From Sydney To Bogota, Fans Mourn Jackson

Foreign Dignitaries And Humble Fans From Across The Globe Remember The King Of Pop

(CBS/AP)  Last Updated 5:05 a.m. Eastern.

The news stunned nearly everyone, from the young man in Colombia who was named after the King of Pop, to Malaysians who named a soy drink for him, to a generation of people around the world who have tried to moonwalk.

Michael Jackson's death Thursday in California prompted broadcasters from Sydney to Seoul - where the news came early Friday - to interrupt morning programs, while fans remembered a "tortured genius" whose squeals and sliding moves captivated a generation and who sparked global trends in music, dance and fashion.

Even world leaders weighed in. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called it "lamentable news," though he criticized the media for giving it so much attention. Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who had met Jackson, said: "We lost a hero of the world."

Within minutes of Jackson's arrival by ambulance at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, people began arriving by the hundreds. A crowd remained at sunset, hours later, some dancing while passing cars blasted out Jackson tunes. A group of entrepreneurs sold T-shirts reading, "In Loving Memory of Michael Jackson."

Fans broke into applause as Jackson's music was played over the loudspeakers at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, where Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and others were scheduled to play this weekend.

Jackson had been scheduled to play a sold-out 50-date "comeback tour" in the U.K. beginning July 13 and stretching into March of next year.

The grief crossed all borders.

"My heart is heavy because my idol died," said Byron Garcia, security consultant at a Philippine prison who organized the famous video of 1,500 inmates synchronized dancing to "Thriller." The video has had 23.4 million hits on YouTube.

Garcia said the inmates in Cebu will hold a tribute for Jackson on Saturday with their "Thriller" dance and a minute of prayer.

More Michael Jackson coverage:

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From Tokyo To Rio, Fans Mourn King Of Pop
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A Collection Of CBS Videos Of Michael Jackson
The Death Of Michael Jackson, Full Coverage

In Bogota, Colombia, a 24-year-old tattoo artist named Michael Tarquino said his parents named him after Jackson. He recalled growing up with electricity rationing for hours at a time and waiting for the power to return.

"When the light came back on I would play my Michael Jackson LP, and I'd stand at the window and sing along," he said.

Japanese fans were always among Jackson's most passionate supporters, and news of his death came as a huge shock. Michiko Suzuki, a music critic who met Jackson several times in the 1980s, said the country was likely to be mourning for some time.

"Everyone was imitating his 'moonwalk' when it was a hit. He was a true superstar," she said.

Tokyo resident Takanori Hamaoka told CBSNews.com that Japan is in a state of shock.

"So many people are curious about his death," Hamaoka said. "We still cannot believe that he is dead."

Jackson also had a huge fan base in Seoul, South Korea, where his style and dance moves were widely emulated by Korean pop stars.

"He is my master and the prime mover to make me dance," pop star Rain told the South Korean sports and entertainment daily Ilgan Sports. "Even though he is dead, he is an eternal performer."

In central Mexico City, Jackson impersonator Esteban Rubio, 30, organized an impromptu tribute to the musical star.

"I feel sad, as if a part of my life were torn away," said Rubio, who wore a black fedora and aviator-style sunglasses and held a bouquet of sunflowers. "He changed the world. ... His legend begins today."

In Sydney, where Jackson married second wife Debbie Rowe in 1996, a celebrity publicist who was a wedding guest and worked on Jackson's Australian tour that year described him as a "tortured genius."

"He was very gentle, very quiet, very shy," Di Rolle told Sky News television. "He was a very complicated, strange man, women loved him and men loved him too. It's such a sad day, a very sad day."

Online communities across the world posted tributes.

"I had tears in my eyes when I found out," Charles Winter, 19, from Adelaide, Australia, told The Associated Press. He led a Facebook group of more than 60,000 members that was petitioning Jackson to add Australia to his concert tour planned for this year. "He was such an inspiration. It doesn't matter if you're 40, 60 or 20, his music appeals to everyone."

In Malaysia, a drink mixing soy milk with strips of dark jelly is named after Jackson's "Black or White" song, and locals just ask for "Michael Jackson" or "MJ" when they order.

Yet the government nearly banned Jackson's 1996 HIStory concert tour for being too raunchy for the conservative, predominantly Islamic nation.

IT specialist Ivan Ho, 48, said Jackson's success went to his head.

"He is a weirdo," he said. "With the kind of money he has, he could have done much more for charity" rather than have cosmetic surgery.

The international arts community mourned the loss of a unique performer.

Peter Kam, a prominent pop composer in Hong Kong, said he learned from Jackson the importance of a catchy melody.

"Every one of his songs is easy to remember. He was great at leaving a deep impression in a simple way," Kam said.

In Brazil, movie director and musician Felipe Machado called Jackson "perhaps the best performer that ever existed." Singer-composer and former Culture Minister Gilberto Gil also expressed his sorrow.

"It makes me very sad to see such a great and incredible talent leave us so soon - a talent that provided all of us with some wonderful moments," he told Folha Online news service. "I'll miss the King of Pop."

[mcintoshlou]

IT WAS JUST a week ago that Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) was in the spotlight for his admission of marital infidelity. Now comes fellow Republican and would-be presidential hopeful Mark Sanford's clumsy admission of adultery, and Mr. Ensign is, so political pundits judge, yesterday's news. That's too bad, because there is still a lot about Mr. Ensign's affair that the public has a right to know.

Interest in Mr. Ensign -- and we make no secret that ours is influenced in part by his despicable role in undermining D.C. voting rights -- is by no means absolution of Mr. Sanford. The latter abrogated his responsibilities as South Carolina governor and misled his staff and the public. Mr. Sanford's infidelity should be a private matter between him and his wife, but his embarrassing confessional raised inevitable calls for his resignation. His announcement yesterday that he would reimburse the state for portions of a 2008 trade mission that included meeting with his Argentine mistress raises more questions about his conduct.

[mcintoshlou]

There is every indication that Mr. Sanford would have maintained his cavalier abuse of the governorship but for the discovery of his official recklessness by the newspaper The State in Columbia. In his mystery odyssey, the governor eluded his security detail and drove a state car to the airport with the whereabouts locater turned off. Surprised by a news photographer in returning from Buenos Aires, the governor countered with his rambling public confession. (How public officials of both parties expect they can indulge themselves without some enemy revealing their hypocrisy is one of the running mysteries of politics.)

Since Mr. Sanford thought enough of his political peers to resign as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, he has a comparable duty to South Carolina voters. Unfortunately, his spinners are emphasizing contrition, not competence, in describing a new mission of ?building back the trust? of the people. Mr. Sanford should get out of the way of the need to build back the government he undermined.


HOW ABOUT SOME REAL NEWS

[nordeck52]

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called it "lamentable news," though he criticized the media for giving it so much attention."


Finally something I agree with Hugo Chavez on. The media has had a tendency to give too much attention to certain things. To be fair though, this case is somewhat justified, given how shocking it is. I've never been a fan of Michael Jackson, but you can't deny that he had a lot of talent. May he rest in peace.

[gravyboat3000]

He was,"the King of Pop".

What does Chavez know about it?

[saj210]

edward197502009: Jackson was never convicted as a pedophile. It's too bad you have to speak bad of the dead. But then that's probably the type of person you are!

[saj210]

Michael Jackson was a phnomenal entertainer and person.

There are always going to be those who dwell on the faults of others. Michael had his issues, but I believe he was a tortured soul.

Thank goodness we have a merciful GOD, who looks beyond the surface of our being and sees our heart.

R.I.P. Michael

[dadslildago]

Yes, a tortured soul, and most of it self-inflicted in order to try to look Caucasian, instead of realizing from the beginning that he was really a good-looking American kid with unusual talent. Must have been a childhood of hell - known to have been abusive - to breed that kind of insecurity as well as his personality quirks and sexual ambiguity.

[Audrey_Dern]

You people are crazy! Mike was nothing but a freak who liked little boys. Now come on you idiots...face it. What about Farrah and Ed Macman? Thay did so much good in life and Farrah died a slow, painful death. At least Mike died quickly. I could not stand his music nor his voice...and don't believe he had any talent...he couldnt' even go in the sun because his nose would melt! He was just a freak and it bothers me that so many looked towards him as their idol...like he was some God. I don't like to hear that anyone died, but I am certainly not as upset as I was when I heard about Farrah and Ed! Get over it!!!

[credibility2]

Although an untimely death of this celebrity, the amount of coverage Jackson's death is getting shows that most people care more about pop culture versus truly important items, like our economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, etc. That more people identify with a story about Jackson and don't expend the same amount of interest in others, also speaks to a level of an intellectually diminished and dumbed-down society.

[saj210]

We can talk about the economy and wars from now on! We often need a break from those types of conversations.

It's unfortunate that we are discussing the death of Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett.

If you like, you can continue to talk about the economy and wars! It's a free country!

[endurorob]

Why is it that when I heard yesyerday that Farrah Fawcet had died I felt a sense of loss but when I heard that Michael Jackson had died I felt a sense of releif?

[saj210]

Endurorob: You're probably a studpid white guy.

[edward1975-2009]

Because you're one of the few who have a brain and see this guy or whatever he was for what he really was.

[DoubleHappiness88]

Officially threatened by North Korea with nuclear destruction, America is also engaged in two prolonged wars. Forty million Americans are without health insurance; many more are underinsured. The world economy is the worst since The Great Depression. Millions are loosing their jobs and homes.

News purveyors have lost all sense of importance. Anyone having to do with this outrageously disproportionate coverage should have their journalism degrees revoked. The death of Michael Jackson deserves no more than a footnote in the records of pedophilia.

Edward R. Murrow, Douglas Edwards, Frank Reynolds and Peter Jennings would be ashamed of the journalism profession and CBS.

[edward1975-2009]

He was a rich pedophile who paid his way out of jail. I lost respect for him when he paid one of his victims over 20 million for his silence. You can glorify his actions as saying he thought he was Peter Pan, and never wanted to grow up, but fact remains, he preyed on young boys. He may have been a pop icon, but you can't ignore or condone much of his personal life.

[shameonbush]

I agree 100%

[cg37102006]

the michael jordan of the music world is gone. the world is less of a place because he is gone.