Deaths of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley were huge stories | Midwest VoicesDeaths of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley were huge stories
By Lewis Diuguid, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
My 22-year-old daughter, Leslie, sent me a text message from Omaha, calling Michael Jackson’s death on June 25 the story of the century worldwide.
I pooh-poohed her at the time. The closest thing to it for me was the death of Elvis Presley on Aug. 16, 1977.
Like Leslie now, I was 22 when Presley died, fresh out of college and just starting my career. Other parallels between now and then are eerie.
Elvis was only 42; Jackson, 50.
Investigations into Jackson’s death could show similar links to drugs, which were behind Presley’s untimely demise.Presley died at Graceland, his home in Memphis. Jackson died at his rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles.
Like Presley, Jackson’s death stylishly moon walked past stories about the faltering economy, the deaths of U.S. soldiers in wars, job losses, rising gasoline prices, Kansas City School District problems and President Barack Obama’s travels to Russia, seeking deep cuts in nuclear arsenals. Jackson was all that most people talked about.
In the library of The Kansas City Star, I reviewed microfilm of newspapers from 1977. Stories that were drowned out then by Presley’s passing were similar to those that Jackson’s death overshadowed.
They included efforts to find U.S. servicemen listed as missing in action in Southeast Asia, work by the Carter administration to end nuclear proliferation with the Soviets, parents wrangling with the Kansas City School District and people criticizing energy bills in Congress for not doing enough to end U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Business stories told of the stock market hitting a 19-month low and worries over interest rates, inflation and economic slowdowns.
Jackson and Presley wore crowns because of their phenomenal contributions to music.
Elvis was the King of Rock; Jackson was the King of Pop. The music, movies and what the men did to bridge American’s racial divides also can’t be overlooked. Jackson, like Presley, was a crossover artist. Presley picked up the style, rhythm, voice and moves of black musicians and sold that to white audiences in the 1950s and 1960s.
Jackson was one of Motown’s leading stars making black people, music and culture as sweet and as satisfying as Kool-Aid even during America’s hottest, sweatiest and most difficult days in the ’60s and ’70s. Jackson lifted his crossover music, videos and dance to a high art form in the years that followed.
It’s no wonder that basketball great Magic Johnson credited Jackson at the memorial service last week with his own rise to superstar status.
Before Jackson, outstanding black athletes were routinely passed over by corporations looking for pitchmen for their products. White players were favored. But Jackson’s stardom made black people and culture marketable like never before.
“I want to thank Michael for opening up so many doors for African Americans,” Johnson said at the Staples Center. “He allowed Kobe (Bryant) and me to have our jerseys in people’s homes across the globe because he was already there and he opened all those doors.”
If Jackson’s death is the story of the century worldwide, then the future may hold annual parades here in Jackson’s honor just as there have been for Presley. The number of touring Jackson impersonators here and at nightspots worldwide also may grow just like those who make a living playing Presley.
People love Presley’s hits, including, “Don’t be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “In the Ghetto,” “Teddy Bear” and “Suspicious Minds.” Headlines after Presley’s death told of his albums’ being sold out at record stores worldwide.
Jackson’s death sparked a similar demand.Jackson’s music, including “ABC,” “I’ll Be There” and “I Want You Back” defined the coming of age of baby boomers like me. His continuing artistry with “Thriller,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Heal the World” and “Man in the Mirror” defined my daughters’ generation.
The contributions of each man will benefit America and the world long after his death. My texting daughter is right.
Lewis W. Diuguid is a member of The Star’s Editorial Board. To reach him, call (816) 234-4723 or send e-mail to
July 12, 2009
Deaths of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley were huge stories | Midwest Voices
DUI Cure Kit - Getting out of a DUI - DUI Resolution Website and Blog - Country: The Twisted Roots Of Rock ‘n’ Roll |LOVE ME SOME SPLOG
Country: The Twisted Roots Of Rock ‘n’ Roll | DUI Cure Kit - Getting out of a DUI
DUI Cure Kit - Getting out of a DUI
DUI Resolution Website and Blog
Country: The Twisted Roots Of Rock ‘n’ Roll
From Publishers Weekly
A historical look at the seedy underbelly of country music. Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Celebrating the dark origins of our most American music, Country reveals a wild shadowland of history that encompasses blackface minstrels and yodeling cowboys; honky-tonk hell and rockabilly heaven; medieval myth and musical miscegenation; sex, drugs, murder; and rays of fierce illumination on Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others, famous and forgotten, whose demonology is America’s own. Profusely and superbly illustrated, Country stands as one of the most brilliant explorations of American musical culture ever written.
See all Editorial Reviews3 Responses to “Country: The Twisted Roots Of Rock ‘n’ Roll”
Michael Jackson Death Greatly Exaggerated Say Google - Twitter
Michael Jackson Death Greatly Exaggerated Say Google - TwitterNEWS OF Wacko's DEATH GREATLY EXAGGERATED - GOOGLE - TWITTER + Timeline of events--How Michael Jackson's death shut down Twitter, brought chaos to Google... and 'fulfilled' Jeff Goldblum!
The Internet came alive like never before as people around the world logged on to follow the stunning news of Michael Jackson's death. The story created such a surge in online traffic that Google returned an 'error message' for searches of the singer's name as it assumed it was under attack. And just seconds after the story broke on the American entertainment website TMZ.com, messages or 'Tweets' about the singer on the micro-blogging site Twitter doubled, leading to a temporary shutdown of the site.
TMZ.com was the first to break the story that Michael Jackson had had a cardiac arrest, when they stole a march on traditional media outlets with the scoop that Jackson had died from a heart attack two hours before it was confirmed by the more 'reputed' sources of The LA Times and Associated Press.
Confusion reigned for several hours in newsrooms about whether Michael Jackson was in a coma or perhaps had already passed away - although some bloggers suggested the story was a hoax. The 24-hour news services provided by Sky and BBC were forced to credit TMZ for their most up-to-date information. American gossip blogger Perez Hilton wrote: '(Jackson) pulled a similar stunt when he was getting ready for his big HBO special in '95 when he collapsed at the rehearsal! 'Either he's lying or making himself sick, but we're curious to see if he's able to go on. Get your money back, ticket holders!'
How news of Jackson's death spread around the Internet: Timeline of events... Rumours abounded as major news channels were reluctant to run the story with TMZ.com as the only source. Despite breaking stories such as Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic rant during a drunk driving arrest, the website is viewed by many as salacious and lacking credibility. CNN waited for the coroner's confirmation before it stated Michael Jackson was dead, despite being owned by Time Warner, the same company as TMZ.
Harvey Levin, managing director of TMZ said: 'No matter what they say, people know we broke the story. That's how competitors handle it. There's no issue about our credibility. 'We were getting calls from everyone under the sun, established news operations, asking, "Are you sure?" That's such an odd question. We would not have published it if it were not true.'
The number of Jackson tracks being listened to on the internet radio Last.FM leapt to his death. Internet users however had no such qualms with the news source and turned to Twitter to spread the story.
By 10.30pm, Jackson-based Twitter traffic had risen to 12.26 per cent and peaked at 11.30pm with 22.61 per cent of all messages dedicated to the star. Nine of the ten most popular topics on Twitter were dedicated to the tragic king of pop by this time.
Tweet counter/founder Biz Stone said: 'We saw an instant doubling of tweets per second the moment the story broke. 'It is the biggest jump in tweets per second since the U.S. presidential election.' The Mail Online saw traffic double between 10pm and 12pm. Meanwhile, computers running Google's news section interpreted the fusillade of 'Michael Jackson' requests as an automated attack...Read More AT http://www.visualguidanceltd.blogspot.com
~ nichopoulooza
"Michael Jackson" Wacko Death Greatly Exaggerated Google Twitter Timeline killed "Jeff Goldblum" TMZ up-to-date information micro-blog Tweets shutdown site cardiac arrest scoop perezhilton LA Sky BBC Times hoax"Associated Press" blogger hoax 24-hour news Mail Online gossip service "Perez Hilton" HBO rehearsal nichopoulooza coroner "Time Warner" "Harvey Levin" sun LastFM "Biz Stone"
Michael's father Joe Jackson laughing outside family home + For more on JJ go to Nichopoulooza and search Joe Jackson | Mail Online
Michael's father Joe Jackson laughing outside family home | Mail OnlineMichael's father Joe Jackson laughing outside family home
An extraordinary image of Michael Jackson's father laughing emerged today.
The picture shows Joe Jackson sharing a joke with Reverend Jesse Jackson, a close friend of the Jacksons, outside the family home in Los Angeles.
The image will do little to dampen growing criticism of the Jackson family and their alleged failure to help the singer as his health deteriorated.
However, the family today demanded an independent post mortem to find out exactly why he died.
Sharing a laugh: Rev. Jesse Jackson, left, and Joe Jackson share a light moment outside the family home in Los Angeles
Reverend Jesse Jackson said they desperately want answers about his final moments and the doctor who was by his side at the time of his collapse.
The civil rights campaigner, who has been acting as a spokesman for the singer's parents, said they were 'without a doubt' going to arrange a second examination.
It came as the family spoke for the first time about Jackson's sudden death on Thursday, describing it as 'tragic' and one of the 'darkest moment of their lives'.
Rev. Jackson revealed their confusion and frustration about exactly why the star collapsed and died at his home from a massive heart attack.
He said: 'Right now there is no peace. We don't know what happened and we need to know. Michael was not sick. He was not frail.'
'When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did he inject him? If so, with what?,' he told ABC News in the U.S.
Thumbs up: Michael Jackson's father Joe, right, pictured with Rev Jesse Jackson, left, waves to the media outside the family home in Los Angeles.
'Was he on the scene twice? Before and then reaction to? Did he use Demerol? It's a very powerful drug. Was he injected once? Was he injected twice?'
He added: 'They're hurt because they lost a son. But the wound is now being kept open by the mystery and unanswered questions of the cause of death.'
Dr Conrad Robery Murray, who was with the star when he died, last night spoke to police for three hours and his laywers insist he is not a suspect.
An autopsy has already been carried out by the Los Angeles Coroner's Office and found evidence Jackson was on prescription drugs.
Officials said there was no sign of trauma or foul play but that complicated toxicology tests that could take up to six weeks were needed to establish cause of death.
Another examination, at the family's behest, was already under way yesterday, according to TMZ - the website who first broke the news of Jackson's death.
But Brian Elias, lieutenant at the County Department of Coroner in LA, said the body was still in the mortuary.
'My understanding is that they have requested a second autopsy. But we have no way of confirming that. The body is in a mortuary and if they want to proceed with a separate autopsy, it is up to them,' he said.
More tests: Michael Jackson's family want a second autopsy
The singer's body was released back to the family on Friday night and was taken to an indisclosed location.
His family have all convened on his parents, Joe and Katherine's home in Encino, California, as they consider their next move.
In a statement yesterday, they spoke of their grief for the first time.
'Our beloved son, brother and father of three children has gone so unexpectedly, in such a tragic way and much too soon,' they said.
'It leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to a point, where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times.
'We miss Michael endlessly, our pain cannot be described in words. But Michael would not want us to give up now. So we want to thank all of his faithful supporters and loyal fans worldwide, you - who Michael loved so much.
'Please do not despair, because Michael will continue to live on in each and every one of you. Continue to spread his message, because that is what he would want you to do. Carry on, so his legacy will live forever.'
It added that Jackson's father Joe wanted to personally say: 'My grandchildren are deeply moved by all the love and support you have shown for them and their father.'
Removal vans have been going in and out of Jackson's rented home in nearby Beverly Hills, where his sisters Janet and La Toya were spotted yesterday.
Tosches displays not only a historian’s love for the eras he writes about, but a gossip columnist’s passion for irreverence and shock. That makes this book and its companion (Unsung Heroes of Rock & Roll) completely essential reads for anyone who loves popular twentieth century music. And, it blows the lid off country’s origins in a way guaranteed to outrage country’s often-times “holier-than-thou” patrons. Obscure names, obscure songs, obscure facts all mesh to create a living, breathing historical time-capsule that speaks as much about the era the music was recorded in as the music itself. And the writing is dry yet never condescending, witty yet never demeaning, sincere yet unafraid to point out “the truth” no matter how ugly and undignified it may be. But you’ll learn to love the heroes that pepper this book for the pioneers they were. And, when the last page is read, you’ll come back to it again and again. Part of the pleasure of reading a great book is rereading it and learning much more than you did the last time you read it. . . Tosches manages that feat thanks to an unflinching eye for detail and a poet’s way with words.
Tosches is an entertaining and skillful writer and the premise of this book is an important and timely one. Country music has been diluted, softened and stripped of what once made it great and is now in the hands of the pallid “new country” gang of cheeseballs. Tosches saw this coming way back in the mid-70s, resented it and wrote this book. Unfortunately Country is full of misconceptions, omissions and serious factual errors. Yes, country music did have a dark side but it’s always had a family and religious side as well and even in its earliest stages could cross over into sentimental and mawkish pap. This didn’t start in the 50’s as Tosches insists but was present in the music of the Carter Family and Jimmy Rogers (Tosches barely mentions either) who between them invented the genre. Their music embraced both sides of the coin as did every great country artist who ever lived including Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. (Tosches unfairly savages Cash in this book for his lightweight songs which is odd because in an article written 15 years later, Tosches praises him to the skies although Cash had written no groundbreaking tunes in the intervening years) Tosches makes much of how the British murder ballad tradition disappeared completely from early country music, ignoring (or perhaps being unaware of) songs like Banks of the Ohio or Knoxville Girl–both of which were major country hits in the 30s and 50s respectively and are both taken directly from the murder ballad tradition as are many, many other country songs. His chapter on the development of the dobro and steel guitar is potentially interesting but is full of major errors. Tosches seems unaware of the major differences between dobro, slide guitar, steel guitar, pedal steel guitar and so on and at times it sounds like he thinks they’re all the same instrument with only minor alterations. For example, he doesn’t mention the difference in the number of strings between dobro and pedal steel nor the very different tunings used. This would be acceptable if the discussion were brief but considering the space he devotes to the topic, these omissions are glaring. It would be a bit like saying that the piano is just a big harpsichord. At one point he strongly disagrees with musicologists who claim that many country guitarists were influenced by jazz guitarists. He claims that the guitarist from Milton Brown’s band couldn’t have been influenced by Django Reinhardt because–he says–Reinhardt’s records didn’t reach the states until the late 30’s. Wrong, Nick. Try 1933. Eddie Lang, who had a huge influence on country guitarists is never mentioned nor is Charlie Christian whose work was the source of the style of every gutiarist who played with Bob Wills. But the most unforgiveable mistake is his insistence that Maybelle Carter’s guitar playing had as much influence on country music as “Rudy Vallee. ” Read the history of the Carter Family, “Bury Me Beneath the Willow” and the many testimonials from the greatest country guitarists ever recorded who all say that their primary influence was Mother Maybelle. This is so evident simply by listening to classic country music rhythm guitar playing that one wonders if Tosches has actually heard any. Also, Tosches can’t resist proving to us once again that he is a scholar of Greek and Roman literature and history and his references to this subject are sometimes laughably incongruous, clearly designed to convince us that his scholary credentials are unimpeachable. Usually these tedious asides have nothing to do with the subject at hand. Still, Tosches is a good writer, full of irreverence and wit and great turns of phrase. This is a fun book to read and Tosches makes a few good points. But if you want to read truly well researched books on country music, forget this and pick up Bill Malone’s Country Music USA and Rich Kienzle’s excellent book Southwest Shuffle, a fantastically researched book which says more about the real roots of “New Country” in one chapter than Tosches says in this entire poorly realized mess of a book.
In a reader review of Tosches’ book on Emmett Miller, whose real origins are in the imaginary chapters of the first edition of this book, this book belongs in every home. The writing is this book alone is worth the price. He’s a vigorous wise ass and elegant literary dynamo. If you just read the writing, and dont give a hoot about country music, you will enjoy yourself. So much of music writing is devoled to haigiagraphy and confirming ignorant common places, whereas Tosches is concerned with the dirty nasty truth, and the wild side of things. You aren’t going to learn that Roy Acuff who appointed himself a great country music icon, decades after he had had a hit, began his work in music with a group called “the Bang Boys” that specialized in X rated songs. His description of a Jerry Lee Lewis recording session sometimes in the 1970s is really masterful and still rings in my mind 20 years after I first read it. Likewise, you will love Tosches’ description of the dark end of Spade Cooley. Cooley torutured and murdered his wife because Cooley believed she had banged Roy Rodgers–and Cooley got into show business a double for Roy Rogers in the movies! There is so much uncovered about the real origins of rock and roll. No one can live without the first book that wasn’t afraid to let you know that Hank Williams was bald! If you don’t have this book in your house, buy it, or move in with someone who’s got it! Dont forget his great book on Jerry Lee Lewis, Hellfire. This man knows how to write!