Michael Jackson On AMAs: Is He Live, Or Memorex?

[Crenshaw_blvd]

Viewers who tune into the American Music Awards on Wednesday will see Michael Jackson perform after all — but it won't be live, and it won't be onstage.

Reports circulated on Tuesday (January that a Jackson performance would take place on the AMAs, following a month-long game of musical chairs that saw AMA producer Dick Clark file a lawsuit charging that the Grammy Awards booking policy interfered with Jackson's agreement to perform on his show (see "Dick Clark's $10 Million Suit Says Grammys Kept Michael Jackson From AMAs") and saw Jackson decide to appear on the AMAs after all, but not to perform (see "Michael Jackson Will Appear On AMAs; $10M Suit Still Stands").

AMA spokesperson Paul Shefrin said that "viewers will see a performance by Michael" of his 1988 single "Man in the Mirror" during the broadcast. Would that performance be live, then? Shefrin wouldn't answer that question, instead reiterating that "viewers will see a performance" and cautioning, "it is a live show, and as such, things do change. Literally, things are changing as we speak."

Jackson's performance may not be as fluid as Shefrin suggests. Jackson's spokesperson, Dan Forman, flatly denies that Jackson will be singing anything at all on the AMA program, saying, "According to everyone I've talked to, that's false."

Instead of a live performance, the AMAs will feature a Michael Jackson video montage, according to Dick Clark's lawyer, Greg Aldisert. The footage for this montage could come from a number of sources, including film ABC already has in the can of Jackson's performance of "Man in the Mirror" at the "United We Stand: What More Can I Give" concert in Washington, D.C., on October 21 (see " 'NSYNC, Michael Jackson, P. Diddy, Mariah Stand United At D.C. Concert").

Some of Jackson's "United We Stand" footage never aired on the ABC special, which aired on November 1, due to a conflict with Jackson's 30th anniversary concert special that aired later that month on CBS. Interestingly enough, that anniversary special will be rebroadcast on CBS, the same network that televises the Grammy Awards, on the same night and time as the AMAs (see "Michael Jackson Special To Re-Air, With Britney This Time").

Since Jackson is not delivering the performance he originally agreed to, Clark is not withdrawing his lawsuit against Recording Academy President and CEO Michael Greene. "[Jackson's] not going to be performing," Aldisert said. "He should be appearing to accept an award, but he's not performing live." As of Tuesday, the suit still stands ... but, like Jackson's performance, that, too, is subject to change.

As for a potential Jackson appearance on the rival Grammy Awards, Grammy spokesperson Ron Roecker said on Tuesday that the ceremony had not yet been booked.

The 29th annual American Music Awards ceremony will take place January 9 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET, except on the West Coast, where it will be tape-delayed.