POP megastar Michael Jackson announced today he will play a series of comeback concerts in London in July, his first major shows for over a decade.
Four years after his infamous child abuse trial, the 50-year-old eccentric singer confirmed he will play 10 gigs at the giant London O2 arena starting on July 8.
"I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear," Jackson said at London's O2 Arena where thousands of screaming fans had gathered.
"This is the final curtain call and I'll see you in July," said Jackson, wearing sunglasses and a black jacket with silver sequins as hundreds of fans, some holding placards proclaiming "Michael We Love You" screamed with delight.
Reports suggest the 50-year-old could make tens of millions of dollars from the residency-style string of London concerts, helping pay legal bills and debts racked up since the collapse of the abuse trial against him in 2005.
If they are successful, the London concerts would be a spectacular return for Jackson, who dominated the pop world with hit albums like Thriller and Bad in the 1980s but has virtually vanished from public view since his trial.
The O2, formerly the much-maligned Millennium Dome, has transformed itself into a leading concert venue, notably hosting a comeback gig by legendary rockers Led Zeppelin and a 21-night residency by Prince in 2007.
Jackson is reportedly close to completing his first new album since 2001, and has collaborated with a younger generation of stars like rapper Kanye West.
But he has been dogged by rumours of ill health and bookmakers William Hill are already offering 5-1 odds that, should the London concerts go ahead, he will not turn up on the first night.
However, the Daily Mirror reported today that Jackson had passed 50 health tests set by insurers to prove he was fit enough to perform.
Jackson last performed in Britain at the 2006 World Music Awards, where he sang a few lines of We Are The World.
His last official tour was the 1996-7 HIStory World Tour, although he has played one-off gigs since.
The singer became a phenomenally successful star, first with the Jackson Five alongside his brothers and then as a solo artist.
His fame led him to withdraw into a private world at his Neverland ranch in California and he underwent a physical transformation, his skin lightening and his face showing signs of plastic surgery. He has denied undergoing cosmetic surgery.
Jackson's career hit trouble in 1993 when a 13-year-old boy made sex abuse allegations against him and prosecutors and police launched an investigation.
A year later, Jackson reached an out-of-court settlement with the boy's family, paying out $US23.3 million ($35.9 million) and the criminal case was dramatically stopped. Jackson says he now regrets the payment.
Even as Jackson made the announcement in London, another argument erupted back in California: the star's production company said it had filed a lawsuit aiming to halt a planned auction of his belongings next month.
An array of treasures from the singer's Neverland Ranch, ranging from his white-jewelled glove to the gates of the ranch, are among more than 2000 items due to be sold by Julien's Auctions in Hollywood.
But MJJ Productions claimed in a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed yesterday that certain "priceless and irreplaceable" items due to go under the hammer on April 22-25 had "extraordinary sentimental value".
The auction house's executive director Martin Nolan said today he was stunned by the lawsuit in a radio interview in Ireland, where items from the upcoming sale are on display.
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