▼ THE TAG & TIER KEY ▼
THE CREDIBILITY STATEMENT, MADE WALKABLE
RESEARCH :: THE FINDINGS, ON THE WIRE
REGISTRY :: 117 SOURCES LOGGED · T1 18 · T2 26 · T3 53 · T4 20 · 6 CHAPTERS · UPDATED 07.11.26 · +13 CITATION-WIRING PASS
MEMO :: WHY THE TAGS EXIST
This site makes claims about real people. Some are courthouse-solid; some are one interview, remembered twenty years later. Every claim carries a tag, every finding below carries its receipt — and the tag can never outrank the receipt. Check me. That's the point.
HOW TO READ THIS PAGE
Facts live on the phase, track, person, and vault pages — each with its own claim tags. This page rates the sources those claims lean on, not the claims themselves. Every entry below is one piece of evidence: a tier stamp, a date, and a supports line pointing back to every page that cites it. A source used in six places appears once, linked six times. Click a tier in the rail to filter the wire down to just that tier.
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| SECTION :: THE MONEY |
catalog · contract · loan · 8 sources |
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T1
SRC-006 · n.d. · RIAA certification records — official U.S. certification data behind every platinum/gold figure cited site-wide.
supports: the Main Console (RIAA "2x PLAT" certification readout) — orphan resolved 07.11.26.
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T1
SRC-009 · n.d. · U.S. Copyright Office registration records — the paper trail behind the album's and outtakes' copyright filings.
supports: the Vault ("That," dated 1998 by registration), the Buxer List ("Photographs," registered twice, 2009–2010) — orphan resolved 07.11.26.
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T1
SRC-075 · n.d. · Tommy Mottola — source behind his private "not by any means Michael's best work" assessment, likely Hitmaker (2013) or a specific print interview, not yet confirmed which.
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T2
SRC-076 · Mar–Sep 2016 · Variety / Hollywood Reporter — Sony's $750M purchase of the Estate's 50% Sony/ATV publishing stake.
supports: Mottola's file, Phase III — corrected 07.11.26: the figure was wrongly ranged "$750M–$1.2B," conflating this 2016 deal with the larger 2024 sale below. Now stated on its own.
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T2
SRC-102 · Feb–Aug 2024 · Variety / MBW / Hollywood Reporter / Rolling Stone — Sony's second, larger catalog deal: 50% of the publishing AND masters, ~$600M against a $1.2–1.5B valuation.
supports: Phase III (Node 20, "how it ended," updated)
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T3
SRC-066 · date unspecified · John Branca, post-2009 interview (as estate executor) — the ATV/Sony-ATV valuation math, "$41M net investment… now worth upward of $2 billion."
supports: Phase I, Phase III, Branca's file — ⚠︎ RE-OPENED 07.11.26: a real 2021 Billboard interview with Branca was located and read in full; it does not contain this language. Downgraded to DISPUTED on all three pages pending a genuine primary source.
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T4
SRC-053 · multiple articles · Wikipedia — the album's and its principals' baseline biographical/financial facts (ATV/Sony-ATV history, the 1991 contract, the debt figures).
supports: Phase I (primary), plus corroborating use on Mottola, Dr. Freeze, Branca, Mesereau, Phase II, Phase III (Node 12, "the tour that never was" — the label's video-refusal counter-claim, added 07.11.26), Phase IV, the Vault
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T4
SRC-123 · May–July 2026 · Variety/TMZ/Hollywood Reporter/Deadline (McClain's death, May 26, 2026; Miles Teller cast as Branca in Michael) — T2; MJVibe.com (Branca's Best Producer win, July 2026) — T4.
supports: Branca (Node 04, "Sole executor, and a Best Producer award") — added 07.11.26: mixed tier, filed under the weaker T4 for the award sub-claim.
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| SECTION :: THE CAMPAIGN |
promo · singles · tour · 9 sources |
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T2
SRC-045 · April 1999 · Daily Mirror (London) — Jackson's "this will be my last album" interview, years before the record existed.
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T2
SRC-047 · Dec 6, 2001 · Rolling Stone — James Hunter's original album review.
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T2
SRC-049 · n.d. · Entertainment Weekly — David Browne's original review ("an anthology of his less-than-greatest hits").
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T2
SRC-050 · 2001 · Variety — live review of the MSG 30th Anniversary Celebration.
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T2
SRC-052 · n.d. · Metacritic — aggregated review score, 51/100.
supports: none precisely isolated — referenced generally in reception framing. Orphan, flagged.
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T2
SRC-092 · Nov 15, 2001 · Billy Johnson Jr., "Songwriter Gets The 'Butterflies,'" Yahoo Music — the McClain/Floetry demo connection.
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T2
SRC-112 · Nov 2001 · Billboard.com, "Jackson's CBS Special Moonwalks Over Rivals" — Nielsen figures for the Nov. 13, 2001 CBS 30th Anniversary Celebration broadcast: 25.7M average audience, peaking at 29.8M; Nielsen's own ~45M estimate for total cumulative viewership.
supports: Phase III (Node E-05, the CBS-special viewer-count node) — added 07.11.26: resolves the correction node just below, which previously restated the figure with no SRC-ID behind it.
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T3
SRC-044 · 2001 · MTV TRL / Entertainment Tonight / BET's 106 & Park — assorted 2001 promotional interviews.
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T3
SRC-091 · Oct 26, 2001 · Michael Jackson, Yahoo/GetMusic Online Audio Chat (moderated by Anthony DeCurtis for Rolling Stone).
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| SECTION :: THE CONFLICT |
Mottola · Sony · the public break · 14 sources |
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T1
SRC-001 · 2011 · Frank Cascio, My Friend Michael — the richest first-person account of the Battle era: the WTC near-miss, the bathroom breakdown, the McClain power struggle, the Wolf letter that ended their working relationship.
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T1
SRC-078 · 2011 · Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother's Eyes — independent corroboration of the WTC near-miss story from a second named source.
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T2
SRC-055 · 2010 · TheWrap — Johnnie L. Roberts, "The Secret Probe That Got Branca Fired."
supports: Branca's file (Node 02 — the Interfor Report, David Legrand's sworn 2005 trial testimony, the Feb 2003 termination letter), Phase III — ID-GAP FIX 07.11.26: named in the old Source Index's press tier but never assigned an ID during conversion — one of ten silently skipped (SRC-055–064). This is the real source behind the 2003-firing correction; neither on-page node currently names the outlet in-text.
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T2
SRC-103 · 2025–2026, ongoing · Decked Out Magazine / MJVibe / Billboard / Digital Music News — the Estate's $213M extortion claim against the Cascio family, evidentially tied to the timing of the 2024 catalog deal's closing.
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T2
SRC-111 · July 8–10, 2002 · ABC News, "Jackson Blasts Music Industry for Racism" (corroborated by Billboard, Washington Post) — Sony's "ludicrous, spiteful, and hurtful" statement; the Mottola-camp "snapped"/contract-exit framing; Rev. Al Sharpton's on-record response.
supports: Phase III (Node 20, "the responses") — added 07.11.26: the Archive had flagged both the Sony statement and the Mottola "snapped" quote as unable-to-verify; located this pass.
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T3
SRC-038 · n.d. · Sway's Universe ("Deep Cover") — Tommy Mottola on the relationship, the "perfect storm," the Sharpton call, the post-conflict reconciliation.
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T3
SRC-040 · full recording · Dee Grimes — Michael Jackson's speech at NAN headquarters, Harlem, July 6, 2002.
supports: Phase III (full rally quote block; Node 1, reattributed — see Correction log), Phase IV ("Good art never dies" callback)
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T3
SRC-041 · n.d. · "iconic" channel — shorter-clip corroboration of the Harlem rally material.
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T3
SRC-042 · n.d. · Haus of Skillz – Music Marketing — additional Harlem rally quote corroboration.
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T3
SRC-072 · n.d. · Tom Mesereau — media appearance discussing the trial and Sony suspicions.
supports: Phase III, Mesereau's file — ⚠︎ RE-OPENED 07.11.26: the actual interview (Pez Jax) was located and read in full; it contains neither the "please don't let them pay you off" quote nor an exact match for "Sony was involved." Downgraded to DISPUTED pending a genuine primary source.
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T4
SRC-071 · n.d. · MatrixMachine (YouTube) — fan-research video essay on the Branca/Sony conflict-of-interest claim; the video itself flags the claim as needing primary-source verification.
supports: Phase III (Node 3), Branca's file — the claim this backs was downgraded DOCUMENTED → DISPUTED on both pages; see Correction log.
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T4
SRC-106 · n.d. · Jackson Dynasty, "Michael's timeline: 2002" — dated entries corroborating the "Unbreakable" short film's cancellation mechanism.
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T4
SRC-114 · n.d. · MJVibe.com, "What More Can I Give, the lost tribute to 9/11" — T4; Smooth Radio, "Michael Jackson's forgotten star-studded charity single for 9/11 that his label axed" — T2.
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T4
SRC-122 · 2016 & 2025–2026 · The National Trial Lawyers' own award announcement (2016 Summit) — T1; MJVibe.com, "Tom Mesereau Officially in the Michael Jackson Estate Legal Team" — T4.
supports: Mesereau (Node 03, "Back in the estate's corner, decades later") — added 07.11.26: also corrects the award's year, mis-stated as 2025 on the page before this pass.
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| SECTION :: THE RECORD |
charts · sales · certifications · reassessment · 9 sources |
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T1
SRC-002 · 2016 · Carole Bayer Sager, They're Playing Our Song — her closing verdict on the album's place in Jackson's career, plus (cross-chapter) the Jerkins introduction and the "You Are My Life" sprint.
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T1
SRC-007 · official chart data · Billboard.com chart archive.
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T1
SRC-008 · official record · Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — induction date, March 19, 2001.
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T2
SRC-051 · 2009 · Billboard.com — readers' poll, Invincible voted best album of the 2000s.
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T2
SRC-077 · n.d. · AllMusic — published reassessment ("sounds better than anything Jackson has done since Dangerous").
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T2
SRC-116 · 2001 · AllMusic — Stephen Thomas Erlewine's original review (60/100): "if only he had been fueled, not constrained, by his obsessions."
supports: Phase III (ACT-2 clippings) — added 07.11.26: distinct from SRC-077, the same outlet's later reassessment.
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T2
SRC-104 · Apr–May 2026 · Billboard — post-"Michael" biopic catalog-wide streaming surge (137.5M on-demand US streams, week of Apr 24–30, up 146%).
supports: Phase IV (Node 12) — catalog-wide, not confirmed Invincible-specific; flagged, not overstated.
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T2
SRC-105 · May 21, 2026 · Deadline / Wikipedia — "Michael 2" sequel confirmed, reportedly covering the Dangerous/Invincible eras.
supports: Phase IV (Node 12) — a watch-space item, no confirmed script/scene details.
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T4
SRC-115 · n.d. · TikTok (the platform itself) — Daniel Boutros's "Heaven Can Wait" cover, 4.7M+ likes, cited directly since no dated press coverage exists.
supports: Heaven Can Wait (Node 04), Phase IV (Node 07) — added 07.11.26: one entry, linked in both places; the trend is real, the "circa 2023" date is not press-confirmed.
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| SECTION :: THE MAKING |
producers · sessions · the songs themselves · 53 sources |
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T1
SRC-003 · n.d. · Smallcombe, Making Michael — the "You Are My World" → "You Are My Life" title-change story (p.299), the Bio session detail.
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T1
SRC-004 · n.d. · Bruce Swedien, In the Studio with Michael Jackson — still unreviewed.
supports: none currently — the project's clearest standing research gap, orphan by definition until read. See Swedien's file.
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T1
SRC-005 · 2001 · Album liner notes / official credits, Invincible.
supports: Butterflies, Unbreakable, Heartbreaker, Speechless, You Are My Life, The Lost Children, Cry (writing/production credit, Jackson & R. Kelly — added 07.11.26), Jerkins, Buxer, Bayer Sager, Ambrosius, Harris, Dr. Freeze
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T1
SRC-086 · 2001 · Discogs — direct transcription of the Invincible CD's own printed liner-note credits, studio locations per track.
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T1
SRC-108 · March 28, 2026 · Santana / Candid Records official press release, "Santana Releases Sentient, His Passion-Filled Retrospective Album" (santana.com) + Discogs master listing — confirms "Whatever Happens" (feat. Michael Jackson) as track 3 of the retrospective album Sentient.
supports: Whatever Happens (Node 04) — added 07.11.26: this session's currency-sweep fact had no registry entry of its own until now; distinct from SRC-047 (2001 reception) and SRC-048 (2023 origin-story interview).
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T1
SRC-113 · Dec 10, 2001 · Discogs — Michael Jackson, "Cry" CD Maxi-Single (Enhanced), release r921398, Epic 672182 2, UK — official release listing confirming "Shout" as track 2.
supports: Main console ("Shout" b-side ticker item) — added 07.11.26: same-pattern source to SRC-086/SRC-109's official-release transcriptions.
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T1
SRC-117 · June 12, 2025 · Songwriters Hall of Fame — official induction of Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, 2025 class.
supports: Jerkins (Node 15) — added 07.11.26.
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T2
SRC-046 · n.d. · Vibe magazine — Jackson's own "Speechless" quotes, the water-balloon-fight origin.
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T2
SRC-048 · 2023 · Rolling Stone — Carlos Santana interview, the guitar-intro story.
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T2
SRC-118 · Feb 2026 · Teddy Riley (with Jake Brown), Remember the Times: A Memoir — T1; period press (AOL/Complex/Stereogum) on his R. Kelly walk-back — T2.
supports: Riley (N-05, "A memoir, and a walk-back") — added 07.11.26.
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T2
SRC-120 · Jan 2026 · Music Business Worldwide (corroborated by Music Week, CelebrityAccess) — Andre "Dre" Harris signs worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music; concurrent Kehlani "Folded" credit.
supports: Harris (Node 04, "Still working: a new publishing deal, a new No. 1") — added 07.11.26.
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T2
SRC-121 · Sept 3, 2019 · Period press (GRAMMY.com, Rolling Stone, Billboard, wire coverage), corroborated by Wikipedia — LaShawn Daniels' death, car accident, York County, SC, age 41.
supports: Daniels (Ledger note) — added 07.11.26.
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T4
SRC-067 · n.d. · Michael Jackson Studies journal — academic reading of "Privacy" as a thematic shift, "powerless victim" to "self-empowered."
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T4
SRC-070 · n.d. · Jon Gass — the compressed ~7-hour mix timeline for "You Are My Life" (T3/T4 boundary: credited account, not a full interview).
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T4
SRC-119 · Mar 2025–Jan 2026 · Brad Sundberg's In The Studio podcast + the Buxer/Prince seminar series — T3; Michael Jackson Wiki (Fandom), "Brad Loop" Discord leak — T4.
supports: Buxer (Node 09, "Still giving interviews — and a leak that may trace back to him") — added 07.11.26.
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T3
SRC-010 · n.d. · djvlad — Rodney Jerkins, "Darkchild on Michael Jackson Asking Him to Produce His Final Album (Pt.17)" — the first-call account, "Michael took me to school."
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T3
SRC-011 · n.d. · djvlad — Jerkins, "Sony's War with Michael Jackson Over Publishing Held Back Invincible (Pt.19)" — the "one video, six million" quote, the hologram plan.
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T3
SRC-012 · n.d. · djvlad — Jerkins, "Michael Jackson Probably Felt Dead the Last 10 Years of His Life (Pt.21)."
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T3
SRC-013 · n.d. · djvlad — Jerkins, Full Interview ("Making Hits for Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyonce for 25 Years").
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T3
SRC-014 · n.d. · Renewing Minds Podcast — Jerkins, "Reveals Why Invincible Fell Victim to Record Label Politics" — first-session dating, the tracklist swelling 10-11 → 15-16, the fullest "dream" account of the title track.
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T3
SRC-015 · n.d. · The Breakfast Club (Power 105.1) — Jerkins, the Record Plant parking-lot test, the "three giants" theory, the Jay-Z/Summer Jam broker story.
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T3
SRC-016 · circa 2009 · PEARL JR The Skin Butter Store — Jerkins on "Xscape," Jackson's "next project."
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T3
SRC-017 · n.d. · Okayplayer — Jerkins, the junkyard/crane-sound sampling story.
supports: Unbreakable, Jerkins' file — the words "bats" and "DAT recorder" do not appear in this transcript; treat as unconfirmed.
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T3
SRC-018 · n.d. · Pensado's Place, Ep.114 — Jerkins, the "we were doing dubstep, back then" quote (Heartbreaker only).
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T3
SRC-019 · n.d. · "Power of Prayer Pt.2" (Shawn Prez) — Jerkins, first-session dating corroboration.
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T3
SRC-020 · n.d. · Halftime Chat — Sprague "Doogie" Williams, the "seeds of Invincible" account.
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T3
SRC-056 · n.d. · Halftime Chat — Rodney Jerkins, on the intended rollout plan (a different episode from SRC-020's Doogie Williams appearance — same channel, distinct source).
supports: Butterflies (Exhibit A — the intended rollout plan), You Rock My World — ID-GAP FIX 07.11.26: the seventh channel named in the old Source Index's bundled Jerkins bullet, alongside the six that already had IDs (SRC-010–020) — this one survived only as an unlinked mention in two Tracks packs' prose until now.
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T3
SRC-021 · n.d. · djvlad — Teddy Riley, "Real Reason Quincy Jones Stopped Working with Michael Jackson After Bad (Pt.17)."
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T3
SRC-022 · n.d. · djvlad — Riley, "Introducing Darkchild to Michael Jackson (Pt.27)" — the "passing the church" quote.
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T3
SRC-023 · n.d. · Math Hoffa and MEO Xtra — Riley on Jackson's natural voice, "This is me, Theodore."
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T3
SRC-024 · n.d. · R&B Money Podcast, Ep.95 — Marsha Ambrosius, the talkback-mic directing account.
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T3
SRC-025 · n.d. · TV One "UNCENSORED" — Ambrosius, the studio-arrival account, the peace sign, the hug.
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T3
SRC-026 · n.d. · 247HH Exclusive — Ambrosius, the ad-lib coaching quote, the Hit Factory venue name.
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T3
SRC-027 · n.d. · V-103 Atlanta — Ambrosius, "I wrote it 17 years ago" — the McDonald's-crush origin quote.
supports: Butterflies, Ambrosius' file — the "Shepherds Bush, London" location does not appear in this or any of the 4 cataloged Ambrosius interviews; the story is confirmed, the location is not.
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T3
SRC-028 · n.d. · Can We Talk RNB, Ep.13 — Andre Harris, the publishing-retention account.
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T3
SRC-029 · n.d. · Can We Talk RNB — "Behind the Making of Heaven Can Wait" (speaker identity unconfirmed).
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T3
SRC-030 · n.d. · New Jack Thriller City — Natalie Stewart ("The Floacist").
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T3
SRC-031 · circa 2009–2010 · Truth4MJcom — R. Kelly.
supports: none currently confidently mapped — a likely candidate for "Cry" studio-anecdote material, unconfirmed by this pass.
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T3
SRC-032 · Feb 5, 2011 · MJWorld.net — "Interview With Dr Freeze," the song count, "set fire to the song" quote, the no-cameras policy.
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T3
SRC-033 · May 2019 · The MJCast, Ep.100, "Brad Buxer Special" — full verbatim transcript; the "it's what he wants" quote, the estate-control quote, the 9-track Buxer song list, the "icy eyes" paradox description.
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T3
SRC-034 · Nov 2024 · Red Jackson Dance — Buxer, the Speechless 4:30am phone-call method, "I worked on five tracks… he only wrote two."
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T3
SRC-035 · n.d. · jackson.ch — Buxer, "at Neverland, on tour, and in the studio."
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T3
SRC-036 · n.d. · Lady Libra TV — Tyrese Gibson, the Clive Davis rejection story, "Michael Jackson said yes."
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T3
SRC-037 · Dec 2021 · BriceNajar.com — Richard Stites, the full "Don't Walk Away" origin story, the demo-vocal-preservation detail.
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T3
SRC-039 · n.d. · Kempire Radio Network — LaShawn Daniels, "treat this record like my last record."
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T3
SRC-043 · n.d. (Full Sail lecture) · MJ Memories — Bruce Swedien, "easiest guy in the studio."
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T3
SRC-068 · n.d. · Taj Jackson — confirms "Kick the Can" among Jackson's favorite Twilight Zone episodes.
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T3
SRC-069 · n.d. · Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds) — his role on "You Are My Life."
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T3
SRC-073 · n.d. · Karen Faye — the album cover shoot, Sony's retouching.
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T3
SRC-074 · n.d. · Albert Watson — the 1999 cover photo shoot, Jackson dancing to "Billie Jean" before the shoot.
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T3
SRC-084 · n.d. · Inside Blackbird — Dave Way (engineer), "don't erase the breaths."
supports: Buxer's file — reattributed 07.11.26 from Buxer to Dave Way; see Correction log below.
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T3
SRC-093 · July 8, 2009 · Dusun Allah, HipHopWired — Teddy Riley, "Teddy, is this mine?" (Heaven Can Wait origin).
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T3
SRC-094 · various · Andreao "Fanatic" Heard — co-writer's own account of "Heaven Can Wait."
supports: Heaven Can Wait — corrects "Kevin 'Kavan' Edmonds" to Kevon Edmonds; see Correction log below.
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| SECTION :: THE VAULT |
unreleased · leaked · what never shipped · 24 sources |
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T1
SRC-080 · 2004 · The Ultimate Collection box set — official liner notes/credits.
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T1
SRC-090 · n.d. · Official Sony/michaeljackson.com archived credit page — "Monster (Featuring 50 Cent)," full producer/writer credits.
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T1
SRC-109 · 2014 · Discogs — official Xscape CD/deluxe-edition release listing and liner-note credit transcription (same pattern as SRC-086 for Invincible).
supports: A Place With No Name, Blue Gangsta, Chicago (the "shipped on Xscape (2014)" release claim) — added 07.11.26: three dossiers cited the 2014 release as a documented fact with no source of its own; closes that the same way SRC-086 closes it for Invincible.
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T2
SRC-081 · July 2022 · Period press — "Monster" and related Michael-album tracks removed from streaming amid a vocal-authenticity controversy.
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T2
SRC-088 · June 2, 2015 · MJWorld.net — "Seeing Voices" leak coverage.
supports: the Vault (Seeing Voices) — corrects the writer credit to Sidney Fine alone; see Correction log below.
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T2
SRC-095 · n.d. · Songfacts — "We've Had Enough" credit/origin, quoting Bayer Sager's own site.
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T2
SRC-107 · 2026 · Variety / Slate — "Chicago"/"She Was Lovin' Me" chronology corroboration.
supports: the Vault (Chicago) — tier upgraded T4→T2 this pass; see Correction log below.
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T3
SRC-065 · n.d. (negative result) · Direct transcription, Dr. Freeze video (YouTube ID ZsNvFJOhqFw).
supports: confirms this URL is music, not an interview — a closed dead end, not an open gap.
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T3
SRC-079 · n.d. · CJ DeVillar (engineer) — his bass contribution to "A Place With No Name."
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T3
SRC-110 · listed 2018 · Gotta Have Rock & Roll — auction-house lot listing, "Michael Jackson Unreleased C.D. For The Song 'Get Your Weight Off Of Me'" (LOT25340): a physical studio CD dated March 31, 2014, its 2004 Ultimate Collection mastering-candidate history.
supports: Get Your Weight Off Me (2004 Ultimate Collection candidacy, 2018 unsold-auction detail) — added 07.11.26. Gap note: the auction house's own description is the only located source for the Ultimate Collection detail; no Estate-side confirmation found.
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T3
SRC-082 · n.d. · Pharrell Williams — songs written for Jackson that became Justin Timberlake's Justified tracks.
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T3
SRC-083 · n.d. · Dr. Dre — declining to collaborate with Jackson.
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T3
SRC-087 · Mar 19, 2017 · The MJCast, Ep.52, "Michael Prince Special."
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T3
SRC-101 · Nov 2017 (leak date) · bricenajar.com — citing a Richard Stites Instagram post.
supports: the Vault (Just a Lover in My Life)
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T4
SRC-054 · various · DamienShields.com — unusually well-regarded; the session-move-to-NY account, Blue Gangsta, A Place With No Name, Shout.
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T4
SRC-085 · various · Michael Jackson Wiki (Fandom).
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T4
SRC-089 · various · Wikipedia, "List of unreleased songs recorded by Michael Jackson" (sourced in-article to Craig Halstead).
supports: the Vault (Get Your Weight Off Me, Get Around, Rise Above It All, The World Is No Church)
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T4
SRC-096 · 2020 · Carole Bayer Sager interview, michaelmaniaforum.com, as reported by MJ Wiki.
supports: Bayer Sager's file ("You Are the One" credit) — weakest of her three new sources, original thread not independently re-verified.
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T4
SRC-097 · various · MJ Wiki + Lost Media Wiki — "Get Your Weight Off Me" leak documentation.
supports: the Vault (full 2023–2024 leak timeline)
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T4
SRC-098 · various · Damien Shields, "Days in Gloucestershire."
supports: the Vault (Buxer List — title corrected from "of" to "In")
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T4
SRC-099 · various · MJ Wiki — leak-date/era-correction pages for "Rich Girl," "Adore You," "Faces."
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T4
SRC-100 · various · Damien Shields, "Origins of 'The Loser.'"
supports: the Vault (Buxer List — definitive post-Invincible era placement, resolves a flag open since the registry's first pass)
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T4
SRC-124 · n.d. · MJVibe.com, "An Oral History of Michael Jackson's 'Xscape' Album" — Fred Jerkins III's hook/demo, Jackson's EDnet background vocals.
supports: Xscape dossier (Node 03, "The hook, the guide vocal, and a phone line to Jackson") — added 07.11.26.
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T4
SRC-125 · Jan 2026 · MJVibe.com, "The Biggest Michael Jackson Music Leak Since 2014" — the January 2026 mass-leak event, ~46 tracks/demos, unconfirmed iCloud-compromise theory.
supports: Buxer List (Cross-Dossier Note, "THE JANUARY 2026 MASS LEAK") — added 07.11.26.
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the wire grows as findings are filed · nothing is silently rewritten — a changed entry gets a C node here and an ADDED stamp there
| >> THE REGISTRY :: INTEGRITY CHECK |
audited 07.11.26 |
the Source Index this page used to run is retired — every entry it held is now above, anchored, tiered, and linked to what it supports.
CORRECTIONS :: SOURCES ADDED / CHANGED / REMOVED
06.20.26 — SRC-112 added (Billboard.com) · CBS special-event audience figure restated (~25–45M, not a single peak number)
06.28.26 — first-week U.S. units corrected: flat "366K" → sourced range 363–366K
07.11.26 — SRC-071 downgraded DOCUMENTED → DISPUTED (Branca conflict-of-interest claim; its only source calls itself unverified)
07.11.26 — SRC-066 + SRC-072 downgraded → DISPUTED (4 Branca/Mesereau quotes; full interviews read, exact language not found)
07.11.26 — quote reattributed to SRC-040 (Jackson's own words, Harlem NAN rally) — was logged as a Jerkins interview quote
07.11.26 — quote reattributed to SRC-084 (Dave Way) — split off from Buxer's SRC-033
07.11.26 — "Chicago" tier upgraded T4 → T2; Seeing Voices + Heaven Can Wait writer credits corrected
07.11.26 — "Floyd Bentley" removed as a candidate name for "Fats" — confirmed unrelated person
07.11.26 — lifetime sales narrowed 8–13M → 8–10M (RIAA/IFPI sourced); "35+ candidate tracks" downgraded fact → attributed estimate
07.11.26 — SRC-113– 125 added (13 sources) · Mesereau's "Trial Lawyer of the Year" corrected to 2016 (was 2025)
CLAIM COVERAGE
~249 of ~270 tagged claims across the site now resolve to a real source in this registry — up from 151 when this pass began, and up from 237 as of the round-5 currency sweep. A dedicated 07.11.26 registry-completeness pass (ahead of the site's page-level citation-wiring phase) closed 12 more: the "Cry" writing credit, Santana's 2026 retrospective, three vault dossiers' Xscape-2014 release claim, "Get Your Weight Off Me"'s auction/box-set detail, Phase III's "tour that never was" and "the responses" nodes, the CBS-special viewer correction, and the RIAA/Copyright Office orphan resolutions. 5 new sources were minted (SRC-108–112); 41 total minted since this registry's conversion pass began. Roughly 20–25 claims remain genuinely open: some are bare identity/date/credit lines nobody's targeted yet, some were searched for directly and confirmed unresolvable for now — both kinds stay flagged, neither gets invented.
2 ORPHAN SOURCES (down from 4)
Real, findable sources that no single claim currently cites precisely enough to link: SRC-004 (Swedien's own book, still unreviewed — the project's clearest standing gap), SRC-052 (Metacritic — a fresh site-wide check found no page names it at all). Not cuts — just not yet pinned to one claim each. SRC-006 (RIAA) and SRC-009 (Copyright Office) are resolved as of 07.11.26 — see their entries above.
TWO FIGURES, NARROWED THIS PASS
Invincible's lifetime sales narrowed from "8–13 million" to the actually-supportable 8–10 million, with hard RIAA/IFPI certification figures added alongside it (the 13M upper bound traced only to lower-tier chart-aggregator sites, no RIAA/IFPI/press backing). The Vault's "more than 35 candidate tracks" framing softened from a hard-cited fact to what it actually is: a widely-repeated, attributed estimate. Neither figure is restated on this page — both live on Phase IV and the Vault respectively, corrected there.
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