Michael unable to sing and dance at the same time in rehearsals

Michael in Cape Town 1997

On June 16, 2009 music arranger Michael Bearden revealed that Michael was unable to sing live and dance, just three weeks away from the start at London’s 02 Arena. This was also two days before Michael was shivering and cold at rehearsals.

In a message entitled Plan B, Bearden told Kenny Ortega, producer and director of the 'This Is It' tour, that he planned using Michael's studio material.

Bearden wrote: “If we can’t get everything we need from the vault I can use what we have and take out ad libs and such to try to make it feel new.

“MJ is not in shape enough yet to sing this stuff live and dance at the same time. He can use the ballads to sing live and get his stamina back ... I have full confidence he can sing the majority of the show live.

“His voice sounds amazing right now he just needs to build it back up.”

Choreographer Travis Payne, who let slip that Michael needed golf carts to get around the arena, responded with, “Great idea”.


Promoter Terry Harvey claims that Michael had laid down vocals over several months to work as back-up material for shows.

He insists he made Michael's managers Dr Tohme Tohme, Frank DiLeo and contract lawyer Dennis Hawk aware of his dangerously frail state.

He says he warned Di Leo, “You are going to kill Michael.”

Harvey went on to say “On This Is It there were moments where he wasn’t singing, his energy levels were down and anyone who worked with him in the past could tell Michael was a way off from 100 per cent. We found out Michael was in the studio recording tracks for the show and even new albums in his last months. You can put your voice in a sequencer and backing track for live shows, so if you don’t want to sing you mime and fans don’t realise.”

I said as much in my post yesterday - people who had worked with Michael in the past knew that Michael was not up to par: Karen Faye, Michael Bush, Michael Bearden, Terry Harvey. They all tried to raise the alarm. Michael Bearden's email also reveals how they probably made up the sound track for the 'This Is It' film - they took out the ad libs from pre-recorded material, and used that. They asked Karen Faye to touch up the film footage to make Michael look healthier, but she refused. However that doesn't mean they didn't get someone else to do it. I had suspected that they had carefully selected the best film footage and then re-worked the sound, but they probably touched up the film as well. I know plenty of fans who will argue how great Michael looked and sang in 'This Is It', but they have been fed a lie, and I've suspected it all along. Parts of the film break my heart, despite the cover-up job.

Other documents show how, five days before Michael's death, Ortega asked AEG managing director Randy Phillips to pull the plug.

On June 20 Ortega wrote: “My concern is that now that we’ve brought the doctor in to the fold ... the artist may be unable to rise to the occasion due to real emotional stuff.”.

The next quote is telling, and I think is the root of AEG's attitude to all the concerns raised about Michael's health.

Randy Phillips refused to consider stopping the 'This Is It' concerts. “You cannot imagine the harm and ramifications of stopping the show now,” he said.

“I am not just talking about AEG’s interests here, but the myriad of stuff and lawsuits swirling around MJ that I crisis manage, and also his well-being.” Signing off as Randy he added: “It’s time to put out the fire, not burn the building.”