Michael Wanted to Be on Stage at This Year’s Grammys

Last year, rumors about Michael’s presence at the Grammys and his performance on stage spread everywhere, but it didn’t happen. Ken Ehrlich, the executive producer of the Grammy Awards and producer of Michael’s memorial event on July 7 at the Staples Center, said the following about it: “ Around this time last year, I suggested to Michael that he perform at the Grammys. People like Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, and Ne-Yo were supposed to do an introduction, and then Michael would come on stage. I discussed this idea with him and thought he would accept it. We had a few meetings with him, and he listened to our ideas. But in the end, he decided not to do it. He said, ‘I’m not ready. I’ll be with you next year.’ But this year, it also wasn’t going to happen.” “ I went there on the last day of Michael’s rehearsals to talk to him about a project, and by chance I saw him watching the 3D video of ‘Earth Song.’ I could tell how much value it had for him. He told me that it was more important to him than anything else in the concerts because it was a message to protect the Earth. When we held his memorial and we were thinking about what to do for the Grammys, I didn’t think about what kind of tributes would be performed in the rest of the ceremonies. Whenever I worked with Michael, he would say, ‘Kenny, let’s do something that nobody has ever done before.’ And that’s something nobody had ever done. I’m old and emotional. Part of me thinks that Michael is looking down at our ceremony from above and saying that we’re treating him the right way.” At the Sunday ceremony, the 3D video “Earth Song” will be shown for the first time. Although millions of free 3D glasses have been distributed among fans, Ehrlich says that viewers without glasses will still be able to see all the scenes without any disruption. Source: eMJey / CNN / LA Times