Michael Jackson was planning a concert tour of Australia.
The chief executive of AEG Live, the US-based promotion company behind Jackson's world tour, has confirmed Australia was a key part of the King of Pop's ambitious global concert plan.
Randy Phillips told the Los Angeles Times newspaper Jackson was to have toured Australia after he completed his 50 concerts in London at the 23,000-seat 02 Arena.
Jackson was to have played in Europe, India, China and Japan before heading to North America.
North America would have been the last stop because, ironically, the fan base in Jackson's homeland was more "judgmental" than Australia, Europe and other territories.
"We felt London was the right place to start this comeback," Phillips told the Los Angeles Times.
"Do I think the international marketplace is a little less judgmental than America can be? Yes. There was a calculated reason we did that.
"We figured we start over there and work our way back into America."
Jackson, 50, died on Thursday.
He stopped breathing at his Los Angeles mansion and a doctor and paramedics failed to bring him back to life.
Autopsy results are expected to be released within four to six weeks.
AAP
