Washington benefit

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

Interesting development in the Washington show.  Matt Kent's news item on 
this seems to have disappeared, BTW.  Does anybody know what that could be 
about?

keets


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,36367,00.html

Jagger Exits Charity Show as Jacko Takes Over

Somehow, the United We Stand benefit scheduled for Oct. 21 in Washington 
D.C. has been renamed. It's now called United We Stand What More Can I Give. 
That's a mouthful isn't it?

The reason for the change: Michael Jackson, as I reported here exclusively 
two days ago, has pushed his way into the show and gotten first billing. You 
didn't think the self-proclaimed King of Pop was going to be included 
alphabetically didya? Or take second billing to someone else?

And guess who's out of the Washington concert because of that? Mick
Jagger.

Jagger's name, which had been announced Oct. 9 as part of the show, is
now gone, gone, gone. The Rolling Stone had been associated with the
Washington charity event until yesterday when a press release went out with 
all the names of the participants. The only one specifically missing from 
the roster was Jagger. He is clearly not going to be Jackson's Beast of 
Burden.

Jackson has not only jumped to first billing, but he's also had the show 
renamed to reflect the anthem he's recording with 'N Sync and the
Backstreet Boys on Oct. 20 in Orlando. As I told you Wednesday, Jackson has 
secured President Bush's blessing to make "What More Can I Give?" the 
official song of the World Trade Center/Pentagon disaster.

McDonald's will sell the CD single for $2.99 with its apple pies and Egg 
McMuffins.

"What More Can I Give?" was not written specifically for this disaster, 
however. Jackson wrote it at least two years ago, and it wasn't considered 
good enough to include on his soon to be released album, "Invincible." It 
was going to be used next February for another charity until the Sept. 11 
disasters.

Jagger's decision to pull out of the Washington show is extra interesting 
since he and Jackson once released a duet together in the 1980s called 
"State of Shock." Jagger will appear however at the New York benefit 
organized by Miramax Films and VH-1 on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Madison Square 
Garden. That's the benefit which Paul McCartney will headline.  Jackson was 
not welcome at that event since McCartney stopped speaking to him after 
Jackson bought the Beatles' songwriting catalog and publishing rights in 
1985.

How much anger does McCartney have for Jackson? On Wingspan, his
recent greatest hits collection, McCartney omitted the two No. 1 singles he 
had with Jackson, "Say Say Say" and "The Girl Is Mine."

Tickets for United We Stand etc go on sale today through Ticketmaster or at 
www.cc.com.