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Unconfirmed reports on British TV state the 50 yr old singer has died in hospital after a heart attack.
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At first they said he was in a coma. Now it is confirmed he has died. Even thought I didn't agree with this lifestyle he wrote some damn fine tunes.
Thanks Graham.
Last edited by edbulmer; 06/25/09 04:53 PM.
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I'll agree that he was talented, but, I will not mourn his passing. Actually, I can't say that, either. I will miss the talent, but not the man.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Respect to MJ. He was a true artist. Not frankly my kind of music but then I am more into rock, blues, jazz & country than pop. Still, he was a true artist all the same. Heard the news via sms from a Danish friend in Copenhagen (the one who filmed the 'MirriadsMarching' video of me on YouTube). MJ was only 50 weeks older than me and a Virgo like me.  I sang ' American Pie' in his honour at a gig tonight. Respect. RIP MJ Apparently, Farrah Fawcett-Majors also died today. Two icons of modern America gone on the same day... Gotta keep following that dream But if I was asked whether I wanted to live long and struggle every day for survival or burn out in a blaze of glory, like the proverbial moth in the flame, I know which route I would prefer  I am that proverbial moth...
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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It's not 03/02/59 and its not 08/12/80 either. There is nothing to suggest that MIchael Jackson would ever have made any more worthy additions to his catalogue.
However we have to acknowledge that popular music has lost one of its greatest ever artists. In terms of combining dance music and rock, taking what was originally black music to a white audience and bringing pop music into the video age, MJ was a key figure.
Was he a balanced, well-rounded adult? Well no of course not. But the attention of all the world's gossip media is hard enough to cope with at the best of times i.e. for someone who has been well-grounded by a 'normal' upbringing. This was most certainly not the case for MJ who was a bone fide pop star long before his 12th birthday.
R.I.P. Michael
"I'll give you all that I've got"
(Pretty Young Thing, Thriller)
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When it comes to artists and musicians you have to make separate judgements on their art/music and their merits as a person. And to make things more complicated almost all brilliant artists/musicians find the inspiration and drive for their artistic achievements in their often tortured private lives.
So I have a view on Michael Jackson as a pop star - huge, no denying. Not my thing but I have to admire those great Quincy Jones-produced albums for their innovation and verve. And as a person: a sad figure with below average intelligence and education, with no grasp on reality mostly due to the abnormal exploited upbringing, at the prey of 'advisors' of all kinds, including some family members.
I will be intrigued to hear the autopsy report. His 'personal physician' was with him. Why? We all know the role 'personal physicians' sometimes play in these matters (cf. Elvis).
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IMO his body just couldn't cope with the constant stress. Don't forget He was on stage performing when the rest of us were out playing like normal
children. He never had a childhood and played football, baseball, went swimming or any of the things we take for granted.
It's no wonder he wasn't that intelligent, he didn't have a chance to mature properly.
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Intelligence has absolutely nothing to do with upbringing, G. NOI. Either one is intelligent or one is not. However, I agree with you on the maturity aspect. MJ was definitely intelligent, albeit rather immature. Is this a race card (I don't mean in my case, I mean in terms of the education MJ was given)? For the record, I do NOT have any racial prejudice.
Personally, I too grew up as a kid with full-time serious competition riding (show-jumping) from the age of 7. I was totally dedicated to my sport and almost never played with other kids (I just didn't fit in and neither did my interests). Eventually, I reached international level and rode for GB in a Nations Cup team in Holland. I never played any ball sports and the only swimming I got was in the private family pool. OTOH, I was knocked out of the sport at 19 due to a serious motorcycle accident and Life has been a struggle ever since. Nevertheless, I took myself off to university and got myself an education that ended with 19 qualifications and still no fixed employment. Now, I'm a musician...
You don't need qualifications for the Arts. You need talent and a lot of Luck.
Of course, education helps but it doesn't make you any more intelligent
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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I am sad for his children and the people who truly loved and really knew him. I was just a casual fan. My favorite song by MJ is Man In The Mirror. He was an extraordinary talent. The sweet innocent happy songs of the Jackson Five still make me smile. The 25th Anniversary of Motown performance was spectacular when I watched it on tv live. I remember articles in the 1980's of how he revived the dwindling record industry. I think it is sad that he had more frivolous lawsuits filed against him than any other celebrity. I find it interesting that he was in the Guinness Book of World Records for supporting the most charities of any celebrity. It's a shame he died so young. His music will live on. May God rest his soul and comfort his loved ones.
Sundance
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I had so many jokes ready for this, but... When it comes down to it, I find I just don't have the heart to make fun of MJ at this time. Yeah, he was totally bonkers - but he was so talented and someone who by all accounts was just struggling to get by while being pestered and attacked on all sides. He lived what was likely the most abnormal life that any human being has lived at this point, so it's no wonder he turned out so strange. I feel for the guy, and it's a shame he's gone.
----- Do you love the Floyd as much as I do? If so, click away the moments that make up the dull day: www.canadianpinkfloyd.com
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Something to reflect on. A couple of years ago Dr Saulk died, warenting a half inch column on page 10 of my local paper. Here's a man who has saved millions of lives with his creation of the polio vacine. Talented as M.J. was it saddens me that things seem so out of ballance.
Hank
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Amen, Hank. Jacko is over.
And closer to (your) home, and closer to music, how much space did Oscar Peterson's death occupy last year.
Brad
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Well, I've been debating whether or not to throw my two cents in but here goes...I'm somewhat plugged into the legal/accounting/music scene in LA and everybody in the industry around here has known for years the dude was a drug addicted pedophile and Quincy Jones and other producers were responsible for a lot of his sound. Think someone pays 20 million to the family of a 8 year old because he's innocent? Personally, I had little use for him and I had to actually think about it to realize I have never done any of his songs and I do tons of cover's from the 50's on but his stuff just never came up. Notice how careful Obama was with his remarks the other day? He's a law professor, he knows what's behind the scenes. The classic sex, drugs, rock & roll, lots of therapy sessions and all is one thing but messing with little kids is a whole other thing. There's a reason those types get snuffed in prison.
I think it's a major failure of our society to give someone like that such adulation regardless of how "talented" he is. Lots of historical monsters were talented in different areas, so what? It's like the old thing about people who gave Hitler a pass because he came in and made the trains run on time. Great.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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I admit to listening and dancing to some of his music..Bille Jean..etc.
He will be one of the most bizzare people ever to be a 'music star'.
Hundreds of others had way more music in them than he did.
We could name them, Bill Evans to OP to well, thousands of others....
He was weird, crazy, and off the wall.
I'd never have let any young male relation of mine spend 10 minutes with him.
I don't mourn him, I pity him.
Wasted Life, wasted talent, wasted days, wasted nights.
Be who you are....
Forget plastic surgery, and never never go there land.
In the early days he was amazing.
He tunred into a freak.
I ended up with no respect, no feeling for his talent, and not a good thing to say..
Sorry, that's my 2 pence worth, as we say in the Colonies.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Quote:
Lots of historical monsters were talented in different areas, so what? It's like the old thing about people who gave Hitler a pass because he came in and made the trains run on time.
Wasn't that Mussolini?
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But there for the grace of God goes anyone of us. RIP finally!
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My God, first Jacko, and Now Billy Mays! At only 50.
All the giants are dropping away.
Thank God Gary Busey is still with us, at 65 -- Happy Birthday, Gary.
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HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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I would rather have say hey Mays back.
He never screamed at me from TV.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
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These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
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-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
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- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
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Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
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Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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