En la boca del lobo

Michael Jackson, the fallen King of Pop, is dead. The singer, songwriter and dancer whose career reached unprecedented peaks of sales and attention, died Thursday at 1:07 p.m. Pacific time, a Los Angeles city official said. He was 50.

Mr. Jackson, in a coma, was rushed to UCLA. Medical Center, a six-minute drive from the rented mansion in which he was living, shortly after noon by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. A hospital spokesman would not confirm reports of cardiac arrest.

As with Elvis Presley or The Beatles, it is impossible to calculate the full impact he had on the world of music. At his height, he was indisputably the biggest star in the world and has sold more than 750 million albums. Radio stations across the country reacted to his death with marathon sessions of his songs. MTV, which was born in part as a result of Mr. Jackson’s groundbreaking videos, reprised its early days as a music channel by showing his biggest hits.

From his days as the youngest brother in the Jackson 5 to his solo career in the 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Jackson was responsible for a string of hits like “I Want You Back,” “I’ll Be There,” “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough,” “Billie Jean” and “Black and White” that exploited his high voice, infectious energy, and ear for irresistible hooks.

Más en la magnífica crónica de Brooks Barnes en The New York Times

Es cierto: tengo la misma impresión de cuando murió John Lennon y Elvis (y también James Brown), es como si esta noche me hubiera muerto un poco. Eso es vivir: morirse poco a poco y ser consciente de ello. Queda su música por encima de sus numerosísimas rarezas y escándalos. Queda su música por encima de este mundo que crea iconos globales, los explota y después trata de arrojarlos a la basura en nombre de no sé qué moral porque el negocio está en el ciclo completo.

Que Michael Jackson son espere muchos años en el jardín. Salud amigo y gracias por tu genio y tu música.