2001: Nippy News Release Articles

Stars Honor Michael Jackson In New York
submitted by: Ralph M., Derric, Smeckles
source: Associated Press, E! Online
Date: September 8, 2001

Michael Jackson's 30-year career as solo artist has encompassed everything from the truly brilliant to the utterly bizarre. The same could be said about his star-studded anniversary concert -- a surreal, yet undeniably captivating evening.

Last night's (Sept. 7) concert -- the first of two shows at Madison Square Garden -- marked Jackson's first performance on U.S. soil in more than a decade, during which time he's seen his once-dominant presence on the American music scene decline.

But if there was any doubt about Jackson's star power, it was erased as a capacity crowd -- some of whom had paid up to $2,500 per ticket -- waited anxiously for a glimpse of the King of Pop. Though the night's lineup included the likes of Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Ray Charles, and Liza Minnelli, it was Jackson who created the most frenzy, even before uttering a single note.

When Jackson made his way to his seat, dressed in a white, glittery jacket with his favorite accessory -- Elizabeth Taylor -- on his arm, he drew crazed screams and applause so intense it drowned out Samuel L. Jackson as he introduced the night's first performance.

The concert kicked off with two of R&B's brightest young stars, Usher and Mya, singing Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" in an extravagant, jungle-themed dance number. Though Usher has modeled himself as Jackson's heir apparent, he lacked the latter's spark, while Mya's lightweight voice could barely be heard over the music.

It wasn't until Whitney Houston burst on stage toward the end, her voice soaring above theirs, that the song began to echo the original vitality in which Jackson sang it. By the time Houston finished, the crowd was dazzled, giving what would be one of several standing ovations of the night.

But from that high, the concert crashed to a low as Marlon Brando took to the stage, his large frame resting on a couch. Though the crowd cheered at just the sight of the Oscar-winning actor, they soon became bewildered as Brando sent the next few minutes mumbling about child poverty, abuse, and disease. "I saw kids in the last stages of starvation, and it was something you didn't want to see," he said.

It was also something the audience didn't want to hear, as boos began to drown Brando out until he said Jackson was donating money to create a children's hospital in Florida. His exit drew another standing ovation.

It was moments like these -- plus extended delays -- that would plague the three-hour-plus concert until Jackson took the stage. For every truly entertaining moment -- Marc Anthony beautifully crooning "She's Out of My Life," or Destiny's Child paying homage to Jackson with their fedora hats and white gloves during "Bootylicious" -- there were truly cringe-inducing moments that made you want to close your eyes until they were over.

One was Minnelli's rendition of Jackson's "You Are Not Alone." Although it may be one of Jackson's more schmaltzy songs, the R. Kelly-penned tune was never meant to endure this kind of treatment, as a frail-looking Minnelli warbled the No. 1 hit cabaret style, with a gospel choir behind her.

Other stars' talents were clearly misused. Al Jarreau was reduced to playing the Tin Man during recreation of scene from "The Wiz," Jackson's only movie role; the performance from Ray Charles and jazz singer Cassandra Wilson seemed out of place and out of sync, given the pop nature of the show. Then there were the videotaped tributes to Jackson, which lauded him as the "greatest," the "most sensitive," the "most successful" ad naseum.

But those moments were temporarily forgotten once Jackson appeared on the stage. Though the sight of him was at times jarring -- his pale, surgically altered face seems incapable of showing much expression anymore -- his presence was formidable.

First performing together with his brothers for the first time since their 1984 Victory tour, he dazzled the audience with each shimmy or yelp. The highlight was the group's performance of "I'll Be There," which showcased Jackson's soulful interpretation of the classic. Even a cameo appearance by 'N Sync during "Dancing Machine" couldn't upstage the electricity of just the brothers performing together.

Then it was time for Jackson to shine, alone. Anyone expecting Jackson to reinvent himself artistically would be disappointed, however: The only new material from Jackson came as he performed his new single, "You Rock My World," the first release from his upcoming Epic album, "Invincible."

For his old hits, he trotted out familiar dance steps, some of which were over two-decades old, performing songs like "Beat It" and "The Way You Make Me Feel," almost identically to the way he had on video years ago.

At times, it seemed as if even Jackson was tired of them, performing them without the full-effort given in the past. Still, as dated as those moves may have seemed, they were still enough to generate chills of excitement. A special highlight was "Billie Jean" -- for which Jackson dusted off his white trademark glove -- which showcased his freestyling, pulsating footwork.

At 43 years of age and with more than three decades in the spotlight, Jackson's act may have gotten a bit familiar, but never stale, with enough dazzle to get the most jaded Jackson critics out of their seats. After Jackson's performance last night, another comeback doesn't seem out of reach.

EDITORS: Jackson's concerts, the second of which will be held Monday, will be aired on CBS this fall.

Michael Jackson Tribute: Off the Wall!

By Josh Grossberg

Michael Jackson threw a party and everyone came.

With all the pomp and circumstance one would expect from the self-proclaimed King of Pop (and a star-studded guest list matched only by the Oscars), Jackson launched his long-awaited comeback Friday night as his 30th anniversary celebration took over New York's Madison Square Garden.

As promised, Jackson wowed the fans--both with a long-awaited Jackson 5/Jacksons reunion with his brothers, and with his own set of past hits. A who's who of Michael's pals and big-name celebs showed up to see it for themselves, including 'N Sync, Macaulay Culkin, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Aaron Carter, Nelly, Donald Trump, Teddy Riley, Jill Scott, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Kenny Rogers, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Chris Tucker, Naomi Campbell and Samuel L. Jackson.

But while the tribute to the Gloved One looked invincible on paper, it initially didn't come off as the thriller everyone had hoped for. In fact, parts were downright off the wall (and we mean goofy here, folks).

The show itself lasted nearly five hours and was plagued by technical miscues and stop-and-start delays between the numbers. The complications didn't go over too well with the crowd, who may have expected to see a jam-filled concert instead of something more akin to a television taping. (Friday's and Monday's shows will be edited and aired as a CBS special in November.)

The show started with R&B singers Usher and Mya appearing alongside a troupe of dancers wearing African tribal dresses, for a rendition of Jackson's classic, "Startin' Somethin'." In the night's first big surprise, they were joined halfway through the song by pop diva Whitney Houston, who brought the packed house immediately to its feet.

What followed was the first in a series of bizarre onstage spectacles. After the opening number and a five-minute break, the house lights finally came up to reveal a portly Marlon Brando lounging in a leather recliner onstage and donning dark shades.

"I'm Marlon Brando," Brando began, in what's become his customary soliloquy. "In any event while your...wondering who that old fat fart is sitting there...I wanted you to realize that in that minute there were hundreds if not thousands of children hacked to death with a machete, beaten to death by their parents, got typhus and died of a disease."

After jarring the audience to attention, the legendary film star then plugged the popster's Website, MichaelJackson.com, while Jackson himself looked on, sitting beside the stage with best pal Elizabeth Taylor.

The first half of the show was dominated by big-name performers doing their takes on Jackson classics, including Shaggy, 13-year-old country prodigy Billy Gilman, Ray Charles and Marc Anthony, who did a rousing rendition of "She's Out of My Life." Destiny's Child, meanwhile, performed its own song, "Bootylicious."

"He's been a huge influence on all of us…especially on 'Bootylicious,'" Beyoncé Knowles told E! News Daily from the red carpet. "I had him in mind when I wrote the song."

Next up, Jill Scott played the Scarecrow, Al Jarreau the Tin Man, Deborah Cox the Cowardly Lion, and Monica was Dorothy as they performed a medley of songs from Jackson's film, The Wiz. Gloria Estefan and James Ingram followed with a beautiful duet of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You."

After what appeared to be an interminable break, Liza Minnelli--much improved health-wise since her bout with encephalitis last year--appeared on stage to sing "You Are Not Alone," backed by a full gospel choir walking through the stadium aisles holding candles.

But while the stars came out on this night to honor the "entertainment ambassador," some fans initially felt shorted on the entertainment--especially given the ridiculous cost of tickets (ranging from $228 for nosebleeds to $2,500 on the floor).

"I grew up on Motown and this isn't cutting it," said fan Vito Maur of New York. "It's like a variety show."

Fans even resorted to booing at times, and chanted for the Gloved One to take the stage.

Finally, he did. And what seemed like impending disaster for the disorganized affair soon turned into HIStory, as the King of Pop reclaimed his title as one of the greatest entertainers in the music biz.

With an introduction by Dame Taylor, Jackson popped onstage looking more like MTV's Moon Man than a pop star--wearing a matching white suit and biker helmet and standing motionless amidst the roar of the crowd. He was immediately joined on stage by his brothers for what would be the Jackson 5's highly anticipated reunion, their first since 1984's Victory Tour.

The Motown legends, featuring brothers Jermaine, Tito, Marlon, Randy, Jackie and Michael, got the crowd moving to a medley of classics, including "ABC," "I"ll Be There," and "I Want You Back." And, linking both old and new, 'N Sync came out and joined the group to get down to "Dance Machine."

"I love you...I love you," Jackson shouted twice to the audience, as his brothers left the stage after their 20-minute performance.

Jackson went on to team with Britney Spears for a sexy rendition of "The Way You Make Me Feel." And he was joined onstage by Slash playing guitar for "Black and White" and a scorching version of "Beat It," replete with ghetto dancers and choreography straight from the video.

At one point, Michael asked the pumped up crowd what it would like to hear, before being drowned out by the inaudible roar of requests. He then launched into his new single, "You Rock My World," off his new album Invincible, due out at the end of October.

But perhaps Michael's finest moment came when he walked out on stage with only a small carrying case and pulled out his black sequined jacket, hat and white glove for an almost exact recreation of his Motown anniversary performance of "Billy Jean," moonwalk and all.

The tribute stretched well past midnight and closed with the legendary Quincy Jones, Michael's former producer on the Thriller and Bad albums, leading an all-star cast singing "We Are the World."

"I want to thank everyone who came tonight," Jackson told the crowd. "It was an incredible experience. I love you all. Thank you so much."

For Jackson, the night was just beginning. Following the performance, the pop legend took over New York's Tavern on the Green for a Wizard of Oz-themed post-party, featuring stilt walkers and a cast of Munchkins.