John Branca gave a rare interview to WGUF Naples Talk Radio last Thursday (12/01/2017) to talk about his career and of course being the head of the Michael Jackson Estate.
Here below the part of the show where he speaks about Michael Jackson and the Estate:
Branca represented Michael Jackson for many years. The CBS news show “60 Minutes” credited him, as a trustee of Jackson’s estate, with the single greatest turnaround in entertainment history after he helped return more than $600 million to the estate in the first three years after Jackson’s death. The estate was $500 million in debt.
“It was challenging at first,” he conceded.
Here are just a few of the projects Branca helped orchestrate as a co-executor of the estate:
» Michael Jackson ONE, a permanent Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas Mandalay Bay show that opened in June 2013 and is breaking attendance records;
» Release of “Xscape” in 2014, an album of previously unreleased Jackson recordings, which reached No. 1 on the charts in 52 countries;
» “Slave to the Rhythm,” a “holographic” Jackson performance at the Billboard Music Awards, netting over 11.5 million “live” views and hundreds of millions of views online.
Branca teased there’s “more to come.” He credits the success of the estate more to Jackson’s talents than to his own, describing Jackson as the “greatest entertainer that ever lived.”
“Michael was always breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries,” he said.
Branca said he has kept relationships with other clients strictly professional, but that Jackson was different. Years ago, Jackson was the best man in Branca’s first wedding and showed up with a well-dressed date (his chimp, Bubbles, in a tuxedo). Branca still laughs when he talks about it today.
Following his interview last November where Branca said probably no more unreleased music will be released from the Estate, Fans are anxious to see what “more to come” means!
We all know that 2017 will see a special “Thriller” release since John Landis hits the fans with the secret for the last few years! What more can they give us without any new music? It seems we will see more of “Off The Wall”, “Thriller” and “Bad” in the next few decades then as the Estate seems to concentrate their efforts only on those 3 albums or eras. Is it a “Brand” decision? No projects are in the pipe line for latest albums such as “Dangerous”, “HIStory”, “Blood on the Dance Floor” and “Invincible” despite their failed attempt to celebrate “Dangerous 25” with some online marketing and merchandise.
“more to come”…
SOURCE: Naples Daily News / MJVibe
