Murder Charges 'Unlikely' in Jacko Case

Teen queen snags artist of the year in an upset

(NEWSER) - Taylor Swift unexpectedly captured artist of the year honors at tonight's American Music Awards, preventing a sweep by Michael Jackson. The 19-year-old country-pop crossover sensation called being included in the same category as the King of Pop an "unimaginable honor." She won five awards; Jermaine Jackson accepted two of his brother's four trophies wearing a sequined glove on his left hand, the AP reports. More»

Response to 'This Is It' tepid from critics, all over the place from fans

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson’s posthumous single was released to much hype, but the critical response is lukewarm and fan reactions are mixed. A sampling:

• In a roundup of fan comments on Michael Jackson’s website, the Times reports that while some are pleased—“This single is great, even better than I thought it was gonna be”—many others are calling it “garbage.”

'This Is It' was written in 1991 but left off Dangerous

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson's first posthumous single premiered this morning on his website, featuring backing vocals by his brothers. "This Is It" was written for the 1991 album Dangerous, but was cut before the album was released; it will be the only new song on a double CD coming later this month. The midtempo ballad is a plea to a lover, but the late King of Pop begins on a grander scale: "This is it, here I stand, I'm the light of the world." Click the link at left to listen. More»

Estate awards allowance while singer's affairs are settled

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson’s estate pays his mother $86,804 every month, the LA Times reports. Estate administrators set up the allowance because the pop singer’s estate—worth an estimated $500 million—is so vast that settling it in court could take years. The allowance pays Katherine Jackson $26,804 every month for her own expenses and $60,000 to be spent on Michael’s three children. None of the money has to go to housing expenses, because Jackson’s estate is paying the mortgage on the Encino ranch separately. More»

King of Pop's signature accessory fetches twice expected price

(NEWSER) - One of Michael Jackson’s jewel-encrusted gloves sold for $49,000 in an Australian auction, Reuters reports. The glove, which was the first to go up for sale since Jackson died in June, sold for nearly twice what the Bonhams and Goodman auction house expected. "There was a huge amount of interest in the week leading up to the sale. We were still pretty surprised by the price," said a Bonhams auctioneer. More»