Michael Jackson

Barbel · June 2009

According to the BBC, Michael Jackson has just died of heart failure.

Edit- have now noticed this news has been reported under "Tributes". Mods, please remove this thread.

scottmu65 · June 2009

I think he deserves a seperate thread to be honest, this has to be as big as elvis passing away.

RIP Michael, my thoughts are with your family, friends and of course your young children at this horrific time.

Loeffelholz · June 2009

I wasn't what you would call a fan...but I grew up with him, and with the Jackson 5's chart-topping tunes on the radio, and I was around when his solo star went supernova in '79-'80 with his 'Off The Wall' album. I can't add anything about Thriller that hasn't been said before...or will be said very shortly.

Before the allegations, before the arrests, and before the plastic surgeries, he was as talented and famous a performer as anyone who ever lived. In that respect, it's obviously a loss to the entertainment world...but tragically, that particular individual has been gone for quite a while. The person who took his place, with his alleged proclivities, bizarre behaviour and confirmed massive debt, was a fun-house mirror image of himself.

It's a quintessentially American story---indeed, on a par with that of Elvis Presley...and like Elvis, the third act of his story is most regrettable.

At least his music remains. Rest in peace.

John Drake · June 2009

RIP, not to my taste, but hopefully he's at peace.

Jamesbondjr · June 2009

I saw him live in 1996. Still the best concert I have been to by a long way. Genius is a title given to far too many people undeserving of the title, in Michael Jackson's case it is fully justified.

RIP Michael Jackson

Mister White · June 2009

I only just found out.

Unbelievable.

I wasn't a real fan either, but I enjoyed some of his music.

Can't believe he's gone.

Hope he can find the rest he never found in life now.

Colonel Shatner · June 2009

Was it really surprising? He was taking tons of drugs while tearing his face apart with numerous and invasive operations, while clearly being completely insane. A very talented musician, but a shame he left the planet Earth some time back in the early 1980s, and he looked zombified half a decade ago.

Of course Jacko's demise is now wall to wall on the 24 hour news channels, so a lot of more vital and broader news is going to get buried in the next few days at the very least. And the Internet seemed to be on the blink in the couple of hours after Jackson's hospitalization and death was officially confirmed.

And Farrah Fawcett has gone tragically early as well - these celebrities keep piling up.

Napoleon Plural · June 2009

Shocking news but as Col Shatner says, at the same time not really that surprising.

I was listening to Thriller the other day, it's held up really well, far better than other albums from the 1980s. I love the UK New Romantics era, but it's very much of its time, whereas tracks like Billie Jean and PYT are timeless.

That said, all obituaries seem a bit redundant, as they've been writing Jacko's obituary for the last 10 years, in lieu of any new product. News of his death made me want to rush out and buy his No.1's album (you can get it for a fiver with another CD at the HMV sale if you hurry) but it didn't make me want to listen to his music to reconvene with him if you will... the thing about Michael Jackson was he seemed to keep himself hidden, he never really revealed himself or laid himself bare. He never did interviews. If anything, his relationship with the public was a bit teasing and even contemptuous, stringing us a long with his gimmicks (although that tactic is commonplace with celebs these days). For that reason, I prefer his funky stuff over his ballads, which never seemed to emotionally revealing. I passed on the chance to buy that No.1's album the other day because, well, his private life did put me off him, it tarnishes his musical legacy.

That said, I never realised he actually wrote Billie Jean and Beat It. Superb stuff.

8420 · June 2009

R.I.P Micheal Jackson. Lost some great stars this year

asio · June 2009

My wife and I watched the news reports this morning (Australian Time) which went from "Michael Jackson rushed to hospital" to "Michael Jackson suffers a heart attack" and finally to "Michael Jackson dead".
The morning news usually runs from 6AM to 9AM, but the local station (Channel 9) has kept this story running pretty much all day long. I thought that was a bit much, as the media has derived his antics for decades, and now he's deceased, they laud him as a genius.
It's a shame the media didn't treat him so kindly when he was alive. Perhaps then he wouldn't have been so reclusive and stressed, and reliant on medications.

Dan Same · June 2009

A genius. One of the greatest musical artists in the history of the world; a singer, dancer, performer and song-writer of unsurpassed quality, whom at his peak elevated his art to such a level, that it appeared as if he was singing and dancing with the angels. I remember rushing home with the family from dinner one night just to watch the premier of his latest video clip.

In the past decade or so, I haven't been as interested in him as I once was, but I remain astonished at just extraordinary he truly was. In all of the focus on his personal problems, I think alot of people lose sight of not just how great he was, but also how influential he was. If you removed him from the music landscape, there is no doubt that pop music would be greatly different. Additionally one choreographer, who was interviewed, noted how almost all dancers post-Jackson were influenced by him to some degree. He was simply glorious; the epitome of musical and artistic brilliance. RIP -{

agent 00 · June 2009

From popstar into a legend.
The music remains.

Gothic ZM · June 2009

Never met him. Didn't know him. Its always sad to hear about people dying, but I can't say it bothers me....

Jarvio · June 2009

Shocking stuff.
What caused his heart failure? Was it drugs?

Napoleon Plural · June 2009

Gothic ZM wrote:

Never met him. Didn't know him. Its always sad to hear about people dying, but I can't say it bothers me....

"A glowing tribute..."

One assumes you don't post on the tribute thread too much if you have to have met them first...

Sweepy the Cat · June 2009

I still cannot believe believe that he is gone. This has to be as big a day as Elvis' death!

Although I'm not exactly what you would call a 'fan', this guy, hands down, has got to be a musical genius. I especially enjoyed much of his earlier work (1980's B-) )

Unfortunately Michael did turn into a complete fruitcake from the early 90's and onwards but his legacy still lives on.

RIP Michael, my thoughts are with your family and friends at this horrific time.

Dan Same · June 2009

asio wrote:

My wife and I watched the news reports this morning (Australian Time) which went from "Michael Jackson rushed to hospital" to "Michael Jackson suffers a heart attack" and finally to "Michael Jackson dead".
The morning news usually runs from 6AM to 9AM, but the local station (Channel 9) has kept this story running pretty much all day long. I thought that was a bit much, as the media has derived his antics for decades, and now he's deceased, they laud him as a genius.
It's a shame the media didn't treat him so kindly when he was alive. Perhaps then he wouldn't have been so reclusive and stressed, and reliant on medications.

Indeed. I think it's completely hypocritical that the same media which, as you said, now lauds him as a genius, used to run stories with 'Wacko Jacko' in the headline.

Loeffelholz · June 2009

Apparently, the concert tour Jackson had scheduled to begin in the U.K. next month sold out in record time---millions and millions of dollars changed hands---and the likelihood of getting a refund for tickets purchased will depend upon where they were purchased...if you bought from a scalper or an internet site, you might just be out of luck.

As of yesterday, sources say that Jackson was "preparing" for the tour, doing physical training, etc...but had yet to even hire a choreographer for the shows. Sounds like he would have been under quite a bit of pressure, I should think. The results of the autopsy and toxicology report will be telling.

Like all sudden pop culture deaths---James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, Anna Nicole Smith, etc.---Michael Jackson's untimely end will create ripples for quite a long time, and the full story will probably never be known.

Mr Martini · June 2009

Jarvio wrote:

Shocking stuff.
What caused his heart failure? Was it drugs?

The police towed away a car from the property Jackson was renting. The car belonged to Jacksons personal physician who was at the house when Jackson collapsed and also administered cpr to Jackson. Reports I've heard on the news say the car was towed as part of the investigation. They may think the doc had prescription drugs in the car. Here's th whole story:

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/26/2972817-police-tow-car-seek-clues-in-jackson-death

TonyDP · June 2009

I was never a fan; his music just didn't resonate with me and his appearance and various antics over the years were so bizarre that they just drowned out any of his creative accomplishments.

But, while his death is sad, the real tragedy to me is that for all his wealth, talent and adulation, he was by all appearances a very sad, damaged and ultimately lonely individual who isolated himself from those that adored him most. It seems to me he wasted the better part of his life in an extravagant and ultimately futile attempt to manufacture an idealized surrogate childhood to substitute for his own, which by many accounts was not too pleasant. If that's the case, then I do hope that he is at peace now.

Lost in the current media feeding frenzy is the fate of his three children. They are, quite honestly, the ones I really feel for; I can't even begin to imagine what their lives must have been like. Even their conception was bizarre if the stories are to be believed. I hope that they'll be OK and that in spite of all the craziness that surrounded Michael Jackson, that they'll be able to lead relatively normal lives going forward.

Sir Hillary Bray · June 2009

Musically, culturally, iconically -- an absolute colossus, every bit the equal of Sinatra, Presley and Lennon. I will say this until I die -- he is the greatest dancer of any type I have ever seen. Astaire, Kelly, Baryshnikov, Flatley -- Michael Jackson beat them all.

As a person -- obviously not fully formed. Seemed to be veering toward Howard Hughes territory.

RIP Michael -{

Barbel · June 2009

Dan Same wrote:

I think it's completely hypocritical that the same media which, as you said, now lauds him as a genius, used to run stories with 'Wacko Jacko' in the headline.

Sadly, that's typical of them. Well, most of them anyway

.

Colonel Shatner · June 2009

^We had that a short while back with Jade Goody, with the media going such a sharp U-turn it could be observed from space.

And I honestly believe the plastic surgeons who operated on Michael Jackson should be charged with criminal malpractice for all those years of highly damaging and unnecessary proceedures that turned the King of Pop into one of those humanoid reptiles that David Ike rants about.

Nightshooter · June 2009

Dan Same wrote:

I think it's completely hypocritical that the same media which, as you said, now lauds him as a genius, used to run stories with 'Wacko Jacko' in the headline.

I'm siding with the media on this one. Somehow, the headline "Musical genius dangles baby out window" doesn't quite ring true.

Still, certainly an incredible musician and dancer. RIP.

Dan Same · June 2009

Nightshooter wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

I think it's completely hypocritical that the same media which, as you said, now lauds him as a genius, used to run stories with 'Wacko Jacko' in the headline.

I'm siding with the media on this one. Somehow, the headline "Musical genius dangles baby out window" doesn't quite ring true.

Still, certainly an incredible musician and dancer. RIP.

Yes, except they went to extremes. it's one thing not to refer to him as a genius when he does bizarre things, but to constantly call him 'Wacko Jacko', even in headlines of so-called objective articles (and yes, I'm all too aware that the media isn't objective) strikes me as going to extremes.

Napoleon Plural · June 2009

A remarkably prescient feature in Q magazine, which is on the shelves today.

http://news.q4music.com/2009/06/post_27.html

Jackson is on the cover, and the whole thing is done before news of his death, but it basically suggests it would be a miracle if the 02 stage shows came off or went ahead. The whole thing almost suggests they foresaw his demise, though there's no mention of it in the mag at all.

TonyDP · June 2009

The media circus into Jackson's death seems to be gearing up to go into overdrive. Just today while flipping around (and actually trying to avoid news on this topic) I've heard various stories including (1) his doctor didn't know how to perform CPR; (2) the family wants a second autopsy as they are unsatisfied with the quality of the coroner's work, which is odd given that it could take weeks for blood and toxicology results, and (3) his doctor, who was in hiding for a period of time, is a person of interest in the death though not necessarily a suspect (at least, not yet). I have a feeling this will get all very ugly and even more bizarre in the weeks to come, as the tabloids devour every story like a school of frenzied sharks.

Loeffelholz · June 2009

Well, according to the 911 tape, the dispatcher was notified that a doctor was on the premises, and that CPR was being performed...and then was told that Jackson was on the bed ?:) The dispatcher then instructed them to move Jackson to the floor.

Pretty weird...and you're right, Tony---I don't think we've seen anything yet.

Mr Martini · June 2009

Loeffelholz wrote:

Well, according to the 911 tape, the dispatcher was notified that a doctor was on the premises, and that CPR was being performed...and then was told that Jackson was on the bed ?:) The dispatcher then instructed them to move Jackson to the floor.

Pretty weird...and you're right, Tony---I don't think we've seen anything yet.

I don't know too much about cpr, but wouldn't it be more effective to be on a flat hard surface fo the chest compressions? Wouldn't the spirngyness of the bed counter the chest pumps?

Loeffelholz · June 2009

Exactly---and the guy's a cardiologist...?

Wint and Kidd far-out · July 2009

I wasn't a fan either, but he did have some remarkable songs.

I'm very sorry he died. 50 is way too young by today's standards.

RIP

Michael Jackson

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