Paul Gongaware - AEG Live Co-CEO testifies - Day 1 -

AEG Live's Co-CEO Paul Gongaware testified today.

Paul Gongaware, co-CEO of AEG Live Concerts West, was the promoter of "This Is It" (and had previously worked with Jackson on the Dangerous and HIStory tours). Gongaware described his role to Prosecutor Deborah Brazil as "the interface between art and commerce." Ortega and Jackson would come to him with ideas for the show, and he would try to make them happen safely and affordably.

Gongaware explained that AEG and Michael Jackson originally contracted to do 31 shows at the O2 in London (which would be 10 more than Prince had done -- this was Jackson's decision), and said the original press conference promising 10 shows was a promotional tool. Gongaware said that demand for tickets was so high that when the 50 shows were sold out, there were still 250,000 people queued up for tickets, which was enough for another 50 shows.

In an attempt to show that the concert schedule wouldn't be as onerous as the defense maintains, Brazil walked Gongaware through the "This Is It" schedule. According to Gongaware:

• July 2009: 8 shows, 5 rehearsals, the rest were off-days
• August 2009: 10 shows, 0 rehearsals
• September 2009: 9 shows, 0 rehearsals
• October through December 2009: dark (arena already booked)
• January 2010: 10 shows, 3 rehearsals
• February 2010: 10 shows, 0 rehearsals
• March 2010: 3 shows, 0 rehearsals

Brazil had Gongaware describe the hiring of Conrad Murray as Jackson's personal doctor. Jackson told Gongaware he wanted Murray to accompany him to London, but when Gongaware called Murray, he asked for $5 million for the year. Gongaware says he hung up the phone, but Michael Amir Williams called later to tell him Jackson still wanted Murray, Gongaware could hear Michael say in the background, "Offer him $150," which Gongaware took to mean "offer him $150,000/month." So he called Murray back and made the offer. Murray was initially reluctant, but when Gongaware said this was direct from the artist, Murray quickly agreed.

Gongaware then gave jurors another account of the June 20 meeting at Carolwood. He said that the meeting was called to make sure Jackson was fully engaged in rehearsals, and came away thinking the tone of the meeting was great because Jackson was not defensive and seemed to be excited about the coming tour.

Paul Gongaware, co-CEO of AEG Live, testified about his own meeting with Michael Jackson in the early stages of rehearsals.

“He was a little bit off. His speech was just very slightly slurred and he was a little slower than I’d known him to be,” Gongaware said of the meeting.

Gongaware said that Jackson had come from his doctor, but he couldn’t remember if Jackson had come from Murray or his dermatologist, Arnold Klein.

It was Gongaware that hired Murray to be Jackson’s personal tour physician. He said that Jackson insisted on Murray, despite Gongaware’s urging that a British doctor be hired since the concerts would be taking place in London.

Gongaware recounted Jackson pointing to his own body and saying, “this is the machine, we have to take care of the machine. This is what I want. I want Doctor Murray.”

Murray originally asked for $5 million a year, Gongaware said. Gongaware also said the $5 million per year initially demanded by Murray for his services was "quite unusual" and "way too high."

“I told him there was no way that was going to happen,” he said. “Michael couldn’t afford it.”

Negotiations temporarily stalled at that point until Jackson told Gongaware to offer Murray $150,000 a month.

Murray originally refused that offer as well until Gongaware told him that the offer came directly from Jackson.

Prosecutors used both Ortega’s and Gongaware’s testimony to paint Murray as a reckless, money hungry doctor who was well aware of the impact the sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol were having on his patient.

In addition, Walgren showed a photo of Jackson dancing at the Staples Center on June 24.

“What happened between that time and approximately 12 hours later when Michael Jackson is dead on June 25, 2009?” Walgren asked. “What you will learn through the evidence is that what happened during that time frame is that the acts and omissions of Michael Jackson’s personal doctor, Conrad Murray, directly led to his premature death at the age of 50.”Judge Pastor broke for the day at 4:13. Brazil will finish her direct of Gongaware Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 8:45 a.m.

Wednesday, September 28

Two days before he died, Michael Jackson appeared strong during one of the final rehearsals for his highly anticipated comeback concerts, a promoter told jurors Wednesday as the involuntary manslaughter trial of the pop superstar's physician entered its second day.

Paul Gongaware, an executive for AEG Live, watched Jackson's perform On June 23 and 24 and says Jackson appeared engaged and energetic.

Prosecutors called Gongaware to show the importance of Jackson's comeback concerts and in an apparent attempt to show that both Jackson and his physician were deeply engaged in preparations for the show before Jackson died on June 25, 2009.

Gongaware also testified that he saw Dr. Conrad Murray at one of Jackson's rehearsals after people affiliated with the planned concerts complained that Jackson had been missing some of the sessions.

Paul also told Dr. Murray's defense attorney he was on the lookout for any drug use by MJ, saying he noticed a "slight slur" in Michael's speech during their interactions.

Prosecutors wrapped up their direct questioning of Gongaware before defense attorney Ed Chernoff briefly questioned the executive.

Under the cross-examination, Gongaware acknowledged the concert giant is being sued by Jackson's mother for negligent supervision of defendant Murray when he worked with Jackson.

MJFS - sources: abc / tmz