Michael Jackson: A Tribute

Michael Jackson's life captured the imagination of the world. From the King of Pop who practically began the renaissance of popular music to the accusations of him being a pedophile, there is no doubt that he was one of the biggest icons in the world.

Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes offers his tribute:

"It is a sad end to what was by any standards an extraordinary and record-breaking career. Michael Jackson was up there among the biggest selling artists of all time, which is all the more remarkable because in fact he released a relatively small number of records as a solo artist.

It is especially sad because he had made a decision to come out of his ‘retirement’ – to abandon his seclusion – and was just about to embark on what people hoped might be a genuine artistic renaissance – an opportunity to reclaim the respect and affection of a public that had become hugely disenchanted with him and with his image during a series of controversies about his personal life and his sexuality which saw him in court tried on charges of child abuse. He had lined up 50 shows at the O2 in London, at which he’d have play to an astonishing million fans. Now that opportunity to begin the process of redemption is gone…

He played Ireland on a number of memorable occasions. The first show was at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on the Bad tour in 1988. He played to 130,000 people over two days, which was huge at the time – probably the biggest crowd for any artist until that time. It was a moment when the country stopped and all roads led south. In the Gaeltacht they were asking the kids ‘An bhfuil aon duine ag dul go Wacko Jacko?' – which of course he’d already been dubbed at the time.

He also spent some time here in Grouse Lodge Studios and there were rumours that he had bought an estate in Wicklow – but there came a moment when the caravan moved on…

He lived in a world in which he could indulge his neuroses and fantasies to an extent that was clearly hugely unhealthy. He was rumoured to have taken to sleeping in an oxegen tent, in order to stay young. He also had a number of operations – rhinoplasty – to deal with problems in his nose – though people also suspected to change his appearance.

He suffered from panic attacks and collapsed on a number of occasions

There was certainly a neurosis about his health and his appearance – and what seemed like a deep-seated need to achieve some sort of personal transformation. There were rumours that he suffered from Viltigo, a condition which involves either in itself or in the treatment the loss of skin pigmentation – which is used as a way of explaining why he had become whiter. His appearance changed hugely with the passage of time – he looked like a walking condemnation of the effects of plastic surgery – a monument to low self-esteem.

I think you have to see all of that, sure, as a product of the excesses of fame and the fact that he had access to apparently unlimited money – but to a greater extent I suspect it was a response to abuse and being raised by a brutal and authoritarian father in a dysfunctional family. His life offers a very public paradigm of the kind of damage that can be done to people as a result of abuse – which is something that people in Ireland are only now coming to terms with.

The strange twists and turns of his personal life, and the stranger aspects of his sexuality have also to be seen in the same light. In all of the controversiese was a victim to a far greater extent than he was a perpetrator.

He tried to create a fantasy world in Neverland. I think he did retain a strange kind of innocence – the psychatrist who reported that he had regressed so that he had the mind of a ten year old probably got it about right.

Rather than feeling anger towards him, like a lot of people, it struck me how sad it was to see someone of his extraordinary talent degenerate in so many ways to the point where he was a figure of hate and ridicule."

Justin Timberlake is one artist who has reflected the music, dance moves and songs of Michael Jackson throughout his career has posted this on his website:

"I can’t find the words right now to express how deeply saddened I am by Michael’s passing. We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music. He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones."

Madonna has released this statement:
"I can't stop crying over the sad news. ... I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats but his music will live on forever. My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless."

Slash, who performed Jackson's 1991 hit 'Black or White' , said: "Really sad news about Michael. He was talent from on high."

Thriller producer and music mogul Quincy Jones said this of Jackson in 1998:

"What sets Michael apart is that he isn't just a musician, he's an entertainer, a throwback to artists like Sammy Davis Jr. He writes, he sings, he produces, he performs. There's no one else like him today."

With artists like Bruce Springsteen, NERD, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Tom Jones, Black Eyed Peas and Calvin Harris set to play Glastonbury, the festival organiser Emily Eavis has announced that there will be tributes to the singer over the course of the festival this weekend:

"So sad to hear the news about MJ. There will be tributes all over the site all weekend. A truly great artist. Emily."