The President Pays His Respects To the King of Pop

PopEater / Wire Services
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The King of Pop had a big fan in the White House.
In his first public comments on Michael Jackson following his death last week, President Barack Obama described himself as a longtime follower of the superstar.
"I grew up on his music, still have all his stuff on my iPod," Obama said in an AP interview adding that he "will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers."
"I think that his brilliance as a performer also was paired with a tragic and, in many ways, sad personal life," Obama continued.
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A Michael Jackson Retrospective

    Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital suffering from cardiac arrest. According to reports, he has died at the age of 50. A Retrospective of His Life

    X17online

    Known as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson began his life as a child sensation who blossomed into one of the greatest pop stars of all time.

    Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

    He was the lead singer for the very popular Jackson 5 that included the his brothers -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon. He then morphed into a highly successful recording artist, making his first solo album in 1972.

    Ron Galella, WireImage

    Jackson appears in the 1982 music video for 'Thriller,' one of the best-selling albums of all time with at least 27 million copies sold worldwide.

    Everett Collection

    Over the course of his storied career, Jackson won 13 Grammy awards -- eight of them for 'Thriller' alone.

    Liason

    His stage presence captured the hearts of millions -- including his signature "moonwalk" dance which he unveiled in 1983 while performing 'Billie Jean.' At 50 years old, he was attempting to make a comeback with several dates scheduled in London.

    Dave Hogan, Getty Images

    Jackson's successes were also marred by personal strife and controversy. In later years, the singer was twice accused of molesting children. In the first, he settled out of court with the accuser, and in the second he was found not guilty.

    Roslan Rahman, AFP / Getty Images

    Jackson is seen being escorted into court in January of 2004 -- the second time he was charged with child molestation. The first, in 1993, resulted in a settlement reported to be worth about $23 million.

    Hector Mata, AFP / Getty Images

    Jackson is shown here in his 2003 mug shot where he was booked on child molestation charges. The singer was later acquitted.

    Robyn Beck. AFP / Getty Images

    The 'Dangerous' star caused a stir when he held his youngest child, Prince Michael II, over the balcony of his Berlin hotel in 2002. His son was later dubbed 'Blanket' due to this incident.

    Olaf Selchow, Getty Images

He expressed pleasure that the public is celebrating Jackson for his talents, instead of dwelling on his personal tragedies.
"I'm glad to see that he is being remembered primarily for the great joy that he brought to a lot of people through his extraordinary gifts as an entertainer."
The president said he didn't see any controversy in the fact that he did not issue a formal public statement upon Jackson's death, and said he was unaware of any dissatisfaction in the black community with his response.
"I know a lot of people in the black community," Obama said. "I haven't heard that."
Obama added that the interview with the AP was the first time he had been asked about Jackson's death.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had told the media last week that Obama thought Jackson to be a "spectacular performer and a music icon." Gibbs had also sent condolences to "the Jackson family and to fans that mourn his loss." Senior advisor to the President, David Axelrod, had also spoken to this.
Obama was prepared to discuss Jackson's death during a press conference on June 26th, Gibbs had said, but no one asked him.
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2009-07-03 06:59:01
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