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>> i spoke with aeg live's president and ceo randy phillips three years ago about similar allegations. in that interview, phillips said the decision to hire conrad murray and pay him $150,000 per month was solely michael's choice. >> he stared at me with this very deep stare and he said you don't understand. my body is what fuels this entire venture. and, like barack obama, i need my own physician with me 24/7, okay. that's not negotiable. >> reporter: phillips believed michael had a very personal reason for taking on the scheduled 50 concerts. >> i said why now? i'd been chasing him to come o...

>> reporter: the stage is where michael was most at ease. on stage, there was no one better. ♪ >> reporter: since age 5, he had electrified audiences around the world with hit songs like "i want you back." and the world appeared ready to welcome him back. it had been 1 years since jackson's last major performance. the king of pop was poised to regain his thrown. >> this is it. i mean, this is really it. this is the final -- this is the final curtain call. >> reporter: according to the concept with promoters aeg, michael was to perform 50 concerts at the 02 center in london over a nine-month ...

He looked really good. m.j. was 50 years old and they're like half his age and he still was wearing them out. >> reporter: on stage, always a perfectionist. off stage, a legend with a sense of humor. >> he's making big-money decisions and then he would lean over to me and say silly stuff like who's your favorite three stooges. and i would say what, m.j.? oh, no, i don't like this. can i have more of this or that or this. yeah. i like moe. >> reporter: but we beneath the surface, concerns from the very moment the concert tour was announced. jackson was pushing himself to the brink. >> i just th...

>> reporter: phillips believed michael had a very personal reason for taking on the scheduled 50 concerts. >> i said why now? i'd been chasing him to come out of retirement, to get on the stage and perform live for three years. this was, you know, like a mission of mine. a quest. and he said to me, very interesting, was very poignant, he said i'm doing it now because my kids are old enough to appreciate what i do. >> reporter: michael's children could end up playing a major role in this case. 16-year-old prince, the oldest, is on the witness list and has already testified during depositions. s...

Better. >> was his voice getting stronger? >> absolutely. >> reporter: was his dancing getting stronger? >> absolutely. >> his body? everything? >> absolutely. >> reporter: michael bearden, the musical director for this is it was on stage that last night. >> he looked back at me, you know, after we did one number and looked at me as if to say yeah, i'm michael jackson. i got this. he looked really good. m.j. was 50 years old and they're like half his age and he still was wearing them out. >> reporter: on stage, always a perfectionist. off stage, a legend with a sense of humor. >> he's making b...