To me the passing of the world's wealthiest pedophile is hardly worth a mention. He appeared on the music scene during a void of creativity and direction in the popular music scene. Musical tastes were becoming more fragmented; disco was dead. Popular culture had to polish the turd that was disco and Micheal Jackson found an opportunity.
He proclaimed himself the "King of Pop" which is much the same as calling oneself the "Iron Chef of Kraft dinner".

Good riddence to bad rubbish.

RIP, Michael Jackson. You are the best person. He is best musician of the all-time because I watched The Moonwalker when I were kid. I like it.

I am outraged about his doctor leaving MJ while he was in cardiac arrest. I want we should file charges against his doctor for neglienct death.

Sad for his family that he died -
Sad that his children have been taught that they dont have a mother, only a daddy...

Does it effect ME in any way - not really.

His music will last forever - did I like all of it - no .... yes I like some of it - and it will still be around.
He is not my hero - icon - or do I idolize him. Hes just one more - albeit very well known, talented performer. His passing does not change my world in any way or fashion.

I wouldnt even know that his personal life was so strange if it didnt have to be on my television (news) or computer all the time.

Do I believe he was guilty of being a pedophile.... I think it is more likely that it was true than not.

Do I think his mother should have the children? No, I dont think she did that well with her own.

I was 11 and my sister was 12 when The Jackson Five came onto the scene with "The Love You Save." Of course Micheal stood out from the very beginning, so he's the one that would pop into my head whenever I heard about the group. We grew up hearing all their hits over the years and when "Thriller" came out that was awesome as were his other one's afterwards. I especially liked the movie about their life story made in the 90s. It was a bittersweet one, indeed. It's such a tragedy how he started to go downhill. Micheal was truly a gifted artist!

There is not one perfect man or woman in this world . Like Jesus said any man (woman) with out sin let him cast the first stone. MJ has crossed all the language barriers and he spoke the universal language which is music.

MJ will be missed R.I.P. Michael

Personally I feel Michael “died” when he decided he didn’t want to be black, or male. He turned himself into something completely different then the handsome young black man he was. I grew up with Michael. He was only a year and half older than me and I was truly shocked by his death. I remember “little Michael Jackson” singing “ABC”, “I’ll be There” and all the other great hits he had as a child and continued into young adult hood. It all changed though when he changed himself into something so different you can’t even see who he was any more. He will be forever remembered for his talent, but he will also be remembered for being bizarre, weird and of course the legal allegations that haunted his adult life. May he rest in peace yet another time.

Last Friday was also the begging of the end for America as the morons in the House of Representatives voted to destroy America as we know it with the phony Tax and Crap bill - 219-212 - that home-owners will hate the moment they realize how much Hussein [rhymes with insane] Obama will dictate to them how they can sell their own homes. Also the radicals in the Minnesota courts ruled to give the left-wing Senate a filibuster-proof majority by allowing Obama's fraudulent voter group to over-rule the people of Minnesota and ultimately America.

While people are mourning Farrah, Ed & Michael they should be mourning our lost freedom.

R.I.P. America.

A true original, it seems he was unique in just about every sense of the word ranging from the sublime to the grotesque. A perusal of his nearly 51 years of life is like watching someone in a living Greek tragedy disintegrate before your very eyes. On the up side, his body of work is tremendous and will never be matched. His place and influence in music history and show business is iconic and, like Elvis Presley and few others, spans decades. On the downside – the repressive/abusive childhood, obviously confused sexuality, tragic obsession with appearance, and god knows what else…it really must have sucked to be him. I casually enjoyed his work but did not revere him. In fact, I especially found the crotch grabbing shtick such obscenely silly stuff that it made me wonder why he didn’t wear two white gloves with only three fingers on each hand. Still, he was a kind of divine screw-up – and I’m sure he will be talked about, analyzed and picked apart until he’s barely recognizable (something he partially accomplished in life) for many years to come. Wherever he is now, like other talented and confused individuals (Vincent, Marilyn, James Dean, Montgomery Clift) I wish him the peace he could not find on this planet.

More like, devastating. Personally, Jackson's death meant little to me. Like Ed, I felt sorry that he lived beyond a troubled life. Neither Stark nor I knew very much about him, so I found some sources and read them aloud so I could share them with her. What I took away from the material is that he was, for the most part, a figment of a predatorial media. I think that the facial mutilation began as a legitimate procedure, but went terribly wrong. He and the doctor who performed his surgeries claimed that he had 3 rhinplasties...the first as a result of a fall. There was also the issue of his changing skin color as a result of a condition called vitiligo. (We joked around about his use of one glove, imagining that he did this because his hand was being used as a swatch to test for the shade he was looking for). His cleft chin was artificial. I'm under the belief that more was done to his face than has been revealed and that, like a desperate housewife, he went amok trying to rearrange the furniture...except it was his face. The clinical term for this is 'body dysmorphic disorder', where he lost all sense of what he was supposed to look like.

I also agree that, while he was highly successful, he wasn't an artistic giant. As a dancer, he would have been cut in the first round with the likes of Alvin Ailey, the Joffrey Ballet, or any modern dance troupe and I shutter to think that anyone would put him up there with Astaire, Kelly, or even Cagney. I broke the monotony of reading, by viewing some of Jackson's videos, such as "Thriller", "Bad", "Billie Jean" and "Beat It". Seems that, as a dancer and a choreographer, he peaked early. They were high energy, but predictable and repetitious. They reminded me of those early morning TV aerobic exercise shows, with the occasional crotch grab and the excessive, patented Jackson wiggles. That being said, the energy was great, the sets and use of storylines were ground-breaking and I was mesmerized by the guy in "Beat It" who wore the white jacket and trousers and always seemed to be over Jackson's right shoulder. HE was a better dancer than his boss.

So, who was devastated? For starters, his fan base, which was second to none...as he set Guiness record after Guiness record in many categories. His fans bought nearly 1,000,000,000 of his recordings and filled stadiums unlike any entertainer before him. Also devastated would be the many charities that he supported with (I lost count) numbers that had to approach...and may have surpassed the $100,000,000 mark. He was a generous guy. And last, the people that he owed nearly half a billion dollars to were certainly devastated, although surging record sales may calm them down a bit.

He was in show business for 42 years, albeit, he peaked 25 years ago. I'm going to venture to make a bold statement, here. Given the large, LARGE and tormented life he led, from severe abuse as a child to unimaginable success and wealth as a young adult, to the (pretty much) media-fabricated image of things he supposedly did (ie: sleeping in hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or buying the bones of the Elephant Man), to pediophile charges that plagued him for the rest of his life (I believe them to be true)...that 99 and 44% of the population, put in a similar circumstances, would also end up as train wrecks. "Success" is a very pricey reward.

On a personal level he had many, many issues that included, legal, mental and physical. Purely as an entertainer he certainly had to be rated up there with the best, based on album sales and concert attendence. As far as talent goes, he was an above average singer (not nearly the best) and an exceptional dancer and choreographer. Maybe the most gifted dancer that ever lived.

So i was reading everyone's take on the passing of Michael Jackson and I must say that quite a few of you are pretty heartless individuals. Michael Jackson may have been a unique individual, but this should not be focused on, honestly. Legend? Hell yeah he was a legend. There are a handful of artists in the world past and present that hold a candle to this man. Sold out concerts, people crying and falling out, 100 + million records sold, humanitarianism, the list goes on. The people that criticize him have based their statements and accusations off nothing more than speculation and hearsay. You hear it in the news and all of a sudden he's a pedophile, a child molester, a weirdo. If you got enough negative attention from the media, you might've flipped out like he had in his later years.

If you didn't listen to his music, fine. Every individual has a different musical taste. I just wish people would stop focusing on this man's flaws and leave him alone. He broke his friggin pockets settling out of court cases for child molestation. $20 million dollars? Really? That's ridiculous, i've never heard a case like that be settled for that much money. Clearly the plaintiffs he went up against were trying to milk this man for what he was worth and succeeded. Only those people, Michael and God know what really went down with those situations. Everyone else was only left to assume. This is the very reason why I hate society so much. Assumptions. Speculations. Interpretations. None of those are as solid as Truth and Knowledge.

I personally believe that the media is the main cause of Michael Jackson's increasingly strange behavior over time. Of course, that is my opinion, but if this was not true, so what? It may have been something else. There is hardly a soul out in the world that exhibits strange behavior for illegitimate reasons. So he liked to share his bed with children. Why is that bad? So he was a grown man that wished to stay youthful. Why is that bad? Because it's not normal? How about the people that criticized him sit back and think about something that they have done or said that wasn't of a normal nature? Almost everyone in the world has an issue. The difference with celebrities and regular joe schmoes is that celebrity behavior is broadcast to the world. Judge not lest ye be judged, people!

When I heard of his passing Thursday, I couldn't believe my mother when she told me. It was like, "No, not Michael Jackson. Stop lying!" Then I proceeded to turn on the tv.....lo and behold it was true. It was a sudden stab to the heart. I feel myself about to shed another tear right now...I felt like I lost my best friend. So to the people that critiziced him....leave him alone. To the people that didn't listen to his music but knew of his public court battles...leave him alone. There is no doubt in my mind that he was a great person to have as a friend....and that he will always be known by those who embraced him and his music as one of the greatest, if not THE greatest entertainer of all time. R.I.P. Mike, you will be missed. Your legacy can and will never be tarnished by the foolishness and the rudeness of anyone that attacked your lifestyle and character.

Stories are now starting to emerge of prescription drug abuse (and the dispreputable, highly-paid "doctors" who provided the prescription drugs; probably the same sort of doctors who consented to the multiple plastic surgeries and gave Jackson the face of a monster), a daily shot of Demerol, an addiction to Oxycontin. Whether true or false, it will probably be weeks before it is precisely determined. Deepak Chopra, a friend of Jackson's, has been interviewed, and said Jackson's addiction to Oxycontin concerned him enough that he was considering an "intervention". I've said some harsh things about Jackson (as I told a friend when the child molesting allegations first arose against Jackson years ago, "If he didn't molest those kids, it's only because he's a eunuch and is physically incapable of the sex act."), and I stand by them, but there's no denying that he was a tormented, deeply disturbed individual. For as long as he had money...like Elvis...there were always people willing to cater to his delusions and addictions. His legacy? I don't deny that he was talented; he wrote much of his music, and, while it really isn't my kind of music, there's no getting around the fact that a lot of it was good. Still, I think people go overboard in analyzing his "impact". On Friday, I heard a panel discussion on NPR (I can't remember the names of the participants, unfortunately) and they all spoke glowingly of Jackson's "artistic contributions" to the culture. One of them said (and I paraphrase), "In 400 years, people will still remember Michael Jackson like they do William Shakespeare now." Even one of his fellow panel participants said, "I don't know that I'd say that."
Another participant said, "Everything you hear nowadays has been influenced by Jackson. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, for example, have been influenced by the music of Michael Jackson." Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears? If that's the case, it ain't much of a legacy. To me, Jackson obviously has made the same sort of cultural impact that Elvis Presley did, but neither one of them comes close to being the sort of "artist" that Miles Davis was, or Billie Holiday, or even Frank Sinatra. Presley, who also wasn't untalented, took a style of music that others had perfected, and homogenized it down...made it accessible...to a white audience. I'm not suggesting that that was necessarily a bad thing (while such a "homogenization" originated in racism, Camille Paglia wrote a piece asserting that if it weren't for Elvis, we wouldn't have the Rolling Stones, or the Beatles, or a great many of the quality musical groups we've had). But it doesn't transform him into an artistic giant. As for Jackson, he wrote catchy pop songs that spoke to more than one generation. Nobody can take that away from him. But, again, it doesn't make him an artistic giant, and it doesn't guarantee the immortality of his work. As a final, I can state without equivocation, for all the negative things I have said about Jackson (and, again, I don't think they're out of line), I'm sorry that he was so tortured, and I do hope he's found a peace in death that he obviously was never able to find in life, money, talent, and public adulation notwithstanding.

Orig. Comment, 6/25/09: What a rough day, to lose both him and Farrah Fawcett in the same day. Personally, not that hurt by the loss, but that's not to say that it's not a huge loss to the entertainment world.

The guy could sing, that's rarely contested, and he was revolutionary. But, the sad tumble into his increasingly disturbing mentality gives the loss more of a "shake your head in shame" kind of vibe. There's a feeling of pity for the guy's existence.

He'll always be known as the "King of Pop", and he is already a legend. If time is kind to him, maybe his strange behavior will fade in comparision to the good things he's done.

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Update: I understand the commentary about the perceived hypocrisy of those who dislike his personal life but comment on the guy's talent. However, two things are seperate. Do I like the guy? Of course not, the dude was a basketcase to say the least. "Trainwreck" doesn't even cover it. But that doesn't mean that he was a failure as a performer.

People have pros and cons, like most everything else.

Genghis Khan was an asshole, but he was obviously a damned good military leader.
Babe Ruth is a baseball legend, but he was also a known drunkard and womanizer.
And do I even have to list the multitude of actors/musicians who are considered legends that have (sometimes literally) drowned in their own vices (drugs and/or alcohol)?

I'm not giving the guy a free pass just because he passed on (death should not make one above reproach), but I will give him some credit for the impact he made on the entertainment industry.

There are maybe 5 public figures whose deaths would really rattle me, and MJ is one of them. It's hard for me to digest the fact that MJ isn't around anymore.

I wonder when or, more aptly, if we'll have another one-man show of MJ's caliber or talent level.

Regardless, yesterday was the end of an era. RIP.

Okay-I can make some cheesy jokes like-heh, MJ's heart gave out because he had too much plastic surgery on that organ because it didn't look right to him or, MJ had a heart attack while in the throws of passion with a, no I won't mention that! Or that MJ will be buried dressed as Peter Pan, or that he ODed on a lehtal concotion of painkillers and Peter Pan Peanut Butter, or that this may be true-he will be cryogenically preserved. Suprisingly-I will miss him because he was such an eccentric goofball, he talked like a little boy and climbed trees and was parodied on South Park-("look at me I'm Peter Pan"), and Fred Astaire himself even called MJ one of the greatest dancers of all time. His music was fine, just good ole pop, much better than the really lame music we have nowadays, and that gawdawful rap. However, I'm almost certain that there will be molestation allegations and stories for many years to come about MJ because a lot of people may not feel too constrained to tell all now that MJ is dead. Also, MJ was interviewd by Martin Bashir and MB played back that piece on Nightline-MB asked MJ if he had any girlfriends while he was growing up-MJ said yes-Tatum O'Neil, who of course was is Ryan's daughter and was associated with Farrah, who died just 5 hours or so before MJ did, MJ even had a photo of himself with Tatum! June 25th is truly Black Thursday, (the day Selena died is Black Tuesday I believe-she was from Corpus Christie like Farrah), because two such huge stars died on the same day.

Always been a fan of his music. the legend has died.

And fo the record, i didn't turn my back on him during the pedohile triels

Regardless of what you think and I myself have been disappointed in Mr. Jacko; I was very saddened by his abrupt death. You can call him this or that, but you will not in my presence deny his unbelievable talent in music and dance!!! He was and still is the King of POP!!! Just as Elvis transformed the Rock and Roll days, Michael transformed the world of music and Dance!!!! I may not have liked his private life, but that is not what perked my ears when a track of his was on the radio. His private life was just that, Private; but his contributions to music and dance was astounding! May you rest in peace Mr. Jackson and I hope the press leaves only the facts to be displayed, I think the rest we can do without!!!

I am not sorry and I won't miss him. I have no time for pederasts.

Was pretty shocked when that news came out yesterday. I am the same age as Michael and grew up listening to the Jackson Five and his music later on. he was talented he has been in the news a lot over the years. i suppose people can take sides. I am just here to say RIP Michael. I agree with Stark that sometimes there seems to be a lot of attention when a celebrity dies. and I am just as guilty of reacting when i hear of a famous person's death. yet I still want to give my thoughts.

I was not a fan of Michael Jackson, I had nothing against him, I just didn't follow his music but I recognize that he was a talent. I remember when he was still a kid singing with the Jackson Five. He was still an innocent boy and that is who should be mourned, if you are going to mourn at all. That Michael Jackson died years ago.

As far as his reputation heading south, he did it to himself. I have no idea if he did the things he was accused of and in all honesty, I don't spend much, if any, time thinking about it, but he smeared his own name with his own bizarre behvior. He should probably be compared to Howard Hughes, if we are going to compare him with anyone. I hope he finds peace.

Rest in peace Michael- a peace you never found in this life.
I concur with the previous reviewer who is apparently sickened by some of the hypocrisy out there. How many people turned their backs on Michael Jackson? Many of these same people will now deify him. Some will shed crocodile tears as they speak of his greatness. While I do not agree with some of the harsh reviews here, I can say at least that the honesty is refreshing in the wake of MJ’s untimely death.
I do not believe, and never did believe that Michael Jackson was a pedophile. Back in 1993, when these allegations first made headlines, twenty-seven children- all of whom had stayed at his house- were put through a series of three interviews. According to the media at that time, the questions were designed to basically cajole the kids to say that, yes, something terrible had taken place. All twenty-seven of them said no, that nothing inappropriate had taken place. Then, about a month later, one kid changed his story. Michael signed his own death warrant by agreeing to a settlement at that point, and the kid’s family is wealthy to this day. Disgusting.
When the allegations resurfaced years later, MJ was acquitted- found not guilty in a court of law. Yet, even now, before his body is even cold, some still get off on calling him a “pedophile”.
I agree with Ayn that, in all likelihood, Michael was insane. He was a gifted musician, a shrewd businessman, and one of the greatest live performers in history; but he was never anything more than a toy to line the pockets of his father, Joe Jackson.
I hope that bastard sleeps well from now on.
Rest in peace, Michael.

The Queen is Dead. Long Live Elton John.

I just find it incredibly hypocritical that people are now labelling this man 'a creative genius', 'one of the most prolific superstars of our time' and his past title as the 'undisputed King of Pop' when it was the same people who happily labelled him a paedophile and 'wacko jacko'.

Don't get me wrong, I've been guilty of my Michael Jackson jokes and criticism and you can look back on my past comments on RIA to prove this, but at least I have the balls to admit it. Unlike some.

Where were these so-called new 'worshippers' when MJ was going through his court cases? Where were these 'celebrity friends' apart from Macauley Culkin when they had to give a character reference for their 'dear friend Michael' when he so desperately needed it? They were nowhere to be seen. Yet still I see and hear them crawling out of the woodworks to the media in less than 24 hours since his death.

It's sad to say this, but only when you drop dead on the floor do people see your good qualities and have a good word to say about you. This shouldn't be the case. I hope MJ's death teaches us all that even though this man was mocked when he was alive, no human being on this earth should have to be put through such ridiculous media scrutiny as this man.

I'm neither mournful nor devastated, but I'm not exactly OK with this news either.

Unless there are finished tracks, we'll never know whether or not he still had it, but I suspect his legacy will be strengthened by his early exit.

G'bye, Michael.

http://tiny.cc/GoodByeMichael

More evidence that there is indeed a Fine line between Insanity and Genius.
I will admit to having a pair of Michael Jackson Sneakers back in the day. (Also the white Glove. *hangs head in shame*)
I am not a big fan of Pop music, but I hear his songs in Nightclubs from time to time and will usually Dance along. That said, I think that History will judge him Among the talented eccentrics. Though, Not on the same level as Van Gogh, Dickenson or Fitzgerald, his legacy is Likely preserved for the next 20 years.
Though I have not been a Fan of his since Puberty, I am always sad to see Another soul depart this Earth. Troubled, though it was.
RIP King of Pop.

Update: Maybe I would have been Better off had I compared his Eccentricities to Lewis Carroll. As both Allegedly enjoyed diddling small Children.
:-(

Won't miss him a bit. He hadn't done anything much of note since Thriller, and seemed determined to make a caricature out of himself.

I see someone comparing his eccentricities to Fitzgerald, Van Gogh, or Dickenson. I beg to differ, and submit that there is a massive difference between Fitzgerald, Van Gogh, and Dickenson on the one hand, and Jackson on the other. The first three had incandescent talent, that will last (or have lasted) a century or more. Jackson was a pop-schlockmeister. Now he's a dead pop-schlockmeister. Simple as that. Comparing him to them is not only insulting, its simply ignorant.

Let me say this about Jackson's eccentricities. "Just because nobody understands you, doesn't mean you're an artist."

So where were you when Michael Jackson died?

Ridge was lying in a hospital bed ... hooked up to wires, tubes and monitors in the C.C.U. ... watching the television ... when he yelled across the aisle to the station nurse ... "Hey Max ... did you hear? ... Michael Jackson just died." I leaned over and said ... "Ridge, do you really think this is the right place to be shouting out 'that' particular word?"

To me, the man who keeps life interesting for me, the man who survived a stroke today... he matters. My family and friends... they matter. The man who owned the local hardware store - he mattered to a lot of people. Our mailman and the grocery clerk, they matter. The homeless guy who wanders the streets talking to himself, he matters too. The fish in our aquarium kind of matter. The neighbors obnoxious little dog who risks his life chasing cars... he almost matters. I would like to say that my boss matters, but I hate to lie. And farther down the list...

A celebrity whose soul died years ago, and they're finally getting around to burying him. This is supposed to mean what to me? Regardless of how I try, I can muster no sympathy... no emotion... All I can say is that I'm glad that I'm not the one who has to judge him. That's the StarkTruth.

It's undeniable that Michael Jackson had talent as an entertainer. In fact, he will probably be regarded as one of top performers of the late 20th Century. But there's also no question that he lead an eccentric lifestyle. Yes, there's plenty of controversy about how he chose to lead his life, but at this point, it is up to the Lord to judge all that.

What has shocked everyone was the fact that he died relatively young. When death strikes a prominent person at a young age, it always strikes a chord. I guess it's the unexpected nature of the thing. It makes us all think about how life is really a fragile thing.

Though I was only 10 when the 80s ended I was very aware of him. My older sister and I had a few of his records and everybody seemed to like the song and video for Thriller. It also seems that I can not walk into a club without hearing Billie Jean. (especially a gay clubs, but straight clubs are guilty too) And everytime I hear that song, I dance along.

Then the 90's happened, and he began altering his appearance. First came the nose job, then the skin bleaching. (He can claim he had vitiligo all he wants, but having known actual people with vitiligo, I'm going to guess he didn't have the disease. Its not uniform.) Then he had a probably fake marriage to Lisa Marie.
Then came more plastic surgery then allegations of child rape, then more plastic surgery.
Then he seemed to diasapear for a while. Then more allegations of child rape and still more plastic surgery. And who can forget the tip of his nose falling off? And somewhere in all that he found the time to have a pet chimp and the elephant man's bones.

It seems that he has lived in his own bubble for the past 15 years. I am not going to lie, if I passed him on the street I likely would walk the other way. I know that sounds mean, but he was really creepy the last few years of his life. But creepy or not, I still pitied the man. He obviously had an even more screwed up childhood than I did and was in all likelihood, clinically insane.

I am sorry he died. I wish him far more peace in the next life than he had in this one.

Poor bastard never got to straighten out his life.

Like a lot of people who have written reviews I too grew up in the 80's and Michael Jackson was at the highlight of his career. He, like the majority of celebrities are in always in the spotlight. They all check their privacy at the door. So with regards to his altered looks, and behavior those don't really effect me. I didn't personally know the man but what I do know is his music and that is what I will miss. The joy and fun his music brought to my childhood is something I will never forget. I do hope all will be well for those who did personally know him and also thoughts go to the children and family. I and my children will continue to listen to Michael's music long after the media hype dies down, just like other great artists....James Brown, Kurt Cobain, TUPAC, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley. This list goes on.... and will go on....

It never ceases to amaze me that how no matter how much people may hate a celebrity, they laud his accomplishments as soon as he dies and brush off all the reasons they scorned him. It's not like I'm glad he died, but lets face it, I won't miss him one bit. Michael Jackson's death will affect my life in no way whatsoever. I won't mourn him. He was a scumbag, and unlike most people, I never liked his music. The world just lost one of it's most influential pedophiles, why should I be upset?

Just like many, I grew up during the 1980's, and just about anyone had Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album. In any case, Jackson's passing was tragic as it was shocking. Only 50 years of age, and on the comeback trail after a hiatus of nearly 15 years or so, Michael Jackson was an inspiration to many of today's performers. A child prodigy, he was the youngest member of the famed Jackson 5, playing alongside of his older brothers, and in the process became the voice of an entire generation.

Through good and bad, through triumphs and tribulations, Michael Jackson was still a force within music with as his songs are still played repeatedly on radio stations. Eccentric, he was said to love his fans and delighted in performing, yet conversely hated the glare of the cameras and lights flashing on him and his young family. He also hated the media, and fought them for much of the last few years of his life as he was the source of jokes and ridicule. Whether it was deserved or not, Jackson was epitomized both the grandeur and the darkside of show business.

His sudden death is shocking, and I'm not saying that I was his biggest fan. But being that I was a product of the 1980's (a great decade), I do have a soft spot in my heart for his music and his talents.

May the King of Pop now rest in peace.

Most of the time I could care less about dead celebrities but Michael Jackson was a great artist. I obviously didn't know him but he seemed like a very genuine individual. Jackson was also a great singer/songwriter. Generally, I don't care for that type of music but have spent the last hour watching some of his videos on youtube, and you think to yourself, 'oh yeah, this was a good one.' It also reminded me of how he doesn't get played on the radio either, and that's unfortunate because his stuff was well done. I don't think he was guilty of all those allegations he got slammed with years later but rather, I think he put himself in vulnerable situations. Anyway, I will always respect Michael as a great talent, and he seemed like a nice guy.

Three sidenotes for ya
1) When I went to Subway tonight, they were playing his music
2) My mom told me that she wish she hadn't thrown out me and my sister's Michael Jackson poster.
3) Lisa Marie Presley at one time was smokin' hot, so he could get good looking chicks.

It'll be weird not having him around. For the last 15 years he's been pretty much a side show, an easy punch line and a flashpoint for the rage of people observing the world from their sofa. But there was a day when that same mass of culture regarded him with nothing but awe. He was a great entertainment machine, the dominant cultural icon for a whole decade, and that was after having spent his youth as a tremendously popular entertainer.

After the immediate memories of his eccentricities fade he will be regarded with the greats 20th century pop culture, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Joan Jett. He was the total package, singer, dancer, writer, producer, and travelling showman.

Whether you think that he paid a terrible price for his success, fame and wealth or think that he was just a really strange dude, it's hard not to think that his last decade was a lonely miserable existances and a tragedy.

Michael Jackson has had one of the most amazing public lives over the last half century. He had unbelievable highs and lows, and was both despised and adored by people all over the world. The term "World Famous" is thrown around a lot more than it should be. However, Michael Jackson was truly an individual whose fame spread across the globe. He was an easy character to make fun of and insult, but he was an amazing talent. Many of his songs were absolute classics, and he deserves some credit for pioneering major crossover success for black artists.
Its doubtful that Jackson would have made any great music if he had lived longer, but its a bit sad that his life has ended relatively early. Its a bit of a surprise to hear of his sudden death, but it is not completely shocking considering all of the crazy things he seems to have done to his body. Michael Jackson was a troubled person, and it isn't any huge loss that he died as an individual. However, the aura of Michael Jackson was a huge part of pop culture, and it is a little bittersweet to see it come to a sudden end.

I think Michael Jackson had a very sad life. He himself had stated he was ashamed of his own race, thus the reason for the song "Black or White". I do not believe he should have been ashamed of his race at all. And I believe he had other issues as well, which I don't believe is necessary to get into. Michael Jackson has one Judge, and one Judge only.

What I would like to say is he did have a decent style of music that I appreciated.

Having no personal connection, I'm not devastated although sorry to see him die young. I was a big fan of his stuff growing up and just last night I heard something of his on the radio and turned it up a little bit. He left his mark on the world more positive than negative. Although he had wacky adulthood I've always sort of found it hard to believe that he was guilty of any of the accusations. Strange choices to have sleepovers with children but having been in the limelight at 10 and no childhood before that it due to all the practice/performances it seemed as he was trying to recapture something, the innocence of children. And mothers allowing their child to sleep over and share a bed with an adult are probably a bit not all there themselves, or have in the back of their mind that they may profit from this. Anyway - a big star who I grew up idolizing in a way has passed and I'm a litte sad at how things turned out for Michael Jackson.

I did not agree with Michael's general lifestyle (and I don't understand why he destroyed his looks like he did). But there is no doubt that he was a talented singer and had a lot of good music; I like the pop style that he did. My rating is a three.

He was at the peak of his career when I was into pop music. No matter how his style of music has faded in time, or how he was accused of being a child molester, his talent was undeniable and one cannot think of him as a useless human being. I'm still shocked and can't put my immediate thoughts in words.

I'll miss him, and his music and dances. I like to remember him the way he was when he still looked at least partially black. RIP The King of Pop.

The man had a very rough last 15yrs, and it seemed to have caught up to him. Regardless of anything, he will be missed.

I'm kinda 50/50 on the whole thing. Part of me wants to fondly remember his musical contributions and part of me wants to kick a little dirt on the creepy sumbitch for his apparent activities, unproven though they might be. All things must pass, I suppose.

I'm totally shocked by this. I know there's been a lot of controversy around him and as we know - mud sticks and because of it a lot of people don't care about his death. Personally I think it's wrong to not care or be glad if someone dies, no matter what they've done.

I enjoy listening to his music and it's a shame we'll never get to see him perform one last time. It's almost as bad as the day Freddie Mercury died :(