Death of Michael Jackson
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Michael Jackson suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California on June 25, 2009. He was treated by paramedics at the scene, but was pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.[1]
His personal physician, Conrad Murray, stated he found Jackson in bed, not breathing but with a faint pulse, and administered CPR to no avail. Initial reports indicated that Jackson died one hour after receiving an injection of pethidine (Demerol), a painkiller he had allegedly been addicted to for 20 years.[1] Murray said he did not prescribe or furnish Jackson with OxyContin.[2] Attention later turned to propofol (Diprivan), a sedative that Jackson was reported to have taken off-label for insomnia.
His death triggered an outpouring of grief around the world, creating surges of Internet traffic and causing sales of his music to soar.[3] He had been scheduled to perform the This Is It concert tour to over one million people at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010.[4] His memorial on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where he had rehearsed for the London concerts just two days before his death, was broadcast live around the world, attracting a global audience of up to one billion people.[5]
On August 24, the Associated Press reported that an anonymous law enforcement source said that the Los Angeles County coroner had ruled Jackson's death a homicide due to the combination of drugs in his system when he died.[6] Before his death, Jackson reportedly had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam.[7] Law enforcement officials are conducting a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, who has told investigators that he had been trying to wean Jackson off of propofol.[8]
Death
Jackson arrived for rehearsal at Staples Center around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, according to a magician who was there.[citation needed] The singer complained of laryngitis and did not rehearse until 9 p.m. "He looked great and had great energy," the magician added.[citation needed] The rehearsal went past midnight.[9]
Jackson's personal physician, cardiologist Conrad Murray, said through his attorney that he spent the night at Jackson's rented mansion at the singer's request.[citation needed] The next morning Jackson did not come out of his bedroom.[10] Murray's attorney stated that Murray entered the room before noon and found Jackson in bed and not breathing.[citation needed] There was a weak pulse in his femoral artery and his body was still warm.[2] According to his attorney, Murray tried to revive Jackson for five to ten minutes, at which point he realized he needed to call for help.[citation needed] He was hindered because there was no landline in the house. He believed he could not use his cell phone to call 911 because he did not know the exact address. He phoned security but there was no answer. Finally he ran downstairs, yelled for help, and told the chef who was in the kitchen to get security up to the room.[11]By the time security called 911 about 30 minutes had passed.[11] The New York Post said Jackson's 12-year-old son, Michael Joseph "Prince", was present during the resuscitation attempts, and that the emergency services were contacted only after Jackson's father was told by a security guard that the singer was ill.[12]
Some statements described Murray using a non-standard CPR technique on Jackson.[citation needed] During the tape of the emergency call, released on June 26, the doctor was described as administering CPR on a bed, not on a hard surface such as a floor, which would be standard practice.[13][14] The doctor's attorney said that Murray placed one hand underneath Jackson and used the other hand for chest compression, where the standard practice is to use both hands for compression.[15][10]
A Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson said the 911 call came in at 12:21:04 p.m. (19:21:04 UTC). Paramedics reached Jackson at 12:26 p.m. and found that he was not breathing.[16][17]
Paramedics performed CPR for 42 minutes at the house.[18] Murray said he was in contact with doctors at UCLA, who instructed the rescuers to administer an epinephrine (adrenaline) shot directly into Jackson's heart in an attempt to revive him. Murray stated that Jackson continued to have a pulse when he was taken out of the house and put in the ambulance for the trip to the hospital.[10] An LAFD official gave a different account. He said that paramedics found Jackson in "full cardiac arrest", and that they did not observe a change in Jackson's status en route to the hospital.[19]
LAFD transported Jackson to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, a couple miles from the house.[16] The ambulance arrived at the hospital at approximately 1:14 p.m. A team of medical personnel attempted to resuscitate Jackson for more than one hour. They were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. (21:26 UTC).[20][21][22]
Health
Stacy Brown, a biographer, said Jackson had become "very frail, totally, totally underweight," and that his family had been worried about him. Another biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, who had known Jackson 40 years, said Jackson had suffered from an addiction to painkillers off and on for decades.[23] Arnold Klein, Jackson's dermatologist, confirmed that Jackson misused prescription drugs, and that Klein had diagnosed Jackson with vitiligo and lupus. Yet, Klein said, when he saw Jackson at his office three days before his death, the singer "was in very good physical condition. He was dancing for my patients. He was very mentally aware when we saw him and he was in a very good mood."[24]
Two sources involved with the investigation told CNN on July 8 that, when he died, he was emaciated, bald, and extremely pale, with numerous track marks on his arms, and collapsed veins, suggesting sustained intravenous drug use. One of the sources said he had never seen anything like it in decades of investigative work.[25]
The Sunday Times reported on June 28 that Grace Rwaramba, Jackson's children's nanny, told writer Daphne Barak that Jackson was a drug addict, that she had had to pump his stomach more than once, and that he had stopped looking after himself, becoming dirty and unkempt.[26] Rwaramba has since denied having made these claims, saying she does not even know how to pump a stomach.[27]
Investigation
Autopsies
Jackson's body was flown by helicopter to the Los Angeles Coroner's offices in Lincoln Heights, where on June 26 a three-hour autopsy was performed on behalf of the Los Angeles County Coroner by the chief medical examiner, Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran.[28] Jackson's family arranged for a second autopsy, a practice that could yield expedited—albeit limited—results.[29] After the preliminary autopsy was completed, Craig Harvey, chief investigator for the coroner's office, said there was no evidence of trauma or foul play.[23]In August, the coroner announced that, while the autopsy has been completed, the results will not be made public until the police investigation is completed[30]
Law enforcement agencies
Although they did not immediately suspect foul play, by the day after Jackson's death the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began to investigate the unusual and high-profile case.[31] Because the LAPD did not secure Jackson's home, and allowed the Jackson family access to it, before returning to remove certain items, the department raised concerns by some observers that the chain of custody had been broken.[32][33] The police maintained that they had followed protocol.[33]
On July 1, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) joined the LAPD in the investigation. Having the authority to investigate issues otherwise protected by doctor-patient confidentiality, the DEA could legally follow the entirety of what appeared to be the complex trail of prescription drugs supplied to Jackson.[32] California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced that his office was helping the LAPD and DEA to create a statewide database of all medical doctors and prescriptions filled.[34]
The LAPD subpoenaed medical records from doctors who had treated Jackson. On July 9, William Bratton, the Los Angeles Chief of Police, indicated that investigators were focusing on the possibility of homicide or accidental overdose, but had to wait for the full toxicology reports from the coroner.[35] The Los Angeles Times quoted a senior law enforcement source as saying authorities may not pursue charges even if the coroner declares the case a homicide, because Jackson's well-documented drug abuse would make any prosecution difficult. If charges were filed they would most likely relate to improper prescribing by doctors. Nonetheless, the source said prosecutors have not ruled out more serious charges "all the way up to involuntary manslaughter" if it were determined that Jackson's death was caused by propofol (Diprivan), a powerful sedative found in his home.[36]
Drug-use allegations
The website TMZ, which broke the news of Jackson's death, wrote that Jackson used a number of aliases to secure prescription drugs, including Omar Arnold and Jack London, and the names of one of his bodyguards and an office manager. One doctor would allegedly call the pharmacy to say that Jackson was coming to get Demerol, and the pharmacy would fill the prescription with the patient's name blank.[37]
Jackson was said to have used propofol, as well as Xanax, an anxiolytic, and Zoloft, an antidepressant.[1] Other drugs named in connection with him included Prilosec, Vicodin, Paxil, Soma, and Dilaudid.[38] Police found several drugs in his home, including propofol. Some of these drugs had labels made out to Jackson's pseudonyms, while others were unlabeled.[39] A 2004 police document prepared for the 2005 People v. Jackson child abuse trial alleged that Jackson was taking up to 40 Xanax pills a night.[35]
Deepak Chopra, an internist, endocrinologist, and mind–body theorist who was a friend of Jackson's for 20 years, expressed concern that, although Jackson presumably had access to a large arsenal of drugs, Jackson appears to have been given no naloxone, a drug used to counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.[40] Chopra also criticized what he saw as "enabling" by some Hollywood doctors. "We put drug pushers in jail but give licenses to doctors to do the same thing", he said. "I know personally that they write multiple prescriptions and they even use false names ... This cult of drug-pushing doctors, with their co-dependent relationships with addicted celebrities, must be stopped. Let's hope that Michael's unnecessary death is the call for action."[40]
Eugene Aksenoff, a Tokyo-based physician who had treated Michael Jackson or his children on a few occasions, suggested that Jackson could have overdosed on stimulants. Aksenoff told The Japan Times that Jackson asked for stimulants so that he could get through some demanding performances. Aksenoff said he refused to prescribe them. He recalled that the singer suffered chronic fatigue, fever, insomnia and other symptoms and took a large amount of drugs. He suspected one of the major factors causing Jackson these symptoms was excessive use of steroids and skin-whitening medications.[41]
People magazine reported that the Jackson family tried to stage an intervention in early 2007, when Michael was living in Las Vegas. Janet Jackson and some of her brothers allegedly traveled to his home, but were turned away by security guards who were ordered not to let them in. He was also rumored to have refused calls from his mother. "If you tried to deal with him," one source told CNN, "he would shut you out. You just wouldn't hear from him for long periods." The family denied that they had tried to intervene.[42]
Diprivan
Of all the drugs found in Jackson's home, the one that most concerned investigators was propofol (Diprivan), a powerful anesthetic administered intravenously by anesthesiologists in hospitals to prepare patients for surgery.[43] Nicknamed "milk of amnesia" because of its creamy appearance, it has been associated with cardiac arrest,[43] but it still may be increasingly used off-label for anxiolytic, analgesic, and other medically unsubstantiated purposes.[39] Several Diprivan bottles—some empty, some full—were found in Jackson's home.[39]
On June 30, Cherilyn Lee, a nurse who had worked as Jackson's nutritionist, said that he had asked her in May to provide propofol to help him sleep, but she refused. He told her he had been given the drug before for persistent insomnia, and that a doctor had said it was safe. Lee said she received a telephone call from an aide to Jackson on June 21 to say that Jackson was ill, although she no longer worked for him. She reported overhearing Jackson complain that one side of his body was hot, the other side cold. She advised the aide to send Jackson to a hospital.[44]
Arnold Klein told CNN that Jackson used an anesthesiologist to administer propofol to help him sleep while he was on tour in Germany. CNN said the anesthesiologist would "take him down" at night and "bring him back up" in the morning during the HIStory tour of 1996 to 1997.[42]
On August 24, a search warrant affidavit sworn by a Los Angeles detective was made public.[45] The affadavit indicated that authorities are considering a potential manslaughter charge. According to the affidavit, Jackson "was very familiar with" propofol "and referred to it as his 'milk.'" The affidavit also quotes an L.A. coroner's official saying that preliminary toxicology results showed that "Jackson's cause of death was due to lethal levels of propofol." The coroner allegedly classified Jackson's death a homicide.[46]
Medical professionals
The Los Angeles Times wrote that the DEA was focusing on at least five doctors who prescribed drugs to Jackson, trying to determine whether they had had a "face to face" relationship with him, and whether they had made legally-required diagnoses.[39] Fox News Channel published a list of nine doctors whom they said were under investigation.[47] The UK Sunday Times wrote that the police wanted to question 30 doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, including Arnold Klein.[48] Klein said that he occasionally had given Jackson Demerol to sedate him, but had administered nothing stronger, and that he had turned his records over to the medical examiner.[24]
Personal physician
On June 26, police towed away a car used by Conrad Murray, stating that it might contain medication or other evidence. The police released the car five days later.[32] Murray had gotten to know Jackson in 2008, after treating one of Jackson's children in Las Vegas. Jackson summoned him in May 2009 to Los Angeles to help with preparations for the London concerts, then insisted that his concert promoter, AEG Live, hire Murray to accompany Jackson in Great Britain.[2] Murray said through his attorney that he did not prescribe or administer Demerol or Oxycontin to Jackson, but did not say what, if anything, he did prescribe or administer.[43] Los Angeles police said the doctor spoke to officers immediately after Jackson's death, and during an extensive interview two days later. They stressed that they found "no red flag" and did not suspect foul play.[13]
Activist and minister Jesse Jackson, a friend of Michael Jackson's family, said that the family was concerned about Murray's role. "They have good reason to be", Jackson said, "he left the scene."[49] Over the next few weeks, law enforcement grew increasingly concerned about the doctor, and on July 22 detectives searched Murray's medical office and storage unit in Houston, removing items such as a computer and two hard drives, contact lists and a hospital suspension notice.[50] On the 27th, an anonymous source reported that Murray had administered propofol within 24 hours of Jackson's death.[51] Murray's lawyers refused to comment on what they called "rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."[52] The following day, the ABC News program Nightline reported that investigators had searched Murray's home and office in Las Vegas, and that Murray had become the primary focus of the investigation.[53] On August 11, a Las Vegas pharmacy was searched by investigators looking for evidence against Murray, according to an anonymous police source cited by The New York Times.[54] Murray's lawyer advised patience until the toxicology results arrived, noting that "things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known".[53]
Other concerns
Jackson's family raised questions about the role of AEG Live, the This Is It concert promoter, in the last few weeks of Jackson's life. The family wished to see an investigation into the role of the personal advisers and representatives whom the family believed had been put in place for Jackson by the promoter.[49] Meanwhile, Jackson's sister La Toya suspected that Jackson might have been administered an ultimately lethal dose of drugs by "a shadowy entourage" of handlers who had used the drugs to alter and exploit Jackson's moods.[55]
Family
Jackson is survived by his three children, Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson Jr. (1997); Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (1998), born during his marriage to his second wife, Debbie Rowe; and Prince Michael Jackson II, known as "Blanket", born in 2002 to a surrogate mother. He is also survived by his brothers, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Randy; his sisters Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet; half-sister Joh'Vonnie Jackson;[56] and his parents, Joseph and Katherine. Katherine Jackson was granted temporary guardianship of Jackson's children on June 29.[57] The Jackson family released a collective statement following the death:
In one of the darkest moments of our lives we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter. Our beloved son, brother and father of three children has gone so unexpectedly, in such a tragic way and much too soon. It leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to a point, where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times.[58]
La Toya Jackson indicated that the family would file a lawsuit against anyone they believed responsible for Michael's death, as well as push for criminal charges.[55]
Will and legal affairs
- Further information: Value of Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Jackson's will was filed by attorney John Branca at the Los Angeles County courthouse on July 1, 2009. Signed July 7, 2002, it names Branca and accountant John McClain as executors; they were confirmed as such by a Los Angeles judge on July 6, 2009.[59] All assets are given to the (pre-existing) Michael Jackson Family Trust (amended 22 March 2002),[60] the details of which have not been made public. The Associated Press reports that, in 2007, Jackson had a net worth of $236.6 million: $567.6 million in assets, which included Neverland Ranch and The Beatles' back-catalogue, and debts of $331 million.[61] The guardianship of his children is given to his mother, Katherine, or if she is unable or unwilling, to singer Diana Ross.[62] The will states that Jackson's former wife Debbie Rowe was omitted intentionally.[63] Jackson's will allocates 20% of his fortune as well as 20% of money made after death to unspecified charties.[64]
Media reports suggested that settlement of Jackson's estate could last many years.[65] The value of Sony/ATV Music Publishing is estimated by Ryan Schinman, chief of Platinum Rye, to be US$1.5 billion. Shinman's estimate makes Jackson's share of Sony/ATV worth USD$750 million, from which Jackson would have had an annual income of USD$80 million. Sony Corporation has not commented on whether it intends to buy Jackson's share of Sony/ATV from the Jackson estate. Jackson's creditors could force a distressed sale, which would act in Sony's favor since it would lower the sale price, but only if the trust set up by Jackson for his stake in Sony/ATV is revocable. A distressed sale would lower the value of Jackson's estate, and thus might not raise enough to cover the debts owed by the estate.[66]
Reaction
Media and Internet coverage
The first reports that Jackson had suffered a cardiac arrest, then that he had died, came from TMZ.com, a Los Angeles-based celebrity news website. Doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center pronounced Jackson dead at 2:26 pm PDT, and 18 minutes later at 2:44 pm, TMZ published: "Michael Jackson passed away today at the age of 50."[17] The Los Angeles Times website confirmed the report at 2:51 pm.[67]
The news spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload. Both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times suffered outages.[67] Google initially believed that the input from millions of people searching for "Michael Jackson" meant that the search engine was under attack. Twitter reported a crash, as did Wikipedia at 3:15 PDT.[68] The Wikimedia Foundation reported nearly a million visitors to Jackson's biography within one hour, probably the most visitors in a one-hour period to any article in Wikipedia's history.[69] AOL Instant Messenger collapsed for 40 minutes. AOL called it a "seminal moment in Internet history", adding, "We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope or depth."[70]
Around 15 percent of Twitter posts—or 5,000 tweets per minute—reportedly mentioned Jackson after the news broke,[71][72] compared to the five percent recalled as having mentioned the Iranian elections or the flu pandemic that had made headlines earlier in the year.[72] Overall, web traffic ranged from 11 percent to at least 20 percent higher than normal.[71][73]
MTV and Black Entertainment Television (BET) aired marathons of Jackson's music videos.[74] Jackson specials aired on multiple television stations around the world. The British soap opera EastEnders added a last-minute scene, in which one character tells another about the news, to the June 26 episode.[75] Jackson was the topic of every front-page headline in the daily British tabloid The Sun for about two weeks following his death.[76] During the same period, the three major U.S. networks' evening newscasts—ABC's World News, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News—devoted 34 percent of their broadcast time to him.[77] Magazines including TIME published commemorative editions.[78] A scene that had featured Jackson's sister La Toya was cut from the film Brüno out of respect toward Jackson's family.[79]
Statistics published by the Pew Research Center suggested that two out of three Americans believed the coverage of Jackson's death was excessive, while three percent felt it was insufficient.[80] In the UK, the BBC received over 700 complaints from viewers who thought the death dominated the news.[81] American conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh said the coverage was "a horrible disgrace" and lent his support to activist-ministers Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who were fighting to stem the press's speculation about what caused the death. "We don't know diddlysquat yet", Limbaugh told listeners on June 29.[82] Other conservatives, including commentator Bill O'Reilly[83] and Congressman Peter T. King,[84] also disapproved of the media attention Jackson's death recieved.
Grief
Jackson's death triggered an outpouring of grief. Fans gathered outside the UCLA Medical Center, Neverland Ranch, his Holmby Hills home, the Hayvenhurst Jackson family home in Encino, the Apollo Theater in New York, and at Hitsville U.S.A., the old Motown headquarters in Detroit where Jackson's career began, now the Motown Museum. Streets around the hospital were blocked off, and across America people left offices and factories to watch the breaking news on television.[85] A small crowd, including the city's mayor, gathered outside his childhood home in Gary, where the flag on city hall was flown at half staff in his honor.[86] Fans also mistakenly gathered around the Hollywood Walk of Fame star of another Michael Jackson, a radio commentator, stating that "they didn't care" when told by reporters[87] (Jackson's own star had been temporarily covered by equipment used for the premiere of the film Brüno[88]). Subsequently the film featured a scene involving Jackson's sister, La Toya Jackson. The scene was soon cut out of the film before the Hollywood premire in respect to the Jackson family.
Fans around the world (such as in Odessa, Ukraine[89] and Brussels, Belgium[90]) held their own memorial gatherings.
U.S. President Barack Obama sent a letter of condolence to the Jackson family,[13] and Congress observed a moment of silence.[91] Obama later stated that Jackson "will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers".[92][93]
In Japan, the top government spokesman and other ministers expressed their condolences. Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Tsutomu Sato told reporters, "I feel sad as I had watched him since he was a member of Jackson Five." "Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has credited him with building a generation with his music."[94] "'He was a superstar. It is an extremely tragic loss. But it is fantastic he was able to give so many dreams and so much hope to the people of the world,' said Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe."[95]
Elizabeth Taylor, a long-time friend, said she can't imagine life without him.[96] Liza Minnelli told CBS, "When the autopsy comes, all hell's going to break loose, so thank God we're celebrating him now."[97]
Tributes
On July 11, 2009, 6,000 fans attended a musical tribute in Jackson's hometown of Gary, Indiana. Local performers staged a medley of his back catalog, and mayor Rudy Clay unveiled a seven-foot memorial to him. Jesse Jackson addressed the crowd, stating, "This is where Michael learned to dance, where he learned to sing, where he learned to sacrifice."[98]
You were the one that showed us we can moonwalk,
You gave us the beat,
You gave us the rhythm,
You gave us the soul.
— Diddy, "Better on the Other Side"
The Game, a rapper, debuted a tribute song, "Better on the Other Side", on the day after Jackson's death. Produced by DJ Khalil, this song featured vocals by Diddy, Chris Brown, Polow da Don, Mario Winans, Usher, and Boyz II Men.[99] Another hip hop artist, 50 Cent, released a mixtape called Forever King, on which a song entitled "Where You Are" sampled Jackson's 1972 single, "I Wanna Be Where You Are".[100] Rapper LL Cool J wrote and recorded a song titled, "Billie Jean Dream: Written By Michael Jackson", which he had dreamt that Jackson had composed. This song sampled Jackson's own composition, "Billie Jean".[citation needed] On July 5, guitarist Buckethead released a song called, "The Homing Beacon", the title of which referred to a scene in Jackson's 3-D film, Captain EO.[101] Jackson's sister La Toya released her song, "Home", on July 28 as a charity single in her sibling's honor. All proceeds are being donated to one of Michael Jackson's favorite charities.[102][103]
BET reorganized most of its 2009 Awards Ceremony. Airing on June 28, the ceremony featured performances of several of Jackson's songs, including pieces from his time with The Jackson Five and those from his solo career.[104] His father and Al Sharpton were in the audience, and Janet Jackson spoke briefly on behalf of the family. Host Jamie Foxx said, "We want to celebrate this black man. He belongs to us and we shared him with everybody else." The show set an all-time ratings high, with a 5.8 rating[clarification needed] (over its[vague] previous high of 3.7 million[clarification needed]), and saw a 61 percent increase over its 2008 broadcast.[vague][105][dead link ] AEG Live, the promoter for Jackson's This Is It tour, is preparing a tribute concert for September 2009.[106] The show is slated to follow the style arranged for the This Is It concerts.[107]
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro announced that the city would erect a statue of the singer in Dona Marta, a community that Jackson had helped to transform from a disreputable favela into "a model for social development."[108] On June 27, fans began a candlelit memorial in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park.[108] In Bucharest, Romania, MTV organized a tribute to Jackson in front of the Lia Manoliu Stadium, in which he had staged a 1992 performance that would become his first concert to be released officially on DVD.[109] A tribute was also held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where Jackson's songs and videos were played. The fans wore hats and gloves in Jackson's style.[110]
The 2006 World Music Awards, in which Jackson had received a Diamond Award, were rebroadcast on myNetworkTV on July 1.[111] On July 4, the opening night of her Sticky & Sweet Tour, Madonna paid tribute to Jackson in the same London arena where Jackson had been due to perform his comeback concerts later that month. After a Jackson impersonator performed many of Jackson's signature moves to "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", Madonna told the crowd, "Let's give it up for one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. Michael Jackson: Long live the king!"[112] The pop music magazine Smash Hits, which had closed in 2006, was resurrected for a one-off tribute issue for Jackson in July 2009.[113]
The music video for "Do the Bartman", a Simpsons song co-written by Jackson, was broadcast ahead of an episode rerun of The Simpsons on June 28. It featured a title card paying tribute to Jackson.[114] The 1991 Simpsons episode that Jackson guest starred in, "Stark Raving Dad", was broadcast on Fox on July 5.[115] The episode had been broadcast on the Dutch Comedy Central the day after his death, and was dedicated to Jackson's memory.[116]
Pop star Robbie Williams has indicated that a tribute song to Jackson will appear on his next studio album.[citation needed]
Record sales
Jackson's record sales increased dramatically in the hours and days following his death, eighty-fold according to HMV.[117] Bill Carr, Amazon's vice president for music and video, said the website sold out of all Jackson's CDs, and those of The Jackson 5 within minutes of the news breaking and Jackson's music demand since his death has surpassed those of Elvis Presley and John Lennon after their sudden deaths.[118][119][120]
The demand placed enormous pressure on CD manufacturing plants. Sales of his music topped the leading online music sellers, iTunes, Amazon and Zune Marketplace, taking over most of the top twenty spots. His album Thriller climbed to number one on the American iTunes music chart, soon to be replaced by The Essential Michael Jackson, while another nineteen albums made it into the top 40. A total of 13 countries pushed Number Ones to the number one spot on their iTunes chart.[121] In Japan, six of his albums made SoundScan Japan's Top 200 Albums chart,[108] and in Poland, Thriller 25 topped the national album chart and was replaced by King of Pop the following week.[122] In Australia, 15 of his albums occupied the ARIA top 100 as of July 5, four of them in the top ten, with three occupying the top three spots. He had 34 singles in the top 100 singles chart, including four in the top ten. Album sales were 62,015 for the previous week; singles tallied 107,821 units.[123] In the second week, album sales rose from the previous week and tallied 88,650 copies. On July 12, four albums were in the top 10 with three occupying the top three spots.[124] As of July 19, album sales rose once again from previous weeks and tallied 95,513 copies [125]. In New Zealand, Thriller 25 topped the chart.[126] In Germany, King of Pop topped the album chart,[127] and from June 28 to July 4, nine of his albums occupied the Top 20 of CAPIF in Argentina.[128] In Billboard's European Top 100 Albums, he made history with eight of his albums in the top ten positions.[129] As of August 3, King of Pop has spent four weeks atop Billboard's European Top 100 Albums chart.[130] The Collection also spent two weeks atop the same chart.[131]
In the UK, on the Sunday following his death, his albums occupied 14 of the top 20 places on the Amazon.co.uk sales chart, with Off the Wall at the top. Number Ones reached the top of the UK Album Chart, and his studio albums occupied number two to number eight on the iTunes Music Store top albums. Six of his songs charted in the top 40: "Man in the Mirror" (11), "Thriller" (23), "Billie Jean" (25), "Smooth Criminal" (28)", "Beat It" (30), and "Earth Song" (38).[132] The following Sunday, 13 of Jackson's songs charted in the top 40, including "Man In the Mirror", which landed the number two spot.[133] He broke Ruth Murray's 1955 record of five songs in the top 30.[134] The Essential Michael Jackson topped the album chart, giving Jackson a second number one album in as many weeks. He had five of the top ten albums in the album chart.[135] In third week sales, The Essential Michael Jackson retained the number one position and Jackson held three other positions within the top five.[136] By August 3, Jackson had sold 2 million records and spent six consecutive weeks atop the album chart.[130][137] He retained the top spot on the album chart for a seventh consecutive week.[138]
In the U.S., Jackson broke three chart records on the first Billboard issue date that followed his death. The entire top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums featured titles related to him. By the third week it would be the entire top twelve positions.[139] Number Ones was the best-selling album of the week and topped the catalog chart with sales of 108,000, an increase of 2,340 percent. The Essential Michael Jackson (2) and Thriller (3) also sold over 100,000 units. The other titles on the chart are Off the Wall (4), Jackson Five's Ultimate Collection (5), Bad (6), Dangerous (7), HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Volume 1 (8) and Jackson's Ultimate Collection (9). Collectively, his solo albums sold 422,000 copies in the week following his death, 800,000 copies in the first full week, and 1.1 million copies in the following week of his memorial service.[140] He also broke a record on the Top Digital Albums chart, with six of the top 10 slots, including the entire top four. On the Hot Digital Songs chart he placed a record of 25 songs on the 75-position list. In the U.S., Jackson became the first artist to sell over one million downloads in a week, with 2.6 million sales.[141][142] By August 5, Jackson had sold nearly 3.8 million albums and 7.6 million tracks in the U.S.. Number Ones was the best selling album in five of the six weeks that followed his death.[143] The following week was the album's sixth non-consecutive week as the country's top selling album.[144]
Memorial
A private family service was held on July 7 at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, followed by a public memorial at the Staples Center, where Jackson had rehearsed on June 20, two days before he died. The service was broadcast live around the world, and was believed to have been watched by up to one billion people.[145]
Jackson's solid-bronze coffin was placed in front of the stage. His brothers each wore a single, white, sparkling glove, while Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jermaine Jackson and others sang his songs. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson both spoke, and Queen Latifah read, "We had him", a poem written for Jackson by Maya Angelou at the request of Katherine Jackson. "Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon/In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing."[146][failed verification] Al Sharpton received a standing ovation[failed verification] for his eulogy, and Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris, broke down as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ..."[147] Marlon Jackson said, "Maybe now, Michael, they will leave you alone."[148]
Burial
Forest Lawn Cemetery is listed as Jackson's temporary resting place on his death certificate.[citation needed]
There have been persistent rumors that he will be buried at Neverland Ranch.[citation needed] However California law forbids the interment of uncremated remains anywhere but at a licensed cemetery.[citation needed] At the time of Jackson's death, the ranch lacked a cemetery. Jackson's estate and the owners of Neverland would have to go through a permitting process with local land use authorities before establishing a cemetery at the site. [149]
According to Jackson's official website, the burial was originally scheduled for August 29, 2009,[150] but later postponed to September 3. The burial is expected to take place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale and will be a private ceremony for family and close friends.[151] He is expected to be interred at the Holly Terrace section in the Great Mausoleum.[152]
References
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- ^ a b c McCartney, Anthony. Lawyer for Doctor: Jackson Had Pulse When Found, Associated Press, June 28, 2009.
- ^ Sales of Michael Jackson's Music Skyrocket, KTLA News, June 26, 2009.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel. Michael Jackson’s “This Is It!” Tour Balloons to 50-Show Run Stretching Into 2010, Rolling Stone, March 12, 2009.
- ^ Bucci, Paul and Wood, Graeme. Michael Jackson RIP: One billion people estimated watching for gold-plated casket at memorial service. The Vancouver Sun, July 7, 2009.
- ^ msnbc.com news services (08-24-09). "Coroner rules Jackson's death a homicide". MSNBC. Retrieved 08-24-09.
{{cite web}}
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and|date=
(help) - ^ Doheny, Kathleen (2009-08-24). "Propofol Linked to Michael Jackson's Death". WebMD. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (|author=
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- ^ a b c Lang, Anne, and Jones, Oliver. Attorney Defends Michael Jackson's Doctor, People, June 29, 2009.
- ^ a b Chernoff, Ed., The Situation Room, CNN, June 29, 2009. Transcript
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- ^ a b Klein, Arnold. Larry King Live, CNN, July 8, 2009. Transcript
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- ^ Jackson: 2nd autopsy 'underway', Sydney Morning Herald, June 28, 2009; Blankstein, Andrew et al. Michael Jackson's doctor interviewed by LAPD, Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2009.
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- ^ a b c Griffin, Drew. Anderson Cooper 360°, CNN, July 1, 2009. Transcript
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- ^ a b Bone, James. Jackson death may have been 'homicide', says police chief, The Times, July 10, 2009.
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- ^ a b Duke, Alan and Ahmed, Saeed. More associates link Jackson to prescription drugs, CNN, July 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home, Associated Press, July 3, 2009.
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{{cite journal}}
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- ^ a b Feds Raid Michael Jackson's Doctor Conrad Murray's Home and Office, Nightline, July 28, 2009
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- ^ "Most Americans believe Jackson coverage excessive", retrieved 02/07/2009
- ^ Khan, Urmee. BBC gets over 700 complaints about 'wall-to-wall' coverage, The Daily Telegraph, July 1, 2009.
- ^ El Rushbo Supports Justice Brothers in Case of Media v. Michael Jackson, Rushlimbaugh.com, June 29, 2009.
- ^ O'Reilly provokes outrage with Jackson rant, Yahoo News, accessed 19/08/2009
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- ^ Keagle, Lauri Harvey. Fans paying respects to King of Pop at boyhood home, The Times of Northwest Indiana, June 26, 2009.
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- ^ Events by themes: In Odessa honoured memory of Michael Jackson, UNIAN (June 29, 2009)
- ^ Template:NlHulde aan Michael Jackson in Brussel, Gazet van Antwerpen (July 7, 2009)
- ^ Gavin, Patrick. Congress pauses for Michael Jackson, The Politico, June 26, 2009.
- ^ http://www.knoxville.com/news/2009/jul/02/no-headline---070209obamajackson/
- ^ http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/02/1985306.aspx
- ^ Big In Japan: Tokyo Mourns Jackson's Death, TIME, June 26, 2009
- ^ http://abcnews.go.com/International/WireStory?id=7939257&page=1
- ^ Elizabeth Taylor: "I Loved Michael With All My Soul", US Magazine, June 26, 2009.
- ^ Gumbel, Andrew. Police focus on doctor who was with Michael Jackson as he died, The Guardian, June 27, 2009.
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Further reading and external links
- Los Angeles County, California, Search Warrant and Affidavit: Statement of Probable Cause, August 24, 2009
- Jackson Tour Video—The Final Rehearsals, TMZ, July 2, 2009.
- Walters, Dell. "Michael Slept Here", Washingtonian, August 1, 2009.
Obituaries
- Barnes, Brooks. A Star Idolized and Haunted, Michael Jackson Dies at 50, The New York Times, June 25, 2009.
- Obituary: Michael Jackson, BBC, June 26, 2009.
- Boucher, Geoff and Woo, Elaine. Michael Jackson's life was infused with fantasy and tragedy, Los Angeles Times, June 26, 2009.
- Rayner, Ben. Michael Jackson, 50: Child star, thriller, sad sideshow, The Toronto Star, June 26, 2009.
- Saperstein, Pat. Michael Jackson dies at 50, Variety, June 25, 2009.
- Sullivan, Caroline. Michael Jackson, The Guardian, June 26, 2009.
- Michael Jackson obituary: a gifted, troubled king of pop, The Sydney Morning Herald, June 26, 2009.
- The Times obituary: Michael Jackson, The Times, June 26, 2009.