6.25.2009

It's happened, and I do not think it was an accident.

Brian

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, Is Dead
PopEater / Wire Services
posted: 9 MINUTES AGOcomments: 4044filed under: Movie News, Music News, Obits, TV NewsPrintShareText SizeAAA
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Getty Images / WireImageMichael Jackson, the charismatic musician who came to be known as The "King of Pop,' has died at the age of 50.
"At about 13:00 hours today, Mr. Jackson was transported from this location by paramedics to UCLA Medical Center. At about 2:30 in the afternoon, Mr. Jackson was pronounced. Currently the L.A. County Coroner's office has taken possession of Mr. Jackson's body, and they will handle any other inquiries into the type of death or anything that relates to that at the time," a Los Angeles Police Department officer said during a brief press conference.
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Remembering the King of PopRon Galella, WireImage17 photos According to the Los Angeles Times and TMZ, Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Look at a Retrospective His Life(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)A Michael Jackson Retrospective
Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital suffering from cardiac arrest. According to reports, he has died at the age of 50. A Retrospective of His Life

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Known as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson began his life as a child sensation who blossomed into one of the greatest pop stars of all time.

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

He was the lead singer for the very popular Jackson 5 that included the his brothers -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon. He then morphed into a highly successful recording artist, making his first solo album in 1972.

Ron Galella, WireImage

Jackson appears in the 1982 music video for 'Thriller,' one of the best-selling albums of all time with at least 27 million copies sold worldwide.

Everett Collection

Over the course of his storied career, Jackson won 13 Grammy awards -- eight of them for 'Thriller' alone.

Liason

His stage presence captured the hearts of millions -- including his signature "moonwalk" dance which he unveiled in 1983 while performing 'Billie Jean.' At 50 years old, he was attempting to make a comeback with several dates scheduled in London.

Dave Hogan, Getty Images

Jackson's successes were also marred by personal strife and controversy. In later years, the singer was twice accused of molesting children. In the first, he settled out of court with the accuser, and in the second he was found not guilty.

Roslan Rahman, AFP / Getty Images

Jackson is seen being escorted into court in January of 2004 -- the second time he was charged with child molestation. The first, in 1993, resulted in a settlement reported to be worth about $23 million.

Hector Mata, AFP / Getty Images

Jackson is shown here in his 2003 mug shot where he was booked on child molestation charges. The singer was later acquitted.

Robyn Beck. AFP / Getty Images

The 'Dangerous' star caused a stir when he held his youngest child, Prince Michael II, over the balcony of his Berlin hotel in 2002. His son was later dubbed 'Blanket' due to this incident.

Olaf Selchow, Getty Images


In Tribute: Top 10 Jackson Songs All MJ Radio

From Britney To Smokey: Star Reactions To Death TMZ was the first to report the news. According to reports, the pop legend suffered a cardiac arrest this afternoon and medics were unable to revive him. A TMZ source said Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived, while the Times says he was in a deep coma upon arrival.
The 50-year-old singer was picked up this afternoon at his rented home in Bel Air around 12:26 p.m. where medics had to administer CPR before transporting him to UCLA hospital.
Capt. Steve Ruda of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. told the LA Times that Jackson was not breathing when help arrived at the house, which is about a two minute drive from the hospital.
Earlier, a Jackson family member told TMZ Michael is in "really bad shape." Joseph Jackson, the patriarch of the musical clan, also told media outlets his son was "not doing well."
A report in Britain's The Sun newspaper, citing a UCLA Medical Center source, claims that Jackson received an injection of Demerol -- a drug similar to morphine -- shortly before the incident and began breathing very shallow shortly after. A photo of a police 911 computer purportedly from a call related to Jackson says the subject was "not breathing at all."
The 'Thriller' superstar has long been addled by health problems and has had addictions to painkillers in the past.
Jackson had three children, Michael Jr., Paris and Prince.

This year, Jackson mounted an effort to revive his career after several setbacks in the past decade. He announced he would perform 50 concerts at London's O2 Arena. Those sold out concerts were set to begin on July 13.
Jackson had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the London shows.
His 1982 album "Thriller" - which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" - 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."
Talking exclusively with Spinner.com, Smokey Robinson reflected on the loss, saying "it's always hard to lose a friend."
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Michael Jackson PhotosAP135 photos FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson is shown at a press conference in London, announcing plans to appear at the London O2 Arena in July. A New Jersey concert promoter has sued entertainer Michael Jackson for $40 million for allegedly breaching a contract to play a reunion concert with other family members. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday June 10, 2009 in federal court in Manhattan, Allgood Entertainment claims it made a deal with Jackson's then-manager to produce a reunion concert with the Jackson family this summer. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file)
(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)Michael Jackson Snapshots

FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson is shown at a press conference in London, announcing plans to appear at the London O2 Arena in July. A New Jersey concert promoter has sued entertainer Michael Jackson for $40 million for allegedly breaching a contract to play a reunion concert with other family members. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday June 10, 2009 in federal court in Manhattan, Allgood Entertainment claims it made a deal with Jackson's then-manager to produce a reunion concert with the Jackson family this summer. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file)

AP

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 - 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."
 

6.25.2009

Show about the murder of Michael Jackson is below, more details on this will be posted in my dream forum here.

Brian

6.26.2009

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Thank You,

Brian