Michael Jackson meninggal dunia
LOS ANGELES 26 Jun - Michael Jackson disahkan meninggal dunia pada pukul 2.26 petang waktu tempatan (2.26 pagi Jumaat waktu Malaysia) selepas jantungnya gagal berfungsi, demikian menurut para pegawai di sini.
Kematian Raja Pop itu mengejutkan dunia dan dianggap sebagai satu kehilangan besar kepada para peminat dan dunia hiburan antarabangsa.
Pegawai Koroner Long Angeles, Leftenan Fred Corral memberitahu CNN bahawa Jackson, 50, disahkan meninggal dunia dua jam selepas pasukan perubatan menerima panggilan dari rumah bintang tersebut.
"Saya hanya boleh memberitahu buat masa ini kami telah dimaklumkan oleh penyiasat dari Jabatan Polis Los Angeles Barat bahawa Jackson telah dibawa ke hospital dan ketika tiba di sana, beliau tidak sedarkan diri dan kemudian disahkan meninggal dunia pada pukul 2.26 petang,'' kata Corral kepada CNN.
Katanya, bedah siasat kemungkinan akan dilakukan esok tetapi tidak menyebutkan punca kematian. - AFP
Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
LOS ANGELES: "Semoga Allah sentiasa merahmati rohmu, Michael," demikian doa Jermaine Jackson selepas mengumumkan kematian adiknya, Michael Jackson kepada media semalam, ketika spekulasi bertiup hebat mengenai punca kematian Raja Pop itu.
Jermaine atau Muhammad Abdul-Aziz Jackson yang memeluk Islam 20 tahun lalu dan sentiasa memberi penerangan kepada adiknya mengenai agama itu, merayu kepada media agar tidak mengganggu keluarganya.
Penyanyi kontroversi berusia 50 tahun itu mengalami jantung terhenti ketika di rumah tengah hari kelmarin dan doktor peribadinya cuba menyedarkannya tetapi gagal, kata Jermaine.
Kematian Jacko gemparkan peminat
Berita mengejutkan turut lonjak jualan album
LOS ANGELES: Peminat Michael Jackson di seluruh dunia menerima berita kematiannya dengan penuh kesedihan, namun ramai yang enggan percaya ikon pop itu meninggal dunia secara mengejut awal pagi semalam.
Kematian Jackson di California mendorong badan penyiaran dari Sydney ke Seoul - yang menerima berita itu awal semalam - mengganggu program pagi, bagi mengumumkan berita yang tidak disangka itu.
Di Malaysia, berita berkenaan mula ke udara menerusi radio dan televisyen sejak awal pagi dan deejay radio memainkan lagunya sehari suntuk dan menerima panggilan pendengar yang merakamkan perasaan sedih mereka di atas pemergian 'Raja Pop' dunia itu yang mula menceburi bidang nyanyian dengan menyertai kumpulan adik-beradik, Jackson 5.
Selepas berita kematiannya mula diketahui di seluruh dunia, albumnya mencatatkan jualan yang meningkat begitu tinggi dan menduduki 15 tangga teratas bagi album paling laris dalam tempoh beberapa jam di pasaran Amazon.com Inc.
Album Thriller adalah album paling besar dalam kariernya dan mencatat jualan 50 juta keping cakera padat di seluruh dunia. Sony Music yang menerbitkan semua albumnya, berkata Michael Jackson menjual kira-kira 750 juta rekod di seluruh dunia dan mengeluarkan 13 album solo nombor satu.
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Pengerusi dan Presiden Sony Music, Sir Howard Stringer, berkata "gayanya mengubah landskap muzik buat selama-lamanya".
Legenda Michael Jackson bukan saja dikenali oleh generasi lama dan seangkatan dengannya, malah anak muda zaman kini mengenalinya menerusi lagu seperti Beat It, Black and White dan Billie Jean serta gaya persembahannya yang tersendiri.
Beberapa pemimpin dunia yang turut memberi pandangan mereka selepas mendengar berita kematiannya termasuk Presiden Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, yang menyifatkannya sebagai 'berita amat mendukacitakan' walaupun pernah menyatakan media memberi perhatian keterlaluan kepadanya.
Bekas Presiden Korea Selatan, Kim Dae-jung, yang pernah menemui Jackson, berkata: "Kita kehilangan wira dunia."
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Beberapa minit selepas ketibaan Jackson dengan ambulans di Pusat Perubatan UCLA di Los Angeles, orang ramai mula membanjiri pekarangan hospital berkenaan. Sebaik berita kematiannya disebarkan, peminatnya menangis manakala sebahagian lagi seolah-olah tidak percaya.
Di Times Square di New York, orang ramai meratap sebaik berita kematiannya disiarkan di skrin televisyen gergasi. – --AP/Reuters.
Michael Jackson dies
AFP2009/06/26
LOS ANGELES, Fri:
Pop icon Michael Jackson died on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest, multiple US media outlets reported, sending shockwaves around the entertainment world. The Los Angeles Times and TMZ.com celebrity news website reported Jackson, 50, died after suffering an arrest just after 12:00 pm (1900 GMT) local time and paramedics were unable to revive him.
Jackson’s manager Tohme E. Tohme was not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP. Officials at UCLA Medical Center where Jackson was treated also could not be reached for comment.
National and local television networks showed hundreds of media gathered at UCLA Medical Center for what appeared to be a briefing. CNN was unable to confirm the death, stating that Jackson was in a coma.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales did not confirm Jackson’s identity but said paramedics went to an address corresponding to the star’s home at 12:21 pm (1921 GMT) and the person was taken to UCLA Medical Center.
“really bad shape.”
Michael’s father Joe Jackson told E! Online he was aware of the emergency but did not know further details.
“I am in Las Vegas, but yes, people in Los Angeles called me and are with Michael and tell me he was taken to the hospital,” he said. “I am not sure what’s wrong. I am waiting to hear back from them.”
The reports came as Jackson prepared to make a keenly anticipated concert comeback in London, his first series of shows in more than a decade and the first since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges.
However those concerts — billed as the “final curtain” — had been thrown into doubt after Jackson pushed back the opening dates last month.
Organizers of the concerts at the time stressed the delay was not linked to Jackson’s health.
In a press conference from the United States broadcast over the Internet, AEG Live president Randy Phillips was asked about Jackson’s health and said: “I would trade my body for his tomorrow. He’s in fantastic shape.”
While Jackson reigned as the “King of Pop” in the 1980s, his once-stellar career had been overshadowed by his colorful public behavior, his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
Jackson lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges, including child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Despite his acquittal, the trial was a body blow from which the pop music superstar struggled to recover.
Four years later, Jackson is still worshipped by fans for revolutionising music, dance and music videos at the peak of his success.
The attention however paid to him in recent years has been less flattering, focusing on apparent cosmetic surgery — which he denies — his baby dangling antics and a decade of swirling child abuse allegations.
Born on August 29, 1958, Jackson made his show business debut with four of his older brothers in the Jackson Five pop group, and went on to lead the stage clan with a piping soprano and dazzling dance moves.
By 1969, the group had signed a contract with Motown Records, becoming one of the last great acts to emerge from the legendary label.
The Jacksons produced seven platinum singles for Motown, selling over a million, and three multi-platinum albums, selling more than two million. They moved to CBS’s Epic Records in 1976.
Despite the early success, Jackson was to recall those years as unhappy and lonely ones. Eventually the family act broke up, as Jackson went solo.
In 1979, Quincy Jones produced Jackson’s first solo album for Epic, “Off the Wall,” a huge disco-oriented success that sold 10 million copies.
They teamed up again in 1982 for what would be Jackson’s breakthrough album as a composer and co-producer, “Thriller,” which became the top-selling album of all time, with sales exceeding 41 million.
Michael Jackson 1958-2009: Speculation as curtain comes down
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LOS ANGELES: Speculation mounted yesterday that Michael Jackson's fatal heart attack might have been brought on by an injection of painkilling drugs after a rehearsal for the pop star's comeback concerts in London, dubbed "the final curtain".
As thousands of fans gathered outside the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where Jackson was pronounced dead at 2.36pm on Thursday (3.56am Malaysian time yesterday), police detectives searched the rented mansion in Holmby Hills, here where the singer had been living.
According to reports, "the personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitate him".
Michael's death was confirmed by his brother Jermaine in an emotional press conference at the hospital.
Elizabeth Taylor, a close friend, was said to be "devastated" while Madonna said: "I can't stop crying over the sad news."
Michael's ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, whose father Elvis Presley met a drug-induced death in 1977 at the age of 42, said she was "sad and confused with every emotion possible" and "heartbroken" for the singer's three children.
Last night his body was flown by helicopter to the coroner's office for an autopsy.
But officials warned it could take weeks to determine a cause of death because of complicated toxicology tests needed to determine if Michael had any drugs, alcohol or prescription medications in his system.
The Sun newspaper yesterday reported that Michael's aides told medics at the UCLA emergency room that the star had collapsed after an injection of the drug Demerol, a powerful painkiller similar to morphine and is known to come with the risk of cardiac arrest.
"Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing," the newspaper quoted a source as saying. "His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped."
No confirmation was available on that report, but the celebrity website TMZ said Michael had attended a rehearsal on Wednesday night at LA's Staples Center to prepare for the series of 50 concerts scheduled for London's O2 dome that had been due to start next month and last until next year.
Jermaine, the family's official spokesman, later revealed physicians had battled for more than an hour to revive the star after his arrival at the UCLA Medical Center before he was pronounced dead.
"Our family requests that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time," Jermaine said. "May Allah be with you, Michael, always."
Meanwhile, police motorcycle riders surrounded Michael's gated mansion as crowds of tourists and fans congregated.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband posted on Twitter: "Never has one soared so high and yet dived so low. RIP Michael."
In China, Michael's death was the top news item on popular Internet portals Soho.com and Sina.com, which called him the "most remarkable singer ever".
The news dominated US television throughout Thursday, relegating tensions in Iran and the death of another celebrity, Farrah Fawcett, to brief mentions.
Crowds continued to throng near the UCLA Medical Center and the superstar's home late on Thursday, while street vendors selling hastily designed commemorative t-shirts for US$25 (RM88) sought to cash in.
Michael's concerts in London were keenly anticipated as his comeback to show business after more than a decade in the wilderness.
"This is it, this is the final curtain call," Michael had told fans in London after announcing his comeback.
But those concerts were thrown into doubt after he pushed back the opening dates last month, although organisers insisted the delay was not linked to his health.
However, Michael's family attorney Brian Oxman said he had harboured concerns over the singer's condition, revealing that he had been taking prescription medication.
Oxman compared Michael's fate with the overdose death of Playboy centrefold Anna-Nicole Smith, voicing concern over "enablers" in his entourage.
Tommy Mottola, the former head of Sony Music who released Michael's records for 16 years, said the singer had a place in the pantheon of American music icons, alongside Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
"In pop history, there's a triumvirate of pop icons: Sinatra, Elvis and Michael, that define the whole culture." -- Agencies
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