Before Death, Jackson Had 2 Albums in Works

NEW YORK -- At the time of Michael Jackson's death last month, it was well-known that the pop star was preparing for a 50-show concert series at London's O2 Arena starting in July. What was less well-known was the kind of recordings Jackson had done for the past few years.

The singer, it turns out, was working on two albums when he died: one in the pop vein that made him famous, another that would consist of an instrumental classical composition. And while some believe the star wanted to recapture his '80s glory days -- or escape financial trouble -- those who worked with him recently say he was motivated by his fans and his children.

Jackson was working on the pop album with songwriter Claude Kelly and R&B star Akon, who says Jackson was motivated by the ticket sales for his performances.

"He said: 'My fans are still there. They still love me. They're alive,' "Akon says. "His kids are like his first priority, and they had never seen him perform live. He was trying to create the most incredible show for his kids."

Kelly, who wrote "Hold My Hand," the Akon-produced Jackson track that leaked last year, says Jackson never lost his passion. "He was the King of Pop, the biggest to ever do it, and the one thing you never lose -- whether known by the whole world or just 10 people -- is your love for music," Kelly says.

Composer David Michael Frank, who worked with Jackson on a 1989 TV tribute to Sammy Davis Jr., received a call from the star's assistant two months ago. Jackson invited Frank to his home in Los Angeles's Holmby Hills, told him he was working on an instrumental album of classical music and asked for help with orchestration.

"He had two demos of two pieces he'd written, but they weren't complete," says Frank, who adds that he was impressed with Jackson's knowledge of classical music. "For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords. I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music."

Says Frank: "I hope one day his family will decide to record this music as a tribute and show the world the depth of his artistry."

Although questions arose about Jackson's health, those who recently collaborated with Jackson say his voice was in fine form.

Greg Phillinganes, a keyboardist who collaborated with Jackson as musical director of the Bad Tour, says Jackson sounded as good as he ever. "He still had a good voice and never had a problem singing," says Phillinganes, who last spoke to Jackson in March. "There were questions about him being able to pull off the tour on the choreography side, but sources working with him told me he was dancing all the time, every day, and was very focused, excited and committed to making this tour the best it could be."