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Cee Lo for Michael Forever, Kanye and Xtina say maybe, but Bieber says no

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James McLaren James McLaren | 09:11 UK time, Wednesday, 10 August 2011

As previously announced, Michael Forever, a tribute concert for Michael Jackson, is due to be taking place in Cardiff on 8 October and has apparently booked its first big name act.

Celebrity-chasing tabloid website that Jackson's mother, Katherine, has been personally inviting music megastars to perform.

They say that so far Cee Lo is the only one to say yes, Christina Aguilera and Kayne West are 'leaning towards "yes"' while Chris Brown, Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars have "respectfully declined".'

CNN Entertainment are reporting that more , as the family and Global Live Events attempt to steady the concert in the wake of cancelled announcements and fan denunciations.

This statement was put on the company's website earlier this week:

The organisers of the Michael Forever Tribute Concert are very mindful of the expectations of the fans, who have waited over two years for an event that will do justice to Michael's musical legacy. Some of the greatest names in music are already signed, and more are trying to shuffle other commitments to come on board.

Chairman of Global Live Events Chris Hunt said "We will be announcing an incredible line-up very soon. The registration period was put on hold because we want people to know who they are registering to see. Between now and October we will be continuing to add names to the line-up so more announcements will follow. Fans of Michael's music will get the concert they've been waiting for."

But reactions from fans on the event's are sceptical: "Hopefully we might start getting the truth now. They are rapidly running out of options," said Jamie Smithson, while Sam Bol said simply: "Has this farce been cancelled yet?"

As I said in my original blog on this concert, this concert needs to deliver; there have been too many false hopes raised among fans of Michael Jackson over the months since his death. Concerts are mooted, announced and then abandoned. It would be great for the fans and for Wales if Michael Forever gets off the ground, and can sell out its 70,000 tickets. Time is running out, though.

And if you missed it, here's a great clip of Michael Jackson fans before his 1988 Cardiff Arms Park gig:

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Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Well, it is now Thursday and as usual GLE & The Jacksons are still remaining firmly tightlipped about anything to do with the Concert!

    Fans are now beginning to get more than fed up! As you mentioned in your blog we have been here several times before and cannot believe that yet again we are having our hopes raised only to have them once more shattered!

    The Concert never looked good from the get go...The timing (Right at the start of the Trial). The refusal of The Estate to have anything whatsoever to do with the venture. A concert promoter whom no one had ever heard of and who to all intents and purposes had never produce a live concert. The weird ticketing system and more importantly the lack of Artists lined up to perform.

    To add insult to injury myself and many other fans discovered in the first week or so that we had been thrown off the Fb page (and had our comments deleted), for just (respectfully) voicing our concerns. There appeared to be no visible Admin on the page and then suddenly for a few hours there was before/he she also disappeared never to be seen or heard from again!!

    I simply have never, ever seen such a complete and utter farce laid out before my very eyes. It is plainly obvious to most of us that the big problem these Concert Promoters have is the fact that The Estate are refusing to play ball (and we all know why). Until The Estate does come on board, no self respecting Artist or Group will touch this with a barge pole.

    I would also like to add that as a life-long fan, even if they do get a line-up of Artists and Groups wanting to pay tribute to Michael, where were these so called friends and admirers in 2005?

    There is another Tribute underway due to open not long after the Concert, over in LA. Now this show is what I call a tribute and it is run by the prestigious 'Cirque de Soliel'. 'The Immortal World Tour' will be a show unlike any other show (and having been lucky enough to have been to a Cirque show, I know it will be amazing). These are acrobats and performers unlike any other. There are no big names, just performers who enjoy pushing the boundaries and showing off their real skill. Many of the people involved in TII have been taken on board and it has the backing of The Estate. Why? Because this is what Michael was all about - pushing the boundaries, the dance, the movement and illusion. Now this is what I am saving my pennies to go and see, because this is what I call a Tribute!

    As for 'Michael Forever'. Can I suggest that GLE invest in a proper PR Agency and start communicating with the fans and telling us the truth. There are many overseas fans who are in a complete quandary wondering whether it is safe enough a bet to book plane tickets and hotel rooms, if nothing else you own it to them.

  • Comment number 2.

    I am going to struggle for space to even list the number of gripes I have with this so-named tribute concert, let alone explain them satisfactorily. Even if they managed to get themselves in gear to announce (or find) a semblance of a half-decent line-up, I would not even consider attending such a spectacular embarrassment to Michael’s name.

    If the well-documented timing issue were not enough, the incredibly selfish ticketing system would be. It was bad enough from the beginning when fans were expected to pledge untold amounts to pre-designated charities, whilst organisers pocketed all ticket proceeds. Hardly in line with the Michael Jackson we all know, who would gladly donate all tour proceeds to charitable causes. Having taken into account the fans disappointment with such a service, what do they do? They take away the charity aspect completely and STILL pocket all proceeds for their greedy selves. Well done, you clearly didn’t quite get the point there. A tribute concert for the greatest humanitarian of all time, and it’s done for money. Sorry, but NO.

    Further to which, Michael Jackson is the world’s biggest superstar. As such, he has fans all over the world who would give everything they have to be able to attend a TRUE tribute concert. So the organisers have given them two months in which to organise flights, hotels and tickets, not to mention save money for all the above. Essentially then, a concert for UK fans. I’m in the UK myself, but feel intensely for all those around the world that may want to attend despite my own deep grievances.

    The organisation of this from the beginning has been insane, to say the least. We get a countdown clock that finished days ago and produced nothing. We were promised announcements on the 3rd, 4th and 9th of August and have heard nothing. The admin of the Facebook page are suspiciously quiet. As far as has been reported, Mrs. Jackson has had to personally beg, it seems, other entertainers to take part in the spectacle, most of whom have had the sense to say no.

    Michael Jackson was not only a supreme entertainer, he attained stratospheric levels of fame and adoration worldwide. I really mean it when I say he deserves the best, and absolutely nothing less. The tribute to end all future tributes, planned with time and love, attended by the biggest and the best, along with hundreds of thousands of supportive fans, there in loving memory to celebrate the greatest. This is NOT it.

  • Comment number 3.

    Oh, okay now they are starting to release the line up....Christina Aguilera, Leona Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Cee Lo Green, Alien Ant Farm & Craig David....Right, so this is the Concert that we have been waiting for? This is what all the fuss has been about?

    Dont get me wrong I do 'like' a lot of these guys and they are brilliant at doing a 'Jackson Cover'. However out of all of them, how many have actually worked with Michael...Two, maybe three? We were all holding our collective breaths for a line up more like....Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Sir Paul MacCartney...Now that would have been a line up I would have paid good money to see.

    I feel instead that we are being 'fobbed' off with the only 'Artists' whose services they could secure at last minute (and you have to ask yourself why?).

    Oh well we are once again supposed to believe that we will be able to Register from 8pm (GMT), where have I heard that from before. It will be interesting to exactly how many people they do get to fill the 'Millenium Stadium'. This could still go 'pearshaped' if they dont get the ticket sales!

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