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twitterMichael Jackson dead at 50
Vegas casino execs weigh in after pop star dies at Los Angeles hospital
Amy Beth Bennett / Las Vegas Sun
Michael Jackson blows kisses to fans from inside a vehicle just outside of Green Valley Ranch on Nov. 20, 2003. Jackson left Las Vegas on that morning and flew to Santa Barbara, Calif., to turn himself in to authorities on charges of child molestation. He landed at the Henderson Executive Airport that afternoon and drove around Las Vegas and Henderson in a black sport utility vehicle for more than two hours.
Published Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 3:05 p.m.
Updated Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 6:15 p.m.
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Michael Jackson Comeback Show
Rehearsals were well underway for King of Pop Michael Jackson's 50-date concert run at London's 02 Arena that was set to begin on July 8.
A tourist who only gave her name as Stacy poses for a photo with Michael Jackson impersonator Chris Gardner and foam Elvis Tony Montana outside La Salsa Cantina on the Strip.
Michael Jackson briefly lived in Las Vegas in this mansion on West Palomino Lane owned by the Prince of Brunei. The home is seen here Thursday evening.
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Some of Jackson's ties to Vegas
- Jackson briefly lived in Las Vegas in this decade, moving into a mansion in Spanish Trails owned by the Prince of Brunei, a home on West Palomino Lane, and also rented a house in a westside neighborhood just west of Decatur Boulevard near Sahara Avenue, which sat on the same street as a house occupied by NBA player Gary Payton and property owned by longtime Vegas entertainer Frank Marino.
- Three years ago he was rumored to be embarking on a comeback on the Strip, and was said to be in talks with Steve Wynn for a production at Wynn Las Vegas, but Wynn firmly denied any such partnership was being discussed.
- Last year he was mentioned as a possible headliner at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, as AEG Live was presenting his scheduled run of concerts at O2 Arena in London (which were scheduled to begin next month), but AEG Live officials said only that Jackson’s performances would be judged for viability before any plans to bring him to Las Vegas were discussed.
- His most recent reported recordings were held at Studio at the Palms last year, with acclaimed producers Akon and RedOne reportedly producing the sessions. The status and future of those recordings are uncertain.
- In December, Jackson was bailed out of the $24.5 million he owed on Neverland Ranch when Colony Capital, owned by billionaire Tom Barrack, bought the loan and sparked yet more rumors about Jackson possibly performing at the Las Vegas Hilton (Elvis Presley’s haunt from 1969-1976) because Colony owns the Hilton.
- - Written by John Katsilometes
LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted "King of Pop" who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world's most influential singer and dancer before his life and career deteriorated 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 spent time at a Pahrump home last summer. He was rumored to be planning a show in Las Vegas but rumors were dispelled when Jackson announced his London tour in March.
Jackson spent time in Las Vegas before his 2003 arrest on multiple counts of child molestation. After an overnight stay at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, Jackson left Las Vegas to surrender to police in Santa Barbara, Calif., on an arrest warrant. He had been seen numerous times in Las Vegas the week before.
Palms owner George Maloof said Thursday afternoon he was saddened to learn of Jackson's death.
"I feel very privileged to have known Michael Jackson and I am saddened by the loss of such a phenomenal talent," he said. "I truly admire his professionalism and contribution to the entertainment industry".
Wynn Resorts executive Steve Wynn echoed those sentiments: "Michael was a wonderful Dad and I feel very sad for the children.”
The singer's father, Joe Jackson, was in Las Vegas when contacted Thursday afternoon by the E! Online celebrity news site.
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.
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 and his nose narrower. 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."
Sun reporters John Katsilometes and Amanda Finnegan contributed to this report.
Discussion: 52 comments so far…
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May the King of Pop finally rest in peace.
Rest In Peace Michael Jackson
My condolences to his family.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/20...
The LA Times is confirming that Michael Jackson died.
www.latimes.com
Front page now too.
Comment removed by staff.
Beat it!
Thank you Stevem....are most of you conveniently forgetting the darker side to this "person"???
God does certainly work in mysterious ways to even out things, doesn't he?!
King of what?? King of nothin now.
Mighty cold comments all.
Why did you remove stevem's comment??? There was nothing wrong with his comment. It was a true and factual statement. Lets just be a huge part of the machine and cover up, cover up, cover up.....better covered up and hidden than to know the truth....who are the site staff?>?
Usually it's standard practice to let a day or so pass before you start savaging a dead person. Is it too much to ask to let the man be for a single day?
Lot of cold-hearted people in this town. Way too many for my tastes.
RIP.
Sad.
http://santafeandthefatcityhorns.blogspo...
Condolences to his family.
wow...
my comment got deleted.
amazing how when i point out a FACT that this guy settled out of court once and then went to trial another time for child molestation, my comment gets deleted.
It's too bad he got so weird. I'll bet drugs are involved!
stevem, Your comment was a violation of our reader agreement -- http://www.lasvegassun.com/about/useragr... -- which states that "By posting on LasVegasSun.com stories, blogs, or any other part of this site, you ... (a)gree not to upload, post, distribute, e-mail or otherwise publish or make available through this site any libelous, defamatory, obscene, harmful, vulgar (material)...". No matter the court of public opinion, settling out of court and going to trial do not make a person guilty.
Comment removed by staff.
Between this, Farah, Jon and Kate, and the crap in Iran the president and Congress are going to have a field day screwing us over under the radar. Going to be even worse than the blind-spot when "swine-flu" was all the rage.
Comment removed by staff.
well, levi...
you're wrong.
i NEVER said the word "guilty" in my initial comment, nor did i insinuate that he was guilty. how dare you delete my comment, then turn around and try to say that i said he was "guilty" and not give me the ability to defend myself because you deleted my initial comment.
liberal coward hypocrite.
Yep, if you cannot wait to hammer on the newly deceased, you got issues, folks. If you have to be told why, you have even more issues. Remember, the guy has children, brothers, sisters, a mother and father.
Comment removed by staff.
stevem,
You are correct. You did not say "guilty". However, had he been found guilty, your post would not have been libelous or defamatory. However, without a court ruling stating that he had done the things you implied with your original comment, your post *was* libelous and defamatory (it also most certainly insinuated that he was guilty, otherwise why would the sleep patterns of young males be different tonight than any other?). Therefore, it was removed.
You go, stevem. But you won't win; I had a comment removed for suggesting that the author of a story on here was not too bright because he didn't password-protect his wireless internet account. Then it was pointed out to me the "author" was the man who runs this website.
The Suns (Greenspuns) talk a good game when it come to the "free expression of thoughts and ideas," only it doesn't practice what it preaches.
LAS2PDX,
Just as clarification, neither myself nor the man who does not password-protect his wireless Internet account (which I have to say I don't agree with) run this Web site.
As for the free expression of thoughts and ideas, I certainly believe in that. However, I also believe in following rules. With our reader agreement linked to the right of every comment typed on our site, if I notice someone violating that policy, I will remove the violating comment. It's as simple as that. Follow the rules, play nice and elevate the discussion on the story (as we also ask to the right of every comment typed here), and your comment will not be removed.
This is what I find so laughable about commenters. They think for some reason the site they're writing on owes them for something.
But you're posting comments on a privately held company's website. It's not a democracy. There is no free speech. They're giving you the privilege to post, so follow the rules or don't post.
Simple.
CaptJack has the best grasp on this I have seen so far. This is "free market" and if you do not like this site there are others you can take your business to.
I was visiting a friend when we walked from his house across a dirt lot, we were going to Circus Circus. Along the way, in a supermarket parking lot on a flat bed trailor was The Jackson Five, must have been 50 people standing around listening to the music. That was a while ago. Who knew?
Geez, what year was that gotjobs?
Thank you LEVI for whacking these heartless people who have no respect for the life of a SUPERSTAR whose acheivements so far overshadowed his faults. Its about time that people in this country soften up a little instead of being hard nosed, insensitive and end up looking heartlessly ignorant. MJ... rest in peace... you don't have to deal with lifes miseries anymore!
Levi, gmag and capt jack are right.
"You go, stevem."
Oh really, go look at stevem's last comment in the timeshare story. Just a wonderful person....
May you rest in peace Michael you will be forever missed and loved...
I'm turning off the t.v. for a while, no for weeks.
Here is the video of them caring out Michael Jackson in the Ambulance after he died http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8aDVCgny...
Just sadness. Spring of 1983, I think- Thriller and Flashdance were the only thing people listened to on their dinasaur Walkman. It didn't matter what race you were, everyone was so into MIchael JAckson. The pretentious upper west Side prep school kids-today probably on their third rehab trip or divorce after the obligatory four years at Brown or Harvard- listening to MJ before we all snuck into Studio 54, which, at that point, was a shell of its former self.
Me and my tacky white 80's dress,'with white stockings AND white opened toed shoes. I really thought I was stylin' at the time, though!
Rest in peace my friend.
Just sadness. Spring of 1983, I think- Thriller and Flashdance were the only thing people listened to on their dinasaur Walkman. It didn't matter what race you were, everyone was so into MIchael JAckson. The pretentious upper west Side prep school kids-today probably on their third rehab trip or divorce after the obligatory four years at Brown or Harvard- listening to MJ before we all snuck into Studio 54, which, at that point, was a shell of its former self.
Me and my tacky white 80's dress,'with white stockings AND white opened toed shoes. I really thought I was stylin' at the time, though!
Thanks for all the good times and great memories, MJ. One of the most famous people who also
came across as one of the loneliest. I don't want to think about the other stuff, instead I will just freeze frame the spring of 1983 in my mind and remember him that way.
I nealy fainted when I got up this morning and heard about Michael Jackson's death. I'll bet it was all that stuff he was taking, I saw on telly that he was on pethidine, tranqillisers..anti depressants..
I was never really 'into' his stuff, and was sick about the charges against him regarding the child molestation..as any mother would..but I am really gobsmacked, really.
I listen to punk rock and hard rock but when Thriller was released I stood in line at Tower Records to get a copy.
He certainly was troubled, but his talent was unbelievable.
wanna be startin' sumthin'
gots to be startin' sumthin'
to high to get over yeah, yeah...
RIP Michael,
He was a fantastic performer and will be sadly missed.
My thoughts go out to his children and family on this sad time..
I have all ways been a big Michael Jackson fan and all ways will be
All my love, from the UK.
RIP Michael. Your talent was fantastic and unmeasurable. May your soul finally find peace.
you will be missed michael.love from ireland
Michael, may your troubled soul rest in peace now. You can finally be the little boy you were never allowed to be. May God grant your children and family some peace now. You will be missed and no one will ever take your place in history.
Few can match such an incredible talent. He was definitely king, head and shoulders above so many others. I would love to see the pathetic accomplishments of some of the lesser mortals who still try and find fault with MJ.
He had beyond-words talent. I was watching a tape of him at the age of 9 singing with his brothers, and I was absolutely mesmerized by how much he seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully he's at peace now.
Michael Jackson died again...enough already