Michael Jackson Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Accomplished filmmaker Bao Nguyen takes us on a trip back to 1985 and the historic recording of one of the biggest charity records of all time, ‘We Are The World’, which united dozens of A-list artists to raise money for the African famine.Produced by Lionel Richie, one of the iconic artists and co-writer of the original song, Nguyen’s film uses archive material and contemporary talking heads (some interviewed in the original studio in which the record was made), including Richie himself.Headed to Netflix one day off of the recording’s 39th anniversary, the film is a nostalgic trip back to the heyday of ’80s music, the year in which the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Prince, Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis, Billy Joel, Journey, Kenny Loggins and more were dominating the American and international charts, and all are included here in some form.

Antoine Fuqua‘s Michael Jackson biopic deviates from the director’s usual modus operandi of actioners. But with the cast he’s accrued for “Michael,” the upcoming film could be a sleeper hit.

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox have performed a cover of the Beastie Boys classic ‘Fight For Your Right’ for their latest ‘Sunday Lunch’ performance.The rendition of the iconic ‘80s hit comes as the latest instalment to the married couple’s long-running ‘Sunday Lunch’ video series – which sees them put their own spin on rock classics from their home.Although no longer a weekly series as it was in past years, the two still share the odd new video, and this time it sees them take on a Beastie Boys classic.Shared yesterday (January 28), the King Crimson guitarist took on the ‘Licensed To III’ iconic riff wearing an eye-catching gold, white and black patterned shirt, while Toyah shows off her hip-hop vocals while standing on a table in the background.Fripp even joined in on the vocal duties, singing along with the chorus, and exclaiming “Fight for your right to party with Toyah and Robert’s ‘Sunday Lunch’” at the end. Check it out below.Last week, the married couple shared a cover of Michael Jackson‘s ‘Give In To Me’ for their latest ‘Sunday Lunch’ performance, with the guitarist dressing up as Slash to take on the 1991 track.Before that, they welcomed in the New Year by kicking off 2024 with a cover of KISS’ ‘Lick It Up’.Other recent highlights include a cover of Bon Jovi’s ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, The Black Keys‘ ‘Lonely Boy’, and Richard Berry’s ‘Have Love, Will Travel’.Last year, the pair brought their viral lockdown concept to the live stage at Glastonbury, where they performed David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’.They also looked back at the success of their series backstage with NME, sharing that the response “did surprise us”.

T-Pain has revealed that he once wrote and produced a collaboration with Michael Jackson and Usher – but it was eventually shelved.Earlier this week, the Tallahassee polymath posted a video to his social media channels, explaining how the unreleased collaboration was leaked – making Jackson reluctant to hop on the soulful track.“We are about to listen to a song that I wrote and produced that was meant for me, Usher, and Michael Jackson,” T-Pain began. “And then the person that was in charge of doing the references and the person that sang it got too excited and was like, ‘N***a, I’m on a song with Michael Jackson and Usher and T-Pain!’“Then he released it and then Michael Jackson was like, ‘Nah, never mind.

“We Are the World,” the historic 1985 charity single — where even Bob Dylan was intimidated by the star-studded session.Surrounded by everyone from Ray Charles, Diana Ross and Paul Simon to Tina Turner, Willie Nelson and Billy Joel, the Bard was clearly out of sorts — and out of his element.But it took one particular legend to help another one find his solo mojo.“The secret agent to help him get comfortable was Stevie Wonder,” says David Breskin — one of two journalists invited by producer Quincy Jones to cover the momentous occasion — in the documentary. “Stevie is an insanely great mimic,” continues Breskin, explaining how the R&B master used his special talents to help the folk god: “Stevie sang it ventriloquially in Dylan’s voice.”It’s a dead-on impression that impresses even Dylan, who — in the only time the room is cleared to give one artist his space — finally nails his part.Such is the spirit of unity that — against all odds and egos — pulled together the recording of “We Are the World” on Jan.

Variety, Domingo, known for his roles in Euphoria and Fear the Walking Dead, will star in the movie musical for which he has also written the script.“I’ve been working on it quietly for a few years,” he told Variety in a new interview. “It’s something I’m looking forward to putting together with some great partners.”Domingo previously wrote the play Lights Out: Nat ‘King’ Cole with Patricia McGregor about the musician.

It’s been a big day for Colman Domingo!

Michael Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, in an upcoming biopic based on the King of Pop.According to a Variety report, Domingo will play Joe Jackson in the upcoming film alongside Michael’s nephew Jaafar and 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi – both of whom will play an adult and child version of Michael respectively.Domingo said of his casting via Variety: “It’s exciting to do it with Jaafar. Jermaine Jackson’s son is playing Michael, and he is breathtaking, and I think Graham King, the producer, has assembled an incredible cast.”He added: “I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon.

Coming off of his first career Best Actor Oscar nomination for Netflix’s Rustin, Colman Domingo has more to celebrate: He just landed the role of Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Fresh off receiving his first Oscar nomination, Colman Domingo has been cast as Joe Jackson, the father of Michael Jackson, in the Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic “Michael.” The casting announcement comes after the news Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar would portray the King of Pop, with 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi tackling the singer during his early days. “It’s exciting to do it with Jaafar,” Domingo tells Variety exclusively during an upcoming episode of the Awards Circuit Podcast.

“We Are the World” was a once-in-a-generation meeting of musical giants when it was recorded Jan. 28, 1985 — and released two months later on March 7 — to benefit African famine relief.Anyone who was anyone in music at that moment — a who’s who of legends, including everyone from Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Bob Dylan to Billy Joel, Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen — showed up to support the cause.Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and ’80s hitmaker Michael Omartian, the single sold a whopping 20 million copies.

Angelique Jackson Lionel Richie has been very emotional lately, but he wants to reassure everyone that he’s okay. According to Richie, it’s just been a heady experience to look back nearly 40 years and relive all the wondrous and chaotic memories of writing and recording “We Are the World” for the new Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop.” “Every segment of this journey, I cry,” Richie said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance Film Festival, where the film made its world premiere.

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox have covered Michael Jackson‘s ‘Give In To Me’ for their latest ‘Sunday Lunch’ performance.The musicians and married couple performed the “real fan fave” from the King Of Pop’s 10th album ‘Dangerous’ for this weekend’s musical ‘Sunday Lunch’ cover, which sees the pair perform classic rock songs from their kitchen.The King Crimson musician dressed up as Slash for the performance, donning the Guns N’ Roses guitarist’s signature glasses and black top hat.Willcox rocked out in front of a sign which read “Fripps my Slash” as he played the 1991 track, while the pair looked windswept with the help of a makeshift wind machine.Watch the new ‘Sunday Lunch’ cover below.Earlier this month, the couple kicked off 2024 with a cover of KISS’ ‘Lick It Up’.Other recent highlights include a cover of Bon Jovi’s ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, The Black Keys‘ ‘Lonely Boy’, and Richard Berry’s ‘Have Love, Will Travel’.Last year, the pair brought their viral lockdown concept to the live stage at Glastonbury, where they performed David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’.They reflected on the success of their series backstage with NME, sharing that the response “did surprise us”.“We were going for about eight months and it was growing and growing and growing,” Willcox said. “It started with one very simple post: 28 seconds of us jiving.

Caroline Brew editor John Hamlin, who worked as an executive or consultant on 45 Oscar telecasts at NBC and then ABC, died on Jan. 15 in Pacific Palisades, Calif. He was 92.

Apparently, some people do not want this show to go on! Those behind a tribute act to Michael Jackson in Las Vegas claimed the late singer’s estate has been trying to cancel their show — so they’re taking them to court to battle it out now!

Michael Jackson estate have been accused of unfairly threatening to sue a tribute act, MJ Live.On Wednesday (January 17), the orgainisers of MJ Live filed a complaint to the Nevada federal court, requesting the judge rule they could continue their concerts. MJ Live performs six nights a week at the Tropicana; along with other venues, the show has been performed over 3,600 times since 2012.However, MJ Live claim that the Jackson estate has recently begun threatening to sue the impersonators.

“The Greatest Night In Pop” is so entertaining and eminently watchable, and it’s as simple as that. Directed by Bao Nguyen, the acclaimed filmmaker of the Bruce Lee doc “Be Water,” the already-engaging subject matter doesn’t hurt: nearly 50 of the top American music artists in the world all in one room, recording a soon-to-be global hit single.

“I didn’t really know much about the making of the song,” admits The Greatest Night in Pop director Bao Nguyen of 1985’s star-studded Ethiopian famine relief hit “We Are the World.” “You just make these assumptions about how things are made because it just happens. But when you think now of 46 great artists getting together to make that, it would be really impossible for that to happen now.”

The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic has cast a young actor to portray a young MJ!

“SexyBack” superstar teased what appears to finally be new solo music — six years after his last album, 2018’s “Man of the Woods” — on his Instagram last night.Well, technically, it all started when Timberlake wiped his Instagram clean on Jan. 8.

Nine-year old Juliano Krue Valdi has won the role to play young Michael Jackson in Lionsgate and UIP’s Antoine Fuqua’s directed Michael.

Jordan Moreau The Michael Jackson biopic has found its young King of Pop. Juliano Krue Valdi, a 9-year-old actor, has been cast as Jackson from his early days in the Jackson 5. The film, from director Antoine Fuqua, Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International, will have Valdi playing Jackson “as he and his brothers rise to fame as the Jackson 5, the singing sensation behind such iconic hits as ‘I Want You Back,’ ‘ABC,’ and ‘I’ll Be There,'” it was announced Thursday.

Usher has revealed that his Super Bowl Halftime Show will feature some big special guests, as well as sharing further details about the performance.The R&B singer is due to take to the stage at the Super Bowl LVIII at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, February 11.During a new cover interview with Vogue, the artist gave some hints at what fans can expect from the show. The publication noted that the spectacle will boast skating, “killer choreography” and a “major costume change”.It went on to confirm that Usher is planning to invite “some important guests” to the Halftime Show stage.“This night was specifically curated in my mind to have R&B take the main stage,” the star explained.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Given the current dismal political and cultural climate as well as streaming services’ massive appetite for celebrity driven content, it comes as no surprise that the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival is chock full of portrait documentaries. Frida Kahlo, Christopher Reeve, Luther Vandross and Tammy Faye are just a few of the boldface names that are being examined in various docus featured in the Sundance nonfiction lineup. The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus.

Taylor Swift, new figures have shown.New data from Billboard shows that 49.61million vinyl records were sold in the States last year, of which Swift accounted for a huge 3.484million of those, or 7 per cent.The new numbers come after it was revealed that one in every 78 song streams in the US last year was also a Taylor Swift track.In results from the BPI in the UK, female musicians were shown to have dominated the best-selling albums and singles over the past 12 months, however, concerns were raised about new talent finding it harder to emerge on the charts.Elsewhere, Swift’s concert film The Eras Tour has officially become the highest-grossing concert movie of all time – overtaking Michael Jackson‘s This Is It with an overall global taking of $261.6million (£206m) – and a course on Taylor Swift at Harvard University has proved so popular that the institution is seeking more teaching assistants to help deliver it.Matthew Vaughn, the director of upcoming spy action comedy movie, Argylle, has also had to deny the theory that Taylor Swift is responsible for the book on which the movie is based.On January 9, a novel titled Argylle was released, written by a pseudonymous author going by the name Elly Conway. The book involves a spy novelist who gets roped into the world of espionage, assassins and feuds, all accompanied by her cat, Alfie.Some fans of Swift have been theorising that the mysterious novel was written by the US singer.

Michael Jackson is about to begin principal photography, with a release date now locked in.The film will be titled Michael, and it will star the musician’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, 27, in the title role.The production company behind the film, Lionsgate, has confirmed that the film will receive a theatrical release in the United States on April 18, 2025.Michael will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, who is known for films including Training Day, The Equalizer and Brooklyn’s Finest. It will also be written by John Logan, who has previously written on films including Gladiator, The Aviator, Skyfall and Spectre.Given the connection to the Jackson estate, it is unclear whether the film will explore the most controversial aspects of his life, including the allegations of child sexual abuse.In other Michael Jackson news, in December, it was announced that the audio from Jackson’s first ever studio session would be released as part of a limited-edition package.The recording was made 56 years ago, when Jackson was aged just nine and entered the One-derful studios in Chicago for the very first time with his brothers.In the session – which took place on July 13, 1967 – The Jackson Five produced a song titled ‘Big Boy’, and it has been confirmed that this was the first time that the iconic singer’s voice was put on tape.Visit here for more information and to purchase the track.

The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic finally has a release date!

Michael Jackson’s story will make its way to the big screen in 2025. Titled “Michael,” the film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua and will star Jaafar Jackson in the lead role. It’s the biggest role in Jafaar’s career and a personal one, as he’ll be portraying his uncle on screen.

Riley Keough shared some news about her late mother Lisa Marie Presley‘s memoir.

Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, written together with her daughter Riley Keough, will be released later this year.The singer-songwriter and daughter of Elvis Presley will posthumously release the book via Pan Macmillan on October 15. The memoir’s title has yet to be announced.