Prince Rivalry Kept Jackson Up At Night

MICHAEL JACKSON’s longtime pop rivalry with PRINCE was partly to blame for the superstar’s death - because he worked himself into the grave to make sure his comeback shows in London were better than anything the PURPLE RAIN hitmaker could produce.

Randy Phillips, the promoter behind the ill-fated comeback shows, has revealed the costs of the This Is It production were spiralling out of control in the weeks leading up to the King of Pop’s death in June (09) - because the pop superstar couldn’t stop coming up with expensive ideas.

Phillips, the president of promotion firm AEG Live which organised the London concerts, held a meeting with Jackson and his musical director Kenny Ortega and begged the star to stop adding ideas.

He tells Entertainment Weekly magazine that Jackson was worried Prince would get the ideas if he ignored them.

He explains, “We went and met with Michael, and Kenny said, ‘Michael, you’ve got to stop. We’ve got an incredible show, we don’t need any more vignettes.’

“Michael said, ‘But Kenny, God channels this through me at night. I can’t sleep because I’m so super-charged.’

“Kenny said, ‘But Michael, we have to finish. Can’t God take a vacation?’ Without missing a beat, Michael said, ‘You don’t understand - if I’m not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince.’”