Michael Jackson's family plans to take the pop star's body to his Neverland ranch on Thursday ahead of a public viewing, reports said Tuesday.
CNN and the celebrity news website TMZ.com, quoting unnamed sources, said the Jackson family planned to take the body on Thursday to Neverland, the King of Pop's sprawing fantasy ranch in southern California.
The family plans to hold a wake either on Friday or Saturday ahead of a burial at an undetermined time and place, the reports said.
Jackson collapsed and died on Thursday as he prepared for a 50 concerts in London. His family has been keeping his body in an undisclosed location as the cause of his death is determined.
Source : TOI
Showing posts with label jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jackson. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
I Lied for my father, i’m sorry Michael : Jordan Chandler
I want to say that this information it’s for sure (I mess up with the names because i was crying), I don’t really care if you believe it or not, I made a promise to an old friend to tell the truth when Michael will die and that’s what I’m doing. I’m not searching for attention i have enough of it. This is for you Mikey i will always love you…After the sudden death of Michael Jackson Jordan Chandler tells the truth.
In 1993, Chandler told a psychiatrist and police that he and Jackson had engaged in sexual acts that included oral sex, the boy gave detailed description of Jackson’s genitals. The case was settled out of court for a reported $22 million, but the strain led Jackson to begin taking painkillers. Eventually he became addicted.
Under the influence of a controversial father (Evan Chandler) told his son to tell that Jackson had touched his penis.Evan Chandler then told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer’s genitals.
"Now for the first time i can’t bear to lie anymore. Michael Jackson didn’t do anything to me, all was my father lies to escape from being poor.”
MJ was reading Tagore in his last days
Michael Jackson, who considered India his "special love", was planning a collaboration with double Oscar-winning musician A R Rahman and reading Rabindra Nath Tagore's poetry during his last days.
The pop icon was writing a song about the need for environmental conversation during his last days and reading Tagore, reported Contactmusic online.
Jackson was also planning to collaborate with Rahman for a unity anthem that the 'Thriller' hitmaker planned to use in his planned O2 concert series, said the report.
"He was praising the chord progression of Jai Ho's chorus. He asked me to compose a unity anthem on the lines of 'We are the World' for him. I nodded in awe," Rahman wrote on his blog while paying tribute to the pop icon.
Jackson, who had come to India in 1996 for a concert in Mumbai had left a poignant message to his fans on his pillow cover.
"India, all my life I have longed to see your face. I met you and your people and fell in love with you. Now my heart is filled with sorrow and despair for I have to leave, but I promise I shall return to love you and caress you again.
"Your kindness has overwhelmed me, your spiritual awareness has moved me, and your children have truly touched my heart. They are the face of God. I truly love and adore you India. Forever, continue to love, heal and educate the children, the future shines on them. You are my special love, India. Forever, may God always bless you," wrote Jackson.
The pop icon was writing a song about the need for environmental conversation during his last days and reading Tagore, reported Contactmusic online.
Jackson was also planning to collaborate with Rahman for a unity anthem that the 'Thriller' hitmaker planned to use in his planned O2 concert series, said the report.
"He was praising the chord progression of Jai Ho's chorus. He asked me to compose a unity anthem on the lines of 'We are the World' for him. I nodded in awe," Rahman wrote on his blog while paying tribute to the pop icon.
Jackson, who had come to India in 1996 for a concert in Mumbai had left a poignant message to his fans on his pillow cover.
"India, all my life I have longed to see your face. I met you and your people and fell in love with you. Now my heart is filled with sorrow and despair for I have to leave, but I promise I shall return to love you and caress you again.
"Your kindness has overwhelmed me, your spiritual awareness has moved me, and your children have truly touched my heart. They are the face of God. I truly love and adore you India. Forever, continue to love, heal and educate the children, the future shines on them. You are my special love, India. Forever, may God always bless you," wrote Jackson.
Jackson will divide estate among mother, children: Report
A 2002 will by Michael Jackson divides his estate between his mother, three children and one or more charities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
But his father, Joseph Jackson, apparently does not feature, said the story.
A lawyer for Jackson could submit the will, which was believed to be his last, to Los Angeles Superior Court as soon as Thursday, said the Journal.
It names lawyer John Branca and a music executive John Mclain, a friend of Jackson, as executors, according to the Journal.
Branca, who worked for Jackson from 1980 to 2006 and was rehired by Jackson a week before his death on Thursday, wrote the will in 2002, according to the newspaper account.
The singer's parents have not seen the will, their lawyer said in an emailed statement to the Journal.
The report said Joseph Jackson, with whom the singer reportedly had a troubled relationship, was not believed to be included in the will.
It was not known what custody provisions the 2002 will sets out for Jackson's three children. A Los Angeles court on Tuesday gave the singer's mother temporary custody of the children until a hearing in July.
The size and complexity of Jackson's assets and debts is expected to pose a challenge in unwinding his estate, the Journal said, estimating his debt at 500 million dollars.
His assets, which include a 50 percent stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, could exceed his debts by as much as 200 million dollars, it said.
Source:TOI
But his father, Joseph Jackson, apparently does not feature, said the story.
A lawyer for Jackson could submit the will, which was believed to be his last, to Los Angeles Superior Court as soon as Thursday, said the Journal.
It names lawyer John Branca and a music executive John Mclain, a friend of Jackson, as executors, according to the Journal.
Branca, who worked for Jackson from 1980 to 2006 and was rehired by Jackson a week before his death on Thursday, wrote the will in 2002, according to the newspaper account.
The singer's parents have not seen the will, their lawyer said in an emailed statement to the Journal.
The report said Joseph Jackson, with whom the singer reportedly had a troubled relationship, was not believed to be included in the will.
It was not known what custody provisions the 2002 will sets out for Jackson's three children. A Los Angeles court on Tuesday gave the singer's mother temporary custody of the children until a hearing in July.
The size and complexity of Jackson's assets and debts is expected to pose a challenge in unwinding his estate, the Journal said, estimating his debt at 500 million dollars.
His assets, which include a 50 percent stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, could exceed his debts by as much as 200 million dollars, it said.
Source:TOI
Jackson's final rehearsal photos show him in great form
The photographs of Jackson's last rehearsal, taken just 48 hours before his death, show the pop star in great spirit.
The pictures, thought to be the last photographs of the 50-year-old Star, show Jackson rehearsing for his comeback tour at London's O2 Arena.
The 'This Is It' lighting display is behind him as he pulls off an impressive high-energy routine in Los Angeles, the Sun online reported.
In this handout photo provided by AEG, Michael Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 23, 2009, just days before his death
Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in LA on June 23, 2009
In this handout photo provided by AEG, Michael Jackson rehearses in Los Angeles on June 23, ahead of his comeback tour
A source who was present during Jackson's final rehearsal in Los Angeles said, "Michael was in better form than for years. He was preparing for what would have been an absolutely incredible show.
He was laughing and joking with his dancers. He seemed to have so much energy, it's hard to believe that 48 hours later he was dead."
Photographer Kevin Mazur, who took the photographs, said, "When he hit the stage I was thrilled that the magical Michael Jackson was back."
The 50-date concert shows, starting from July 13, were supposed to be Jackson's return to stage after a decade. The pop star had labelled them his "final curtain call".
The pictures, thought to be the last photographs of the 50-year-old Star, show Jackson rehearsing for his comeback tour at London's O2 Arena.
The 'This Is It' lighting display is behind him as he pulls off an impressive high-energy routine in Los Angeles, the Sun online reported.
In this handout photo provided by AEG, Michael Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 23, 2009, just days before his death
Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in LA on June 23, 2009
In this handout photo provided by AEG, Michael Jackson rehearses in Los Angeles on June 23, ahead of his comeback tourA source who was present during Jackson's final rehearsal in Los Angeles said, "Michael was in better form than for years. He was preparing for what would have been an absolutely incredible show.
He was laughing and joking with his dancers. He seemed to have so much energy, it's hard to believe that 48 hours later he was dead."
Photographer Kevin Mazur, who took the photographs, said, "When he hit the stage I was thrilled that the magical Michael Jackson was back."
The 50-date concert shows, starting from July 13, were supposed to be Jackson's return to stage after a decade. The pop star had labelled them his "final curtain call".
Monday, 29 June 2009
Doctor denies giving Jackson painkiller injection: Report
A lawyer for Michael Jackson's doctor said reports that the physician injected the star with a powerful painkiller before his death were "absolutely false," the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday.
"There was no Demerol. No OxyContin," Edward Chernoff, an attorney for doctor Conrad Murray, was quoted as saying by the Times.
Chernoff could not be immediately contacted for comment. Murray's role in Jackson's death has been the subject of scrutiny from members of the pop star's family.
It had been widely reported that the physician administered an injection of Demerol to Jackson roughly one hour before the 50-year-old star collapsed at his home last on Thursday.
On Saturday, family advisor Reverend Jesse Jackson told the media the family were demanding a full account of Murray's actions.
Murray underwent three hours of questioning by detectives on Saturday. The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday police did not believe he was guilty of wrongdoing, saying there was "no smoking gun."
Chernoff told the Times that Murray had discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his home. Chernoff said Jackson "wasn't breathing. He checked for a pulse. There was a weak pulse in his femoral artery. He started administering CPR."
The doctor had not "furnished or prescribed" Jackson with Demerol, Chernoff said, revealing that it was Murray who had recommended an autopsy to the singer's family.
"He was the one who suggested the autopsy to the family while they were still in the hospital. He didn't understand why Michael Jackson had died," Chernoff was quoted as saying.
Source: TOI
"There was no Demerol. No OxyContin," Edward Chernoff, an attorney for doctor Conrad Murray, was quoted as saying by the Times.
Chernoff could not be immediately contacted for comment. Murray's role in Jackson's death has been the subject of scrutiny from members of the pop star's family.
It had been widely reported that the physician administered an injection of Demerol to Jackson roughly one hour before the 50-year-old star collapsed at his home last on Thursday.
On Saturday, family advisor Reverend Jesse Jackson told the media the family were demanding a full account of Murray's actions.
Murray underwent three hours of questioning by detectives on Saturday. The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday police did not believe he was guilty of wrongdoing, saying there was "no smoking gun."
Chernoff told the Times that Murray had discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his home. Chernoff said Jackson "wasn't breathing. He checked for a pulse. There was a weak pulse in his femoral artery. He started administering CPR."
The doctor had not "furnished or prescribed" Jackson with Demerol, Chernoff said, revealing that it was Murray who had recommended an autopsy to the singer's family.
"He was the one who suggested the autopsy to the family while they were still in the hospital. He didn't understand why Michael Jackson had died," Chernoff was quoted as saying.
Source: TOI
I had to pump MJ's stomach to wash out drugs: Ex-nanny
The former nanny of Michael Jackson's three children said she regularly had to pump his stomach to remove cocktails of painkillers, British newspapers reported on Sunday.
Grace Rwaramba, who was abruptly sacked by Jackson in December, also spoke of her fears for the future of the children following his death and has flown to Los Angeles from Europe hoping to be reunited with them.
The Jackson family are angry at the unanswered questions surrounding the star's final hours, amid reports that the singer's doctor Conrad Murray injected him with the painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson, leaves the Jackson family compound in Encino, California.
Rwaramba, 42, said in comments reported by The Sunday Times that the star was addicted to narcotic painkillers. "I had to pump his stomach many times. He always mixed so much of it."
"There was one period that it was so bad that I didn't let the children see him... He always ate too little and mixed too much."
She said she once appealed to Jackson's mother, Katherine, and sister, Janet, to intervene and persuade him to seek treatment for his addiction, but Michael turned on her and accused her of betrayal.
"He didn't want to listen; that was one of the times he let me go," she said.
Rwandan-born Rwaramba worked for Jackson for more than a decade, first as an office assistant before becoming nanny to his children, 12-year-old Michael Jr., known as Prince, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7, nicknamed Blanket.
She was finally dismissed in December last year, but claims she returned several times to see the children, making her most recent trip in April.
Tabloid newspaper News of the World - which is owned by the same company as The Sunday Times - said she had screamed with shock when she heard of the star's death, while she was at the Swiss home of TV interviewer Daphne Barak.
Rwaramba told Barak in an interview quoted by the tabloid that her first thought was for the children. "I'm really distraught for them. Michael hadn't been eating and the kids have been so scared for him."
"Now the youngest has been saying,'Why Daddy? God should have taken me not him."
"I took these babies in my arms on the first day of each of their lives. They are my babies."
She claimed the children had an uneasy relationship with their father, recalling a recent incident when Blanket performed a mini-concert for her of his father's songs. "I was laughing so hard. Prince and Paris were playing around," she said. "It was such a happy moment. Then suddenly Michael walked in and the kids just looked frightened. Michael was so angry."
The fate of Jackson's children is unclear with reports raising the possibility of a custody battle involving Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of his two eldest offspring.
Source: TOI
Grace Rwaramba, who was abruptly sacked by Jackson in December, also spoke of her fears for the future of the children following his death and has flown to Los Angeles from Europe hoping to be reunited with them.
The Jackson family are angry at the unanswered questions surrounding the star's final hours, amid reports that the singer's doctor Conrad Murray injected him with the painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson, leaves the Jackson family compound in Encino, California.Rwaramba, 42, said in comments reported by The Sunday Times that the star was addicted to narcotic painkillers. "I had to pump his stomach many times. He always mixed so much of it."
"There was one period that it was so bad that I didn't let the children see him... He always ate too little and mixed too much."
She said she once appealed to Jackson's mother, Katherine, and sister, Janet, to intervene and persuade him to seek treatment for his addiction, but Michael turned on her and accused her of betrayal.
"He didn't want to listen; that was one of the times he let me go," she said.
Rwandan-born Rwaramba worked for Jackson for more than a decade, first as an office assistant before becoming nanny to his children, 12-year-old Michael Jr., known as Prince, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7, nicknamed Blanket.
She was finally dismissed in December last year, but claims she returned several times to see the children, making her most recent trip in April.
Tabloid newspaper News of the World - which is owned by the same company as The Sunday Times - said she had screamed with shock when she heard of the star's death, while she was at the Swiss home of TV interviewer Daphne Barak.
Rwaramba told Barak in an interview quoted by the tabloid that her first thought was for the children. "I'm really distraught for them. Michael hadn't been eating and the kids have been so scared for him."
"Now the youngest has been saying,'Why Daddy? God should have taken me not him."
"I took these babies in my arms on the first day of each of their lives. They are my babies."
She claimed the children had an uneasy relationship with their father, recalling a recent incident when Blanket performed a mini-concert for her of his father's songs. "I was laughing so hard. Prince and Paris were playing around," she said. "It was such a happy moment. Then suddenly Michael walked in and the kids just looked frightened. Michael was so angry."
The fate of Jackson's children is unclear with reports raising the possibility of a custody battle involving Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of his two eldest offspring.
Source: TOI
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Doctor tells police about Jackson's final moments
The cardiologist who was with Michael Jackson during the pop star's final moments sat down with investigators for the first time to explain his actions -- and left three hours later as a witness, not a suspect.
Dr Conrad Murray "helped identify the circumstances around the death of the pop icon and clarified some inconsistencies," Murray's spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik said in a statement on Saturday. "Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy."
Murray, a physician with a tangled financial and personal history who was hired to accompany Jackson on his planned summer concert tour, reportedly performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The pop star was declared dead later at UCLA Medical Centre.
Police confirmed that they interviewed Murray, adding that he was cooperative and "provided information which will aid the investigation."
The interview took place on a busy day when one of Jackson's lawyers was chosen to represent the family's legal interests and celebrities descended on Los Angeles for a star-studded public celebration of the King of Pop's life.
L Londell McMillan, who represented Jackson last year in a breach of contact lawsuit and has advised high-profile clients such as Prince, was picked to help the family by Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, said a person who requested anonymity because the matter is private.
The legal move came as the Rev Jesse Jackson revealed that Michael Jackson's family wants a second, private autopsy of the pop superstar because of unanswered questions about how he died.
"It's abnormal," Jesse Jackson said from Chicago a day after visiting the Jackson family. "We don't know what happened. Was he injected and with what? All reasonable doubt should be addressed."
People close to Jackson have said since his death that they were concerned about his use of painkillers. Los Angeles County medical examiners completed their autopsy on Friday and said Jackson had taken prescription medication.
Medical officials also said there was no indication of trauma or foul play. An official cause of death could take weeks.
There was no word from the Jackson family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.
It remains unclear who Jackson designated as potential guardians for his children. Those details -- likely contained in the 50-year-old singer's will -- have not been released.
An attorney for Deborah Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, issued a statement on Saturday asking that the Jackson family "be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace."
Sisters Janet and La Toya arrived on Saturday at the mansion Jackson had been renting and left without addressing reporters. Moving vans also showed up at the Jackson home, leaving about an hour later. There was no indication what they might have taken away.
The Jackson family issued a statement on Saturday expressing its grief over the death and thanking his supporters.
"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," said the statement made through People magazine. "We miss Michael endlessly."
There was no immediate word on whether the second autopsy was being performed right away. Jesse Jackson described the family as grief-stricken.
"They're hurt because they lost a son. But the wound is now being kept open by the mystery and unanswered questions of the cause of death," he said.
Organizers of the annual BET awards show -- which recognizes the best in music, acting and sports -- scrambled to revamp Sunday's show to honour Jackson and his legacy.
Previously announced acts, such as Beyonce and Ne-Yo, hoped to change their planned performances to honour Jackson, said producer Stephen Hill. Other artists, who hadn't planned to attend the ceremony, including Usher and Justin Timberlake, tried to catch last-minute flights to Los Angeles to participate.
Source: TOI
Dr Conrad Murray "helped identify the circumstances around the death of the pop icon and clarified some inconsistencies," Murray's spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik said in a statement on Saturday. "Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy."
Murray, a physician with a tangled financial and personal history who was hired to accompany Jackson on his planned summer concert tour, reportedly performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The pop star was declared dead later at UCLA Medical Centre.
Police confirmed that they interviewed Murray, adding that he was cooperative and "provided information which will aid the investigation."
The interview took place on a busy day when one of Jackson's lawyers was chosen to represent the family's legal interests and celebrities descended on Los Angeles for a star-studded public celebration of the King of Pop's life.
L Londell McMillan, who represented Jackson last year in a breach of contact lawsuit and has advised high-profile clients such as Prince, was picked to help the family by Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, said a person who requested anonymity because the matter is private.
The legal move came as the Rev Jesse Jackson revealed that Michael Jackson's family wants a second, private autopsy of the pop superstar because of unanswered questions about how he died.
"It's abnormal," Jesse Jackson said from Chicago a day after visiting the Jackson family. "We don't know what happened. Was he injected and with what? All reasonable doubt should be addressed."
People close to Jackson have said since his death that they were concerned about his use of painkillers. Los Angeles County medical examiners completed their autopsy on Friday and said Jackson had taken prescription medication.
Medical officials also said there was no indication of trauma or foul play. An official cause of death could take weeks.
There was no word from the Jackson family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.
It remains unclear who Jackson designated as potential guardians for his children. Those details -- likely contained in the 50-year-old singer's will -- have not been released.
An attorney for Deborah Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, issued a statement on Saturday asking that the Jackson family "be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace."
Sisters Janet and La Toya arrived on Saturday at the mansion Jackson had been renting and left without addressing reporters. Moving vans also showed up at the Jackson home, leaving about an hour later. There was no indication what they might have taken away.
The Jackson family issued a statement on Saturday expressing its grief over the death and thanking his supporters.
"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," said the statement made through People magazine. "We miss Michael endlessly."
There was no immediate word on whether the second autopsy was being performed right away. Jesse Jackson described the family as grief-stricken.
"They're hurt because they lost a son. But the wound is now being kept open by the mystery and unanswered questions of the cause of death," he said.
Organizers of the annual BET awards show -- which recognizes the best in music, acting and sports -- scrambled to revamp Sunday's show to honour Jackson and his legacy.
Previously announced acts, such as Beyonce and Ne-Yo, hoped to change their planned performances to honour Jackson, said producer Stephen Hill. Other artists, who hadn't planned to attend the ceremony, including Usher and Justin Timberlake, tried to catch last-minute flights to Los Angeles to participate.
Source: TOI
We are speechless and devastated: Jackson's family
Describing Michael Jackson's sudden death as "one of the darkest moments", the pop star's family has thanked his fans across the globe in their first reaction since the tragedy.
"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," read a statement conveyed by Jackson's father Joseph to People magazine.
Singer's family has already expressed their frustration over the questions surrounding Jackson's death and his last moments.
"We miss Michael endlessly, our pain cannot be described in words. But Michael would not want us to give up now. So we want to thank all of his faithful supporters and loyal fans worldwide, you, who Michael loved so much."
Fans have been visiting Jackson's fantasy-themed 'Neverland' ranch with messages, teddy bears, flowers, cards and candles to pay their tribute to the late star.
Source: TOI
"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," read a statement conveyed by Jackson's father Joseph to People magazine.
Singer's family has already expressed their frustration over the questions surrounding Jackson's death and his last moments.
"We miss Michael endlessly, our pain cannot be described in words. But Michael would not want us to give up now. So we want to thank all of his faithful supporters and loyal fans worldwide, you, who Michael loved so much."
Fans have been visiting Jackson's fantasy-themed 'Neverland' ranch with messages, teddy bears, flowers, cards and candles to pay their tribute to the late star.
Source: TOI
Second autopsy on Jackson performed: Reports
Dissatisfied with the inconclusive result of the first autopsy done on Michael Jackson, the pop star's family got a second independent examination by a private pathologist today.
The independent autopsy came a day after an initial examination by the LA County coroner's office which did not immediately determine a cause of death, the Los Angeles Times reported, quoting sources familiar with the case.
"We don't like what's going on," family patriarch Joe Jackson told People magazine.
The 50-year-old pop star suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday and the results for his official autopsy could take four to six weeks to be released.
The Jackson's family is reportedly upset with the delay and wanted a second opinion.
Veteran US politician and activist Jesse Jackson, who visited the performer's family on Friday, said that his relatives had a host of questions about the circumstances of Jackson's death.
Jackson's family is concerned with the role of his personal physician, Dr Conrad Murray, who was present with the performer when he breathed his last, the newspaper said, quoting Jackson.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did he inject him? If so, with what?" Jackson told in an interview to ABC television.
Source: TOI
The independent autopsy came a day after an initial examination by the LA County coroner's office which did not immediately determine a cause of death, the Los Angeles Times reported, quoting sources familiar with the case.
"We don't like what's going on," family patriarch Joe Jackson told People magazine.
The 50-year-old pop star suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday and the results for his official autopsy could take four to six weeks to be released.
The Jackson's family is reportedly upset with the delay and wanted a second opinion.
Veteran US politician and activist Jesse Jackson, who visited the performer's family on Friday, said that his relatives had a host of questions about the circumstances of Jackson's death.
Jackson's family is concerned with the role of his personal physician, Dr Conrad Murray, who was present with the performer when he breathed his last, the newspaper said, quoting Jackson.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did he inject him? If so, with what?" Jackson told in an interview to ABC television.
Source: TOI
Jackson's doctor cooperating with investigation
Pop star Michael Jackson's cardiologist, the last person to see him alive, has voluntarily contacted the police and has given information that will aid the investigation into pop star's death, the Los Angeles police department said.
"Dr Conrad Murray, the physician who was with Michael Jackson at the time of his collapse, voluntarily contacted the Los Angeles police department," a statement from the police said.
Murray, licensed in Texas, Nevada and California, reportedly administered CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) to Jackson on Thursday before the paramedics team arrived at his rented Holmby Hills home.
He had also accompanied the singer to Ronald Reagan UCLA medical centre, where Jackson was pronounced dead.
The detectives had earlier impounded Conrad's BMW car to investigate whether it contained evidence related to Jackson's death. However, they have not released any details about it.
The police had also met Murray briefly after Jackson's death Thursday and they conducted an "extensive interview" with the doctor yesterday.
"Detectives assigned to Robbery-Homicide Division met with Dr Murray and conducted an extensive interview. Dr Murray was cooperative and provided information which will aid the investigation," the CNN online reported quoting a statement from the police.
Murray's lawyer has also said that the doctor is not a suspect in the case and is willing to cooperate.
Source: TOI
"Dr Conrad Murray, the physician who was with Michael Jackson at the time of his collapse, voluntarily contacted the Los Angeles police department," a statement from the police said.
Murray, licensed in Texas, Nevada and California, reportedly administered CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) to Jackson on Thursday before the paramedics team arrived at his rented Holmby Hills home.
He had also accompanied the singer to Ronald Reagan UCLA medical centre, where Jackson was pronounced dead.
The detectives had earlier impounded Conrad's BMW car to investigate whether it contained evidence related to Jackson's death. However, they have not released any details about it.
The police had also met Murray briefly after Jackson's death Thursday and they conducted an "extensive interview" with the doctor yesterday.
"Detectives assigned to Robbery-Homicide Division met with Dr Murray and conducted an extensive interview. Dr Murray was cooperative and provided information which will aid the investigation," the CNN online reported quoting a statement from the police.
Murray's lawyer has also said that the doctor is not a suspect in the case and is willing to cooperate.
Source: TOI
Drugs killed Michael Jackson: Deepak Chopra
Drugs killed Michael Jackson, says longtime friend Deepak Chopra. And they were prescribed by one of the many celebrity doctors in Hollywood who are actually 'legalized pushers'. Chopra's allegations come even as the world continues to wonder about the sudden death of the King of Pop.
The immediate cause of death has been put down as cardiac arrest but the events leading up to it are yet to be determined. Jackson's family has alleged that pain-relieving drugs did the singer in. Chopra reiterates this claim.
The doctor and spiritual guru who has known Jackson since 1988, told TOI that he became suspicious in 2005 when Jackson came to stay. "During the course of his stay, Michael asked for a prescription for Oxycontin, a narcotic." He said he needed it for a backache. "Shocked that he was on that particular drug, I told him categorically that Oxycontin was a narcotic. It's an addictive drug and he didn't need it."
Healing: Deepak Chopra practises levitation with Jackson deep in contemplation.
In behaviour typical of an addict, Jackson wriggled out of the conversation and began to avoid Chopra. "Through the years I tried to tell him that he should get off certain medicines that were being recommended to him but in vain."
Source: TOI
The immediate cause of death has been put down as cardiac arrest but the events leading up to it are yet to be determined. Jackson's family has alleged that pain-relieving drugs did the singer in. Chopra reiterates this claim.
The doctor and spiritual guru who has known Jackson since 1988, told TOI that he became suspicious in 2005 when Jackson came to stay. "During the course of his stay, Michael asked for a prescription for Oxycontin, a narcotic." He said he needed it for a backache. "Shocked that he was on that particular drug, I told him categorically that Oxycontin was a narcotic. It's an addictive drug and he didn't need it."
Healing: Deepak Chopra practises levitation with Jackson deep in contemplation.In behaviour typical of an addict, Jackson wriggled out of the conversation and began to avoid Chopra. "Through the years I tried to tell him that he should get off certain medicines that were being recommended to him but in vain."
Source: TOI
MJ's medical history a blur, says biographer
Michael Jackson had a long and intricate history of health problems, say people who knew him but it has always been difficult to separate the rumours from his medical history.
‘‘It’s always been a subject of confusion,’’ said J Randy Taraborrelli, a Jackson biographer who knew him for 40 years. ‘‘His doctors have generally not betrayed him, so there is no way to be conclusive about this kind of information.’’
A celebrity website citing an interview with an unidentified ‘‘close member’’ of the Jackson family, reported the entertainer was injected with Demerol about half an hour before he went into cardiac arrest. A senior law enforcement official told a news channel that Jackson was ‘‘heavily addicted’’ to the painkiller Oxycontin and was injected daily with that medication, along with Demerol.
The young Taraborrelli who first met Jackson when the singer was 10 said he was private about most of his health matters and doctors would sometimes change their opinions of things that were ailing him. ‘‘Just when you think you have information, someone comes and recants the diagnosis,’’ said Taraborrelli, author of ‘Michael Jackson: The Magic and The Madness’, written in 1991 and updated in 2005. ‘‘It just got to a point where I stopped trying to verify.’’
Stacy Brown, co-author of the 2005 book, ‘Michael Jackson: the Man Behind the Mask’, said the singer’s family had been very concerned recently about his use of painkillers, especially Demerol that had been one of the concerns for a long time. He said Jackson was receiving one injection per day, always administered by a doctor.
In 1993, in a recorded statement, he said that charges of child molestation against him were contributing to his continued drug use.
‘‘I became increasingly more dependent to (sic) the painkillers to get me through the days of the tour,’’ he said. ‘‘My friends and doctors advised me to seek professional guidance immediately in order to eliminate what has become an addiction.’’
‘‘It’s always been a subject of confusion,’’ said J Randy Taraborrelli, a Jackson biographer who knew him for 40 years. ‘‘His doctors have generally not betrayed him, so there is no way to be conclusive about this kind of information.’’
A celebrity website citing an interview with an unidentified ‘‘close member’’ of the Jackson family, reported the entertainer was injected with Demerol about half an hour before he went into cardiac arrest. A senior law enforcement official told a news channel that Jackson was ‘‘heavily addicted’’ to the painkiller Oxycontin and was injected daily with that medication, along with Demerol.
The young Taraborrelli who first met Jackson when the singer was 10 said he was private about most of his health matters and doctors would sometimes change their opinions of things that were ailing him. ‘‘Just when you think you have information, someone comes and recants the diagnosis,’’ said Taraborrelli, author of ‘Michael Jackson: The Magic and The Madness’, written in 1991 and updated in 2005. ‘‘It just got to a point where I stopped trying to verify.’’
Stacy Brown, co-author of the 2005 book, ‘Michael Jackson: the Man Behind the Mask’, said the singer’s family had been very concerned recently about his use of painkillers, especially Demerol that had been one of the concerns for a long time. He said Jackson was receiving one injection per day, always administered by a doctor.
In 1993, in a recorded statement, he said that charges of child molestation against him were contributing to his continued drug use.
‘‘I became increasingly more dependent to (sic) the painkillers to get me through the days of the tour,’’ he said. ‘‘My friends and doctors advised me to seek professional guidance immediately in order to eliminate what has become an addiction.’’
Pop star's debts alone could run into $500 Million
As Hollywood reacted with sadness and shock to the death of Michael Jackson, Sony executives in New York were on the phone all night with advisers to Jackson trying to understand the financial morass the pop star is leaving behind.
“It’s all a mess,” said one executive involved in Jackson’s financial affairs who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of respect for the entertainer’s family. “No one really knows what is going on, but these are early days.”
Jackson’s business life, like his public life, was a perplexing mass of contradictions. Unlike many performers, he was a keen negotiator and shrewd investor — in 1985 he pulled off one of the great deals in music business history when he bought the publishing rights to the Beatles catalog for $47.5 million. Today it is part of a larger collection of songs worth more than $1 billion, and owned in partnership with Sony.
But his personal finances, at least in recent years, were perpetually in tatters, as he burned through millions of dollars to maintain his Neverland ranch, go on art-buying sprees and indulge in whimsies like traveling with a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles. And he burned through financial advisers almost as swiftly, with a revolving door of characters coming in and out of his life.
“Michael never thought his personal finances were out of control,” said Alvin Malnik, a former adviser to Jackson who is the godfather of Prince Michael II, the youngest of his three children. “He never kept track of what he was spending. He would indiscriminately charter jets. He would buy paintings for $1.5 million. You couldn’t do that every other week and expect your books to balance.”
The big question now is what happens to his assets. So far, that is unclear even to Jackson’s closest representatives, several of whom were hired only weeks ago, in Jackson’s latest round of managerial housecleaning. They say it could take years to sort through the financial and legal mess left after the singer’s death, not to mention millions of dollars worth of tickets sold for a series of 50 concerts Jackson had planned in London.
Malnik, for example, said that in 2004 he agreed to be the executor of Jackson’s estate. “I said yes, but I never inquired further, and I don’t know what’s happened since then,” he said. Malnik said there was still a chance that he was an executor, but had not heard anything since the death. Other advisers said that Jackson left behind at least two wills.
It is also unclear how much would be left for any heirs. It has been estimated that Mr. Jackson earned about $700 million as a performer and songwriter from the 1980s on, much of it spent. And his debts have been estimated at $400 million to $500 million.
Source: TOI
“It’s all a mess,” said one executive involved in Jackson’s financial affairs who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of respect for the entertainer’s family. “No one really knows what is going on, but these are early days.”
Jackson’s business life, like his public life, was a perplexing mass of contradictions. Unlike many performers, he was a keen negotiator and shrewd investor — in 1985 he pulled off one of the great deals in music business history when he bought the publishing rights to the Beatles catalog for $47.5 million. Today it is part of a larger collection of songs worth more than $1 billion, and owned in partnership with Sony.
But his personal finances, at least in recent years, were perpetually in tatters, as he burned through millions of dollars to maintain his Neverland ranch, go on art-buying sprees and indulge in whimsies like traveling with a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles. And he burned through financial advisers almost as swiftly, with a revolving door of characters coming in and out of his life.
“Michael never thought his personal finances were out of control,” said Alvin Malnik, a former adviser to Jackson who is the godfather of Prince Michael II, the youngest of his three children. “He never kept track of what he was spending. He would indiscriminately charter jets. He would buy paintings for $1.5 million. You couldn’t do that every other week and expect your books to balance.”
The big question now is what happens to his assets. So far, that is unclear even to Jackson’s closest representatives, several of whom were hired only weeks ago, in Jackson’s latest round of managerial housecleaning. They say it could take years to sort through the financial and legal mess left after the singer’s death, not to mention millions of dollars worth of tickets sold for a series of 50 concerts Jackson had planned in London.
Malnik, for example, said that in 2004 he agreed to be the executor of Jackson’s estate. “I said yes, but I never inquired further, and I don’t know what’s happened since then,” he said. Malnik said there was still a chance that he was an executor, but had not heard anything since the death. Other advisers said that Jackson left behind at least two wills.
It is also unclear how much would be left for any heirs. It has been estimated that Mr. Jackson earned about $700 million as a performer and songwriter from the 1980s on, much of it spent. And his debts have been estimated at $400 million to $500 million.
Source: TOI
Michael Jackson's doctor hires law firm
A Houston lawyer said his firm has been hired by the doctor who reportedly was with Michael Jackson when the pop star was fatally stricken in his Los Angeles home.
William M. Stradley, a partner in the firm of Stradley, Chernoff & Alford, said his firm has been hired by Dr. Conrad Murray.
Stradley said investigators have indicated Murray is considered a witness and is not a target in any way. Stradley said one of the partners, Edward Chernoff, is in Los Angeles meeting with Police Department investigators.
Stradley said he doesn't know if Murray is taking part in Saturday's meeting. Stradley said Murray accompanied Jackson to the hospital, but he doesn't know if it was Murray who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the singer or called the emergency dispatcher.
The attorney said Murray has cooperated with police from the beginning and never left Los Angeles.
Source: TOI
William M. Stradley, a partner in the firm of Stradley, Chernoff & Alford, said his firm has been hired by Dr. Conrad Murray.
Stradley said investigators have indicated Murray is considered a witness and is not a target in any way. Stradley said one of the partners, Edward Chernoff, is in Los Angeles meeting with Police Department investigators.
Stradley said he doesn't know if Murray is taking part in Saturday's meeting. Stradley said Murray accompanied Jackson to the hospital, but he doesn't know if it was Murray who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the singer or called the emergency dispatcher.
The attorney said Murray has cooperated with police from the beginning and never left Los Angeles.
Source: TOI
Jackson family wants second autopsy: Coroner
Michael Jackson's family said it would seek to carry out a second autopsy on the late star, Los Angeles County coroner's investigators said on Saturday. ( Watch )
Coroner's investigator Brian Elias said Jackson's family had told his office on Friday they wanted a second autopsy carried out. According to celebrity news website TMZ.com, the new autopsy was already underway at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles coroner's officials had said on Friday after an initial autopsy that Jackson's cause of death would not be finalized until the results of toxicology tests were known in several weeks time. Preliminary findings said there was no evidence of foul play or external physical injury to Jackson, officials said.
Reverend Jesse Jackson speaks with Joe Jackson, father of the late pop star Michael Jackson outside Joe Jackson's family home in Los Angeles, California.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office had said a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late on Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politician and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said on Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine.'
"He owes it to the family and to the public to say 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Meanwhile removal vans could be seen entering the driveway of the mansion in Los Angeles where Jackson collapsed, CNN reported Saturday.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
Revelers at Britain's Glastonbury music festival sported T-shirts with slogans like "Michael Jackson RIP" and "I was at Glasto when Jacko died", while graffiti paying tribute to "The King of Pop" adorned tents.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, fans queued again on Saturday in sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star.
In New York large crowds formed outside the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson launched his career in 1969.
Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music, and British chart officials said a compilation album was likely to go to the top of the charts on Sunday.
"We always find where a great icon dies that there's a massive uplift in their music sales as fans want to connect and express their grief through the records," said Gennaro Castaldo of retailer HMV.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Coroner's investigator Brian Elias said Jackson's family had told his office on Friday they wanted a second autopsy carried out. According to celebrity news website TMZ.com, the new autopsy was already underway at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles coroner's officials had said on Friday after an initial autopsy that Jackson's cause of death would not be finalized until the results of toxicology tests were known in several weeks time. Preliminary findings said there was no evidence of foul play or external physical injury to Jackson, officials said.
Reverend Jesse Jackson speaks with Joe Jackson, father of the late pop star Michael Jackson outside Joe Jackson's family home in Los Angeles, California.The Los Angeles Coroner's office had said a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late on Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politician and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said on Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine.'
"He owes it to the family and to the public to say 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Meanwhile removal vans could be seen entering the driveway of the mansion in Los Angeles where Jackson collapsed, CNN reported Saturday.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
Revelers at Britain's Glastonbury music festival sported T-shirts with slogans like "Michael Jackson RIP" and "I was at Glasto when Jacko died", while graffiti paying tribute to "The King of Pop" adorned tents.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, fans queued again on Saturday in sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star.
In New York large crowds formed outside the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson launched his career in 1969.
Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music, and British chart officials said a compilation album was likely to go to the top of the charts on Sunday.
"We always find where a great icon dies that there's a massive uplift in their music sales as fans want to connect and express their grief through the records," said Gennaro Castaldo of retailer HMV.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Jackson family anger mounts, may seek fresh autopsy
The family of Michael Jackson may seek an independent autopsy, it emerged on Saturday amid mounting anger and frustration over the final hours of the tragic pop icon's life.
Jackson's family members were huddled at their family compound in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Encino, where they have been based since the most famous member of their clan died suddenly on Thursday at age 50.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office said Friday a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politican and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine.'
"He owes it to the family and to the public to say 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Jackson's former producer Tarak Ben Ammar denounced the doctors around the late pop icon as "criminals."
"It's clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain," he said.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
A moment of silence was held at 2126 GMT, exactly 24 hours after the announcement of Jackson's death.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, thousands of fans queued for hours in boiling sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star set into the sidewalk.
Jackson's death led to a stampede on the Internet as fans scoured the web for latest updates on the story.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Jackson's family members were huddled at their family compound in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Encino, where they have been based since the most famous member of their clan died suddenly on Thursday at age 50.
The Los Angeles Coroner's office said Friday a preliminary autopsy on Jackson was inconclusive and a final cause of death would not be known until exhaustive toxicology tests are completed in "six to eight weeks."
Jackson's body was released to his family under cover of darkness late Friday, and was being kept at an undisclosed location, officials said.
Veteran US politican and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson -- who is not related to the family -- told ABC television's Good Morning America that he had spent Friday counseling the family at their estate.
And he revealed that family members were angry and frustrated by unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death, and were focusing their attention on the role of the singer's doctor, identified as Conrad Murray.
Murray is reported to have injected Jackson with the powerful painkiller Demerol shortly before his death.
Los Angeles police said Friday they intended to interview Murray for a second time after initially speaking to him on Thursday. However Jesse Jackson said the family had a flurry of questions of their own.
"When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what," Jackson said, claiming that Murray had gone missing in the hours immediately following the singer's death.
"His absence raises questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered," Jackson said.
"They (the family) are suspicious of this doctor and they have real reason to be because any other doctor would say 'Here's what happened in the last hour of his life and I was there. I gave him some medicine.'
"He owes it to the family and to the public to say 'These were the last hours of Michael's life and here's what happened.' That's a reasonable expectation."
Asked if the family would seek their own autopsy, Jesse Jackson replied: "I'm sure they ought to, they probably will."
Los Angeles coroners have said Friday's preliminary investigation showed no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body.
However friends and associates of Jackson took to the airwaves to voice anger over the role of advisers and physicians that surrounded the star.
New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him."
Jackson's former producer Tarak Ben Ammar denounced the doctors around the late pop icon as "criminals."
"It's clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain," he said.
The aftermath of Jackson's death has witnessed a worldwide outpouring of tributes and vigils, with stars, world leaders and devotees of the pop icon offering praise to the man who sold more than 750 million records.
Movie icon Elizabeth Taylor said Friday she was "heartbroken" over her close friend's death.
"My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so."
Fans staged gatherings across the globe, including 10,000 Danish fans who crammed into a square in Copenhagen for a three-hour tribute concert.
A moment of silence was held at 2126 GMT, exactly 24 hours after the announcement of Jackson's death.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, thousands of fans queued for hours in boiling sunshine for the right to file past Jackson's star set into the sidewalk.
Jackson's death led to a stampede on the Internet as fans scoured the web for latest updates on the story.
While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Source: TOI
Jackson was on a deadly cocktail of drugs: Report
The toxicology report in pop star Michael Jackson is still awaited but the sources close to the pop star's entourage have revealed the singer was on a deadly diet of powerful narcotic pain relievers. ( Watch )
The star was injected three-times a day with narcotic Demerol. He was also taking three 3mg tablets of another strong narcotic painkiller, Dilaudid and was recently prescribed Vicodin, an opiate drug derived from codeine, the Sun online reported.
The 50-year-old star died yesterday of a suspected cardiac arrest. However, the cause of his death will only be determined after the toxicology report, which is expected in four to six weeks.
The other medicines that the singer was reportedly taking are, Soma, a muscle relaxant in 2mg doses twice a day, Xanax, a sedative taken in 0.5mg doses twice a day, Zoloft, an anti-depressant was taken in 100mg doses.
Another anti-depressant Paxil was also taken by the star to treat anxiety and obsessive behaviour. Michael took it in 20mg pills and Prilosec, an over-the-counter pill for heartburn, the newspaper reported citing sources from Jackson's entourage.
The singer was recently prescribed anti-biotics to fight of infection following his skin cancer surgery.
Earlier reports had also suggested that Jackson had started eating one meal a day as he had a phobia about gaining weight before his 50-date comeback concerts in London from July 13.
He had told a physician that he had been taking painkillers regularly since 1985 and had used them to counter the effects of more than a dozen cosmetic surgery operation, the newspaper said.
Jackson's painkiller addiction began in 1984 after he suffered burns while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial, when the special effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp, and it is said that because of the intense pain he developed an addiction to painkillers.
The popstar's dosage increased over the years as he struggled to cope with the decline of his pop career, his mounting debt and his legal battles against child abuse allegations.
Source: TOI
The star was injected three-times a day with narcotic Demerol. He was also taking three 3mg tablets of another strong narcotic painkiller, Dilaudid and was recently prescribed Vicodin, an opiate drug derived from codeine, the Sun online reported.
The 50-year-old star died yesterday of a suspected cardiac arrest. However, the cause of his death will only be determined after the toxicology report, which is expected in four to six weeks.
The other medicines that the singer was reportedly taking are, Soma, a muscle relaxant in 2mg doses twice a day, Xanax, a sedative taken in 0.5mg doses twice a day, Zoloft, an anti-depressant was taken in 100mg doses.
Another anti-depressant Paxil was also taken by the star to treat anxiety and obsessive behaviour. Michael took it in 20mg pills and Prilosec, an over-the-counter pill for heartburn, the newspaper reported citing sources from Jackson's entourage.
The singer was recently prescribed anti-biotics to fight of infection following his skin cancer surgery.
Earlier reports had also suggested that Jackson had started eating one meal a day as he had a phobia about gaining weight before his 50-date comeback concerts in London from July 13.
He had told a physician that he had been taking painkillers regularly since 1985 and had used them to counter the effects of more than a dozen cosmetic surgery operation, the newspaper said.
Jackson's painkiller addiction began in 1984 after he suffered burns while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial, when the special effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp, and it is said that because of the intense pain he developed an addiction to painkillers.
The popstar's dosage increased over the years as he struggled to cope with the decline of his pop career, his mounting debt and his legal battles against child abuse allegations.
Source: TOI
Michael Jackson insisted promoter hire his cardiologist
Just before he died, Michael Jackson insisted that his concert promoter's payroll include his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who was with the entertainer when he collapsed.Dr. Conrad Murray was hired by AEG Live to accompany the pop star to London for his comeback series of concerts, said AEG Live president and chief executive Randy Phillips.
"As a company, we would have preferred not having a physician on staff full-time because it would have been cheaper without the hotels and travel, but Michael was insistent that he be hired,'' Phillips said. "Michael said he had a rapport with him."
Jackson, who collapsed on Thursday at his rented home in Los Angeles, appeared to have suffered a heart attack, a person with knowledge of the situation said. The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said Jackson had a heart attack, which is a blocking of the arteries that deprives the heart of adequate blood.
Jackson's brother Jermaine said on Thursday that it was believed the pop singer went into cardiac arrest, an interruption of the normal heartbeat that can be caused by factors other than heart attack.
The Los Angeles County coroner's office, which completed its autopsy on Friday, said there were no signs of foul play or trauma, but determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.
Coroner's officials released Jackson's body to his family late Friday night. No funeral plans have been announced.
A heart attack could help explain why Jackson was in the care of a cardiologist while he went through vigorous training for an upcoming series of concerts in London: Heart attacks can indicate a long-term problem, such as heart disease. It would not necessarily rule out another factor, such as drug use, however.
Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Jackson was taking some prescription medications, but did not specify what they were.
"We do not consider him to be uncooperative at this time," said police deputy chief Charlie Beck, noting that detectives spoke with the doctor after Jackson's death. "We think that he will assist us in coming to the truth of the facts in this case."
Records reveal years of financial troubles for Murray, who practices medicine in California, Nevada and Texas. His Nevada medical practice, Global Cardiovascular Associates, was slapped with more than $400,000 in court judgements, and he faces at least two other pending cases and several tax liens.
Beck declined to answer questions about how long the doctor had been with Jackson before paramedics were summoned, or if any drugs had been administered.
Phillips said AEG Live advanced Jackson money to pay for Murray's services as part of the production costs. Phillips said he asked Jackson why he wanted Murray with him full-time.
"He just said, 'Look, this whole business revolves around me. I'm a machine and we have to keep the machine well-oiled,' and you don't argue with the King of Pop,'' Phillips said.
The promoter said that sometime in February Jackson submitted to "five-plus hours of physicals that the insurance underwriter insisted on. We were told he passed with flying colors."
Based on those results and the nature of the comeback shows, all of which were to be held at the same venue from July 13 to March, AEG Live wasn't concerned about Jackson's history of medical issues.
"This wasn't as strenuous as a tour. There was no travel," Phillips said. "He and the kids were going to be living in this beautiful home outside London and shows were spread out over six months. For him, it seemed like the perfect way to come back.''
Phillips attended Jackson's rehearsal at Staples Center on Wednesday night, when the entertainer was on stage for about three hours before leaving at 12:30 a.m.
"He was dancing as well or better than the 20-year-old dancers we surrounded him with," the promoter said. "He was riveting. I thought we were home free. I thought this was going to be the greatest live show ever produced. He looked great.''
Phillips said AEG Live held multiple insurance policies covering cancellation of the shows.
``We had pretty good coverage, but a lot of it is going to depend on the toxicology results,'' he said. ``We need to know what the cause of death was.''
A 911 call released by fire officials on Friday shed light on the desperate effort at the mansion to save Jackson's life before paramedics arrived Thursday afternoon. Jackson died later at UCLA Medical Centre.
In the recording, an unidentified caller pleads with authorities to send help, offering no clues about why Jackson was stricken. He tells a dispatcher that Jackson's doctor is performing CPR.
"He's pumping his chest," the caller says, "but he's not responding to anything."
Asked by the dispatcher whether anyone saw what happened, the caller answers: ``No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one there.''
Lou Ferrigno, the star of "The Incredible Hulk," said he had been working out with Jackson for the past several months. Still, Jackson's health had been known to be precarious in recent years, and one family friend said Friday that he had warned the entertainer's family about his use of painkillers.
"I said one day we're going to have this experience. And when Anna Nicole Smith passed away, I said we cannot have this kind of thing with Michael Jackson," Brian Oxman, a former Jackson attorney and family friend, told NBC's "Today" show. "The result was I warned everyone, and lo and behold, here we are. I don't know what caused his death. But I feared this day, and here we are."
Oxman claimed Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal to help with pain suffered when he broke his leg after he fell off a stage and for broken vertebrae in his back.
The worldwide wave of mourning for Jackson continued unabated for the man who revolutionized pop music and moonwalked his way into entertainment legend.
"My heart, my mind are broken,'' said Elizabeth Taylor, who was one of Jackson's closest friends and married one of her husbands at a lavish wedding at the pop star's Neverland Ranch in 1991. She said she had heard the news as she was preparing to travel to London for Jackson's comeback show, and added, "I can't imagine life without him."
Scores of celebrities who knew or worked with Jackson, or were simply awed by him, issued statements of mourning. Some came through publicists and others through emotional postings on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, where countless everyday fans were sharing memories as well.
His two ex-wives both said they were devastated. One of them, Lisa Marie Presley, posted a long, emotional statement on her MySpace page in which she said her ex-husband had confided to her 14 years ago that he feared dying young and under tragic circumstances, just as her father, Elvis Presley, had.
"I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that," Presley said.
When he was on trial on child molestation charges in 2005, Jackson appeared gaunt and had recurring back problems that he attributed to stress. His trial was interrupted several times by hospital visits, and Jackson once even appeared late to court dressed in his pajamas after an emergency room visit.
After his acquittal, Jackson's prosecutor argued against returning some items that had been seized from Neverland, the Santa Barbara County estate Jackson had converted into a children's playland. Among the items were syringes, the powerful painkiller Demerol and other prescription drugs.
Demerol carries a long list of warnings to users. The government warns that mixing it with certain other drugs can lead to reactions including slowed or stopped breathing, shock and cardiac arrest.
Source: TOI
Michael Jackson death still unsolved after autopsy
Doctors conducted an autopsy on the body of Michael Jackson on Friday but could not immediately determine what killed the "King of Pop," amid reports he had been injected with a narcotic painkiller shortly before collapsing.
Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, with his personal physician trying desperately to revive him.
The 50-year-old pop superstar was rushed to nearby UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead without regaining consciousness.
"The cause of death (determination) has been deferred, which means that the medical examiner has ordered additional testing such as toxicology and other studies," Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said. "Those tests we anticipate will take an additional four to six weeks."
Speaking to a throng of reporters outside the coroner's office, Harvey said, "There was no indication of any external trauma or indication of foul play to the body of Mr. Jackson."
Police said they were seeking to question Jackson's personal physician, identified by news media as Houston-based cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray.
Jackson's body was moved to a mortuary at the family's request on Friday night, assistant chief coroner Ed Winter told reporters. He did not disclose the location and there was no immediate word on when Jackson would be laid to rest.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing an interview with an unidentified "close member" of the Jackson family, reported the entertainer was injected with Demerol about half an hour before he went into cardiac arrest.
Daily shot of Demerol?
TMZ, citing family members, said Jackson received a daily shot of Demerol, a narcotic painkiller, and that the family believed his death was caused by an overdose of the drug.
Detectives searched Jackson's home and impounded Murray's Mercedes from the driveway, saying it might contain evidence.
An unidentified man called a 911 emergency phone line from the mansion at 12:21 p.m. local time, saying Jackson was unconscious and not breathing.
In excerpts from the call released by authorities, the caller said the physician was the only other person present and was frantically performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the unconscious Jackson without results.
"He's pumping, he's pumping his chest but he's not responding to anything, sir, please," the man said.
A senior law enforcement official told ABC News that Jackson was "heavily addicted" to the painkiller Oxycontin and was injected daily with that medication, along with Demerol.
Lawyer Brian Oxman, a Jackson family spokesman, said he had been concerned about the prescription drugs Jackson took due to injuries suffered while performing.
"I do not want to point fingers at anyone because I want to hear what the toxicology report says and the coroner says but the plain fact of the matter is that Michael Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal at all times," Oxman said.
Fans and fellow pop stars revived memories of Jackson's musical genius, tarnished over the past decade by accusations of child molestation and eccentric behavior.
US President Barack Obama called Jackson a "spectacular performer" but said he believed aspects of his life were "sad and tragic," the White House said.
Fans pay tribute
Jackson's death was front-page news around the world as airwaves filled with his greatest hits from "Thriller" to "Billie Jean" and social networking sites were bombarded with messages and tributes.
"My heart, my mind are broken," actress Elizabeth Taylor, long a close friend of Jackson, said in a statement.
"He will be in my heart forever but it's not enough," Taylor said. "My life feels so empty. I don't think anyone knew how much we loved each other."
On Hollywood Boulevard, police put up barricades to control thousands of fans who filed past Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame to honor the child prodigy who became one of the top singers of all time with an estimated 750 million albums sold.
About 50 people danced to such Jackson hits as "Rock with You" and "Beat It" in New York's Washington Square. When "Thriller" played, the crowd formed into lines to imitate the moves from Jackson's ground-breaking video for the song.
Facing a battered reputation and a mountain of debt that The Wall Street Journal reported ran to $500 million, Jackson spent the last two months rehearsing for a series of London concerts, including Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Despite reports of Jackson's ill health, the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson passed a 4 1/2-hour physical examination with independent doctors.
TMZ reported it was AEG that had retained Murray.
In death, Jackson's music enjoyed an immediate rebound that eluded him for years. His songs surged to the top 15 on online retailer Amazon.com's best-selling albums within hours.
He dominated the charts in the 1980s and was one of the most successful entertainers, with 13 Grammy Awards and several seminal music videos. His 1982 album "Thriller" yielded seven top-10 singles.
But he was twice accused of molesting young boys and was charged in 2003 with child sexual abuse. He was acquitted of all charges in a four-month trial in 2005.
Source: TOI
Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, with his personal physician trying desperately to revive him.
The 50-year-old pop superstar was rushed to nearby UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead without regaining consciousness.
"The cause of death (determination) has been deferred, which means that the medical examiner has ordered additional testing such as toxicology and other studies," Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said. "Those tests we anticipate will take an additional four to six weeks."
Speaking to a throng of reporters outside the coroner's office, Harvey said, "There was no indication of any external trauma or indication of foul play to the body of Mr. Jackson."
Police said they were seeking to question Jackson's personal physician, identified by news media as Houston-based cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray.
Jackson's body was moved to a mortuary at the family's request on Friday night, assistant chief coroner Ed Winter told reporters. He did not disclose the location and there was no immediate word on when Jackson would be laid to rest.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing an interview with an unidentified "close member" of the Jackson family, reported the entertainer was injected with Demerol about half an hour before he went into cardiac arrest.
Daily shot of Demerol?
TMZ, citing family members, said Jackson received a daily shot of Demerol, a narcotic painkiller, and that the family believed his death was caused by an overdose of the drug.
Detectives searched Jackson's home and impounded Murray's Mercedes from the driveway, saying it might contain evidence.
An unidentified man called a 911 emergency phone line from the mansion at 12:21 p.m. local time, saying Jackson was unconscious and not breathing.
In excerpts from the call released by authorities, the caller said the physician was the only other person present and was frantically performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the unconscious Jackson without results.
"He's pumping, he's pumping his chest but he's not responding to anything, sir, please," the man said.
A senior law enforcement official told ABC News that Jackson was "heavily addicted" to the painkiller Oxycontin and was injected daily with that medication, along with Demerol.
Lawyer Brian Oxman, a Jackson family spokesman, said he had been concerned about the prescription drugs Jackson took due to injuries suffered while performing.
"I do not want to point fingers at anyone because I want to hear what the toxicology report says and the coroner says but the plain fact of the matter is that Michael Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal at all times," Oxman said.
Fans and fellow pop stars revived memories of Jackson's musical genius, tarnished over the past decade by accusations of child molestation and eccentric behavior.
US President Barack Obama called Jackson a "spectacular performer" but said he believed aspects of his life were "sad and tragic," the White House said.
Fans pay tribute
Jackson's death was front-page news around the world as airwaves filled with his greatest hits from "Thriller" to "Billie Jean" and social networking sites were bombarded with messages and tributes.
"My heart, my mind are broken," actress Elizabeth Taylor, long a close friend of Jackson, said in a statement.
"He will be in my heart forever but it's not enough," Taylor said. "My life feels so empty. I don't think anyone knew how much we loved each other."
On Hollywood Boulevard, police put up barricades to control thousands of fans who filed past Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame to honor the child prodigy who became one of the top singers of all time with an estimated 750 million albums sold.
About 50 people danced to such Jackson hits as "Rock with You" and "Beat It" in New York's Washington Square. When "Thriller" played, the crowd formed into lines to imitate the moves from Jackson's ground-breaking video for the song.
Facing a battered reputation and a mountain of debt that The Wall Street Journal reported ran to $500 million, Jackson spent the last two months rehearsing for a series of London concerts, including Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Despite reports of Jackson's ill health, the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson passed a 4 1/2-hour physical examination with independent doctors.
TMZ reported it was AEG that had retained Murray.
In death, Jackson's music enjoyed an immediate rebound that eluded him for years. His songs surged to the top 15 on online retailer Amazon.com's best-selling albums within hours.
He dominated the charts in the 1980s and was one of the most successful entertainers, with 13 Grammy Awards and several seminal music videos. His 1982 album "Thriller" yielded seven top-10 singles.
But he was twice accused of molesting young boys and was charged in 2003 with child sexual abuse. He was acquitted of all charges in a four-month trial in 2005.
Source: TOI
