The great Valerie Harper appeared on the the Today show this morning with brilliant news: her doctors says her brain cancer is “close to remission.” The doctor says, “She defies the odds.” She received a death sentence last winter but has beaten the odds. She’s made a TV movie since then, and will appear “Dancing with the Stars.” I will even watch that show just to see Valerie win. This is the power of positive thinking. Bravo, Valerie!

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I just saw a Tweet saying Michael Jackson– remember what a good business man he was. Huh? The smartest thing Michael Jackson ever did was tell John Branca that the Beatles’ catalog was for sale. That was it. Michael lived on that catalog for 25 years, long after his own money had run out due to flagrant spending on stuff that was mostly crap: worthless expensive souvenirs from Las Vegas vendors, paintings of himself at the Last Supper. Jewelry for Elizabeth Taylor so she’d come to his 30th anniversary show. One million dollars cash to get Marlon Brando to appear on stage at the same concert.

Michael didn’t want to work. It took years to get the mediocre “Invincible” album together. It had already been 6 or 7 years since he’d put out a new record when “Invincible” was released in 2001. The album, you don’t want to remember this, was not a hit. “You Rock My World” was a modest success compared to Jackson’s previous efforts.

He wouldn’t tour. By 2001, he’d been off the circuit for some time. He didn’t tour for “Invincible.” He made one appearance–at the Apollo, for the Democratic National Committee–in 2002. I was there. I saw him live. http://www.foxnews.com/story/2002/04/25/jacko-plays-apollo/.

It was a so-so effort. It was also the last time he performed live. He knew he needed money. He burned through it day and night.  Rome was burning and Michael fiddled. Managers came and went with schemes, all of which wound up in lawsuits that cost more legal fees. He made terrible investments. Roll call: Hollywoodticket.com, Dieter Wiesner, Myung Ho Lee, Marcel Avram, Shumley Boteach.

Jackson lived like the money from “Thriller” was still coming in. It wasn’t. By the time he was arrested in 2003, and stood trial in 2005, the finances were vanishing. He called his friend Ron Burkle from the men’s room in the Santa Maria courthouse and offered to sell him everything, begged for help. Burkle, who was really a friend, declined.

I say all this because, let’s get real. Michael Jackson has only made money post-death because he was not an obstacle to prudent moves. With Michael out the way, his executors were able to right the ship. If Michael Jackson hadn’t died: he would have played the London shows, cancelled some feigning illness, and spent whatever money was made as quickly as it came in. That’s the truth. So let’s get a grip.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,187452,00.html

Of course, he was a musical genius. He was a dancing fool. He was lovely to his kids. His fans adored him. His death is a tragedy. But I can see the sepia tint washing over his portrait now. Remember: at one point, Neverland and the Encino house shut down, employees who need the money to live on were not being paid. And Michael Jackson did nothing, Nada. He was human. And he was not a good businessman.

I told you two weeks ago Paul McCartney had a new album. And it’s called “New,” due from Concord on October 15th. “New” is produced by Mark Ronson, the man behind Amy Winehouse’s big successes and many other hits. Ronson is also the son of Ann Dexter Jones and stepson of Foreigner’s Mick Jones. The title song, “New,” is up on iTunes today. It’s so McCartney-like in melody and structure you’d have no trouble picking it out, and still it’s all “new.” This song is one of Macca’s bright, self contained pop bursts, a lot like “Penny Lane” or “My Brave Face.” The new album is Paul’s first since “Driving Rain.”– whoops, no!– “Memory Almost Full.” (Apparently mine is or I wouldn’t have forgotten that!)

Here it is:

photo c2012showbiz411

John Mayer got thisclose to being number 1 this week. But his “Paradise Valley” came in at number 2 in its debut week with 145,560 copies. Country superstar Luke Bryan held on to the top spot for a second week with “Crash My Party.” Bryan sold 158,810 copies– off by 70% from his first week but still at the top. Mayer had the goods, and lots of publicity thanks to relationship with Katie Perry.

The Mayer numbers are significantly down from his last album. “Born and Raised” sold 219,000 copies back on May 22, 2012. Where did those 75,000 fans go? It could be the mid August date, college is out, people are on vacation. Also Mayer could use a hit single to get  interest in the album. The duet with Katy Perry, called “Who You Love,” probably can’t be released as a single since she’s on rival Universal Music (via their EMI purchase).

“Paradise Valley” does have a weird twist though– a 1 minute 26 second reprise of the single “Wildfire” with Frank Ocean. Why isn’t a whole track? Ocean is on Columbia.

“Gravity,” a sci-fi movie directed the great Alfonso Cuaron, won rave reviews today from its opening night at the Venice Film Festival. Both Variety and THR waxed poetic about Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts cut loose in space after their ship is blown up.

Bullock’s character is named Dr. Ryan Stone, which is important. On the internet, some fans are asking if Gravity, which Cuaron wrote with his son Jonas, is based on Ray Bradbury’s famous short story, “Kaleidoscope.” http://www.scaryforkids.com/kaleidoscope-by-ray-bradbury/

That story, extremely well known, is part of a Bradbury collection called “The Illustrated Man.” The stories are must-reads in junior high school (or at least used to be) and remain classic in the sci-fi canon. In the story, several astronauts are cut loose from their space ship after it explodes, and they drift around before hurtling into deep space. One the astronauts is named Stone.

Last year, a 17 minute short film of “Kaleidoscope” was made by actor Brett Stimely. Bradbury had given his permission before he died. Bradbury’s estate agent, Michael Congdon, told me no rights have been sold to the story because the hope is to license “Illustrated Man” as one piece.

In “Gravity,” Bullock’s Stone is pretty much one her own, talking to Clooney as they struggle in space. The characters have their own back stories. From the reviews, it sounds like the 3D technology is incredibly realistic. The Oscar buzz has already begun. Whether not the Cuarons are just riffing on Bradbury or doing something closer remains to be seen.