The King of Pop is dead: Michael Jackson passes away - aged 50

Thursday, June 25, 2009

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Singer Michael Jackson died last night after collapsing at his home in Los Angeles.

The singer stopped breathing and suffered a massive cardiac arrest, although the exact circumstances of his death are unknown.

Paramedics failed to revive the 50 year-old and he was taken to hospital in a coma where he was pronounced dead.

His mother, brothers including Jermaine, Tito and Randy and sisters Janet and LaToya, had raced to be at his bedside.

Police said that an emergency call was made from the house at 12.21pm local time [8.21pm uk] today and paramedics raced to the scene.

Jackson, who has three young children, was seen being taken into an ambulance by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics and moved to the UCLA Medical Centre, according to celebrity website TMZ.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the star was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home.

When emergency staff arrived, they were forced to begin resuscitation procedures immediately.

Ten bodyguards followed the ambulance to hospital where the star was rushed into the emergency room on a stretcher.

Doctors again tried to revive him, but attempts failed.

Jermaine Jackson told reporters that medical staff had tried to resuscitate his brother for an hour after he collapsed at his home.

"His personal physician, who was with him at the time, attempted to resuscitate my brother, as did the paramedics who transported him to the UCLA," he said.

"On arrival at 1.14pm (local time) a team of doctors including emergency physicians and cardiologists attempted to resuscitate him for one hour but they were unsuccessful."

Jackson's mother and brothers raced from the family home nearby to be at his bedside.

His sister, La Toya, was seen running into the hospital sobbing.

A source close to his family said tonight: 'It's so tragic but he was such a wreck physically that all the signs were there.'

His ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley said that she was
'heartbroken' for his children.

'I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. Words fail
me,' she said in a statement.

His sister La Toya was spotted running in the UCLA Medical Centre sobbing shortly after he was pronounced dead.

Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother, arrived at UCLA hospital to be with the rest of the family shortly after 3pm.

Jackson's longtime publicist Michael Levine said he wasn't surprised by the news.

He said: "As someone who served as Michael Jackson's publicist during the 1st child molestation incident, I must confess I am not surprised by today's tragic news. "Michael has been on an impossibly difficult and often self-destructive journey for years. His talent was unquestionable but so too was his discomfort with the norms of the world.'

Jackson had apparently been 'doped up to his eyes' for several weeks with anti-pain prescriptions including Vicodin.

The source, who asked not to be named, said: 'He has pain in his back and that is the reason for the drugs, but it is obvious that the painkillers have taken over his life.'

He added: 'His family is telling him to ditch the medications and get on with the tour.'

Another family friend said that his ex-wife Debbie Rowe is expected to receive initial custody of the children while long term arrangements are sorted.

Another family source said he had become increasingly withdrawn over recent weeks, leaning on his mother Katherine for support as his health deteriorated.


via
dailymail.co.uk


via CNN


more resources from

Jackson dead after cardiac arrest

Michael Jackson dies at 50

Michael Jackson dies after being rushed to hospital following heart attack

Michael Jackson | The Official Site

Michael Jackson - TMZ.com

Michael Jackson had history of health problems

Pop star Michael Jackson dead: report

Michael Jackson Fan Club (MJFC)

Boyle wows Glasgow concert-goers

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

RTÉ.ie Entertainment: Susan Boyle - performed in Glasgow

Susan Boyle was met with rapturous applause last night as she took to the stage in front of a home crowd.

There had been doubts as to whether the singer from West Lothian would perform in the 'Britain's Got Talent' live show in Glasgow last night after pulling out of the event in Manchester.

But the church worker wowed the crowds as she belted out 'I Dreamed a Dream', the song which made her a worldwide star.

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Scots fans will be hoping Boyle can repeat her dazzling performance when the show reaches the Edinburgh Playhouse tonight.

Not only did she receive a standing ovation at the end of the Glasgow gig, the packed hall took to their feet as she walked on to stage in a floor-length sparkling dress and twice during her performance, which included 'Memory' from the musical Cats.

Many fans were waving home-made banners, some said "We love you Susan" and "Susan is the best".

On Sunday as concert-goers at the Manchester Evening News Arena were greeted at the venue with notices stating that Boyle would not perform at either of the scheduled matinee or evening shows.

via http://www.rte.ie/arts/2009/0616/boyles.html


See the Susan Boyle Glasgow video and photos here of the singer’s performance on June 15, 2009 in the BGT tour here. The singer canceled Manchester apperances, but returned to the stage in to deliver a stellar performance in her native land at Glasgow Glasgow SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre).

The Susan Boyle Glasgow performance included ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from Les Miserables and Memory from Cats, the two songs she sang in the BGT final and semi-final. Word went out via various news outlets, including the BBC (Boyle ‘will sing’ at Glasgow show) which reported that the singer would perform.

Many have tried to prognosticate the singer’s continued participation in the tour, and speculation on her mental and physical state continues. The senior member of Diversity dance troupe, Ian McNaughton, spoke highly of her during a prior stop in Birmingham.

Source: Dream Come True As Susan Gets Chance To Sing With Her Cats Idol



The article goes on to further speculate as to whether or not Susan Boyle will perform and/or record a duet with her longtime idol, Elaine Paige.

It was roughly two months ago that the 48-year-old singer from Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland went from obscurity to a meteoric rise to international fame as the viral video of her Britain’s Got Talent audition has become one of the most viewed videos in history on YouTube. It is now a part of pop culture, the remarkable story of her rise to fame as an everywoman confronting the skepticism of an audience of judges, Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden and then memorizing them and ultimately the world. The original Susan Boyle BGT audition video can be seen here: Susan Boyle Video (Britain’s Got Talent))

The Britain’s Got Talent Tour includes appearances from all BGT finalists: Diversity dance troupe (the 2009 winners), Julian Smith (third place finisher), Shaheen Jafargholi, Aidan Davis, Stavros Flatley, Hollie Steel, Shaun Smith, Flawless, 2 Grand as well as last year’s Britain’s Got Talent winner, dancer George Sampson. The Susan Boyle performances in on Birmingham and Sheffield drew a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience according to the Birmingham Mail.

To see Susan Boyle Glasgow photos see: Susan Boyle gets a standing ovation after wowing the crowd on the first night of Britain’s Got Talent live tour

For more reporting see also:

YouTube Link

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http://www.shallownation.com/2009/06/15/susan-boyle-glasgow-video-photos-susan-boyle-tour/

Adam Lambert of American Idol: Is Gay?

Thursday, June 11, 2009




Adam Lambert is this year?s chosen ?American Idol? contestant
In this file photo, American Idol contestant Adam Lambert is seen backstage in Los Angeles,... Expand
(M Becker/American Idol 2009/Getty Images for Fox)

As promised, Adam Lambert is clearing up all the speculation about his sexuality in the new issue of Rolling Stone.

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," Lambert tells the magazine. "I've been living in Los Angeles for eight years as a gay man."

While Lambert is proud of his sexuality – "I embrace it," he says. "It's just another part of me" – he's focused on his career. "I'm trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader."

Lambert, who says he was worried about coming out on American Idol because it would be "so
sensationalized that it would overshadow what I was there to do, which was sing," admits to having a crush on his roommate and Idol winner Kris Allen.

"I was like, 'Oh, s–, they put me with the cute guy,' "Lambert recalls of bunking in the Idol mansion with Allen. "Distracting! He's the one guy that I found attractive in the whole group on the show: nice, nonchalant, pretty and totally my type – except that he has a wife. I mean, he's open-minded and liberal, but he's definitely 100 percent straight."

As for the photos of Lambert dressed in drag and kissing other men that popped up online shortly after he made a splash on Idol, he says they're not really representative of who he is. "I've only dressed in drag three or four times," he says. "That's not me."

And while he's been spotted out with close friend Drake LaBry, Lambert says he didn't mind the attention he got during Idol from screaming female fans. "I loved it this season when the girls went crazy for me," Lambert admits. "As far as I'm concerned, it's all hot."

via people.com

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