25th June 2014

JACKO: recalling the King of Pop 5 years after his death

Five years ago today, the music world lost a pop icon when Michael Jackson died suddenly from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

At the time, the 50-year-old performer and father of three was mired in debt, struggling to shake off an image still tarnished by allegations of child molestation (though he was cleared) and risking everything for a highly ambitious and intensely physical comeback concert series.

His passing — as well as the details that emerged about his secretive life in the subsequent legal battles surrounding his death — kicked off a massive, international wave of nostalgia that has kept him in the headlines, inspired films and shows as well as sparked a musical resurgence (including award show "performances" and the release of several posthumous albums) in the years since.

Michael Jackson-s estate is making more money five years after his death than he was at the prime of his career, says author of book Michael Jackson Inc