MTV News |
- Maxwell Imagines Would-Be Notorious B.I.G. Collaboration
- Michael Jackson Memorial Features Stirring Tributes From Usher, Mariah Carey, More
- Jermaine Jackson Brings 'Smile,' Tears To Michael Jackson Memorial
- Michael Jackson's Daughter Paris Gives Tearful Goodbye To Her Father
- Mariah Carey Sings 'I'll Be There' At Michael Jackson Memorial
- Usher Sings 'Gone Too Soon' At Michael Jackson Memorial
- 'Britain's Got Talent' Finalist Shaheen Jafargholi Sings At Michael Jackson Tribute
- Who Is Trey Lorenz, Mariah Carey's Singing Partner On 'I'll Be There'?
- Fans React To Michael Jackson Memorial Service
- Brooke Shields Remembers Her Friend At Michael Jackson Memorial
| Maxwell Imagines Would-Be Notorious B.I.G. Collaboration Posted: 08 Jul 2009 04:31 AM PDT Plus: Maino raves about friend and colleague Swizz Beatz, in Mixtape Daily.
Celebrity Favorites Maxwell, you made us wait a little too long for your set during the Essence Music Festival last week, but it's all good. We're definitely eager to hear that BLACKsummers'night LP. Max was in his hometown of NYC on Monday night, hanging out with Fabolous and Nas and celebrating the release of his new record. Another Big Apple giant who loved Max's music was none other than the Notorious B.I.G. "He was Brooklyn, a smooth-ass dude, B.I.G. definitely f---ed with him," Lil' Cease told us about Biggie's love for Max. "His music was dope, and me and Big supported it." Man. Can you imagine a Biggie/Maxwell collaboration? We asked the singer what it would have sounded like.
"Wow. Wow. It's hard, because I'm from Brooklyn and [Biggie's] from Brooklyn," Maxwell said. "When Ready to Die was out, his first album was out. He's just the god of it all. I don't know what [our collaboration] would have sounded like. It distresses me more than I could know what it could sound like." Maxwell also said him and Big could have taken it to the club or got smoothed out. "It could be both, man," he said. "We're both Geminis, so I guess we would probably have more than one record, maybe. It's all about multiplicity for us. But he's sorely missed, though. I think people made it too real. Now people have a better understanding of what the lines are. The lines aren't too blurred in between the guy onstage and the person who's on the street. It's just sad he's not around for us to have known what those records would have sounded like." When it comes to who Maxwell listens to now, he says he's a fan of MGMT and Radiohead. The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground We're going to keep things in BK. Maino, you did it. You put that album out, homie. Surprisingly, Main is the first new artist from New York to release an album on a major label in quite some time. Let's hope this continues. We recently went out to the set of his video for "A Million Bucks" featuring Swizz Beatz. The Bed-Stuy moneymaker told us he's down with Swizz Beatz outside of music as well as on track. "Swizz is my friend," Main said. "First and foremost. It ain't even just about music with him. He extended his hand on numerous things. This is not the first time we been in the lab together; this is just probably the best. It's a great time for me. I gave them 'Hi Hater,' the 'Hi Hater' remix, then we came back with 'All of the Above.' Now we just gonna continue to make powerful music. It's been a long time since they seen a new, New York artist get this far." The scene we caught Maino filming was a part in the video where he pulled a heist on an off-track-betting type of establishment and took some of that money they made from horse races. He and his crew took the money back to the 'hood and had some fun giving it away. "The concept, you see Maino with 'A Million Bucks featuring Swizz Beatz.' From the outside, it may look like it's just a song about getting money or having fun," he said. "[The video] is kinda like the opposite of it. When I heard the song, [Swizz] had the hook already on there. It was like, 'I might give away a million bucks.' I was like, 'Swizz, I ain't got a million bucks.' He was like, 'I do!' I thought of a way to put me in a situation without saying, 'I actually got a million dollars.' I'm basically, 'I wanna give back to the 'hood. It's hot in the 'hood. You got feds in the 'hood. I'mma come back to the 'hood and give back to the 'hood. I'mma come bring some sunshine.' " Main said other than Swizz, the only cameos he was concerned about in his video were those from the locals. "I don't do it for them," Maino said about the people from the neighborhood. "I do it for these people. They here every day. They live here. It's more important for them to be in the video than it is for the so-called celebrities to be in the video." For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Michael Jackson Memorial Features Stirring Tributes From Usher, Mariah Carey, More Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:10 AM PDT John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Brooke Shields, brother Jermaine, others also pay tribute to the King of Pop.
Michael Jackson was many things: an amazing dancer, singer and performer; the greatest pop star the world has ever seen; a loving friend, brother and father; a humanitarian and a complex superstar who drew the world into his embrace and provided the soundtrack to millions of lives with music that will live on forever. Michael Jackson was remembered as all of those on Tuesday afternoon (July 7) at a public memorial for the singer who died on June 25 at the age of 50.
With stirring performances from peers such as Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie; fans Usher, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson; and touching reminiscences from his family and admirers, the King of Pop was memorialized in a global spectacle that the world is not likely to see again. As the image of a sun-soaked church window filled the large screen at the arena where, just two weeks ago, Jackson was finishing up rehearsals for his planned 50-show run at the O2 Arena in London, the Andrae Crouch gospel choir sang the traditional hymn "Soon and Very soon" as the singer's gold-plated casket was brought to its resting place in a circle of light in front of the stage. The pallbearers, including Jackson's family members, set the flower-bedecked casket down while wearing the singer's signature single sequined white glove. Applause broke out inside the Staples Center, where the mood was at turns celebratory and somber, and fans shouted "We love you, Michael!" during the pauses in the nearly three-hour long program. Wearing a flowing black gown, Mariah Carey reprised her famous cover of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," joined by her longtime friend and protégé, Trey Lorenz, who sang with her on the 1992 "MTV Unplugged" performance that became a hit single for her. Among those on hand to remember Jackson was Queen Latifah, who spoke of Jackson's power to bring people together and make them believe in themselves. She recalled buying the Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine" as a child and trying, in vain, to copy his dance moves.
"Michael was the biggest star on earth. He let me know that as an African-American you could travel the world ... there was a world outside America. Other people, all you people who came here to pay respect to someone you felt was one of you, a human being first," she said, her voice cracking. Latifah then read a new verse called "We Had Him" from the great American poet Maya Angelou, whose words have stirred hearts at presidential inaugurations. "Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace, sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon," the poem said. The event opened with Motown legend Smokey Robinson reading a tribute to Jackson from the singer's longtime friend and mentor, Diana Ross, and a note from former South African President Nelson Mandela as the words "In Loving Memory of Michael Jackson King of Pop 1958-2009" were beamed onto the screen behind him. Accompanied by the gospel choir, Lionel Richie, the co-writer with Jackson of the famine-relief hit "We Are the World," looked grief-stricken at first as he sang the Commodores' spiritual "Jesus Is Love," his powerful voice rising to a crescendo at the end. Next, Motown founder Berry Gordy took the stage to honor Jackson, who he said was like a son to him. "He raised the bar and then broke the bar," Gordy said. Praising Jackson's great vocal gifts, Gordy spoke of how Michael made history when he took the stage at the Motown 25th anniversary show in 1983 and set the world on fire with the unveiling of his iconic moonwalk step. "Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down," Gordy said, calling him not just the King of Pop, but the "greatest entertainer that ever lived," a line that drew a huge roar from the crowd. Los Angeles Laker All-Star Kobe Bryant honored Jackson's charitable acts. Fellow Lakers legend Magic Johnson said he became a greater basketball player by watching the singer's moves onstage and fondly remembered being asked to appear in Jackson's 1992 video for "Remember the Time." An avowed fan and artist heavily influenced by Jackson, Usher provided an emotional take on "Gone Too Soon," passionately singing the 1993 Jackson single with gritty abandon as he laid his hand on the singer's casket and walked mournfully across the sea of flowers at the foot of the stage while a montage of vintage pictures of a smiling Jackson played behind him. Breaking down in tears at the end, the singer removed his sunglasses, was embraced by the entire Jackson family and made his way to family matriarch Katherine, kneeling down on one knee to kiss her. Another fellow Motown peer and onetime child star Stevie Wonder said, "This is a moment that I wished that I didn't live to see come." Sitting at a piano and singing his mournfully appropriate 1971 ballad "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer," he pleaded, "Michael, why didn't you stay?" midsong before segueing into another ballad, 1974's "They Won't Go When I Go." Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, visibly pregnant with her first child, also brought down the house with a funky, syncopated cover of Jackson's 1993 single "Will You Be There," from the "Free Willy" soundtrack and Dangerous album. As a group of dancers formed a circle around her, Hudson paused while Jackson's shaky voiceover from the original boomed out over a dramatic background, pleading, "In our darkest hour/ In my deepest despair/ Will you still care?/ Will you be there?" In one of the day's most moving tributes, longtime friend and former child star Brooke Shields was in tears remembering the many photo captions over the years that referred to their friendship as "odd." For the two of them, she said, "It was the most natural and easiest of friendships. ... We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age. I used to tease him and say, 'You know I started when I was 11 months old, you're a slacker ... you were, what, 5?'" They never performed together — although she said he tried to teach her the moonwalk once — but what they did together, she said smiling, was laugh. "His laugh was the sweetest and purest laugh of anyone's I had ever known," Shields recalled. Still wearing his single white glove, brother Jermaine Jackson then sang a tender version of his brother's favorite song, the Charlie Chaplin-penned "Smile," from the classic film "Modern Times." It was not hard to see why Jackson, whose life was filled with so much joy mixed with utter sadness, embraced the tender ballad, which he covered on his 1995 HIStory album. "Smile though your heart is aching/ Smile even though it's breaking/ When there are clouds in the sky/ You'll get by," Jermaine sang in his keening falsetto, summing up his brother's eternal quest to push aside his sadness by trying to bring some joy to the world. Also rousing the crowd was longtime family friend the Reverend Al Sharpton, who repeated the fiery refrain, "Michael never stopped," when talking about Jackson's many accomplishments and resiliency in the face of his many obstacles. "Because he didn't accept limitations, because he refused to let people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world," Sharpton thundered. "He put on one glove, pulled his pants up and broke down the color curtain. ... It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together. It was Michael Jackson that made us sing, 'We Are the World' and feed the hungry." Speaking to Jackson's three young children, Sharpton said pointedly, "I want his three children to know, wasn't nothin' strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it," as the audience rose to their feet and the singer's sons and daughter burst into applause alongside their friends and family. Other performers included "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Shaheen Jafargholi, reprising his take on "Who's Loving You." Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical"), who was directing Jackson's This Is It stage show, presented what he said was one of the singer's favorite moments from the show that Ortega promised would have been a triumphant comeback. The performance of "We Are the World" by the members of Jackson's multicultural backing band was accompanied by the lyrics to the song projected, with many letters replaced by the religious icons of the world's faiths. The singers were joined by the day's other performers as well as Jackson's family, including the singer's children, and, finally, a choir of teens who sang along to the peace anthem "Heal the World." John Mayer, who played the iconic guitar solo on Fall Out Boy's 2008 cover of Jackson's "Beat It," got the audience clapping in time to an instrumental take on "Human Nature," teasing out the song's jazzy tones with an understated performance that featured spare vocals from Jackson's backup singers. For one day, at least, the focus turned back to Jackson's music. Earlier in the day, Jackson's family held a private ceremony at the Forest Lawn Cemetery. A motorcade then brought Jackson's casket to the Staples Center, where it took center stage during Tuesday's celebration. In addition to the 17,000 fans who gathered inside the Staples Center and in a viewing area next door at the Nokia Theater, the global audience for the Jackson memorial was predicted to be more than a billion. As Jackson was the first celebrity of his magnitude to die in the modern media era, the memorial was covered like no other event in history. Fans and hundreds of international news outlets tweeted and live-blogged the proceedings in real time, bringing the world together in a way that would likely have brought joy to Jackson, whose many charitable efforts were aimed at bridging racial, ethnic and spiritual divides with songs such as "Earth Song." The day ended with Jackson's brothers paying tribute to their sibling alongside Jackson's daughter, Paris, 11, who tearfully said, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much," collapsing in sobs into aunt Janet Jackson's arms as the ceremony came to a close and the singer's casket was wheeled back out of the Staples Center to the strains of the song that has become his theme in death, "Man in the Mirror." In all, it was a fittingly regal sendoff for the King of Pop. For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Jermaine Jackson Brings 'Smile,' Tears To Michael Jackson Memorial Posted: 07 Jul 2009 01:56 AM PDT Brooke Shields said the Charlie Chaplin song was MJ's favorite.
According to Brooke Shields, Michael Jackson's favorite song wasn't one of his own. It was "Smile," a tune written by none other than Charlie Chaplin (with lyrics by the English duo of James Phillips and Geoffrey Parsons) for his 1936 film "Modern Times." Over the years, the song — with its message of positivity and overcoming adversity — has been covered by a who's who of greats, including Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Judy Garland and Jackson himself, on his 1995 double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I. And now, you can add Michael's brother Jermaine to that list.
On Tuesday (July 7), Jermaine Jackson brought the crowd at the Michael Jackson memorial service to their feet with his touching take on the song, which followed an emotional speech by Shields, Jackson's longtime friend. "There is a line [in the song] that says, 'Smile when your heart is aching,' " Shields said in her speech. "And though our hearts are aching, we need to look up, where [Michael] is undoubtedly perched in a crescent moon, and we need to smile." With that, Jermaine Jackson strode to the stage, dressed in a dark suit and wearing a single, sequined glove, and began singing the song. His voice was tender and trembled a bit, but it grew stronger as the song progressed. Standing beneath an image of his brother, and backed by the house band, his was a classy, downright retro performance, recalling perhaps Cole's take on the tune. But then, as the band fell away, it was just Jackson and his voice, which slipped into a smooth upper register as he brought the song home and fought back tears. "That's the time you must keep on trying/ Smile, what's the use in crying?" he sang, stopping for a few beats to stop the tears from falling down his cheeks. "You'll find that life is still worthwhile/ If you just smile." And with that, the audience inside the Staples Center rose to their feet. Jackson thanked them and, in a solemn moment perhaps missed by most in attendance, he took a petal from his boutonniere and gently flicked it onto the lid of his brother's gold-plated casket. He then walked off the stage, into the arms of his waiting family, while a single spotlight shone on the stage and an image of the Jackson 5 appeared on the screens. Charlie Chaplin would have been proud. Michael would have too. For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Michael Jackson's Daughter Paris Gives Tearful Goodbye To Her Father Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:29 AM PDT He was 'the best father you could ever imagine,' Paris says at Michael Jackson memorial.
The memorial service for Michael Jackson contained a number of moving moments, including tributes from Brooke Shields, Usher and brother Jermaine Jackson. But the most heart-wrenching moment came when Michael Jackson's daughter Paris stepped up to the microphone to deliver a tearful goodbye to her father.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," the 11-year-old told the thousands of people gathered at Los Angeles' Staples Center to mourn the passing of her father. "I just want to say I love him so much." The emotion overcame her and she left the microphone to sob into her aunt Janet's arms. This was the first public statement made by any of Jackson's children, which was by design. Jackson was always concerned that his public life would endanger his children, so they were often seen in public wearing masks in order to conceal their identities. Paris Michael Katherine Jackson is Michael's only daughter and the second of two children born to him and ex-wife Debbie Rowe. In an interview with Martin Bashir, Jackson famously told the story about how when Paris was born, he immediately took her from the hospital after her birth. Paris — along with her brothers Prince Michael and Prince Michael II (also known as "Blanket") — will be at the center of the Jackson story in the coming weeks, as the struggle over their custody may be taken to court: Jackson's will names his mother as the custodian of the children, though Rowe has said she may claim that the kids rightfully belong with her. For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Mariah Carey Sings 'I'll Be There' At Michael Jackson Memorial Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:27 PM PDT For first performance of Staples Center tribute, Carey and Trey Lorenz reprise their 1992 cover.
After a slight delay, Michael Jackson's memorial tribute at the Staples Center in Los Angeles got off to an emotional beginning as Mariah Carey performed a version of the Jackson 5's biggest hit, "I'll Be There." Taking the stage in an elegant black dress, Carey began to sing alone. She was soon joined by frequent collaborator Trey Lorenz for the performance. While the duo sang, photos of the singer flashed on a huge screen above them.
This was the second time since the pop singer's death that artists had performed "I'll Be There" on live TV. Just days after Jackson's death, Ne-Yo and Jaime Foxx concluded an MJ-centric BET Awards with a gospel-inspired version of the song. Upon its release in 1970, "I'll Be There" shot to the top of the Billboard chart. Co-written and co-produced by Motown founder Berry Gordy, the track was a departure from earlier, uptempo Jackson 5 hits like "ABC." Michael shared the lead vocal with his brother Jermaine. The song became the group's final #1 single, although Michael would go on to score many more during career as a solo artist. Carey and Lorenz's version at the Staples Center was a reprise of their 1992 "MTV Unplugged" cover of "I'll Be There," which also landed the top Billboard slot. The song has also been covered by New Kids on the Block, Leona Lewis (on the British "X Factor" show) and on both "American Idol" and "Britain's Got Talent." For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Usher Sings 'Gone Too Soon' At Michael Jackson Memorial Posted: 07 Jul 2009 03:05 AM PDT Singer gave tearful performance of track from MJ's Dangerous album.
Though no one can ever replace Michael Jackson, the contemporary artist perhaps most closely associated with the King of Pop is Usher. During the public memorial service held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the 30-year-old R&B singer performed a chill-inducing tribute to the fallen star. Wearing dark sunglasses and a yellow rose pinned to his lapel, Usher covered the track "Gone Too Soon," a single off MJ's 1991 album, Dangerous. Jackson wrote the song in memory of Ryan White, who died of AIDS after contracting the disease via a blood transfusion during surgery. Before his death, White was expelled from school because of his condition and eventually became a national spokesperson for the AIDS crisis. He passed away in 1990 at the age of 18.
While "Gone Too Soon" never became a hit single, Dangerous itself did, going platinum seven times and staying on the Billboard chart for 117 consecutive weeks. After beginning the song while sitting in a chair, Usher rose and strode across the stage. He then walked down the stage steps and onto the floor in front of the Jackson family, where he began to approach Michael's gold-plated coffin. Continuing to sing, Usher came to a stop in front of the red rose-covered coffin and rested his left hand on it. Before he could finish, Usher's voice began to waver, and he completed the final lyric — "gone too soon" — through tears. As the song ended, he was surrounded by Jackson's family. After hugging them all, he went and knelt in front of Michael's mother, Katherine, and placed his head in her lap as tears streamed down his face. For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Britain's Got Talent' Finalist Shaheen Jafargholi Sings At Michael Jackson Tribute Posted: 07 Jul 2009 01:16 AM PDT The 12-year-old, who toured with 'Thriller Live,' performed 'Who's Lovin' You.'
Michael Jackson's public memorial service showcased musicians of all ages, from MJ's older brother Jermaine to Jennifer Hudson and Usher. But the youngest of the entire event was 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi, performing a cover of the Jackson 5's "Who's Lovin' You." While Jafargholi is not well known in America, he rocketed to fame in the U.K. earlier this year when he competed on "Britain's Got Talent" shortly after Susan Boyle made headlines with her performance on the show. During his first audition, he sang Amy Winehouse's "Valerie" but was quickly cut off by judge Simon Cowell, who dismissed the song choice. Jafargholi then jumped into "Who's Lovin' You," wowing the audience and launching himself into the finals of the show. He eventually lost to the dance group Diversity.
But the King of Pop took notice and invited Jafargholi to take part in his upcoming concerts at London's O2 Arena, as the director Kenny Ortega told the crowd during the memorial tribute. Of course, Jackson passed away before the sold-out 50-show stand could begin. Minutes before Jafargholi took the stage, Smokey Robinson, who wrote "Who's Lovin' You," told a funny story about being unable to believe that Michael was just 10 years old when he pulled off a mature rendition of the song in 1969. Then Jafargholi sang that very song for a worldwide television audience estimated to number 1 billion people. Even before his appearance on "Britain's Got Talent," Jafargholi had a connection with MJ: He played a young Jackson while touring the U.K. with a musical tribute show called "Thriller Live." He's also appeared on several British TV shows, such as the BBC's "Torchwood." Before ceding the stage to Jafargholi, Robinson spoke directly to Jackson. "I love you, my brother. I celebrate your life, and I'm glad I had the pleasure to know you," he said. And right after his performance, Jafargholi spoke of his love and respect for MJ and his music. For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Who Is Trey Lorenz, Mariah Carey's Singing Partner On 'I'll Be There'? Posted: 07 Jul 2009 04:18 AM PDT Singer, who performed at Michael Jackson memorial, has a long association with Mimi.
The memorial service for Michael Jackson on Tuesday brought out a galaxy of stars who paid tribute to the King of Pop at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, from Usher and Jennifer Hudson to Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder. But some may have wondered, "Who was that singing 'I'll Be There' with Mariah Carey?" His name is Trey Lorenz and he's a 40-year-old singer from Florence, South Carolina, who is a longtime friend and collaborator of Carey's. He duetted with her on the 1992 cover of the song, which debuted on "MTV Unplugged" and became a #1 hit single for the diva.
Lorenz met Carey while in his junior year at Farleigh Dickinson University in 1990 when he was singing with a short-lived R&B group called Squeak & the Deep. A friend of a friend brought him to a studio where Carey was recording her first album and they clicked, with Carey inviting him out on the road as a backup singer for a 1990 promotional tour in support of her self-titled debut. He parlayed that into singing background vocals on her sophomore album, Emotions. After the success of the "Unplugged" Jackson cover, which spotlighted his clear, crisp falsetto, Lorenz scored a record deal with Carey's soon-to-be-husband (and now ex-husband), Sony boss Tommy Mottola, and released a self-titled 1993 album that featured the top 20 hit "Someone to Hold," co-produced, co-written and featuring backing vocals from Carey. When the album failed to catch fire, Lorenz was dropped from Epic Records and settled into a solid career singing background vocals for TLC, Usher, the late Latina star Selena, Whodini, Da Brat, Will Smith and Vanessa Williams. Over the years, he was signed to Carey's label MonarC and to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Records label, but did not release any albums under either contract. He continued his close friendship and recording career with Carey, joining her on tours in 1998, 1999 and 2003 and co-writing "Make You Happy" with her for the "Men in Black" soundtrack and "Still Not Over You" for the "Money Train" soundtrack. After more than a decade out of the spotlight, Lorenz returned in 2006 with his second album, Mr. Mista on X-Ray Records, which didn't make much noise on the charts even though he was prominently featured on her 2006 Adventures of Mimi Tour, singing background vocals as well as three spotlight songs (including a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy") every night. Lorenz was also featured as a background vocalist on Carey's smash comeback The Emancipation of Mimi album. After his turn with Carey at the Jackson memorial, Trey Lorenz may find himself with another solo deal in the offing. For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Fans React To Michael Jackson Memorial Service Posted: 07 Jul 2009 04:55 AM PDT 'When Michael's daughter, Paris, tried to speak ... I started crying more,' one fan says.
From the live-streaming video to a live blog to articles about unforgettable musical performances and lyrical tributes, MTV News covered all aspects of Michael Jackson's public memorial service at Los Angeles' Staples Center. Our readers were right there with us, contributing thoughts, prayers and strong opinions all day long. "Michael Jackson should be renamed the King of Music, not just the King of Pop," Yali wrote. "God did for Michael what he needed someone to do for him for so long — Michael needed to be saved and God did just that. He definitely was gone too soon and it saddens me that such a wonderful person that did so much for so many people left this earth. God needed him, though, and appreciated him more than we did."
Indeed, readers used religion and a higher power as a touchstone throughout the memorial service. "To all Michael Jackson fans: Let's continue to pray for him, for his family, whom he left behind — especially to his children," Nini said. "Everything will turn out for the good. Michael Jackson, you are indeed a person full of love. Thank you for sharing your heart to all people of the world." The day's musical performances proved to be among the biggest highlights. Dylan1984 praised Mariah Carey for her rendition of the Jackson 5's, "I'll Be There." "I think she was amazing through her emotions," he wrote. "This had to be tough and you could see that she was doing her best to fight through it. The end was perfection, though." From the music to the Jackson family's personal tributes, readers often found themselves in tears. "When Usher started crying, I started crying," Sara Johnson wrote. "And then when Michael's daughter, Paris, tried to speak and she was crying, I started crying more."
And, of course, those unable to watch the memorial live were highly disappointed. "I can't believe that my workplace won't allow employees to watch the Michael Jackson coverage on TV and our Internet can't support video streaming," said SouthernSweetie23. "No one should miss this historic event." For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Brooke Shields Remembers Her Friend At Michael Jackson Memorial Posted: 07 Jul 2009 01:50 AM PDT 'To us it was the most natural and easiest of friendships,' the actress says of relationship with Jackson.
Standing before the crowd at the Staples Center, a teary-eyed Brooke Shields remembered not the Michael Jackson that the world knew, but the Michael Jackson that she knew — the Michael who, like her, began his career as a child and had to grow up quickly in the spotlight. But the two managed to be kids when they were alone, despite what anyone else thought of their relationship. "Thinking back to when we met and the many times that we spent together and whenever we were out together," Shields, who met Jackson when she was 13, said, "there would be a caption of some kind, and the caption usually said something like 'an odd couple' or 'an unlikely pair,' but to us it was the most natural and easiest of friendships."
Throughout the speech, Shields recalled some of her fondest memories of MJ, like the time they attended one of Elizabeth Taylor's weddings and the countless times they laughed together over the span of their decades-long friendship. "Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date and that we would have fun no matter where we were. We had a bond," she said. During her heartfelt and humorous speech, Shields recalled poking fun at Jackson for wearing one glove and the time he attempted, unsuccessfully, to teach her to moonwalk. "I used to tease him and I would say, 'You know, I started when I was 11 months old, you slacker. You were what, 5?' " she said. "Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun." Toward the end of her speech, Shields read two passages from the book "The Little Prince," saying that although he was called the King of Pop, he was always a little prince to her. She read, "Here is my secret. It is very simple: One sees well only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes." After sharing that Jackson's favorite song was "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin, she quoted that song, and then added in her own words, "Michael saw everything with his heart. Today, although our hearts are aching, we need to look up where he is undoubtedly perched in a crescent moon, and we need to smile." For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
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1 komentar:
Lorenz and Carey made a really great singing pair; they did well for the song and for MJ
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