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Jackson Rehearsed At Staples Night Before Death

Michael Jackson’s last night was a great one–don’t let the tabloid magazines or British newspapers tell you otherwise.

Michael’s manager, Frank DiLeo, sobbing, told me this morning: “The show at the Staples Center was amazing. Michael rehearsed 10 or 11 songs. He sang and danced, not always at full power, but the way you do for a run-through. When the show was over, he called me, but I was in the back getting something. He found me, and said, ‘Frank, I am so happy. He said he was just so happy. He said, This is really our time. He put his arm around me.”

For DiLeo, the memory of that moment will always be reassuring. But the insanity of Jackson’s death, the timing of it, is what is craziest for him. Jackson and DiLeo had not worked together officially for 20 years. In the last couple of weeks, though, DiLeo had re-upped officially as manager. Jackson was very excited about working with him. They had a lot of plans.