September 3 will be the funeral of the King of Pop. The official version says that the cause of death of Michael Jackson was murder.
After Michael Jackson's heart stopped on June 25, plans for the farewell ceremony and even the date of the funeral changed several times. According to final information, on September 3 at 19:00 local time (that is, at 3:00 a.m. on September 4, Moscow time) in the memorial park of the famous Glendale Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles, a service for friends and family will begin. However, some (for example, Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman) claims that Michael Jackson was already interred - on August 6 - in order to avoid stampede and noise - in a narrow circle of relatives of the deceased.
Last week, the coroner [as an investigator is called in Anglo-Saxon countries, investigating the circumstances of death in cases where there are suspicions of its violent nature, - approx. ed.] officially confirmed the information that Michael Jackson was killed. According to the data obtained by the examination, the death of the King of Pop occurred as a result of "acute poisoning" with six potent drugs at once (propofol, lorazepam, midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine and ephedrine). All this makes you take a fresh look at the life of the deceased.
Jackson was born into a large family as the seventh child. The father was distinguished by a rather despotic character - Michael, in particular, was repeatedly beaten by him and punished in every possible way. Many childhood traumas haunted the vulnerable Jackson all his life. On stage, he made his debut back in 1964 as part of the family band The Jackson 5. In 1971, he began performing solo (continuing to participate in The Jackson 5). It was in the 70s that the famous foundations of his style were laid, which later became integral elements of the great brand called "Michael Jackson": "moonwalk" and "robot". In many ways, it was thanks to Jackson's work that the video clip began to be regarded as a full-fledged miniature movie, gravitating not so much towards advertising as towards artistic character (see clips Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean). The 80s were the time of the highest flowering of the artist's creative potential, the time when the title "King of Pop" appeared, and this title was not disputed by anyone. It was Jackson who was one of the first African Americans to break through on MTV and changed (literally) the face of show business, proving that African American origin is not an obstacle to winning fans of all skin colors.
However, Jackson himself had a clearly complex attitude towards his appearance and race. Already in the early 80s, the public noticed some changes in the appearance of the singer and dancer. The changes concerned the color of the skin, the shape of the nose, the lips... Making fun of Michael's ever more noticeable desire for "whitening", evil tongues joked that he was the only representative of the gray race.
But the real problems began with the singer in the 90s. In 1993, Jackson, who spends a lot of time at his Neverland ranch surrounded by a large number of children, whose company the singer has always loved, was accused of child molestation. The suspicions were not confirmed (however, some believe that Jackson simply paid off), but the damage to his reputation was huge, and most importantly, since then the artist began to abuse drugs that relieve stress. Perhaps one of the consequences of this process was the "symbolic" marriage in 1994 to the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley. The marriage did not last long, and in 1996, Jackson, as if wanting to assure his traditional sexuality, married again, to former nurse Debbie Rowe. She gave birth to two children to Jackson and another child Jackson started with the help of a surrogate mother - which, of course, again gave rise to various rumors and speculation.
In 2005, allegations of child molestation were repeated again. And again, Jackson was acquitted (the verdict was passed by the jury), but the litigation and gossip around her affected his financial condition and the state of his health in the most difficult way. Rumors circulated that the king was on the verge of bankruptcy, about the deterioration of his appearance and well-being. There were also rumors that Jackson converted to Islam and took the name Mikael. And although they have never been confirmed by the "convert" himself, Jackson's connections with the Nation of Islam have been repeatedly reported. The problems were exacerbated when, in November 2008, the son of the King of Bahrain, with whom Jackson was visiting, unexpectedly sued the artist for non-fulfillment of contractual obligations and demanding to pay him $ 7 million.
However, Jackson dreamed of a revival and in March 2009 it was announced that he intended to perform "the last series of concerts in London" called This Is It Tour. The first concert was supposed to take place on July 13, 2009, and the final one on March 6, 2010. Initially, it was about The O2 arena stadium, which can accommodate up to 20 thousand people. Demand for tickets was, however, exceeded all expectations. the organizers have planned another 40 (!) additional performances, so that the "return of the king" could be seen in total by more than a million viewers.
However, this grandiose series of concerts was not destined to come true. On the morning of June 25, 2009, in a Los Angeles home, pumped up with the strongest drugs (some were needed to maintain vigor for intense training, others to relieve pain, others to overcome insomnia), Michael lost consciousness and fell. Arriving a few minutes later, the doctors found Jackson, no longer breathing, with a stopped heart. Resuscitation attempts came to nothing.
The official farewell ceremony brought together many stars. The live broadcast was watched by about a billion people - more than Obama's inauguration. Many speeches were made and many tears were shed. But perhaps the most striking words about the king were spoken by the Reverend Priest El Sharpton. Addressing the Jackson children, he said, "There was nothing strange about your father. What was strange was what your father faced."
Michael Jackson finally found peace. True, only on condition that fans are not allowed to visit his grave. Hundreds of people came to see the idol on his last journey to the Forest Lawn cemetery in the suburbs of Los Angeles, about the same number were photographers and reporters.
The ceremony itself was attended only by relatives and close friends. However, there were not without television cameras, everything that happened was filmed specifically for a documentary film about the life of the singer.
Reporting by Igor Riskin.
The gloomy epic, which lasted more than two months, first with finding out the reasons for the death of Michael Jackson, then with determining the date of his funeral, they were going to bury him on his birthday, August 29, ended in the picturesque suburb of Los Angeles, Glendale, in the Hollywood hills. The famous memorial park - Forest Lawn Cemetery - has become the final resting place of the King of Pop.
Celebrities have been buried in this cemetery for decades. Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Nat "King" Cole, Jackson's idol Walt Disney - the list of these names is endless.
Michael Jackson was buried on one of the terraces of the Great Mausoleum. This majestic building is decorated with sculptures and stained glass windows, including a copy of The Last Supper. As the golden coffin was lowered into the grave, the great Aretha Franklin sang a farewell song.
Jackson's father and mother were sitting next to each other - the shots that surprised and touched many. The fact that the singer's parents have an extremely difficult relationship was written in every biographical book about Michael Jackson.
It certainly indicated that, while idolizing his mother, Jackson practically did not communicate with his father. He could not forgive the cruel attitude towards himself and his brothers in childhood, which the future pop idol was, in fact, deprived of.
His close friend Elizabeth Taylor initially said that she would not be able to come to the ceremony because it would be difficult for her to attend. And yet she came. Reporters vigorously discussed all these details, remaining behind the cemetery fence.
Despite the fact that the ceremony was declared closed, the funeral of Michael Jackson was still filmed. The fact is that even before his death, the Jackson brothers signed a contract with one of the American TV channels to create a film about the legendary family.
As far as we know, Michael Jackson did not want to take part in these shootings. However, even after his death, the King could not be left alone with his family and friends.
The coffin will be sealed in a special concrete capsule to prevent looters from reaching it. This is an additional security measure.
The rest of the dead is guarded as strictly and vigilantly as many of them were guarded during their lifetime. And there are such tombs in the cemetery, to which it is impossible for anyone, except for the closest relatives, to go.
Lisa Burke, historian, journalist: "If you want to go to the terrace of the Mausoleum, you need to ring the doorbell. The guard will ask you who you are and whose grave you are going to visit. Only after that the door will be opened. There are cameras and sound equipment everywhere, so the service security will track where and why you are going."
Enhanced security measures were taken at the entrances to the cemetery, and in Glendale itself. The police warned fans of Michael Jackson in advance to restrain their emotions, suppress the desire to be closer to the idol on the day of farewell to him, and did not appear at the cemetery. All entrances to Forest Lawn were cordoned off, and it was possible to pass through this cordon only with special passes.
Javier Ruiz, Glendale police sergeant: "This is a very big event, and we began to prepare for it in two weeks. Moreover, this is a plan not only for the time of the funeral, but also for the coming days."
It is established that the death of a star, at least a manslaughter, is the result of injections of potent drugs. Personal doctor Conrad Murray - it was he who injected Jackson with huge doses of propofol and other drugs that day, is under investigation and does not leave the house, fearing the revenge of the fans.
The court decision, which was achieved by Jackson's mother, orders to pay all the expenses for the funeral not from the family's funds, but from the legacy of the singer, who left huge debts. However, after his death, sales of discs increased sharply, so that debts are no longer talked about.
Even funerals required court proceedings. And it's not the last.
Paris, 11, and Blanket, 7, took the stage to say how much they miss their dad, Michael Jackson.
The performance of the stars, the performance with elephants and a sea of flowers - farewell to the king of pop was more like his last show than seeing him off on his last journey.
Michael Jackson's family comforts little Paris
Yesterday at Staples Center in Los Angeles, 17 thousand fans and millions of fans around the world said goodbye to Michael Jackson. If it were not for the gilded coffin with the body of the pop king on stage and the mourning speeches of the guests, one would think that the fans had gathered at the last show of the pop king.
Michael Jackson is missed the most by his children: 12-year-old Prince Michael, 11-year-old Paris and 7-year-old Blanket
The concert was opened by Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz with I'll Be There. Also on stage were Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Usher… The stars changed each other, remembering Michael Jackson. Brooke Shields has revealed how she was once Michael's girlfriend. Stevie Wonder lamented that he "hoped not to live to see such a difficult moment." And one of Michael Jackson's brothers, Jermaine, sang his favorite song of the pop king - Smile.
Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz open farewell concert with I'll Be There
A surprise for everyone was the appearance on stage of the daughter of Michael Jackson, 11-year-old Paris. “Daddy was the best in the world,” the girl cried, burying her face in the shoulder of Aunt Janet Jackson. “I loved him very much.” Farewell to the king of pop ended with the songs of Michael Jackson We are the World and Heal the World. The inscription on the stage "In the memory of Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)" was replaced by "I'm alive, and I'm here forever."
Usher performs Gone Too Soon in front of the coffin
Queen Latifah remembers Michael Jackson as 'the world's greatest artist'
Lionel Richie sings Jesus is Love
Stevie Wonder performing "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer"
Jennifer Hudson dedicated the song Will You Be There to Michael Jackson
The eldest of five brothers Marlon Jackson believes that "a part of Michael's soul will always live with them"
17,000 fans gathered at the Staples Center to see Michael Jackson off
Brooke Shields tearfully recalled how she was once Michael's girlfriend.
Music producer Berry Cordy said that "Michael will go down in history not only for his music, but for his unforgettable shows"
Brothers Randy and Tito Jackson support each other
Michael Jackson fans gather at the Staples Center
Farewell to the king of pop caused a huge stir
Girls sell T-shirts before the start of the farewell ceremony for Michael Jackson
Mounted police guard the stadium
Elephants from the famous American circus Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey are preparing to perform
Speculators are trying to sell at exorbitant prices not only tickets for the farewell concert, but also T-shirts with the image of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson: last chance to say goodbye
The two-week hype around the sudden death of the king of pop has reached its climax. Speculators sell tickets drawn in the Internet lottery, stars confirm their performance at the Staples Center, and fans take their seats - if not in the stadium, then in front of the TV screens.
Michael Jackson: 1958 - 2009
Today, July 7, the world will finally say goodbye to Michael Jackson. After endless disputes over the place of burial, the king of pop will be buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. Only family and close friends will attend the private ceremony. Michael Jackson will rest in a 14 carat gold-plated bronze coffin instead of a crystal coffin. The relatives decided to bury the body without the brain, the chemical analysis of which is necessary for pathologists to establish the real cause of death (it will be clarified in a few weeks).
At 21:30 Moscow time at the stadium "Staples Center" will begin a public farewell to Michael Jackson. 17.5 thousand tickets were raffled on the Internet, most of which, unfortunately, went to ... speculators. On the day of the funeral, the price of "farewell to Michael Jackson" reaches 10 thousand dollars.
Thousands of fans will gather at the Staples Center to honor the memory of Michael Jackson, including Brooke Shields, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder and many others. Only according to preliminary estimates, the authorities of Los Angeles are preparing to receive 750 thousand people. There are almost no vacant rooms in the hotels of the city. The farewell ceremony will be broadcast to the whole world. Among those who refused to attend the farewell to Michael Jackson is his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Taylor. The singer admitted that she does not want to put her feelings on display: “I don’t think Michael wanted me to share my grief with the crowd. My suffering is too personal."
Farewell to Michael Jackson, of course, is necessary for his fans. And you can say as much as you like that the king of pop would be happy with such a solemn funeral. However, Woman.ru is unpleasantly surprised that a show was made from the funeral of the king of pop, the main goal of which is money. And it doesn’t matter how you get them: by selling tickets for a funeral or by dividing an inheritance. It is incredibly sad that after 2 weeks of death, Michael Jackson still cannot find peace.
Michael Jackson entrusted children to Diana Ross
Passions for the king of pop do not subside. Relatives have not yet decided where the funeral will take place and once again postpone it to the 7th, the singer's name does not leave the front pages of tabloids, album sales have grown more than 40 times, and the testament of the pop was announced in a Los Angeles court -King, compiled in July 2002.
Michael Jackson's family postpone funeral date for third time
Michael appointed his longtime girlfriend, the famous singer Diana Ross, as the guardian of his children.
Michael Jackson's will sheds light on his relationship with his family. All his fortune, estimated at $ 500 million, the singer will bequeath to the Michael Jackson Family Foundation, the manager of which is his mother, 79-year-old Katherine Jackson. The King of Pop did not include father Joseph Jackson and ex-wife Debbie Rowe in the inheritance.
The temporary guardian of their children - 12-year-old Joseph, 11-year-old Paris and 7-year-old Prince - Michael Jackson appointed mother Katherine. And in case of her disability, he asked his old friend, the famous singer Diana Ross, to look after the children.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that Michael Jackson's family has refused a public send-off ceremony, fans of the king of pop are beginning to gather at the Staples Center stadium in Los Angeles, where he rehearsed his latest show This is it. Woman.ru continues to monitor developments.
The death of outstanding artists arouses no less public interest than their life and work. In June 2009, the most commercially successful pop singer, Michael Jackson, passed away. The cause of the death of the idol of millions remains a mystery, despite two post-mortem autopsies and a coroner's inquest. The official document (certificate) says that the singer was killed. Another secret? On the basis of what was this recording made, and why, in this case, were the perpetrators not punished?
Zenith of glory
Over the fifty years of his life, Michael managed a lot, he became officially recognized as the king of pop music, received 15 Grammy awards, hundreds of other awards, recorded many songs published on vinyl records, CDs and other media, sold in total over a billion. The vocals of the future idol were taught by a cruel father who did not stop before using all kinds of physical and moral humiliation.
He made his first recordings as part of The Jackson (later renamed The Jackson 5) back in the sixties. The whole life of Michael Jackson, like many other successful pop artists, demonstrated the possibilities that a stubborn and hardworking talent can realize. He became another personification of the same as George Gershwin, Elvis Presley or Charlie Chaplin.
The biggest breakthrough was his album "Thriller" in 1982, after which Jackson was recognized as a star on a planetary scale. And today this disc is considered the most massive in the history of pop music. An important role in achieving success was played by the performer's artistic plasticity, in particular, his famous "moonwalk". The spectacle of the stage action, excellent choreography, combined with unusual vocals, appealed to spectators and listeners from all over the world.
The singer managed to know the joy of fatherhood. Debbie Rove, the second wife of Michael Jackson, gave birth to two children (a son and a daughter), and another son came from a surrogate mother.
How did Jackson die?
According to the official version, the singer suddenly felt bad in the morning and fell unconscious. At the same time, according to the testimony of a personal doctor, the patient was found by him in bed, therefore, we are not talking about a sudden attack and fainting. The doctor tried to resuscitate the singer on his own, although it was immediately clear that things were bad, the pulse was felt only in the femoral artery, and there was no breathing. It took place in the western part of Los Angeles, Murray did not know the exact address. The house was temporarily rented by Michael Jackson. The cause of death, of course, is not that, but this circumstance still played a certain role. Murray did not find a landline phone, it was useless to call from a mobile phone, there was no one to find out the house and the street. The guard showed up only half an hour later (and they say that this is only a mess with us). The ambulance was finally called (it is not clear who did it), it rushed quickly, in three minutes, but it was already too late. Resuscitation failed, and doctors at the California State University Medical Center abandoned further attempts at resuscitation at 2:26 p.m. Two hours later, the coroner officially announced that Michael Jackson had died. The cause of death was not specified in this statement.
Autopsy and its results
Further events did not add clarity. According to Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the Emmy Award Committee, the day before, namely on June 24, he met with Michael, talked with him and watched rehearsals that took place on the eve of the big tour. He was shocked by the performance of the singer, his vigor and enthusiasm. Was Erlich telling the truth? A post-mortem autopsy revealed many strange facts, in particular, at least the fact that the singer had not eaten anything for a long time, except for pills (at least there was nothing else in his stomach). Weight - 51 kg, which, with a height of 1 meter 78 cm, is a sign of extreme exhaustion. With such a state of health, it is hardly possible to talk about manifestations of cheerfulness. There were also broken ribs, but this is due to the efforts of resuscitators. And the singer's body was literally covered with scars, traces of surgical plastic surgery. Any ambiguity gives rise to rumors and speculation, and they appeared almost immediately.
Hypoxia?
Fans and spectators who have watched the singer's career, at least since the eighties, could see how much Michael Jackson changed outwardly. The cause of death can be directly related to the many surgeries the King of Pop has undergone. Why he did them is not entirely clear. Being ashamed of African-American descent has long been out of the question in the United States, and many black artists are proud of it. However, Michael's nose was corrected, the pigmentation was whitened, and other surgical manipulations were performed. Brian Oxman, the Jackson family lawyer, directly accuses the singer's entourage of condoning these costly and dangerous whims. It is easy to compare how Michael Jackson looked before and after the operation, and to understand that such serious scalpel interventions in the anatomy of the face do not pass without health consequences. A decrease in the cross section of the respiratory channels inevitably leads to difficulty in supplying the brain with oxygen and possible hypoxia.
Overdose?
The second version is directly related to the first. The pains (often occurring, and perhaps never letting go) were the result of surgeries and problems with the spine, and for their relief, Jackson often took the strong anesthetic Propofol. An overdose of this drug, combined with general weakness, could cause instant cardiac arrest. Similar versions arose about other greatest artists of the modern stage (Anna-Nicole Smith, again Elvis Presley), literally healed by doctors who stuffed them with painkillers. It should be clarified that these drugs do not belong to drugs, but they cause an addictive effect, and therefore they are no less dangerous. I took a little more than I could, and that's it - hello ...
And one more sad circumstance. Show business is cruel to newcomers, but it shows much more ferocity to well-deserved veterans of the scene. Tours are exhausting, the schedule is tight, it must be observed. Dozens and sometimes hundreds of millions are at stake. Go ahead, the audience is waiting, it does not care about the health of its own idol!
Last way
The funeral of Michael Jackson differed in its luxury even from the farewell ceremonies of other prominent stars of our time. The tabloids were full of shocking figures:
- A dozen fans killed themselves.
- The coffin (Prometheus model) is gilded and cost $25,000. They took him in a carriage.
- The ceremony was attended by a million fans. 11,000 free invitations were handed out to the most dedicated of them (I chose a computer), the rest had to pay $25 in cash.
And many, many other details designed to create an atmosphere of universal sorrow, estimated at six-figure sums.
Janet, sister of Michael Jackson and also a famous singer, tried to give at least some soulfulness to the enchanting mourning, saying that for her Michael was just a family member and brother, whose loss was a terrible blow for her, but her voice again drowned in an enthusiastic enumeration of funeral expenses .
Much attention was paid to the financial consequences of the death of the performer. He made a will in advance, in which he detailed his last will. The children of Michael Jackson, in addition to a share in the main capital, received the rights to two hundred songs, recorded in secret and subject to publication now that their author has died. According to preliminary estimates, they will bring one hundred million dollars in profit.
The funeral of Michael Jackson 6 years ago, one of the most famous singers and dancers on the planet, the "King of Pop", the idol of millions, Michael Jackson, passed away. This talented man died on June 25, 2009 at the age of 51.
The funeral of the king of pop was private and closed to the press. By the way, the funeral itself was postponed several times to August 29 (Jackson's birthday), then to August 31.
One of the reasons was the opinion of the mother of the late Katherine Jackson that her son died due to a medical error, and the results of two autopsies were still not known. But on the day the ceremony was supposed to take place, it started two hours late. Although the invited guests arrived on time, by seven in the evening, the coffin with Jackson's body was delivered at eight in the evening, and the ceremony itself began 50 minutes later. This ceremony was attended by his relatives and friends, whose number reached 250 people. It took 26 cars to deliver the entire large family of the pop king to the place of farewell.
The coffin where the body of Michael Jackson rests resembles a sarcophagus. It is gilded and decorated with white and yellow flowers. The coffin was placed on a podium in front of the guest rows.
Nearby, two large portraits of Jackson and bouquets of flowers were also installed. After the relatives delivered their speeches to the guests, a funeral service was held, and the coffin with the body of Jackson was transferred to the Great Mausoleum of the Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery near Los Angeles. Many Hollywood celebrities, such as Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart, were also buried at this site. However, one of the singer's brothers, Jermaine Jackson, tried to convince his relatives that Michael should be buried in the park of the famous Neverland estate.
But the mother abandoned this idea, as she is sure that this place for Michael Jackson has not been a favorite for a long time.
The death of the pop king turned out to be an incredible shock and a huge tragedy for fans of his work.
During that period, sales of Jackson's albums increased to incredible levels, and the fans of the famous singer went crazy with grief and despair.
Many believed that their idol was alive, he just decided to lay low because of the huge debts and problems hanging over him.
But, in any case, the most dedicated fans and admirers of Michael Jackson's work will remember him as a man who changed the world.
