Since news hit on Thursday afternoon that pop legend Michael Jackson passed away fans have been in complete shock. Internet search engines have been overloaded with Jackson related searches and television shows have paid him tribute. One of our favorite reality television shows, "American Idol" reran Michael Jackson week from Season 8 and BET's "106 and Park" cancelled their top 10 countdown to honor MJ. I will also be tuning into the BET Awards on Sunday to catch any possible MJ tributes.
So, what's the latest news on Jackson? His autopsy results will be revealed in the coming days. Doctors suspect that he may have had an underlying heart condition. However, rumors have also surfaced saying that Jackson was given Demerol before he was rushed to the hospital. Demerol is a narcotic pain reliever and extremely habit forming. Taken incorrectly it could very well lead to cardiac arrest.
Aside from trying to figure out what took the King of Pop at the young age of 50, fans also want to see pictures of his death. It seems a bit morbid, but perhaps they're just in disbelief. No pictures from the autopsy have surfaced, but "Entertainment Tonight" did have one exclusive photo of Jackson being rushed into hospital. Jackson's death is a part of a trio of Hollywood deaths this week following Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett. My prayers go out to the Jackson family.
Shortly after the news of Michael Jackson's shocking death Thursday, fans began arriving by the dozens to the family's 22-room estate in Encino, Calif. They left teddy bears, notes, flowers and candles outside the mansion, which Jackson is said to have adored.
The singer's death was palpable across the world. Hundreds left scrap books, flowers and candles outside his childhood home in Gary, Ind.
Outside the UCLA Medical Center after Jackson's passing, hundreds began chanting, "Michael! Michael!" as another fan blasted "Man in the Mirror" from an iPod dock.
Look back at Michael Jackson's life
"He was the first concert I ever went to! It was my birthday present when I was 6-years old," Missy Traubhill, 29, told Usmagazine.com. "My mom took me and my cousin in a limo, and we went to go see Thriller. I bought a blue muscle T-shirt with him on the front. He was in his little black pants, his skinny little black pants and white socks and black shoes. It was my best birthday memory of my life."
Dionica Bel, 25, recalled that Jackson's HIStory was her first album.
"I wanted to dance like him, to sing like him," she said. "I, to this day, have not stopped trying to moonwalk. He will always be one of the premiere reasons I fell in love with the kind of music I listen to today. He is his own genre. There would be no Justin Timberlake, there would be no Usher, there would be none of those pop artists today, if not for the ground work that Michael Jackson laid out for them."
See Us' photo tribute to stars who have died too soon
Outside NYC's Apollo Theater late Thursday, fans remembered Jackson as well.
"What really touched everybody so much out here is knowing that we lost a great person," Conway Murray, 39, told Us. "It's sad, but it's a great moment to see everybody out here together as one, to share the legacy of Michael Jackson."
Wearing a bright yellow Michael Jackson T-shirt featuring four printed pictures of the singer's face, Latifa Salaam, 54, told Us she was "horrified" when she heard the news of his passing.
"I jumped up. I said, 'No!' But it was true," she said. "So I grabbed the phone and called my daughter, everybody. Everybody heard. I called my sister, called my cousin. They were crying on the phone."
Added Jasmine Watson, 19: "I came out here because I heard the commotion and wanted to be a part of the memorial. It's beautiful. Here we get to see everyone come together and be together to remember him. I don't think there will ever be another King of Pop."
See Us' photo tribute to stars who have died too soon
In NYC's Times Square, a crowd gathered on Broadway and 44th Street outside the MTV studios. An ABC News banner read, "Michael Jackson, King of Pop, Dead at 50." At one point, a bus drove down Seventh Avenue blasting "Billie Jean." Crowds cheered.
Stephanie Defeo, 34, told Us: "I'm heartbroken. You can say Michael Jackson anywhere in the world and people will understand. I can't believe he’s dead. Today was a huge loss in pop culture."
