Endless Summer of Death

Michael Jackson's Estate Signs $250 Million Contract With Sony, Thus Beating Jay-Z By $100 Million In Establishing the Most Absurdly Lucrative Deal, Ever

By Zach Baron Tue., Mar. 16 2010 at 11:15 AM
Categories: Endless Summer of Death, Featured, Michael Jackson, Using the Word 'Industry'

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Image Courtesy of: Jean-Marc Giboux/Liaison
$250 million is by far the record for a recording artist, living or dead--the closest thing, Jay-Z's $150 million dollar deal with Live Nation, isn't really anywhere close. The fact that Jackson isn't alive to fulfill the contract is incidental--the Wall Street Journal reports that Sony is due 10 albums over seven years, consisting of "a mix of previously unreleased songs and new packages of familiar ones." No problem: Jackson has legendary unreleased archives, mostly recorded during the '90s and '00s with everybody from will.i.am to Akon, and last year's This Is It soundtrack--the first album to be released in this retroactive deal--is presumably only the first of many greatest hits and deluxe reissue packages to come.


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Too Soon

Corey Haim Has Been Dead For Less Than 12 Hours And His Bloody-Nosed Ghost Is Already Advertising a Dead Herring Show

By Camille Dodero Wed., Mar. 10 2010 at 2:00 PM
Categories: Dead Herring, Endless Summer of Death, Enough With This Shit Already, Especially Horrifying Unpleasantries, Goodbyes, Too Soon

Instead of bothering with Michael Damian's "Dream On," let's instead refer you to this sadly endearing long video of Corey Haim, still in his teens, clearly high and playing around with an artillery of synthesizers. "As far as what I really like in today's music, I'm into that Japanese funk, that pop funk, you know, I think Prince is the future," he tells the camera at the 3:01 mark. There's also a whole montage of him apparently drugged up and poking around keyboards, if you're into that sort of thing. But if you're more into paying tribute to recently dead people by mocking their tragic flaws, perhaps you're interested in this flyer for a Saturday offering at Dead Herring in Williamsburg:

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Featured

Bid on Michael Jackson's "Swarovski Crystal Gemmed Stage Worn Socks" Tomorrow in Times Square

By Zach Baron Fri., Nov. 20 2009 at 10:30 AM
Categories: Endless Summer of Death, Featured, Michael Jackson, Speaking Ill of the Dead, Too Soon

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Also available: "A painting of Charlie Chaplin done in the hand of Michael Jackson at the age of 9 years old," the acoustic guitar he played on the set of the The Wiz, "chocolate from Jackson's wedding to Lisa Marie Presley," and other memorabilia of the same disturbingly bodily ilk. Tomorrow, Times Square, Hard Rock Cafe New York, 10 a.m. Those interested a crumpled golden ticket inside an envelope with my name on it from the one-time-only New York premiere of This Is It are encouraged to reach out as part of a separate private sale of Jackson memorabilia I'm hosting under the Brooklyn Bridge at 1:45 a.m. next Tuesday night.


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Featured

DJ AM's Autopsy Confirms the Worst

By Zach Baron Tue., Sep. 29 2009 at 1:15 PM
Categories: DJ AM, Endless Summer of Death, Featured, Goodbyes

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The death wizards at TMZ have gotten their hands on the M.E.'s report on the cause of death for DJ AM. Namely: "acute intoxication," due to "the combined effects of cocaine, oxycodone, hydrocodone (Vicodin), Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, Benadryl and Levamisole (a drug used to cut cocaine with)." The report also specifies his death was an accident, i.e., not suicide. That's a pale comfort.


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Featured

Rashied Ali's Memorial Service Scheduled For Tomorrow in Harlem

By Zach Baron Fri., Sep. 4 2009 at 12:00 PM
Categories: Endless Summer of Death, Featured, Goodbyes, Rashied Ali

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Rashied Ali, the marvelously out avant-drummer who accompanied John Coltrane on his twilight ventures into outer space (see: The Olatunji Concert, and especially Interstellar Space), passed away last month, at the age of 74. Tomorrow, at Harlem's Riverside Church (120th Street and Riverside Drive), there will be a multi-faith memorial service for Ali, starting at 11 a.m. It's not the cacophonous musical tribute he's due--though that concert, which will take place at Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan at an unspecified future date, is apparently in the works, too--but it should be a lovely moment, nonetheless. All, the press release says, are welcome.

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Featured

"Acute Propofol Intoxication" Killed Michael Jackson

By Zach Baron Fri., Aug. 28 2009 at 3:16 PM
Categories: Endless Summer of Death, Especially Horrifying Unpleasantries, Featured, Michael Jackson

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The Los Angeles County coroner's office made if official today. According to a just released statement, Jackson's "manner of death has been ruled homicide. Cause of death was established as acute propofol intoxication. Other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine. The drugs propofol and Lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson's death. Other drugs detected were midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine, and ephedrine. The final coroner's report includes a complete toxicology report will that remain on security hold at the request of the Los Angeles police department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office." Ug. [LAT]

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Featured

R.I.P. New York DJ Josh Link

By Puja Patel Wed., Aug. 26 2009 at 2:15 PM
Categories: Endless Summer of Death, Featured, Goodbyes, Josh Link, Puja Patel

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New York DJ Josh Link died in a tragic accident on Monday afternoon. The 29 year-old from Long Island was riding his Vespa across the Williamsburg Bridge when he was hit by a black sedan and thrown from his bike. Witnesses say that he was wearing a helmet and the accident was caused by the bike stalling in traffic.

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