Michael Jackson
Motown legend, pop music icon and singer-songwriter-dancer-choreographer-overall musical genius Michael Jackson succumbed to cardiac arrest at age 50 on June 26. His death resulted from an overdose of the rarely-used-at-home anesthetic propofol; the King of Pop’s private doctor Conrad Murray was later investigated and arrested for homicide (he had yet to be tried as of this writing). Worshipped throughout the world by adults and children alike for more than 40 years, MJ first burst onto the music scene at age six as part of the child music troupe the Jackson Five. Part of Jackson’s allure—or at least mystery—was his self-imposed seclusion at his home, Neverland Ranch, a massive 2,676 acre “campus” complete with a zoo, an amusement park and other accoutrements to amuse the child-like star. The media’s sensationalist coverage of his death became the final, ultimate sideshow in the circus that was his life.
