LONDON — Michael Jackson returned to the spotlight yesterday after eight years marked by more scandal than music-making and told a crowd of screaming fans that he will play a series of London concerts before retiring from public performance.

Wearing his trademark sunglasses and a silver-embroidered black military-style jacket, he said the July shows will be his "final curtain call."

Jackson appeared at the 02 Arena, where the concerts will be staged, to announce them.

"This is it. This is it," Jackson said, as the fans screamed. "These will be my final shows, performances, in London. This is it. And when I say this is it, I mean this is it."

The 50-year-old didn't specify how many concerts he'll play, though posters have listed 10 dates.

The King of Pop has not performed a major concert or released a studio album since 2001. A previous attempt to relaunch Jackson's career collapsed amid reports of ill health and court action.

BROWN WILL BE ARRAIGNED APRIL 6

LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown's arraignment has been postponed to April 6.

The 19-year-old R&B singer, wearing a gray suit, appeared in court yesterday with his attorney.

Brown had been charged hours earlier by prosecutors with felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats. He was arrested nearly a month ago, after police said an injured woman identified the "Run It!" singer as her attacker.

Court records list the victim as "Robyn F." Brown's girlfriend is singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty, 21, who performs as Rihanna.

She was not present in court yesterday but was represented by an attorney.

If convicted, Brown could get probation or nearly five years in prison.

HEART SURGERY FOR ROBIN WILLIAMS

MIAMI — Robin Williams needs heart surgery and must postpone the remaining performances of his one-man comedy show, "Weapons of Self-Destruction," until fall, his publicist said yesterday.

The 57-year-old Oscar-winning actor needs an aortic valve replacement, the news release said. No other information on Williams' condition was being released.

Williams — on a sold-out, 80-city tour since September — was already in Florida when he canceled four shows there this week after experiencing shortness of breath.

Meanwhile, former first lady Barbara Bush, 83, was recovering well from her own aortic valve surgery this week, her doctors said.

JOURNEY ADDS 3RD HONOLULU CONCERT

After selling out the first show at the Blaisdell Arena in two hours and the second in less than an hour, Journey has added a third concert there, Tom Moffatt of Tom Moffatt Production Inc. announced yesterday afternoon.

The addition of the March 28 concert forces a change in schedule for the band's Big Island performance, originally set for that date. Moffatt said the new date for the Waikoloa Bowl concert will be announced at noon tomorrow.

Tickets for the March 28 Honolulu show go on sale at 9 a.m. tomorrow at the Blaisdell box office, 800-745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $75, $65 and $55, plus applicable service fees.

Tickets for the Big Island show will be honored at the rescheduled date. Tickets do not need to be reissued; your same seat or location will still be valid. Ticketholders who can't attend the rescheduled concert can get a refund at the location of the original purchase up until the day before the show.