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LONDON (AFP) — Pop megastar Michael Jackson is in advanced talks with concert organisers for a series of up to 30 live shows at London's O2 Arena this summer, newspapers reported Saturday.
According to The Times, The Sun and the Daily Mail, which all cited unnamed sources, the 50-year-old could command concert fees of up to 1.5 million pounds (1.7 million euros, 2.1 million dollars) per show to revive his career.
The newspapers said that London is competing with a US venue -- reportedly Las Vegas -- for Jackson's concerts.
It would mark his first major series of concerts since his 2005 acquittal on charges of child sex molestation.
"It is only at discussion stage but if it comes off it will be amazing," a spokeswoman for his agents, the Outside Organisation, told The Sun.
An unidentified source told the Daily Mail: "It will be the greatest comeback in the history of pop and there would be no problem selling out the O2 every night."
"No one is concerned about his reputation and people don't feel it is a risk. Organisers are confident people will come from all over the world to see him."
Jackson has virtually disappeared from the public eye since his acquittal in his 2005 trial. He has been living in different places including a spell in Bahrain, in Europe and Las Vegas.
He has repeatedly said he is working on a new album, but so far nothing concrete has materialized. His 1982 hit "Thriller" remains the best-selling album of all time.
In November, he came to a settlement in a London court with a Bahraini prince over a seven-million-dollar lawsuit.
Source: [url="http://"http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hR-jWaXgiifFuTaKThGT5tRulQ1A"]Google[/url]
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Michael Jackson Lined Up for London Concert Series
It's a tantalising prospect for the millions who worshipped Michael Jackson in his Moonwalking heyday. Could the former King of Pop retrieve his crown with a spectacular run of comeback concerts at the O2 Arena?
Negotiations are at an advanced stage, The Times has learnt, for the debt-ridden superstar to return to the stage with a residency of up to 30 concerts at the London venue.
The series, planned for the summer, would attract thousands of fans from across the world. VIP ticket packages could sell for £1,000.
AEG Live, the company that runs the 18,000-capacity arena, has reserved dates for the shows. Representatives of Jackson, 50, say privately that he is in better health than recent photographs suggest and could withstand the rigours of an intensive concert series.
Most excitingly for fans, despite Jackson's chaotic financial predicament — which prompted the sale of his 1,215-hectare ranch Neverland — his focus appears to be back on music.
“He is arguably the world's greatest entertainer and now Michael wants to seal his musical legacy,” a figure close to the discussions said.
Of course, nothing is quite so simple in the world of “wacko Jacko”. Previous plans for a live concert return after he was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005, came to naught. Work on a “return to form” album with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas has stalled.
Jackson's last appearance on the London stage, at the 2006 World Music Awards, was a disaster. Expected to sing Thriller, he disappointed fans by delivering only a few lines of We Are The World, surrounded by children.
AEG, which launched the O2 in 2007 with a 21-night residency by Prince, a similarly mercurial figure, has been told that Jackson is capable of playing a full-length concert of his greatest hits. But given Jackson's recent poor health, insuring the residency against cancellations could prove difficult.
Mickey Price, senior manager at Event Insurance Services, a specialist event insurance company, said: “If Michael Jackson's health is not good, it may be that he is still insurable, but a higher rate may apply. Health is also taken into consideration, both physical and mental.” Insurers may ask Jackson to complete a medical before underwriting the event.
Although Jackson's reputation was further tarnished by the child abuse charges, his fanbase has remained loyal. A tribute musical, Thriller, has become a West End hit and a re-release of the classic Thriller album last year, to mark its 25th anniversary, sold three million copies.
Jackson's career record sales are estimated at 750 million but his live performances, which recreated the choreography of his groundbreaking videos, made him pop's premier entertainer. Between 1987 and 1997 Jackson played to more than 12 million fans in global tours that grossed $600 million.
Live performance is a vital source of income for Jackson, who is estimated to spend $35 million a year.
The most recent blow to his finances was a lawsuit from Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the second son of the King of Bahrain, who sued Jackson in the High Court for the return of £4.7 million he claims that the singer was given to revive his recording career after the abuse case. An out-of-court settlement was agreed.
Jackson could earn up to £50 million from the London shows, if the exchange rate goes in his favour. For AEG Live, a successful run of shows would seal the venue's global reputation with music's biggest names.
The venue is competing with Las Vegas resort hotels for the Jackson world exclusive, and the singer could be tempted by the $1,000-a-head prices offered in the United States.
The O2 hopes to offer tickets at a range of prices, so that fans who have waited years to see their idol can afford to attend.
A spokeswoman for AEG Live said that the Jackson concert series was “speculation at this stage”.
Source: [url="http://"http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article5768730.ece"]Times Online[/url]
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Michael Jackson planning to stage comeback in London
Popstar Michael Jackson is planning a string of comeback concerts in London which could earn him up to £45million, it has been reported.
The 50-year-old star is said to be in secret talks with organisers to stage his pop revival with up to 30 dates at the O2 arena.
The negotiations are thought to be at an advanced stage, with Jackson poised to secure £1.5million per night to perform at the 20,000 capacity venue in Greenwich.
It is believed that an announcement confirming the deal will be made within weeks. AEGLive, which runs the arena, has pencilled in Jackson's first performance for July.
The series of concerts would attract fans from all over the world and tickets could sell for as much as £1,000 for VIP packs.
Rumours have circulated that the debt-ridden singer, who was cleared of child molestation charges in 2005, is in no fit state to face the demands of performing live.
But sources have dismissed speculation of illness, overuse of prescription drugs and stage fright, and organisers have been told that Jackson is ready to make a comeback.
The London arena is competing with US venues to secure Jackson on the bill, but it is believed that he would favour re-launching his career in Britain because he still enjoys huge popularity in Europe.
The 30-night stint would eclipse the longest run of 21 shows which Prince performed at the O2 in 2007.
Source: [url="http://"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/4738297/Michael-Jackson-planning-to-stage-comeback-in-London.html%5b/url"]Telegraph.co.uk[/url]
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, after all don't forget that MJ himself said he's working on new stuff he wishes to share with his fans in concert soon 
