Michael Jackson Photos & Pics Archive

Michael Jackson, who was raised a Jehovah's Witness, has officially become a Muslim, at least according to the Sun.

Jacko had previously spoken of his interest in converting after his acquittal for child molestation charges, but he finally pledged allegiance to the Koran at a pal's place in Los Angeles recently, claims the paper.

Michael took the Muslim name "Mikaeel", which is also the name of one of Allah’s angels.

A source who attended the conversion ceremony says, “Jacko rejected an alternative name, Mustafa — meaning “the chosen one," according to the paper's report.

Will losing his religion and gaining a new one help Mikaeel turn over a new leaf? After losing Neverland and ALL the other financial problems, not to mention not having a hit in years, will Allah have mercy and grant this guy some success?

MJ was looking so cute yesterday and happy and smiley and it gave me happy memories of my youth ...

But he was constantly covering his nose as he shopped for furniture on Melrose Ave.

Here's the thing ... it IS horribly smoggy and smokey (from fires) right now in LA -- so maybe Jacko was just trying not to breathe in all the pollution. Or maybe he was covering up his crumbling little nose :( ...

What a difference a few years and a few nasty court battles make.

Check out what Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch looks like today. Gone are the rides, the well manicured lawns, the exotic animal farm and the formerly pristine lake is looking a little funky.

Jackson vowed never to return to his once beloved amusement park/home after he was accused of child molestation. The ranch has alternately been reported as being in foreclosure or being up for sale...

Michael Jackson joins fellow 80s icon Madonna in turning 50 today, and GMA got to talk to the reclusive King of Pop about his life so far and what he looks forward to in his "golden years" on the eve of his big day.

On Looking Back on His Past Career:

“I am still looking forward to doing a lot of great things, so that’s hard. I think the best is yet to come in my true humble opinion.”

Considering he hasn't put out new material since 2001's Invincible, we're extremely curious to know what he's got in mind for the future!

On the Happiest Moment in His Career:

“The happiest? the recording of the Thriller and the Off the Wall albums, that meant very much to me and seemed to be received so beautifully by the public and the world. You know, I enjoyed it very much.”

On His Favorite Artists:

"I love James Brown. Some of the younger newer artists – I think Chris Brown is doing wonderful and Timberlake. I really admire what they are doing.”

On His Children:

“I am letting them enjoy their childhood as much as possible. I really do – I let them go to the arcade and go to the movies and do things I think that comes naturally. I want them to get to do things I didn’t get to do. I get pretty emotional when I see them having a wonderful time, when they are on a ride and they are screaming and they are happy and they are running. It makes me emotional.”

And although Michael may be fifty now, he's apparently still capable of coming up with ground-breaking stuff like when he blew the world away with the debut of the moonwalk in 1983.

“People see some of the things I do and say why don’t you show this to the world, people don’t know you do these things! Well, maybe I will.”

Wouldn't it be awesome to see Michael make a comeback at fifty?

courtesy Getty Images

Jacko's wasting away! We can only hope he doesn't melt or disappear ...

Michael turned up at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Vegas yesterday looking frail and frightening. He turns 50 tomorrow! Uh, Happy Birthday, MJ!

Blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson was spotted by X17 photogs strolling barefoot into Shutters by the Beach to meet up with none other than the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson!

Well, they ARE both single (sorta), but that would be even more bizarre than Jacko's brief marriage to Lisa Marie!

Think there's a collaboration in their future?

We hardly ever see his kids out and about - unmasked, that is!

Check out his two eldest children, Prince (10) and Paris (9), in Las Vegas earlier this year... but do they look like his biological kids? Artificial insemination maybe - but with his sperm? We can't necessarily tell!

In other news, MJ earned himself the title of "Worst Dad" in a recent Maxim Internet poll - beating out fellow fathers like Joe Simpson and even Scott Peterson! A bit harsh, right? First K-Fed and his Father of the Year title and now this!

At least Paris and Prince have Macaulay Culkin and Elizabeth Taylor as their godparents!

Britney, Fergie, MJ...and that was just the beginning!

Seriously, the guest list for Christian Audigier's party was so far off the chain, we haven't even gotten around to showing you half the celebs who showed up yet! Check out our gallery of the festivities to see some pix of Pamela Anderson, Snoop, Mena Suvari - and, of course, plenty more pix of Britney and Michael and others, too!

And seriously, wait until you see the video we've got coming from the party - peeps were getting wild!

If you thought the photos of Michael Jackson's surprise appearance at Christian Audigier's fiftieth birthday party last night were nuts, wait until you hear the video!

Seriously - Michael's fans were shrieking so loudly when the King of Pop took the stage with the birthday boy last night that our ears are still ringing! (Of course, as loud as the fans were, Christian got even rowdier - we've never heard anyone get as excited as the legendary designer got when MJ dubbed him "the King of Fashion"!)

Toldja!

Michael Jackson made a rare Los Angeles appearance last night at the big birthday bash for legendary designer Christian Audigier. Unfortunately, the King of Pop wasn't able to perform at the party - but his royal presence was more than enough to delight everyone in attendance!

(We're dying to know whether Britney and MJ got a chance to chit-chat - after all, we know she's a big-time fan!)

Page Six reports that Michael Jackson's money troubles have led him back to the recording studio - but this time on his own dime!

According to the paper, Jackson has hired RedOne and Akon to produce his new album.

And although he may be letting the music impresarios in on his sessions, he's placed a ban on his children coming to the recording studio...and women!

Apparently the Thriller singer had been seeing the kids' nanny, but a source says "He's not going to be involved in any personal relationships with women until he gets this record done. He's dumped the nanny - she's not around any more."

Although he may have saved Neverland, Michael Jackson's still got bills to pay - although if the deal he's been offered to perform Thriller live in London pans out, he ought to have a lot less debt pretty soon!

The New York Post is reporting that the King of Pop has received an offer to play a 10-show run in London's Millennium Dome - for thirty-five million bucks!

What's more, if the show turns out to be a hit, the promoters reportedly reserve the right to extend its run for an additional 20 shows!

Of course, if Jacko agrees to the contract, it would constitute the reclusive star's biggest public appearance since forever. Needless to say, we're hoping this goes down - and somehow, we doubt we're alone:

That's right - Britney's a hyoooooooooge fan of the King of Pop! You just know she'd be front row on opening night!

The monkeys, the Ferris wheel, the man-made lakes -- it looks like Michael Jackson has been able to save it all by doing an emergency refinance of Neverland ranch just before it was set to hit the auction block later this month.

Jackson's attorney, L. Londell McMillan told the AP today that Jacko has entered a "confidential" agreement with the investment group that was to auction the property because of the $24.5 million he owed on the 2500-acre spread.

Yay! Invite the kids over to celebrate!

Michael Jackson's Neverland estate is being foreclosed and if you're in the market for a 2800 acre property with a zoo and amusement park, then you might just be in luck!

Jackson received word Monday, from his title company, that unless he pays off $24,525,906.61 by March 19, his house will be on the auction block on that day!

All personal effects inside the estate will be included in the sale.

But Jacko hasn't been there since June 30, 2005, according to FoxNews.com so maybe he'll just let it go!

A word of warning to Brit ... mismanage your finances (or allow someone to mismanage them for you) and you could end up like Jackson! His song publishing interests (his own music and the Beatles catalogue) are leveraged into the next millennium and now no home?! Tough break, Jacko!

People always ask us, what are some of your favorite photos? Well we've compiled just a few here to give you a taste of just some of the scoops we've gotten over the years. We'll have more "Scoops" galleries coming soon!

The Grammys always bring out pop royalty - but can they tempt the King of Pop into a rare public appearance?

Tom O'Neil's Gold Derby blog spoke to Diane Dimond, the author of a book about Jackson's molestation charges, who claims to have seen an internal Sony-BMG memo describing how the label's "pulling out all the stops to help its one-time mega-star re-enter the pop music scene" - and that it specifically mentions getting involved in the Grammys!

The memo doesn't say whether Jackson's appearance would be to perform or just to present awards.

However, a hotly-anticipated special edition of Thriller commemorating its 25th anniversary hits stores on February 12th - a scant two days after the Grammys broadcast!

What better way to remind people of that fact than to show up at the music industry's biggest night?

(And, of course, if we're talking Grammy news, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Rihanna's been confirmed to perform - and she'll be supported by Prince's unbelievably awesome former backing band the Time!)

When a record label is trying to get everyone to buy another copy of an album they already own, they tend to break open the vaults to find "bonus" goodies to tack on - but for an album like Michael Jackson's Thriller, apparently even that tactic isn't enough! Rolling Stone is reporting that the forthcoming 25th anniversary edition (yeesh, has it been that long already?) of Thriller will come fortified with bonus remixes from today's biggest stars, including Will.i.am, Akon, and Kanye West!

We at the office are ecstatic to hear about these remixes (and also the more standard "bonus tracks", one of which a Jackson flack describes as "killer"). The Kanye collaboration in particular should be scorching hot - after all, "Good Life" proves that Kan knows what to listen for in a MJ song! Of course, we've got another idea for a collaborator for MJ - if you can't guess who by their shirt, we've got the answer just after the jump!