Sunday, June 28, 2009

Michael Jackson set to make chart history, again

By Keith Caulfield
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Michael Jackson will once again make music history next week as many of his albums are poised to shake up the Billboard charts with incredible sales increases.
The impact of Jackson`s shock death on Thursday was felt immediately in the marketplace. Industry sources report that the demand for Jackson`s albums were so high, many stores simply ran out of his CDs.
The albums with the greatest sales increases -- at least on the physical side of things -- look to be his greatest hits packages "Number Ones" and "The Essential Michael Jackson" along with the expanded reissue of "Thriller." The sets, released between 2003 and 2008, were the three Jackson albums that perhaps had the most stock available in stores.
In the digital realm, where the supply problem doesn`t exist, Jackson`s songs and albums swarmed the top of the constantly-updating best sellers lists in both the iTunes` and Amazon`s online music stores. At one point on Friday in the iTunes Store, nine out of the top 10-selling albums and 40 of the top 100-selling songs were by Jackson.
The three aforementioned albums, along with Jackson`s classic studio sets "Off the Wall," "Bad" and "Dangerous" all will likely zoom into the upper region of Billboard`s Top Pop Catalog Albums chart next week. Initial reports of Jackson`s album sales from Thursday alone indicate that one of his albums -- possibly "Number Ones" -- will easily fly to No. 1 on the chart next week. Last week, the set -- which also was his top-selling album of the week -- was at No. 20 on the Catalog chart with 4,000 sold.
To compare, last week`s No. 1 on the Catalog chart was TobyMac`s "Portable Sounds" with 9,000 copies sold. Sources say that at least one of Jackson`s albums sold more than double that amount just on Thursday.
Nielsen SoundScan`s tracking week ends at the close of business on Sunday (28). Billboard and SoundScan`s new weekly charts will be released on Wednesday, July 1.
(Editing by Dean Gooodman)
Original article

Michael Jackson`s family seeks second autopsy

Michael Jackson`s family seeks second autopsyBy Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson`s family gathered at his parents` suburban Los Angeles home on Saturday to make funeral arrangements for the troubled King of Pop amid reports that they are seeking a second, independent autopsy.
The entertainer`s father, Joseph, issued a statement calling his son`s death "one of the darkest moments of our lives" and urging fans not to despair.
Jackson`s body was returned to his family on Friday night after an examination by the Los Angeles County coroner`s office failed to determine what killed the 50-year-old entertainer, pending toxicology tests that were expected to take weeks.
Meanwhile a lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray, who was at Jackson`s rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles when he collapsed, said the physician had agreed to answer questions from police detectives.
"Dr. Murray intends to fully cooperate with investigators and law enforcement as they attempt to piece together what happened," attorney Bill Stradley told Reuters in an interview.
"Contrary to what has been out there, Dr. Murray has been cooperating with authorities from the outset and will continue to do so," Stradley said. "The impression that he has been hiding from authorities, that`s not correct."
Murray was desperately trying to revive Jackson when paramedics arrived and he rode with the singer in an ambulance to the hospital where the pop star was pronounced dead.
Police have said they wanted to further question Murray, a Houston-based cardiologist, about the circumstances of Jackson`s death but had not been able to arrange an interview.
Murray`s silver Mercedes was towed from the home where Jackson died so detectives could search it for evidence and medication.
MOVING VANS EMPTY HOME
The celebrity website TMZ.com reported that a second autopsy was underway at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, on the orders of the Jackson family.
Speculation has centered on Jackson`s use of prescription drugs and reports that he was injected with the narcotic painkiller Demerol shortly before he went into cardiac arrest.
Coroner`s officials have said that with no outward signs of trauma to Jackson`s body or evidence of foul play, they would have to wait for the results of toxicology tests and other studies to establish a cause of death.
Few other details were released about the autopsy`s findings, but Fox News reported on its website that investigators had found his body to be healthier and stronger than they had expected, with some scarring on the face.
Moving van crews emptied the rental home of Jackson`s belongings, reportedly on the orders of his father, Joseph, who was concerned they would be stolen.  Continued...
Original article

"Transformers" sequel tramples on box office

Transformers sequel tramples on box officeLOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The "Transformers" sequel was well on its way to becoming the biggest hit of the year so far after selling a better-than-expected $126 million in tickets during its first three days at the North American box office, distributor Paramount Pictures said on Saturday.
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," a follow-up to the smash robot hit of 2007, is on course to challenge the seemingly impregnable five-day opening record of $203.8 million set last year by Batman sequel, "The Dark Knight."
The biggest movie of the year so far is "Star Trek," which has grossed $244 million in seven weeks of release across the United States and Canada.
A clearer picture of "Transformers"` trajectory will emerge on Sunday, when the Viacom Inc-owned studio issues sales estimates for the weekend. Earlier in the week, Paramount had conservatively forecast a five-day haul in the $130 million to $150 million range. But industry pundits countered that a tally of at least $175 million was more likely. The film reportedly cost about $200 million to make.
The $126 million figure covers sales for Wednesday through Friday. The film earned $60.6 million on its first day, breaking the old record for a Wednesday release of $44 million set by "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in 2007. It fell just short of the all-time single-day record of $67 million, set last year on a Friday by "The Dark Knight."
The "Transformers" sequel earned $36.7 million on Friday. Nine movies have made more than that on a Friday, but that was their first day of release.
The film also opened worldwide on Wednesday, but got an early start last weekend with a No. 1 bow in Britain and No. 2 in Japan behind a local release.
The first "Transformers" was the third-biggest film of 2007 in North America, ending up with $319 million. It opened on the Monday before the July 4 holiday, so comparisons are difficult. They have plenty in common though: director Michael Bay reunites with young stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. Robots rampage across the landscape, and things explode.
Critics were mildly favorable toward the first film, but mostly appalled by the sequel, according to Rotten Tomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com ), a Web site that analyzes reviews.
Original article
 

Business

Politics

Incidents

 

Society

Sport

Culture