Michael Jackson’s music will immortalise him: Shilpa Shetty

New Delhi, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, a die-hard fan of King of Pop Michael Jackson, says she was taken aback at the news of the singer’s demise but his music will immortalise him.

“I woke up to the most devastating news of Michael Jackson passing away. I just sank in my chair… words can’t express my emotions because I am a huge huge fan of his.

“He was an icon who lead an extraordinary life. I admired him for constantly reinventing himself and for converting me into a pop lover after ‘Thriller’. His music will immortalise him,” the actress posted om her blog shilpashettylive.com.

Jackson died Thursday due to a cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home.

Shilpa got to know the legend’s brother Jermaine during her stint on Britain’s reality show “Big Brother” and says that she was lucky to here a lot about Jackson from him.

“I was lucky to hear a lot about him from Jermaine who I got to know closely in the Big Brother house. It was sad how the press mercilessly shred him over issues that he got acquitted for at a later stage! He was a special soul - gods chosen one�there can never be another MJ,” she added.

There can only be one Michael Jackson, Bollywood pays tribute

New Delhi, Some call it the end of an era while others refer to it as a irreparable loss to music - Bollywood is deeply saddened by the demise of king of pop, Michael Jackson and say that there can only be one.
The 50-year-old died Thursday in the US following a cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles. He was famous for not only his cult music but also for his iconic dance steps, including the ‘Moonwalk’.
Members of the Hindi filmdom spoke to IANS about the legend:
Anurag Basu: This is actually the end of an era. Our whole generation has grown up listening to his songs. This news is actually very sad and shocking.
Shankar Mahadevan: He made us think differently with his hit “Thriller”. He was an institution of modern music, which had great mass appeal with musical excellence. “Heal the world” is my favourite song.
Sukhwinder Singh: It’s a huge loss for the music industry. People remember him only as king of pop, but his grip on the music was too wide to be restricted to one genre.
Sunidhi Chauhan: He was the one and only. My favourite song of his was “I just cant stop loving you”.
Palash Sen: I am a huge fan of Michael Jackson. The man gave modern pop its identity and gave all of us lessons in music… not to mention the uniqueness of his vocals and his unbelievable dancing moves. He truly was the god of pop. Maybe the only singer in history who everyone knows across the globe. Sad loss.
Dibakar Banerjee: I would like to remember him for his music and his two songs “Billie Jean” and “Thriller”.
Akriti Kakkar: He was and will remain the king of the music, an icon to aspiring singers for the way he carved a niche for himself by fighting the odds and creating a new genre of music which we shall remember forever as Michael Jackson’s music. His demise is a big loss.
Subhash Ghai: Michael Jackson was a symbol of fire, passion and energy of talent who changed the peopl’e thinking. Youth followed him worldwide including in India and even our film music and dances have been heavily influenced by him.
Madhur Bhandarkar: We have been listening to his songs since 1980s and 1990s. The kind of euphoria that he created that time was amazing. His death is a great loss. It is so unfortunate that just weeks before he was supposed to hit the stage for his shows, he passed away. But he will always remain the king of music.

Pop superstar Michael Jackson dies at 50

Los Angeles, Pop star Michael Jackson died Thursday following a cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles, officials said. He was 50.
The King of Pop, whose life of stardom and scandal kept him permanently in the headlines, was found unconscious at his rented Bel Air mansion and was rushed to the UCLA Medical Centre.
“We were notified by LAPD that Michael Jackson was transferred from his house to the hospital,” said Los Angeles County Coroner Fred Corral. “He was unresponsive and pronounced dead at approximately 2.26 this afternoon.”
Corral said an autopsy would be performed to check for toxicology and other problems. The results are to be released Friday.
A large crowd formed outside the medical centre and his home, playing Jackson’s music, as news crews and reporters jostled for stories and as news helicopters hovered overhead.
Corral said that he had suffered a cardiac arrest and local media reported Jackson had not been breathing when paramedics reached him. Reports from hospital first said he was in a coma, before numerous media reported his death.
“We are just stunned - I can’t tell you what has taken place but everyone is just stunned,” family spokesman Brian Oxman told CNN. Referring to reports that Jackson was in ill health, Oxman said he “feared and warned about” the level of medication that Jackson was taking, though he stressed that “he was in fine condition. We have never seen him in any kind of weakened condition”.
Jackson is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.
Jackson had appeared increasingly frail and financially-challenged in recent years. Despite earning hundreds of millions of dollars he was reported to be $500 million in debt thanks largely to his eccentrically extravagant lifestyle.
Jackson’s rented home was roped off after paramedics arrived to transport the King of Pop to the hospital.
Born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana, Jackson was a child star with the Jackson 5 and became one of the most successful recording artists of all time with the release of the album “Thriller” in 1982 - the best selling album of all time. His successful songs redefined the modern music video and forced MTV to start showing black performers, and paved the way for the acceptance of rap and hip-hop as mainstream musical styles.
Elevated to the stardom level of the Beatles and Elvis, he also introduced a new level of mega-stardom through his music and clothes, his dance moves, and his massive live concert tours.
“Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour - way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama,” said black leader Al Sharpton. “Michael did with music what they did in sport politics and music. No controversy will erase his impact.”
He raised consciousness about the plight of Africa with the supergroup recording “We Are the World” in 1985. But after that most of his headlines were dogged by scandal - from his marriages to Lisa Presley and former nurse Debby Rowe, to his eccentric lifestyle behind the gates of his fantasy childhood estate, named Neverland, after the setting of the book Peter Pan.
He managed to settle an allegation that he molested a boy there in 1993, but was forced to face a sensational “trial of the century” 10 years later. He was ultimately acquitted of the charges, but the exposure caused huge damage to his career and financial situation.
At the time of his death he had been preparing for a 50-concert run in London that was meant to represent his comeback and secure his financial future.

Death of King of Pop Michael Jackson shocks the World

Washington, The death of pop star Michael Jackson with best-selling albums like “Off the Wall”, “Thriller” and “Bad” has shocked the world with messages pouring in from his family and close friends in Hollywood and around the globe.
The 50-year-old moonwalking former child star, who became known the world over as the King of Pop, was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home early Thursday afternoon, according to various media reports.
He was taken to the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Centre, where he died at 1.07 p.m. Pacific time Thursday (1:37 a.m. IST Friday).
“I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me,” said Jackson’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley.

Madonna also issued a statement, saying: “I can’t stop crying over the sad news. I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever. My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless.”
“Michael Jackson was my generation’s most iconic cultural hero. Courageous, unique and incredibly talented. He’ll be missed greatly,” said Russell Simmons, hip-hop entrepreneur and founder of Def-Jam Records.
The son of a steelworker, he rose to fame as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, a band he formed with his brothers in the late 1960s. By the late ’70s, as a solo artist, he was topping the charts with cuts from “Off the Wall”, including “Rock With You” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.
In 1982, he released “Thriller”, an album that eventually produced seven hit singles. An appearance the next year on a Motown Records 25th-anniversary special cemented his status as the biggest star in the country.
“Thriller’s” follow-up, 1987’s “Bad”, sold almost as many copies. A new Jackson album - a new Jackson appearance - was a pop culture event.
Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958, to Joe Jackson, a Gary, Indiana, steelworker, and his wife, Katherine. By the time he was 6, he had joined his brothers in a musical group organised by his father, and by the time he was 10, the group - the Jackson 5 - had been signed to Motown. He made his first television appearance at age 11.
Jackson, a natural performer, soon became the group’s front man. Its first four singles - “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There” - went to No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart, the first time any group had pulled off that feat.
The group’s popularity waned as the ’70s continued, and Michael eventually went solo full time. He played the Scarecrow in the 1978 movie version of “The Wiz”, and released the album “Off the Wall” in 1979.
Its success paved the way for “Thriller”, which eventually became the best-selling album in history, with 50 million copies sold worldwide.

Kareena Kapoor to act with Aamir Khan in Rajkumar Hirani’s next film

Kareena Kapoor just added another feather in her plum hat and this time, it’s something big.
The news has it that after much anticipation, she has finally bagged the elusive opportunity of working with her dream actor, Aamir Khan!
And the film is Rajkumar Hirani’s forthcoming film.
The news is a big one for Kareena, as she has managed to steal the ever so elusive and perfectionist Aamir Khan from actresses like Rani Mukherji, Preity Zinta and Vidya Balan.
There was some confusion in between, but last night she finally got her contract letter from Hirani’s office.
And she’s obviously delighted, because her last film with Aamir Khan which Mani Ratnam had planned, did not work out.
Stay tuned in!