It is not very often that here at festivalmonster.com we report on things not directly related to festivals, however this is an exception.

On Thursday 25th June 2009 at around 16:30 Eastern time, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was pronounced dead following unconfirmed reports of a cardiac arrest. After initially suffering a heart attack he reportedly slipped into a coma, only to pass away soon after. Even after initial reports fans began gathering outside the UCLA Hospital where Jackson was being held, only for numbers to soar into their hundreds later on into the day. Friends and family including Uri Geller and music producer Quincy Jones have all expressed their grief and dismay at the singer’s death. Jones exclaimed that “he had lost his little brother”.

Born into a musically gifted family in Gary, Indiana, Jackson began performing at the age of 6 with his brothers, The Jackson Five, a group signed to Berry Gordy’s extremely successful Motown Label. Early hits included “I Want You Back”, followed by the renowned classic “ABC” and the Christmas time favourite “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. Despite the groups success Jackson remembered in later life that the group brought considerable stress and pressure at a very young age, especially from father Joe.

Breaking away from the band was the best thing that ever happened to Jackson and in 1979 he left the band and began an epic solo career. His debut solo album Off The Wall produced memorable tracks including “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”. He released his astonishingly successful second album Thriller in 1982, an album which has become the most successful of all time, selling a staggering 109 million copies. He released a total of six solo albums, culminating in 2001’s Invincible. Jackson was also a master of the music video, often featuring his fantastic dance skills and elaborate costumes.

Jacksons career was always marred by his personal life, allegations of child molestation began around the early 90s. In 1993 he pay  an $18 million out of court settlement to Jordan Chandler and his family, after Chandler accused him of sexually abusing him. Allegations also reared their heads in 2003, with another family claiming abuse by Jackson. Despite a lengthily public trial and strong evidence against him, no charges were brought and the family accepted an out of court settlement.

More recently Jackson’s career had been surrounded by rumours he was extremely frail, in millions of dollars of debt and a shadow of his former self. Starting in a few weeks he was due to begin his comeback ‘This is it’ tour playing 50 dates at London’s 02 Arena. It was reported that Jackson was unhappy about playing these 50 and originally only wanted 10. The fact that these stresses contributed to his death are yet to be confirmed or proven, although many questioned his physical ability to undertake such a strenuous tour.

Despite his obvious controversies and eccentricities, Michael Jackson will be remembered as a hugely talented artist that revolutionised the music industry with his attitude, music and stunning dance. Whatever his reputation at certain times, it is certain that his legacy will forever be remembered.

Festivalmonster.com sends its love out to all his freinds and family during this obviously difficult time.

Words: Kevin Angel & Dan Grose