Michael Jackson 'This Is It' Tour Producer to Take to the Stand Again
Concert promoter and producer of Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour, Paul Gongaware, will return to the stand for day two of the Jackson Death Trial to testify on the controversial death of the singer.
Gongaware is the co-chief executive of AEG Live, and on Tuesday said he had negotiated the terms of Conrad Murray being Jackson's physician during the upcoming London tour.
Jackson insisted in having Murray be his doctor.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Gongaware stated initially Murray wanted $5 million-a-year to work for Jackson because he'd have to close four facilities and lay off employees.
Murray later accepted the job for $150,000 a month after his first proposal was shot down by Gongaware when he told him, "...there was no way that was going to happen."
Then Gongaware began to talk about the late singer, "He was very enthusiastic about this whole tour," and "totally engaged," when referring to all of the planning and preparations put into the upcoming tour.
Up until that point the courtroom was still reeling over some of the information being presented by the prosecution and the defense in the form of audio files, pictures, and video.
A recording of Jackson's voice was played, bringing his own mother, Katherine Jackson, to tears.
"I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life...he's the greatest entertainer of all time,'" a heavily medicated and woozy Jackson said in a recording retrieved from Murray's phone.
This recording is shaping up to be a key component in the prosecutors case because it shows that Murray knew of Jackson's problem and condition prior to his death yet kept ordering more drugs for him to use.
David Walgren, the prosecuting attorney said, "Michael Jackson literally put his life in the hands of Conrad Murray...that misplaced trust cost Michael Jackson his life."
