Another one of those images of Jackson that stuck with everybody was the dance-fight he performs in the “Beat It” video. Dressed in his iconic red leather jacket, Jackson wandered through the rough streets to intercept rival street gangs in an attempt to quell the inevitable violence between them. When words are not enough, Jackson compels them with the power of one of the most famous pieces of choreography in his long career.

“Beat It” was a massive hit for Jackson, and on this day in 1983, it made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for three weeks before being ousted by David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Jackson was no stranger to the top of the charts, as his previous Thriller single “Billie Jean” had spent seven weeks at the top of the heap earlier in the year. Fueled by a guitar section provided by Eddie Van Halen (whose solo ranks among the best in his career for sheer sonic brutality), “Beat It” quickly became one of Jackson’s signature songs and opened up the world of pop-fueled R&B to the type of savagery that rock could offer. And of course, the video still rules.

But Earth Day doesn’t have to focus entirely on the problems — it also focuses on the beauty of the Earth. So while you’re out today planting a tree, building a compost pile or simply enjoying the fresh air, fire up the video playlist below to get you in the proper Earth Day frame of mind. It’s full of bands who have taken an active role in cutting down their impact on the environment while touring (including Pearl Jam, U2, Mewithoutyou and Jack Johnson), as well as plenty of bands who have dropped “Earth” into their names (including Iced Earth and Earth, Wind & Fire). The Deftones provide a cautionary tale about “A Hole in the Earth,” but Belly encourage us to “Feed the Tree.”

The whole thing kicks off with Michael Jackson‘s “Earth Song,” an environmentally-conscious cut from HIStory that asks, “What about the elephants?” Jackson was deeply concerned about the fate of the natural world, and his work reflected that.

At this afternoon’s hearing, Murray learned that the judge presiding over his case will be Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, who TMZ calls “one of the toughest, smartest” judges in the county. Pastor has previously overseen celebrity cases involving Cameron Diaz and Jason Priestley as well as a multitude of high-profile, non-celebrity cases.

One of the issues on the docket today involved the California Attorney General and medical board’s calls to revoke Murray’s medical license as a condition of his bail. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Murray’s legal team asked the court to refuse the request, arguing that the “domino effect” would cripple the doctor’s ability to pay for his defense team. Even though Murray doesn’t practice medicine in California, he feared losing his medical license in California would affect his status as a doctor in both Nevada and Texas. Earlier in the day Murray reached an agreement with the Texas medical board to keep his license as long as he doesn’t administer any sedatives to any of his patients. Ultimately, Judge Cantor opted not to revoke Murray’s California license.

Though Murray’s legal team has yet to official lay out its defense in court, TMZ claims the doctor’s defense is an argument that Jackson may have killed himself by administering himself too much Propofol. The shocking scenario, according to unnamed sources, is that Murray put Jackson into a Propofol-induced sleep for eight to 10 minutes and left the room to make a phone call, at which point Jackson awoke and administered a fatal amount of Propofol into his own IV bag. Jackson’s death had been ruled a homicide from acute propofol intoxication.

A rep for Murray refuted the theory in a statement to Access Hollywood that reads, “We do not know what sources to which TMZ is referring. We only know it didn’t come from [attorney] Ed [Chernoff] who has the final word. In any case, it is premature to discuss defense strategy. Dr. Murray’s defense will depend on the People’s theory of prosecution, which has not yet been made available to the defense team.”

The next preliminary hearing in Murray’s case was scheduled for June 14th.

Look back at Jackson’s career, in photos.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, Murray pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from Jackson’s 2009 death, which was ruled a homicide after the singer died of “acute Propofol intoxication.” While losing his medical license in California won’t affect Murray’s finances immediately — he has no patients or clinics in the state — Murray fears the California’s medical board ruling would have a “domino effect” in states where he does practice, namely Texas and Nevada.

In fact, the impact of California’s move against Murray has already reached Nevada, where the medical board filed a formal complaint against Murray alleging that the doctor failed to report delinquent payments in his child support when filing to renew his medical license. According to the AP, the complaint could result in the revocation of Murray’s Nevada medical license. The verdict in that case isn’t expected until September. “If Dr. Murray is unable to practice medicine in Texas, and especially Nevada, he will likely be faced with the inability to adequately defend himself of the charges facing him in the Superior Court of California,” Murray’s lawyers wrote, adding that since the trial involves “the death of an internationally famous decedent,” the legal dues will be “considerable.”

In addition to administering Jackson Propofol, a powerful sedative usually reserved for hospital use, court papers have also revealed that Murray is accused of halting resuscitation attempts on Jackson in order to hide vials of sedatives before paramedics and investigators arrived at Jackson’s home. At the April 5th hearing, a judge will likely be appointed to Murray’s involuntary manslaughter case and a preliminary trial date will be set.

Related Stories:

• Search of Michael Jackson’s Home Revealed Skin-Whitening Creams
• California Offical Wants to Revoke Jackson Doctor’s Medical License
• Witness Claims Murray Halted CPR on Michael Jackson to Hide Vials

Unsealed documents from the search warrant for Michael Jackson’s home in the days after his death reveal that investigators found 11 vials of the powerful sedative propofol and nearly 30 tubes of skin-whitening creams like hydroquinone and Benoquin, the AP reports. Various other sedatives and medical equipment were recovered in the search and some of the vials of propofol were reportedly empty, the warrants showed. Jackson’s June 25th, 2009 death has since been ruled a homicide as a result of “acute propofol intoxication.”

Look back at Jackson’s career, in photos.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, Jackson’s personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray has been accused by a Jackson bodyguard of halting resuscitation efforts on the singer in order to gather the medical evidence and hide it in a bag. Investigators reportedly found the propofol two days later in a closet during a search of Jackson’s home. The bodyguard, Alberto Alvarez, has been fired by the Jackson Family Friday, according to TMZ.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntarily manslaughter. He will next face the court in a hearing on April 5th, at which time the California Attorney General and medical board will argue to have his medical license revoked.

The skin-whitening creams were likely used to treat vitiligo, a disease that causes patches of skin to lose pigmentation. According to the AP, after Jackson was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center, Murray asked Jackson’s assistant Michael Amir Williams to return to the singer’s Los Angeles home to retrieve the creams “so that the world wouldn’t find out about it.” The coroner at Jackson’s autopsy noted that the singer’s skin showed signs of vitiligo, but neither the condition nor the treatments contributed to his death.

Related Stories:

• California Offical Wants to Revoke Jackson Doctor’s Medical License
• Witness Claims Murray Halted CPR on Michael Jackson to Hide Vials
• Michael Jackson’s Autopsy Report: New Details on Star’s Last Days

That sort of walk down memory lane requires the right soundtrack, which is why we’ve constructed a video playlist in honor of “Hot Tub Time Machine.” It works two ways, as you’ll get a number of great nuggets from the ’80s (including songs from Salt-N-Pepa, David Bowie, the Replacements and Spandau Ballet, all of whom are included on the movie’s official soundtrack) as well as a number of hits about skipping back through time. There’s Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” (which is paired with Eddie Murphy’s ’80s dance hit “Party All the Time,” as Murphy stars in both videos), Muse’s “Time Is Running Out” and Green Day’s “Time of Your Life (Good Riddance).”

There’s also an ode to the titular bathroom fixture (Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping”) just for good measure. But let’s kick it off nice and slow with some R. Kelly, who wished that he had a hot tub time machine in “If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time.”

Will you be checking out “Hot Tub Time Machine” this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

Look back at Jackson’s career, in photos.

The Attorney General’s move comes just days after reports that Jackson’s bodyguard Alberto Alvarez told officials that Murray stopped administering CPR after the singer went into cardiac arrest on June 25th, 2009 to hide the vials of Propofol, which investigators found two days after Jackson’s death in a plastic bag in a closet at the Jackson residence. Alvarez also alleges that two of Jackson’s children also witnessed the CPR efforts, a new revelation in the case.

Even if Attorney General Brown successfully prohibits Murray from practicing medicine in California, the ruling wouldn’t make much of an impact outside of further discrediting the doctor: He already has no offices or patients in California, and would still be allowed to resume his practices in Texas and Nevada, as he has since last fall. Still, a California medical board executive will be in court at Murray’s next hearing to argue Murray “poses a danger to the public health, safety and welfare” if allowed to continue practicing medicine, the filing said.

Murray’s lawyer Ed Chernoff questioned the timing of the Attorney General’s request to prevent Murray from practicing in California, as well as the leaked documents revealing Alvarez’s testimony. “We would ask the public to reserve judgment until after the people’s witnesses are placed under oath and subjected to the rigors of cross-examination. We are confident that a fair trial will ferret out the truth,” Chernoff said. If Murray is convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.

Related Stories:

• Witness Claims Murray Halted CPR on Michael Jackson to Hide Vials
• Michael Jackson’s Doctor Waited 30 Minutes Before Calling 911
• Dr. Conrad Murray Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter in Michael Jackson’s Death

When news of Michael Jackson’s death broke on June 25th, 2009, initial reports questioned why his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, waited so long to call 911 and request help — as RS noted, Murray admitted to waiting between 20 and 30 minutes after finding the star unresponsive in a bedroom before he located Jackson’s chef and security guard, who ultimately phoned paramedics. Murray has admitted he was administering the powerful anesthetic Propofol to the star as a sleep aid; the Los Angeles coroner ruled Jackson’s death a homicide as a result of “acute Propofol intoxication.”

Look back at Jackson’s career, in photos.

Alberto Alvarez, the bodyguard who was summoned to Jackson’s room that day, reportedly gave authorities a new, detailed account of the King of Pop’s final minutes that allege Murray was busy hiding potential evidence during the critical moments when the two were trying to resuscitate the star. According to the AP, two months after the star’s death, Alvarez said when he arrived in the bedroom, a lifeless Jackson was laying in bed with an IV hanging from his leg; Jackson’s children Prince and Paris entered as Alvarez and Conrad administered CPR and were removed, crying, by a nanny. Alvarez claims Murray halted CPR to gather up drug vials with rubber tops and place them in a plastic bag Alvarez picked up off the floor. According to TMZ, Murray stashed the vials in a bag inside a closet where authorities later found them two days later. Alvarez also says Murray instructed him to remove an IV bag from a stand in the bedroom, and that Murray placed the bag in a different canvas bag.

Alvarez’s revelations reportedly contradict statements he initially gave cops during two interviews conducted in the days and hours immediately after Jackson’s death. Murray’s lawyer, Ed Chernoff, told the AP, “He didn’t say any of those things, then two months later, all of a sudden, the doc is throwing bottles into the bag. Alvarez’s statement is inconsistent with his previous statement. We will deal with that at trial.”

Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter in February, and will stand trial later this year. If found guilty, he faces a maximum four-year prison sentence.

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

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!

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).

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!

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!

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

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

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.

(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.

“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.”

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• 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.

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,

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.