Wow... freaky... Michael Jackson died at age 50

[Bob]

Surprising.

https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/ap_on_en_mu/us_obit_michael_jackson

[Bob]

(Bob begins wondering if all the copyrighted material Jackson held onto might now become available.)

[go12_3]

I never was a fan of Michael Jackson anyhow. 

[Bob]

Maybe the earlier stuff, before he got weird. 

I'm more surprised about the age I think.  50 is a bit young.  Sounds unnatural.

[iroveashe]

Maybe the earlier stuff, before he got weird. 

I'm more surprised about the age I think.  50 is a bit young.  Sounds unnatural.

Was there anything about him that didn't sound unnatural?

[lostinidlewonder]

One of the greatest music stars of all time, will be sorely missed. Critical tongues on Jacksons music? It's just sickening sometimes. The guy did more for music than any of us will ever manage.

[retrouvailles]

One of the greatest music stars of all time, will be sorely missed. Critical tongues on Jacksons music? It's just sickening sometimes. The guy did more for music than any of us will ever manage.

Completely agreed. I don't think one should be critical of Michael Jackson just because of whatever things he did in his extramusical life. One should not let the personal life of a musician influence their judgment of said person's musical worth. We still like Wagner, don't we? He was a worse man than Michael Jackson was, and you all know it. I won't even go into details about worse people, like Carlo Gesualdo, the Renaissance composer. With all that in mind, I think Michael Jackson was one of the best and most influential musicians to live, and we have all suffered a great loss. To not acknowledge that would be foolish.

[tanman]

Completely agreed. I don't think one should be critical of Michael Jackson just because of whatever things he did in his extramusical life. One should not let the personal life of a musician influence their judgment of said person's musical worth. We still like Wagner, don't we? He was a worse man than Michael Jackson was, and you all know it. I won't even go into details about worse people, like Carlo Gesualdo, the Renaissance composer. With all that in mind, I think Michael Jackson was one of the best and most influential musicians to live, and we have all suffered a great loss. To not acknowledge that would be foolish.

+1

btw...
MJ has entered this competition under the pseudonym "Tsvetkov Daniil"
https://www.pianocompetitionsanmarino.com/focus_eng/default.asp?id=822#b2003

 

[mr music]

Wacko Jacko, he cool man!

[thalbergmad]

Wacko Jacko, he cool man!

He is now

[mr music]

He is now

A whiter shade of pale!

[thalbergmad]

Perhaps his corpse could be recycled into carrier bags, so he could remain white. plastic and dangerous for children to play with.

Thal

[Petter]

R.I.P poor guy.

[thalbergmad]

Indeed, i hope he is now at peace which is something he probably never enjoyed when he was alive.

Thal

[tds]

indeed R.I.P. michael

[zheer]

I'm ready to kill anyone who says a bad thing about Michael Jackson, I mean it.

[minor9th]

I'm ready to kill anyone who says a bad thing about Michael Jackson, I mean it.

I know what you mean. He was one of the greatest plasticized child molesters the world has ever known.

[tds]

I'm ready to kill anyone who says a bad thing about Michael Jackson, I mean it.

*tds equips zheer with lethal weapons*  

but michael indeed seemed like the nicest person. alas he was rarely happy..
he had my greatest sympathy  

[Petter]

Indeed, i hope he is now at peace which is something he probably never enjoyed when he was alive.

Thal

He was like Citizen Kane, abusive father and deprived childhood and just wanted everyone to love him, used his money to try and accomplish it and thus ended up the lonliest person in the world.  

[Bob]

They say "mysterious death" and that he may have been taking prescription drugs.  If he's that messed up.... maybe he just over-medicated himself and ended it.

Whatever they find out, I doubt it will be any more odd then the rest of his life.  If they come back and say it was natural causes, that I would find unusual at this point.

[zheer]

I know what you mean. He was one of the greatest plasticized child molesters the world has ever known.

  He wasn't a child molester, they wanted his money, today is a truly sad day, what a loss.

[go12_3]

They say "mysterious death" and that he may have been taking prescription drugs.  If he's that messed up.... maybe he just over-medicated himself and ended it.

Whatever they find out, I doubt it will be any more odd then the rest of his life.  If they come back and say it was natural causes, that I would find unusual at this point.

The autopsy will be done to determine the *cause* of death....

[Bob]

(Bob puts some money down on a death involving drugs or medication, the exact nature of death becoming forever unknown and one of the great celebrity mysteries.)

[pianogirl88]

Was there anything about him that didn't sound unnatural?

I agree. He was weird. 

[retrouvailles]

You guys really didn't read my post. What makes Michael Jackson different from many other musicians? There were many more musicians who were weirder or who were huge criminals. Yet we don't remember them for that. We remember them for the good they did as musicians, which far outweighs any bad things they did. Michael Jackson was not weird, musically. He was just revolutionary, and he influenced many generations. I'm sure people thought composers like Beethoven were weird at the time. But now, we just take him for granted, and he is the standard today. That is how Michael Jackson will go down in history books.

[birba]

I think we've overstepped the bounds, here.  I do not think that the music of Michael Jackson will be remembered in 200 years like Beethoven's is today.  The beatles', perhaps.  Michael Jackson, no.  He was a great showman, like Madonna.  Transgressive and perhaps innovative to a CERTAIN extent, but that's it.

[thalbergmad]

And now the media circus begins.

[Bob]

Only 4-6 weeks now.  

And now the media circus begins.

...And 4-6 weeks of that.  You would think they could process something a little faster nowadays.  At least to get it out of the media.  

Hang on... My cell phone is ringing...  Make a hole, make a hole...


And the conspiracy theorists.  It will be like Elvis.  There will be Michael Jackson sightings.

[retrouvailles]

You guys are lucky not to live in LA. Here's it's madness everywhere about his death. Only New York can perhaps compare in terms of the amount of madness and frenzy.

[minor9th]

And now the media circus begins.

ET is certainly doing their part (Jackson aboard a helicopter):

[mr music]

I'm ready to kill anyone who says a bad thing about Michael Jackson, I mean it.

I agree. The poor man is dead, why don’t we all just let him lie in peace.

Mr Music.

[mr music]

Only 4-6 weeks now.  

...And 4-6 weeks of that.  You would think they could process something a little faster nowadays.  At least to get it out of the media.  

Hang on... My cell phone is ringing...  Make a hole, make a hole...


And the conspiracy theorists.  It will be like Elvis.  There will be Michael Jackson sightings.

Elvis is still out there doing good deeds.

[Bob]

I thought him once at a recital once.  It could have been him... going to a bassoon recital.  It's possible.

Farrah Fawcet, Ed McMahon, and Michael Jackson.  That makes three.  Kind of creepy.

[mr music]

I thought him once at a recital once.  It could have been him... going to a bassoon recital.  It's possible.

Farrah Fawcet, Ed McMahon, and Michael Jackson.  That makes three.  Kind of creepy.

What about Ed Sullivan?

Mr Music.

[Bob]

I'm not following.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sullivan
"Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974)...."

You mean Elvis on a variety show? 

[mr music]

I'm not following.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sullivan
"Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974)...."

You mean Elvis on a variety show? 

Nope, Ed Sullivan, he looked dead when he was alive.

Mr Music.

[Bob]

I thought him once at a recital once.  It could have been him... going to a bassoon recital.  It's possible.

Farrah Fawcet, Ed McMahon, and Michael Jackson.  That makes three.  Kind of creepy.

And now add that infomercial guy to the list.

[birba]

How come we never read about his "genius", innovative talent, absolute selflessness, blah blah blah, when he was alive?  There's something about death that transforms normal human beings into myths and icons.

[gep]

So what can we expect the coming time?

1) Any number of well- or (especially) less-well-known celebs yapping about how "sad" if not "cruched" they are, with real tears streaming for any camera willing to pay.
2) The whole world going half insane whenever he gets buried, and all 7,000,000 within a mile of Neverland going totally insane during the spectacle, including ritual suicides.
3) An explosion of chats/forums about a) how/why/by whom he mas murdered or b) eye witness reports of people that saw him get whisked away in a flying saucer (piloted by Elvis, no doubt!)
4) Any number of books by Jackson's cook/nanny/gardner/poolboy/neigbour/denstist/47 plastic surgeons/somebody who thought he once saw him about "The Michael Jackson As Only I Knew Him", featuring "shocking revelations", "untold facts" and whatnot
5) 30 years of fights about who gets the a) money, b) kids, c) blame
6) Skyrocketing prices of Jackson memorabillia (or should I say relics?) on Ebay and suchlike, with added influx of such memorabillia (real or fake), asking (and getting) $100,000 for a used hanky
7) CD companies pressing CD's 30 hours a day to keep up with demand.
8 ) Press vultures following his kids wherever they go (happily the papers have already published private photos of them, so as to make sure they cannot hide anymore or anywhere) for "human interest" stories, with millions being angry about that and whatching every clip/photo.
9) "Michael Jackson, the Movie" (parts I- XXVII?)
10) Kim Jong-Il trowing a nuclear bomb on Tokio in a desperate measure to stay in the news, but failing to do so.

 

That with Lance Armstrong back in the Tour de France will make sure for an interesting summer!

Happily I've got some very thick books still to read, if not a zillion new CD's to hear.....

Gep

[ahinton]

So what can we expect the coming time?

1) Any number of well- or (especially) less-well-known celebs yapping about how "sad" if not "cruched" they are, with real tears streaming for any camera willing to pay.
2) The whole world going half insane whenever he gets buried, and all 7,000,000 within a mile of Neverland going totally insane during the spectacle, including ritual suicides.
3) An explosion of chats/forums about a) how/why/by whom he mas murdered or b) eye witness reports of people that saw him get whisked away in a flying saucer (piloted by Elvis, no doubt!)
4) Any number of books by Jackson's cook/nanny/gardner/poolboy/neigbour/denstist/47 plastic surgeons/somebody who thought he once saw him about "The Michael Jackson As Only I Knew Him", featuring "shocking revelations", "untold facts" and whatnot
5) 30 years of fights about who gets the a) money, b) kids, c) blame
6) Skyrocketing prices of Jackson memorabillia (or should I say relics?) on Ebay and suchlike, with added influx of such memorabillia (real or fake), asking (and getting) $100,000 for a used hanky
7) CD companies pressing CD's 30 hours a day to keep up with demand.
8 ) Press vultures following his kids wherever they go (happily the papers have already published private photos of them, so as to make sure they cannot hide anymore or anywhere) for "human interest" stories, with millions being angry about that and whatching every clip/photo.
9) "Michael Jackson, the Movie" (parts I- XXVII?)
10) Kim Jong-Il trowing a nuclear bomb on Tokio in a desperate measure to stay in the news, but failing to do so.

 

That with Lance Armstrong back in the Tour de France will make sure for an interesting summer!

Happily I've got some very thick books still to read, if not a zillion new CD's to hear.....

Indeed so. To Retrouvailles' question about what made Jackson so different to other "great musicians" I would simply have to say that the most notable answers are surely (a) working very industriously for years to develop techniques, disciplines and imagination as Bach, Beethoven and Sibelius did and as Carter is still doing as he approaches his 101st birthday and (b) being prepared thereafter to present artistic works to both challenge and appeal to listeners irrespective of how many such listeners there might be; had technological developments allowed for the possibility of global superstardom being foisted by teams of PR people upon J S Bach, for example, does anyone seriously imagine that he'd have been fêted as Jackson has been?

I am not suggesting that Jackson was talentless but, as has already been observed here, he was in his heyday a showman first and foremost and his talents were accordingly other than specifcally musical; had the dubious rewards of the pop-idol showman in the form of widescale international fame and a three-quarter-billion record sale not been forthcoming, we might never have heard of him simply because he may have found something else to do instead.

As to you, "gep", just feel fortunate that Neverland isn't located in the Netherlands!...

Best,

Alistair

[zheer]

  There's something about death that transforms normal human beings into myths and icons.

  So true, death for some artists can be the best career move. MJ has a massive debt, this debt will most likely be paid off now due to the high demands in his music due to his death. His London concerts would have not achieved this.

[furtwaengler]

SNL's Nightline is reporting, "Jacko is on his Backo."

Sad stuff. MJ led a miserable life, and it may have been that he was a performer since age 5 and never grew up. He never mastered himself, and that may have cost him his soul. And the surgeries...perverse...and the child molestation...? What a legacy...

RIP

[thalbergmad]

That with Lance Armstrong back in the Tour de France will make sure for an interesting summer!

Yeh, i am looking forward to see how he will perform.

The Tour has been kind of boring without him.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

Happily I've got some very thick books still to read

How appropriate

[Bob]

Happily I've got some very thick books still to read, if not a zillion new CD's to hear.....

Gep

Are they leather-bound?  Leather-bound books are more important than other ones.

[gep]

How appropriate

Your point?

[gep]

Are they leather-bound?  Leather-bound books are more important than other ones.

Errrrr, why?
Personally, I care about what's between those covers!

[gep]

Yeh, i am looking forward to see how he will perform.

The Tour has been kind of boring without him.

Thal

Shouldn't it be better renamed in the Dope de France?

[gep]

As to you, "gep", just feel fortunate that Neverland isn't located in the Netherlands!...

* contemplates the idea *
*shudders....*
Very fortunate indeed!

I am not suggesting that Jackson was talentless but, as has already been observed here, he was in his heyday a showman first and foremost and his talents were accordingly other than specifcally musical; had the dubious rewards of the pop-idol showman in the form of widescale international fame and a three-quarter-billion record sale not been forthcoming, we might never have heard of him simply because he may have found something else to do instead.

Indeed. It would seem that the main talent needed in this branch of "art" is the capacity to sell oneself or have oneself sold. Any musical talent seems not the be a necessity.
Happily, people like the mentioned Bach, Beethoven, Sibelius, Carter or all others of their kind have never felt the need to prostitute their talents. But even in the "classical" section this is starting to happen sometimes, just look at some of the new "Four Seasons" CD's, where the main attribute of the latest lady violinist (it seems to be that it are usually ladies...) is her capacity to undulate attractively over the cover photo...

[ahinton]

even in the "classical" section this is starting to happen sometimes, just look at some of the new "Four Seasons" CD's, where the main attribute of the latest lady violinist (it seems to be that it are usually ladies...) is her capacity to undulate attractively over the cover photo...

It's been happening for some time, actually - and it is even more of a shame than otherwise it might be, in view of the wealth of genuinely gifted female violinists around today. Nicola Benedetti may have her face and sometimes more plastered over CDs to help sell them, yet this is a violinist who chose to launch herself at the age of 14 with the first concerto fo Szymanowski. Then there's Hilary Hahn, who has achieved what I long thought impossible by playing the intractable Schönberg concerto as though it were a great piece of music (which now, thanks to that performance, I realise it is). Last but certainly not least is the remarkable 23 year old Russian Alina Ibragimova who, while currently playing a good deal of Bach here, there and everywhere, has recorded the Hartmann Concerto funebre and the two Roslavets concertos (the former in only its second recording to date and the latter in its première recording) and recently released a CD of the complete music for violin and piano by Szymanowski. None of this is the kind of repertoire guaranteed to endear these performers to zillions of the kinds of people that pride themselves on being classical buffs because they know the said Four Seasons but, however personable some of the marketing folk may see these violin-toting ladies, they're playing it anyway.

Anyway, to return to the Kong of Pip; this morning I received from a British composer friend a copy of an invitation he had received from PRS for Music that ran as follows:


Dear Member,

As you will be aware the self-styled 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson died on Thursday 25th June.

Jackson was an iconic figure in the music industry and his death represents a massive loss to us all.

He will be remembered as a brilliant performer with a string of memorable hits which will be his legacy forever.

Today, PRS for Music is opening an online Condolence Book to allow all our members to pay their own tribute to Michael Jackson.

Tributes can be sent via www.prsformusic.com/michaeljackson

Steve Porter


His reply was:


Dear Steve Porter,

Michael Jackson may have been an iconic figure in the music industry but I don't think what he did is good enough to last. The word 'industry' is accurate: his songs are a industrial project, glossy and ephemeral.

I should be happy to sign a Condolence Book for Nicholas Maw, a major British composer who died last month and whose music will be remembered for far longer.

Yours,


You'd think that anyone called "Porter" would have at least some idea of what constituted good and lasting songwriting, would you not?!

Iconic? "I con, therefore I am", perhaps...

Curiously, the present poster - who is also among that organisation's membership - has yet to receive this invitation; as you may notice, he is not exactly complaining...

Best,

Alistair