MICHAEL JACKSON

12 years ago…what really happened

Twelve years ago, the king of pop, Michael Jackson, left this world, at the age of 50. His death, on June 25th, 2009, came as a shock to many.

I remember EFM calling me up and requesting me to say a few words, on this great entertainer, as I had the rare opportunity of seeing him perform live, in Singapore, at the National Stadium, during his Dangerous World Tour, in August, 1993.

Wow, what a concert! And, it was a dream come true, for me!

I’m sure lots of readers would like to recollect the events that led to Michael’s death on June 25th, 2009.

Just to freshen up the minds of Michael Jackson fans, this is what was reported, a year later, after his death:

American singer, Michael Jackson, died after he suffered cardiac arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighbourhood, in Los Angeles, California. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing but with a faint pulse, and that he administered CPR to no avail. Jackson was treated by paramedics, at his home, but was pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

While initial reports discussed the possible role of painkillers in Jackson’s death, attention later turned to the medications he reportedly took for insomnia, most notably the anesthetic propofol (Diprivan).

On August 28, 2009, the Los Angeles County Coroner declared Jackson’s death a homicide caused by the combination of drugs in his body. Before his death, Jackson reportedly had been administered propofol, along with two anti-anxiety benzodiazepines: lorazepam and midazolam. Law enforcement officials investigated Jackson’s personal physician, who told investigators that he had been trying to wean him off propofol. On February 8, 2010, Murray pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, and was released from prison after posting a US$75,000 bail.

Jackson’s death triggered an outpouring of grief around the world, creating unprecedented surges of Internet traffic and causing sales of his music and that of the Jackson 5 to increase dramatically. Jackson had been scheduled to perform his ‘This Is It’ concert series to over one million people at London’s O2 arena, from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010.

His public memorial service was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, where he had rehearsed for the London concerts the night before his death. His memorial service was broadcast live around the world, attracting a global audience of up to one billion people,

Jackson arrived for rehearsal at Staples Center around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, according to a magician who was there. The singer complained of laryngitis and did not rehearse until 9 p.m. “He looked great and had great energy,” the magician added. The rehearsal went past midnight. The next morning Jackson did not come out of his bedroom. According to the attorney of Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician, Murray entered the room in the afternoon and found Jackson in bed and not breathing. Jackson had a weak pulse, and his body was still warm. Murray tried to revive Jackson for five to ten minutes, at which point he realized he needed to call for help.

Apparently, Murray was hindered because there was no landline in the house. Murray said that he could not use his cell phone to call 911 because he did not know the exact address. Murray stated that he phoned security, but did not get an answer. Finally, Murray ran downstairs, yelled for help, and told a chef to bring security up to the room. By the time security called 911, about 30 minutes had passed.

The New York Post said that Jackson’s 12-year-old son, Prince Michael Jackson, Jr., was present during the resuscitation attempts, and that the emergency services were contacted only after Jackson’s son was told by a security guard that the singer was ill. Some statements described Murray using a non-standard CPR technique on Jackson.

During the tape of the emergency call, released on June 26, the doctor was described as administering CPR on a bed, not on a hard surface, such as a floor, which would be standard practice. The doctor’s attorney said that Murray placed one hand underneath Jackson and used the other hand for chest compression, where the standard practice is to use both hands for compression.

A Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson said the 911 call came in at 12:21:04 p.m. PST (19:21:04 UTC). Paramedics reached Jackson at 12:26 p.m. and found that he was not breathing. Paramedics performed CPR for 42 minutes at the house. Murray said he was in contact with doctors at UCLA, who instructed the rescuers to inject epinephrine (adrenaline) directly into Jackson’s heart. Murray stated that Jackson continued to have a pulse when he was taken out of the house and put in the ambulance for the trip to the hospital.

An LAFD official gave a different account. He said that paramedics found Jackson in “full cardiac arrest”, and that they did not observe a change in Jackson’s status en route to the hospital. LAFD transported Jackson to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, a couple of miles from the house. The ambulance arrived at the hospital at approximately 1:14 p.m. A team of medical personnel attempted to resuscitate Jackson for more than one hour. They were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m .