So The self-styled "King of Pop" is dead. He sold a lot of records a while ago but has done nothing of any significance for years.
His career (and life) have been falling apart for years. Eccentricity transformed into madness which, if it wasn't for his celebrity and good lawyers would gave had him locked up in a secure hospital at least. Think of the masks, the plastic surgery, the menagerie of animals, the baby dangling.....
The Martin Bashir interview in which he admitted "sharing a bed" with minors should have done for him completely. Why didn't it? Is it because he was black? Somehow he was acquitted if child molestation.... but then OJ Simpson was acquitted of murder.
He was going to try to resurrect his career yet again at the O2 later this year. This, in a bizarre way, has happened. Just like when Elvis died or Lennon was murdered fans are frantically buying his songs on CD and via downloads. Fans? Surely "fans" already had his tracks? These are people caught up in the mass hysteria of the moment.
Yes, mass hysteria. It's not quite a "Diana moment" yet but it's getting close. Where is the common sense? Where is the sense of proportion? Where is the dignity?
Tine to move on. He made some good recordings. They sold a lot. He was (being generous here) controversial and a gift to tabloid hacks. He died - rather predictably.
Let's not now waste time on conspiracy theories and was he murdered. Let's not have sightings of Wacko "still alive" or "working down the local chippy". And let's not have photos of Wacko appearing in a buttered tea cake. He's dead. There are real news stories of importance. Let's move on.