BILLY MAYS DIES
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Another day another unexpected celebrity death. TV pitchman Billy Mays has died. He was just 50 years old. His wife found him this morning at their home in Tampa, Florida. Police do not suspect foul play. The over-the-top pitchman had just returned from a business trip to Philadelphia. He was his normal self last night. Mays was known for lending his voice to infomercials for products like Oxiclean and Orange Glo.
Labels: obits
posted by jc @ 12:46 PM, ,
JACKSON DEATH PROMPTS SPIKE OF TEXTS AND TWEETS
Saturday, June 27, 2009
When Michael Jackson died, everyone grabbed their cellphones and logged on to social networking sites to spread the world. Twitter reports the news of his death generated the most tweets per second since Barack Obama was elected president. More than twice the normal tweets per second from the second the story broke. AT&T reports that texting had the largest spike in the network's history. About 65, 000 texts per second were sent. That's more than 60 percent over normal volume. On Facebook, sharing of wall posts, comments and notes went up. Status messages spike by more than three times the normal amount. Google reports the huge increase in searches related to Michael Jackson was so large that Google News initially mistook it for an automated attack.The news slowed down many websites. ABC, AOL, CBS, NBC, the Los Angeles Times and Yahoo! News all came to a crawl.
Labels: death of michael jackson
posted by jc @ 12:00 PM, ,
MICHAEL JACKSON'S DEATH IN MEDIA
The news of Michael Jackson's death had the media in a whirlwind. As the news broke, I took some pictures of popular Websites and newscasts announcing his death.
TMZ owned the story. The Website was first to report that Jackson was rushed to the hospital. They were first to get comment from Joe Jackson and a family friend saying he was in "rough shape." TMZ was also the first source to confirm that the Jackson had died.
This was the front page of the Drudge Report after TMZ announced Jackson had died. For awhile, many news sources were waiting for official confirmation.
The Drudge Report after it was confirmed that Jackson had died. A sad sight indeed.
All of the network newscasts were forced to scramble. Jackson's death was confirmed right before ABC, NBC, and CBS went on the air at 6 PM/ET.
A screen grab from FOX News shortly after Jackson's death was confirmed. The cable news nets offered live coverage well into the night.
Labels: death of michael jackson
posted by jc @ 11:58 AM, ,
MICHAEL JACKSON DIES
Friday, June 26, 2009
The world has lost a true legend. An icon. Pop superstar Michael Jackson has passed away. He was just 50 years old. Yesterday, Jackson was rushed to UCLA Medical Center after suffering cardiac arrest at his rental home in Los Angeles. Doctors tried their best to revive Jackson, but they couldn't save him. A massive crowd of media and fans gathered outside of the hospital all night long. In New York City, fans filled Times Square. They also gathered outside of the famous Apollo theater to dance, sing and remember Jackson all night long.
Jackson rose to fame as a member of the Jackson Five, a group consisting of him and his three brothers. But it was the 1980's where Michael Jackson became Michael Jackson. His album, "Thiller," remains the best-selling album of all-time. It spawned several hits including, "Billie Jean," "Wanna Be Starting Something," and "beat It." It also won him several Grammy's.
Jackson was as infamous as he was famous. He was a tabloid darling for his odd behavior. His pet monkey Bubbles. The Neverland Ranch. His ever-changing skin color. His thinning nose. His two failed marriages and three kids with names that only he could dream up. He had an odd obsession with children, which landed him him in trouble. Twice he denied sexually abusing young boys.
Love him or hate him, Michael Jackson was truly the King of Pop. He left a lasting impression on the music industry. His influence can be felt in so many songs that are on the radio today.
Boston Herald writer Lauren Beckham Falcone summed it up perfectly this morning: "Say what you will about Jackson, but remember this: You won't be talking the next time you find yourself listening to "P.Y.T" or "Beat It," or "Billie Jean" at a wedding or bar mitzvah or bar. You'll be dancing."
Labels: death of michael jackson, obits
posted by jc @ 2:13 PM, ,
FARRAH FAWCETT DIES
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Actress Farrah Fawcett has lost her long and brave battle with cancer. She died today at 62 years old. She was best known for her role in "Charlie's Angels." Ryan O'Neal, her longtime companion, reunited with her as she fought anal cancer. Today, those who knew her best reacted to her passing.
"After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away. Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world." -- Ryan O'Neal, longtime companion.
"She was an angel on Earth and now an angel forever." -- Lee Majors, ex-husband.
"There are no words to express the deep sense of loss that I feel. For 30 years Farrah was much more than a friend, she was my sister, and although I will miss her terribly I know in my heart that she will always be there as that angel on the shoulder of everyone who loved her." -- Alana Stewart, close friend.
"Farrah had courage, she had strength and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels." -- Jacyln Smith, co-star in "Charlie's Angels."
"Farrah had an outstanding talent, better than most feature film actresses that I've seen. She was great to work with and will be missed." -- Robert Duvall, director and co-star in "The Apostle."
"I'm terribly sad about Farrah's passing. She was incredibly brave and God will be welcoming her with open arms." -- Cheryl Ladd, co-star in "Charlie's Angels."
Labels: obits
posted by jc @ 4:43 PM, ,
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