Drug agency joins investigation of Michael Jackson's death
7:41 PM | July 1, 2009

The Drug Enforcement Administration is now assisting the L.A. County coroner's office and the Los Angeles Police Department in the probe into the circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson's death, two sources told The Times today.

Authorities removed prescription medications and two bags of "medical evidence" from the Holmby Hills home where the pop star was found dead last Thursday. Law enforcement sources told The Times that investigators are also interviewing doctors who treated Jackson and prescribed him medication.

It remains unknown whether prescription drugs played a role in Jackson's death. An autopsy performed Friday did not determine a cause of death, and the coroner's office is awaiting the results of toxicology tests.

The exact role of the DEA remains unclear.

-- Richard Winton

Rogue588 said:

I don't think he was bamboozled, but I doubt he could resist beating Prince. "Hey Mike, you know, Prince just sold out 21 nights straigh..." "Screw that, I will do 50!" I can almost hear it in my head, of course in my head in finishes with Mike screaming EEEE,HEEEEE and singing the chorus from "Bad". But that is just they way the voices in my head work.

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

Like the drug stories, how do you know it was true? This sounds like the Jordan Chandler thing. He supposedly admitted Michael didn't molest him but there's no proof of that. Either way I'm not cheering.

Federal agents to join probe into Jackson's death


LOS ANGELES – The investigation into Michael Jackson's death deepened late Wednesday with word that federal authorities will step in to help local police take a look at Jackson's doctors and his medications.

The Drug Enforcement Administration was asked to help the probe by the Los Angeles Police Department, a law enforcement official in Washington told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

Following Jackson's death, allegations emerged that the 50-year-old King of Pop had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants.

The federal agency can provide resources and experience in investigating drug abuse, illicit drug manufacturers known as "pill mills" and substances local police may not be familiar with, the official said.

Also Wednesday, a plan to bury Michael Jackson at his sprawling Neverland ranch collapsed, leaving details about his funeral undecided. Another mystery was solved: His newly unveiled will says his mother should raise his children, or failing her, Diana Ross.

The changing funeral circumstances thwarted many Jackson fans who had descended on the estate in the rolling hills near Santa Barbara with the hope of attending a public viewing.

"We're terribly disappointed," said Ida Barron, 44, who arrived with her husband Paul Barron, 56, intending to spend several days in a tent.

"We were going to listen to music and watch Michael Jackson DVDs and party all night long, not just to have fun, but in memory of Michael Jackson," Paul Barron said. "Now we're going to have to just go home."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/a...el_jackson

Wow this is getting deep!

I don't know if this has been posted but Seth Riggs spoke

http://www.metro.us/us/ar.../index.xml

INTERVIEW. Seth Riggs was a friend and a teacher of Michael Jackson for 21 years. Riggs saw Michael in both bad and good times. Riggs opened up about some of Jackson’s secrets to Metro.

Q: You were in Russia when you learned of Michael’s death?

A: Yes, and my first thought was, I need to come back to London immediately. It was very strange feeling. I saw Mike just three months ago. He was feeling good. No complaints.

Q: Did you talk to his relatives?

A: A lot of his friends were mine, too. It’s our tragedy. As soon as I knew about his death, I grabbed my phone. I felt that I needed to call everybody who cared about him, who loved him as much as I do.

Q: What do you think was the real reason for his death?

A: Mike was killed! It was a real murder. Look, his doctor ran away. If there were no doctors around him, he would be OK! He shouldn’t have died!

Q: Had he ever thought about death?

A: You know, there was one moment. I was playing a piano, and he was standing next to me. All of a sudden, he stretched his hands, looking upwards. It seemed to me that it was very important to him. That’s why I left the room and switched the light off. After half an hour I came back to the room. He was whispering: “Thank you for my talent. Thank you for everything I’ve got. Thank you for all the people who love me. Tell me what I should do, and I’ll do it.” It seemed to me that it was the moment of his communication with God.

Do people really think his death will make the two accusers come out and admit the truth? The fact that they were willing to do this in the first place proves what kind of people they are. His death is not going to make them feel bad if they were willing to lie about something like this in the first place.

Arnotts said:

For real. People now wanna kiss his feet now that he's gone. The more I hear all of this the more I'm pissed off at the way people can be treated.

Timmy84 said:

tired of fake mj fans and the lynch mob mentality of the media as well when michael was alive.
[Edited 7/1/09 23:54pm]

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jackson Funeral Set – Tuesday at Staples CenterEXCLUSIVE: Michael Jackson Funeral Set – Tuesday at Staples Center
-----
Posted on Jul 01, 2009 @ 07:48PM print it send it
(Photo: Splash News/Zuma Press)Michael Jackson’s family and advisors have finally made a decision on where to hold a memorial service celebrating the late singer’s life and career. It will be Tuesday, July 7 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.

The 20,000-seat venue is where Michael spent his last night. He rehearsed there for his upcoming London concerts, right up until midnight on June 24. Jackson died the following afternoon.

Story Developing




























http://www.radaronline.co...les-center

kibbles said:

I said it was speculation, but I didn't say we should wait for the autopsy findings. I mean, that's the respectable thing to do, but I do like to speculate a bit. What I was getting at is, from what I've seen, MJ wasn't doing so hot. And perhaps one of the reasons why he wasn't doing so hot is because he kept enablers around him. I've said it before that a lot of the people on the sidelines seem to have more insight when I hear them talk. But it seems he pushed them away. The ones closest to Michael have sounded clueless or "out of it" (like Miko Brando). This is just my observation or speculation.

But, in the end, we may learn that he was fit as a fiddle and just took a mix of meds that turned out to be toxic. Who knows....

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

Aw hell naw.

MICHAEL JACKSON - FIRST ARTIST TO SELL 1 MILLION DOWNLOADS IN A WEEK

Michael Jackson First Artist to Sell Over 1 Million Downloads in a Single Week
By Eliot Van Buskirk July 1, 2009

As Michael Jackson’s body is being prepared for transport to a public viewing at the Neverland Ranch, his music rules the charts once again.

Billboard’s latest sales charts show the king of pop as the first artist ever to sell more than a million downloads in a single week, among other firsts.

Fans flocked to the late popstar’s greatest hits, purchasing a record-breaking 2.6 million Jackson solo recordings and Jackson Five songs, according to Nielsen SoundScan data for the week ending June 28. Jackson also dominated Billboard’s “Comprehensive Album Chart,” which tracks both new albums and older catalog albums — the first time a catalog album has ever scanned more sales than any new album.

The “massively talented boy-man,” as his former collaborator Paul McCartney described the eccentric star, posthumously claimed the top three spots with two greatest hits collections and the legendary Thriller album:

1. Michael Jackson - Number Ones (108K album sales scanned)

2. Michael Jackson - The Essential Michael Jackson (102K)

3. Michael Jackson - Thriller (101K)

4. The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (88K)

Jackson may once more rule the charts, but times have changed for the record industry since the ’80s heyday of cassette and vinyl retail sales. Last week, Billboard estimated that retailers sold 415,000 solo Michael Jackson albums (an increase of 4,150 percent from his total the previous week). In the months following its release, Thriller alone regularly sold twice that in a week.

Still, Jackson’s domination of several other key charts (six of the top ten digital albums, 25 of the top 75 digital songs, nine of the top ten pop catalog albums) is a clear reminder of the sort of sales that were possible before technology and choice fractured the listening public into a million little niches, when the mainstream still ran strong.

It seemed like everyone tuned in to watch the 13-minute Thriller video when it debuted in 1983, even though that meant staying up past bedtime for some, and wrangling with new-fangled VHS or Betamax recorders for others. ABC estimates that 55 percent of US television sets were tuned to Jackson’s 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey (over 62 million viewers total), while this year’s American Idol finale — arguably the biggest thing in music — drew only 32.5 million viewers, despite viewership having grown since ‘93.

Google thought it was under attack in the hours after Jackson passed away, causing some to speculate that he “almost [took] the internet with him.” The idea of one music superstar capturing the world’s attention could also perish with Jackson.

Thriller is the top-selling studio album in US history, with 28 million RIAA-tracked sales and well over 100 million copies sold worldwide. Given consumers’ growing preference for singles and the trajectory of the recorded music industry in general, those records are likely to stand for quite some time.

source: wired.com

Swa said:

He's still making history

Gladys Knight: "Blessed" To Know Michael
Singer Shares Her Memories Of Long Friendship With The King Of Pop

(CBS) Singer Gladys Knight remembered her longtime friend Michael Jackson on The Early Show Friday.

Knight told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith she's been "hanging in there" since she learned of Jackson's death.

Knight said she knew Jackson as a boy. She said she heard him for the first time as they rehearsed for a talent show at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Ill. "I heard them before I saw them, and I jumped up and I said, 'Who is that?"' she remembered.

Knight said she got to know Jackson over the years; two even shared the same manager, Ron Weisner, at one point.

"Michael was shy," she said, "And I don't know if we really recognized that in him all of his life. As he would accept awards, it wasn't about him being coy, it was about him being shy."

Knight said she is "blessed" to have known Jackson in "a different way."

"Seeing him in a room alone sitting in the dark and saying, what's the matter, Michael? Or sitting in the middle of the floor," she said. "...He was telling me the things that had happened or not happened in his life, like not going to baseball game as a young boy."

Knight said Jackson was always inquisitive. "It wasn't all about how you execute a note," she told Smith. "It was about, 'how do you live this life under the pressure and all of the things that we have to go through to make this happen?"'

Smith remarked that Jackson's magnetism on stage and the shyness off it was what transfixed many people about Jackson's life, and added that's why many people felt sorry for him.

Knight said it's "rightful" for people to feel that way.

"To whom much is given, much is required," she said. "And he had an enormous gift, and he also lived by that gift that you're given you,should use. And he used it to the utmost, to the best of his ability. He was phenomenal."

However, Knight acknowledged the other side of Jackson's controversial life.

"But on the other side of that coin, we forgot sometimes to understand what it takes in order to do that, trying to have a family, live a normal life, which is almost impossible with the iconic area that Michael was a part of."

Knight said she loved Jackson, and tried to provide a place for him to go when he needed it, especially when he was facing molestation charges.

"He needed some solace," she said. "He needed some other things that we as a group of people couldn't give him."

Knight added that she hopes his death won't be shrouded with sensationalism but that his memory will be celebrated.

"He lived every trial, he lived every wrong decision that he made," she said. "It's done. It's over. Now he needs his accolades for what he gave us, and how good he made us feel."
[Edited 7/2/09 0:40am]

CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Whilst I understand the need for some fans to want to cling to these conspiracy theories in order to not let go of Michael, the sad part is it that it actually doesn't do Michael any justice nor honour him.

These theories just unfortunately feed into the kind of tabloid gossip and rumours Michael had to deal with in life.

Lets give the man some peace at last.

Swa

In addition to the above post, fictitious reports of his accusers (most likely created by well meaning fans) only sadly brings the whole issue back into the consciousness.

Swa

Timmy84 said:

WHAT?!

Is that in stores in the US?!

*crying*

WaterInYourBath said:

It's been reported that the picture is actually from 1989 or 1990

http://www.etonline.com/n...index.html
Posted July 01, 2009 7:41:00 PM
From ETonline

Former child star Mark Lester, who is best known for playing the lead role in 'Oliver' and is the godfather to Michael Jackson's two older children, talks to ET about the death of the King of Pop.

Mark, who is now an osteopath, last saw Michael when MJ came to London last March to announce his 50-date concert tour.

It is Mark's opinion that Michael would never have contemplated setting such a tough performance schedule if he "wasn't on top of it." Mark also tells ET, "If he couldn't have done it, he wouldn't have done it."

Mark goes on to say that he is horrified by all the reports of drug abuse because, "I've never seen Michael take any drugs," but "if the autopsy reports come back and they say there were levels of this that and the other, you can't deny it."

As for the rumors that Michael was anorexic, Mark says, "We always ate well with Michael whenever he came to London. We'd always have fish and chips, which were his favorite. We ate pizza. My kids. His kids. We had family meals together. There was no suggestion he wasn't eating."

Mark also recalls one night when Michael told him that he didn't like needles: "He got bitten by a spider on his ranch, and the thing was really annoying. It wasn't healing. I do acupuncture, as well, so I got my needles and said, 'Come on, Michael, this will really help get the blood flow going and speed up the healing process. He said, 'No, Mark. I just don't like needles.' I convinced him to have it. He had it once but never again."

The two met about 30 years ago, pre-Thriller days, when Michael was touring with The Jackson Five. His manager phoned Mark and said, "Michael, would really like to meet you." Michael sent a car and Mark recalls their first meeting: "Michael had the whole floor of this hotel. The suite was like out of a James Bond movie. He walked over to me and gave me a huge hug and said, 'Mark, come in.' We sat and we talked for hours. I don't even know what we talked about. Time always seemed to pass quickly with Michael."

Timmy84 said:

I posted the interview the AEG guy Randy did with sky news ... It like he's saying it's not our fault we did all the checks we just did not expect MJ to OD on drugs but i bet they new that he had a problem

The bit in the interview when he talks about the fact his business takes risks sums it up for me

Reading between the lines alot of "Big" stars take stuff

bboy87 said:

Alot of people knew that MJ was taking drugs - they just did not have the balls to stop him taking an overdose because they are all "YES" men and women ... once he got hooked he could not come off the stuff - the people who gave it to him knew this would happen....

So yes he was killed it's not hard to see this as a truth poor guy, he is with his maker

God Bless M.J.

WaterInYourBath said:

Unfortunately yes.

LondonStyle said:

Hmm, looks like Randy pissed the meal ticket's heart clocked out when it did. Apparently there could be some people who WANT to be upset at MJ because "he seemed fine yesterday".

bboy87 said:

ow sammy davis jr ...never sen this thats for the post

bboy87 said:

Are you serious? Then we ain't got no autopsy picture of Michael if true, thank God!

bboy87 said:

This is a wonderful news.

kibbles said:

Exactly. This is one of the things supporting my personal belief about something shady where AEG is concerned. There's no way an insurance company would insure someone who had (allegedly) had track marks all over his body. Shit, remember during the whole "hip" drama, it was surmised that Prince was denying any injury to maintain his insurance for his 21 nights? Insuring a (allegedly) weak, drug-addled, frail 50 year old for a fifty night gig doesn't make much sense, now does it? Hopefully it'll all come out in the wash...in time.

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

Yeah, I read this over at View Askew earlier this evening. That reminds me...has Kevin Smith commented on MJ? Mind you, I don't think every single celebrity in the world needs to comment, I only ask based on him using ABC during the Bollywood-inspired scene in Clerks II.

Lenny Kravitz, singer: "He was a boy that God blessed with the most angelic voice. Just listen to an early Jackson Five album and listen to that voice. The purity, the feeling, the interpretation of the lyrics.

"At the age of 10, he was on par with James Brown and Aretha Franklin. But the thing he had that they could not match was the fact that he was a child. But at the same time he sang as an adult. That line between child and experienced adult took his expression to an unmatched level.

"I got to work with Michael on a track that has not been released and it was the most amazing experience I've had in the studio. 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."

LondonStyle said:

Thanks for posting.