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The Michael Jackson estate and Sony Music have reportedly agreed on a seven-year, 10-project, $250 million pact that will be the most lucrative in music history, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources close to the negotiation. The Jackson estate is guaranteed an expected $200 million from the deal, which will likely feature reissues of the King of Pop’s albums, new greatest hits collections and possibly a Cirque du Soleil show based on Jackson’s music. An official announcement is expected today.

Look back at Michael Jackson’s life and career, in photos.

According to reports, one of the first releases from the $250 million deal will be an album of unreleased material culled from Jackson’s personal musical vaults, which reportedly house as much as three albums’ worth of unheard material. That release is expected out by the end of 2010, most likely in November to capitalize on the annual pre-holidays sales. Since his June 25th death last year, Jackson’s catalog has sold 31 million copies, the WSJ reports, and coupled with the concert rehearsal film This Is It, the Jackson estate has earned more than $250 million in the past year.

The deal is expected to also include the release of a DVD collection of all of the King of Pop’s iconic music videos and a remix compilation. Still, it’s the unreleased material that is most notable, as Rolling Stone previously reported, Jackson left hard drives filled with unheard music, much of it recorded during his prime in the 1980s. Two unreleased tracks, “Another Day” and “A Place with No Name,” briefly leaked in 2009. Jackson’s manager Frank DiLeo told RS that roughly 100 completed Jackson songs remain unreleased, including collaborations with Akon, Will.i.am and Ne-Yo. “There are a couple of songs we recorded for the Bad album that we had to cut that are just sensational,” DiLeo said.

The record-breaking $250 million pact is $100 million richer than the 10-year deal Jay-Z signed with Live Nation two years ago. The deal will also go a long way toward helping the Jackson estate pull itself out of the massive debt Michael accrued in the last years of his life. In addition to the new releases and reissues, the $250 million deal also extends Sony’s right to distribute the Jackson catalog through 2017.

Related Stories:

• Michael Jackson Left Hard Drives of New Songs, ’80s Recordings
• “This Is It” Arrives on DVD: A Look Back at Jackson’s Final Triumph
• Possible New Michael Jackson Song “Another Day” Leaks, Gets Yanked From Web

Over the weekend, the NCAA conference tournaments wrapped up and the final NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament brackets were unveiled on Sunday night (March 14). Yes, March Madness is finally here, and it's one of the best times of the year for sports. The 65 teams from around the country will engage in a single-elimination tournament over the next four weeks, with only one winner standing tall as the best college basketball team in the country. The top seeds in the four different regions are Duke, Syracuse, Kansas and Kentucky, and there are plenty of other teams who can act as spoilers and Cinderellas.

While you fill out the bracket for your office pool (just for fun, of course, as gambling is illegal), check out the official MTV News March Madness video playlist. There are plenty of odes to hoops (Kurtis Blow's "Basketball"), higher education ("I Love College" by Asher Roth), winning (Ace Hood's "Champion"), dunks (Michael Jackson's "Jam"), dominant players (Accept's "Balls to the Wall," a tribute to dominant Kentucky star John Wall) and, uh, madness itself (Decapitated's "Spheres of Madness"). There are also entries from real basketball players (DJ Kay Slay's "Still Can't Stop the Reign," which features Shaquille O'Neal), songs about choking (Paramore's "Pressure") and tracks about strategy ("Let's Push Things Forward" by the Streets).

As far as favorites go, the Las Vegas odds have Kansas as the favorite at 5-2, with Kentucky at 7-2 and Duke just behind them at 8-1. In the college game, the best teams usually live and die by the three-pointer, which is why this particular video playlist kicks off with Britney Spears' "3," an ode to long-range shooting.

Who do you think will will the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament? Leave your picks in the comments!

It's Friday, which means there will be a whole new slate of films hitting your local cinema. This weekend includes the Matt Damon action thriller "The Green Zone," the relationship comedy "She's Out of My League" and "Mother," the latest film from Bong Joon-ho, the Korean director of indie hits "The Host" and "Memories of Murder." But the flick grabbing the most headlines is "Remember Me," the first major role for "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson since he became America's most beloved undead blood sucker. The film also features "Lost" star Emilie de Ravin (finally doing something other than searching for her baby) as the object of Pattinson's affection and Chris Cooper as de Ravin's controlling father (he doesn't want her associating with the brooding, free-thinking Pattinson).

Like any trip to the local multiplex, "Remember Me" requires some appropriate music to get you into the mood. Memory is clearly a big deal among musicians, as there are dozens of songs that deal with remembering. Of course, there are some cornerstones, like Sarah McLachlan's immortal graduation and TV finale song "I Will Remember You" and the incarceration-can't-keep-me-down T.I. track "Remember Me." Plenty of these songs deal directly with relationships, like Jeff Buckley's "Forget Her," Poison's "I Won't Forget You" and Carrie Underwood's "Don't Forget to Remember Me." And in case you need a little more rage before going to see a Pattinson movie, there's always Slipknot's "Before I Forget" or Armor for Sleep's "Remember to Feel Real."

Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time" kicks things off, as it's a breezy, funky latter-day MJ track that is dedicated to carrying relationship memories with you. Also, it's a fantastically epic clip featuring cameos from Eddie Murphy, supermodel Iman and basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson (among others).

There were a handful of things we could have celebrated this morning. After all, today is the birthday of Charlie and Craig Reid (better known as the Proclaimers, who scored one of the biggest one hit wonders of all time with "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"). Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante will also be blowing out candles today, as he turns 40 years old (hopefully he celebrates with a little "Californication"). But just as we did last week, today we celebrate Michael Jackson's ascent to superstardom.

On this day in 1983, "Billie Jean" found itself at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. The second single from Thriller bounded over Patti Austin and James Ingram's "Baby, Come to Me" to take the top spot, where it stayed for seven weeks before being ousted by (of all things) "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners. One week later, Jackson would top the charts again with "Beat It," a track that would reign for another three weeks until it was displaced by "Flashdance ... What a Feeling."

"Billie Jean" remains one of the cornerstone's of Jackson's deep catalog and storied career. Though there was never actually a Billie Jean, Jackson always said that the girl in the song was a composite of the types of women who used to follow around the Jackson 5. "The kid is not my son" is a pretty racy chorus lyric for a chart-topping song (then again, the Police's "Every Breath You Take," which also topped the charts in '83, is just as intense). But "Billie Jean" lives on because of the killer bassline, the deft blending of disco and R&B and the distinctive video, which saw a tuxedo-clad Jackson dancing his way across that iconic light-up sidewalk.

This week's adventures in the MTV Newsroom had a lot to do with teams. It seemed like everybody was finding a partner, combining powers and barreling headlong at a common goal. Perhaps everyone suddenly became inspired by the Winter Olympics? Are they fans of WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show and the Miz? Or are people just looking to stay warm during these ridiculous snow storms?

Whatever the case, before you go looking for your own tag-team partner this weekend, check out everything you might have missed this week, and be sure to stay tuned for more opinions, humor, insights and behind-the-scenes awesomeness next week!

» When he announced he would be performing on "Saturday Night Live," Justin Bieber found himself in the exclusive club of the youngest "SNL" performers of all time.

» All types of teams showed off during the Olympics this week, including some ice dancers who summoned the power of Linkin Park during their routine.

» Not all of this week's teams were current, as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.

» This weekend, the U.S. hockey team will play for gold with the assistance of Kings of Leon and Metallica.

» Meanwhile at Disneyland, Michael Jackson got the opportunity to get back together with an alien named Hooter when "Captain EO" returned to the lineup in Tomorrowland.

» "American Idol" contestants usually stand alone when they perform, though they're always joining forces with famous songs. The best one this week was Siobhan Magnus' version of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game."

» Based on the greatness of the Young Money album, we wondered which posse albums were the greatest of all time. When the votes came in, G-Unit stood at the top.

» Snoop Dogg got back together with the cast of "One Life to Live" for another stunner of a guest spot on the soap.

» Thanks to a friendly pair of gloves, Lady Gaga narrowly managed to avoid being totally naked on the cover of a music magazine.

» Speaking of Gaga, we found out that a lot of people team up with the spirit of Gaga for crazy covers.

» Jennifer Hudson's fiancé David Otunga joined forces with his own muscles for a killer debut on "WWE NXT."

» Erykah Badu wanted to get to know Paul McCartney so she could sample a song, and she succeeded using the power of Twitter.

» Conan O'Brien joined up with a monkey, a squirrel and a computer to craft the greatest Twitter feed yet imagined by man or beast.

» Finally, MTV News engineered two team-ups this week, both care of digital producer Rich Sancho. The first brought together Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne for a collaboration, while the second melded Lady Gaga's "Monster" with Tiger Woods' apology. They're both remarkable and should keep you entertained throughout the weekend. Enjoy!

It has been eight months since the passing of Michael Jackson, and his death continues to be felt deeply in the music world (you need only listen to the emotional Jackson part left in the remake of "We Are the World" for proof). It seems certain that Jackson's legacy will be truly immortal, and the reason why is his music. The artist left behind some of the most iconic pop songs ever written — many of which came from his staggering breakout album Thriller, which came out in 1982 and first topped the Billboard album chart on this day in 1983.

Fueled by huge singles "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Human Nature," Thriller kept a stranglehold on the top spot for most of 1983. After it entered the position on February 26, it stayed there for 17 consecutive weeks before getting bumped by the soundtrack to "Flashdance." Two weeks later, it returned to #1 before getting knocked out again by the Police's Synchronicity. It bounced back for one more week in September before dropping out, but it returned to the top for the last two weeks of the year. It then spent the first 15 weeks of 1984 at #1 as well. All told, Thriller was the top-selling album in America for a grand total of 37 weeks, an absolutely unheard of run.

Thriller sold 15 million copies in 1983 alone and has become the best-selling album of all time. Even more impressive? There are only nine songs on Thriller, and seven of them became Top 10 hits (with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" both topping the singles chart). In honor of his tremendous feat, check out the video for "Thriller," which would get little argument against its place as the greatest music video of all time.

If you're a Michael Jackson fan and happen to be in the vicinity of Disneyland in California today, be sure to call in sick, drop everything and head to Tomorrowland, because "Captain EO" makes its triumphant return to the rotation at the happiest place on Earth. The film hasn't been shown at the park since 1997, but in honor of Jackson's passing last year, Disney decided to bring back the 3-D movie with enhanced sound.

"Captain EO" made its debut in 1986 and starred Jackson as the titular captain of a spaceship. He and his crew (including "Bad Santa" star Tony Cox as the bumbling elephant-like alien Hooter) are given the task of delivering a package to the evil Witch Queen (played by Oscar winner Anjelica Huston) on her home planet. When they arrive, they are captured and sentence to torture, and only the power of EO's singing and dancing can save them. The film closes with a performance of an early version of "Another Part of Me" (which later appeared on Jackson's 1987 album Bad). It simultaneously opened at Disneyland and at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World, then later had runs at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

When it was first released, "Captain EO" contained some 3-D effects that were absolutely state-of-the-art, though whether or not they hold up in this post-"Avatar" world is anybody's guess. Still, the Francis Ford Coppola-directed, George Lucas-produced film is fun, has great energy and delivers a positive message (and marks Jackson's best film work outside of "Thriller").

What's your favorite Michael Jackson film project? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Photo: Kim/WireImage
Michael Jackson’s burial may be allowed to take place at Neverland, pending an application process and the approval of Santa Barbara county officials, CNN reports. While the Jackson family has not yet approached country officials about the request, CNN writes that a Jackson family lawyer contacted officials about the possibility of burying the singer at his famed Neverland Ranch. Under California law, it is illegal to bury a body at a private residence. However, by filling out a two-page application and paying a $400 fee, the law can be circumvented pending the approval of county officials.

It was previously believed that Jackson’s family was planning to bury the singer at Hollywood Hills’ Forest Lawn Cemetery, but instead that was just the site of Jackson’s private memorial service and open casket viewing. CNN reports that while Jermaine Jackson wants to bury his brother at Neverland, father Joe Jackson is against it. There is some precedent in a private land burial, thanks to a former President: California native Ronald Reagan was buried at his Presidential Library in Venture County. However, a request to be buried on private land has never been filed in Santa Barbara County.

As Rock Daily previously noted in our examination of Neverland’s life after Jackson, even if the family elected to bury Jackson at his former home, the quiet county of Santa Barbara might be reluctant to allow the Ranch to be turned into a tourist destination like a West Coast version of Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Also, there’s the question of who really controls Neverland now, since Jackson signed the deed of the Ranch over to billionaire Tom Barrack Jr. as the singer struggled with debt. According to CNN, Barrack said the property’s future would be discussed at a later date.

The mayor of Gary, Indiana, the Jackson 5’s hometown, has already opened the door and publicly lobbied for the Jacksons to make Michael’s resting place in the Indiana city. Mayor Rudy Clay’s plan would also include the construction of a Jackson family museum in Gary, as well as a performance arts center. According to Yahoo, Gary, Indiana will be the site of a memorial service for Michael Jackson at the city’s Steel Yard baseball park. Clay says that father Joe Jackson will attend the event.

Related Stories:

• Michael Jackson’s Neverland: What Should Happen to the Superstar’s Ranch?
• Michael Jackson’s Family Makes Funeral Plans as Fans Clamor for Tickets to L.A. Memorial
• Michael Jackson’s Legacy Includes Tangled Financial Web

Photo: Clary/AFP/Getty
Investigators probing the death of Michael Jackson are awaiting the results of a toxicology report before determining whether the superstar’s sudden cardiac arrest on June 25th can be ruled an accidental overdose or homicide, Los Angeles Police chief William Bratton told CNN: “We are still awaiting corroboration from the coroner’s office as to cause of death. That is going to be very dependent on the toxicology reports that are due to come back,” Bratton said. “And based on those, we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing [with]: are we dealing with a homicide or are we dealing with accidental overdose?” While Bratton would not confirm what items were seized from Jackson’s home, the chief’s comments make it clear prescription drugs are at the center of the department’s investigation.

CNN also unearthed a 2004 document stating Jackson reportedly took 10 Xanax a night and that the King of Pop asked his own employees to obtain prescription drugs under their own names. The document comes from the statements of two former Jackson bodyguards interviewed by Santa Barbara County law officials when Jackson was awaiting trial in 2005 for child molestation charges. In fact, one of the guards questioned in the document said that at one point Jackson was consuming 30 to 40 pills of Xanax a night as the singer struggled with insomnia. At one point, Jackson “fell on his face” and injured himself, sparking one of the guards to quit his post.

The Jackson family has been made aware that investigation into Jackson’s death may turn into a criminal trial, CNN reports, quoting a source close to the family. “I do believe it was foul play,” Michael’s father Joe Jackson told ABC News. “I do believe that. Yes.” The DEA agents assisting with the investigation have already questioned many doctors linked to Jackson, and those who have not cooperated have been hit with subpoenas, CNN reports. Five doctors were among the names listed in the 2004 document CNN uncovered, but it’s unclear if they were among those questioned in the investigation.

As Rolling Stone reported shortly after Jackson’s death, a nurse/nutritionist who treated the star spoke out publicly about her fears that Jackson had gotten his hands on a powerful sedative called Diprivan or Propofol that’s used in hospitals. Since then interest in Jackson’s relationship with prescription medication has spiked, and yesterday CNN revealed more details about an alleged intervention sister Janet tried to stage in 2007 as the family’s concerns over Michael’s drug use escalated.

Jackson was honored at an all-star memorial service in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Check out photos from the event, and read tributes to the fallen icon by Adam Lambert, Stevie Nicks, Chris Cornell and more.

Related Stories:

• Report: Janet Jackson Planned Intervention For Michael in 2007
• DEA Joins LAPD Investigation Into Michael Jackson’s Cause of Death
• Michael Jackson “Desperately” Sought Sedative, Nutritionist Says

Photo: Funk/MJ Memorial/WireImage

Janet Jackson reportedly attempted to set up an intervention in 2007 to confront Michael Jackson about his addiction to painkillers, a pair of sources told CNN. According to the report, Janet recruited her brothers to help stage the intervention, however Michael told his bodyguards to prevent his family from entering his property and refused to accept phone calls from his mother Katherine, CNN reports.

Following the sudden death of Michael Jackson, the singer’s use of medications has come under the microscope, with many doctors who were associated with Jackson being questioned by investigators to determine if drugs played any role in the superstar’s unexpected cardiac arrest. Jackson’s toxicology report has not yet been revealed. The Jackson family reportedly long suspected Michael was abusing prescription drugs, but Michael would not discuss the matter. “If you tried to deal with him, he would shut you out. You just wouldn’t hear from him for long periods,” a source told CNN.

People previously reported that the intervention nearly happened in Las Vegas around 2006, with Jackson’s siblings Randy, Jackie and Rebbie — with sister Janet on the phone — questioning Michael about his perceived misuse of prescription drugs. However, “Michael got pissed off. He said he wasn’t on drugs. But they didn’t believe him,” a family insider told People.

Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson’s dermatologist and the rumored biological father of Jackson’s two oldest children, told Larry King Live that he too had concerns about Jackson’s medication use, especially the prescription drug Diprivan. “I knew at one point that he was using Diprivan when he was on tour in Germany,” Klein said. “He was using it to go to sleep at night. I told him he was absolutely insane. I said, ‘You have to quit it. This drug, you can’t repeatedly take.’ ” However, Klein added that to his knowledge, Jackson had stopped taking drugs outside of the dosages Klein prescribed to Jackson after unspecified surgeries.

The secondary market for Michael Jackson merchandise has not slowed — rather, it’s only getting more and more extreme. Case in point: A seller on eBay who claims to have had “a business relationship” with Jackson has put up the bumper cars ride designed specifically for Neverland Ranch. According to the listing, the seller bought five carnival rides in an auction. The ride was designed and manufactured specifically for Jackson and has a 2,688 square foot floor with 16 cars that all feature a custom Michael Jackson logo.

The bidding opened at $100 but quickly ballooned to $46,100 over the course of 48 bids. The auction expires tomorrow afternoon, but since the reserve price is not yet met, the top bidder still may not win the ride. But good news for anybody bidding from Ecuador — it ships internationally!

Mariah Carey has apologized to fans for what she considers a sub par performance of the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” at the Michael Jackson memorial concert on July 7th at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. The singer took to her Twitter to explain to fans that she was so overcome with grief that her emotions affected her ability to sing, Us Weekly reports. Video of Carey’s “I’ll Be There” performance is above.

(Check out photos from Michael Jackson’s all-star memorial.)

“Trying to sing today was basically impossible for me,” she writes. “I could barely keep myself from crying. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to pull it together and really do it right, but I was literally choked up when I saw him there in front of me. One thing I know is, we will never really have to say goodbye to MJ. His legacy lives on through his music and the millions of people. He inspired with his timeless music. He will be forever in our hearts.”

While it’s true that Carey’s performance at the memorial doesn’t match the “I’ll Be There” from her 1992 MTV Unplugged, she does genuinely seem emotionally overwhelmed while singing at the Jackson memorial, especially with Jackson’s casket spotlighted right in front of her as she and Trey Lorenz duet on the song. “I am heartbroken. My prayers go out to the Jackson family,and my heart goes out to his children. Let us remember him for his unparalleled contribution to the world of music, his generosity of spirit in his quest to heal the world & the joy he brought to his millions of devoted fans throughout the world. I feel blessed to have performed with him several times & to call him my friend,” Carey wrote hours after Jackson’s death on June 25th. “No artist will ever take his place. His star will shine forever.”

Related Stories:

• Michael Jackson Memorial Unites Smokey Robinson, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and More
• Inside the Michael Jackson Memorial
• Judith Hill: “Heal The World” Singer From Jackson Memorial Revealed

There has been no shortage of tributes to Michael Jackson in the past two weeks, from mixtape tracks to concert nods. But perhaps the strangest (and at the same time most endearing) tributes came from the world of sports.

Yesterday, basketball forward (and rapper/music mogul) Ron Artest signed a new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers (perhaps he can be the new Method Man). He’ll join the defending champions for five years at $33 million, but the biggest headline-grabber was that Artest said he would wear jersey number 37 as a tribute to Michael Jackson. Why 37? That’s the number of weeks Thriller spent on the top of the charts. It’s not the first time that Artest has made a music reference in his number: While on the Sacremento Kings, Artest wore the number 93 as a nod to the Queensbridge projects (a place that also gave the world Nas and Mobb Deep), as well as the Souls of Mischief album ‘93 to Infinity.

Meanwhile, Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. paid tribute to Jackson during a Tuesday night game against the Baltimore Orioles. He walked to his first at-bat to the sound of “Billie Jean” and also wore a single batting glove. Did Jackson magic help him out? Griffey drew a walk, but the Mariners were routed by the Orioles 12-4.

Plenty of athletes took to their personal Twitters to mourn the passing of Jackson, including tennis player Andy Roddick, football player Chad Johnson, former NBA star Dennis Rodman and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.

But the best tribute yet came professional MLS soccer player Kei Kamara, who celebrated scoring a goal by donning one sparkly glove and doing a Jackson dance. The Jackson mojo seemed to work best for Kamara — his Houston Dynamo defeated the Kansas City Wizards 1-0.

Photo:Richards/AFP/Getty
Michael Jackson’s all-star memorial service cost Los Angeles significantly less than first estimated, running up a tab of $1.4 million for the deployment of extra police officers, sanitation workers and traffic controllers, CNN reports. The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office at first predicted the event would cost the cash-strapped city $3.8 million, leading mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to set up a Website to collect tax-deductible donations. Heavy Internet traffic on the day of the memorial caused the site to crash frequently, and the page only managed to raise approximately $17,000. At press time, it was unclear if AEG Live, the concert promotion company that helped stage the event, contributed any cash.

(Check out photos from the Jackson memorial.)

An estimated 31.1 million people in the U.S. watched the Jackson memorial on television, the AP reports, placing the broadcast behind the funerals of Princess Diana (33.2 million in 1997) and Ronald Reagan (35.1 million in 2004). However, because the memorial took place during the afternoon of a workweek, a massive audience saw the service via Webcast. The number of online viewers doubles the estimated audience, as MSNBC reported 19 million streams on June 7th, CNN had 10.5 million and ABC News had 6 million streams; the tribute was also streamed on TMZ, Hulu, MySpace and CBS.

(Go inside the memorial in our report from the scene.)

AEG Live launched their official online Michael Jackson: This Is It! Merchandise store yesterday, featuring many of the items fans could have expected to see on sale at London’s O2 Arena during Jackson’s run of 50 concerts. According to an e-mail to those who registered to purchase tickets to the shows, Jackson himself approved all of the items — which range from clothing to belt buckles to collective plates — in early June. “As we mourn the loss of one of the greatest talents the world has ever seen, we are only beginning to feel the impact that Michael left upon us all,” AEG Live’s e-mail announcing the site reads. “A variety of official merchandise commemorates this incredible talent and preserves the legacy that is Michael Jackson.”

Finally, TMZ reports that Jackson will be wearing one white leather glove covered in Swarovski crystals when he is finally buried. La Toya Jackson reportedly wanted Michael to be wearing his trademark one glove — an iconic fashion statement echoed by his brothers at the memorial — inside the casket, and glove maker Dorothy Gaspar says Jackson’s stylist told her La Toya selected a white leather glove Gaspar made over a decade ago.

Yesterday’s Michael Jackson memorial contained a number of memorable moments, but no single speaker or performance topped the tearful words delivered by Jackson’s daughter Paris. It’s no mystery that Jackson’s children lead a relatively sheltered life by design, for the singer was worried that they would be consumed by his fame (footage of Jackson moving through crowds with his children is downright scary).

But what about Jackson’s two sons? Paris’ brother Michael Joseph Jr. (also known as Prince Michael) was another product of Jackson’s marriage to Debbie Rowe. Their other brother, Prince Michael II (also known to the world as “Blanket”), is Jackson’s youngest child and the product of a surrogate Jackson arranged in 2002. When photographed, the kids were often show in public wearing masks or veils, and most of the world probably hadn’t known exactly what the kids looked like prior to the memorial event. Blanket’s most famous appearance came just after his birth when Jackson came under fire for dangling the boy off the balcony of a hotel room in Berlin.

After years of living under protection, Jackson’s kids will probably find themselves in the spotlight while the custody details are worked out in court. Since it looks like Paris’ statements were not planned, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the boys start making their opinions known in their new life in the public eye.

Though he wasn’t given any time to speak and was never acknowledged during the Michael Jackson tribute ceremony in Los Angeles, Dorian Holley might have the biggest resumé of anybody on that stage not named Gordy. Holley, who took the third solo in “We Are The World” during the finale of yesterday’s event, has been a backup singer for Jackson for two decades, but his list of credits stretches far and wide. He’s toured with Lionel Richie, Queen Latifah, Rod Stewart and James Taylor. He’s coached and sang with a cavalcade of stars, from Chris Brown to Usher to Christina Aguilera. And last year he finally released his first solo album Independent Film.

But his most notable contribution to recent musical history has been on “American Idol,” where he serves as Associate Musical Director and a vocal coach. Any time a contestant goes from “pretty good” to “exceptional” over the course of the show, it’s probably thanks to Holley. He was joined by a number of other exceptional musicians, but Holley’s work deserved better than the anonymity he was given. Then again, based on his career, maybe that’s exactly how he wanted it.

Photo: AFP/Getty
When Michael Jackson passed away, many outlets (not Rock Daily, mind you) were quick to jump on a January 2009 story from U.K. tabloid the Mirror stating that the King of Pop planned to leave his 50 percent stake in the Beatles’ Sony/ATV publishing rights to Paul McCartney. However, when Jackson’s 2002 will was unearthed, it made no mention of McCartney, and all of Jackson’s assets went to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. One person who wasn’t surprised by the false report was McCartney himself, who writes in a message on his official Website that he knew all along that the Mirror’s story was fiction — and that he’s not “devastated” about failing to reclaim the Beatles’ rights.

“Some time ago, the media came up with the idea that Michael Jackson was going to leave his share in the Beatles songs to me in his will which was completely made up and something I didn’t believe for a second. Now the report is that I am devastated to find that he didn’t leave the songs to me. This is completely untrue,” McCartney writes. “I had not thought for one minute that the original report was true and therefore, the report that I’m devastated is also totally false, so don’t believe everything you read folks!”

As Rolling Stone noted in our analysis of Jackson’s tangled financial web in the days after the singer’s death, the Sony ATV stake — which also features songs by Bob Dylan and Eminem — is worth an estimated $300 to $500 million a year. However, a heavily in debt Jackson borrowed millions of dollars against his investment, so the actual fate of the stake is not yet known. Still, despite being omitted from Jackson’s will, McCartney wrote, “Though Michael and I drifted apart over the years, we never really fell out, and I have fond memories of our time together.”

Related Stories:

• Michael Jackson’s Legacy Includes Tangled Financial Web
• Michael Jackson’s Will Filed, Names Diana Ross as Guardian
• Examining the Reign of Michael Jackson - Pop, Rock and Beyond

Yesterday’s Michael Jackson memorial was an impressive undertaking, with nary a security or logistics problem in sight. As Sway said in his recap yesterday, “The city of Los Angeles should be proud of itself for dealing with all the chaos.”

But it wasn’t cheap. Officials estimate that the cost of security, transportation and various other fees totaled as much as $4 million. It’s no small chunk of change, especially considering the city is in dire financial straits and that the city had to reach out to private donors to cover the cost of the Lakers’ victory parade a few weeks ago (an event with a $2 million price tag).

This time around, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is reaching out to the public to help defer the cost of yesterday’s event. They’ve even gone as far as setting up a PayPal account so people can make cash donations of any size. “Help the City of Angels provide the extraordinary public safety resources required to give Michael the safe, orderly, and respectful memorial he deserves,” Villaraigosa writes. “If you’re a Michael fan, consider giving a small donation to help us celebrate his extraordinary life and music.”

If the estimated television audience of 1 billion people each ponied up, that’s less than a penny a person. I went ahead and donated 50 cents, which leaves 49 of you off the hook. Don’t say MTV News never did you any favors.

The Big News: Four new releases stormed the top of the charts, but the King of Pop outsold them all — again — as sales of Michael Jackson’s catalog topped over 800,000 copies in the first full week since the singer’s death. Leading the charge was Jackson’s Number Ones, selling 339,000 copies to rank Number One on the Top Albums chart (Jackson’s discography is ineligible for the Top 200 chart because the releases are older than 18 months). Thriller came in at Number Two with 187,000 copies. Both albums sold more than the week’s Top 200 champ the Now 31 compilation, which sold 169,000 units.

Other members of the over 100K club this week include Brad Paisley’s American Saturday Night (Number Two on Top 200, Four on Top Albums) with 129,000 copies, the Essential Michael Jackson collection at Number Five on the Top Albums list thanks to 125,000 copies and Rob Thomas’ Cradlesong, which sold 121,000 copies to place Number Three on the Top 200. Jackson also grabbed all of the Top 10 spots on the Top Catalog Albums chart. Amazingly, roughly 82 percent of Jackson’s album sales have come from CD purchases and not digital outlets, Billboard reports.

Debuts: Jackson’s chart reign almost overshadows the stellar debut of Wilco’s Wilco (The Album), which tied the debut of 2007’s Sky Blue Sky by bowing in at Number Four, selling 98,000 copies in the process. A pair of self-titled albums entered the charts at Six and Seven as Jeremih and Killswitch Engage made the cut with their eponymous releases. Other notables include Moby’s Wait For Me at 22, Levon Helm’s Electric Dirt at 36 and the Wu-Tang Clan project Chamber Music at 49.

Last Week’s Heroes: Michael Jackson’s increased sales kept him in the game while the rest of last week’s Top 10 took a tumble. Regina Spektor’s Far, a shocker in the Number Three spot seven days ago, dropped down to 26. The Jonas Brothers’ Lines, Vines and Trying Times fell from Two to Eight while Eminem’s Relapse was finally booted from the Top Five, falling from Five to Nine. Next week, with no major releases on this week’s slate, we’ll find out if the Michael Jackson discography can make a run at outselling the entire Top 200.

Michael Jackson albums dominated the album charts for the second week in a row,
moving over 800,000 copies of various albums, lead by the hits compilation Number Ones. If the Jackson albums weren’t relegated to the Catalog Albums chart (anything released 18 months ago or earlier has its sales tracked on that chart), he would own the three of the top five slots on this week’s chart.

But the most interesting statistic coming out of this week’s sales report is that 82% of Jackson’s album sales came from actual physical CDs. How did he end up moving so many units in the era of downloading and digital sales.

There are a number of factors that are probably at play here. Firstly, the news of Michael Jackson’s passing wasn’t just a music story — it dominated the entire news cycle for the better part of two weeks. So the people going out to buy Michael Jackson music weren’t necessarily hardcore music fans — they were casual enthusiasts who probably don’t have huge record collections. As a result, those people are less likely to own iPods or know their way around digital music stores.

That also bleeds into point two: The audience purchasing Michael Jackson albums this week are probably a little older. That phenomenon isn’t special to Jackson, either, as the album charts regularly reflect the idea that the people purchasing music in actual brick-and-mortar stores do skew a little older. You need only look at the success of the Chickenfoot album for proof.

Finally, there were probably plenty of people buying Jackson albums for the sake of collecting them. Even though all of his albums are in print, there is still some level of specialness surrounding the actual physical album. Plus, a lot of Jackson’s album art (especially the fold-out poster with the tiger in Thriller) is easily collectible.

It seems unlikely that there will be another star who will inspire this much retail support after his or her passing, especially when it comes to physical CDs. It’s just one more precedent that will probably end with the passing of the King of Pop.

Each of the lucky people who got into the Staples Center to witness the Michael Jackson memorial celebration got a nice piece of memorabilia to take home: A commemorative program that is certain to become a collector’s item. (In fact, the programs are already fetching bids over $400 on eBay at press time).

What’s in the program? The gold cover features a photo of Michael with the title “King of Pop: A Celebration of the life of Michael Jackson, 1958-2000.” On the inside, there are a number of written tributes to Michael from family and friends (including a note from his sister Janet credited to “Dunk,” which was Michael’s nickname for her). There are also photos from various points in Michael’s career, including a number of shots of him with celebrity friends and famous admirers (including three U.S. Presidents).

(Click here for the complete Michael Jackson memorial program, including all the tribute messages from family and friends!)

By Katie Byrne

I honestly didn’t know what to expect heading into today’s Michael Jackson memorial. The wall-to-wall coverage of his death had me worried that the event would be a bit of a circus and I would be thrown into the eye of the storm. But the tens of thousands of fans gathered in downtown Los Angeles were both reverent and reveling, which made for the perfect celebration of MJ’s life.

I lined up to get inside around 6:30 a.m., and I was surrounded by Michael’s biggest fans. They wore buttons, T-shirts and fedoras or, in some cases, dressed in all black as if they were going to a church funeral service. There were dancers trying to replicate MJ’s moves. There was a 12-foot-high heart made of roses that read “We Love You Michael.” There was a community at the Staples Center. These people didn’t know each other before the service, but their common love for Michael tied them tightly together for the day.

Save for a few shouts during the silent moments, the fans brought that reverent mood inside the ceremony. They understood that the family wanted a tasteful memorial, and they delivered. Sure, seeing Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson perform on one stage is pretty amazing, but it wasn’t about that. It was what their performances and words said about Michael that mattered, and they all took great care to keep him front and center.

I’ve always appreciated Michael Jackson’s music, but I think I gained a new appreciation for his family and dedicated fans (stars and non-stars alike) after attending today’s service.

When the all-star Michael Jackson memorial ceremony in Los Angeles came to an end today, millions of fans watching the event became curious about the woman who sang lead on Jackson’s “Heal the World.” The mystery singer was Judith Hill, a Pasadena, California-based vocalist who was recruited to be one of the backup singers for Jackson’s This Is It! concerts at London’s O2 Arena. Hill wowed the crowd and the millions watching around the world with her rendition of the Dangerous song, but her identity had most viewers baffled — the “We Are the World” and “Heal the World” performers weren’t identified in the handouts at the Staples Center or on any other documents distributed to the press.

(Check out photos from Michael Jackson’s all-star memorial.)

According to the bio on Hill’s official Website, “Judith was born in Los Angeles and raised in a family of musicians. Her mother is an immigrant from Japan who met her father in a funk band in the 1970s.” Hill is described as discovering her love of music at an early age while growing up in a deeply religious household, which led her to attend the Christian university Biola University in Southern California. Hill’s bio says the singer next headed to France after graduation to perform with French singer Michel Polnareff.

“France is where I collected my stories,” Hill writes. “It was everything from finding true love, to sitting on the curb with gypsies, to running away from thugs (don’t ask), to just taking in the beauty of such an amazing country. I came back rich.” From there, Hill returned to the States, begin work on her own album (three songs are currently streaming on Hill’s MySpace page) and ultimately became a crew member on what’s described as the biggest production in concert history, Michael Jackson’s This Is It! concerts.

On June 8th, Hill announced on her official Website that she would be joining the cast of Jackson’s run at London’s O2 Arena. “Judith will be touring with Michael Jackson in a few weeks. You can catch her on stage in London at the 02 Arena,” reads a post. Sadly, the This Is It! run was canceled, but Hill and her fellow crew members played an important role in today’s memorial service, and Hill will likely feature in the tribute concert AEG Live is reportedly planning using the This Is It! production.

Wondering who the youngster who sang “Who’s Lovin’ You” at the Jackson memorial was? See Who Is Michael Jackson Memorial Performer Shaheen Jafargholi?

Plus, here’s footage of Hill performing “One Love Forever” at Santa Monica’s the Temple Bar from 2008:

Photo: Hogan/Getty

Eight years before his death, Michael Jackson mused on how he’d want to be remembered in a 2001 fan Q&A moderated by Rolling Stone: “I used to always buy the Guinness Book of World Records,” he laughed. “I said, ‘Mmm, I like to dance and sing. Hopefully one day I can be in this book.’ When Thriller became the biggest-selling album of all time and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records … it was the happiest time of my life.”

(Check out photos from Michael Jackson’s all-star memorial.)

You may have heard parts of the interview — conducted days before Jackson released his last studio album, Invincible — excerpted on last night’s Dateline. After the jump, listen to expanded excerpts of Jackson discussing the inspirations for his songwriting, what he would have changed about his life and the achievements he’s most proud of — or listen to the entire hour-long segment for additional unfiltered insight from the King of Pop, including his instructions for doing the moonwalk, his childhood idols and impressions of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Jackson even addresses the importance of staying healthy: “In the music business some of these great artists have become stumped because they self-abuse themselves at a young age, with all these crazy things they drink and pills and things,” he said, “and that’s just not good — just not a good thing. I hate to say that to hurt anybody, but we should take care of our bodies a little more.”

Michael Jackson on his most incredible achievements and inspirations:

Michael Jackson on the one thing he’d change about his life — the chance to be normal:

Michael Jackson on the stories behind his songs, drawing inspiration from Fred Astaire and Michelangelo — and foreshadowing a path of self-destruction.

Michael Jackson on creating his short films, providing hope after 9/11 and choreographing his iconic moves:

Michael Jackson on how he defines his sound:

Michael Jackson on his tough work ethic in the studio, how performing onstage brings him to life and his impressions of Jay-Z:

Listen to the full interview:

One of the more stirring moments of the Michael Jackson memorial celebration was Jermaine Jackson’s performance of “Smile,” a pop song made famous in the Charlie Chaplin film “Modern Times.” The tune was one of Michael’s favorite songs, and he recorded a version of it on his 1995 album HIStory.

The song was originally written as an instrumental by Chaplin himself in 1936, but two lyricists named John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added lyrics to it, giving it the sense of melancholy and optimism that infuses the track. Jackson isn’t the only fan of the song, as it has been covered by an eclectic batch of performers including Elvis Costello, Michael Bolton, Nat King Cole, Michael Bublé, Barbara Streisand and Josh Groban.

Jackson’s version of “Smile” was the final track on HIStory and was recorded as an epic ballad (Jermaine’s version most resembles his brother’s take). It concludes with the lyric “That’s the time you must keep on trying/ Smile, what’s the use of crying?/ You find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile.” It’s a simple, optimistic message with a bright, soaring vocal — it’s no mystery why the King of Pop loved it so much.

Anybody watching the Michael Jackson memorial would know about the Jackson 5, but not everybody in the extended Jackson family is as much of a household name as Michael. In fact, the ceremony was dominated by a pair of Jacksons who don’t necessarily grab headlines.

Jermaine Jackson got himself plenty of attention during the proceedings, as he spoke at length about his brother and also delivered a tearful performance of “Smile.” While Jermaine didn’t have nearly as many hits as Michael, he still held his own in the ’80s with big singles like “Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming” and “Dynamite.”

Marlon Jackson also made his presence known at the memorial, making a tearful speech at the end of the afternoon. Marlon mentioned that he hoped Michael would watch over Brandon, Marlon’s twin brother who died at birth. Marlon didn’t have much of a career on his own, though he did have one hit single in 1987’s “Don’t Go.”

Siblings Tito, Janet, LaToya and Jackie Jackson were also on hand, as well as Michael’s children Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II. Check out the full Jackson family tree for all the details about Michael and his siblings.

Photo: Galella/WireImage

A teary Brooke Shields approached the podium at Michael Jackson’s public memorial in Los Angeles today and spoke about the unique friendship the two shared as 1980s megastars thrust into the spotlight at a young age. In the special Michael Jackson commemorative issue of Rolling Stone hitting stands this week, the model-actress reveals the King of Pop asked her to marry him — more than once.

“I would say, ‘You have me for the rest of your life, you don’t need to marry me, I’m going to go on and do my own life and have my own marriage and my own kids, and you’ll always have me,’ ” Shields tells Rolling Stone. “I think it made him relax. He didn’t want to lose things that meant something to him.”

(Check out photos from Michael Jackson’s all-star memorial.)

Shields says the innocent nature of the pair’s bond persisted as they grew older, and that as he aged, Jackson became “more asexual” to her. “You saw women who were more sexual, who wanted to throw themselves at him and feel like they were going to teach him,” she recalls, “we just found each other, and we didn’t have to deal with our sexuality.” Shields tells RS her conversations with Jackson about her relationships revealed a lot about how Jackson insulated himself from the outside world. “As I grew up and started having boyfriends, I would share with him, and he was like a little kid who talked about the bases — what first base was, what second base was, and it sounded very odd to the outside, I can imagine, but to the inside, to someone who’s never really left his bubble, you can understand how he would be curious.”

It was extremely challenging to cover Michael Jackson’s memorial at the Staples Center. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson’s music, from “I Want You Back” to Off the Wall to Thriller. He was very instrumental because I grew up in a family of dancers, so he was very instrumental in our lives because we danced like he danced. That was how we learned how to move. To have to say goodbye to him — but at the same time be professional — was extremely challenging. You couldn’t find much room for emotion, and you have to find a way to balance it out.

I thought the memorial was very appropriately done. They had very powerful speakers: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who said that a person is innocent until proven guilty in this country; Michael’s brother Marlon, who wished that Michael oversee his twin brother who died when they were younger; and Paris, Michael’s daughter, speaking about how great of a father he was. The performances were excellent. Jennifer Hudson always has a powerful voice.

I think the city of Los Angeles can be proud of itself for dealing with this chaos, because they handled it fairly well, from the security aspect to allowing those with proper credentials to have access to being respectful of those who didn’t.

I think all of this is a testament to what a great entertainer Michael was. It’s like what Berry Gordy said: “He’s was simply the greatest entertainer who ever lived.”

I was very honored to be able to deliver these shows, from the day he passed to the day he was brought to rest. I was honored to be one of the people on our staff to give the world the information that they desired. It seemed like everybody was in mourning because he touched everybody.

Photo:Funk/MJ Memorial/Getty

He tackled a tough one, delivering a haunting performance of Smokey Robinson’s “Who’s Lovin’ You,” a song made famous by the Jackson 5, before a world stage of more than one billion viewers during this afternoon’s Michael Jackson memorial service at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. But who was that dapper-looking 12-year-old who thanked Jackson “for blessing me and every single individual on this Earth with his amazing music?”

It was Shaheen Jafargholi, a Welsh-Iranian singer from Swansea, Wales, who caught Jackson’s eye during the season three finals of the U.K. television hit Britain’s Got Talent. (Check out photos from the Jackson memorial here.) The young singer took the stage alongside big names like Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and Mariah Carey. His performance today was a repeat of one he gave during the TV show, and according to reports, Jackson caught a clip of Jafargholi’s cover on YouTube. Jackson later asked the young performer to join him during his 50-gig stint at London’s O2 Arena, a spate of comeback shows that was slated to launch July 13th.

Jafargholi, who was defeated by a dance group and the now infamous Susan Boyle during the talent series, was personally approached by Jackson’s family to sing at the memorial service, according to reports, because they were aware of how impressed Jackson was with his performance.

Before his rise to prominence on Britain’s Got Talent, Jafargholi appeared in a couple of television shows on U.K. television, and even toured on stage as a young Michael Jackson in “Thriller – Live.”

Wondering who sang “Heal the World” at the end of the ceremony? Check out Judith Hill: “Heal the World” Singer From Jackson Memorial Revealed.”

Photo: Djansezian/Getty

Michael Jackson’s coffin was carried onto center stage at Los Angeles’ Staples Center by the singer’s brothers as the public memorial for the King of Pop started a little after 10 a.m. PST today, following a private ceremony at the Hollywood Hills’ Forest Hills Cemetery. A motorcade of approximately 20 vehicles escorted the family and loved ones to the Staples Center along shutdown highways as fans lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Jackson’s hearse driving by.

(Photos from Michael Jackson’s all-star memorial.)

Smokey Robinson began the memorial by reading statements from friends who could not attend the ceremony, including Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. After Robinson exited the stage, the arena lights dimmed as the packed arena gave Jackson a moment of silence.

After an introduction remembering Jackson by family friend Pastor Lucious Smith, Mariah Carey was the first performer to take the stage, performing her rendition of the Jackson 5 hit “I’ll Be There” with Trey Lorenz.

Queen Latifah next took the podium to reminisce about the King of Pop. The singer-rapper-actress also recited a new poem by Maya Angelou written about Jackson titled “We Had Him.” Lionel Richie followed by singing “Jesus Is Love,” a song previously performed by Richie as a member of the Commodores.

Motown founder Berry Gordy, who signed the Jackson 5 to the famed Detroit label and also co-wrote “I’ll Be There,” spoke to the Staples Center crowd and the millions watching around the world about Michael’s “special” qualities that made him a star. Gordy concluded his memorial speech by saying the “King of Pop” moniker wasn’t big enough for Jackson; he was the “greatest entertainer who ever lived.”

“This is a moment that I wish I didn’t live to see come,” Stevie Wonder told the crowd before performing a solo rendition of “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer.” “Michael, why didn’t you stay?,” Wonder sang after the second chorus before segueing into 1974’s “They Won’t Go When I Go.”

Next, Los Angeles Lakers icons Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson (who appeared as a pharaoh in the “Remember the Time” video) reminded the audience that Jackson was one of the biggest philanthropists in music history. Johnson credited Jackson with inspiring him to be a better point guard, and the pair acknowledged Jackson’s role in opening doors for all African-Americans. A very-pregnant Jennifer Hudson then came out to perform Jackson’s Dangerous (and Free Willy soundtrack) song “Will You Be There.”

After a tribute from the Rev. Al Sharpton, John Mayer emerged from the crowd, picked up his guitar and led the band through a beautiful, mostly instrumental rendition of the Thriller ballad “Human Nature.”

A teary Brooke Shields was next to eulogize the singer, with the actress relating anecdotes from when the pair were young megastars in the 1980s. Shields also read a passage from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince and told the crowd that Jackson’s favorite song was Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile.” As reported before the memorial, Jackson’s own brother Jermaine took the microphone for the performance of “Smile.”

Martin Luther King III and Bernice King paid tribute to Jackson and were followed by Texas Congresswomen Sheila Jackson-Lee, who told the crowd she introduced Resolution 600 into the House of Representatives officially recognizing Jackson as a musical icon, legend and humanitarian. Usher, often compared to Jackson for his singing and dancing abilities, sang a touching version of Jackson’s Dangerous ballad “Gone Too Soon” while caressing the silver coffin of his idol.

After a video of the Jackson 5 performing “Who’s Lovin’ You,” Smokey Robinson, who originally wrote the song and marveled at the 10-year-old Michael’s ability to sing the vocals, came up from the audience to properly pay homage to Jackson after beginning the memorial by reading statements from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. “That’s my little brother over there,” Robinson said, motioning to Jackson’s casket, “But he’s not really gone. He’s going to live forever and ever and ever.”

Shaheen Jafargholi, a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent, came out to perform “Who’s Lovin’ You.” Kenny Ortega, the director of the This Is It! concerts, took the mic to tell fans that Jafargholi would have joined the King of Pop at London’s O2 Arena had the concerts gone on as planned. Ortega also said it was fitting for the memorial to take place at the Staples Center, as it was the venue that housed the This Is It! rehearsals.

The performances concluded with “We Are The World” as it likely would have appeared at the This Is It! concerts, with Jackson’s supporting singers taking lead vocals on the performance. The Jackson family, Michael’s children, Lionel Richie (who co-wrote the song) and many more took the stage for the song, with everyone joining hands for “Heal the World.”

Jermaine and Marlon Jackson both shared memories of their brother, but it was Paris Katherine Jackson, Michael’s daughter, who had the most touching moment of the memorial, telling the crowd, “Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much.” The Jackson family then lifted Michael’s casket, with a lone spotlight illuminating a microphone stand as the Staples Center lights faded. Pastor Lucious Smith delivered the final benediction. A Michael Jackson quote, “I’m alive and I’m here forever,” featured on the arena’s screen as the memorial ended.