He wrote, “Don’t Be Cruel.” He wrote, “All Shook Up.” He wrote, “Return to Sender.” He wrote “Great Balls of Fire” for Jerry Lee Lewis and co-wrote “Fever.” If you have ever sung along to fifties rock and roll, you have sung his words. His name was Otis Blackwell — and in his entire life, … Read more
In January 1964, Elvis Presley became the owner of a piece of American history. It was the USS Potomac, the presidential yacht of Franklin D. Roosevelt — the boat FDR had used to escape Washington, conduct government business in private, and, during the Second World War, to reach a top-secret meeting with Winston Churchill. Elvis … Read more
In 1992, the United States government did something it had never done before. It printed millions of ballot papers, sent them to post offices across the country, and asked the American people to settle a question of enormous national importance. Not a law. Not a candidate. Which picture of Elvis Presley should go on a … Read more
Look at the label on an old copy of “Heartbreak Hotel.” There, in the songwriting credits, is the name Elvis Presley. Same on “Don’t Be Cruel.” Same on “All Shook Up.” Now here’s the thing that stops people dead: Elvis Presley never wrote a song in his life. Not one. Not “Hound Dog,” not “Jailhouse … Read more
Michael Jackson was preparing for a rare night out on February 27, 2007. His close friend Elizabeth Taylor was celebrating her 75th birthday near Las Vegas and Jackson planned to surprise her. He was reportedly so excited that designer Roberto Cavalli had been brought to Las Vegas to create a custom outfit for the occasion. … Read more
Michael Jackson spent decades surrounded by screaming crowds, photographers and security, but getting him out of a hotel could sometimes require an almost unbelievable plan. During his final years, former bodyguard Bill Whitfield said there were nights when Jackson could not simply walk through the lobby. Instead, security sometimes had to hide the world’s most … Read more
Michael Jackson arrived in Brazil in October 1993 for two massive Dangerous World Tour concerts in São Paulo, but one of his quieter plans had nothing to do with the stage. Brazilian reports say Jackson wanted to visit young patients at Hospital Infantil Darcy Vargas. Before going, though, he decided there was something he needed … Read more
Michael Jackson’s story on the big screen is not finished. Lionsgate has given its clearest update yet on a second Michael film, with Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson revealing that the studio is working toward another movie after the first biopic starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson. The sequel could arrive sooner than many fans … Read more
Michael Jackson’s three children grew up in a world that looked glamorous from the outside yet felt profoundly closed off. Bodyguards who lived with the family in his final years described birthday parties that followed a careful routine. Jackson would order clowns, magicians, popcorn machines, cotton candy and bouncy castles. The house would be fully … Read more
Michael Jackson could afford almost anything, but one of his strangest prized possessions came from Hollywood rather than music. In June 1999, the King of Pop paid more than $1.5 million for producer David O. Selznick’s Best Picture Oscar for Gone with the Wind. The purchase smashed the record for Hollywood memorabilia at the time. … Read more
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