Jackson compares himself to Disney

Mr Jackson was giving further evidence in a $21m (£13.5m) case brought by a concert promoter who accuses the singer of pulling out of two millennium concerts.

He said he relied on managers, agents, lawyers and accountants to handle the details of his business affairs while he focused on singing and dancing.

"I'm a visionary and a creative person," the 44-year-old entertainer said in response to questions from his solicitor, Zia Modabber.

Visionary

"God blessed me with certain talents," he said. "I hate to use an analogy, but Walt Disney was creative but not good with business. His brother Roy handled the books."

When asked later by a lawyer representing Marcel Avram, the German promoter who is suing him for breach of contract, Mr Jackson said Disney was a very creative man and a visionary.

"He loved creating family-oriented entertainment and so do I. I feel that was a gift and I have that gift also. I'm very honoured to have been chosen."

The singer arrived at the court house in Santa Maria, north of Los Angeles, seemingly still suffering from a spider bite which had forced the use of crutches on Tuesday.

Mr Avram says in his lawsuit that the singer agreed to perform charity shows in Seoul, South Korea and Munich, Germany in 1999 and millennium concerts in Sydney and Honolulu.

The plan was that he would cross the international dateline to ring in the new year twice.

But after Mr Jackson performed the two shows for charity, Avram says the singer backed out of the for-profit millennium events, costing the promoter millions of dollars.

Mr Jackson has denied pulling out of the millennium shows and said Mr Avram canceled them because "the government" would not allow them to fly across the international dateline on New Year's Eve.

The singer said he did not remember which government objected to the flight.

Mr Jackson is expected to complete his testimony in the case on Thursday.