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Thread: Michael Jackson, King of Pop, Dies!!!

  1. #41
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    MICHAEL JACKSON - A MAN APART

    (CNN) -- He was lauded and ridiculed. He broke down barriers and built them around himself. He soared to heights unimaginable with his music, and he made the ignominious front page of gutter tabloids worldwide.

    Michael Jackson broke down musical and cultural barriers his entire life.

    For Michael Jackson, the spotlight was always present, and the rest of the world followed.

    With "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" -- the latter with Eddie Van Halen's scorching guitar solo -- he was almost single-handedly responsible for getting videos by African-American artists on MTV and helped revitalize the moribund Top 40 format in the early 1980s.

    "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a friend. "Michael did with music what they later did in sports, and in politics and in television. No controversy will erase the historic impact." In Depth: Michael Jackson special report

    "Thriller," a 14-minute video extravaganza directed by John Landis, paved the way for the elaborate music videos to follow -- including Jackson's "Scream," recorded with sister Janet in 1995, which cost a reported $7 million and may be the most expensive video ever. Audio slide show: Michael Jackson and his music »

    His incredible dance talent, a modern twist on the Motown moves he witnessed as a child, led to a heightened focus on choreography in pop music videos and stage shows.

    His 1982 album "Thriller" smashed records. It was No. 1 for 37 weeks and, at its peak, sold a million copies a week. To date, it has sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide. The achievement set a high bar for Jackson; when his 1995 greatest-hits CD, "HIStory," sold 7 million copies, it was considered a relative failure.

    Jackson was also a fashion icon, his heavily zippered leather jackets a de rigueur 1980s fashion accessory, his single, spangled glove beyond compare.

    On the down side, Jackson also led in making pop stars the subject of the paparazzi and tabloids in a way, perhaps, equaled only by such icons as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the pre-"Sgt. Pepper" Beatles. Rumors abounded, from his pets to his sleeping habits to his cosmetic surgery, all fodder for the press. After stories arose of possible child molestation, he never got back in the media's good graces; he was treated as a traveling circus.

    From the time he was a child, it was obvious Michael Jackson was something special. In 1966, when he was 8, he joined his brothers in the band his father put together and started singing lead with brother Jermaine.

    Though Motown Records was the top label of the 1960s, inventing what it called "the Sound of Young America," by 1969 -- when Jackson and his brothers in the Jackson 5 first hit the charts -- the label was finding itself out of step with the psychedelic and hard-soul sounds of the times.

    Enter the quintet from Gary, Indiana.

    Motown signed the group in 1968 and poured its all into the Jackson 5's first single, "I Want You Back" -- the writing and production team were credited as "The Corporation" -- and Jackson's imploring, dramatic vocal rocked America. The song hit No. 1 in January 1970, and was followed by three more No. 1s in quick succession.

    Thanks to their squeaky-clean image, the Jackson 5 became teen idols, unusual for a group of African-American youngsters. Michael Jackson's face appeared on the covers of teen magazines; the band even became the subject of an animated Saturday-morning TV show, another first for an African-American group.

    But it was in the 1980s, when Jackson became a worldwide phenomenon, that his impact really began to be felt.

    He was much imitated, from his hair to his clothes to his dance moves. The music was superbly crafted pop, produced by Quincy Jones and often written by Jackson himself. Even rock critics approved; the album "Thriller" earned an A from the picky Robert Christgau, among others.

    There came a moment, around that time, when pop music went into a Jackson era. "Thriller" had nine songs; seven of them became singles. Jackson teamed with Lionel Richie to write the fundraising song "We Are the World"; it was his presence, as much as that of Richie, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, that propelled the song to No. 1.

    Jackson reteamed with his brothers for an album, "Destiny," and accompanying tour. It was the hottest tour of the year, despite complaints about sales practices. (Partly because of the controversy, Jackson announced publicly he was donating all his money from the tour to charity.)

    He was a role model. At the peak of his fame, there were reports of a humbly dressed Jackson ringing doorbells as part of his Jehovah's Witness faith.

    Though Jackson's image eventually became sullied by the molestation allegations and stories of eccentricity, there was never any doubt about his entertainment legacy. "Thriller" and "Bad" are still among the top sellers of all time. His fluid dance moves and stage presence set standards that rising stars -- often compared to Jackson -- struggle to equal.

    "Of all the thousands of entertainers I have worked with, Michael was the most outstanding. Many have tried and will try to copy him, but his talent will never be matched. He was truly one-of-a-kind," said Dick Clark, who would know.

    And then there's the music, from the early, explosive joy of the Jackson 5 hits to the elegant ballads, down-and-dirty grooves and ecstatic dance hits of his solo years. "The Love You Save," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Bad" -- they are pop music boiled down to its best essence, with a good beat, an engrossing melody and even, sometimes, a message of love and fellowship.

    It's enough to take a listener to the moon.

    [From CNN - Quoted as a public service]

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  3. #42
    Senior Member Regular Hubber MrIndia's Avatar
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    RIP MJ..

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    Senior Member Devoted Hubber ArulprakasH's Avatar
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    MJ RIP
    முதல் அடியில் நடுங்க வேண்டும்.. மறு அடியில் அடங்க வேண்டும்.. மீண்டு வந்தால் மீண்டும் அடி.. மறுபடி மரண அடி!!!

  5. #44
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    A real worldwide thriller

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    Senior Member Platinum Hubber ajithfederer's Avatar
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    Listening to Black or white : What a theme

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    Senior Member Platinum Hubber ajithfederer's Avatar
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  9. #48
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    MICHAEL JACKSON'S Top 25 SONGS (iTunes):

    http://photos.essence.com/galleries/...MJtop25#191251

  10. #49
    Administrator Platinum Hubber NOV's Avatar
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    Michael Jackson death still unsolved after autopsy
    By Dan Whitcomb and Laura Isensee

    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Doctors conducted an autopsy on the body of Michael Jackson on Friday but could not immediately determine what killed the "King of Pop," amid reports he had been injected with a narcotic painkiller shortly before collapsing.


    Jeff Buckingham (R), of Oregon, pays his respects to the late Michael Jackson at Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, June 26, 2009. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
    Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, with his personal physician trying desperately to revive him.

    The 50-year-old pop superstar was rushed to nearby UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead without regaining consciousness.

    "The cause of death (determination) has been deferred, which means that the medical examiner has ordered additional testing such as toxicology and other studies," Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said. "Those tests we anticipate will take an additional four to six weeks."

    Speaking to a throng of reporters outside the coroner's office, Harvey said, "There was no indication of any external trauma or indication of foul play to the body of Mr. Jackson."

    Police said they were seeking to question Jackson's personal physician, identified by news media as Houston-based cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray.

    Jackson's body will be released to family members after they choose a mortuary for funeral arrangements, Harvey said. There was no immediate word on when he would be laid to rest.

    Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing an interview with an unidentified "close member" of the Jackson family, reported the entertainer was injected with Demerol about half an hour before he went into cardiac arrest.

    DAILY SHOT OF DEMEROL?

    TMZ, citing family members, said Jackson received a daily shot of Demerol, a narcotic painkiller, and that the family believed his death was caused by an overdose of the drug.

    Detectives searched Jackson's home and impounded Murray's Mercedes from the driveway, saying it might contain evidence.

    An unidentified man called a 911 emergency phone line from the mansion at 12:21 p.m. local time, saying Jackson was unconscious and not breathing.

    In excerpts from the call released by authorities, the caller said the physician was the only other person present and was frantically performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the unconscious Jackson without results.

    "He's pumping, he's pumping his chest but he's not responding to anything, sir, please," the man said.

    A senior law enforcement official told ABC News that Jackson was "heavily addicted" to the painkiller Oxycontin and was injected daily with that medication, along with Demerol.

    Lawyer Brian Oxman, a Jackson family spokesman, told CBS' "The Early Show" he had been concerned about the prescription drugs Jackson took due to injuries suffered while performing.

    "I do not want to point fingers at anyone because I want to hear what the toxicology report says and the coroner says but the plain fact of the matter is that Michael Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal at all times," Oxman said.

    Fans and fellow pop stars revived memories of Jackson's musical genius, tarnished over the past decade by accusations of child molestation and eccentric behavior.

    U.S. President Barack Obama called Jackson a "spectacular performer" but said he believed aspects of his life were "sad and tragic," the White House said.

    FANS PAY TRIBUTE

    Jackson's death was front-page news around the world as airwaves filled with his greatest hits from "Thriller" to "Billie Jean" and social networking sites were bombarded with messages and tributes.

    "My heart, my mind are broken," actress Elizabeth Taylor, long a close friend of Jackson, said in a statement.

    "He will be in my heart forever but it's not enough," Taylor said. "My life feels so empty. I don't think anyone knew how much we loved each other."

    On Hollywood Boulevard, police put up barricades to control thousands of fans who filed past Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame to honor the child prodigy who became one of the top singers of all time with an estimated 750 million albums sold.

    About 50 people danced to such Jackson hits as "Rock with You" and "Beat It" in New York's Washington Square. When "Thriller" played, the crowd formed into lines to imitate the moves from Jackson's ground-breaking video for the song.

    Facing a battered reputation and a mountain of debt that The Wall Street Journal reported ran to $500 million, Jackson spent the last two months rehearsing for a series of London concerts, including Wednesday in Los Angeles. [nLQ270851]

    Despite reports of Jackson's ill health, the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson passed a 4 1/2-hour physical examination with independent doctors.

    TMZ reported it was AEG that had retained Murray.

    In death, Jackson's music enjoyed an immediate rebound that eluded him for years. His songs surged to the top 15 on online retailer Amazon.com's best-selling albums within hours.

    He dominated the charts in the 1980s and was one of the most successful entertainers, with 13 Grammy Awards and several seminal music videos. His 1982 album "Thriller" yielded seven top-10 singles.

    But he was twice accused of molesting young boys and was charged in 2003 with child sexual abuse. He was acquitted of all charges in a four-month trial in 2005.

    (Additional reporting by Mary Milliken, Bob Tourtellotte and Alex Dobuzinskis)
    Never argue with a fool or he will drag you down to his level and beat you at it through sheer experience!

  11. #50
    Senior Member Veteran Hubber Querida's Avatar
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    Maybe this is not the place to mention this...but I feel it should be said.

    I know that being a fan of MJ is not the easiest thing to be, he didn't make it easy nor did the media...

    I feel conflicted...I do not want to believe that the little angel from Jackson Five grew up to be a predator...I cannot deny that he had problems with drugs (his death could be very much a drug overdose) and his mental health problems, and I cannot say the genius of his music overshadows his crimes...if they are indeed true.

    The world is not black and white...either he was a predator who took advantage of trusting kids or there are people despicable enough to exploit their children for money....either situation warrants no less shame.

    If anything at all...I wish for the truth.

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