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November 8, 2009
         
Jackson didn’t like being black: Quincy Jones
Updated on Friday, July 03, 2009, 21:17 IST
Zeenews Bureau

London, July 03: Michael Jackson had attributed his changing skin colour to the rare disease of vitiligo but his close friend and 'Thriller' producer Quincy Jones has come out saying that the singer altered his appearance because he did not like being black.

Full Coverage: Goodbye Michael Jackson »

Jones claims that Jackson, who died last week, lied about his skin condition as he just "didn't want to be black", Sun online reported.

Jones, the man behind some of Jackson's greatest hits including 'Bad' and 'Thriller' said that whenever asked about his changing appearances, the pop star always claimed that it was a disease that lightened his skin from black to white.

"You're justifying something that's destructive to your existence. But when somebody's hell-bent on it, you can't stop them. What his face turned into is ridiculous. Chemical peels and all of it. And I don't understand it. But he obviously didn't want to be black. You see his kids?," said Jones.

The music mogul also said that he never understood why Jackson has such an issue with his appearance.

"He'd come up with, 'Man, I promise you I have this disease,' and so forth, and 'I have a blister on my lungs,' and all that. It's hard, because Michael's a Virgo, man, he's very set in his ways. You can't talk him out of it.

"I'm just a musician and a record producer. I'm not a psychiatrist. I don't understand all that stuff. We all got problems," he added.

Jackson funeral on Tuesday

MJ will receive a final goodbye from millions of his fans in a public memorial on Tuesday amid reports that his ex-wife is gearing up for a court battle over the custody of his two elder children.

Debbie Rowe, a former nurse, who is the mother of Prince Michael, 12 and Paris, 11, made her intentions clear when she appealed for and won a delay in the custody hearing, which has been now postponed to July 13 by the Superior Court.

"I want my children. They are my flesh and blood. I'm going after my children," Rowe, 50, said in an interview to NBC yesterday in her first official comment over the issue but her attorney Eric M George claimed that she was yet to make a final decision.

Jackson's 79-year-old mother Katherine Jackson has been given the temporary custody of his three children by the court while the pop star's 2002 will names Katherine and singer Diana Ross as the legal guardians of his children, cutting out Rowe from the picture.

Rowe, 50 who married Jackson in 1996 and divorced him three years later, gave up the rights to her two kids after her divorce in 1999, with Jackson getting the full custody.

Phillips, the president and CEO of AEG, said the service will begin at 10 a.m. (1700 GMT) at the 20,000-capacity Staples Centre with live images screened on widescreen televisions for an overflow crowd expected to gather in the plaza outside the huge basketball stadium and convention centre.

Information was also released about registering for free tickets for Jackson's public memorial. There will be a draw of lots through which over 11,000 tickets will be issued to those who register.

Plans to hold the memorial at Jackson's home in Neverland had to be cancelled because of the difficulties expected in dealing with thousands of fans in the remote region. But Jackson's brother Jermaine told the Today Show Thursday that the family still hoped to make the fantasy-like refuge his final resting place once permits were obtained.

Powerful sedative found in MJ's home

The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said Friday.

Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as Propofol, it's administered intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home.

The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter.

Full Coverage: Goodbye Michael Jackson »


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Quincy Jones was wrong. Michael Jackson’s autopsy proved that Michael had skin and lung diseases. Quincy Jones should apologize for his misunderstanding because people think he is Michael’s close friend. What he said in the interview really hurts Michael even though Michael is longer with us. -hong - CA a
the Sun is a gossip tabloid that gets no respect in eevn UK from where it is published. pl. don`t acknowledge such disgusting, false stories by it. -rahul Bose - Mumbai a
Quincy Jones has no idea what he is talking about, making comments about Micheal Jackson’s Vitiligo. I have Vitiligo and guess where it started. On my hand! If I could have gotten away with wearing one glove, I would have. My Doctor’s advice was to keep your skin as light/white as possible so the effects don’t show up as badly. That could include overall depigmentation but mainly staying away from sun. (Perhaps you understand his umbrellas now.) There is no cure. Quincy Jones would do himself some good if he looked into the disease before insulting his “friend” publicly. And also insulting everyone else who understood Michael’s struggle. -Brian - USA a