Feb. 10 in history

18 Years Ago --- A Royal Concert Orlando Sentinel February 10, 1988 What do you do when you've done just about everything else? Go to a Michael Jackson concert, of course. And that's exactly what Prince Charles and Princess Diana are going to do July 16, taking in the prince of pop at London's Wembley Stadium. Why are they doing this? That Jackson is coughing up what's termed "a substantial contribution" from the concert take to the Prince's Trust -- a charity administered by Charles -- appears to have a lot to do with it. In a statement, the entertainer said, "It is wonderful to have the opportunity to entertain the royal family, and it is a privilege to help such a worthwhile cause..." --- --- Jackson Finally Hits Pensacola, 3 Days Late St. Petersburg Times February 10, 1988 Singer Michael Jackson is finally in this Panhandle city to rehearse for his concert tour after bad weather in Atlanta delayed his arrival by three days, a publicity spokeswoman said. On Monday afternoon, Jackson arrived in the same Eastern Airlines that carried the Pensacola Tornados of the Continental Basketball Association home from a road trip. The singer is sharing the 10,000-seat Pensacola Civic Center with the Tornados, who had a home game scheduled Tuesday night, as he rehearses through Feb. 18 for a 13-city tour that will begin Feb. 23 in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson was expected to arrive Friday night. At that time, Maureen O'Connor, a spokeswoman in Los Angeles, confirmed his arrival in Pensacola. She said Monday that she had not known about the weather delay that kept Jackson in Atlanta. The performer was met at the airplane's steps and whisked away. Television cameras caught only a fleeting glimpse of him. Jackson's lighting equipment and stage and a 100-person entourage of musicians, backup singers and others began arriving two weeks ago, but Jackson does not plan any public performances in Pensacola. Local radio disc jockeys Doug and Denise Williams went on a hunger strike for two weeks in an effort to persuade Jackson to stage a performance in Pensacola. That ended Monday after Williams lost 25 pounds and his wife 15 pounds. Now they are trying to gather signatures on a petition. They claim to have about 8,000 names and hope to have 20,000 by Friday, when Jackson fans plan to hold a pep rally near the Civic Center. Meanwhile, city officials have ordered the removal of a mobile home set up in the parking lot of a nearby motel as a headquarters for Jackson fans. A city ordinance prohibits retail sales out of trailers without a permit. Richard Pezzello, who set up the trailer, has been selling T-shirts and other Jackson souvenirs. He said he plans to move to a tent that would meet the city code. Billy Shores, a Jackson look-alike who dresses like Jackson in black, uniform-like clothing, has been hanging around the Civic Center and chasing limousines in an effort to meet his idol, reported Pensacola News Journal columnist Mark O'Brien. Mary Hart of the Entertainment Tonight television show is doing a three-part story on Jackson's visit. A spokesman for the program said it will be more of a behind-the-scenes look at the Jackson tour than an interview. It is scheduled to begin with the Feb. 22 program. --- 16 Years Ago --- Tyson Fight Less of a Draw Than All-star Audience The Gazette February 10, 1990 Mike Tyson is confidently expected to make such short work of James "Buster" Douglas - the latest pretender to his undisputed world heavyweight boxing title - here tomorrow that the interest of Japanese fans is more focused on the all-star audience than on the fight itself. Tickets are selling slowly, given the expectation that Tyson will finish off Douglas well inside the distance. But the chance to see an aging rock and roll band - the Rolling Stones - and pop superstar Michael Jackson is proving a greater attraction than the prospect of another Tyson demolition job. The Stones are already here, for a series of nine sellout concerts in the same Tokyo Dome venue as the fight. But Jackson is keeping the fans guessing on when he will arrive. He was not aboard the private jet which brought real estate developer Donald Trump and his wife, Ivanna, to the Japanese capital Thursday, much to the disappointment of a crowd of fans who had gathered at Nagita airport in the hope of catching a glimpse of their idol. Trump said Jackson had not been able to join them because he was sick, and it was believed he would now arrive today. Young female fans were in tears at Jackson's absence, and one of them, who has paid 30,000 yen (about $210 U.S.) for a fight ticket, sobbed: "I'm not interested in boxing, but I bought the ticket just to see Michael." Ticket prices scaled from 150,000 yen ($1,034) for the gold ringside seats to 5,000 yen ($34.50)... --- 13 Years Ago --- Oprah: No Gloves On For Michael Chicago Sun Times February 10, 1993 "I never watch television," said one of the world's best-known TV stars. But tuning in the ABC broadcast of "The Jacksons: An American Dream" last fall turned out to be a close encounter of the best kind for talk show superstar Oprah Winfrey. The mini-series reminded Winfrey that Michael Jackson was one of three people (the other two are Princess Diana and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis) she has always wanted to interview. But after not getting a response to her interview request, she thought, "Oh well, it's just one of those things. He's not interested." After he did call to make inquiries, Winfrey feared she had scared him off. "I made it clear that our conversation had to be totally open and uninhibited," she said. Of course, he could say, 'I don't want to' talk about things he wasn't comfortable with. But that couldn't happen too much. Otherwise it wouldn't work for the audience - or me." When he didn't call back for more than a month, Winfrey thought the deal was dead. But then the "Dangerous" one called in December to say, "I'll do it," and the one-woman entertainment conglomerate "put on all my Michael Jackson tapes and did a little jig on the porch of my house in (Telluride) Colorado." Winfrey has been spending a great deal of time preparing for tonight's 90-minute interview. "I've read virtually everything written about Michael and I've looked at the videos so much I'm blind," she said. When she flew to Jackson's ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley to work out technical details and shoot promotional photos, he surprised her with his sense of humor. "I expected him to be shy, but instead he started telling jokes," she said. "We were cracking up through the entire photo shoot." But Winfrey says the most important preparation is "calming myself . . . so I can do the best job to make him totally comfortable with me so he'll share himself with the world." The first question is the key. "That either makes or breaks an interview," Winfrey said. "That will make him realize I have no agenda other than to help the audience understand who the real Michael Jackson is." Winfrey has been asking everyone she sees what they want to know about Jackson. So questions about his plastic surgeries, family feuds, quirky health habits, etc., are bound to be asked. Some believe this interview, coupled with Jackson's other highly public appearances (President Clinton's inauguration, Super Bowl halftime show, etc.), is a publicity stunt meant to jumpstart a faltering career. But Winfrey thinks otherwise: "He knows he can trust me. I know what it's like to be splashed across the (su permarket) tabloids. After all, Michael, Liz (Taylor) and I could start our own Maligned by the Tabloids Club!" A live interview (only a few external shots of Jackson's ranch will be pre-taped) is very important to Winfrey. "I want everyone to know that there's no one editing this, no one controlling the interview - either Michael or me." But working in a totally live setting has given Winfrey a few nightmares. The talk show star worries she will be forced to turn to the camera and say, "Just a moment, folks, Michael's still getting dressed." --- 12 Years Ago --- Superstar's Recording Really 'Dangerous' -- and Dark Denver Post February 10, 1994 Singer Michael Jackson's reputation as an eccentric--in the recording studio, at least--was enhanced on Feb 9, 1994 in US District Court in Denver as two sound engineers who worked with Jackson on his "Dangerous" album said the singer insisted on recording the music in the dark. The engineers were testifying in Crystal Cartier's copyright lawsuit against Jackson. --- 10 Years Ago --- Michael Shakes 'Em Up The Fresno Bee February 10, 1996 Michael Jackson flew into Brazil Friday to begin filming a controversial video. He was welcomed with near-hysterical enthusiasm by fans in Salvador. Hand-in-hand with two children -- and with only his eyes visible above a black surgical mask -- the singer sprinted across a shimmering runway to wave to hundreds of fans gathered on an airport balcony. "He started running toward us and I almost fainted," said breathless schoolgirl Sheila de Oliveira, still in tears after her not-so-close encounter with the star. Plans by Jackson and director Spike Lee to film in Brazil as part of a video for the song "They Don't Care About Us" have caused an uproar. Authorities have alleged the use of a Rio de Janeiro shantytown as a backdrop would damage the city's attempts to revive its tourism industry and host the 2004 Olympics. --- 6 Years Ago --- Dog Designer Outfits Star Tribune February 10, 2000 Among the dog designer fashions unveiled at the 12th Pat Pet Friend Festival in November in Bangkok: [B}a red-and-black Michael Jackson-style military coat[/B]; a yellow-and-black bike racing jacket with bike-style helmet; a silver spacesuit-like cape, and a blue silk gown. According to designer Vasinee Apornpanit, the biggest market for dressing up dogs is Japan, where pet owners are now asking for cell phones and other high-tech gadgets to be sewn onto the dogs' outfits. --- 4 Years Ago --- Snocore Brings Alternatives on Tour Boston Globe February 10, 2002 The rock-oriented Sno Core 2002 has new sensation Alien Ant Farm (up for a Grammy for its high-energy cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal") coming to the Worcester Palladium Saturday, topping a bill with Fenix, TX, Adema, Glassjaw, and Earshot. The other event, the Sno Core Icicle Ball, is set for the Avalon Ballroom on March 27 with Michael Franti's Spearhead, Nikka Costa, Blackalicious, and underground poet/hip-hopper Saul Williams... And then there's the "Smooth Criminal" cover, which is up for a hard-rock performance Grammy. Its author, Michael Jackson, has said he likes the version and is pleased to see a band take it to the top of the rock charts. (When Jackson recorded it, it was not a favorite of producer Quincy Jones, who reportedly argued to have it dropped from the album "Bad.") "We had always done covers - whether by Sade or the Police or Weezer or Bad Brains," says Mitchell. "We'd always pick something obscure. And then 'Smooth Criminal' came along and it got such a weird response. People either hated it or really liked it. And we loved that feeling. Even to be hated, we kind of liked it. And it was just a fun song. . . . We never meant for it to be a single, but a station in New York called KROQ started spinning the song without us even knowing it, and it went pretty massive. "It's been a blessing for us and has blown the doors open for our album, but at the same time we were leery of coming up thanks to a cover song," adds Mitchell. The band's album, "ANThology," has since sold more than a million copies. --- --- AIDS Gala Shines Among Guests With Stars In Their Eyes Orange County Register February 10, 2002 They were more-than-fashionably late. And they didn't stay long. But two of the entertainment world's brightest stars -- Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson -- appeared at a major fund-raiser late Saturday night, setting off a constellation of camera flashes. Taylor and Jackson visited the Laguna Art Museum as the featured guests of "Art for AIDS: A tribute to Rock Hudson." The gala, which attracted about 550 guests, was expected to raise about $150,000, money to be split by the museum and the AIDS Services Foundation of Laguna Beach. Taylor was wearing a pants suit and was adorned in jewels. Jackson wore a black suit with white trim. The two stars arrived just after 9 p.m. and were whisked into a room that was too small to accommodate the large museum crowd... The stars stayed only about 30 minutes, possibly because Taylor wasn't feeling well. She seemed to be bothered by the temperature inside the museum and asked for a chair to sit in. She and Jackson left in a limousine a short time later. Taylor and Jackson were also at least an hour late to a $2,500 per plate dinner at the home of Tom and Barbara Stiles in Dana Point. The dinner, held earlier in the evening, attracted about 40 guests, whose contributions also were part of the "Art for AIDS" fund-raiser... --- --- Bates Lifts Eastside Over Wayne Hills The Record February 10, 2002 With the clock winding down and the outcome all but decided, Eastside's 265-pound fullback-turned-point guard Marcel Bates dribbled the ball behind his back and was fouled at midcourt, as the Ghost faithful roared in anticipation of the victory. Bates, whose second-half play inspired Eastside to rally to a 70- 62 victory over Wayne Hills, then broke into a Michael Jackson moonwalk and the fans cheered even louder... --- 3 Years Ago --- Jackson Is Not as Bad as You Think The Daily Mirror February 10, 2003 Michael Jackson has long been a campaigner against the abuse of children. He is a humanitarian who uses his money and his personal time to improve the wellbeing of children. To turn these efforts against him in order to create a highly inaccurate representation is not acceptable. It is not Jackson who is warped - it is those who can draw such unpleasant conclusions from the openness and honesty that he showed. Of course, Michael Jackson is not like most other people. But being different does not equal being wrong. Sarah Randall The Michael Jackson News International Fan Club, Luton ---