Phil Spector Charged with Murder - Page 4

"Innocent until proven guilty"

Both multi-millionaire recluses have loudly proclaimed their innocence. Jackson, through a new website, has called the accusation he abused a 12-year-old cancer survivor — who appeared hand-in-hand with him in Martin Bashir's controversial documentary earlier this year — a "big lie," writing, "Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons. The truth will win this marathon in court." Jackson is free on a $3 million bond.

The public appears to have made a clean break between Jackson the musical genius who has sold over 165 million albums, and Jackson the man. Although the self-anointed "King of Pop's" new "Number Ones" collection — with familiar greats like "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Bad," "Black Or White," and prophetically titled new single "One More Chance" — topped the UK album chart this week, it is clearly getting harder to rally the troops: turnout for highly publicized "Michael is innocent" events throughout North America and Europe over the weekend numbered in the dozens.

Spector — the boy-genius songwriter and producer who created the fabled "Wall of Sound" in the '60s working with the Crystals, Darlene Love, the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers — pleaded not guilty to the murder of B-movie star Lana Clarkson, who was shot in the face at close range last February in the foyer of Spector's Alhambra mansion.

Spector told Esquire magazine in June that Clarkson, 40, had shot herself after "kissing" the gun. Nonetheless, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office ruled that the statuesque blonde, whom Spector met at the House of Blues before taking her to his home, was a victim of homicide. According to police reports on the case, Spector told his chauffeur, "I think I killed somebody," shortly after Clarkson's death. He is free on $1 million bail.

What led to this tragic state of affairs for each star?

Fabulous Success

Michael Jackson began performing at the age of four. Though the youngest member of the Jackson Five he became the group's lead singer, projecting boundless energy and confidence, and (literally) whipped into shape by their stage-father Joe, the little man and his brothers were major stars for Motown by the time Michael was 11. In the early-'70s Michael simultaneously sang with the group and embarked on a successful solo career.

The strangeness that was to become Michael first reared its head in 1978 when he co-starred in "The Wiz" as the Scarecrow, and so enjoyed appearing in costume that he went home at night still in make-up. Perhaps looking at this altered version of himself in the mirror, Jackson envisioned the beginning of a path, a yellow brick road of sorts, that led from handsome young black man to the wan, genderless kabuki we see today.

Article Author: Eric Olsen

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