Michael Jackson plans ten concerts in London

Published 10:41 pm Thursday, March 5, 2009

LONDON — Michael Jackson returned to the spotlight Thursday after eight years marked more by scandal than by song and told a crowd of screaming fans that he would play a series of London engagements — his first concerts since 2001.

Wearing his trademark sunglasses and a silver-embroidered black military-style jacket, the King of Pop said his series of shows in July will be his “final curtain call” in the British capital.

“This is it,” Jackson said in a brief statement punctuated by the squeals of fans who gathered inside the massive O2 Arena in southeast London. “And when I say this is it, I mean this is it.”

Although Jackson said the shows would be his last in London, his statement left the door open for further concerts elsewhere. Promoter AEG Live told the BBC the shows might be part of a bigger, final world tour.

Most fans were just happy to catch a glimpse of Jackson.

“I’ve always been a fan ever since I was really little — his music and the way he moves,” said 21-year-old student Shellie Watson. When asked if Jackson — who was almost Watson’s age when he released “Thriller” in 1982 — still had star power, she said “100 percent.”

“Thriller” is still the best-selling album of all time, but Jackson — who has sold more than 750 million albums and won 13 Grammys — has not performed a major concert since 2001.

Tickets priced between $70 and $105 are expected to sell quickly for the shows, despite concerns the 50-year-old star may not be up for a return to the spotlight.

The O2 has become a venue of choice for big-name acts and comeback performers. Britney Spears is due to play there for eight nights in June, Prince did a 21-day series of shows at the arena in 2007, and Led Zeppelin played a one-off reunion gig there the same year.

The concerts — possibly followed by other gigs and a 3-D movie based on “Thriller” — could end up netting Jackson more than $400 million, Randy Phillips, the chief executive of AEG Live, was quoted by the BBC as saying.

That would be welcome news for Jackson, who has been entangled in lawsuits for years, but whether he is up for a world tour remains to be seen. Jackson’s recent work has been uneven: His last live performance in Britain was at the 2006 World Music Awards, but only managed a few lines of “We Are the World” before leaving the stage.

A video of Jackson trying to record a new single, shown at a British court last year when Jackson was being sued for breach of contract, showed him struggling to keep up his powerful vocals.

Rebbecca Kellner, 17, said it didn’t matter really matter how Jackson sang — the fans would come.

“He’s not the greatest singer and maybe not the greatest person,” she said.”But he’s Michael.”