Jacko’s chauffeur to auction unseen documentary given by the singer as a gift

michael-jackson1

Michael Jackson’s former chauffeur is in line to receive an estimated £4 million when the VHS video featuring an unseen documentary of the King of Pop is auctioned later this month.

The chauffeur, who has asked to keep his identity secret, revealed that the legendary singer gave him the video as a bonus to reward him for his hard work in chauffeuring the star.

The footage is believed to have been filmed during Michael Jackson’s 1993 Dangerous World Tour which was filmed in Argentina. According to reports, the late singer was unhappy with the finished result and refused to use the footage, with the film crew responsible for the documentary all being sacked by Jackson as a result.

After Michael’s death in 2009, the chauffeur released a clip of the unseen documentary online, however the late star’s record label and family stepped in to stop any more leaks as they claimed exclusive rights to the footage. Although the chauffeur is unable to broadcast any of the film under American law, he is entitled to sell or transfer the material to a third party.

According to the Fame Bureau Auctioneers, who will be responsible for selling the unique item, the footage on the VHS is of a great quality and is especially exciting because of the close proximity of the cameras to Michael Jackson, and also the large number of cameras used to film the footage, giving a very in depth portrayal of the star.

The documentary has been given an estimated selling price of £4 million, although it’s likely to sell for much more.

Michael Jackson’s Rolls Royce Phantom on display as part of London exhibition

Michael's limo on display in London
Michael's limo on display in London

Michael's limo on display in London

Legendary pop star Michael Jackson is the subject of a massive exhibition in London. As part of the fascinating display which showcases a wide range of over 250 personal items belonging to the late star, Michael’s 1967 Rolls Royce Phantom will provide one of the focal points of the exhibition at the O2 arena complex.

The display is a celebration of the much-loved musician’s life and is a must-see for any Jackson fans. Other artefacts exhibited include a throne, crown and a portrait of Michael painted as a King, rather fitting for the King of Pop himself. Other iconic pieces which are instantly recognisable to fans are also on display including his sequinned glove, many of his show outfits and even the spooky costumes used in the Thriller video.

Other extremely personal artefacts include the hand-written lyrics to the 80’s hit song Beat It. The piece is written in black felt tip pen without a single correction. The Rolls Royce Phantom was reportedly a favourite of Jacksons and he would go out for rides around LA in the luxury limo, often accompanied by friend Elizabeth Taylor.

The exhibition opened at the same venue where Jackson had been scheduled to perform his epic comeback This Is It tour before his untimely demise in June of this year. The curator of the exhibition, Robert Santelli said, “We don’t have the concerts, we don’t have the man any more but what we do have is his legacy and that’s what this celebrates.”

88,000 expected at U2 Concert in Wembley

U2 360 Tour

U2 360 Tour

U2 gig organisors have claimed, around 88,000 fans are expected at Wembley Stadium for Irish group’s concert on Friday – 5,000 more than the 83,000 who saw Rod Stewart perform there in 1995.

The tour which is sponsored by BlackBerry, opened at the Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona on 30th June.

The exciting U2 concert is believed to be its biggest previous crowd for a musical event in Wembley.

U2′s radical “claw” stage has enabled tour organisers Live Nation to increase the capacity for the sold-out show.

Tickets are still available for U2′s Saturday show, which will see them supported by Glasgow-based rockers Glasvegas.

Elbow, will support U2 later who won the Mercury Prize last year with their fourth studio album The Seldom Seen Kid.

Michael Jackson still holds the record for Wembley concerts, the late singer who died on June 24th having notched up 15 appearances at the legendary venue.

The Rolling Stones come next with 12 concerts, followed by Madonna with nine.

However, U2 will exceed the American singer’s tally when they play their 10th night at the stadium on Saturday.

Film of Jackson’s final rehearsals to be made

Jackotour

JackotourAfter a multimillion dollar deal was stuck between AEG Live and Columbia Pictures, it is extremely likely a Michael Jackson film documenting his final rehearsals is imminent. Court documents filed in Los Angeles revealed that the film studio paid $60 million (£35 million) for the rights to the footage. However no movie can be made until Columbia Pictures receives the approval of a judge, the hearing of which is due to take place today.

Almost 100 hours of footage was taken of Jackson as he prepared for his final This Is It Tour, scheduled for London’s O2 Arena this summer. Short clips have already be aired on TV and show a healthy looking Jackson singing his hit song They Don’t Really Care About Us and performing an energetic dance routine. This particular piece of footage was taken only days before his untimely death on June 24th.

There are stringent conditions attached to any proposed film of Jackson. Firstly, the movie cannot paint Jackson in an unfavourable light, it must comply with PG guidelines and run no longer than 150 minutes. Those set to profit from the film include AEG Live and the Jackson estate, the latter of which will receive 90% of the profits, with the remainder being shared out between the promoters.

It appears there’ll be no delay in getting the movie released as Jackson representatives are scheduled to view a screening of the final product no later than October 2nd, which indicates a possible Christmas release date.