LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Doctors conducted an autopsy on the body of Michael Jackson on Friday but could not immediately determine what killed the "King of Pop," amid reports he had been injected with a narcotic painkiller shortly before collapsing. Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, with his personal physician trying desperately to revive him.
Farrah Fawcett funeral set for Tuesday in L.A
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A private funeral for actress Farrah Fawcett will be held at the Catholic cathedral of Los Angeles next Tuesday, church officials said on Friday. The service for the former "Charlie's Angels" actress will take place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels at 4 p.m. PDT (1900 EDT).
Hello Goodbye: Jackson's Beatles rights at risk
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Beatles For Sale? The Fab Four's prized catalog -- specifically 267 songs mostly written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney -- is embarking on a long and winding road of ownership uncertainty following the death of Michael Jackson on Thursday.
Rapper Coolio pleads guilty to cocaine possession
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rap star Coolio pleaded guilty on Friday to possession of cocaine and will avoid jail by entering an 18-month drug rehabilitation program, a spokeswoman for prosecutors said. Coolio, who had hits in the mid-1990s with "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage," faced three years in prison if convicted of all the charges against him, said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the L.A. County District Attorney's Office.
Michael Jackson feared he'd "end up" like Elvis: Lisa Marie
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's former wife Lisa Marie Presley said on Friday the pop star was a tortured soul who once predicted that he would "end up" like her father, the late rock icon Elvis Presley. Writing on her MySpace blog, Presley also ripped into reports in the media that her relationship with Jackson was contrived, saying they split because she could not save him from self-destructive behavior.
Jackson leaves hefty debts, unrealized comeback
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Along with a vast musical legacy and legions of adoring fans, pop superstar Michael Jackson leaves behind a mountain of debt and an unfulfilled comeback many hoped would rake in millions and erase his financial troubles. The King of Pop died suddenly on Thursday at the age of 50, after a career spanning 40 years that included the biggest-selling pop album of all time, "Thriller."
"Transformers" in high gear already
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Debuting Wednesday to an estimated $60.6 million, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" already has begun its triumphal rounding of the box office bases that should see it set a record or two by weekend's end. Once Michael Bay's sequel to the 2007 hit based on the Hasbro toy line staked out the upcoming weekend, there was never any question that it would dominate overall sales. Competitors steered clear of the date, with only Warner Bros. fielding the feel-good weepie "My Sister's Keeper" in a modest bit of counterprogramming.
Studios wary of Oscar's new best-picture rule
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - If ever there were a time that the town needed a jolt of adrenaline, Wednesday was it -- but from, of all places, the staid, mostly predictable Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences? What everyone thought would be another sleepy announcement about an arcane rule change in the documentary or foreign language category turned into the headline of the day -- opening up the Oscar race to 10 best picture nominees.
NBC sets fall schedule dates
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC will launch the bulk of its fall schedule during the weeks of September 14 and September 21, the latter marking the official premiere week. A day after the September 13 kickoff of "Sunday Night Football," the network will roll out its most prominent new program, weeknight "The Jay Leno Show."
"Old Boy" proceeds despite legal scuffle
TOKYO/SEOUL (Hollywood Reporter) - Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are moving forward with plans for a remake of "Old Boy" despite a complex, behind-the-scenes rights wrangle involving the Japanese publishers of the original manga and the Korean producers of Park Chan-Wook's 2003 cult hit. Futabasha, publisher of the manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya, has filed a case against Show East in Seoul, alleging the Korean company never had the right to negotiate a remake.
