Michael Jackson's Home Contained A Dozen Bottles Of Propofol

An L.A. County Coroner's Office investigator testifies during Dr. Conrad Murray's preliminary hearing that a litany of drugs were found at the residence.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Michael Jackson
Photo: Sony/ AEG

The role of propofol has loomed large in Michael Jackson's sudden 2009 death, and according to an investigator, copious amounts of the surgical anesthetic were found in the superstar's home.

During the latest round of testimony at the preliminary manslaughter hearing for Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, on Friday (January 7), an investigator for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office testified that a dozen bottles of propofol were discovered in Jackson's home, according to TMZ. One of the two bottles found in the singer's bedroom was empty, and investigators also found a slew of at least 10 other types of medication, including lorazepam, hydrocodone and lidocaine.

The mother of one of Murray's children, Nicole Alvarez, also testified and said the doctor sent several packages to her home from April to June 2009. While the packages' contents were not revealed in court, TMZ has reported that the parcels contained propofol and were sent from Murray's Las Vegas pharmacy.

Another one of Murray's girlfriends, Sade Anding, gave notable testimony. Anding said she received a five-minute phone call from Murray around 12:30 p.m., during which he abruptly stopped talking after exchanging brief small talk. Anding said she heard "coughing and voices," and the line sounded as if he had placed the phone in his pocket. However, according to phone records, the only time Murray called Anding that day was at 11:51 a.m., which would have meant that Murray waited about 25 minutes to call 911 once he recognized Jackson needed emergency assistance.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter, and his lawyers are reportedly planning to claim Jackson killed himself by self-administering a lethal dose of propofol.

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Usher's 'OMG' Gets Celeb Endorsement As Song Of The Year

'It's undeniable,' Travie McCoy says of the track that topped MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010.
By Jocelyn Vena


Usher
Photo: Getty Images

2010 had some great jams, and all week, MTV News has been counting down some of its best. Everything from Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" to two of Kanye's West's killer My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy tracks, "Power" and "Runaway," made the top 10. But it was Usher's bombastic party jam "OMG" that rose to the top and came in at #1.

So what made that song such a party anthem? "Oh my God! That's exactly what I would say! Oh my God!" Pauly D joked about 2010's top party jam. "Dope, dope track. I love playing it. The crowd goes crazy when I play it. Usher's the man!"

Travie McCoy added: "It's a great song. It's undeniable, you know what I mean?"

"Dancing With the Stars" pro Lacey Schwimmer admitted that "OMG" was the track that got dancers, both professional and amateur, on the dance floor. "You guys got a great dance anthem," she said. "So be prepared for people who do not know how to dance just going to town!"

Producer Alex Da Kid gave props to will.i.am for the song's epic beat. "I love 'OMG.' I think it's definitely something different for Usher," he said. "And it still has all the dance performance elements Usher's known for, but it's something slightly different and done in a will.i.am kind of way, and it's different and that's why it connected to so many different people. It's a great song."

Celebrities also weighed in on their favorite jams of 2010, choosing everything from Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" to B.o.B and Hayley Williams' "Airplanes."

Why did you love "OMG" in 2010? Tell us in the comments!

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Justin Bieber Graces Cover Of Love's 'Androgyny Issue'

Singer offers serious stare on magazine cover, shot by Terry Richardson.
By James Dinh


Justin Bieber on the cover of Love
Photo: Love

As the release of his first full-length feature film, "Never Say Never," draws closer, the Justin Bieber takeover is shifting into high gear with yet another high-profile magazine shoot. This time around, however, there's no grin or slight smirk as the teen sensation gives a fixed stare on the cover of Love magazine's "androgyny issue."

Shot by famed photographer Terry Richardson, the Biebster takes a note from Tyra Banks as he smiles with his big brown eyes on the head-shot cover with a subtitle that reads "The Beautiful One." According to Fashionologie.com, the 16-year-old singer was shot by the famed photographer during a 90-minute break between gigs in Philadelphia. The biannual fashion mag, which also features an alternate cover with Kate Moss kissing transsexual model Lea T, is expected to hit stands on February 7.

While the accompanying interview has yet to surface, a tweet from the magazine reveals that journalist Paul Flynn spoke to the star about his legion of female fans: " 'The girls have always been screaming for me.' @justinbieber, LOVE Magazine Issue 5, out 7th Feb 2011."

In addition to Love, Bieber also appears on the cover of the February issue of Vanity Fair. In the cover story, the pop superstar opens up about the trials of teenage fame. "It's hard to really balance myself. A regular kid, if he catches the flu, he just gets to go home," Bieber said. "But I can't do that ... Everything is important. But, you know, my sanity is important, too. Even if I'm angry, I'll just put a smile on my face and fake it. I don't often fake it — what's me is me ... I know I have to give up a lot of myself, or a lot of a private life."

What do you think of Bieber's Love magazine cover?

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Adam Lambert's 'Whole Lotta Love': The Story Behind The Cover

Glam rocker tackled the legendary 1970 Led Zeppelin song for 'American Idol' rock night.
By Gil Kaufman


Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox

Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."

That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.

The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.

For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.

Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Justin Bieber Graces Cover Of Love's 'Androgyny Issue'

Singer offers serious stare on magazine cover, shot by Terry Richardson.
By James Dinh


Justin Bieber on the cover of Love
Photo: Love

As the release of his first full-length feature film, "Never Say Never," draws closer, the Justin Bieber takeover is shifting into high gear with yet another high-profile magazine shoot. This time around, however, there's no grin or slight smirk as the teen sensation gives a fixed stare on the cover of Love magazine's "androgyny issue."

Shot by famed photographer Terry Richardson, the Biebster takes a note from Tyra Banks as he smiles with his big brown eyes on the head-shot cover with a subtitle that reads "The Beautiful One." According to Fashionologie.com, the 16-year-old singer was shot by the famed photographer during a 90-minute break between gigs in Philadelphia. The biannual fashion mag, which also features an alternate cover with Kate Moss kissing transsexual model Lea T, is expected to hit stands on February 7.

While the accompanying interview has yet to surface, a tweet from the magazine reveals that journalist Paul Flynn spoke to the star about his legion of female fans: " 'The girls have always been screaming for me.' @justinbieber, LOVE Magazine Issue 5, out 7th Feb 2011."

In addition to Love, Bieber also appears on the cover of the February issue of Vanity Fair. In the cover story, the pop superstar opens up about the trials of teenage fame. "It's hard to really balance myself. A regular kid, if he catches the flu, he just gets to go home," Bieber said. "But I can't do that ... Everything is important. But, you know, my sanity is important, too. Even if I'm angry, I'll just put a smile on my face and fake it. I don't often fake it — what's me is me ... I know I have to give up a lot of myself, or a lot of a private life."

What do you think of Bieber's Love magazine cover?

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Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says

'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.
By Chris Harris


Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images

There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.

Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.

On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.

"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."

Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.

"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."

DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.

"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."

As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.

"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."

While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?

"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray To Be Arraigned

Murray to head to trial in death of Jackson following Tuesday hearing.
By Gil Kaufman


Dr. Conrad Murray
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

Cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray, the only person charged in the June 2009 death of Michael Jackson, will be arraigned on Tuesday morning (January 25) on an involuntary manslaughter charge. Murray, who was serving as the 50-year-old pop icon's personal physician at the time, is expected to plead not guilty in the case.

According to CNN, the hearing in front of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, is only slated to last a few minutes. While Murray has the right to demand a trial within 60 days, it is not expected that a date will be set for one on Tuesday.

After more than a week of testimony, Pastor ruled during a preliminary hearing in early January that there was enough evidence to bring Murray's case to trial. In the meantime, Murray remains free on $75,000 bond, but Pastor blocked the doctor from using his California medical license until the trial is completed.

"Michael is not with us today because of an utterly inept, incompetent, reckless doctor — the defendant Conrad Murray," Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said in his final arguments in the preliminary hearing, where a series of witnesses recounted Murray's actions during the minutes and hours before and after Jackson's death. The King of Pop died as a result of what the Los Angeles County coroner's office called acute propofol poisoning, a reference to a powerful surgical anesthetic that the singer reportedly requested as a sleep aid to combat chronic insomnia.

While prosecutors appear to be building a case that Murray acted recklessly in attending to Jackson in the singer's final hours, CNN reported that the doctor's lawyers appeared satisfied with the results of the preliminary hearing thanks to some testimony they got from prosecution witnesses that might help raise some reasonable doubt about their client's guilt at trial.

"I think the prosecution is going to change their tactics in this case," defense lawyer J. Michael Flanagan said after the preliminary hearing. "It's not the same as what they gave in opening statements." The defense reportedly is set to argue that it was Jackson himself who administered the final, fatal dose of propofol after waking in a panic from a fitful night of sleep. One of the prosecution's expert witnesses in the case admitted under cross-examination that he made a math mistake and that the recalculation supports the defense theory that Jackson may have given himself the dose of propofol that killed him.

CNN reported that Dr. Richard Ruffalo, an anesthesiologist hired by the prosecution, was the last witness to take the stand and his admission about making a mistake on the calculation of the level of propofol in Jackson's stomach fluid reportedly elicited gasps from the members of Jackson's family who were sitting in the hearing room.

Murray's lawyers have suggested that a frustrated Jackson may have poured the anesthetic — which is administered intravenously — into his juice bottle while the doctor was out of his bedroom. "Now it doesn't make sense unless he ingested it orally in a huge amount," Ruffalo testified. The anesthesiologist added that Murray could still be at fault for leaving dangerous drugs near a patient who was allegedly addicted to sedatives and sleep aids.

"It's like leaving a syringe next to a heroin addict," Ruffalo stated. "If he's not getting what he wants, when you leave the room he might reach for it himself ... Either way, it doesn't matter. He abandoned his patient and didn't resuscitate appropriately." Ruffalo said Murray should have anticipated that Jackson, who had previously asked to inject himself with the drug, might potentially administer it to himself. "He gets upset if he doesn't get his milk," he said, explaining that Jackson often referred to propofol as his "milk."

In addition, the pathologist who conducted Jackson's autopsy acknowledged it was possible, though improbable, that the singer gave himself the fatal propofol dose. Speaking to police two days after Jackson's death, Murray told investigators that a sleepless Jackson had begged him for more propofol on the day he died. The King of Pop was in the midst of a grueling series of rehearsals for his planned "This Is It" comeback shows at London's O2 Arena at the time of his death.

A civil lawsuit filed last year by Jackson's mother against the producer of the concerts, AEG Live, alleged that the company had warned the entertainer several weeks before he died that if he missed any more rehearsals they were going to "pull the plug" on the gigs, which the cash-strapped Jackson was depending on to revive his stalled career.

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