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Robin Leach, hold on to your shorts. After the gossip journalist announced that recent rumors of Michael Jackson’s return were “regurgitated rubbish” (how very British of him), the King of Pop finally confirmed yesterday that, yes, he is performing several concerts at London’s O2 Arena. AEG Live has contracted Jackson for a 10-show stint at the famous venue, and he will receive $10 million for the performances, which will kick off on July 8.
In a rare public appearance at a press conference today in London, Jackson told fans, “This is it. I just want to say these will be my final show performances in London. This is it, when I say this is it, this is it. I’ll be performing the songs my fans want to hear – this is is. This really is it. This is the final curtain call. I’ll see you in July."
And just in case Jackson didn’t make it clear that ‘this is it,’ the concert series has been named “This Is It.”
Thousands of fans came out to see Jackson at the conference and cheered his name wildly when the singer came out. Jackson, who hasn’t really had much contact with fans in the past few years, seemed almost bashful and genuinely touched by the outpouring of support from the crowd.
“I love you, I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” the King of Pop told the audience.
Now, we can’t give Leach or anyone else who doubted the comeback rumors too much flack – the gossip world has been in a “will he or won’t he” purgatory for the past several months, with rampant but unconfirmed rumors that Jackson was set to launch a comeback with his own Vegas headliner act. The pop master, who until a few months ago was living in Sin City, has also recently been battling reports of horrible diseases, deathly conditions, you name it – made all the worse by the fact that Jackson never looks normal when he’s photographed out and about.
And as it turns out, health was a factor in the reason why a Las Vegas show wasn’t in the cards for Jackson – a source told gossip reporter Norm Clarke that the pop king had reservations about the physical toll of doing a concert every night. The only people that could have persuaded Jackson are Steve Wynn or MGM Mirage bigwig Kirk Kerkorian, and according to the source, Wynn tried his best to make it happen.
But alas, London will be the site of Jackson’s much-discussed tour, which will be staged by Sirens of TI at Treasure Island director and choreographer Kenny Ortega. Jackson has reportedly received the medical okay to perform the ten shows – he’s not suffering from any exotic diseases today – and if he can perform the contracted ten concerts and they’re well received, there’s a definite possibility that more shows could be added. It’s uncertain whether “This Is It” will be his last concerts in London or his last concerts anywhere, so we can only hope for the latter.
And though Brits love Michael, London sportsbooks are already giving odds that Jackson won’t perform or complete the ten shows. Jackson famously backed out of a Thriller performance at the World Music Awards in 2006, and he’s even changed his mind about auctioning off all this things this April.
About that, we have this to say: get on it, Las Vegas sportsbooks! We can’t be outbetted by the English! It’s bad enough Jackson opted for a London concert series over a Las Vegas show...
Tickets for the “This Is It” will go on sale March 13.
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