I woke up this morning and the first thing that my wife said to me is that Michael Jackson had died.
We immediately turned on CNN to find out the latest and sure enough, the Rev. Al Sharpton was on screen in front of the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, reminding everyone just how big a talent Michael was in his life and the influence h exerted on the world's music scene.

Immediately my memory went back to the History Tour, the las time I saw the superstar live. I covered his arrival in Malaysia as a journalist and remember seeing him up close at the Concorde Hotel.

He was just as everyone on TV right now describe him, he was a fragile porcelain of a person and had a wispy voice that simply make you want to protect him and at the same time most people find it hard to embrace him when up close and personal because of the news that painted him as an eccentric.

CNN's report tried very much to divert attention to the news of lawsuits adn financial excesses that coloured Micheal's life towards teh end but Larry King said it best when he reminded everyone to focus on what is proven, Michael's talent and how he made billions happy.

On the same day, one of Charlie's Angels also left us. Beauttiful and talented actress Farrah Fawcett had benn battling with cancer for two years and she finally passed away last night, surrounded by friends and family.

These two personalities formed two big pillar's in the entertainment indsutry during my childhood and growing years and despite the fact that they are quite distant from me now, tears flowed when CNN played Beat it, Thriller, Billy Jean and We Are the World.

The reality is that it is impossible not to feel sad about the passing of someone who brought so much happiness to us.

There will be controversy surrounding Michael's death as much as his life. There are persistent rumour that he may have converted to Islam so the other question my wife asked was: How are they going to bury him? the Muslim way or not?

Whatever it is, it is my dearest hope that both will attain dignity in death.

May God bless theri souls for they brought happiness to billions adn what better way to appreciate the life that God has granted us than by being happy.


Below are two news clippings about the deaths


Farrah Fawcett dies at 62

LOS ANGELES: Actress Farrah Fawcett, best known for her role in television series “Charlie’s Angels”, died after a long battle with cancer on Thursday. She was 62.

Fawcett died in hospital surrounded by friends and family shortly before 1630 GMT, reports said. “After a long and brave battle with cancer, Farrah has passed away,” said a statement released by Fawcett’s publicist Arnold Robinson. afp


AP Source: Michael Jackson dies in LA hospital
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY and DERRIK J. LANG
LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.

The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album "Thriller" _ which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" _ remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

By some measures, he ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. In fact, he united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie.

As years went by, he became an increasingly freakish figure _ a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grownup life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him. The case took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13. He was in rehearsals in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that was to capture the classic Jackson magic: showstopping dance moves, elaborate staging and throbbing dance beats.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson's rented home, was roped off with police tape.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson has just died," a woman boarding a Manhattan bus called out, shortly after the news was annunced. Immediately many riders reached for their cell phones.

In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

A service of the Associated Press(AP)