When I Was Young

AFP - Monday, June 29

The news of Michael Jackson's death has had particular resonance in London, where the singer was planning to make his high profile comeback. Fifty shows were planned for the capitals giant O2 venue. In March, Jackson made a brief appearance in London to announce the dates and tickets sold out within hours.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - The father of Michael Jackson said he remained concerned about the circumstances of his son's death as the tragic pop icon's personal doctor protested his innocence.

In a surprising first public appearance since the death of his superstar son, family patriarch Joe Jackson appeared on the red carpet of a Los Angeles awards show dedicated to the African-American entertainment industry.

The Jackson family is reportedly angry at the "unanswered questions" concerning the role of doctor Conrad Murray in the final hours of Michael Jackson's life. Lawyers for Murray insist he has been cleared of wrongdoing.

However speaking to a CNN reporter at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards, Jackson, 79, said he continued to harbor misgivings about the sudden death of his son at the age of 50.

"I have a lot of concerns. I can't get into that, but I don't like what happened," Jackson said, before directing questions to a family lawyer who declined to comment further.

"We can't talk about that now," attorney Londell McMillan said. "There is a second autopsy that is underway and we'll let that process take its course at this time. We'll have more detail at a later point."

Los Angeles police conducted a second interview with Murray on Saturday but cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing, the physician's lawyers said.

The 51-year-old cardiologist, who became part of Jackson's staff in March to help the singer prepare for a concert comeback in London, has faced intense speculation amid reports he injected Jackson with the potent prescription painkiller Demerol just before he died.

However a lawyer for Murray said Sunday that reports of an injection were "absolutely false," the first time the allegation has been denied.

"There was no Demerol. No OxyContin," Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Murray was quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times, adding that Murray had discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his home.

"(Murray) was the one who suggested the autopsy to the family while they were still in the hospital. He didn't understand why Michael Jackson had died," Chernoff was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile Jackson's family have yet to finalize funeral plans and were due to meet activist Reverend Al Sharpton Sunday to discuss plans for a tribute.

Sharpton was cited in several media reports as saying Jackson's family was considering a series of simultaneous memorials around the world to reflect the huge appeal of the late "King of Pop."

"Reverend Sharpton will discuss with the family ideas that people from around the world have sent him about how they would like to memorialize Michael Jackson," a spokeswoman for Sharpton said.

However an unofficial memorial appeared to already be underway at Los Angeles's famous Shrine Auditorium, where the cream of the African-American music, acting and sporting worlds was gathering for the BET Awards.

A galaxy of stars paid fulsome tribute to Jackson as they walked the red carpet, hailing his role as a star who had helped break racial barriers.

"You know, my man is the greatest," hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy Combs" told CNN. "He's one of the reasons why Barack Obama's president... He started the change in the world about how African-Americans are perceived."

"We miss him and we love him and we just feel devastated," said soul singer Alicia Keys, urging people to remember Jackson in a "respectful, positive way."

Asked how Jackson had influenced her, Keys replied: "In every way. How could he not influence us to break the barrier and to think bigger, and to try new things and to break the rules?

"Tonight is a true memorial for him. It's really about honoring him."

Thousands of Jackson devotees continued to gather outside the singer's star on the walk of fame as well as the Jackson family's home in Encino, where makeshift shrines of flowers and cards have grown rapidly since Thursday.

Jackson's death has sent fans scrambling to stock up on his music across the world. British chart officials said a compilation album of the star's greatest hits had rocketed to the top of the charts on Sunday.

A spokesman for music retailer HMV said there had been an 80-fold increase in demand for Jackson's music "almost overnight" after the singer's death -- the biggest one-day rise in sales seen for any artists, including Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.