Michael Jackson dies at age 50

[sodascouts]

I just heard that Michael Jackson has died!

http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michae...son-dies-chat/

Perhaps TMZ is wrong? Only his hospitalization due to cardiac arrest has been announced on the news channels. We can hope... he's a troubled individual, but nowadays 50 is too young to die.

Edited to add: His death is confirmed. RIP.

[EagleLady]

I've learned not to believe everything you read on the internet, JMHO

[EagleLady]

Yeah, I just read he's not doing very well. I pray for his recovery.

[Troubadour]

I am in shock. I know nothing's confirmed yet, but... Wow. Let's hope for the best.

[sodascouts]

The Los Angeles Times reports that he was officially pronounced dead 15 minutes ago.

What a shame.

[EagleLady]

Oh No! My prayers are with his family! Geez, three people dead in one week

[Kinrow]

When I was told that Michael Jackson died, it was the same sensation I had when John Lennon died. First disbelief, then sadness for their passing too early, and thinking of what had been, and what could have been.

[Freypower]

I've had his music in my head now for two days. I've got Thriller but I never bought Off The Wall and now feel I should. Well, I've left it late, haven't I? The syndrome of buying the music of an artist who has just died never affected me until now.

I think some of the claims of 'genius' which are being tossed around are off the mark. Jackson was never a particularly strong singer and the sound of his records was basically orchestrated by Quincy Jones. I am not sure of how much of his songwriting was really his own work. But he was hugely influential, there's no doubt of that.

To me the last few years of his life were a tragic waste for many reasons and I only hope he is at peace now.

[sodascouts]

Besides musically, he was especially influential in the making of music videos. When Thriller came out in 1982, videos were in their infancy and most artists weren't spending too much time on them. After the video for the song "Thriller," which was practically a mini-movie and which was an immensely popular hit, you saw a whole new level of time and money spent on videos, a whole new level of sophistication in them.

It changed how record companies looked at videos. They weren't just something to spit out, they were something that could contribute significantly to the song's success if done right - just as the Thriller video became inseparable from the song and aided its success. They started giving a great deal more attention to the videos of the artists they were attempting to promote. It generated a lot of entertainment for the MTV Generation, that's for sure - although I'm sure some musicians probably understandably resented being forced to "act" even for a three-minute video, and resented having to attempt to make themselves look as good as they sounded.

[Freypower]

Watching a tribute on the SMH site I came across this. I wonder if you know anything about this, Soda? (NB this is only for a limited time).

And he was a good looking man when he was younger. It was such a shame he felt he had to resort to all the whitening of his skin.