June, 2009

Michael Jackson’s sudden death has left his parents reeling. He seemed to be fit and fine, and in fact, was working on making a comeback with a tour, when a sudden cardiac arrest stole his life at the age of only 50 years. Joe and Katherine Jackson are finding it difficult to cope with the ‘suddenness’ of their son’s death.
Reverend Jesse Jackson, who is a close friend of the family said, “Katherine and Joe are strong but they are grieving. Michael is the first loss of any of their children, which compounds it. They are grieving over the suddenness of the loss of Michael. It was so sudden. And I say ‘sudden’ because he had passed his health test; he was rehearsing every day for his UK concerts and was in full training for the big tour. The tour was sold out.”
He adds, “There was a real joy with Michael in recent months. So there is real grief now. He was at the top of his art. He was the best who ever did it.”
Michael’s father recently released a statement on behalf of the family. “In one of the darkest moments of our lives we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter. Our beloved son, brother and father of three children has gone so unexpectedly, in such a tragic way and much too soon. It leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to a point, where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times.