No matter what he did in his personal life.... a true pop icon has gone, one who gave me a lot of pleasure in my teens. Can't say I'll miss him, but I want to thank him for that...
This is terrible news. It's always sad when someone so talented is taken from us, especially so suddenly and so young. A heart attack at home out of the blue? My heart goes out to Michael Jackson's family and his fans who'll be going through the same torment we all experienced when Elvis died. Maybe now people will be able to concentrate on this talented performer's music and forget about his problems and his personal life. It's unfortunate but sometimes we don't appreciate the impact someone has made on our lives until they are gone. RIP Michael.
plastic surgery mutant, pedophile who paid off the families of the children he molested is dead. Not so choked up about that really. However, I did always find it sorta sad that Lisa Marie married the nutcase and thus associated Elvis' family name with him. Now that was kinda sad.
Michael Jackson, a Legend. forever. I will miss him.
As an artist he was a true icon !...but regarding his personal life I won't go there...if Michael goes to heaven I'm sure Elvis will make sure he doesn't stand on the same cloud with him !....To this day, Elvis must still be saying to himself "Lisa, what on earth were you thinking ???"
rest in peace, what a talent but what a sad, sad life..
It is time for Elvis fans, and that includes all of us, to act with some dignity. The death of Michael Jackson to his fans, is just as tragic as the death of Elvis was to us. Whist we know that Elvis was the best artist ever, we as fans are no better than fans of any other artist, and without fan support for all acts the entertainment industry would perish.
In the eyes of the general public Elvis fans can appear strange, and at times that can effect the public's perception of Elvis himself. The annual sight of thousands of Elvis fans walking around his grave with a candle in reality can be judged by others as somewhat disturbing. We know why we do it, but if we are honest it doesn't look good for Elvis' legacy.
Over the next few weeks we will see freekish acts performed by Michael Jackson fans in memory of their idol. They will look odd to us, but it is time for us to take a look at what we do. Don't loose sight of the fact that almost a million fans have pre-booked tickets to see Michael Jackson in London next month
Billie Jean lives on....great musician, a legend.
We all loved him at one time or another. Musically he was brilliant, and will be missed:
What a tragic news When i was in my teenage years in the 80's Michael Jackson was important to me i loved his music and in my mind there was no doubt he was one of the best entertainer in the world. For many people Michael Jackson was the Elvis of black people and i agree with this he had some kind of magnetism that few artist have in fact only Elvis and Michael had it in my mind.
When i saw the crowd reaction to his death on tv and internet it remind me of when Elvis dies. To all his fans and family members i'd like to offer my sincere condolences. Elvis is my hero and i have deep respect for Michael Jackson.
A musical icon - and another sad loss to the music world. No matter what his personal life amounted to in the later years his music will live forever. In fact today Elvis takes a step back on my Hi-Fi and it's just Jackson's music throughout. RIP Michael, and say hello to Elvis from us all when you enter the Pearly Gates. We will miss you.
He was a great artist, with a sad life. But it looks like those two facts go hand in hand a lot of times.
A lonely life ends on Elvis Presley Boulevard; A lonely life ends in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. Free at last, free at last...
Kingcreole who else would you like to judge today? as for Elvis fans too many of them dont know how to act mature or have dignity,we were not there,we are not to judge!
I have already heard his death being compared with Elvis, (music icon, young age, medication, recluse, etc) so be prepared because you will probably hear a lot of this type of talk. I was not a big fan, always looked at his music as bubble gum soul in contrast say to James Brown or Ray Charles, but his influence is not to be denied. He basically re-wrote the book in the 80's with dance riffs, and the music video and the biggest LP of all time. SO RIP MJ, your true fans will mourn you the way we do Elvis.
Steve ,i agree with that for the most part, i do like some of his music,as for james brown,im a fan of his,great talent,great performer!
Sad to see that any person has died but it must be said:
Jackson was no supporter of Elvis Presley, in fact he did as much as he could to discredit Elvis and his achievements, even to the point of proclaiming himself 'King Of Pop' and refusing to be interviewed unless he was referred to as such. He was even going to close his London shows with a song that proclaimed him bigger than Elvis and The Beatles. His outrageous 'record sales' claims are totally ludicrous and again manufactured to make himself look good. He was the total egotist.
He cannot be compared to Elvis as Elvis was more than just a singer/entertainer but an historical figure who broke down social and cultural barriers in 1950's U.S.A. making it easier for all entertainers who followed in his footsteps. Elvis paved the way for Dr. Martin Luther King. Further, Elvis was the whole package - he had the talent, looks, charisma, voice and sang in virtually every musical genre there was. He was also extremely humble. Other superstars e.g. Jackson and Madonna stick mainly to one or two musical genres but Elvis sang what he liked. On the positive side, Jackson was a great dancer.
Of course, he was dogged by 'paedophile accusations' through his latter years and this did not help his cause. Further, his 'unusual' lifestyle was a matter of some ridicule among the paparazzi.
His failing health in recent months came at a time when he wanted to make a 'comeback' to raise money to pay for outstanding lawsuits and he agreed to play 50 concerts at the 02 Arena in London. Such a feat would be extremely taxing for a 25 year old never mind a 50 year old and I feel the stress of these concerts must have contributed to his untimely death. Interestingly, if you remember, Elvis died on the eve of a new concert tour. Such tours for someone who is not completely fit create extreme stress.
Jackson had a large following, mainly among young people, and he will be missed by them as well as family and friends.
Brian Quinn's comment is "bullseye". Straight to the point , just the plain and simple truth . Don't think anyone could write a better or more detailed reaction . Well written Brian !! MJ was not my cup of tea, but to each his own. I fully understand the pain and sadness of his fans, just like I felt on August 16th 1977. Always El.
He is and was a music legend no matter what. Great performer and dancer. Everybody will remember the day he died just like Elvis..His death will be good for his legacy just like Elvis..he took too many pills just like Elvis..he had charisma just like Elvis..He will live on forever just like Elvis..and soon another great performer and singer will die..Willy DeVille. He is very ill right now. I went to more then 60 concerts of him since 1999..
They hid my post because of bad language?!?!?! I used absolutely no bad language at all! I will say, I thought very little of the guy and the fact that he was so "friendly" with children didn't help (trying to avoid "bad language") As far as his influence in the 1980's....well, yes, but I would posit that Prince is by far the greater artist and influence.
Brian's post should be on the front page of each & every newspapers around the world ; we are going to read/hear so many b s (regarding his "record" sales , his "influences" , his "legacy"...)in the medias in the next few days. 228 poor people died in a plane crash a few days ago & that's a real tragedy.
King Creole, I know you did not. Don't know what happened here :-(
Oh my God... When I heard the news in Istanbul in the morning at 08:20 am I was shocked and I didn't want to believe and my heart started to beat so fast. I will really miss him and his legacy will live on as Elvis's too. R.I.P. Michael... !!!! We love you and my feelings are with all michael jackson fans right now... What a loss !!! :(
Lisa Marie issued a statement saying she was "Shocked and confused". No change there, then.
hello!!! why is this talked about on and elvis web site ? the guy bad mouth elvis said he was better then elvis called himself the king of pop.had he not married lisa marie would this even be a topic on this site.one confused elvis fan.always elvis the true king of rock&roll.
C'mon... one one can ingore such a talent. I think his death is the biggest loss after Elvis.It's the truth...
I feel no sorrow whatsoever at Michael Jackson's passing. I do however feel a great relief for the innocent children who were manipulated by this man.
A QUOTE BY ELVIS PRESLEY ON STAGE 1969.... "STONE COLD NATURAL..............."
Sinatra & John Lennon were the biggest losses after Elvis musically. Michael probably was to the folks 40 and under, but historically the other 2 were bigger losses.
He was a great persona in music business. It is obvious and no one can deny this. But his music... absolutely not my cup of tea. Dance, suits, music videos - all these things made him famous but his voice was so week and poor. In fact, one of the weekest voices in the music world.
One of the reasons this is being talked about on this website is that throughout the day Jackson has been compared to Elvis. Anyone just hear the washed up Tony Blackburn declaring that Jackson's death is a much bigger event than Elvis passing & that in a hundred years time Jackson will be remembered & Elvis won't? Comparisons are odious, but frankly so is Blackburn...
Music insiders are predicting his sales will topple Elvis in the wake of his death. They are expecting Thriller to hit #1 again.
Brian Quinn and Steve V (and Mature for good measure) you all say it so well.
That said, I do think we are in the period of time when if he's not our cup of tea (I have mild nostalgia for his Jackson 5 hits and early solo hits), then we have to sort of carefully take a step back and give Jackson fans the respect that Elvis fans have not always gotten. But I agree, some wild statements are already being hung onto the Jackson legacy that have no sense of history. An MSNBC poll (which I posted on FECC) asked: who was the biggest pop star ever--- MJ? Madonna? The Beatles? Someone else?
Written by a 19 or 29 year old, no doubt. No Elvis, no Sinatra, even no Bing Crosby, who, it has been argued sold more than all of 'em (in the 78 rpm era) at a time had a beloved stature in a smaller, more homogenous 1930s-early '50s America that only Elvis would match.
In addition to what Brian Quinn wrote (I was thrilled to hear one radio news report call him the "self-proclaimed' King of Pop" ...), I also found it very wrong how he duked it out with Paul McCartney over the publishing rights to the Beatles catalog. Can you imagine the gall? You'd think he'd say, "Hey, Paul, what's a few million between billionaires- you wrote the songs, you can have 'em...Hats off." Instead, he engaged in an ugly court battle. Really, don't get me started. Behind the high pseudo-modest speaking voice, here was a real narcissist on a level that puts other stars way behind him, including Elvis. (In some ways, his excesses may finally make people relax over Elvis' own disturbing fall at age 42, which will again be realized as super-young...)
So I also view Jackson as a *tragic* figure who was abused..and then became an abuser in more ways than one himself. I'm stepping back on this as most of you will out of respect, but I have to say another day or so of Jackson hype will drive me batty, given his creepy post-1984 persona.
As one fan-critic put it last night (and I'd forgotten this), he had just about recorded what was the "perfect" album (his words, not mine) called "OFF THE WALL"...and then went to the Grammy Awards in '84 with the lovely Brooke Shields on his arm..(ok, so far so good...) ...and then 4-foot nothing child star actor Emmanuel Lewis on the other...!
This was seen as the first truly distrubing sign about the guy. Anyway, God will sort out the rest and let us try to remember him for his contributions, not any harm he did to children , with the best lawyers money can buy notwithstanding..
Rest in peace...but let the historical record sort out the cultural influence..
After reading Brian's comment I wrote " I don't think anyone could write a better reaction". I was wrong ! Greg nailed it too ! Always El.
kinda makes me want to go out and buy some Elvis cd's
MJ was a genius, but a strange guy, he will be missed, very sad news..But the greatest entertainer and a genius also, will be Elvis Presley, forever, no matter what!
I cannot separate the man, his talent, or anything else about him from his obviously sick attraction to boys. Take every bit of greatness ascribed to him, multiply it by the tenth power, and you still come up with the same sick dude that bought his way out of justice. His death isn't what is sad. It's the fact that his fame and fortune put him out of reach of the help he needed. He was already outwardly weird by the time he caught Lisa Marie's eye. She must have bathed herself in total denial back then.
do i care? no is the simple answer. His music meant nothing to me. Is he a legend? of course but that doesn't mean i have any feelings towards the man. Basically we all feel shock because he's someone we've grown up with, nothing more. Of course people will make comparisons with Elvis that's only natural. Just ignore it like i do, we all no that there is no comparison.
To those who would speak badly of Michael, who continually refer to him as a child molestor, despite being proven not guilty in a court of law, who accuse him of all sorts of weirdness and strange behaviours, might I suggest you listen again to Elvis sing "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" and then listen again to "Clean up your own backyard".
Let's show a little respect for those who loved and adored Michael as we do Elvis. His passing is tragic, a great loss to the music world and he will be missed by millions. Therein lies the parallel.
May his journey home be speedy, may he rest easy and may he be greeted and befriended by those who gone before.
RIP Michael. I shall miss you.
Although I don't call myself a fan of Michael Jackson, I have always appreciated his music and can understand the comparisons currently being made between him and Elvis (i.e. groundbreaking artist who helped change the face of popular music; cultural icon for his time; superstar; passed away at home from a cardiac arrest; questions relating to use of prescription medications; entertainment world in mourning, etc.). When I heard the news yesterday it took me back 32 years to when I heard the news that Elvis had passed away (at the time I was 9 and not a fan).
No doubt, we will see a similar outpouring of grief and tributes over the coming days and weeks - as we did with Elvis - however, as information is more readily available nowadays due to the internet, cable and satellite TV, mobile phones, etc., Michael Jackson's passing may be ultimately regarded as a bigger media event - but does that really matter?
No one knows for certain exactly how perfect or imperfect either Elvis or Michael were, but what is certain is that they were both the biggest solo superstars in music for their time. Elvis fans, more than anyone else, should be able to relate to the pain, frustration and sadness that misinformation and half-truths can bring. At this time, let us rise above the urge to be critical, but instead, may our thoughts and prayers go out to Michael, his direct and extended family (including Lisa Marie), and his fans.
"You never stood in that man's shoes, or saw things through his eyes" - Hank Williams (as quoted by Elvis Presley)
i hear you moodyblue1.went out and got i believe the gospel masters.his passing and all this talk about wacko jacko cd sales has me on a cd buying spree .about to buy ftd.all elvis fans should do the same.
Sad news indeed. Like Elvis, Michael Jackson was a superstar whose life spiraled out of control. Both Elvis & Michael have good & bad things in their lives like EVERYONE has. Any bad things they did has died with them, but their music lives on. Just like I've done with Elvis, I'll do the same with Michael, & that is focus on the man & the music. That lives on. I just hope the other super stars out there or any future super stars will learn from these tragedies. Entertain the fans BUT keep their lives in control & learn to be content with what talents God gave them & never lose focus of that.
It is sad when someone dies young. It will be particularly sad if there is any truth to the suspicions as to the circumstances. Why is it that people who can have so much can be so unhappy?
It's always a loss when someone dies at the age of 50 (or younger). And it's a loss when it's someone famous. Personally, life hasn't changed a single second for me since I've heard MJ died. I was there in the dancings in the 80's when his Thriller album was top of the bill. And yes, songs like Billy Jean are great. But I think his overall influence can't be compared to the influence Elvis and The Beatles had. Both changed the WORLD, MJ only changed things inside the music business. Videoclips were already there, he made it better and more expensive, but new ? His type of music ? Was already there. His outfits ? People ridiculise Elvis for his jumpsuits; I've never seen MJ dressed normally, not on stage and not in private. PEOPLE called Elvis THE KING, MJ called himself the King. Weird and frightening behavior. We all can name some more who called themselves this or that.... Even his freaking behavior was there: Elvis had a monkey as did MJ and almost every musical star has some screws loose: too much attention, too much money and they all flip one way or the other (Bono being an exception maybe ?).
Elvis didn't have hits between 1972 (Burning Love) and his death, but he still was there: Aloha, 1000 shows between 1972 and 1977, all sold out. Where was MJ the past 10 years ? Ok, he wrote his own songs. Nice, but with 13 # 1 hits and 200 songs ? What was the succes of the other 187 songs ? Poorly written maybe ? Record sales: the whole world knows Elvis sold more, even counting in the days and years when records sales were difficult. Try to buy a That's Allright Mama single living in Europe 1954 or try to buy a MJ Thriller album in the 80's. Easier to obtain, thus the higher the sales.
What was remarkable yesterday here on Dutch radio: they played his greatest hits. And within an hour the first song was already played again..... Try that with the Elvis catalogue, you need more than one hour to play his hits. Same for The Beatles by the way. Or even The Stones.
It's a hype, the man died and had loads of fans as Elvis had/has. But as important as Elvis or The Fab Four ? Never. He simply didn't renew or shook the world enough for that. Elvis changed a way of living, The Beatles did it again and after them it never happened again. So a good number 3 maybe (but I think a lot of U2, Queen, Stones fans can discuss that also).
And come on people: take a look at an Elvis picture from the 50's or late 60's and take any kind of MJ picture. Who's the one with the Atomic Bomb looks ? Who's the Rebel ? Which one of the two did his moves because he "simply could't stand still". With MJ, it's always the same, always the same moves, studied over and over again. Elvis The Pelvis or The Moonwalk ? The world didn't change a bit when MJ walked backwards, it did when EP shook his hips and when The Beatles conquered the States when Elvis was in a Hollywood coma.
I miss Farah Fawcett more; wow, what a beauty she was in her Charlie's Angels period......
Michael Jackson was more talented than Elvis. He sang great(like Elvis), danced really great and wrote his own music. I just prefer to listen to Elvis.
Michael Jackson was only more talented than Elvis as a dancer & songwriter. Def not as a singer, certainly not as an actor. As I've stated his impact was huge but only two musical acts transcended the music and became 20th century pop culture figures, and that is Elvis & The Beatles. Dylan to some extent because of his writing and maybe Sinatra because of the war time teen idol worshipers. But to me only Elvis & The Beatles turned the music and pop culture world upside down. No has since or probably ever will again cause such a hysteria. I've lived through all except Sinatra in the 40's and I can tell you MJ doesn't come close. In death, they will try to establish him as an equal but those of us who were around know better. Still, RIP, MJ.
Right you are Steve ! MJ sang great like Elvis ????? Come on Wiebe, you can't be serious, or are you joking ? Listen to ( to name a few ) American Trilogy, Hurt, You Gave Me A Mountain, etc.. and then compare !!! Always El.
Yes he could sing and dance. What bothers me is the same hypocrites that called him weird and a pedophile last week, are praising him and saying how he was such a wonderful person and a great humanitarian. Give me a break. Talented? Yes. Weird? VERY Yes. Pedophile? Let's just say that parents of young kids can now breathe a sigh of relief. I heard that in his memory --- all retailers are going to have little boys pants 1/2 off.
Regardless of what people think of mj and what he did or not i'm getting fed up of the who was better (ep or mj) nonsense because everyone is different. For me elvis is number one, for others it's mj, or somebody else. I think chris moyles (uk dj) summed it up well "michael Jackson was to me how I imagine elvis was to another generation"
elvis did try to write a few songs with red west&charlie hodge wiebe (ect you'll be gone,that's someone you never forget).while not great had he been encourage more he might have became a great songwriter.but to say mj more talented is just ludicrous in my opinion.
Not a fan as such,but I could see the attraction.I liked his later songs.he took his stage movements from Elvis,you know the ones.I didn't like his voice..too high for me. I didn't like the
Jackson 5, and "Ben" annoyed me + a few others."Thriller" was good & the Egyption single was good,the title escapes me.
the only song I really caught was We Are The World...with all these folks gathered back then
Oh yes..Sad it is that mj as died .tradegy such as waste of very talented artist..As with elvis..but the thing that bothered me with mj..he was SO jealous of elvis being called " the king " the public/press named elvis the king but with mj it was self proclaimed..I heard from a jackson fan that he studied elvis so much from the early 50's dance moves..As we elvis fans all know the tip toe stance that elvis did.. Elvis moves weremore natural..mj was was more choreographed.. and personal stuff he copied.. skatter elvis' chimp then mj's chimp bubbles / Elvis graceland/mj's neverland and then lisa marie how much closer could he get to the king than his daughter...Rumours were also going around saying he wanted to buy graceland.there are so many other comaprison's with these 2 artists i could go on and on..mj certainly envied elvis...Theres only 1 true king in my opinion and that will always be elvis..but we all have to admit micheal jackson was such a great artist and like elvis certainly will be missed.. May the 2 of them rest in peace...And god bless you both.
Jackson was a talented artist without a shadow of a doubt and made some good music in particular the "off the wall" and "Thriller" album but his talent will be overshadowed by is eccentricity and bizzare behaviour,hanging his baby off the hotel balcony and so on,I am 42 years old so he is from my generation but I can say the only entertainer I miss is Elvis Presley the true king a title given to him by his fans and not self proclaimed. Elvis left this planet 32 years ago but he is still in everybody's mind, will Michael Jackson be remembered in the same way well only time will tell.
I was never a fan of Michael Jackson's, although he was very talented. His music was just not my type of music. Having said that I really have a beef with a lot of the previous comments. How childish for the comparisons of Michael & Elvis. To a great many on this site it's just about Elvis & how great he was. This is about Michael, he's the one that recently passed. So please have some respect ,don't be ignorant. Forget about comparisons, whose weidrer, who will sell more records etc. God love you Michael, your in a better place.
elvis197475 - Elvis did not try & write any songs except suggest a song title or contribute a line here or there in those titles you mentioned. That is not writing a song. He even admitted he could not write a song and admired those that did. In that regard To compare him to MJ is a joke and I'm no big MJ fan. In songwriting MJ (and everyone else who writes their own material) was way more talented, there is no comparison. That was and always will be one of Elvis' weaknesses to critics. He did not compose, and that is a legitimate argument to many. I as an Elvis fan cannot defend that Elvis had no songwriting ability whatsoever.
Okay this is an Elvis fan site, but for heavens sake people get some perspective and have some respect!! Michael Jackson was a HUGE talent and is a HUGE loss to the world period! I was lucky enough to see Michael live in 1989 and it was a fantastic experience - unfortunately I didn't ever see Elvis live, the same goes for Freddie Mercury and Buddy Holly but what I don't understand is the negative cheap comments being made about Michael. Okay, you might not like really love his music but to try and deny his obvious talents in song writing, dancing and vocal interpretation is just ludicrous. Elvis was NOT a song writer but was a great interpretor of other people's songs - does that make Michael 'more talented' than Elvis? Well, part of me says 'yes' because Michael created the song from nothing - sorry but it's what I believe.
I love Elvis and always will, but I also love the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and lots of other current "pop acts"...there - I've said such heresy and I've not been struck down while I type!!
I find it disrespectful (to any artist) to try and belittle their incredible/immense achievements; Michael was a great talent, whether an "Elvis Fanatic" can acknowledge that or not is unfortunately another question!
sad that he died but i was never a fan of his nor what he done nonetheless im sorry the fans lost there idol and i wish they would show us respect now considering both elvis and jacko died the same way.
The comparisons are being made by the media and my response is to those statements, Elvis crossed over many genres such as rock n roll, country and gospel and has been inducted into each music hall of fame because of his contribution, no other artist has this critical acclaim, Elvis rarely wrote his own music but neither did Frank Sinatra. Jackson should not be compered to Elvis in any way he should be recognised on his own merits, regarding the allegations in his personal life well that is questionable.
roytcbintheuk thtas what i was telling people to mention elvis and jackson in the same breathe its rediculous i said can you name one country song jackson sang or gospel or r and b or opera or international songs. elvis belnded all music together thus rock n roll as we know it came to be. elvis is loved by perhaps billions till jackson has his fans yeah but he also has many people who hate him and everything he done. its sad to say the only people who really hate elvis are people on the other side of the race line that accuse him of stealing there music even guys like chuck berry have stood up for elvis but these younger generation people are like who the heck is chuck berry and not in them clean words.
I must add my 2 cents. I basically agree with Steve V & Greg Nolan. There is only Elvis & The Beatles as far as 20th century pop icons that go beyond music. That being said, I am pretty impressed at the reaction to Jackson's passing so he did mean quite alot to a lot of folks the world over. His death is very similar to Elvis' in that they were both way passed thier prime yet died so tragically young. Their most recent releases didnt burn up the charts or set the music world ablaze. They were both men who never really grew up, used drugs, and it goes on & on. His passing seems to be more mourned than Lennon's but less (so far) than Elvis'. Yes he was more talented than Elvis in dancing & writing, but thats it. Elvis rarely wrote his own material? How about never wrote his own material. A title or an idea maybe and that doesnt count to me! Sinatra did write a few songs. Do your research!
To me, there is no denying both Elvis & Michael were both superstars. Whatever they both did bad in their lifetimes is OVER. But the music they created LIVES on. I just wish people would focus on what made them the superstars they were & not keep resurrecting the bad parts. Something I was just thinking about, had Elvis lived on into the 1980s, Michael would have been the "rival" to Elvis as the Beatles were to Elvis in the 1960s. HAD Elvis got his life cleaned up in the 70s & got back in shape, it would have been interesting to see how Elvis would have done against Michael in the 1980s.
I Know Sinatra is accredited to have wrote lyrics to several of his songs but so did Elvis most of the time other songwriters on tin pan alley wrote for him especially on his big hits,the point I am making is that it does not make an artist less important because he or she does not right there own material it is down to the Interpretaion of the song that makes them truly great.Michael Jackson was a great dancer but most of his moves were stolen off James Brown.There was no one like Elvis before or since,Elvis had the look,the walk, the talk,the voice and much more and most of all was a truly an humble, respectful and genuine person.
steve v was not saying elvis was better then mj at songwriting.i know elvis genius lay in the way he arranged a song and made it his own.but does that really make him less talented in your opinion.if yes please explain.as i said before no one really asked or encouraged him to
What next? MJ will be buried in his own garden. His home will be turned into a museum. All surrounded by shops where you will be able to buy socks with his face on it? With dollar almighty that will bring people to spend their savings on things they do not need and have nothing to do with his music and who he was? Impersonators making others laugh and think “what a freak?” And yes – we will know all his “true friends” that will write tons of books with all the spicy news and hot events from his life. All "friends" making a lot of money on that. All saying we have to do it – he is gone where else can we earn money? Do you all know that? MJ Your afterlife can be much different. Let him really rest in peace!
Hi Steve V, I suppose you meant to write in your comment of june 27 : " I as an Elvis fan cannot defend that Elvis HAD songwriting ability whatsoever " instead of "HAD NO"..... ? Always El.
To the Elvis fans Elvis will always be the greatest . To the Michael Jackson fans Michael will always be the greatest. Period.
I just want to say one more thing about the accusations and/or allegations ( even in the postings on this site ) about MJ's (pretended) child abuse : NO ONE has the right to pretend he DID . There is only ONE person on this whole planet who knew the real thruth, and that person was Michael himself, and that truth Michael will take forever with him in his grave. If he DID NOT then the man must have suffered very, very hard and felt hurt in the deepest of his heart and soul. If HE DID then God will judge him, but the world will never ever know what really happened and thus should not judgeon this matter.
As I wrote before : MJ was not my cup of tea ( I'm from an older generation ) but he was an idol to millions of people from a younger generation and that's OK with me. We all have or had our heroes during our younger years and growing older doesn't affect that admiration. Always El.
It makes me want to puke that someone so closely linked to child abuse is regarded as such a hero. Had this been a everyday member of society everyone would be glad he's dead, but no, because it's Michael "I'll buy him off with 20 million" Jackson; people seem to conveniently ignore the fact that his behaviour with children was, at best, highly questionable. No wonder the abuse of children is so prevalent in todays world: if it's inconvenient, everyone turns a blind eye. You simply cannot ignore multiple accusations from so many different sources, there's no smoke without fire.
Well I for one am sick-to-death with people accusing Michael of being something that he was found in a court of law not guilty of on all counts! The jury were certainly NOT paid off by MJ; they had access to ALL the evidence and they felt he was innocent of all charges.
It's a shame people judge him with only the scant information that the tabloids have desperately tried to sensationalise to sell their papers. Unfortunately if enough mud is thrown at a person some will stick, but it is quite clear that all of the children that came forward with these allegations were purely looking for financial gain for themselves and their families (they were often put-up to making the claims by their family in the first place!!)
Michael was by no means 'normal' - how could he be with the kind of childhood he had, (abusive father and no normal childhood friends etc), but can anyone out there say that Elvis was exactly 'normal' either? Surrounded by sycophants and hangers-on and drugged up on ‘prescription drugs’ – I’d say Elvis had a very strange life, unusual beliefs about certain things and also a pretty fierce temper to boot – but Elvis did have a GREAT voice that moves me like no other!
I suppose some people will never believe a person is innocent just because allegations were once made (however unfounded or misguided these allegations might be). I just hope people with this ignorant view are never accused of something they did not do – still I guess what comes around goes around!
The comments on this article should be about Michael Jackson. So why are you big baby's mentioning Elvis? Who cares who had more talent at this sad moment in time. Grow up!
Charlierogers, at best what you say is a half truth. Writing as a solicitor who has studied this case closely, Michael Jackson was found not-guilty on the evidence presented in court - which is the role of the jury ie based upon the eveidence presented before them, that does not mean it was innocent of the charges and nor can it be used to assert his innocence. There was zero chance of a successfult procescution as the Chandler family, including Jordan, refused to testify as this was part of the $22 million settlement with Jackson. Furthermore, significant damning evidence was deemed inadmissable owing to how it was collected by police ie without a search warrant. The accustions by Jordan (oral sex, mast..bation, touching etc) were confirmed to the satisfaction of police and doctors by him being able to graphically identify parts of Jackson's body. The match was not 100% but was considered 90% a match, which is more than enough for a criminal conviction ie 'beyond reasonable doubt'.
Everday, I deal with clients who are found not guilty based upon the evidence presented to the court, even though I know they are guilty. Righlt or wrongly (as not as black and white as it appears) generally in both English and US (State & Federal) law the burden of proof is upon the prosecution, that they fail to convince a jury does not mean the accused is innocent. In the Jackson case , he would have undoubedly been found guilty if the full evidence had been available. Also, the jury made a point of saying that Janet Arvizo's behaviour (in letting her son sleep with Jackson) was mitigation, although, legally speaking it should not have been considered such. Also, they believed that she was out to sell her story, which was never ascertained as fact, and should have been dismissed as mitgation by the presiding judge. Again mitgation was considered the fact that children gave evidence that Jackson never molested them when they stayed with him - but in any other court in the world that would have been dismissed on the basis of relevance ie it had none. No sexual offender offends all those he comes into contact with.
In summary, in virtually any other court in the world, Jackson would have been found guilty. As he would have even in the US, if the total body of evidence was presented, notwithstanding that country's 'cult of the celebrity', that which led to the acquittal of OJ Simpson, and a hung jury in the cae of Phil Spector etc etc) - assuming the jury had not decided already prior to being sworn, something, which again, happens every single day.
No Benny Scott - you heard me right the first time. Elvis had no songwriting ability. He could create by arranging and knowing what sound he wanted to hear but he could not compose a lyric or a melody. In fact I think he is quoted as saying he couldnt write a song if his life depended on it. Why do you think he recorded so much garbage? He had to depend on a stable of Hill & Range less than hip writers. If he could write, I dont think he would have recorded some of the songs he did. When I get into discussions about who is greater, Elvis or whoever, the songwriting is always thrown at me and I cannot defend it. Elvis didnt create music in that regard. I dont want to hear about You'll Be Gone (it was his idea to re-create a Cole Porter tune and he gave it to Red for the lyrics) or Thats Someone You never Forgert (he came up with the title!). That is not songwriting. But back to Michael. I am perplexed at the outpouring of grief. I must say it is rivaling Elvis' death so far. Its amazing what death will do to revive a career.
Hi Steve, it's clear we're not on the same track, but no harm done . You just wrote it again : Elvis had NO songwriting ability ( and I agree, let this be clear ) . But let me put it this way : IMO you could have written " I CAN defend that Elvis had NO songwriting ability ( which is what you mean to say and prove isn't it ? ) . That's the same as writing " I CANNOT defend Elvis HAD songwriting ability ". See what I mean ? Always El.
Michael Jackson died in a completely different time to Elvis. A time when celebrity means everything. This is why it appears bigger but in my mind it surely isn't. If Tony Blackburn did say that Michael's death is bigger than Elvis' then he is wrong. He is obviously more of an MJ fan than an Elvis fan.
Just wait until the funeral is over, it'll all come pouring out. By Christmas there won't be one thing you don't know about his private life, some good but mostly I fear, very bad! (no pun intended).
In due course Neverland will be opened to the public, hundreds of books will be written, biopics made and MJ will head the list of Dead earners for years to come. And yes he will out sell Elvis but what does it matter?
When Elvis died it was said that there were no guidelines to being a megastar and it was no wonder that Elvis went off track the way he did. Michael should have seen the warning signs, especially as he was once married to Elvis' daughter. The similarities in death are too many to ignore. Both had their own doctors on the payroll (who even owned the same make of car) and were addicted to exactly the same medication. They both lead very insular lives and were surrounded by people who only knew how to say "yes" as saying no would mean the end of their jobs. All the warning signs were there but were ignored with tragic consequences.
Incidently, they were both rushed to hospital where they were worked on for an hour before being pronounced dead at the same time of day, 2.30 pm. I think it was Nurse Cocke who said "Why are you trying to revive him when the poor boy is obviously dead?", "Because he's Elvis" came the reply. I'm sure the same thing probably happened with Michael.
Yes Benny we are on the same page. Sorry for my crappy writing!
I am beginning to think more & more what a bunch of morons view this site. A singer dies & the point of many of you, Elvis was a greater, better singer, nicer & more normal person. Why don't you focus on the real story here Michael Jackson. Are your lives so bereft of meaning that Elvis who had his tribute in 1977 has to be defended at all costs?
When Elvis died the times were so different. Now-a-days everyone can travel around easier than in those days. The same holds for selling records inthe fifties or the seventies or in this time frame. One cannot compare by numbers. One has to have the parameters right if one compares (if one feels like). Yes Elvis did not write, but actually I don't care. It is the performance that does it. It is not like writing a book. Classical music is also not written by the orchestras.
And OldScudder, yes this should focus on MJ. Yet the mentioned points are in the press constantly used as arguments. (My life is many faceted - one of which is Elvis, whose greatness does not need any external confirmation for me) Hence one is entitled to respond on this site. And for MJ: he had his influence on popular music and I feel deep sympathy for his beloved ones and his loyal fans at this time of grief. For me: I never managed to listen even one song till the end. It is not my cup of tea.
Natha : agreed ! 100% ! Always El.
I’m beginning to feel embarrassed reading many of these postings. The passing of Michael Jackson has robbed the world of yet another fantastic talent way before his time and all I seem to read here is “Elvis was better”. It doesn’t matter.
MJ has millions of fans around the world, many of whom feel as passionately about him as we do about Elvis. Also, and more importantly than the fans in my opinion, he has a family including 3 young children, all of whom are mourning him. Elvis fans more than any group of fans should be able to empathise with this. Let’s just remember that MJ was a great talent, influenced many in the music industry and completely changed the way his generation and others to come market their music through the music video.
MJ RIP
Thanks Kew for your insight. I was beginning to think I was the lone voice in the wilderness.
Sorry I meant to say Kev.
kev- theoldscudder-check out the o'reilly factor 6/29/09 and see what a man named marc lamont hill had to say about elvis.
I have to agree with Kev. I feel that a lot of the Elvis fans fear that the death of MJ will overshadow the loss of Elvis. This of course will never happen as the two were unique artists in their own right. We as Elvis fans should allow the fans of MJ to grieve for their loss and to celebrate his music as we did when Elvis died. I always enjoyed the energy of MJ in his videos and live performances and I will not let his personal life take away from that. Just as in the case of Elvis he made many mistakes and poor professional choices however I hope that his legacy will be handled better from the beginning than that of Elvis. Long live Elvis R.I.P Michael Jackson.
And James T Harris puts also in words how Elvis is NOT widely appreciated, referring to his weight and alleged drugs usage. Americans do not realise nor appreciate his greatness. They ridicule him and it is sad to see the same happen to MJ. One should focus on the 'public' value for mankind and let go of the personal human factor.
And Kev it is not us venting our preference (BTW: this is an Elvis site!), it is the global comparison that needs the right perspective. Again, I for one deeply understand the great loss MJs family and fans experience. And I am sure all of us Elvis fans do.
It may make uncomfortable reading to many on here but his professional achievements are pretty awesome. The incredible album sales for in comparison far fewer releases than our man. You have to take your hat off to anyone who can shift getting on for a million tickets for this summer's 50 shows in London and sold out in a matter of days despite not having recorded for sometime and the controversy surrounding his private life. Could Elvis had done the same in 1978 if he had lived and managed to tour outside the US? I have my doubts. Personally JAckson's music holds very little appeal to me but for many millions it did. He's at the top table with Elvis and the Beatles.
John4126 - this may make even more folks uncomfortable. I just heard on the radio that on next week's Billboard top 200 album chart, MJ will hold the first 9 positions. First time in history anyone's done that. Also Amazon.com reports 60% of their total sales are for MJ and ITunes says he is the first artist to ever have 1,000,000 downloads in one day. I never knew his fan base was that great. If things continue like this, he will be the all-time best selling artist. Sorry to report!
thought i read somewhere that garth brooks was actually the all time selling artist.by riaa standards .any truth to that?i know he actually said he knows it's elvis
ooooh come on Steve you enjoying saying this
well let me tell you this, it is no skin of my behind wether MJ will be the biggest selling artist of all time
Elvis will still then be 2nd maybe you don't realise but that still is a great achievement
but MJ will not be the greatest performer off all time, Elvis has surpassed him in that
MJ will never top what Elvis has achieved, and Elvis still does after 32 years
I really don't give a damn how many albums MJ sold and will sell again. Even if he ( or somebody else in the future ) sells twice as much of Elvis : so what ? Does that diminish the worth and music of OUR man ? Let MJ's fans mourn just like we did when Elvis passed away, I understand their grief and sadness. He was (and will stay) their idol just like Elvis was (and still is) ours. And you like MJ's music or not . To me there will never be another "King" like EP. If MJ's fans see him as THEIR "King" : OK with me . Always El.
I really don't give a damn how many albums MJ sold and will sell again. Even if he ( or somebody else in the future ) sells twice as much of Elvis : so what ? Does that diminish the worth and music of OUR man ? Let MJ's fans mourn just like we did when Elvis passed away, I understand their grief and sadness. He was (and will stay) their idol just like Elvis was (and still is) ours. And you like MJ's music or not . To me there will never be another "King" like EP. If MJ's fans see him as THEIR "King" : OK with me . Always El.
I really don't give a damn how many albums MJ sold and will sell again. Even if he ( or somebody else in the future ) sells twice as much of Elvis : so what ? Does that diminish the worth and music of OUR man ? Let MJ's fans mourn just like we did when Elvis passed away, I understand their grief and sadness. He was (and will stay) their idol just like Elvis was (and still is) ours. And you like MJ's music or not . To me there will never be another "King" like EP. If MJ's fans see him as THEIR "King" : OK with me . Always El.
Benny Scott: well said! Also I wonder, if Elvis would have lived in this time frame, what would be the facts. There is so much exposure now-a-days. Music channels, radio, cheap ways of downloading etc. As I said before, one cannot compare.
benny scott, Natha and Elvis Circle, i so totally agree with the three of you.....well said WOW and so right you are
Natha, you're absolutely right ! There is no comparing possible . MJ had so much more possiblitiesof exposure like you said ! Always El.
First of all anyone who names his id after Elvis' dead twin brother is a little off center to me. I do not own one Michael Jackson record and bought every record Elvis ever made, so why would you think I enjoyed saying that? I was simply stating something I heard on the radio. As the oldscudder said it doesnt make MJ greater or whatever and you folks do act like babies when someone says something like that. For God's sake it's been 32 years, grow up! If it happens, it happens. Like someone said, so Elvis is #2 in sales, so what , he is still #1 to us. I enjoyed saying that, what an idiot thing to say!
wel steve first of all i'm sorry , i can say only one thing i agree with you and again i didn't mean what i said to you in previous reaction. well said THNX
Great to see that someone has the courage to say "i'm sorry " on a wabsite so everybody can read it . Hats off to you Jesse, you're an OK-guy ! Always El.
Yes Jesse - you are ok and I'm glad there is no misunderstanding. Let me add this about MJ. Although I am sad when anyone dies, and he did make some good records, to me MJ was a drug-addled, creepy-beyond-words, accused pedophile who literally bought his children with the help of two women who apparently had no problem giving their kids to a man who looked like the Phantom of the Opera and who behaved like a depraved worm. The most upset thing about MJ was that Lisa Marie married him. I lost a ton of respect for her when she did that. But at least she had the sense not to get any kids involved!
If i hear the phrase our king one more time im gonna throw up,we like Elvis or we woudnt be on this site,you might not even like mj,i dont have any of his cd's but lets try to act like adults no matter what our views are!
If i hear the phrase our king one more time im gonna throw up,we like Elvis or we woudnt be on this site,you might not even like mj,i dont have any of his cd's but lets try to act like adults no matter what our views are!
It's sadly so predictable the responses from Elvis fans when anyone challenges 'our king'. Jay Z has more number one albums - he's 's**t'. Mariah Carey has more number one singles, there is some fix as Billboard havent included a double a side as two singles. Kurt Cobain tops the Forbes chart one year - he's a drug addict and who they hell was he anyway? Then you have the 'i cant name one Beatles album' brigade!! Jackson dies - there are attacks on his lifestyle and that he doesnt hold a candle to ELvis despite the hysteria and clear huge interest and grief at this death arguably surpassing Elvis' death. Some of the postings on here say far more about the authors than the subject matter.
can't we all just get along.no need to call names we all know who number 1 is.the news is going to say what they want to anyway.even if it is not true.always elvis
Thought I'd post my thoughts on this topic for what it's worth. I think I'm a actually a little bit envious of all the media attention being paid to MJ and do now feel it's a bit of a shame that when Elvis passed away there were no 24 hour news channels, internet coverage etc, for us fans just the regular newspapers and TV news 3 times a day....mind you he did dominate the coverage then but really it was another world, listening to radio Luxembourg through the night etc....it all comes back so easily when you start to think about it but then again it's all pretty sad stuff and I'm not sure if this level of saturation media coverage would necessarily have made me feel any better . As a 48 year old adult I'm surprised now at how upset I was at the time so can understand how the real MJ fan feels just now. I'm a lifelong Elvis fan and for me he's simply untouchable. I've always been an admirer of MJ's music and stage performances but found the rest of the hype totally uninteresting and found the child abuse allegations really disturbing and I can't deny that much as I would like to defend him for a whole host of reasons (I appreciate he was never convicted) for me all that stuff really tarnished him in my eyes, and also to a certain extent his music which I can't in all honesty say I've played much over the last 10 plus years. I found the "King of Pop" title a bit of a strange one especially as he came up with it himself, but a lot of his reported ideas and antics were somewhat strange. I prefered the initial news reports that said "the self styled King of Pop" but the words "self styled" seem to have been dropped now !
I don't think sales figures and after death earnings etc mean anything at all although like everyone else I'm always pleased to see Elvis' name remembered and in a perverse way I'm happy to see him topping any old list. I wonder how many 16 year old MJ fans will still be buying his music in 32 years time ?......in fairness probably a whole heap of them, but if so I hope their vinyl re-issue of Thriller or whatever turns up a bit quicker than the new FTD Blue Hawaii vinyl I ordered months ago !!! I think Elvis fans are quite right to "stick up for their man" but not at the expense of slagging off another artist no matter how unfavourably in our eyes they compare to Elvis because it just reflects badly on us fans in general. I think it would be good to see this level of response on all the news items on this great site.
well, I guess that's what an artist does, cause a reaction, positive or negative. Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley both had/have fans and enemies. Both believe about the artist what they want themselves to believe..
I think it's amazing how MJ's and Elvis's passing are alike. Both were hypersensitive people, both were killed (mentally) by bad media exposure (the book vs child abuse charges) and both ODed semi accidentally and both were about to start a new tour. As far as talent goes. It's not really important. Maybe because I know everything about Elvis (including the less brilliant moments) I'm inclined to say MJ had more talent. But when you see those early shows of Jackson 5, you can't help but be touched. As far as the lawsuits, I think it's sad when MJ tries to do something for his fellowmen, they turn around and try to milk him, and destroy him. I wonder what those people really feel right now. And the horrific effect is that people will start calling him a sex offender because they have no life.
We simple dont know what did or did not happen,and i for one dont care if he outsells Elvis in sales,my goodness Elvis hasnt recorded a album since 76,what do you expect the whole world to stay frozen in time,just enjoy the music people,its really that simple and the nasty comments dont help anyone!
A friend of mine who is in the recording business tolsdme Michael Jackson has many unreleased songs including a live version of Hound Dog with Little Richard & James Brown singing in the background. He's heard it & told me it's not as good as Elvis original version but it's much better than any live version the King did. There is also a wealth of video.
Better than any live version of "Hound Dog" by Elvis? The guy sure sounds like your typical industry hype-ster!
I am catching up on this thread but generally agree with Steve V. That said, I think Brian Quinn has debunked some of the bogus stats being thrown around by Jackson's camp on record sales. And today's charts are so meaningless compared to not so long ago. There is no real "Top 10" or "Top 40" today that has an broad cultural meaning, given the outbreak of free downloads. That's a big subject so I'll just touch on that.
More importantly, if there's any upside to Jackson's passing and some of the similar aspects of it, that it's also a reminder that Elvis was not alone among legends who were human, all too human and suffered from the walls of celebrity and was a mere 42 (it's been interesting to hear 50 described as a young man, which seems a stretch!)...
I don't mind the notion of Elvis being a tragic figure as long as we acknowledge his artistic triumphs across the three distinct decades, appreciate the bettter parts of his film career, etc. Likewise, Jackson is already being distilled (removing most of the disturbing aspects of his last 15-20 years) as fans and a sympathetic media play up how much of the glass was full - which is due to anyone who dies, really. So if there's ultimately less cruelty toward Jackson (he was abused as a child, leading to his own bizarre behavior, etc.) then maybe the next time some dope like Jimmy Kimmel makes a moronic joke about Elvis and a jelly donut on a toilet, they'll say, "hey buddy, we all go out usually in less than glamourous ways" and "easy does on it , Elvis - like Michael Jackson and all of us, really, he struggled to keep going."
I think there's heroism in trying to go on even though it's clear the person is a doomed figure, a shadow of their former glory, whether it's on a stage in Omaha or a rehearsal in Los Angeles. If we can nip just some of the negativity shown toward those who fail their fans, family and ultimately themselves, then perhaps as a culture and society we have shown an understanding of the very complexity of life itself.
Having Elvis out there for years as a target hopefully will be a cultural blip as he morphs into a better-understood figure in history, one we can be grateful for having existing and contributed for those years he was here . So while I don't have much of a dog in the Jackson tale beyond his being a human and whose early hits at least were part of my life, I'm hoping some of the reaction to his tale will inform the Elvis story and how the general public in the US anyway looks back on him. Jackson's story, to be sure, still shows so much in the way of excess (his father Joe Jackson plugging his new record label publically days after his son's death, the coming circus and over-reach of his funeral, etc.) that it may make the Elvis story look that much classier in comparison.
I keep finding myself recoiling about much about Jackson (the allegations, the "God Juice" (read: wine) he gave to kids, etc. etc ad nauseum) but I'm finding the positive media coverage (some of it anyway) is concentrating on his fan's love for him. I can't share that but do think that's a fair stand right now...IF they can stop making it as if all of America is out of sorts right now. Maybe parts of LA and parts of the black community and others, but I just don't see the mass sadness of '77 or '80 (Elvis and Lennon) which I lived through.
And the 24-7 news coverage (non-existant back then) also is over-the-top. I can't watch any of the coverage anymore.