New book claims Michael Jackson's fixation on cosmetic surgery sparked by childhood humiliation from father, Entertainment News
Michael Jackson's fixation on cosmetic surgery and appearance was sparked by childhood humiliation at the hands of his father, a new book claims.
The singer, who was killed in a drug overdose aged 50 in 2009, was renowned for his addiction to changing his appearance, and Michael's former lawyer John Mason has now stated in his memoir it was down to abuse by Michael's domineering dad Joe Jackson.
John, who is now in his 80s, says in his book Crazy Lucky: Remarkable Stories from Inside the World of Celebrity Icons in an extract obtained by RadarOnline.com Michael told him his father "told me I had a big nose" early in his life.
The ex-attorney added: "That was just the beginning of Michael's obsession with his looks."
John worked with the Jackson family during their transition from Motown to Epic Records in the 1970s and goes into detail in his book about the emotional and psychological toll inflicted on the young Michael.
He said: "In 1964, Michael, who was six years old and driven to sing and dance, went to work. Michael would remember years later that his father didn't praise his singing ability after that first performance or his magical moves."
That early criticism, John writes, "planted the seeds for future plastic surgery adventures in the name of finding true 'beauty'."
Despite Michael's public insistence he had only undergone two nose surgeries, his continually changing appearance fuelled long-standing speculation over the extent of his cosmetic procedures.
John described his time with the family as strained and uncomfortable, particularly due to Joe Jackson's harsh methods.
"Back in the day, Joe made all the calls," he said, adding: "He would sit at rehearsals with a belt in his hand in case he had to punish any mistakes or misbehaviour."
He added: "There was never a fun moment. Joe's way of approaching people was to be intimidating. He would shake your hand and try to crush it."
Michael's death was caused by acute propofol intoxication combined with sedatives and ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
His personal physician Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for providing the singer with the hospital-strength tranquiliser, which Michael called his "milk" as he said it was the only thing that helped him sleep.
ALSO READ: Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson defends decision to book gig on father's death anniversary
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AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
New book claims Michael Jackson's fixation on cosmetic surgery sparked by childhood humiliation from father, Entertainment News
Michael Jackson's fixation on cosmetic surgery and appearance was sparked by childhood humiliation at the hands of his father, a new book claims. The singer, who was killed in a drug overdose aged 50 in 2009, was renowned for his addiction to changing his appearance, and Michael's former lawyer John Mason has now stated in his memoir it was down to abuse by Michael's domineering dad Joe Jackson. John, who is now in his 80s, says in his book Crazy Lucky: Remarkable Stories from Inside the World of Celebrity Icons in an extract obtained by Michael told him his father "told me I had a big nose" early in his life. The ex-attorney added: "That was just the beginning of Michael's obsession with his looks." John worked with the Jackson family during their transition from Motown to Epic Records in the 1970s and goes into detail in his book about the emotional and psychological toll inflicted on the young Michael. He said: "In 1964, Michael, who was six years old and driven to sing and dance, went to work. Michael would remember years later that his father didn't praise his singing ability after that first performance or his magical moves." That early criticism, John writes, "planted the seeds for future plastic surgery adventures in the name of finding true 'beauty'." Despite Michael's public insistence he had only undergone two nose surgeries, his continually changing appearance fuelled long-standing speculation over the extent of his cosmetic procedures. John described his time with the family as strained and uncomfortable, particularly due to Joe Jackson's harsh methods. "Back in the day, Joe made all the calls," he said, adding: "He would sit at rehearsals with a belt in his hand in case he had to punish any mistakes or misbehaviour." He added: "There was never a fun moment. Joe's way of approaching people was to be intimidating. He would shake your hand and try to crush it." Michael's death was caused by acute propofol intoxication combined with sedatives and ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner's office. His personal physician Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for providing the singer with the hospital-strength tranquiliser, which Michael called his "milk" as he said it was the only thing that helped him sleep. ALSO READ: Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson defends decision to book gig on father's death anniversary
AsiaOne
10-06-2025
- AsiaOne
Sly Stone, leader of 1960s funk band, dies at age 82, Entertainment News
Sly Stone, the driving force behind Sly and the Family Stone, a multiracial American band whose boiling mix of rock, soul and psychedelia embodied 1960s idealism and helped popularise funk music, has died at the age of 82, his family said on Monday (June 9). Stone died after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues, a statement from his family said. "While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come," the statement said. [embed] Stone was perhaps best known for his performance in 1969 at the historic Woodstock music festival, the hippie culture's coming-out party. His group was a regular on the US music charts in the late 1960s and 1970s, with hits such as "Dance to the Music," "I Want to Take You Higher," "Family Affair," "Everyday People," "If You Want Me to Stay," and "Hot Fun in the Summertime." But he later fell on hard times and became addicted to cocaine, never staging a successful comeback. The confident and mercurial Stone played a leading role in introducing funk, an Afrocentric style of music driven by grooves and syncopated rhythms, to a broader audience. James Brown had forged the elements of funk before Stone founded his band in 1966, but Stone's brand of funk drew new listeners. It was celebratory, eclectic, psychedelic and rooted in the counterculture of the late 1960s. "They had the clarity of Motown but the volume of Jimi Hendrix or The Who," Parliament-Funkadelic frontman George Clinton, a contemporary of Stone and another pioneering figure in funk, once wrote. When Sly and the Family Stone performed, it felt like the band was "speaking to you personally," Clinton said. Stone made his California-based band, which included his brother Freddie and sister Rose, a symbol of integration. It included Black and white musicians, while women, including the late trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, had prominent roles. That was rare in a music industry often segregated along racial and gender lines. Stone, with his orb-like Afro hairstyle and wardrobe of vests, fringes and skin-tight leather, lived the life of a superstar. At the same time, he allowed bandmates to shine by fostering a collaborative, free-flowing approach that epitomised the 1960s hippie ethic. "I wanted to be able for everyone to get a chance to sweat," he told Rolling Stone magazine in 1970. Disc jockey to singer Born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, he moved as a child with his family to Northern California, where his father ran a janitorial business. He took the show business name Sly Stone and worked for a time as a radio disc jockey and a record producer for a small label before forming the band. The band's breakthrough came in 1968, when the title track to their second album, Dance to the Music, cracked the Top 10. A year later, Sly and the Family Stone performed at Woodstock before dawn. Stone woke up a crowd of 400,000 people at the music festival, leading them in call-and-response style singing. Stone's music became less joyous after the idealistic 1960s, reflecting the polarisation of the country after opposition to the Vietnam War and racial tensions triggered unrest on college campuses and in African American neighbourhoods in big US cities. In 1971, Sly and the Family Stone released There's a Riot Goin' On, which became the band's only No. 1 album. Critics said the album's bleak tone and slurred vocals denoted the increasing hold of cocaine on Stone. But some called the record a masterpiece, a eulogy to the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Stone became erratic and missed shows. Some members left the band. But the singer was still a big enough star in 1974 to attract a crowd of 21,000 for his wedding to actress and model Kathy Silva at Madison Square Garden in New York. Silva filed for divorce less than a year later. Sly and the Family Stone's album releases in the late 1970s and early 1980s flopped, as Stone racked up drug possession arrests. But the music helped shape disco and, years later, hip-hop artists kept the band's legacy alive by frequently sampling its musical hooks. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and Stone was celebrated in an all-star tribute at the Grammy Awards in 2006. He sauntered on stage with a blond Mohawk but bewildered the audience by leaving mid-song. In 2011, after launching what would become a years-long legal battle to claim royalties he said were stolen, Stone was arrested for cocaine possession. That year, media reported Stone was living in a recreational vehicle parked on a street in South Los Angeles. Stone had a son, Sylvester, with Silva. He had two daughters, Novena Carmel, and Sylvette "Phunne" Stone, whose mother was bandmate Cynthia Robinson. [[nid:718655]]
AsiaOne
20-05-2025
- AsiaOne
Wes Anderson mocks Donald Trump's movie tariffs plan, Entertainment News
Wes Anderson has mocked Donald Trump's movie tariffs plan. The filmmaker, 55, hit out at the US president as rage continues to grow in the film industry about the effects slapping a 100 per cent tariff on movies made abroad will have on the entertainment business. Speaking at a Cannes Film Festival press conference for his new film The Phoenician Scheme, Wes drew laughter from the audience as he remarked: "Can you hold up the movie in customs? It doesn't ship that way." He added: "The tariff is interesting because I've never heard of a 100 per cent tariff before. I'm not an expert in that area of economics, but I feel that means he's saying he's going to take all the money. "And then what do we get? So it's complicated to me." The director was in Cannes for the premiere of The Phoenician Scheme, a dark three-hander shot partially in Germany and distributed by Focus Features. His film stars 57-year-old Benicio del Toro, 36-year-old Michael Cera and 23-year-old Mia Threapleton. Mia, daughter of Kate Winslet, plays Sister Liesel, a chain-smoking nun estranged from Benicio's character, a business magnate named Zsa-zsa Korda. Michael joins Wes' ensemble for the first time as a suspicious private tutor called Bjorn Lund. Also in the cast are Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Riz Ahmed, Scarlett Johansson, Mathieu Amalric, Rupert Friend and Hope Davis — all of whom have featured in Wes' previous films. Wes said the idea for the film emerged from conversations with his co-writer Roman Coppola. He added: "We were building this on the darkness of a certain kind of capitalist. "But it took us somewhere else. We need a psychiatrist's couch to really answer it properly, and even then I don't know." He described the heart of the story as the father-daughter relationship between Benicio and Mia's characters. Wes also used his press conference for the film to signal future collaborations with Michael and 73-year-old Bill Murray, who was seated in the front row. Shaking hands with Michael, the director said: "Let's shake on it. Sometimes people say yes and they don't really mean it later… I'm just saying, let's get this on the record." [[nid:717709]]
