Michael Jackson refused to sign on for London comeback shows without Dr Conrad Murray on the payroll
Michael Jackson had made it clear he would not agree to his London comeback shows unless controversial doctor Conrad Murray traveled with him.
The superstar so trusted Dr Murray – currently wanted for interviews by L.A. officials probing Jacko’s death – he wanted him with him at all times.
And he made it clear he wanted Dr Murray and not London’s finest medical minds to be with him when he finally came to Britain.
Randy Phillips, president and CEO of concert promoter AEG LIVE, said it was “almost a contractual condition” that Jackson have Dr. Murray at his side.
AEG officials told Jackson that “some of the best doctors in the world are in London” and that it “would make sense” to have those on call.
But Phillips said Jackson “insisted emphatically” on Murray and said that the doctor was prepared to go on sabbatical from his practice.
And to keep Jackson happy Phillips says AEG was preparing to advance Murray a “significant” amount of money to be with Jackson in London, with the plan to have traveled next week and stayed through next March
“Michael told me personally that he trusted this man,” Phillips said.
It was unclear how long Murray had been Jackson’s physician. Tohme Tohme, a family spokesman, said Murray had been in the position for about a year, but Phillips said he understood the relationship had been going on about three years. Tohme Tohme says the doctor had been summoned to actually live with Jackson about two weeks ago.
Phillips said Murray, who tried to resuscitate the fading Jackson inside his Bel Air home, was at the hospital when he arrived.
“He was there, very distraught all day. I saw him,” he said. “He could barely talk.”
Murray spoke briefly with investigators at UCLA Medical Center on Thursday and cops later impounded the silver BMW he had been using in search of clues leading to Jackson’s perplexing death.
Source: Splash News
