Page 9 - Off Stage News Today

"bad" the song and the video not only transformed michael jacksons image from soft-spoken to tough, but changed the face of pop culture. >> my brothers the baddest boy that ever held a microphone. that boy was bad. and well never have another one. >> my question is why does the good die young. the good, the good. why? >> why him? sometimes theres no answers. >> icon, pop star, legend. words that didnt seem big

>> ill be performing the songs my fans want to hear. >> but was michael physically up to the challenge? both michael and aeg had a lot on the line. >> it was his comeback. it was his renaissance. his rebirth on stage. after so many years of being out of the spotlight, a lot of people were wondering if he could pull this off. >> this is it. and see you in july. >> but there were questions about whether jackson was ready. kenny ortega, the director for "this is it," called a private meeting at jac...

>> they had a night it was jay and robin and pryor and elaine boozler and billy crystal all in the same show, and it was unbelievable. >> its 1977. jays career is booming. then, he gets the call. the "tonight show" with johnny carson wants him. >> this young mans name is jay leno, and this is his first appearance on "the tonight show." >> that performance in front of johnny is life-changing. >> im originally from the united states. any united states people here tonight? >> big screen roles soon ...

Of carnage" that he would do stuff for us. i remember when we extended, and jim got the play done. thats the only reason we were on broadway. and when we extended, jims first thing was everybody gets paid the same or i dont do it. >> wow. >> he did things like that constantly. it was so brave of him to come to broadway. thats the proving ground. a lot of film actors cant do it. its eight times a week. its tough to make it look like its happening for the first time month after month after month. ...

>> i just think how is he going to do these shows? >> record producer rodney jerkins. >> 50 dates at 50 years old? thats a lot of dates. and i just kept saying i hope he gets a physical trainer. someone to really work him out to make sure hes healthy and prepared. >> jermaine jackson says his little brother was ready. >> i mean, he could have did 200 shows. >> i talked to jermaine following a band rehearsal. >> i felt that he could do it because of the way the shows were spaced out and it wasnt,...

Because m.j. was 50 years old, and they were half of his age, and he was wearing them out. >> on stage, always a perfectionist. off stage, a legend with a sense of humor. >> hes making big-money decisions and then he would lean over to me and say silly stuff like whos your favorite three stooges. and i would say what, m.j.? oh, no, i dont like this. can i have more of this or that or this. yeah. i like moe. >> but we beneath the surface, concerns from the very moment the concert tour was announc...

As the sun rose above the exclusive los angeles hills, inside michael jacksons mansion, the entertainer began the morning of june 24th, 2009, doing what he loved. preparing for a show. >> now do it slow. >> he and i would start about noon or 1:00 at his home. wed dance a few hours and stretch. >> you have to have a full attitude. >> travis payne was michael jacksons the long-time choreographer. >> we were on a journey with michael that was going to return him to the stage, you know, that he love...

Started, we were doing one-nighters. every day, youre in a different place. youre riding in the bus and sleeping on top of each other, thats tough. but this was it, you didnt have to take the stage down. youre in one location. >> i think that night, he finally accepted down deep and whatever the inner reaches of an artists soul are that he could do this. >> was anything out of the ordinary? >> the only thing that might have been out of the ordinary was michael had a serious glow about him that n...

Different image of the pop legend. from a vibrant singer, dancer and entertainer on stage, to a completely different person behind the scenes. >> to michael jackson. >> then, midway through opening arguments, a stunning moment. the voice of michael jackson as hed never been heard before. >> when people leave my show, i want them to say hes the greatest entertainer of the world. >> jackson sounded fragile. impaired. incapable. and thats just what kenny ortega feared. ortega was directing the most...

>> did he talk to you about his insomnia at all? were you aware of that? did he say, im having trouble sleeping? >> no, i mean, i didnt have a clue about it. but he used to call me at 12:00, 12:30 at night. id engage him in a conversation, usually last about an hour. then i would go to bed and he would call me again at 6:30 in the morning when im up. i just thought because he had kids he got up early. it never occurred to me that he had never gone to sleep. so, looking back, thats probably a sig...