Joe Jackson says in an interview that booking 50 live concerts for Michael Jackson was just too much as he believed 'Michael couldn't do all those shows.'
- Jul 14, 2009
AceShowbiz - Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, opened up to ABC News that his son indeed was not ready to hold 50 live concerts. "The comeback tour was a good idea, but the wrong idea about it. There was more tours added onto it," Joe said. "Michael told me himself. That he agreed to 10 shows. But they went and added all these other shows."
Still in the same interview with ABC News, Joe explained he is most concerned with Michael's health issue. "I was worried about his health because all the shows that I'm seeing -- no artist can do those many shows you know, back to back like that," the father of eleven children shared. "And so I knew Michael couldn't do all those shows."
Despite what Joe has said, Michael's manager stated, "He built up his stamina. There would have been no problems, I don't think, with him doing this tour. Nobody was pushing him into it. Nobody was overworking him. You know, all those reports are false."
In line with the manager's statement, AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips insisted that the idea of adding the concert dates to 50 was all Michael's. Previously, AEG has unleashed Michael's last rehearsal footage, which shows the late singer singing and dancing energetically, to refute claim that Michael was too frail to perform.
Commenting on the scene shown in the rehearsal clip, Michael's longtime friend and sometime financial advisor Leonard Rowe, however, opined, "Every move you see Michael Jackson doing on the rehearsal stage is a move I can do." He furthermore added that Michael's dance featured in the footage was actually lacked in his trademark spins and exertion.
Michael Jackson's concerts at London's O2 Arena were supposed to begin on July 13. Following his sudden death on June 25, a tribute concert was confirmed to have been discussed with his family to remember him. Most recently, Randy Phillips said staging the tribute gig on August 29 to mark Michael's 51st birthday "would be the ideal" idea. However, Randy admitted, "We're not sure we can get it together in time."
