Michael Was Working Simultaneously on Two Albums: Pop and Classical

Billboard magazine reported that Michael was working on two albums at the same time: one pop album and one instrumental classical music album. For the pop album, he had Clive Davis and Akon as collaborators. Akon says that ticket sales for the London concerts gave Michael motivation and excitement. "He said, ‘My fans are still here. They still love me. They’re alive.’ His children were his first priority, and he had never seen him perform live. He was trying to create the most legendary show for his children." The songwriter of the song "Hold My Hand," produced by Akon and later illegally released on the internet, says that Michael never lost his passion and interest. "He was the king of pop. The biggest in history. And something we never lose is our love for music. That never goes away, and despite the pain and hardships he went through, that love never left him." Composer David Michael Frank had worked with Michael on a TV show tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. in 1989. Two months before Michael’s assistant received a phone call asking to collaborate with Michael again. Michael invited him to his palace in Bel Air, Los Angeles, and told him he was working on an instrumental classical music album and asked him to help with the arrangements. "He brought samples of two classical pieces he had written with him. But they weren’t complete." Frank says he was impressed by his knowledge of classical music. He had arranged one of these pieces entirely in his head. He hadn’t recorded it. In the billiard room, while I was sitting behind the keyboard, he hummed it for me, and we found the chords. I think what I recorded is the only available version of this music. A few weeks later, Michael called Frank again to see how far the arrangement work had progressed. "He shared with me more of the music he wanted to be recorded. Among them was also a jazz piece. I hope one day his family will release this music as a tribute to him and show the world the depth of his musical art." Gregg Phillinganes, the keyboard player who has collaborated with Michael on many of his albums and also served as musical director on the Bad tour, says that he was singing well as always. "He still had a good voice and never had any problems singing. People were asking questions about whether, despite his problems, he could hold the London concerts. But the people who worked with him told me that he was dancing the whole time, every day, and was very focused on his work—excited and committed to making this tour as good as possible, all the way through." Akon, who spoke with him three months before Michael’s death, also says: "He always told me to eat well and drink water during rehearsals. He always emphasized that before anything else, you must first take care of your health." Frank confirms this as well: "He looked completely healthy—he wasn’t weak or sluggish—and when we met, he shook my hand very firmly. He looked healthy, had a good voice, and was in high spirits. He was very thin, but as far as I know, he was always thin. He was even taller than what I imagined. But maybe his shoes had heels. And he was dressed impeccably." Phillinganes says Michael was a perfectionist: "This was the biggest comeback of his career—certainly the biggest comeback in pop history, even bigger than Elvis. So he was definitely trying to do everything he could. He never did anything halfway, and that’s what brought him to the position he’s in." Source: eMJey / Billboard