I, like everyone of you, have been deeply affected by last few days.
No matter what you do, you have to remember that MJ was here for us and we need to be there for each other!
I remember this video collage from long ago, and was fortunate to find it again... It's a great tribute of the man and his music.
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I am currently watching the BET awards - tape delayed...lots of silenced words and unsteady dancing...but pretty good for a show that basically had to change it's entire flow in two days. Nice tributes to Michael.
Family members turn out for BET Jackson tribute
Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:24am EDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Top black performers paid high tribute to fallen pop star Michael Jackson at Sunday's BET Awards where his sister Janet Jackson and father Joe Jackson made their first public appearances since the singer's death.
The show's most moving moment came in a final tribute when Janet, a pop star in her own right, took the stage to thank the audience for turning out to honor her dead brother.
"To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family, and he will forever live in all of our hearts," said Jackson, her voice choking as she held back tears. "On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love. Thank you for all of your support, we miss him so much."
She was followed by host Jamie Foxx and R&B singer Ne-Yo singing a tender duet of Jackson 5 hit "I'll Be There," while pictures of Jackson were displayed on a giant video screen.
A member of 1970s brother band the Jackson 5 and a musical sensation, Jackson's 1982 smash "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time, and Jackson was a major influence on R&B, hip hop and many other forms of music for 40 years.
Jackson died suddenly from cardiac arrest at age 50 in his Los Angeles home on Thursday. The BET Awards, which annually honor African American singers, actors, actresses and athletes, transformed into a tribute to the pop superstar.
In the front row, Joe Jackson watched performances by the likes of Beyonce, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and the O'Jays, most of whom either gave testimonials to Jackson or in some way highlighted his influence on their own careers.
Ahead of the show, Joe Jackson told Reuters that if his son were there, "He would have said, 'I love you all,' that's what he would have said. "I love you all," and he would've loved everybody ... I only wish that he could've been here to see all this," Joe Jackson said.
Show host Jamie Foxx put the program in party mode from the start, dancing Jackson's famous moonwalk, singing his hit song "Beat It" and wearing a classic King of Pop costume -- red leather jacket and one white glove.
"We're going to celebrate this black man. He belongs to us, and we shared him with everybody else," Foxx told the crowd.
Two inspiring moments came when Beyonce sang a version of Ave Maria in an angelic white dress, and later when accepting her award for best female R&B artist, she held her trophy up.
"This is for you, Michael Jackson," she said, thanking him for being an inspiration and a "hero" to her. Later in the evening, Beyonce also won the award for best video.
Many performers sang Jackson songs and dressed as he did when he was on stage -- leather jackets, high pants, white socks, uniform-like costumes and a single white gloved hand.
Some of the winners included best male R&B singer Ne-Yo, best actress Taraji P. Henson, best male hip hop artist Lil Wayne, and best male athlete, basketball star LeBron James.
While the 50-year-old Jackson was loved by many, he lived a reclusive life in his final years, and in the 1990s he was twice accused of child molestation -- charges never proven.
His death continues to be shrouded in questions of prescription drug use and, although an autopsy was performed, it will be four to six weeks before an official cause of death can be determined after toxicology tests are completed.
But music mogul and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs set the tone for the night on the red carpet, telling reporters Jackson "is one of our heroes. As African Americans, we are not going to let everybody beat him up."
(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; editing by Anthony Boadle)
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE55S05A20090629?sp=true
Janet Jackson Speaks Out at BET Awards: “We Miss Him So Much”
6/28/09, 11:53 pm EST
Janet Jackson took the stage at tonight’s BET Awards in Los Angeles looking visibly shaken. Just three days after the death of her brother, Michael, she told the audience after a long pause to gather herself, “My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful. So they elected me to speak with all of you.” Promising to keep it short, she added, “To you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much.” Her speech was followed by host Jamie Foxx singing “I’ll Be There” with a pianist and Ne-Yo.....
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdai...speaks-out-at-bet-awards-we-miss-him-so-much/
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Several years ago I met Chuck Norris on the set of "Walker Texas Ranger" - here is what he has to say about meeting a young Michael...
[FONT=Palatino, Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif][SIZE=+2]Michael, McMahon, Farrah and you[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=-1]Posted: June 29, 2009[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1:00 am Eastern[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]© 2009 [/SIZE]
The entertainment world lost a few giants last week. Like the rest of the world, my wife Gena and I offer their families, friends and fans our most heartfelt condolences.
America's most infamous late-night sidekick Ed McMahon, favorite "Angel" Farrah Fawcett and the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson made their final exits, and even in death they were as big as they were in life. The magnitude of their presence, power in their presentation and the caliber of their giftedness placed them among the most elite of stars.
You might not agree with all that Michael, Farrah and Ed did. You might not like all the ways they managed who they were and what they had. But you can't deny the monumental impact they had upon entertainment and this world, and how most people enjoyed what they offered. They will be greatly missed.
Like you, I have vivid memories of each of them and was honored to meet two.
Who can ever forget Ed McMahon's curtain call for Johnny Carson on the "Tonight Show": "Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!"? I had been a guest on the "Tonight Show" several times through the years, and I had the privilege to talk with Ed during my visits. Every time I spoke with him, I could easily tell that he really enjoyed what he was doing on the show. He always knew his was a supportive role and never lost that perspective. He truly was a man's man, and I thought that before ever knowing he was a former Marine. Being an honorary Marine myself, I say to Ed even now, "Semper Fidelis!"
I never had the honor of meeting Farrah, but I always admired her for her activism in organizations that benefit victims of domestic violence. After creating a name for herself in the big-hit '70s television show "Charlie's Angels," she didn't merely stick with roles that were based upon beauty. I know her award-winning performance in the "Burning Bed" as a battered and abused wife helped to open the eyes and liberate many homes from enabling domestic violence.
When the Jackson Five were young, I was a six-time undefeated world professional middle-weight karate champion. I was at an event in Los Angeles, and all five Jackson kids were following me around. I would catch them at a distance staring at me, but they were too shy to approach. So I thought I would go up to them and introduce myself, but just as I would try, someone else would come up to me and begin talking. Finally, the Jackson kids came up to me, and I'll never forget the few words they said: "We study kung fu." I met each one of them, and they all were very polite and nice boys. There's no doubt, however, that Michael had a special charisma – something that set him apart to be the superstar he was.
The deaths of Michael, Farrah and Ed are repeated reminders that we're not on this planet forever. But they are also reminders that we are called to use our time, talents, treasures to be a blessing to others. We all are called to use our greatest potential to serve the greater good. We were not just called to invest in commodities but people. It's the legacy you leave behind that really matters. That is why I started my non-profit foundation Kickstart.
As I quoted in the section about how to rediscover the American dream in my book Black Belt Patriotism," sociologist Dr. Anthony Campolo once did a study in which 50 people over the age of 95 were asked, "If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?" An array of responses came from these eldest of senior citizens. However, three answers constantly surfaced far more than others: 1) If I had it to do over again, I would reflect more, 2) If I had it to do over again, I would risk more, and 3) If I had it to do over again, I would do more things that would live on after I am dead.
Celebrity has its costs. Fame is ultimately fleeting. Fortunes come and go. But who you are and what you leave behind in the wake of your life is everything. So let us live by priorities and principles. Let us work so that whenever the final curtain falls, we won't have any regrets.
I love the way Mark Twain put it, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102439
Jackson is number one in chart
Michael Jackson is number one in the UK album chart and made six new entries in the singles top 40, following his death last Thursday.
Greatest hits album Number Ones leapt from 121 and four other Jackson albums also made a reappearance in the top 20. It's six years since the singer last scored a number one, and in the past few days there's been a massive leap in sales of his songs. In total, 11 Michael Jackson or Jackson Five albums featured in the top 200.
Over in the singles chart Man in the Mirror re-entered the charts at number 11, nearly 20 years after its original release.
Billie Jean, another Jackson hit, shot to 25, Smooth Criminal to 28, Beat It reached 30 and Earth Song charted at number 38.
Although Michael Jackson was the big chart story this week, the number one selling single went to La Roux's new entry, Bulletproof.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8120000/newsid_8123400/8123410.stm
POSITIVE MENTIONINGS
Thank you, Michael Jackson. Music surpassed only by generosity.
Examiner.com -
Last week, on June 25, 2009, we lost a pop culture phenom, Michael Jackson. We've known Michael, especially those of us in our forties (you know who you ...
Michael Jackson: Green before it was cool Mother Nature Network
Today in
Michael Jackson History
1984 - Motown reported that it had shipped 2 million copies of the Jackson's "Victory" album. Michael Jackson History
2005 - Michael Jackson and his three children arrived in Bahrain for a vacation. It was Jackson's first trip overseas since being acquitted of child molestation charges. It was said that he was a guest of Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the king's son. Sheik Abdullah is believed to be a friend of Jermaine Jackson.
It just so heartbreaking:boohoo: