Michael Jackson's death comes on eve of career-reviving concerts

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Friday, Jun 26, 2009 9:00AM / Standard Entry / Members only

The show coame shockingly. Just recently I heard that his concerts is coming round...

Michael Jackson's death marks a huge cornerstone in the history of pop music, but for 750,000 fans who planned to view one of his upcoming 50 London concerts, another question remains:

What happens to the "This is it" show now?

Well, like much of the singer's life, the answer to that question remains a mystery, at least for now.

A spokeswoman for The Outside Organisation, which is organizing the publicity for Jackson's UK concerts, told the London Sun that she had no comment at this time.

Two of the show's websites -- www.michaeljacksonlive.com and aeglive.com -- were similarly silent as of 4 p.m. PDT.

The death is of profound disappointment for Jackson fans, to be sure, but the sting might be felt slightly sharper for the fans who attempted to buy tickets during a special release on Wednesday at 8 a.m.

The "This is it" tour did have its doubters, well before Jackson's fatal collapse.

In fact, Britain's infamous bookies had been increasing the odds against Jackson making the concert.

For Jackson, the concert was to mark a turning point in his career as he struggled with a massive debt of unpaid wages, lawsuits, upkeep on his former Neverland Ranch and a lifestyle that has been described as "a millionaire who spends like a billionaire," RollingStone.com reported.

The concert tour was also an enormous risk for AEG Live, RollingStone.com reported, saying the firm "fronted all the cash for Jackson's run, putting the singer up in a lavish estate during its duration and paying $5 million up front to a Bahrainian prince to settle a lawsuit that would have prevented Jackson from performing at all."

It was thought that a successful tour would have earned $70 million in profit for Jackson and AEG Live $70 million.

Source: The Vancouver Sun

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