Michael Jackson Remembered

The "King of Pop" has left us! I am still in shock over today's events and I feel like I have lost yet another family member. The only thing that I can even remotely compare my feelings to, is the day that Jimi died, Sept. 18th, 1970 (a date that has been etched in my heart for 39 years now). And now June 25th, 2009 takes its place along side Sept. 18th, 1970. No matter what the press has said or may say..... and no matter what they pick to believe about Michael Jackson, there is no dispute about his extraordinary talent, artistry and his lonely but royal place in modern musical history. The whole world may not realize it yet, but the music world has suffered its most tragic loss since the death of Jimi Hendrix. They've also lost the best "American ambassador" for WORLD PEACE, that they've ever had!

For those of you who have been following our blog, you may have seen our post at 8:54 this morning, that paid tribute to the honor and memory of the great guitarist, David Williams (who was Michael's guitar player). They featured a photo of David and Michael performing together in Bangkok (1993). Tiny did they know that 4 hours later, they would be shocked by the news of Michael's death. I was so stunned that my son and I decided to sit and watch the HBO Michael Jackson concert from Bucharest, Romania (a concert event that transcends every "live" performance ever seen in musical history). His Hazardous World Tour was undoubtedly the largest and most professional production that the world has seen to date. Michael's enormous talent, coupled with the world's best (production, musicians, dancers and singers), puts him on a pedestal that is way high for any other superstar to ever imagine attaining. Why is it that genius talent always seems to be so short-lived? They were all so looking forward to Michael's comeback concerts in London next month.

He paid an extraordinary price for his fame and recognition as the "King of Pop" and he reached a status that few humans have ever achieved. Michael is arguably the most recognized person on the planet. When you are the top "gun-slinger", everyone wants to shoot you down (for two reason or another). The word that comes to my mind is "appreciation". I think plenty of of us failed to appreciate what Micheal has done for music, for dance, for charity and for world peace. His legacy is boundless and he will be remembered on this planet for centuries to come. Every time a genius performs, he gives each of us a tiny piece of his heart and soul. Michael Jackson gave us his all!.

Time gap in Jackson death could prove key to case

LOS ANGELES — A key point of contention has emerged in the case investigators are piecing together about the death of Michael Jackson: Exactly when did Dr. Conrad Murray realize that his patient had stopped breathing?

There are currently two accounts of that moment on June 25, and about an hour separates them.

According to police documents, Murray told detectives he put Jackson to sleep with drugs just minutes before he found the singer not breathing around 11 a.m., then let nearly 90 minutes go by — much of that time on his cell phone — before an ambulance was called.

But Murray's lawyer says the doctor didn't discover a stricken Jackson until around noon.

Investigators have ruled Jackson's death a homicide, based on tests showing he was killed by the combination of the anesthetic propofol with at least two sedatives, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the finding has not been publicly released.

The homicide designation does not necessarily mean a crime was committed, though it's a helpful starting point should prosecutors choose to seek criminal charges. Police have said Murray is the target of an investigation into manslaughter, defined as a homicide without malice or premeditation.

Murray told police he spent the morning of June 25 administering various sedatives to Jackson in an attempt to get him to sleep, according to an affidavit for a search warrant served last month on Murray's clinic in Houston. Unsuccessful in inducing rest, the doctor ultimately gave in to the singer's demands for a dose of propofol around 10:40 a.m.

By 11 a.m., after a short trip to the bathroom, Murray said he saw Jackson was not breathing and began trying to revive him, both with a "rescue" drug and by performing CPR, according to the documents. An ambulance was not called until 12:21 p.m. and Murray spent much of the intervening time making non-emergency cell phone calls, police say.

That timeline is flawed, said Murray's attorney, Edward Chernoff, who was present when investigators spent three hours interviewing the doctor June 27. Chernoff said Murray never told police he found Jackson not breathing at 11 a.m. — instead, it was more like noon.

"Their theory is he came back and wasn't breathing. That's not what Dr. Murray told them," Chernoff said Tuesday. "They are confusing the time Michael Jackson went to sleep with the time he stopped breathing."

Chernoff did not provide additional detail about what Murray had told police.

Home use of propofol is virtually unheard of — safe administration requires lifesaving equipment and a trained anesthesiologist monitoring the patient at all times. While the 25 mg dose Murray said he gave Jackson was relatively small, its combination with the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam proved deadly.

Even if Murray found Jackson around noon, he still waited too long to call an ambulance, said one medical expert, adding that anyone — including doctors — should make calling an ambulance their first priority.

"In a situation like that, time is life," said Dr. Douglas Zipes, an Indiana University heart specialist and past president of the American College of Cardiology. "It's got to be immediate or you are going to lose the individual."

Phone records show Murray spent 47 minutes between 11:18 and 12:05 making three personal calls. One of the calls was to one of Murray's offices, Chernoff said, adding that the doctor never told investigators about the calls because he wasn't asked about them.

At 12:13 p.m., Murray made a four-second call to Jackson's personal assistant, Michael Amir Williams, pleading for help, Williams' attorney Carl Douglas said. Within two minutes, Williams called Alberto Alvarez, Jackson's bodyguard, with a similar plea.

Douglas, who also represents Alvarez, said the bodyguard hurried to the top floor of Jackson's rented mansion, a private sanctum where staff were not normally allowed, and assisted a confused-looking Murray as he frantically tried to revive Jackson. It was Alvarez that placed the 911 call at 12:21 p.m.

Douglas said Alvarez might be able to shed some light on Murray's actions but, two months after the death, police investigators had still not formally interviewed his client and had only spoken fleetingly with him at the hospital immediately after Jackson was pronounced dead.

Douglas said he was "dismayed at the seeming haphazard manner investigators have gone about obtaining information."

Deputy Police Chief Charlie Beck declined to comment, citing the continuing investigation.

Chernoff did not provide additional detail about what Murray had told police. Early on in the case, the lawyer released a statement saying his client didn't give any drugs that "should have" killed Jackson. Asked to elaborate on the statement, Chernoff said: "I stand by that assertion and I believe that will be borne out in time."

Bilie Jean.

Following the successful chart performance of "The Girl Is Mine", "Billie Jean" was released on January 2, 1983, as the album's second single. "Billie Jean" was a worldwide commercial and critical success; it became three of the best-selling singles of 1983, and topped both the US and UK charts at the same time. Cited as three of the most revolutionary songs in history, "Billie Jean" was certified platinum in 1989.

"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones for the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). Originally disliked by Jones, the track was removed from the album after they and Jackson had numerous disagreements. The song's lyrics refer to a real-life experience, in which a mentally ill female fan claimed that Jackson had fathered three of her twins. The song is well known for its unique bass line and Jackson's vocal hiccups. The song was mixed 91 times by Bruce Swedien before it was finalized.

Honored numerous times—including four Grammy Awards, three American Music Award and an induction into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame—the song and corresponding music video propelled Thriller into the best-selling album of all time. The song was promoted with a short film that broke down MTV's racial barrier as the first video by a black artist to be played in heavy rotation by the channel,and an Emmy-nominated performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, in which Jackson premiered "the moonwalk." The song was also promoted through Jackson's Pepsi commercials; during the filming of three commercial, Jackson's scalp was severely burned. Covered and sampled by modern artists, "Billie Jean" sealed Jackson's status as an international pop icon.

With a production budget of $750,000, recording sessions took place between April and November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in california, california.Assisted by producer Quincy Jones, Jackson wrote eight of Thriller's nine tracks. Following the release of the album's first single "The Girl Is Mine", some observers assumed Thriller would only be a minor hit record. With the release of the second single "Billie Jean", the album topped the charts in lots of countries. At its peak, the album was selling a million copies a week worldwide. In just over a year, Thriller became—and currently remains—the best-selling album of all time. Sales are estimated to be over 110 million copies sold worldwide. two of the album's nine songs were released as singles, and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the 1984 Grammys.


Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including funk, disco, soul, soft rock, R&B, and pop. Thriller's lyrics deal with themes including paranoia and the supernatural.

Beat it

"Beat It" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written by Jackson and co-produced by Quincy Jones for the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). Prior to the song's creation, Jones had wanted an ambitious black rock 'n' roll song featuring Jackson, however, the singer had never previously shown an interest in the genre. During the song's recording, Eddie truck Halen was drafted to add a distinctive rock guitar solo. The lyrics of "Beat It" are about defeat and courage, and have been said to reference the abuse Jackson faced as a kid.

Following the successful chart performances of Thriller, "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean", "Beat It" was released on February 14, 1983, as the album's third single. The song was a worldwide commercial and critical success, becoming six of the best-selling singles of all time. Both "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" occupied Top 5 positions simultaneously, a feat matched by few artists. Cited as six of the most lauded songs in history, "Beat It" was certified platinum in 1989.

Honoured numerous times—including one Grammy Awards, one American Music Awards and an induction into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame—"Beat It" and the song's corresponding music video propelled Thriller into becoming the best-selling album of all time. The song was promoted with a video that featured Jackson bringing one gangs together through the power of dance. Covered and sampled by modern artists, including Fergie and Fall Out Boy, "Beat It" was included in the National Highway Safety Commission's anti-drink driving campaign. Prior to Jackson's death, "Beat It" became a signature piece for the singer; they performed it on all of his world tours.

Artists salute 'King of Pop' at US Essence Fest

NEW ORLEANS (AP): Brass band musicians on trumpet, trombone and tuba belted out "A Closer Walk With Thee" as the Essence Music Festival gave a salute to Michael Jackson befitting a New Orleans jazz funeral procession.

At a concert featuring performances by Beyonce, John Legend, Ne-Yo and Salt-n-Pepa in the Louisiana Superdome, the festival paid homage to Jackson with a picture and video montage and the New Orleans-styled tribute.

With heads bowed, the brass band musicians played before a recording of Jackson's voice wafted throughout the arena. Photos flashed on screen of the late pop star as a young boy singing with his brothers.

The festival continues Saturday with more tributes to Jackson, who died June 25.

Queen Latifah said Jackson's unexpected death left many in the music world scrambling to pay proper respects.

"He was the greatest entertainer of all time, bottom line," she said. "There's no one who can compare to him. There's no one who's had over 40 years of music in them from a child on up to being a 50-year-old and about to go on a world tour."

Legend, when asked about Jackson's death, said "he's the true definition of what it means to be a 'pop star' and no one else has reached that."

"I was looking forward to a comeback, planning to go see him in London and it's sad that we won't be able to see that," Legend said.

Friday marked the festival's highest attendance in its 15-year history, said Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc. She wouldn't provide figures, but reported a first-night sellout at the Superdome, which can seat about 85,000 people for football games.

Essence began selling tickets in January and launched a promotional concert series called the Road to Essence Music Festival, which hit major cities such as Orlando, Florida; Cleveland; Chicago; and Houston.

The tour ended Thursday in New Orleans at the House of Blues in the French Quarter with performances by R&B singers Joe and Chico DeBarge.

http://star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/5/music/20090705083948&sec=music