Grammy Winning Composer suing Michael Jackson’s Estate

A Grammy Award-winning composer is suing Michael Jackson’s estate, alleging he was never paid for work done for the King of Pop on some of his most famous albums and singles. Michael Lehmann Boddicker’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges deceitful concealment and seeks several hundred thousand dollars in damages. Howard Weitzman, an attorney for the Jackson estate, today downplayed the lawsuit, calling Boddicker “yet another person chasing MJ years after he died for money it appears they are not owed.” The suit filed Thursday states that Boddicker and Jackson began a professional relationship in 1978 and that the plaintiff made contributions to the late singer’s “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” “Bad” and “Dangerous” albums. He says he also was involved in composing such Jackson singles as “Black or White,” “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Blood on the Dance Floor.” The singer requested Boddicker’s services on his music projects and in storing and transporting electronic equipment such as digital recording devices, the suit states. Jackson also leased musical instruments and audio equipment from the plaintiff, according to his court papers. Boddicker says he began documenting his contributions to Jackson’s works in 1989. The composer made many requests over the years to be paid for his services and both Jackson and his associates assured him that he would be, the suit says. The plaintiff tried to resolve the fees dispute by speaking with a lawyer for the Jackson estate, but the efforts were unsuccessful and a representative for the Jackson estate rejected his creditor’s claim, the suit states. Boddicker, 63, was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for “Imagination” from the 1984 film “Flashdance.”