It's really a very sad news, very shocking and un-expected. MJ will always live in our hearts. R.I.P The King of Pop.
--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, pratap <pratap_elen...@...> wrote: > > Michael Jackson, the 'King of Pop,' dies at age 50 > > > > By LYNN ELBER, Associated Press Writer Lynn Elber, Associated > Press Writer > > â" > 7 mins ago > > > > > LOS ANGELES â" Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted > child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" > and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in > a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50. Jackson died > at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Ed Winter, the assistant chief coroner > for Los Angeles County, confirmed his office had been notified of the death > and would handle the investigation. > The circumstances of Jackson's death were not immediately > clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics > responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve > Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to > the hospital, Ruda told the newspaper. > Jackson's > death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical > decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier > all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered > the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage. > His 1982 album "Thriller" â" which included the blockbuster > hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" â" is the best-selling album of > all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide. > The public first knew him in the late 1960s, when as a boy he > was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the music group he > formed with his four older brothers. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You > Back," "ABC," and "I'll Be There." > He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, > known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves > and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His > single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator > sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically > altered appearance. > "For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a > young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, > who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his > contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost > my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him." > Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles > as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's > biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa > Marie, and Jackson's death immediately evoked that of Presley himself, > who died at age 42 in 1977. > As years went by, > Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure â" a middle-aged > man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became > lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. > He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ > mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his > closest companions. > "It > seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the > world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, > a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He > called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared > fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the > industry than anyone knew." > Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his > infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng > of fans watched from below. > In > 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer > survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy > with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and > inappropriate behavior with other children. > The > case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV > documentary, he had acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a > practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual. > Despite > the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a > fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious > financial trouble. > Jackson was preparing for > what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an > unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July > 13. He was in rehearsals in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that > was to capture the classic Jackson magic: showstopping dance moves, elaborate > staging and throbbing dance beats. > Singer Dionne Warwick > said: "Michael was a friend and undoubtedly one of the world's greatest > entertainers that I fortunately had the pleasure of working with. ... > We have lost an icon in our industry." > Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of > his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is > near Jackson's rented home, was roped off with police tape. > "Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson > has just died," a woman boarding a Manhattan bus called out, shortly > after the news was announced. Immediately many riders reached for their > cell phones. > > So many people wanted to verify the early reports of Jackson's death that the > computers running Google's > news section interpreted the fusillade of "Michael Jackson" requests as > an automated attack for about half an hour Thursday evening. > In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd > when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying > the news to friends by cell phone. > > "No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, > read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like > when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times > Square when Michael Jackson died." > > > http://indian-music-bgm.blogspot.com/ >
