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US pop star Michael Jackson gestures during a news conference - Source: Reuters -
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The life of the self-proclaimed King of Pop supplied the media with a steady supply of strange-but-true and strange-but-untrue stories. A small sampling follows:
- He bought a hyperbaric chamber enabling him to live for 150 years, and offered to buy the deformed skeleton of the "Elephant Man" John Merrick. Alas, both were tall tales planted in the tabloids by Jackson himself.
- In 2000, Jackson paid $150,000 for an African voodoo chief to put a fatal curse on director Steven Spielberg, music mogul David Geffen and 23 other people on his enemies list, Vanity Fair reported.
- His handlers lobbied Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth to give him a knighthood, a former Jackson spokesman said in 2005.
- The "King of Pop" title was conceived by two spokesmen in the early 1990s to deflect attention from such less-savory nicknames, according to a former tour publicist. A Rolling Stone magazine article in 1991 said the Fox, BET and MTV networks were obliged to call him that in return for getting the rights to premiere his "Black or White" video.
- He wrongly thought he was receiving a special prize for "Artist of the Millennium" at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2002, when Britney Spears presented him with a birthday cake and extemporized that he was the artist of the millennium.
- Bubbles the chimp, once his faithful companion, is still alive. Aged 26, he lives in a Florida sanctuary for unwanted orangutans and chimpanzees.
- Jackson invented the "moonwalk" dance step in 1983, but gained just as much attention with another move, the suggestive "crotch-grab," which he premiered in his 1991 Black or White video.
- To promote his 1995 album HIStory, he floated a 30-foot (10-metre) steel-and-fiberglass statue of himself down London's River Thames.
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Post new commentmotukowhai said on 2009-07-08 @ 22:20 NZDT: Report abusive post
"If we looked at mortality as the whole of existence, then the pain, sorrow, failure and short life would be a calamity; but if we look upon life as an eternal thing stretching far into the premortal past and on into the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be put in proper perspective." Quote by President Spencer W. Kimball. Take your rest now Michael and do so in peace.
Vaai said on 2009-07-08 @ 14:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
REST IN PEACE KING OF THE POP WE LOVE YOU
jaxlino said on 2009-07-08 @ 12:31 NZDT: Report abusive post
the media killed the princess and they did the same thing with Michael, do they have any respect? now Michael can rest and just watch upon his children ..i saw Miss Rowe being pressured by the media and gosh thats how much in your face they are!! they darn right wanna know your business..I know it's their job but they don't need to ruin peoples lives.. michael i have three words for you.. "GO GET EM"
jaxlino said on 2009-07-08 @ 12:22 NZDT: Report abusive post
RIP my friend, and hope you haunt the media stalkers.. they ***** with your life now it's your turn for revenge..sad to say I honestly and personally think he topped himself because of the media on his tail constantly and they let the whole world know his business, we loved his music, his children and his family not his personal indepth life, he was tired and couldn't fight no more, he had a huge debt that no-one gave a toss about, and now hes gone, all the media is like poor michael... whatever!
boyracer said on 2009-07-08 @ 11:00 NZDT: Report abusive post
Some people will always look at the negative side of things! Thats just the way they are. MJ was a VERY talented individual (Not just a singer and dancer), His message is in his songs (which comes from the heart). I was watching the memorial service this morning and thinking to myself how many people he touched on positively and what he means to them. His music will no doubt live on, and people will know in 20+ years who sang his songs!