Michael Jackson - RIP

The Chris Moyles show is going to play 30 mins of MJ songs in the golden hour today, they're currently playing You Are Not Alone. Makes you a bit weepy.

He was our Elvis, innit :-(

Well, I guess I must be a heartless cow, because to be honest I feel nothing but relief for his children who might now get some sane and normal influences in their lives instead of being caught up in his fantasy world.

RIP Michael jackson

Has there been anything suggested on the cause of death yet?

Suspected massive heart attack, apparently he wasn't breathing when the paramedics arrived at his house, they performed CPR then he slipped into a coma and didn't regain consciousness. Early doors yet though, obv.

R1 just played Man in The Mirror, you forget how good his stuff is. In his day he really was such an amazing talent.

One report suggests it could be a accidental painkiller overdose. His personal doctor was at MJ's home when the 911 call was made. Apparently the painkiller can cause shallow breathing, and this could have triggered the cardiac arrest (only a rumour at present though)

Thanks HH.

That just suggests he had a cardiac arrest though. The press seem to think that is the same as a heart attack. Just noticed ONEs post saying apparently he had an inherited heart defect?

Heard Uri on R4 say he thought the 'shock of the upcoming tour' stopped his heart...

I don't feel personally attached to MJ but as a musician and performer he was clearly massively talented.

I was never a fan as such, but he was a massively talented man who had a gigantic influence on pop music. And very sad for his family, however troubled he was.

Tabloids are reporting he had a shot of demerol for pain, which led to shallow breathing, which led to cardiac arrest, etc etc. No one will know for sure until the autopsy results are done, I guess. Are they made public or can the family keep them private?

I said it last night but I can see all this getting very ugly, I feel so sorry for his children and family.

You know something big's happened when R4 start playing pop tracks.

Thanks for that HH. Don't mean to sound too morbid, sorry if offensive to MJ fans. Just my medic curiosity/pedantry.

Thre definitely should be a criminal investigation if related to prescription drugs, or non-prescription drugs for that matter.

I don't know the rules about confidentiality or not of PM results in the States.

OMG I'm in shock! I love his music! I currently have his CDs in my car! My friend text me about it this morning and i had to come online to believe it! x

Like many others, couldn't believe what i heard this morning. I know over the years he has recieved a lot of negative press over the years, but still a sad thing to hear!!

I bet this bloke's crying into his corn flakes.....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2X-Michael-Jackson-VIP-Access-Tickets-SECTION-A2-Row-E_W0QQitemZ180369581240QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Tickets_Tickets_LE?hash=item29fedd64b8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1688|240%3A1308|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

When I heard this last night I have to say I was more surprised in that I hadn't expected it rather than shocked or upset - hardly a picture of health was he after all.

Very sad for his children, although they might now at last have some kind of chance of the normal upbringing that sadly eluded him.

As for the music, the commercial success speaks for itself, one of the greats of all time, a total legend, but I wasn't a fan. I have 1300 songs on my ipod and not a single track of his.

Tbh one of the reasons I think I'm not sad at this news is because I've always felt the real MJ "died" along time ago before he started making himself so grotesque. Whenever I see some of the old Jackson Five stuff I just feel so sad for him and what that lovely sweet little boy turned into.

I hope he is finally at peace.

I was watching Big Brother an hour later on C4 last night while H was surfing the net and he picked up the first reports. We stayed up til nearly 1am by which time the news was confirmed and tributes were pouring in. I woke up this morning and I still couldn't take it in.

Personally, I had my doubts that he would manage the tour but I didn't think for one second he would die before he tried. Nobody should die at 50. It's tragically young.

I hope that his music will overshadow the controversy that dogged his latest years.

As a complete aside - is there any news on whether people who bought tickets will get their money back?

The jokes and puns are already doing the rounds via phone with my friends and family. Some good, some a little sick.

whats with all the ridiculous bids made yesterday? very wierd.

I woke up and switched the news on to find they were talking about his life etc and I thought oh no why are they doing this - he must have died and both me and H were ?

what will happen re the concerts? are they covered for this sort of thing?

H and I were both up when it broke and we just waited to hear a credible confirmation.

It really is so very sad. I think he was possibly the most talented musician of our time and I think what he's been through in the last 5 years has been awful. I think the final trial pretty much took everything out of him. I was thrilled he was going to be doing a tour as I felt it would have been wonderful for him to come out on a high again. It's tragic that he won't get to do that.

I wasn't even a "fan" as such, I have bits of his music but I'd never have gone to see him live but I can appreciate the pure talent. 50 is no age at all.

Very sad news. I was/am a massive fan of MJ, incredibly talented musician.

Whilst it's very sad, he wasn't a musician. He was a singer & pop star. And the real brains and reason behind his success was Quincy Jones as producer - when he split from him the music did go downhill.

I feel desperately sorry for his family because as much as his life was a circus, his death, autopsy & funeral are just going to be beyond ridiculous. I hope he can find some peace now.

As others have said, will confidentiality agreements now be null & void? There could be a lot of dirty laundry about to be washed in public.

Not a fan although I did have his Bad album on tape. Personally, I think that at least now his children might have some chance at a normal life.

Always sad when someone dies young though.

BBC article on ticket refunds

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8120412.stm

whilst I know his music really was 90% production (and great videos) I think he was a great songwriter- one of the best.

(irrelevantly this always reminds me of an argument I had with an arrogent prick in 6th form who insisted Noel Gallagher was the greatest songwriter ever. i actually mentioned MJ as being better. I hope he looks back with embarrassment. Noel gallagher. honestly)

I'm in a wee coffee shop, and they have just put his greatest hits on. It is v. sad, regardless of all the lunacy.

RIP MJ.

Roobarb - I hear you. I have a similar number of songs on my Ipod and the only one related to MJ is the cover of Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm!

The facebook comments and invitations to rip groups are starting to drive me a bit mad now.

(remind me of that when Bono shuffles off)

shhh don't speak such things! ?

I'm gutted. He was hugely talented and influential. Off The Wall is my all-time favourite album.

I never got to see him live and was hoping he'd come here after the London dates.

Very tragic that he died at such a young age, especially with the imminent comeback after a few rough years.

He was the best.

Ive already had jokes text to me. Its beyond me why people seem to think its funny. Time to switch my phone off I think!

I think saying he was only a singer and popstar is a bit insulting really. He was one of the greatest songwriters of our time, a massively talented dancer and choreographer, a brlliant performer, and yes he was a musician, he played piano and had an amazing voice, which of course is an instrument too. Of course Quincy Jones was hugely influential in his solo success, but MJ had the musical and creative talent.

Re: tickets, that article says people who bought from third parties are going to have a tough time getting their money back. Wowzers, some people who bought from fleabay back in March are going to lose thousands!

I know. My entire news feed on Facebook is made up of MJ comments (though I did laugh a bit at one of my friends status which is "OMG - the BB housemates won't know about it until they come out!"

I have to say I don't disagree with anything that Roobarb said in her post - up to and including the number of tracks on my MP3 player. We've just been for lunch at the pub and they were playing continuous MJ songs, it just seemed a bit wrong somehow.