say If He Gave Drugs To Jax New York Daily News February 09, 2000 An upper East Side doctor who shot himself up with morphine while treating patients said yesterday that he was pop star Michael Jackson's tour doctor in 1997. Dr. Neil Ratner, testifying yesterday in the insurance fraud trial of high-profile infertility expert Dr. Niels Lauersen, was evasive when asked if he had administered drugs to the Gloved One. "Would you give Michael Jackson drugs?" Lauersen's demanded attorney, Theodore Wells. "I'm not going to discuss a patient's personal medical condition," Ratner replied. In a telephone interview from Los Angeles, Jackson's attorney, Brian Wolf, said the singer "denies that Dr. Ratner ever prescribed any inappropriate medications or treatments." Wolf insisted that any medical treatment is confidential and said Ratner was correct not to disclose it. Ratner, a 49-year-old ex-rock 'n' roll drummer and manager of Peter Frampton and Edgar Winter, has been on the stand for days, admitting he repeatedly took drugs while caring for patients during the 1980s. In May 1989, he collapsed after shooting himself up with a paralytic agent during cosmetic surgery on the upper East Side. Ratner, who still practices in Manhattan, pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and is cooperating with Manhattan U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White in the case against Lauersen in hopes of reducing his prison sentence... --- 3 Years Ago --- Jackson's TV Revenge On 'Betrayer' Bashir Mail on Sunday February 09, 2003 Michael Jackson has turned the tables on controversial interviewer Martin Bashir and revealed he has his own television footage that exposes the journalist's alleged underhand methods. Bashir and the Granada Television crew were filmed by Jackson's staff during the eight months they spent with the singer making the documentary Living With Michael Jackson. In the completed film, Bashir questioned the way the pop star brings up his children, but Jackson's footage is said to show Bashir telling him how much he admires him as a father - and will be broadcast on US channel CBS in a one-hour special on Wednesday. A source said: 'The footage basically shows Martin sucking up to Michael and shows just how much he betrayed him. It's going to be very interesting viewing - and very embarrassing for Martin.' The source revealed that Bashir and the Granada crew were aware they were being filmed, saying: 'Martin has apparently forgotten exactly what he said. He along with the watching public will find out later this week.' Jackson's friend Uri Geller explained that it was not unusual for the singer to have a personalTV crew. He said: 'Michael usually takes his own crew with him when he goes away.' It has also emerged that Bashir struck a financial deal with Jackson in a final attempt to get the warts-and-all interview. The Mail on Sunday can disclose that Granada television agreed to pay a portion from the show's profits to a children's charity chosen by the star. The programme was sold to US network ABC for pounds 3.5 million. The revelation of a financial incentive sheds new light on Jackson's motivation in being so honest and controversial with Bashir. During the programme, which drew a 15 million audience in Britain last week, he admitted sharing a bed with youngsters at his California ranch Neverland. Jackson later accused Bashir of 'betrayal' for producing a 'salacious ratings chaser' and defended himself against suggestions of child abuse. A portion of the profits from the programme will go to British charity, Children With Aids. Jackson himself was not paid. Bashir is also criticised today by George Best. The football legend tells Night & Day magazine that Bashir developed a close relationship with him for a documentary, but betrayed him in the subsequent programme. Best said: 'He made his reputation doing a puff piece for Princess Diana and has traded on it ever since. I once stupidly let him film my wife Alex and me. He said: "I want to be your friend when you are better." What rubbish. 'No one I've spoken to has a good word to say about Bashir. He has got as much integrity as a paper bag.' ---

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