Michael Jackson's life celebrated at Glastonbury

Reference : http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jun/26/michael-jackson-glastonbury-tributes

Michael Jackson's life celebrated at Glastonbury
Stars and festivalgoers express disbelief at Jackson's death, as Glastonbury erupts with tributes to the King of Pop

Rosie Swash
guardian.co.uk, Friday 26 June 2009 14.32 BST
Article history

Where were you when you heard that Michael Jackson died? It's a question that could potentially rank alongside the deaths of JFK, John Lennon and Princess Diana. Unfortunately for most people at Glastonbury 2009, the answer will be: "Watching East 17." But the day after the death of the most famous pop star on the planet, few people have anything beyond disbelief to express over Jackson's passing.
Naomi Campbell, at the festival to raise awareness of the White Ribbon alliance with Sarah Brown, summed up the mood at Glastonbury: "I'm just like everyone else, in shock." Festival organiser Emily Eavis applied a dose of Glastonbury chipper to proceedings by saying "There is a celebration of his life at the festival already. As the news rippled across the site last night, you could hear tents playing Jacko songs. The first I heard was 'I Want You Back'. I think that will continue throughout the weekend."
Stallholders have shown initiative across the site, with one displaying a freshly printed T-shirt bearing the words "Michael Jackson – RIP – 1958-2009". Another put up a sign reading "Michael Jackson has died, 10% off everything."
There is something eerie and destabilising about the death of the biggest pop star on the planet colliding with the biggest pop culture event of the country, accentuated by his omnipresence in the news since the announcement of that record-breaking, 50-nights, comeback tour.
But if reaction to his death late last night was shock, it has not yet been replaced by sadness. For some festivalgoers, particularly those in their teens, who only really knew Michael Jackson as a freakish figure divorced from reality, doing a moonwalk through the mud to amuse their mates doesn't feel disrespectful.
Kern, 37, and Lisa, 36, are two friends who travelled from Liverpool to the festival, and both are rather appalled by the mass reaction to his death on site. "People are making jokes, like 'Bubbles has finally got his revenge' and little kids are screaming 'Michael Jackson is dead' in a really excited way," says Kern. "I find that very strange. It's not right, someone has died." Lisa agrees that "whatever happened (in his life) someone who has small children has passed away, and that is awful". But do they feel distressed? After thinking it over, Lisa settles on: "His whole life was sad. I feel sad for his kids."