nakedpianoplayer said:

Good...

heartbeatocean said:

co-

lazycrockett said:

Janet was or still is the bread winner too, she been taking care of Jeramine's kids for a while now. I hope they don't try to capitalize on their late brother!

Jermaine used to have a SERIOUS jealousy issue over Michael's career, he would pick fights with him! I believe Joe at lease loved him that was his son. I hope he ain't that fucking heartless.

That motherfucker was a monster, and that was an understatment!

StephaniePlum said:

The more I sink into it, the more shocking it becomes. I keep breaking out into tears and this has been going on for over 24 hours! I consider myself a big Prince and Madonna fan, and have considered (and braced myself for) their mortality because I know how hard that will be. But MJ? I stopped paying attention to him years ago. This has completely floored me.

I am really upset by this. I took him for granted, assumed he'd become a wreck of himself, and in the sadness of the present...forgot what he had done in the past. I tried listening to his music tonight, but I keep bumping into the fact that he's no longer around and IT HURTS! I had to turn the music off.

purplesweat said:

Yes I'd love to know as well. What about London or LA? I have my trip all booked so I'm still going to have to go. I don't even want to go anymore because of there obviously being no concerts anymore but if there were big fan memorials it would make it worth it

Chic35 said:

Doubt it.

lazycrockett said:

wow...
ok, i know this is a difficult time for lots of people, and thats to be expected, but i do recognize that there will be regret in the end of all of this - whether made public or not, a parent will have to review their relationship with their child and work through their wrong doings, short comings, downfalls, and personal beliefs of where they failed or where they felt really good about a situation.

this situation is quite difficult enough without adding our ideas of what or how the family should feel. this is a time for comfort and prayer, and all i was offering was my honest feelings of how hard it will be for him when he looks back over this childs life - it is not my job to judge

with his nephews Austin, Jourdynn and Jeremy

So this has been the longest day EVER...still haven't slept since I heard the news.

I had been watching the Number Ones DVD and saying to my boyfriend "I REALLY hope the O2 shows go well for him" the day before. Had checked the org for the first time in awhile. Same old trolls on MJ threads, no real news or push back of dates. Was SERIOUSLY looking forward to the reviews, only a couple of weeks now *fingers crossed*. It was my last night on holiday in Hong Kong. Went out for dinner, had a few drinks. Went to bed. Woke up when boyfriend turned on the tv and said "Oh no, baby"

MICHAEL JACKSON DIES

Oh god.
His only way out of doing those shows, backed into a corner. Totally sick feeling - alot of anger, sadness, nostalgia, and strangely awful inevitability. Hugs, tears. Think about BBOY87 and Timmy84, hope they're ok.
Watching TV like a zombie for a couple of hours until boyfriend goes "They're just repeating the same stuff. C'mon you've got to pack." Give him a dagger look and realise he's right.

Sent a RIP MJ text to my neice who I took to the History Concert in '97 from Hong Kong airport and burst into tears. The news is playing on the tv screens around the terminal but really, people are going about their business. Have a 12 hour flight through the night. Can't sleep at all. Played Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad and an instrumental collection on repeat. Have been playing the Man In The Mirror instrumental alot over the last month and have been appreciating the song now more than I ever did when it first came out. I'm relatively under control sitting next to a stranger on a long haul flight but some songs set me off. Smooth Criminal for whatever reason makes me sob. Probably because it was absolutely my favourite song/video as a 13-14 year old.

Zombie through the airport and get strange looks from Customs people. Long flight, couldn't sleep, Michael Jackson just died YES I'm a bit off is what I don't say. Get picked up by boyfriends sister "So you've heard Michael Jackson died? We'll be sick of his music by the end of the week. They're blasting it everywhere you go." Always thought she was a stupid cow.

Finally at home on the couch and they're playing MJ vids nonstop on repeat. They're playing the long versions too including Smooth Criminal. 20 years and it still has not been surpassed. Has anything come close? Have logged onto the org for the first time since I heard and shed a few tears through the day. The longest day ever because a big part of my childhood just died today and I'm not ready to let it go

Beyonce pays tribute

mynameisnotsusan said:

I feel you on that so much. Very nice post. For me, it feels like someone has pressed stop or pause on my favorite movie. That's it, the end. I can't believe Michael is no more. No one will ever compare to him in my eyes.

heartbeatocean said:

The similarity of the trajectories of our MJ fandom, and the surprising depth and intensity of our reactions to his death, is amazing. I really do understand what you're going through and how shocked you are at how this is affecting you.

I have been watching a couple of the video channels that are showing MJ videos all weekend, and I really really lost it when the video for "Will You Be There" came on. I'd not heard that in years and years. God that's a beautiful song. As I watch these videos, I can't help but try to figure out and understand why I ever veered from being a full-on, devoted MJ fan. His music made me so happy...

But it's been SO HARD watching these videos and seeing Michael dancing and singing and full of life.... It is bittersweet to feel such joy from the music yet feel so despondant at the knowledge that he's gone.
[Edited 6/27/09 1:34am]

bboy87 said:

Like a trip to Heaven
Heaven is the Prize

This verse tears me up.
R.I.P

every human who comes into physical being on this earth will one day leave it.
Thursday was Michael Jackson’s turn.
the whole world - myself included - was minimally in shock.


when I used to be a "die-hard Prince fan," there were indeed many times that I "resented" Michael. my thinking then was essentially "yeah, he can sing & dance.. but he’s so ‘pop,’ ‘too mainstream’.. & ‘I never see him playing any instruments.." (like Prince can..)

my little resentments aside, I came to understand that Michael was very unique - in ways that can & cannot be explained. he did have a gift for pop music, a gift for connecting with his audiences & his fans.. & he did bring so many people together through his music. he used a lot of his fame & resources to help those with much less than him, & he did that very often.


the one thing that I never accepted about Michael was his whole "I never had a childhood" refrain. to a certain extent.. that was the case, but as a human being with FREE WILL, at some point he could have simply stopped & got out of the music business - temporarily or permanently. he never chose to do this, however. he must have known that music was the essence of who he was, & for him to not sing & dance & perform.. that would have been wrong & a waste of tremendous talent.


I liked & appreciated the most Michael’s "pre-Thriller" music. I think he had a chip on his shoulder then, that he.. really wanted to make a statement to himself & to the world.. & he did that - BRILLIANTLY - with "Off the wall" he supposedly was disappointed by the lack of critical &/or commercial acclaim of "Wall," so he went back to the drawing board & came back with "Thriller".. the album that changed him - & the music industry forever.

I’m NOT saying that this is Michael’s "fault," but after the international success of "thriller," the way music was made & presented & consumed changed ; not all of this change for the good of music. a lot of singers & musicians & performers tried to copy - in vain - what Michael accomplished. a lot of record companies got into a "we want our own ‘thriller’ megahit" mentality, & instead of nurturing genuinely talented & "original" artists, they cranked out whatever (mediocre music) seemed hot/trendy at that time. then, in a larger sense, music became less about musical talent & proficiency & a lot more about image (& how good somebody would look in a video) & how the "hot artist/sound" of the day could be copied by others..

AGAIN, this is not "Michael’s fault.." but that so many chose to go in this direction after him is a direct effect of his amazing commercial success of the 1980s.


in terms of his "personal life" - what little we in the public really know/knew about it - I maintain the position that it was wrong & a bad decision for Michael to share his bed with any minor child, boy or girl. I know & I’ve heard that his position was that it was like kids hanging out in an all-night sleepover or whatever.. & I know he’s said infinite times that he would never "intentionally hurt" any child (which I accept at its face value..)
but in the end, that was wrong to do. his 2 marriages - both short-lived - seemed contrived at best. only Michael knows if (& to what extent) he really loved/was in love with Lisa Marie & then Debbie. all of us on the outside looking in can only speculate..


while this alleged "inappropriate behavior" with minor children (& his other well-known "eccentric" actions) have tarnished Michael’s image in the eyes of some, none of that can overshadow or change the fact that

Michael Jackson is absolutely the biggest & most influencial pop star of his generation, and in so many ways what he has done & accomplished will probably never be duplicated by anyone else.


I respectfully offer my prayers to his family & all those who knew him well.. & to all of his fans who are struggling to accept this.



lastly, in keeping with this thread’s theme..
my top 10 Jackson 5/Jacksons/Michael Jackson songs, in no particular order :

+ the love you save
+ dancing machine
+ enjoy yourself
+ this place hotel
+ rock with you
+ off the wall
+ don’t stop til you get enough
+ working day and night
+ let me sow you the way to go
+ butterflies

if I had to choose 1 song from these above as my "favorite," it would probably be "don’t stop til you get enough"..

JackieBlue said:

Can someone elaborate on this? What did Gladys say & when did she say it? Never heard it.

alright, i have to take myself away from this. i have been totally surrounded in this for almost 2 days straight. its 4 in the morning here right now and i am spent! this morning after not so many hours of sleep last night i really was hoping that this was all a dream, i reached for the remote to check cnn again no such luck...

the crazy part is that i wouldnt really call myself a die hard fan, but i certainly had respect for his talent. the incredibly sad part is that he went so early and that now it seems as i suspected early on - that there is much more to this story than meets the eye

im sorry for his children and for his family, also for his true fans - i cant imagine what is going on in your hearts these past couple days. i wish you strength and peace in your hearts... he will not be forgotten by anyone... ever

It's possible that Prince will pay his own tribute by including a Michael Jackson song (or two) on his setlist the next time he plays live. He did the same with Rick - and I think a couple of others - so he might very well do the same for Michael.

Minute after minute, I'm getting aware of what's really happened. And even if I already shed my tears and keep doing it, I still can't believe it.

He's not gone. That can't be true.

bboy87 said:

I'VE WANTED BEYONCE TO COVER "I CAN'T HELP IT," MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE MJ SONG, FOR YEARS NOW. Oh my gosh.....I can't believe it. Wow.....

suga10 said:

Never thought Lisa Marie Presley's words would ever mean anything to me, I don't have any of her, or her fathers, music in my collection, and my collection is extensive. But this particular blog of hers provided me with a certain comfort, and has also changed my opinion on something, which isn't an easy task to accomplish once I've made my mind up about any given thing.

I never believed her marriage to Michael was genuine, and have shared that opinion on The Org on numerous occasions, most recently in the thread about Usher's pending divorce. But Lisa Marie offered a couple of truths that enabled me to buy into the rest of what she declared. One, was that her marriage to Michael was suspect in regards to it's timing, which I strongly agree. Two, she admitted to it being an "unusual" relationship, which to me was a clear and obvious given, lol. Then finally three, the way she characterized Michael's love as being "as much as he could love anybody", and how she characterized her love for him as "very much". She didn't say... "WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL!!!", just... "very much", which seemed understated and genuine to me. So I buy when she says that her marriage to Michael was not a sham. I'm also weirdly comforted by how she conveyed that Michael knew this would be his path.

I think I'm going to start paying closer attention to Lisa Marie Presley. This lady has had quite a life so far. And the parallels between her father and her former husband are kinda cosmic, to say the least. Can you imagine what Lisa Maire Presley's eyes must have seen? Hate that it took losing Michael for me to have this change of heart. This is a disturbing and tragic story, and I continue to be deeply saddened by it.

Sophianestesia said:

I'm with you on that. I still haven't releaized he's dead.

But you know what? I've never met him in person. I only experienced MJ through his music, the videos and pictures.

Now that he's gone, for me, I still can experience him the way I used to before his death.

He was in my thoughts and fantasies for almost a decade now. Why should he disappear now?

For me, he's still as much alive as one week ago.

serpan99 said:

scary. its starting to remind me of tupac and his songs

banks said:

Thanks for The Game for showing some love to MJ, The Game is a true hip hop artist and not afraid to share his feelings.
What a great tribute song.
I wish more people would do what the Game has done.
MJ's influence goes far beyond pop music, it goes into every genre.

Damn Michael,(just what I've been saying to myself all day, no disrespect intended)

I will be placing this in a couple places, just to express my feelings on Michael's death. For those of you who can't understand the grief, please contain your comments or go somewhere else to rant.
Michael you were a gift, I watched and heard your name since before I can remember. I remember when you were the reason bubble gum pop became a term. You were so good that very few people reflected on the indisputable fact that you were a child prodigy. Like a Mozart, only singing, dancing and songwriting were you're instruments. I remember Off The Wall, I remember white people, Indians and blacks all on the same page when it came to loving that music.
Then there was the never again to be seen magic of Thriller. You were now in your absolute prime, like the Beatles in the 60's or Elvis in the 50's only much more pervasive and much more global. Beat it mesmerized me one morning right before I went off to school, I knew early on that you had that other gift, totally distinct from any talent, Charisma! That something which only maybe Elvis, maybe, had in greater degree. I watched as a very shy, polite young man tore apart boundaries. Like Elvis, you were the story of America, a democracy trying to resolve it's contradictions. No one thought it possible for a black man to reach such heights of popularity in a fundamentally racist country. It used to be, the Little Richards had to just be content with their fates, even though they were equal or superior in talent. You changed that almost overnight.
Then, I watched as you began to turn in on yourself, the contradictions of this democracy that gnaw at all of us showing in your face. Bad era Michael was still more than formidable but somehow, you let the man get deep into your head. I guess your thinking must have been, the whiter you are the more you would sell. The result was, people began to really think you were losing it. I watched as one of my greatest idols began to become a joke. Your vast talents began to take a backseat. No one gave you any credit for being one of THE greatest pop songwriters in history, they said Quincy did it all. Your voice and moves were getting better and better but there was no way to really duplicate the phenomenon that was Thriller. People eventually forgot that you were one of America's greatest artists.
Child molestation charges came the first time and seriously damaged your career. In being the kind natured person who avoids confrontation that you were. You fell into the habit of paying people off to make problems dissapear, not realizing or just not being suited to fight enemies, you only created more. I watched as you rarely sang live anymore, and when you did, you were a shadow of even your prodigious child abilities.
I know that you knew that many of us were out here hoping and getting angry at you for the messes you got yourself into. You were obviously surrounded by fools who let the man send a double agent like dark skinned Martin Bashir to weave his way into your world. All those contradictions, the distrust of whites, the wanting to be white, the trusting a fellow person of color worked against you. The kid in the video used this as an oppurtunity to go for the cash. No, I never believed it, many of us didn't but YOU put yourself in a position to be destroyed like that. I was elated when you won the case, but it looks like you really lost now.
As a musician and an artist who has felt the high of an audience, I cannot imagine being addicted to that since I was a child. I cannot imagine what it's like to be so phenomenally gifted that you seem superhuman. I only know that the stresses, of fame, and the unresolved racial issues of america cannot be good for anyone.
Over the years, I not only remember you, I remember my own thoughts. I remember you being escorted by police in 84 and thinking how incongruent and wondering how long you could remain afloat so deep into the white world. I remember Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall constantly making jokes at your expense, and how the general american public just thought you were gone. How your mere presence, even then, on that show could send these other stars and the audience into immediate bedlam. That must be a helluva gift and a helluva curse to be blessed with that kind of charisma. Cher said one of the most profound things I've ever heard yesterday, that "there are singers, then there are singers who are singing with a voice from somewhere else", the average person cannot fathom this, but they sure did react to it.
As I heard the news of you being gone, not even 48 hours ago, I feel as though I lost a family member. You tried to bring love to the world and you were vilified for it, you were different, while that made me feel less lonely as an oddball, they never stopped hounding you for that. When it all came down to it, black people took you back into their hearts when no other group of people would. All these thoughts are going through my mind, as an American, as an artist and as a man in the last day. I leave the house to see if anyone even cares, I see no signs or placards in the places I go. I went to a record shop in Seattle, hoping to see some tribute to your huge contribution to the culture and saw nothing. I left in my daze only to face the landmark of Jimi Hendrix right at the door and reflect on how many examples you had to warn you. There were so many trailblazers into that level of fame who made mistakes that are supposed to be corrected by the next generations. You didn't and that is tragic, so tragic. I also kept hearing music, in stores, in cars passing, and I could hear strains of thriller in the harmonies and in the production, do they know how much you've changed music?
I never knew who Elvis really was when he died, he became a hero later, but you were my Elvis. Now I can understand what everyone really felt when he died. My first thoughts were, this is so much like everything I know about Elvis that it is unbearabley eerie. The call to the house, the suddenness, the doctors working way past when you were gone, all were so much like Elvis. Lisa Marie sees the parallels because they are history repeating itself.
Michael you are now officially in Elvis' class, I can see you becoming bigger in death. It's almost funny to see the turnabout in the Greta Van Susterns in their mannerisms as they were the ones to help put those nails in your coffin with all that unbelievable pressure, it's funny to see them speak in reverent tones. And it's heartbreaking to see you in your prime, eyes crystal clear and purposeful, juxtaposed with the cartoonish, ghoulish, lost person you became. And for all of the ones who made your life a living hell, I hope they have enough decency to feel horrible. Maybe only in your wake will people appreciate the true artistry that they never gave you credit for in life. I love you Michael, Pete.
[Edited 6/27/09 4:54am]

Stevie Wonder performs Billie Jean for Michael. I hear he did a couple of other Michael songs.

The tears keep on coming. I still can´t believe it. He meant the world to me and now that world is gone. I´ll miss you forever, Michael.

And BTW, that Lisa statement was beautiful and very touching.

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and leave this world knowing the same thing, anything in between can be dealt with"

RIP Michael Jackson

NMuzakNSoul said:

Human Nature and a my concert he did I can't help It