That's why I like MJ he crossed the barriers....

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Holy shit, that's kind of amazing

daPrettyman said:

the inaugural issue of spin was a hit piece on mj, way back in '87 which predates any child abuse allegations against him. the presley estate tightly controls any unflattering images of him; you only get the sleek 50s brand or the '73 aloha special one, never the drugged up elvis at the end. the salacious albert goldman hit piece on him is roundly denounced in the media, but anyone with a foul story to tell about mj is embraced with open arms. you might have some criticisms at the margins, but they are muted for the most part.

Cinnamon234 said:

Objectivity is not to be debated because the truth is right in your face, but stubborness blocks the facts everytime.

As I said, it's not something I'm going to argue about. No one is going to change my mind about that period. Anyhow, this is not what I want to be focusing on right now. I don't want to be arguing over petty things. This thread is not about The Beatles or Elvis, who at the moment I couldn't care less about. All I care about is about Michael . I am going to try and stay on topic here, so moving right along....
[Edited 6/27/09 13:17pm]

Amitabh Bacchan is arguably the most important actor ever in Indian films... here's his blog post about Michael:

http://bigb.bigadda.com/?p=2857

It just struck me that Michael is only the second "We Are the World" soloist to pass away after Ray Charles. Wow!

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I saw that on Anderson Cooper's show last night.

CalhounSq said:

It's indeed a cool nod. It has been on Youtube for quite awhile now lol


[Edited 6/27/09 13:34pm]

Shango said:

I know, but they're doing a new tribute.

noimageatall said:

Aha, that's cool . I'm looking forward to that then.

AlexdeParis said:

If you think that's something, just think of other artists that are still alive since Michael's passing:

Motley Crue (especially Nikki Sixx)
Keith Richards
Ozzy Osbourne
50 Cent
Bonnie Raitt
Stevie Nicks
Whitney Houston
Bobby Brown
Brian Wilson
.....and any other artist that either had drug problems OR had been gun shot.

angel345 said:

IN fact the coverage that MJ is getting now ( Not only in the U.S but across the world) is the prime example of his Impact, anyone is gonna deny that is on crack,plain and simple.
People have been blasting Mj's music in their cars here since yesterday here in the middle east , in jordan, you understand what im saying right? In the middle east , No one know a heck about elvis and the beatles here, Mj crossed all barriers , reached to all races , cultures and languages, he is alot alot of things.

kibbles said:

yeah you mak some intelligent points. It's a shame though, all this race thinking.

daPrettyman said:

they put him down because he was alive! now, that he's dead we will see...

I can't verify this Elvis thing. But I'm quite sure people dismissed him for the last 17 years of life too. After all, his had little musical impact, garbage films and became fat. I'm sure people made jokes about him when he still was alive.

But you might be right. You're living in the US and sure know more about racism...an ugly thing!

by GREGORY KATZ Associated Press Writer
http://durantdemocrat.com...rk/2805533

LONDON (AP) — Michael Jackson was due to make his triumphant return to the stage in London next month — but instead his sudden death has left millions of fans feeling they’ve lost a lifelong friend.

The dramatic death of the brilliant singer seemed to obscure his recent controversies and kindle warmer memories of Jackson the child star and Jackson the show-stopping, moonwalking headliner.

The worldwide chorus of grief united the famous — statesmen and superstars alike — and the legions of ordinary people who grew up with “Thriller” and “Beat It.”

Word of Jackson’s death jolted nearly everyone, from a young man in Colombia who was named after the King of Pop, to Malaysians who named a soy drink for him, to a generation of people around the world who have tried, in vain, to moonwalk.

“It’s horrible news, so unexpected,” the Italian actress Sophia Loren told The Associated Press by telephone. “The world has lost an icon and music has lost treasures. He wrote songs that generations of yesterday, today and tomorrow will all keep on singing. What he wrote was amazing.”

Loren and her children had been frequent visitors to Jackson at his Neverland ranch in California, developing an enduring friendship.

“I hope that Michael will find that peace that maybe he did not have in the last 15 years.”

In London, shocked fans gathered at the Lyric Theatre, where a live show based on Jackson’s record-selling album “Thriller” is being performed, and waited for news about refunds for some 750,000 tickets to his sold-out, 50-night run.

A spokeswoman for AEG Live — the promoters for the London concerts — declined to say how ticket refunds would be handled. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying she was not authorized to speak to the media.

There were poignant memories of his final public appearance when he came to London for a March news conference to announce his “This is it” concerts, which he said would mark his farewell to the London stage. A candlelight vigil at London’s Trafalgar Square was planned to honor the singer.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela issued a message through his foundation saying Jackson’s loss would be felt worldwide.

Jackson sang at a birthday concert for Mandela in 1998. In 1999, according to local media reports at the time, he lunched with Mandela at a small gathering at which the South African anti-apartheid leader celebrated both his 81st birthday and his and wife Graca Machel’s first wedding anniversary.

The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, UNESCO and the Red Cross were given proceeds from a huge benefit concert in Germany in 1999 that featured Jackson and other international stars.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney, who recorded with Jackson before they had a falling out over ownership of the Beatles catalogue, said his prayers went to Jackson’s family and fans.

“It’s so sad and shocking,” he said. “I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.”

In Ireland, where Jackson made his temporary home in a castle south of Dublin in 2007, people remembered him as a kind and loving man. Eugene Lambert, Ireland’s best-known puppeteer, recalled his son’s puppet performance at a birthday party for Jackson attended by the singer’s three children.

“Michael and the kids seemed to enjoy the show equally,” he said. “My son sang happy birthday to Michael, who seemed genuinely touched by the attention. Michael rang me that night to thank me for the show. He said he hoped he’d be as happy at his work as I am at my age, and of course I’m 80.”

Former British child star Mark Lester, who is godfather to Jackson’s children, said he had visited with Jackson several weeks ago and believed the star was ready for the rigors of performing 50 live gigs.

“He was absolutely fine,” said Lester. “I can’t believe this, it’s such a shock. I’ll always remember him as being a very sweet, kind and loving man.”

Rocker Lenny Kravitz recalled working with Jackson in the studio on an unreleased track and finding the man far different from the eccentric recluse often portrayed in the media.

“It was the most amazing experience I’ve had in the studio,” Kravitz said. “He was funny. Very funny and we laughed the whole time. I also saw what a beautiful father he was. He was a beautiful human being. If not for him, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. He gave me joy as a child and showed me the way to go.”

Jackson’s death prompted broadcasters from Sydney to Seoul — where the news came early today — to interrupt morning programs, while fans remembered a “tortured genius” whose squeals and sliding moves captivated a generation and who sparked global trends in music, dance and fashion.

Several world leaders weighed in. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called it “lamentable news,” though he criticized the media for giving it so much attention. Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who had met Jackson, said: “We lost a hero of the world.”

In Romania, where a tumultuous Jackson concert in 1992 helped mark the country’s new freedoms after the fall of the Soviet bloc, singer Lucian Viziru said he was stunned by the tragedy.

“I feel like crying,” he told the AP, rubbing his eyes. “I grew up with him, I learned his dances, his songs, everything. My first ever cassette was ‘Thriller.’”

A condolence board went up in downtown Bucharest. Radio and TV stations played his music and broadcast clips from the concert.

“My heart is heavy because my idol died,” said Byron Garcia, security consultant at a Philippine prison who organized the famous video of 1,500 inmates doing a synchronized dance to “Thriller.” The video has had 23.4 million hits on YouTube.

Garcia said the inmates in Cebu will hold a tribute for Jackson on Saturday with their “Thriller” dance and a minute of prayer.

The flamboyant former Philippine first lady, Imelda Marcos, who cheered Jackson’s acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005, said she cried on hearing the news.

“Michael Jackson enriched our lives, made us happy,” she said. “The accusations, the persecution caused him so much financial and mental anguish. He was vindicated in court, but the battle took his life. There is probably a lesson here for all of us.”

In Bogota, Colombia, a 24-year-old tattoo artist named Michael Tarquino said his parents named him after Jackson. He recalled growing up with electricity rationing for hours at a time and waiting for the power to return.

“When the light came back on I would play my Michael Jackson LP, and I’d stand at the window and sing along,” he said.

Japanese fans were always among Jackson’s most passionate supporters, and news of his death came as a huge shock. Michiko Suzuki, a music critic who met Jackson several times in the 1980s, said the country was likely to be mourning for some time.

“Everyone was imitating his ‘moonwalk’ when it was a hit. He was a true superstar,” she said.

Jackson also had a huge fan base in Seoul, South Korea, where his style and dance moves were widely emulated by Korean pop stars.

“He is my master and the prime mover to make me dance,” pop star Rain told the South Korean sports and entertainment daily Ilgan Sports. “Even though he is dead, he is an eternal performer.”

Aaron Kwok, one of Chinese pop’s most accomplished singer-dancers, said he was deeply saddened by the news.

“It’s so sudden,” Kwok said in a statement. “No one can replace Michael Jackson’s contributions to pop music.”

http://www.gulfnews.com/w...26519.html

Scroll through the pictures from around the world... it gives a glimpse into his impact.

coolcat said:

Thx for posting that. I'm crying all over again .

Cinnamon234 said:

Actually, I was siding with you, but yes we can move right along. Btw, I am just as hurt about MJ as you.

graecophilos said:

Believe me, Elvis is HUGE in the US. He will continue to be. He inspired a lot of people because he was the first white boy to shake his ass on tv. Not to mention, he was the first to take r&b and rockabilly music to the masses. The thing that gets me is that people like Little Richard and Chuck Berry were doing the same thing as Elvis (and better, I might add), but they never got the credit they deserved.

or me his death still feels unreal. To be honest, I became a fan in 2002, probably a time when nobody else wanted to become a fan, many fans turned him down!
In my imagination MJ always was the Thriller-era MJ. That's how I always thought of him, even when I saw the latest pics etc...

Now, that he is dead, for me, it feels as if he's still alive because all this music and the images haven't died!

from people.com

A day after Michael Jackson's death, a cloud of deep sadness - mixed with growing anger - has descended on the Jackson family home in Encino, where Joe and Katherine Jackson and their children have gathered to mourn.

"We're holding a family meeting now," Joe told PEOPLE in a brief interview midday. "We don't like what's going on."

A source close to the family tell PEOPLE that, while the adults of the family put up a brave front on Friday for Michael's three children - Prince, 12, Paris, 11, and Blanket, 7 - the emotions on Saturday are raw and bitter.

'The Sadness is Unreal'"The kids have fallen apart today," says the source. "They have taken it so, so hard. Yesterday everybody was being really strong for the kids, but today it just hit everybody. There are so many tears."

A sharp division has opened between Michael Jackson's lawyers and personal staff and his parents and eight siblings.

"There is so much sadness in the house today, it's unreal. They are so confused. They are so in the dark," says the source. "The family has no access to the will. [Michael's lawyers] won't let the family see the will ... The family has no idea what to do. They don't even know when to bury him. They don't know what to do about anything. They aren't getting any answers from Michael's lawyers."

Mrs. Jackson Rebuffed
Even Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, has been rebuffed by Michael's camp, according to the source. "Michael's people won't give Mrs. Jackson anything."

Another source of deep concern for the family: The intentions of Debbie Rowe, Jackson's former wife and the mother of his two older children, whose lawyer yesterday confirmed that Rowe retains parental rights. The Jacksons apparently fear that Rowe, who has not lived with the children in year, may now want to raise them.

"They haven't heard from Debbie Rowe and don't know what's going on in that respect, either. Joe and Katherine really want the children," says the source. "They for sure want the children."

Independent Autopsy
Another source close to the family tells PEOPLE that the family is so concerned about the reliability of Jackson's handlers that there is a possibility that patriarch Joe Jackson, now acting once again as the family chief, will request an independent autopsy.

"They're in shock and they want answers," the source says. "The issue is the people around him: vampires and blood suckers."

About the only positive development, says this source, is the rare sense of unity that now unites the large and fractious family. "They are coming together and Joe is running the show. It was tough for them all growing up, but the parents never stole from Michael and they had his best interests at heart."

seeingvoices12 said:

Sure, I believe you.

i absoulutely love this picture

CalhounSq said:

For some reason very few people know about this but it's been talked about here once or twice. It was after one of the BET Awards when they interview people on the post show. I think it was the one where she received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Michael had just been acquitted in 2005. Gladys was being interviewed and they asked her about Michael and she spoke about the early days of Motown and she said in a concerned voice, "I wish the family would say something because he's very sick". I thought that was pretty bold and couldn't understand why no one jumped on it but it always stayed with me--that regardless of what the fans thought there was something else going on with his health.
[Edited 6/27/09 14:20pm]
[Edited 6/27/09 14:20pm]

angel345 said:

Thanks

JackieBlue said:

Yes, I remember that.

cdcgold said:

Good lightning indeed. Was it used as an ad or other promotional media for L.A. Gear ? And how long did he promote the shoe brand ?... about 2 or 3 years ?
[Edited 6/27/09 14:25pm]

Does anyone think footage will emerge from the recent rehearsals? Was anyone documenting it? I really hope so. It would be grat to get a glimpse of what MJ had in mind at the London gigs.