Michael Jackson Dead :Times Of India

LONDON: Fans around the world grieved for Michael Jackson on Friday, as his star friends in Hollywood declared themselves devastated by the sudden death of the "King of Pop." Madonna said she could not stop crying. Elizabeth Taylor, one of the singer's closest friends, was too stunned to comment. Many tributes put Jackson into the pantheon of tragic stars alongside Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. Fan clubs around the world from Paris to Beijing planned candlelit vigils for the 50-year-old superstar. At the Glastonbury pop festival in Britain, thousands danced to Jackson's iconic songs such as "Thriller" and "Billie Jean." But the recriminations also started over the treatment of the singer who made the world's biggest selling album "Thriller" and was planning comeback shows in London next month after being dragged through the courts on paedophilia charges. As fans gathered outside the Los Angeles hospital where the troubled star was pronounced dead after apparently suffering a heart attack, some of the biggest names in entertainment paid their own tributes. Pop diva Madonna called Jackson "one of the greats" of modern music. "I can't stop crying over the sad news," she told celebrity website People.com. "I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever." Beatle Paul McCartney hailed Jackson as a "massively talented boy man with a gentle soul". Actress Taylor, one of Jackson's longstanding friends, was "too devastated" to issue a statement, her spokesperson said. Quincy Jones who produced the "Thriller" album said: "To this day, that music is played in every corner of the world, and the reason is because he had it all -- talent, grace and professionalism." The star's first wife Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, said: "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." Jackson's influence was also highlighted by the new generation of pop stars. Justin Timberlake -- who like Jackson is known for both his singing and dancing -- said in a statement that the world had "lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only pop music, but of all music." Singer Beyonce said: "The incomparable Michael Jackson has made a bigger impact on music than any other artist in the history of music." Jackson has immediately been put among the all-time entertainment greats. "Just as there will never be another Fred Astaire or Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley, there will never be anyone comparable to Michael Jackson," film director Steven Spielberg told Entertainment Weekly. "His talent, his wonderment and his mystery make him a legend." But many lamented the pressures of his eccentric private life, financial troubles and his planned comeback. Flawed genius Commentators reflecting on Jackson's life focused on his flaws as well as his global fame and musical flair. "Broken and broke: the child star haunted by fame and scandal" read a profile in the Guardian newspaper, which called him "the natural successor to Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley". Jackson sold an estimated 750 million records, a figure that is likely to rise with the expected posthumous re-release of his hits. "Thriller", which came out in 1982, remains the best-selling album of all time. Jackson also won 13 Grammy Awards, made boundary-breaking music videos and his slick dance moves were imitated by legions of fans, and fellow pop stars, around the world. But his preference for the company of children, high-pitched voice, numerous plastic surgeries and life as a virtual recluse earned him many critics and the nickname "Wacko Jacko." When he came to London to announce his residency at the O2 Arena starting on July 13, bookmakers immediately took bets on whether he would turn up for the first show, amid concerns and rumours over his physical and mental health. His sudden death, nevertheless, came as a surprise. "I spoke to Michael only a few days ago and he was absolutely on top of everything, working hard and really excited about (the) forthcoming shows," said Mark Lester, a former child actor and godfather to Jackson's children. Quincy Jones, who worked closely with Jackson on some of his most successful recordings, led tributes from the music world. "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news," he said of one of the first black entertainers of the MTV generation to gain a big crossover following. Pop star Madonna said: "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." Germany's Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, speaking in front of the Adlon Hotel where in 2002 Jackson caused a stir by dangling his baby from a top floor window in front of adoring fans, described Jackson as a great artist. "But his life was also rather tragic in the end ... That's why I hope his whole life is taken into account when reflecting upon his death and not only the last few years."