Michael Jackson in Thailand, 1996
Photo: VH1

While in Thailand in 1996, Michael Jackson sat down to answer some of his fans' most pressing questions, including whether "Billie Jean" is based on a real person and if Jackson has ever felt nervous onstage. Jackson — who was candid, good-natured and relaxed during the interview — opened up about his childhood, his music and even what he would do if given the chance to have a day off from fame.

"There is a girl named Billie Jean, but it's not about that Billie Jean," he said when asked about the inspiration behind his 1983 hit single. "Billie Jean is kind of anonymous. It represents a lot of girls. They used to call them groupies in the '60s. They would hang around backstage doors, and any band that would come to town they would have a relationship with, and I think I wrote this out of experience with my brothers when I was little. There were a lot of Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claimed that their son was related to one of my brothers."

Jackson admitted that it is interviews that make him more nervous than actually going onstage and performing. The usually shy singer put his guard up a bit during this particular question, seeming unable to fully explain how uncomfortable he feels about being interviewed.

"I don't remember ever being afraid to go onstage. I'm more comfortable onstage than giving this interview right now," he said. "In truth, I really don't like being interviewed. I swear to God, I feel it's such an intrusion. Every interview I've ever done, I've been forced into it."

Jackson, who was probably one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world before his death last month, admits that even if he could hide and get a day off, he'd just spend it working. "[I'd] probably [go] to Neverland or an island isolated somewhere," he said. "What would I do? Probably write music or create some music or stage play or something. Something creative. I never stop working."

As a child working with his brothers in the Jackson 5, he had the chance to work with everyone from his good friend Diana Ross to Marvin Gaye. And, in this 1996 interview, he said the environment on the Motown label "was very friendly" and recalled some of his favorite memories from that period in his life.

"Marvin Gaye used to come to my house at least twice a week to play basketball with my brothers," he recalled. "Stevie Wonder would come by for gatherings and parties. I would go to the Supremes' house with Diana Ross when she would invite the other girls over, and there was really, sincerely one happy family. We would have a baseball team where we'd played against one another. And I was just really little, and they'd let me bat, and it was really a happy family. And I do miss all of them. Even the Temptations would come over to my house all the time."

MTV's live coverage of the Michael Jackson public memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles will begin on Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT.

For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered."

Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below.

• Michael Jackson In His Own Words: Fan Questions

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos
• Michael Jackson Fans Gather At Staples Center Memorial In L.A.
• Fans Mourn The Loss Of Music Icon Michael Jackson

• Michael Jackson
• Marvin Gaye
• Stevie Wonder
• Diana Ross

Kris Allen performs "What's Going On" on "Idol" Tuesday night
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ FOX

"American Idol" is not known for having its pulse on the headlines of the day. In fact, short of its on-hiatus "Idol Gives Back" charity franchise, the show has typically been blissfully oblivious to the world at large as it dinosaur-stomps its way through the ratings every spring.

But on Tuesday night's (May 19) final performance episode, producer Simon Fuller seemed to want to make a statement about the turbulent times we are living in by choosing Marvin Gaye's landmark protest song "What's Going On" for Kris Allen to sing. He chose Sam Cooke's equally heavy "A Change Is Gonna Come" for rival Adam Lambert, creating a powerful moment for the show. The Gaye song was a chance for Allen to tap into his emotional side and switch up the arrangement to suit his strummy, jammy vibe.

The song, which was released as the title track to the Motown icon's 1971 album, has reached legendary status as Gaye's breakthrough to socially conscious music. The album was written as an unbroken song cycle chronicling urban, ecological, racial, drug-induced, physical and emotional decay as seen through the eyes of a returning Vietnam War veteran, inspired in part by Gaye's own brother, a war veteran.

"Mother, mother/ There's too many of you crying," Gaye sang. "Brother, brother, brother/ There's far too many of you dying/ You know we've got to find a way/ To bring some lovin' here today."

Following a string of landmark hits in the 1960s, "What's Going On" joined a new wave of early 1970s soul anthems that took a more serious tone, including the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" and Edwin Starr's "War."

	"American Idol" Season 8: Live Performances HERE

The song came to Gaye from songwriters Al Cleveland and the Four Tops' Renaldo "Obie" Benson at a time when the Motown star was contemplating giving up music following the 1970 death of his longtime singing and romantic partner, Tammi Terrell. Gaye, not known for writing his own songs, helped the duo complete the tune. He was going to give it away to a Motown act named the Originals, but he was persuaded to keep it by Cleveland and Benson.

Initially rejected by Motown boss Berry Gordy Jr. because it didn't fit with Gaye's previous style, Gordy eventually relented and the song became Motown's fastest-selling single to that point, hitting #1 on the R&B charts and #2 on the pop charts.

The song remained on the charts for more than a year and sold 2 million copies and was ranked #4 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2004 and was chosen as one of 50 recordings to be added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2003.

Given its lauded status, the tune has not been covered by many artists, though Aretha Franklin and soul great Donny Hathaway have done versions. It was also recorded as an all-star charity single in 2001 by Bono, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera as an AIDS benefit, and it has more recently been covered by A Perfect Circle, Cyndi Lauper, Coldplay and the Strokes, who included it as a B-side to one of their singles.

Are you an "American Idol" expert? Take our ultimate "Idol" quiz to find out! Plus, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

• 'American Idol' In 60 Seconds
• Relive 'American Idol': Season Eight

• "American Idol" Season 8: Live Performances
• "American Idol" Season 8: Memorable Moments

• Marvin Gaye

Bun B
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Bun B's "Free Pimp C" campaign ended after the incarcerated half of UGK was released from prison. And in the wake of Pimp's death in December of 2007, Bun is doing his best to launch an effort to lionize his late partner-in-rhyme.

The veteran rapper told MTV News on Friday (January 23) that UGK's next — and final — album is ready for release. The project, titled 4 Life, is scheduled to arrive March 31 on Jive Records. Bun hopes the album will do for Pimp C what Bob Marley's Legend did for the great Rastafarian star.

"This will be a good bookend to the legacy of myself and Pimp," Bun said. "And definitely take not just the group, but Pimp C, to true legend and iconic status."

The first single, "Da Game Been Good to Me," recently appeared online and will be serviced to radio soon. The string-laden track features just the two UGK stars. According to Bun, 4 Life isn't likely to feature any outside collaborators.

"This album is not about who I wanna work with and what kind of beats I wanna do," he explained. "This album is about what the people wanna hear, and that's Bun and Pimp. And I wanna try to give that to them in the most purest sense."

The album is expected to be pared down to roughly 12 tracks. Among them, in addition to the single, is a song tentatively titled "Marvin," for the Marvin Gaye sample used in the production. Bun said Pimp, UGK's main producer, was experimenting with music more and looking to explore new sounds before his death.

In previous interviews, Bun spoke on how difficult it would be recording a UGK album without Pimp C.

"I know people will support it, and I know that I'm strong enough to do it," Bun told Mixtape Monday last January. "Just the point of understanding from here on out, it's just [me] — I'm probably never gonna be comfortable with it in that sense. It's just a matter of coming to terms with the reality of it and the finality of the two-man situation in a physical sense."

As Bun B puts the finishing touches on 4 Life, the memories of Pimp continue to stay at the forefront of his mind. Planning a video for the album's release or impending interviews for the project don't stir emotions much for Bun. When it comes to his UGK cohort, who was more family than musical partner, being reminded of Pimp makes the pain palpable.

"That comes and goes. You don't need an album, video or songs for that to come out," he said of his friend's memory. "I try to tell people all the time: 'It's never the big things that you think, it's the little things.' Interviews and videos, that don't do it. But when you see something that you know they would have loved to do or see or buy or drive somewhere they would have loved to go ... just [being reminded of] their nature and personality makes you realize they're not around anymore."

• UGK
• Pimp C
• Marvin Gaye

Elvis Presley
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

What do Elvis Presley, Albert Einstein, Marvin Gaye and Heath Ledger have in common? Well, according to Forbes, they all make more money dead than you do alive. The magazine has released its annual list of the world's top-earning deceased celebrities, and for a second-straight year, the King leads the pack.

Presley raked in $52 million this year, up from $49 million in 2007, much of it due to the thousands who visit his Graceland estate each year and leave with souvenirs. New licensing ventures and the addition of the Elvis Channel to Sirius Satellite Radio's programming list didn't hurt either.

"While things might be topsy-turvy in the financial markets above ground, it's still a bull market in the boneyard," Forbes joked. Elvis earned more in the last year than some of pop's biggest breathing names. By comparison, Justin Timberlake cleared $44 million, while Madonna pulled in $40 million.

With $33 million earned, "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles Schulz, who died eight years ago, follows Elvis at #2. Meanwhile, Australian actor Heath Ledger, who died in January of an accidental drug overdose, made the #3 spot on the list.

The magazine claims it was Ledger's role as the Joker in this summer's blockbuster Batman flick, "The Dark Knight," that helped him make the cut. Ledger's estate received a percentage of the movie's box office take, as well as the film's related merchandising deals. Add to that the up-front payments he received for his work on the unfinished film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," and the late actor earned an estimated $20 million over the last year.

German-born physicist Albert Einstein follows at #4 on the list, earning an estimated $18 million. Most of that cash came from the Disney-owned line of Baby Einstein products, Forbes reports, as well as several licensing deals, including one that will be tied to a new line of Kobe Bryant sneakers.

Further down the list, at #7, is Beatles songwriter John Lennon, who was murdered back in 1980 at the age of 40. Lennon's annual income peaked in 2006 at $24 million, but he is still one of the world's top postmortem earners, thanks to music-publishing royalties, merchandising and licensing agreements. The late Paul Newman, who died last month at the age of 83 after a long bout with lung cancer, makes the list at #11, earning $5 million, mostly from film residuals.

Marvin Gaye, who was murdered in 1984, earned $3.5 million last year to land in the #13 position. Motown Records continued to remaster, repackage and rerelease the singer's impressive catalog, and plans for a pair of big-budget biopics helped earn Gaye a spot on the roster for the first time. He also earned money through royalties and from hip-hop artists sampling his work.

• Elvis Presley
• Marvin Gaye

Don't expect to see what happens inside the courtroom for the next hearing in the Michael Jackson case, set for Friday. Judge Rodney Melville rejected a bid to place cameras in the courtroom this past Friday, on the same day prosecutors filed court papers saying they had changed their minds on the subject and now objected to cameras for pretrial hearings. The judge offered no reason for turning down the request, while news organizations had argued in court papers that images of orderly proceedings would counter any images of a circus outside the courthouse. ...

Eminem's ex-wife, Kim Mathers, was sent to jail without bail on Friday after she admitted to her probation officer that she had recently used cocaine. Mathers, who was sentenced to two years' probation on January 21 for cocaine possession and driving without a license, tested positive for the drug in a January 29 urine test. She faces up to five years in prison for violating her probation. ... The Distillers will launch an 18-city spring tour of North America in support of their latest album, Coral Fang. The five-week trek begins March 12 in Anaheim, California. ...

At the NBA All-Star game Sunday in Los Angeles, Nona Gaye will sing along to her father Marvin Gaye's famous performance of the national anthem from 1983, the last time the game was played in L.A. Viewers will see Marvin's performance through a digitally enhanced video. ... Metallica have been chosen by the San Francisco chapter of the Recording Academy to receive a 2004 Governor's Award for Creative Excellence and Outstanding Achievement. The award will be bestowed upon the headbangers at the Governor's Awards Gala, a fund-raiser that will take place March 15 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. The event will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, formal dinner and awards presentation, which will also pay tribute to Mickey Hart and Chanticleer. ...

Southern California hardcore vets Bad Religion are planning to drop their next album, The Empire Strikes First, on June 8. The LP follows the quintet's 2002 LP, The Process of Belief. ... Remixes of hits by Stacie Orrico, Gorillaz, Fischerspooner, Dirty Vegas and the Chemical Brothers featuring K-OS will be featured on the double-disc compilation Freq.beats, due February 24. Fatboy Slim, Paul Oakenfold, Basement Jaxx, Daft Punk, BT, David Gahan and the Postal Service are also included. ...

New York art-rock trio Blonde Redhead will release their sixth album on March 23. The LP, Misery Is a Butterfly, will be their first since 2000's Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons. ... The Brides of Destruction, featuring Sunset Strip stars of the 1980s Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) and Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe), will release their debut album, Here Comes the Brides, March 9. ...

Southern Rock mainstays Lynyrd Skynyrd started a tour Friday in Everett, Washington, and have dates scheduled through August 28 in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The band has a concert album, Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve, scheduled for release in June. ... Von Bondies bassist Carrie Smith needed stitches Sunday night after she fell down and smacked her head during a set by Funeral for a Friend at a show in Cardiff, Wales. Smith was taken to a hospital for treatment and was released the same night. Earlier in the night Von Bondies, the Rapture and Franz Ferdinand all performed. ...

02.06.2004

He'll still be in the house, but 50 Cent will not be performing at Sunday night's Grammy Awards. He had been announced as a performer several weeks ago. … One of 50's bodyguards has been charged in a shooting that occurred outside a Jersey City, New Jersey, hotel in September. Shots were fired outside the hotel's lobby in what was initially believed to be a gunfight involving the rapper. But Hudson County prosecutors say that so far the evidence they have implicates only one gunman, William Floyd, who fired warning shots in the air. He's being charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon with unlawful intent. ...

Following guitarist Terry Balsamo's defection to Evanescence, Cold have tapped Eddie Rendini, formerly of Darwin's Waiting Room, as his replacement. The band plans to begin work on its fourth album later this year. ... Linkin Park canceled Friday's (February 6) concert with P.O.D. and Hoobastank in Inglewood, California, after singer Chester Bennington was diagnosed with bronchitis and acute laryngitis and was advised by his doctor not to perform. The show has been rescheduled for March 15. Tuesday's show in West Valley City, Utah, is still on. ...

Hilary Duff, Ashanti, Usher, Will Smith and Fefe Dobson will join pro hoopsters LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and others for the NBA's "Read to Achieve" special. The one-hour program will premiere February 14 at noon ET and will be simulcast on ABC, TNT, BET, Nick GAS, and NBA TV, as well as several online outlets. ... Missy Elliott has signed on to be one of the new spokespeople for M.A.C. cosmetics. For the company's upcoming Viva Glam campaign, Elliott joins Christina Aguilera, actress Chloë Sevigny, supermodel Linda Evangelista and pop icon Boy George. All proceeds from the cosmetic line's Viva Glam V pink lipstick and lip gloss go to the M.A.C. AIDS Fund, which raises money for people living with HIV and AIDS. ...

First comes Love, then comes marriage, or so Courtney Love figures, as she's offering to perform a marriage ceremony for a lucky radio contest winner. Fourteen alternative rock stations throughout the country are participating, including WHFS-FM in Washington, D.C., and K-ROCK (WXRK-FM) in New York, according to the singer's Web site. ... The first two artists from crunkmaster Lil Jon's new record label, Black Market Entertainment, are joining forces for the label's first album release. The LP, due February 24, has the unwieldy title The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present Trillville & Lil Scrappy. ...

A year after Esquire printed a story about the Flaming Lips, in which Beck was called "a di--," the musician has responded with a sarcastic letter to the magazine. The letter, printed in the February issue, states, "Your insights really brought to light the depths of my character and showed all the world who I truly am. ... I have been given cause to reflect on what may be important in my life and what may be irrelevant. Like last week, when, during my shopping spree at Louis Vuitton, I started thinking about how cool it was when I was broke and drove that old Chevy with the brakes that didn't work and had no money for food. ... I am really going to turn things around and do something meaningful with my life now, like publish a magazine with Britney Spears' butt on the cover. That would probably be 'keeping it real' and leaving something noble behind for posterity. ... Thanks, Esquire, for changing my life for the better." ...

The remixes are in for Madonna's next single, "Love Profusion." The maxi single, out in March, will include six remixes, including a bonus mix of "Nothing Fails" by Peter Rauhofer, who has also left his touch on Madge's most recent entries — her collabo with Britney, "Me Against the Music," "American Life," and her Gap commercial jingle with Missy Elliott, "Get Into the Hollywood Groove." ... Dido helped shut down a white power Web site after learning it was using two of her songs to promote its hateful messages. Owners of the site had misinterpreted the tracks "White Flag" and "This Land Is Mine" as racist and thought they represented their views. When she discovered this, Dido contacted her label, which called the British Photographic Industry. The site was then closed down. Dido is currently working on material for her next album. ...

The Chemical Brothers, Paul Oakenfold, Paul van Dyk, Sasha and John Digweed are headlining the sixth annual Ultra Music Festival, scheduled for March 6 at Bayfront Park in Miami. Perry Farrell, Goldie, Tiesto, Erick Morillo and Richie Hawtin are also among the big names DJing, while the Rapture, Junkie XL and Miss Kittin are among several acts performing live sets. ... Billy Talent singer Ben Kowalewicz is likely to look twice before tossing another broken mic stand with wild abandon. After he did just that at a show Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberta, while performing the single "Try Honesty," the stand conked drummer Aaron Solowoniuk in the head, leaving him unconscious and in need of 18 stitches. The show was stopped and Solowoniuk was taken to a hospital. Billy Talent's two-week trek with MxPx and Simple Plan, beginning February 13 in St. Petersburg, Florida, has not been affected by the accident. ...

After being photographed by a British newspaper walking along a train track in Cornwall, Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has been questioned by British Transport police for trespassing on a railway line. Gallagher admitted breaking the law and officials are deciding whether or not to prosecute. Oasis are currently in Cornwall working on their next studio album. ... The parent company of record chain Tower Records will likely file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reported the San Diego Union Tribune. The move would involve a debt-for-equity trade in which the current owners of the company, the Solomon family, would give up the chain to the company's bondholders, Reuters reported. ...

• Michael Jackson
• Eminem
• Metallica
• Stacie Orrico
• Marvin Gaye

Christina Aguilera sports her "What's Going On" blindfold
Photo: Lester Cohen

CULVER CITY, California — Christina Aguilera's golden locks, Fred Durst's backward ball cap, Gwen Stefani's rainbow makeup and Justin Timberlake's freshly grown peach fuzz took a back seat Thursday to a look unprecedented even in popular music — blindfolds.

"I feel like I'm playing pin the tail on the donkey," Aguilera quipped in between takes during the first day of shooting proper videos for three all-star remakes of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On."

Many of the artists who contributed to the project — from Ja Rule to Staind's Aaron Lewis to Alicia Keys — will don blindfolds for the video shoot, which heads to New York on Saturday and is scheduled to wrap by the end of the weekend.

The videos will feature the artists removing the blindfolds, which are imprinted with such labels as "Woman," "Homosexual" and "Muslim," while they sing their parts of the song.

Most of the shots are close-ups, though director Jake Scott, known for such moving videos as R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" and Erykah Badu's "Didn't Cha Know," filmed Aguilera and Stefani dancing from a distance on Thursday.

The new clips for "What's Going On" — the "Main Mix," Jermaine Dupri's "R&B Mix" and Mick G's "Adult Contemporary Mix" — will replace the current version, which was put together by MTV and blends news footage from the September 11 terrorist attacks with scenes from the recording sessions.

"The video out now just felt like a natural thing to do, and I am glad MTV did it," Timberlake said outside his dressing room, where he was dancing to "What It's Like to Be Me," the new track he co-wrote and co-produced for his girlfriend, Britney Spears. "This is an actual video — you can come up with a scenario that means something. You can put a visual with the cause you are singing about. ... I think people will get the message."

The blindfolds in the videos are meant to symbolize how people are blind to dealing with issues like racism, sexism, homophobia and religion and need to open their eyes, a spokesperson for the project said. The theme ties in with the lyrics to Gaye's "What's Going On," a #2 hit in 1971.

The original remake by the Bono-led Artists Against AIDS Worldwide will be released October 30 on a benefit CD alongside a growing number of alternate versions now totaling nine. Half of the proceeds will go to the Global AIDS Alliance, while the remainder will go to the United Way's September 11 Fund.

Dupri produced the main remake, and his slower R&B version features Monica, Jagged Edge and many of the artists who participated in the initial recording sessions, which took place prior to the terrorist attacks. Electronic music gurus Moby and Junior Sanchez, both New York natives, did dance remixes, while Bono brought in Train singer Pat Monahan and others for a contemporary mix.

Limp Bizkit's Durst recently finished his "Reality Check Mix" that includes vocals by Bono, Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, Perry Farrell, Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin and Deadsy's Elijah Blue, along with music from Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch and Bizkit rhythm section John Otto and Sam Rivers.

"I think it's going to touch a lot of people who will look over and not be touched by the versions already done," Durst said of his version. "If you think we're doing a 'We Are the World' tribute to Marvin Gaye, you're going to be surprised. We changed some of the words I thought needed to be changed. It's so many different styles of music put into one track. It's some serious past and present."

Added Timberlake: "Not everyone listens to the same things these days, and I think it's great they had Fred do a version. It's great they didn't break it up before the first version went to air, though, to show the unity and how so many artists from different genres came together. Now we can break it up."

Marvin Gaye III and Nona Gaye, Marvin's children, also filmed scenes for the videos on Thursday, but noticeably absent was Bono. Still, his presence was felt by the artists and organizers who sang his praises. Stefani, former Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes, Timberlake and Durst all beamed at memories of their phone calls from the U2 frontman.

Leigh Blake, founder of Artists Against AIDS Worldwide and the person who dreamed up the "What's Going On" project, said she never would have done the remake without Bono.

"Bono puts absolutely all of his great big huge heart into what we're doing. ... He really believes in using that platform to do good," said Blake, who also co-founded the Red Hot Organization, which raises money for AIDS research.

The money raised from "What's Going On" for the fight against AIDS will go to medicine, health education and simple medical care in Africa, she said.

"One child dies every minute there, and they don't have to," Blake said. "They are dying from pneumonia, diarrhea and other complications of being born HIV-positive. Infected women are breastfeeding their children because they don't have the money to buy formula. Who have we become if we grownups can't take care of these children we are responsible for?"

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

• U2
• No Doubt
• Christina Aguilera
• Limp Bizkit
• Britney Spears

U2's Bono
Photo: MTV

There's a lot more going on with the all-star remake of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," including a rock version that will include the frontmen from Korn and Stone Temple Pilots.

The release date for the Bono-organized, Jermaine Dupri-produced project has been bumped from December 1 to October 23, and there will now be an R&B version by Dupri, a slower version produced by Bono and a rock version manned by Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, according to the project's publicist.

Durst's version will include rock singers Jonathan Davis, Scott Weiland and Perry Farrell. Monica, Usher, Maxwell, Jagged Edge and TLC's Chilli and T-Boz will be included in Dupri's R&B version. The collaborators on Bono's version will be announced later this week.

Originally recorded to benefit AIDS research, the single will now have its profits split between AIDS research and the United Way's September 11th Fund.

Bono and other organizers of the project are talking to video directors and will choose one by the end of the week, the publicist said. The video will feature the same audio as the version currently airing on MTV, but the video footage will be different from the special clip put together by the channel.

That version includes such top-tier talent as Destiny's Child, 'NSYNC, Britney Spears, P. Diddy, Nelly, the Backstreet Boys, Eve, R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, Nelly Furtado, Christina Aguilera and No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani (see "Fred Durst, P. Diddy, Aaron Lewis, More Join In On Gaye Remake").

Most of the first remake was recorded the week of MTV's Video Music Awards, prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, though Durst's rap, which includes lyrics about the tragedy, and Jennifer Lopez's chorus were recorded a few days after.

For more information on the all-star remake, see MTV.com's "What's Going On? Benefit" page.

For more on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

• Jermaine Dupri
• U2
• Limp Bizkit
• Marvin Gaye

Jermaine Dupri
Photo: MTV News

The stars in Bono and Jermaine Dupri's all-star remake of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" are multiplying.

Staind singer Aaron Lewis, P. Diddy and Nelly Furtado are among the musicians who have joined 'NSYNC, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys and others in recording the benefit single, which will be released on World AIDS Day December 1, Dupri's spokesperson said Monday (September 10).

Lewis was in New York's Battery Studios on Wednesday, along with rapper Nelly, Gaye's daughter Nona Gaye and previously reported performers Wyclef Jean, Christina Aguilera and No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani.

The Roots' ?uestlove laid down drum tracks on Wednesday, and Bono recorded the first of two days' worth of vocals. Dupri is producing the "We Are the World"-like song, which will raise money for AIDS research.

On Friday, after a day off for the MTV Video Music Awards (see "Britney, J. Lo, 'NSYNC Turn To Jungle, Ja Rule, Jacko For VMA Performances"), Furtado, Backstreet Boys, Lil' Kim, Mary J. Blige, Eve, Nas, U2 bassist Adam Clayton, R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe and Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes joined Dupri in the studio.

P. Diddy put his Bad Boy touch on the song on Saturday, Dupri's publicist said.

Marc Anthony and Maxwell will contribute by recording vocals elsewhere and sending them to Dupri, who will also host last-minute recording sessions for the single this week with Fred Durst, Jennifer Lopez and Jagged Edge.

Bono is organizing the project, which he is calling Artists Against AIDS Worldwide (see "Britney, 'NSYNC, All-Star Lineup To Record Marvin Gaye Classic").

The Global AIDS Alliance originally asked Bono and Wyclef Jean to record the song; however, Bono had other ideas.

"I just thought, you know, we're the usual suspects. Don't come to us. We're too right on," Bono said backstage at the VMAs. "Go raid the pop charts. Go ask Britney Spears. Go ask Jennifer Lopez. Go ask 'NSYNC. Go ask the rappers, the hip-hop guys like Ja Rule or Nelly or DMX. In fact, [they] made me go ask them and I did. They all agreed and we've got like 25, 30 of the most extraordinary people on this record now.

"I'm very proud of it," he added. "I think the record is going to work out great. I think it's going to be a big hit single this Christmas."

• Marvin Gaye
• U2
• Jermaine Dupri
• Limp Bizkit
• Diddy

Kelly Rowland, Ja Rule, Beyoncé Knowles, Jermaine Dupri and Bono at the Artists Against AIDS press conference
Photo: MTV News

'NSYNC, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys and Ja Rule are among the artists who are lending their voices this week to an all-star remake of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" to benefit AIDS research.

U2 frontman Bono and hip-hop/R&B producer Jermaine Dupri are organizing what Dupri has called a "We Are the World"-like project. Backstreet Boys, Wyclef Jean, Christina Aguilera, No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani and the Roots' ?uestlove are also participating in the recording, according to organizers.

Jennifer Lopez, Radiohead, Jagged Edge and Usher may also contribute, Dupri told MTV News last week.

Hundreds of artists are in New York this week for the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday (September 6) and the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years tribute shows on Friday and Monday.

Dupri said that Bono asked him to lead the project, dubbed Artists Against AIDS Worldwide. Proceeds from sales of the single, which will be released as soon as possible, will go toward AIDS research in Africa.

"He basically reached out to me to be the producer for the project," Dupri said. "He'd been calling me from London. I guess he's really lived with it. He's been [making] some suggestions of what we could do at the end of the record to make it bigger."

Unlike "We Are the World," the recording of the song will not be handled in one huge session. Dupri is running several sessions at Battery Studios in New York with performers stopping in beginning Wednesday (September 5) and going through the end of the weekend.

A video will also be filmed for the song, organizers said, though the details are still being finalized.

Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones organized USA for Africa's "We Are the World," which was recorded the night of the American Music Awards in 1985 and featured Bruce Springsteen, Sting and others. It won the Song of the Year Grammy the following year.

• Britney Spears
• *NSYNC
• Marvin Gaye
• Jermaine Dupri
• U2

Marvin Gaye
Photo: Motown

Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio museum attracts thousands of visitors each year, music fans eager to see where R&B icons such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Supremes recorded dozens of smash hits in the '60s and early '70s. Now, Detroit developers are hoping to draw even more tourists to a proposed $28 million Motown museum to be built in the city's downtown entertainment district.

The planned Motown Center would stand in the same spot as the former Motown Records headquarters, several miles from the studios, according to the Detroit Free Press. The new museum would feature interactive exhibits, programs and performances honoring what Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. called "The Sound of Young America," the newspaper said.

Financing for the project will come from contributions from Gordy and Vivendi Universal, which acquired the Motown label when it bought Seagram Ltd. last year, as well as from private donors and Detroit's Economic Development Corp., according to the newspaper.

Gordy opened the Hitsville U.S.A. studios in 1958, but moved the company's headquarters to a new building 10 years later. The studio building — a small house on West Grand Avenue — will remain open under the new plan. Motown moved its operations to Los Angeles in 1972.

If the city approves the proposal, design and construction would take nearly three years, the newspaper said.

• Marvin Gaye
• Stevie Wonder
• The Supremes