Sony admits three songs on Michael Jackson’s first posthumous album were recorded by an IMPERSONATOR

Three of the songs on Michael Jackson’s first posthumous album Michael were actually sung by an impersonator, Sony Music has conceded in court.

The songs Breaking News, Keep Your Head Up and Monster appeared on the late icon’s album Michael, which was released in 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.

The album was met with criticism from a group of die-hard fans – including the star’s mother Katherine Jackson – who claimed that some of the tracks featured vocals that weren’t the artist’s. 

This week Sony Music Entertainment reportedly conceded in court that there was some truth to their suspicions, but said the songs had been provided in good faith. 

Three of the songs on Michael Jackson’s first posthumous album (above) released in 2010 – Breaking News, Keep Your Head Up and Monster – were actually sung by an impersonator, lawyers for Sony Music Entertainment have conceded in court

 After the album released a subset of fans - including the star's mother Katherine Jackson - became convinced that some of the vocals were recorded by an impersonator

 After the album released a subset of fans – including the star’s mother Katherine Jackson – became convinced that some of the vocals were recorded by an impersonator

Sony made the concession in an ongoing Class Action lawsuit filed by a fan named Vera Serova in 2014.

The suit accuses Jackson’s longtime friend Eddie Cascio and his production company, Angelikson Productions LLC, of creating fake songs and then selling them through Michael Jackson’s estate and Sony Music Entertainment.   

James Porte, who is listed as a co-writer of the three songs state above, has also been implicated in the case.

Cascio and Porte have maintained that the songs were recorded in Cascio’s basement in New Jersey in 2007, two years before Jackson died.  

Serova asserts that the vocals actually belong to an impersonator named Jason Malachi, citing several inconsistencies in a 41-page report by a forensic audiologist.  

She also provided the court with several documents with concerns from Jackson’s family, friends and collaborators. 

Jackson's longtime friend Eddie Cascio and the songs' alleged co-writer James Porte - pictured in an old interview - have asserted the songs were recorded by the iconic performer in 2007

Jackson’s longtime friend Eddie Cascio and the songs’ alleged co-writer James Porte – pictured in an old interview – have asserted the songs were recorded by the iconic performer in 2007

When Sony tried to defend itself by asking Cascio and Porte to hand over alternative vocal takes from the songs, the men claimed they’d been deleted.   

Jackson enthusiast Damien Shields reported this week that lawyers for Sony and the estate conceded that the songs may actually be forgeries on December 7, 2016.

Defense attorney Zia Modabber attempted to shift blame onto the co-defendants Porte and Casia by saying they had ‘failed to disclose to Sony or the Estate that Michael Jackson did not provide the lead vocals.’

Judge Ann I Jones of the Los Angeles Superior Court didn’t buy that argument, responding: ‘I think what he is saying here is: ‘We were as duped as the Plaintiffs… We didn’t know you guys were recording stuff in a basement that wasn’t recorded by Michael. You told us it was Michael. We believed it was Michael. And if there is a bad guy here, who was engaging in false commercial speech, it’s not us.”‘ 

Sony and the Estate appealed the adverse ruling and submitted oral arguments to the court on Tuesday, finally identifying the three songs that were impersonated. 

The three judges in the case have 90 days to determine whether to go forward with the case without naming Sony and the Estate as defendants.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk