Cheryl Cole’s mum gives will.i.am stamp of approval

London, May 7 (ANI): Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole has taken her friendship with Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am to another level – by introducing him to her mother who gave him her approval.

will.i.am, 35, met Joan, 50, on May 5 for drinks after Cheryl, 26, supported the Black Eyed Peas at London’s O2 Arena.

The meeting between the three went so well that the rapper promised Joan he will take care of Cheryl, and he also praised the way she has been brought up.

“Joan is a great lady. You can see why Cheryl is such a good girl, she gets it from her mum,” the Sun quoted him as saying.

“Cheryl’s mum is behind our friendship.

“I think anybody that will look after her little girl and protect her – after the last few months she has had – is only a good thing in her mum’s eyes.

“The most important thing for Cheryl at the moment is to have a man around her who she can trust and who makes her laugh. I promised mum that’s what I’m doing.

“We couldn’t ask for a better supporting act than Cheryl, the crowd absolutely love her and she really is a princess in the British peoples’ eyes.

“I am having a great time working with her, but I already knew that I would anyway. We are having a great time during the show, but also a great time after,” he added.

Will, who worked with Cheryl on her debut solo album 3 Words, has made no secret of his feelings for the Girls Aloud star.

“Cheryl turned up with her mum after Will had arrived,” an onlooker at the Bacardi VIP bar said.

“He spent some time talking to Joan, who came to watch her perform.

“She obviously got on with Will, so she seems to approve of the friendship,” the onlooker stated. (ANI)

When WBA champion Haye gate crashed to watch his idol Lewis fight

London, Mar 31 (ANI): WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, who will be taking on American challenger Johnny Ruiz on Saturday, had gate crashed the London Arena 10 years ago to watch Lennox Lewis retain the world heavyweight title.

Spotlights will track Haye, now 29, as he walks to the ring to defend his WBA title in front of a sell-out crowd at Manchester’s MEN Arena.

But things were different when he and some of his friends got into the now-defunct London venue to watch Lewis destroy Frans Botha in two rounds.

“One of my pals paid for a ticket. He went in and opened a fire exit so we could all bundle in although a security guard was trying hard to stop us,” The Sun quoted Haye, as saying.

“We all ran round him and disappeared into the crowd before meeting up by ringside where I did a bit more blagging. I sat there just feet from the apron, a 500 pound ticket for nothing.

“We got there as Lennox was coming to the ring. He was a massive idol of mine. To watch him dispatch Frans Botha like that was brilliant,” Haye said.

“Back then I would never have thought in a million years I would be the next Briton defending the heavyweight title over here. I feel proud about it,” he said.

Bookies have Haye as favourite but he is taking no notice of the odds.

“In the heavyweight division, one punch can settle it all. You can come unstuck if you don’t prepare right,” Haye added. (ANI)

Mika to moonwalk in MJ’s shoes

London, Sep 18 (ANI): Beirut-born singer Mika is set to fill Michael Jackson’s shoes, for he has inherited the late King of Pop’s designer shoes, including the ones the late superstar was to moonwalk in onstage at London’s O2 Arena.

The ‘Thriller’ hit-maker had hired Mika’s good friend Christian Louboutin to design all the fancy footwear for his ‘This Is It’ concerts.

But after Michael’s sudden death, Mika, 26, ended up with the lot.

Mika, whose ‘The Boy Who Knew Too Much’ album will be out next week, has now talked about the shoes.

“Christian Louboutin designed all of Michael Jackson’s shoes that he was supposed to be wearing for the O2 concerts,” the Mirror quoted him as saying.

“So when he died, Christian asked if I wanted them for my tour. They are amazing. One is a black soft leather lace-up which goes up to the ankle to support Michael while he was dancing.

“Then there is the pair which must have been made for him to moonwalk in. They are gold with a metal toe and the soles are really smooth and slippy to make it easy to moonwalk in.

“I think they are the only pair I might not wear. It’s a little freaky to think he’d have worn those to do the moonwalk in.

“Then again, who knows, it might give me some magic power to help me dance rather than just jumping around the stage like an idiot,” he added. (ANI)

Madonna may work with Janet Jackson in MJ’s honour

London, Sept 18 (ANI): Madonna had a long cherished dream of singing with Michael Jackson, which could not materialise due the King of Pop’s untimely death. But now the pop diva is all set to work with another Jackson, Janet, it has emerged.

It is reported that Madonna and Janet met up last Sunday evening to discuss plans to honour MJ by “doing something together”.

The Mirror quoted a source as saying: “It was a meeting of two great musical try minds. Madonna was so impressed with Janet’s tribute to Michael that they started talking about how great it would be to honour him by doing something together.

“With that one performance, Janet proved she’s back on top of her game. And who better to join forces with than Madonna? There was definitely something very interesting being planned between them.”

According to Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary, the 51-year-old singer was very eager to be a part of Jackson’s This Is It show at London’s O2 Arena.

Oseary had revealed this on his Twitter post that said: “A month ago Madonna told me she wanted to do a surprise performance at one of Michael Jackson’s UK shows.” (ANI)

MJ’s 1984 Andy Warhol portrait sells at auction

London, August 21 (ANI): A ‘Michael Jackson’ portrait created by King of Pop Art Andy Warhol in 1984 has sold for an undisclosed amount at auction in New York.

The Vered Art Gallery, in Long Island, said that an anonymous buyer had “paid over 1 million dollars” for the artwork.

The painting was displayed at London’s O2 Arena ahead of the sale, reports the BBC.

The 76cm by 66cm piece was commissioned to celebrate the record sales of Jackson’s album ‘Thriller’.

Warhol’s portrait of actress Elizabeth Taylor fetched a whopping 23.7 million dollars in 2007. (ANI)

MJ’s skin doctor was rebuilding his face for O2 Arena gigs

Washington, July 11 (ANI): Michael Jackson’s skin doctor has revealed that he was rebuilding the King of Pop’s scarred face for his ‘This Is It’ comeback shows.

In an interview to U.S. TV host Larry King, Arnold Klein said that he was desperately trying to make Jackson look “more normal” for his 50-date run at London’s O2 Arena, as years of cosmetic surgery had left the ‘Thriller’ hitmaker’s face completely ravaged.

“He came to me because, basically, I was sort of rebuilding his face, because he had severe acne and scarring,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

“He had scarring from having a lot of cosmetic surgery. And I was rebuilding his face so he looked much more normal,” he added.

However, Klein insists that the rumours that the star’s nose had fallen off his face were false.

“Contrary to what people said, he could not take off his nose. His nose was attached,” he said.

“But it looked too small. And I just was trying to get him ready to do the concert, because in the way he looked in his face, he wanted it to be absolutely as perfect as it could be,” he added. (ANI)

Led Zeppelin may fill Jackson’s 50-show O2 run with ABBA

London, July 4 (ANI): ‘Led Zeppelin’ have apparently been approached to alternate shows with Abba, and fill in for the 50-show run previously planned for Michael Jackson at London’s O2 arena.

AEG Live, promoters for the late King of Pop’s slated comeback tour, were said to be trying hard to woo both the bands to reform.

“Only Michael Jackson could sell out 50 nights at such a big arena, but Led Zeppelin and Abba combined might just rival him. There is huge money on the table,” British tabloid The Sun quoted a source as saying.

Jackson was due to begin his ‘This Is It’ gigs on July 13.

His sudden death on June 25 has left the organisers facing a multi-million pound black hole, if they are unable fill the slots. (ANI)

ABBA approached to fill Jacko’s 50-show O2 run

London, July 2 (ANI): Pop legends ABBA have apparently been approached to fill in for the 50-show run previously planned for Michael Jackson at London’s O2 arena.

AEG Live, the promoters for the King of Pop’s slated comeback tour, are said to be trying hard to woo the renowned band out of retirement.

“There’s a little foursome out in Sweden we keep talking to,” British tabloid The Sun quoted the firm’s chief David Campbell as saying.

Jackson was due to begin his This Is It gigs on July 13.

His sudden death has left the organisers facing a multi-million pound black hole if they are unable fill the slots. (ANI)

Jacko’s London concert in trouble

Washington, May 12 (ANI): One time pop king Michael Jackson’s much-awaited comeback London O2 Arena concert has landed in a soup, as ‘AllGood Entertainment’ bosses are trying to block the gig.

The AllGood Entertainment bosses claim that Michael has violated a contract according to which he had to make his comeback with them, reports Contactmusic.

They are determined to block the shows, insisting that an alleged agreement entered into with Jackson’s manager Frank Dileo in 2008 stipulated that the ‘Heal The World’ hitmaker would appear with his sister Janet Jackson and their brothers on tour.

They said that the agreement prohibited Michael from making another concert deal for 18 months, but the singer had violated the blackout clause when he signed up for the London O2 concert.

The promoters have even sent a cease and desist letter to Michael’s London concert organizers. (ANI)

Britney may thrill London fans even before O2 Arena gigs

London, Mar 19 (ANI): Pop star Britney Spears may thrill her fans in London even before she takes on the stage at London 02 Arena in June 2009, as Radio 1 has asked her to participate in their Big Weekend outdoor event.

The ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ hitmaker will be finishing her ongoing ‘Circus’ tour on May 2, and the Radio 1 event will take place at Swindon, London, from May 9-10.

It is being anticipated that the entertainer might oblige the Radio 1 event.

“Everyone’s got their fingers crossed that Britney will come on board,” the Sun quoted an insider as saying.

Meanwhile, N-Dubz and Snow Patrol have already been signed up for the two-day gigs in London. (ANI)

Jacko could have sold out London 02 Arena for 2yrs

Washington, Mar 16 (ANI): London O2 Arena owners have revealed that Michael Jackson’s comeback gig, which will take place in July, has gathered such an incredible response that the one-time pop king could have sold the venue for two years.

It has earlier been reported that the Michael mania has gained momentum, and more and more fans want to see his comeback gig.

Over a million fans bought tickets to the shows, with agents shifting an average of 33 seats per minute.

The AEG people, who convinced Michael to return to the limelight are, more than happy to see the reaction.

“We never thought ’50 shows’ and frankly based on the queues on Ticketmaster, plus the 300,000 registrants we still haven’t issued codes to, we could spend two years here,” Contactmusic quoted Randy Phillips, head of AEG, as saying.

“Mike (Michael Jackson) asked me how long he would be in the United Kingdom for and I told him, probably long enough to get a British passport. Michael’s already pretty much put together a list of the dancers he wants. Michael’s very engaged now,” he added. (ANI)

Jacko’s comeback tour in tickets row

Washington, Mar 14 (ANI): Promoters of Michael Jackson’s comeback gigs are threatening to sue a ticket agency for allegedly selling prized seats to another company.

AEG Live teamed up with Viagogo to market premium price packages for the highly anticipated shows at London’s O2 Arena.

However, the ticket agency has been accused of breaking an agreement not to sell tickets to touts or other brokers – and they are now planning to seek an injunction to protect the deal.

“My lawyers are going into court to seek an injunction,” Contactmusic quoted Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live as saying.

“They (Viagogo staff) sent out an email to touts and brokers offering tickets for sale. We are going to come down very hard on them,” he added.

Jackson will be performing 50 shows at the O2 running into next year (2010) – a residency that will generate 100 million dollars in ticket sales alone. (ANI)

Michael Jackson to perform 50 shows at O2

London, Mar 13 (ANI): King of pop Michael Jackson will be performing 50 shows at the London’s O2 arena, continuing his ‘last ever’ gigs well into 2010.

The 50-year-old star has added new shows throughout the first two months of the year, ending February 24.

Around 360,000 pre-sale tickets have been sold out so far and if all 50 dates sell out, Jacko will have sold a million seats for his shows.

According to the show organisers, the Thriller hitmaker’s ‘This Is It’ tour has become the fastest selling in history, with 33 seats sold each minute.

Jackson is said to be “thrilled” by the response.

“Not only are these concerts unparalleled, these records will never be broken,” The BBC quoted Randy Phillips of promoters AEG Live as saying.

“We knew this was show business history, but this is a cultural phenomenon,” he added.

The tickets for the Jackson shows are already being sold on the online auction website eBay. (ANI)

“Overwhelming” demand for Michael Jackson London concert tickets

London – The This Is It comeback concert series announced by US superstar Michael Jackson in London last week is a sell-out despite 13 more shows having been added to the original 10 performances, organizers said Wednesday.

Organizers AEG Live said pre-sale demand for tickets had been overwhelming for the series, due to open at London’s O2 Arena on July 8. It will now not finish before early September.

The pre-sale website had crashed repeatedly over the past few days, said the organizers, as demand grew from around the world.

Tickets for the concerts go on sale at www. michaeljackson onlive. com from March 13.

Jackson, 50, made a personal appearance at the O2Arena last Thursday to announce his combeack with what he said would be his “curtain call” in London. (dpa)

Jacko’s fans desperate to obtain seats at his final gigs

London, Mar 09 (ANI): Pop singer Michael Jackson may be going through a rough patch due to his bankruptcy and ill health, but his fan following seems unaffected, for zillions of them are desperate to obtain seats at his final concerts.

Although millions of fans are keen to attend Michael’s 10 farewell concerts at London’s O2 arena, only 200,000 seats will be made available.

It is feared that touts might make big bucks by selling tickets worth 50 and 75 pounds for thousands.

“A lot of fans are going to be disappointed, and the touts could make a killing,” the daily Star quoted a source as saying.

“They know people will pay through the nose to see Jacko’s last concerts,” the source added.

On the other hand, the ‘Heal the World’ hitmaker is not leaving any stones unturned to make his final concert a hit.

He recently made TV history by buying up the whole of a three-and-a-half- minute ad break during Dancing On Ice to promote his tour, through which he advertised his future London 02 arena concert.

The ad featured some of the hits he will perform, fans were also given details of how and where to book tickets. (ANI)

Jacko’s comeback tour ad to fill whole TV break

London, Mar 7 (ANI): Organisers of Michael Jackson’s comeback gigs are leaving no stone unturned to make his London tour a huge hit.

A television promo for Jacko’s comeback concerts will take up the entire ad break during ITV1′s popular show Dancing On Ice.

The three-and-a-half minute video will feature his performances over the years. The organisers said he is the first artist to fill a whole advert break, reports Sky News.

The king of pop made a rare public appearance to confirm his return to stage with the series of ten gigs in London’s O2 arena.

He has also decided to add 10 more dates following the immense response for ticket sales, it has been reported.

The shows have been titled This Is It and will mark his first live performance for more than two years.

Jackson said the concerts would be his last in the capital and described them as his “curtain call”. (ANI)

Secret details of Jacko’s comeback concerts leaked

London, Mar 6 (ANI): Details of Michael Jackson’s comeback gigs were leaked even before the official announcement when blundering advertisers put up posters plugging the shows hours.

While the organisers of the gigs at London’s O2 Arena tried hard to keep the details under wraps, London Underground tube network was emblazoned with ads confirming the tour.

The ads revealed that the Thriller hitmaker would play a total of ten shows at the O2 in July (09).

The billboard shows Jacko dancing with one hand in the air, with the slogan: “This Is It – 10 Shows, July ’09, The O2 Arena.”

“The organisers were told earlier today that the posters have already gone up on the tube,” the Daily Express quoted a source as saying.

“They are furious – this wasn’t meant to happen,” the source added. (ANI)

Secret details of Jacko’s comeback concerts leaked

London, Mar 6 (ANI): Details of Michael Jackson’s comeback gigs were leaked even before the official announcement when blundering advertisers put up posters plugging the shows hours.

While the organisers of the gigs at London’s O2 Arena tried hard to keep the details under wraps, London Underground tube network was emblazoned with ads confirming the tour.

The ads revealed that the Thriller hitmaker would play a total of ten shows at the O2 in July (09).

The billboard shows Jacko dancing with one hand in the air, with the slogan: “This Is It – 10 Shows, July ’09, The O2 Arena.”

“The organisers were told earlier today that the posters have already gone up on the tube,” the Daily Express quoted a source as saying.

“They are furious – this wasn’t meant to happen,” the source added. (ANI)

Jacko confirms last ever London shows

London, Mar 6 (AN): King of pop Michael Jackson made a rare public appearance to confirm his return to stage with the series of ten gigs in London’s O2 arena.

The event would mark his last ever performance in London.

Also, the concerts will mark the 25th anniversary of the release of Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, the best selling album ever.

“I am coming to London to play the songs my fans want to hear,” the Telegraph quoted Jackson as saying.

“Michael Jackson has not played a series of concerts since he last toured 12 years ago,” said a statement released from Jacko’s camp.

“These dramatic shows promise an explosive return with a band of the highest calibre, a state-of-the-art stage show and incredible surprise support acts,” the statement added.

The ‘Black or White’ hitmaker’s last series of concerts came in 1996 and 1997, when he played 82 shows in 58 cities as part of the HIStory tour. (ANI)