Talks Under Way for U.S. Tour by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, whose recent headline-making has been largely limited to the allegations of child molestation and his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, appears ready to launch a campaign to refocus attention on his music.

Discussions are underway for Jackson to begin his first North American concert tour since 1989--possibly as soon as February, sources close to the singer confirmed Tuesday.

No dates have been booked, but word is circulating among concert promoters around the country that the trek would probably concentrate on 15,000- to 20,000-seat arenas rather than stadiums. Dates reportedly are also being explored for European shows as soon as November.

Jackson is completing work on five new songs that will be included in “History: His Story,” a greatest-hits album that is scheduled to be released by Epic Records in November.

Jackson’s representatives would not confirm the tour plans, but concert industry experts say that the timing would make sense.

Jackson, 36, had just started a world tour in Asia in the summer of 1993 when allegations were made that he had sexually molested a teen-age boy. Numerous shows were subsequently either postponed or canceled before the tour was ultimately scrapped in November when the singer said he needed treatment for an addiction to a painkiller.

At the time, there was much public speculation about whether the allegations would permanently damage Jackson’s image as an entertainer. But with a settlement in that case and his recent marriage, there’s a perception that the time is ripe for Jackson to try to reclaim his self-proclaimed status as the “King of Pop.”

“Michael needs to reconnect with his audience,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert industry trade magazine Pollstar. “And he really needs to do it in North America.”

But Bongiovanni and others in the concert industry warned that Jackson should not assume that his drawing power is unlimited.

“He should certainly not play stadiums,” says Bongiovanni, referring to the strategy of the 1984 stadium tour that he did with his brothers. “That’s too risky.”

The consensus also is that Jackson should not be tempted by the high prices--$100 and more--commanded this year by such acts as Barbra Streisand and the Eagles.

“This is not a new basis for ticket prices,” says Denver-based concert promoter Barry Fey. “Even Michael Jackson will not be viewed the same as Streisand, Pink Floyd or the Eagles. But Michael has never been inclined to charge an outrageous ticket price.”

Jackson made his first public U.S. appearance since the surprise May wedding when he and his wife opened Thursday’s MTV Video Music Awards in New York with a kiss. Though the couple was warmly applauded, industry observers say the real test of the last year’s impact on Jackson’s popularity won’t be known until the album goes on sale.

Other observers feel the tour will be an even bigger measure of Jackson’s fan support. One reason for going on the road in February, Bongiovanni said, is that the market won’t be as competitive as it is normally in the summer.

Jackson’s first public performance since last year could come on Oct. 8 for an Elvis Presley tribute concert in Memphis. He and Presley-Jackson are rumored to be part of the performing lineup for the show, which also will be televised as a pay-per-view special.