Highest Earning Dead Celebs

Michael Jackson tops the list again

(NEWSER) - When you’re a celebrity, dying doesn’t have to mean you stop making money. Forbes offers up its annual list of the top-earning celebs of the past year:

1. Michael Jackson: The King of Pop is in the top spot for the second year in a row, earning $170 million thanks to music sales, his stake in the Sony/ATV catalog, and a new Cirque du Soleil tour.
2. Elvis Presley: The King of Pop is followed by the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, who earned $55 million, much of which came from Graceland admissions. A Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas didn’t hurt, either.
3. Marilyn Monroe: A resurgence in popularity is partly to thank for her $27 million in earnings; for example, she was featured in an ad for J’Adore fragrance, and soon she’ll be getting her own line of cafes.
4. Charles Schulz: The Peanuts creator earned $25 million as his creations found themselves coming into the digital age via a video game, e-books, and a Facebook app, among other things.
5. John Lennon: The Beatles sold 1.6 million albums last year after finally arriving in the iTunes Store, which may have something to do with Lennon’s $12 million in earnings. Also helping? Yet another Cirque show.

Plus: Michael Jackson's last words

(NEWSER) - In a Today interview airing tomorrow and Friday, Dr. Conrad Murray finally explains why he didn’t call 911 as soon as Michael Jackson stopped breathing—although his explanation may still leave you with a few questions. Emergency responders wouldn’t have been able to come through the gate, the doctor claimed: "No one is allowed to come upstairs except for Mr. Jackson." When Savannah Guthrie pointed out that Murray could have called Jackson’s bodyguard and asked him to meet them at the gate, Murray said he didn’t want to "leave a full explanation on the phone" and started CPR instead. More»

Conrad Murray reportedly requested a ride to mansion to get cream

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson's personal assistant took the stand today in the Conrad Murray trial , and talked about a mysterious cream he says the doctor wanted to retrieve right after the singer's death. Michael Amir Williams testified about the day Jackson died, saying "we were making small talk about how horrible it was, just tearing (up)." The doctor then said "there's some cream in Michael's room or house that he wouldn't want the world to know about … so he requested I or someone else give him a ride back to house to get it." More»

But Murray said to leave the doctoring to him, says Kenny Ortega

(NEWSER) - From Dr. Conrad Murray’s trial for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson, more sad details about the King of Pop’s last days. Kenny Ortega, the choreographer for Jackson’s “This Is It” tour, testified yesterday that he confronted Murray just days before Jackson’s death, airing his concerns that the star was incoherent and couldn’t rehearse. He also emailed the concert promoter to recommend that Jackson be psychologically evaluated, and complained that no one was “taking responsibility” or caring for Jackson, ABC News reports. More»

Plus, mom and sister speculate about murder

(NEWSER) - Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, so of course, he’s all over the news:

• In a BBC interview, brother Jermaine says that “if Michael would have embraced Islam he would still be here today,” the Telegraph reports. “Why? Because when you are 100% clear in your mind as to who you are and what you are and why you are and everybody around you, then things change in a way that’s better for you.”