Hundreds see Philippine Prison Inmates perform Jackson tribute - Thriller (Video)

More than 1,500 Philippine inmates at a maximum security prison on Saturday performed a Michael Jackson tribute for the public with a dance routine that has become a global Internet hit.

Hundreds of spectators arrived at the jail to see the convicts, including murderers and drug-traffickers, put on the show two days after the music icon collapsed and died.

One by one the performers, wearing their prison-issue saffron uniforms, filed into the fenced-off exercise yard at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, where officials had hung a picture of the star.

The event began with a prayer for Jackson before singing and dancing to his hit "We Are the World", which he co-wrote with Lionel Richie to raise funds for famine victims in Ethiopia.

They then went on to perform to two other Jackson ballads, "Ben" and "I'll Be There", before taking positions for their popular dance routine based on the singer's megahit video "Thriller".

The inmates' four-minute synchronised performance first aired on the video sharing website YouTube two years ago, and has since gained a cult following, generating more than 23 million hits so far.

Officials at the prison also said they had been told Jackson himself had even seen it.

Choreographer Byron Garcia, a prison consultant and the brains behind the dance exercise, said he was shocked by Jackson's death at the age of 50 and that many of his wards were grief-stricken.

"Without MJ, the inmates would never have become world-renowned. That is why Michael Jackson is a God to them," Garcia told AFP. "Inmates had hoped that one day, he'll come to dance with them."

He said the prisoners had performed the routine for visiting tourism officials on Thursday afternoon, just hours before Jackson died.

Jackson's music served to help the facility in rehabilitating the inmates, Garcia said.

"Music is the language of the soul, and dancing is a form of positive expression," he said as press photographers jostled for positions. "I am sad. Forty years ago, I learned singing his songs."

Inmate Michael Carunngay, 31, a former drug trafficker, said: "We are sad that Michael Jackson passed away because he was our inspiration and the reason why we have found fame."

Millions of fans around the world have held tributes to the "King of Pop" who died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.

Tourists had flocked to the prison hours before the performance started at 3.00pm (0700 GMT) Saturday, with one official saying an unusual number of people had been signing in.

The video has become such a big hit that the inmates have themselves become tourist attractions, with visitors having their pictures taken with them after each performance.

They have also performed the dance for government officials and the Archbishop of the Catholic church in Cebu.

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iPhone App Store Puts Apple in Sticky Situation

Apple's App Store is a runaway success, but controversial applications may force the company into decisions that run counter to the free market spirit that makes the App Store so popular.

Since the debut of the Apple App Store in July 2008, iPhone and iPod touch owners have been able to access a rapidly increasing number of applications, ranging from free apps like Skype to low-priced mobile games and all number of programs. The App Store’s rise to prominence has not been without controversy, however. The latest minor uproar concerned an application that allowed users to access sexually explicit photos.

The application, “Hottest Girls” disappeared from the App Store on Thursday, though the development team behind the app, Allen the Geek, wrote on its Web site the application had “sold out” and pulled the app to prevent their servers from crashing. “Those who already have the app will still be able to use our app,” posted the ATG development team. “To answer the question on everyone’s mind: Yes, the…images will still be there when it is sold again.”

But the story doesn’t end there. As similar applications began to appear on the App Store, Apple told CNN that, despite a rating system informing consumers about the content of applications (Hottest Girls received a 17+ rating for, in Apple’s words, “frequent/intense sexual content or nudity), the company would not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content, such as pornography.

“The developer of this application added inappropriate content directly from their server after the application had been approved and distributed, and after the developer had subsequently been asked to remove some offensive content,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told CNN. “This was a direct violation of the terms of the iPhone Developer Program. The application is no longer available on the App Store.”

Apple found itself in the media spotlight earlier in the year for similarly controversial, if less sexually explicit, applications, including the infamous “Baby Shaker” app and a “Me So Holy” application that allowed users to take photos of themselves or friends and paste their head onto the body of Jesus. Days after the Baby Shaker controversy broke, Apple announced the billionth application had been downloaded from the store.

Micahel Oh, president of Apple specialist Tech Superpowers, says the Apple has a fine line to walk when it comes to regulating the content on the site. “I’m not sure exactly where they should be on this,” he says. “If you look at desktop application development and distribution, there’s been this very specific separation between the manufacturer of the system and the developer.”

By hosting its own application portal, Apple puts itself between the developers and the consumer market. “Apple has obviously developed the App Store with a revenue stream in mind, but they have put themselves in a position where they’re between the software developer and customer, so they can be a gate, even if they’re not saying it,” Oh says. “There’s going to be increasing pressure on them to restrict [applications]. It is a free market and it’s part of capitalism and making software that people want.”

However, Oh says Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, might be able to put a human touch on what is essentially a question of regulation in the face of corporate responsibility. “This is potentially one of those places where Apple needs to make an announcement, and maybe Jobs has to stay the software market needs to be open,” he says. “In looking at Apple’s history, it’s always easier for that type of announcement to come from a person. That’s the reason that Apple is so loved as a company.”

No matter what controversies arise in the near future, and no matter how Apple negotiates this tightrope of an issue, one thing remains certain: The App Store, boasting 50,000 applications, and the runaway success of the iPhone and iPod touch, mean the App Store is in for a flourishing future. “The selection is really where it gets an A+,” Oh says. “In term of the App Store, it’s always delivered what I’ve asked it for.”

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Celebrities React To Michael Jackson’s Death

Michael Jackson's death took the world by surprise Thursday (June 25), when he died suddenly from a heart attack. Fans all across the world couldn't believe it, and neither could countless celebrities on Twitter, who tweeted in disbelief.

Here's a few of their initial reactions:

Cassie - There are no words.... Sending all of my love and prayers out to the Jackson family.

Dawn Richard (Danity Kane) - omg! u guys say a prayer..mj is gone..i wont believe it!

MC Hammer - I have no words.. I loved Michael Jackson.. RIP.. I will be mourning my friend , brother, mentor and inspiration.. He gave me and my family hope. I would never have been me without him.

Ice-T - Rest In Peace Mike. People can say what they want but you were 100% original. WE will always love , miss & remember your GREATNESS. "Ice T"

Alyssa Milano - Remember the first time you saw him moonwalk? RIP Michael Jackson.

Lil Jon - RIP M J!!

Nicki Minaj - Oh no! Plz tell me its a joke!!!! Please! Not michael jackson!!!! No!!!! Dead???!!!!

Tyrese - I can't believe I'm about to write this Michael Jackson May God Bless your SOUL WE LOVE YOU FOREVER REST IN PEACE I'm sad this is horrible

Ashton Kutcher - Mike Jackson passed away today from a heart attack. That's what tmz said. Wow. Pray for his kids

Tila Tequila - My heart is broken! We have lost a true icon of our time, he will forever be with us! Please have a moment of silence and pray for MJ

Ben Baller (jeweler) - im literally sick, im gonna vomit and then eat it. im just happy to have worked & met the legend smh sad

Lauren London - Michael Jackson?!. It feels like someone called me and told me a family member passed away. Since I could remember...there was always MJ. There are no words.....my prayers to the Jackson Family

Khloe Kardashian - This can't be true! Michael Jackson Passed away???

Kim Kardashian - Wow I am truly in shock that Michael Jackson has passed away! I love u Jackson family, my prayers are with the whole family!

Travis Barker - Michael Jackson R.I.P. I'm speechless, WTF?

Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers) - My thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Jackson and his family. He is a legend. King of Pop.

Baron Davis (Los Angeles Clippers) - RIP Mike Jackson

Xzibit - DAMNIT! they just put the big yellow banner up "breaking news" on CNN. the King of Pop has passed away. MJ we love you. U were Genius.

Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) - i am very shocked about mj. i have every song he ever put out. i am shocked and sad.

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Michael Jackson 50 Years - Summary

The king is dead.

On the afternoon of June 25, music icon Michael Jackson’s heart suddenly stopped at his Hollywood home. Paramedics and doctors could not revive him. The media competition began. Gossip website TMZ.com reported it first, and soon ABC and NBC were quoting the celebrity gossip site as if it were CNN or BBC — as if it were a colleague. CNN confirmed it last, but the news was true all the same. The King of Pop was gone forever. Michael Joseph Jackson, age 50.

Fans responded quickly.

A swarm gathered at UCLA Medical Center with pictures of his face and shirts with his name.

As news of his death sent shock waves the world still mourned the passing of Farrah Fawcett, who lost her battle with cancer, and Ed McMahon, whose combination of medical illnesses took his life several days ago. Three icons in a matter of less than a week, and in its wake the public still grapples to cope with it. Yet it was Mr. Jackson’s death which proved to overwhelm the public.

Jackson once revealed in a televised interview that the most honest song he has ever written, the song he feels people should examine when it comes to him, is “Childhood” from the album HIStory. The first verse of the song reveals a poignant fact, “no one understands me.”

And in the aftermath of his sudden death, questions still abound in attempts to understand how this King of Pop, the artist who enamored fans with his dancing and music, could have fallen from grace so tragically.

Although we may never know the truth to the molestation charges pressed against him, the scandal was detrimental enough and made a lasting impression. Mr. Jackson lost credibility among many fans and friends as his antics grew increasingly questionable — from wearing pajamas while on trial or jumping on the roof of his car before onlookers outside the courthouse.

What does remain is a prolific body of work which has inspired generations of musicians, artists and actors.

The beginnings of Michael Jackson, as one of seven musically gifted children, hail from Gary, Indiana. At age five, Mr. Jackson began to reveal his flair for singing during school recitals and eventually became a part of his father’s dream team later known as The Jackson 5. Michael quickly became the most adored brother, captivating audiences as the years went by and fame grew quickly.

After a momentous meeting with legends Barry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Diana Ross, it appeared that Mr. Jackson and his brothers were on their way to being stars with hits like “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.”

The price of fame eventually came at a cost. Unlike most children his age, Mr. Jackson’s catapult toward the limelight cheated him from normal childhood experiences — a factor that would become a recurring theme in his music and life.

Where most child stars fall into the shadows of entertainment history, Mr. Jackson developed into a man and flourished. And it appeared, with the success of his solo project “Off the Wall,” that he might do well after all, but no one could have predicted what would happen in 1982.

Thriller, a compilation of songs that fused his R&B roots with rock and pop, forever bridged the gap between rock and soul. The diverse tracks and addictive melodies pushed the album to record heights. It remains the top selling album of all time. Added to the appeal of his music was the timing of another trend: MTV. Jackson saw the potential in using music videos and was one of the first to use it heavily to promote his work. The apex of this phenomenon came with the featurette video of “Thriller,” an homage to classic horror films, in which Jackson incorporated his own style, music and choreography.

This also marked a period of Michael Jackson’s change in appearance. Mr. Jackson, who was rumored to have undergone excessive plastic surgery, suffered from a debilitating skin disorder called Vitiligo which causes one’s skin pigmentation to become patchy in appearance. This would be the first in a string of social dissections of his eccentricities. Even though his life was often plagued by public scrutiny, the popularity of his music throughout the course of the 80s never faltered, as legions of fans copied his moves and style as “The Gloved One.”

In the end, while most people permanently decided to love, admire, or loathe Michael Jackson, it was the media that truly had the mood swings. There’s no doubt he was often the center of attention by tabloids and the press — a fickle beast that one moment adored him and the next shut him down.

But the boy from Indiana, whose humble beginnings rooted in a band of brothers, who captivated the world in the 1960s, is gone. And the performer who showed us how to moonwalk, dance the Thriller, and ask the tender question, “Who’s Lovin’ You?” is long gone. And so, too, is the eccentric, increasingly insular celebrity. The legend of Michael Jackson will never be forgotten.

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Michale Jackson's CDs Sold Out Yesterday!

Sulaiman Ahmad Junid, 26, a staff of Rock Corner record shop at Mid Valley in Kuala Lumpur putting a note on the wall that all the Michael Jackson CDs and VCDs had been sold out.

Show promoter Tan Sri Syed Yusof Tun Syed Nasir, who was instrumental in bringing Michael Jackson here for a two-night concert in 1996, said the King of Pop was “weird but in a friendly way”.

The iconic pop star was never the freak that the foreign media painted him out to be, he said.

“His behaviour was childlike. For instance, he liked to knock on the hotel room doors of his friends and then run away like a kid.

“He was full of love and very generous. During his visit to KL, I got to know him well and realised he was a gentle and talented person. I sympathised with him for the negative media reports.”

Jackson was also a nocturnal creature.

“His mind was hyper active at night,” said Syed Yusof. “That was the time he would write his songs or discuss business. I personally spent many late hours discussing business with him.”

They had planned to build a theme park here, but the project did not take off due to the economic situation then.

When Jackson was staying at Syed Yusof’s Concorde Hotel here during his concert, the singer would ring up his Malaysian friend in the middle of the night, saying he couldn’t sleep.

“I had to call in a doctor to get him to sleep,” Syed Yusof recollected. “He didn’t like to pop pills. So I asked the doctor to give him a jab.

“I first met Michael in Las Vegas (in 1995),” said Syed Yusof. “I stayed in his hotel room. He then took me on a tour of Neverland and his recording studio in New York. He was a good host, not to mention a good-hearted person. He had a lot of love in him, especially for children.”

The last time that he heard from Jackson was through his older brother, Jermaine, who is also a close friend of Syed Yusof’s.

“I met Jermaine two weeks ago and asked about Michael. Jermaine said his brother was fine.”

Syed Yusof has renamed the swanky room that his celebrity friend had stayed in Concorde KL as the “Michael Jackson suite”.

Located on the 18th floor, the room is full of photographs and collectibles of the superstar. Syed Yusof has also put Jackson’s doodles on the wall.

“Aside from music, Michael loved to doodle.

“Michael wanted to be remembered as the greatest entertainer in the world. And I think he achieved that. What’s really disappointing is that I was planning to go to London for his concert on July 8,” said Syed Yusof.

Stephen Yap, who was promotions manager with Sony Music (M) in 1996 when Jackson was here said: “There wasn’t the usual ‘diva’ fanfare surrounding him. Even with his bodyguards present, he was pleasant to us. In fact, we even had tea with him. He wasn’t one of those stars who was just waiting for his social commitments to be over and done with. He really cared about the things around him.”

Cynthia Chen, project director for Jojo Events, said: “The concert was the biggest and most expensive production for a solo artiste I have worked on. He seemed like a nice but shy person. Do you know that the Concorde Hotel was closed for bookings the whole time he was here? And we completely refurnished the presidential suite for him.”

Michael Roche, regional director of Lushington Entertainments, the promoter responsible for bringing Jackson to this region in 1996, said: “I remember at the Merdeka Stadium concerts, there were a few restrictions that we were meant to adhere to. And we told Michael to try and refrain from doing his famous crotch-grabbing routine. He politely assured us he wouldn’t. And as he hit the stage, that’s exactly what he did, sending the audience wild with excitement.

“He had this mischievous streak in him. When he checked in at the Concorde Hotel, he felt it was very cold and said he wanted heaters, even though it was 30-odd degrees outside. We had to scramble and try to sort that out for him, and that was the element of fun about him ... he was always delightful and charming about it all.”

Apparently, Jackson was not one of those stars who liked to stay cooped up in their hotel room. He went out on the town and took in some sights while in Kuala Lumpur, said his Malaysian pals.

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Michael Jackson - King of Pop - DIES Age 50 in Los Angeles

Paramedics found him in a coma at his Bel-Air home today and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center. He was in L.A. rehearsing for a series of concerts in London in July. LAPD has opened an inquiry.

Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead today after paramedics found him in a coma at his Bel-Air mansion, city and law enforcement sources told The Times.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told The Times that paramedics responded to a 911 call from the home. When they arrived, Jackson was not breathing. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda said.

Hundreds of reporters gathered at the hospital awaiting word on his condition. The sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named, said family members rushed to Jackson's bedside, where he was in a deep coma.

The circumstances of Jackson's death remain unclear. Law enforcement sources said that Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives have opened an investigation into the death, though they stressed there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. The detectives plan to interview relatives, friends and Jackson's doctors to try to figure out what happened. The L.A. County coroner's office will determine a cause of death.

Paramedics were called to a home on the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard. Jackson rented the Bel-Air home -- described as a French chateau built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater -- for $100,000 a month.

The home is about a six-minute drive from UCLA Medical Center.

Jackson has three children -- sons Prince Michael 7, and Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., 12, and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11.

The news comes as Jackson, 50, was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

In May, The Times reported that Jackson was living in a Bel-Air mansion and rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London's O2 Arena. Jackson had won the backing of two billionaires to get the so-called King of Pop back on stage.

The concerts had been scheduled to kick off July 13.

Johnny Caswell, a principal at Centerstaging, the Burbank soundstage where Jackson rehearsed for his London concerts, watched many of the run-throughs and said he was "absolutely shocked" by the performer's death.

Jackson, he said, was "very frail" but approached the rehearsals with boundless energy.

"He was working hard. Putting four days a week in here. Six hour a day. Working hard. Dancing," Caswell said. "We're in shock over here."

The performer moved from the Burbank facility to the Forum at the beginning of June, Caswell said.

His backers envisioned the London shows as an audition for a career rebirth that could ultimately encompass a three-year world tour, a new album, movies, a Graceland-like museum, musical revues in Las Vegas and Macau, and even a Thriller casino.

Such a rebound could wipe out Jackson's massive debt, estimated at $400 million.

Jackson needed a comeback to reverse the damage done by years of excessive spending and little work. He has not toured since 1997 or released a new album since 2001, but he has continued to live like a megastar.

To finance his opulent lifestyle, he borrowed heavily against his three main assets: his Neverland Ranch, his music catalog and a second catalog that includes the music of the Beatles that he co-owns with Sony Corp. By the time of his 2005 criminal trial, he was nearly $300 million in debt and, according to testimony, spending $30 million more annually than he was taking in.

Compounding his money difficulties were a revolving door of litigious advisors and hangers-on. Jackson has run through 11 managers since 1990, according to Frank DiLeo, his manager and friend of three decades.

Times staff writers Richard Winton, Chris Lee Carla Hall, Ari B. Bloomekatz, Anna Gorman and Nicole Santa Cruz contributed to this report.

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Megan Fox: Stop Comparing Me to Angelina Jolie!

Most stars would be happy to be compared to Angelina Jolie. Megan Fox isn't one of them.

"It's a lack of creativity on the media's part," the "Transformers" star says in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (on newsstands June 12). "Because I have tattoos and dark hair and I was in an action movie? That's as far as the similarities extend."

Adds Fox, "I'm not the next anyone."

The 23-year-old actress -- who says she was joking when she once said she was afraid of the "Changeling" star -- admits that she has no plans to get to know Jolie.

"She always seems otherworldly in her power and her confidence," Fox says. "I'm sure she has no idea who I am. But if I were her, I'd be like, 'Who [...] is this little bulls--- brat who was in 'Transformers' that's going to be the next me?' I don't want to meet her. I'd be embarrassed."

Fox even interjects when asked if she wanted to follow in Jolie's footsteps of starting out as a sex symbol before taking on serious roles.

"Angelina Jolie was always a Method actress," she says. "She'd been nominated for Golden Globes before she ever did 'Tomb Raider'."

Still, the star -- who admits "I'm clearly not ugly" -- isn't bothered by the fact that she's seen as a sex symbol.

"I don't know why someone would complain about that," she says. "That just means that the bar has been set pretty low. People don't expect me to do anything that's worth watching. So I can only be an overachiever. I think all women in Hollywood are known as sex symbols. That's what our purpose is in this business. You're merchandised, you're a product. You're sold and it's based on sex. But that's okay. I think women should be empowered by that, not degraded."

In fact, she doesn't regret how "Transformers" made her "this new girl" in the industry.

"I happened to be such an outrageous personality that people wanted to start writing about me because it was deemed controversial," she says. "I think if I had been a typical Hollywood actress and I said all the right things and I had been a publicity android, it wouldn't have escalated to this level."

Fox, who appears in this summer's blockbuster "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," doesn't want to still be making robot movies five years from now, but when asked what the worst-case scenario would be, she says, "That I'd be on 'The Hills'."

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