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World Mourns Michael Jackson; Expert Answers to Financial Woes
Aired June 26, 2009 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, they are known as the Jena 6. And we are pushing forward to the long-awaited end of a wrenching case. Will the punishment finally fit the crime?
And a top ayatollah wants punishment meted with strong -- strongly, and actually wants punishment faced with strongly -- strongly with -- and with cruelty. Boy, that is odd. That is really -- he wants it basically -- they want the punishment met with cruelty to the leaders of the anti-government protest in Iran.
Also, President Obama saluting protesters' bravery in the face of brutality.
But we do begin with the death and life of a megastar. His life was wrapped in just mystery. And for now, his death is, too. An autopsy is being done today on Michael Jackson, who died after collapsing at his L.A. home yesterday.
Fans the world over, they are breaking down in tears. Others are breaking out in song. All, though, celebrating a man who left an unprecedented musical legacy, inspired generations of musicians and turned a single glove into a global fashion statement.
Hello everybody, welcome back. We do celebrate that life and that legacy. But first, we are waiting to find out how Michael Jackson died. And our Don Lemon is at the Los Angeles coroner's office. He joins us now live.
Don, have you gotten any answers so far?
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think I soon though, Betty, because I want you to take a look at this. This is the press, all waiting for the assistant chief to come back out.
Originally, he said he would come out about 11:00 or noon Pacific Time. It is closing in on 11:00. The reporters are getting ready, we're getting ready as well, but it could be an hour before he comes out to share some information with us. So we're all trying to get in place to get the information on the latest with Michael Jackson's body.
As I said to you just a couple of minutes ago, the information that I got, I was speaking to the Reverend Al Sharpton, and he said that he had been talking to the family, and the family wanted to get this notion that Michael Jackson wasn't close to the family, that they weren't on speaking terms, they said they wanted to erase that notion because it's simply not true, that that's tabloid fodder according to them. And he says, as a matter of fact, a couple of weeks ago in Las Vegas, that Joe and Katherine Jackson, the parents of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Janet Jackson, La Toya and all those guys, they were celebrating their 60th anniversary. And the entire family was there, including the grandkids, aunts, uncles, anyone that you could name.
And during that, they said that Michael Jackson said that at the end of this tour, when he finished his tour, he wanted all the brothers and all the family to really come out and do something with him on stage. So he was there. Everyone was there. They said it's simply not true that the family wasn't on speaking terms with Michael Jackson, that they were very close.
Now, again, we're waiting on the results, or at least the preliminary results, from the autopsy. And we're waiting on the assistant chief to come out.
He said that he might have something to tell us. He's not sure. They had to get in there and find out exactly what was going on. But he did say don't expect anything as it comes to toxicology reports, because that's going to take six to eight weeks. And as we know, if you're watching CNN and you're listening to other news organizations and reading, there are several people who say they're close to the Jackson family and said they had some concerns about Michael Jackson possibly having a problem with prescription medication.
So they're doing toxicology reports. That's a standard practice. But it's of the utmost importance this time since they had those allegations.
And again, Betty, as our Drew Griffin said, our Kara Finnstrom, talked about the car that was being towed from the Jackson residence yesterday after he was taken to the hospital and then eventually pronounced dead.
NGUYEN: The car belonging to the doctor who was there at the time with Michael Jackson.
Have you heard any more about that doctor? Because at this point, no one seems to know where he is.
LEMON: I've been calling and talking to sources, and they are telling me things I want to get more information on, because they do have some information about some possible concerns with that. The family is definitely listening to those reports. At least maybe not listening, but there are representatives who are listening and they are concerned about those reports. So there may be some information with that. I don't want to go too far with it because I want to share it with our audience, and I also want to make sure that it's completely vetted before I put it on the air.
But again, as we know, LAPD is confirming that it is a car, and they're saying it is Michael Jackson's personal physician's car, or at least one his personal physician's cars. And they want to find out exactly what's in that car because it may have something to do with the medication that Michael Jackson was taking.
So, again, every T, every I crossed and dotted. They want to make sure Michael Jackson, a star among stars, a very high profile person, they want to make sure that they handle this right -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Oh, absolutely. You know, it goes without saying, especially when you have a situation like this.
Of course the officers on site, those doing the investigation, want to speak with anyone and everyone who was there at the time. It just makes sense.
All right, Don Lemon. Thank you for that.
LEMON: And real quickly, Betty, I just want to say that, initially, police said that they didn't believe that there was anything criminal about it. That was initial reports. So far they are sticking to that. But again, this thing about the car being towed certainly changes the landscape a little bit and raises some questions.
NGUYEN: Yes, it does change the landscape, especially when you cannot find the doctor at this time. OK.
Don Lemon, thank you for that.
You know, a lot of you want to share your thoughts on Michael Jackson's passing, and there are at least 18 pages of new submissions over on iReport.com. Here's one that came to us from Kingwood, Texas. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EGBERTO WILLIES, IREPORTER: Michael Jackson was a complicated human being who was neglected a childhood in order to provide us with great music and dance and entertainment. But with all his wealth and success, he never seemed happy with himself. He never viewed himself as we viewed him, simply the best entertainer alive.
May he rest in peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: On the Web or on the street, fans say they just want to be part of this chapter in music history. And one of the places that they're flocking to is Michael Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
CNN's Dan Simon is there and he joins us now live.
I imagine, Dan, people have come out in droves just to be a part of this day.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's really incredible, the numbers that we're seeing out here. If you were with us earlier, you saw it was really just a crush of people. Things going a bit more smoothly now that police have these barricades up.
You can see the people in line in front of me, and you can see the star maybe about 40 or so yards up the path here. If we turn the camera around, you really get a sense in terms of how many folks are out here, all of them with their cameras, really trying to get a sense of what it looks like out here, wanting to go pay their respects to Michael Jackson.
And to kind of put this all in perspective for us in terms of, have we seen this before or have we not seen it before, is Leron Gubler. He is with the Hollywood Commerce Department. They administer the Walk of Fame.
You had mentioned before...
LERON GUBLER, HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Hi.
SIMON: How you doing? Nice to see you.
You had mentioned before that it was, what, about 24 years ago, 25 years ago that Michael Jackson first got his star? At that time, you never saw crowds like this.
GUBLER: That's correct. The crowd was estimated to be over 4,000 people for that Walk of Fame ceremony, which in this constricted area, you can imagine, was huge.
SIMON: So really two instances in which the crowds have come out in record numbers for Michael Jackson, first when he got the star, now obviously this tragic situation.
GUBLER: Absolutely. We'll probably over the course of this weekend have far more than that. There will be thousands of people here over the weekend to pay their respects.
What do you make of all these crowds?
GUBLER: You know, it certainly shows a couple of things. It shows the commitment and love for Michael Jackson that a lot of people had, but it also shows the attraction and draw of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We refer to the Walk of Fame as the "People's Award."
This is the only major Hollywood award that the public has access to, which is why people are so excited about the Walk of Fame. They can touch the star, they know their celebrity hero was there, and there is a connection with the stars.
We put flowers on the star whenever any celebrity passes away to commemorate the event. And a lot of fans leave mementos at the star. And you're already starting to see that. I would expect that by the end of the weekend, there will be a lot of things left here.
SIMON: How long would you anticipate this will be open like this? I mean, you've basically shut down the entire path to accommodate these fans. How long will it be like this?
GUBLER: I would say at least through the weekend, maybe into the beginning of next week.
SIMON: And how many folks are you expecting to see over here?
GUBLER: Well, there's no way to estimate that, but you can already see the flowers went up at 9:00 a.m. It's now 11:00. So in two hours time, you have a huge throng here. And as the publicity spreads that the star is here and accessible, you'll see more people. You also have the BET Awards this is weekend, with a lot of events here in Hollywood, so there will be a lot of people all throughout the weekend coming here to pay their respects.
SIMON: Leron Gubler with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Thanks for your time.
GUBLER: Thank you.
SIMON: Obviously, Betty, the crowds continuing to get thicker. Before we leave you, I want to show you something.
Perhaps this isn't all that surprising, that some have figured out a way to sort of capitalize on what's happening, people making T- shirts. This one here says "Michael Jackson, rest in peace." You see a number of people making different T-shirts. The going rate, about $10, but a lot of people buying them, as you can see.
Crowds not getting any shorter, that's for sure.
Back to you.
NGUYEN: Yes. And they're expected to continue throughout the weekend. All right, Dan Simon. Thank you for that.
And as you can see at the bottom of your screen, we are waiting for the Jackson 911 tapes. And when we do get them and take a look at them, we'll bring them to you.
Also this: How do you sell so many albums and wind up so deep in debt? Michael Jackson auctioned off a lot of his personal stuff, but he could barely put a dent in what he owed. The numbers, they are staggering.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Iran, global warming, Gitmo, a world of mutual interests for President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who met today at the White House. And as you may have heard live in their news conference afterward, the president said the two "speak with one voice on Iran," not just on the post-election turmoil.
Both leaders though condemn the violence, but on Iran's nuclear ambitions, as well. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The clock is ticking. Iran is developing nuclear capacity at a fairly rapid clip. They have been doing so for quite some time. Iran's possession of nuclear weapons would trigger an arms race in the Middle East that would be bad not just for U.S. security, it would be bad for the security of the entire region, including, by the way, Iranian security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. So, as for Gitmo, Merkel says Germany will meet its responsibilities, but there's no agreement yet to take detainees when the prison camp is closed.
Vice President Biden today named the first White House adviser on violence against women. She is Lynn Rosenthal, a former head of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Biden says the appointment is long overdue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I'm about to say is not a knock or criticism on the last administration or anybody else. But the truth of the matter is that I was saying in our pre-meeting here that there are sins of commission and sins of omission. One of the sins of omission is this has not been a front and center for the last eight years on the national agenda. It used to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Besides advising the president, Rosenthal will reach out to federal agencies to make sure domestic violence and sexual assaults are prosecuted.
Well, violence against Iranians by Iran's government is frustrating many in Congress who want the White House to take a tougher stand.
Last hour, two lawmakers demanded the U.S. support Iranian dissidents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BOB FILNER (D), CALIFORNIA: We have not helped the internal resistance movements. For example, we have put the MEK on a terrorist list here, which means that we cannot support them, and we hold up in financial kinds of transactions that they may want to do. The MEK is a democratic non-nuclear secular group fighting for freedom for all the people in Iran. And we should be doing what we could to help them and not get in their way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, let's go now to CNN's Ivan Watson on the Iran desk.
Ivan, what's going on there today?
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.
Just moments ago, our hard-working staff here on the international desk, on the Iran desk, got off the phone with police in Sweden, of all places. Evidently, after several days of demonstrations in front of Iran's embassy in Stockholm, things boiled over today and there were clashes. Some of the demonstrators tried to break into that embassy.
Swedish police say they arrested two men -- two people, sorry -- for property damage, one for assault. This is from Sweden's state broadcast, their public broadcast. A picture of damaged fencing this. Tensions boiling over at the Swedish Embassy in Stockholm with demonstrators.
Now, moving back to Tehran now, hard-line Iranian cleric, Ahmad Khatami, he gave a sermon at Friday prayers at Tehran University and he had some very fiery words as demonstrators were chanting -- as worshipers there were chanting "Death to America," "Death to Israel," "Death to Britain."
He went and accused those demonstrators, the opposition demonstrators, of killing the 26-year-old woman that we all know as Neda who died in the streets of Tehran on Saturday, a gunshot wound to the chest.
Let's take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYATOLLAH AHMED KHATAMI (through translator): About this woman who was killed, and Mr. Obama sheds crocodile tears for her, and the West makes a prodigy out of it, if any one person sees this film would see that this is the work of the rioters. It is the work of the secret (ph) of unrest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: And Betty, he also accused the organizers of these protests. He said that they were working for Western powers and that they should be brutally punished -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Ivan Watson joining us live.
Thank you for that, Ivan.
And you have been sharing your thoughts, as well -- in fact, all afternoon -- on the death of Michael Jackson. Here's what you're telling us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Jackson's passing is definitely a blow to all of the music industry, as well as humanity. He was one of the first artists that would transcend any racial or cultural lines.
Michael, you'll be missed. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God bless you, Michael Jackson. Wherever you are, I know you'll be dancing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am truly devastated about the death of Michael Jackson. I grew up with him, and his music has helped me get through a lot of unfortunate things and really good things in my life. My children adore him.
Just sleep, Michael. You'll be missed, but you need to rest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: OK. All right. Is he on the floor? Where's he at right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's on the bed, sir. He's on the bed.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Let's get him on the floor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Let's get him down to the floor. I'm going to help you with CPR right now. OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need...
911 OPERATOR: We're on our way there. We're on our way. I'm going to help you on the phone. We're already on the way.
Did anybody see him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we have a personal doctor here with him, sir.
911 OPERATOR: Oh, you have a doctor there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. But he's not responding to anything, to no -- he's not responding to the CPR or anything.
911 OPERATOR: Oh, OK.
Well, we're on our way there. If your guy is doing CPR, and you're instructed by a doctor, you have a higher authority than me. And he's there on scene.
Did anybody witness what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Just the doctor, sir. The doctor's been the only one here.
911 OPERATOR: OK. So did the doctor see what happened?
911 OPERATOR: Doctor, did you see what happened, sir?
Sir, we need...
911 OPERATOR: We're on our way. We're on our way. I'm just passing questions on to our paramedics, but they're on the way there, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir. He's pumping his chest, but he's not responding to anything, sir. Please.
911 OPERATOR: OK. OK. We're on our way. We're less than a mile away. We'll be there shortly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir. Thank you.
911 OPERATOR: OK, sir.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. There you have it, the 911 tapes from Michael Jackson's home.
It's not known exactly who placed that phone call, but you heard it right there, where the gentleman was saying he's not breathing. We're trying to pump him, but he's not conscious.
The 911 operator said, where is he? And they were told that he was on the bed, urged him, "Get him on the floor" to give him CPR, but then he was told by the person at Michael Jackson's home that there is a doctor on site, that the doctor is pumping his chest, but he is not responding to anything.
No word in there, though, was the mention of Michael Jackson's name, but you could hear the sense of urgency in the person's voice.
Again, these are the 911 tapes from the Jackson home released by the L.A. City Fire Department. And these tapes, the call, in fact, was placed at 12:21 p.m. local time yesterday. And just shortly after Michael Jackson stopped breathing. And that's the latest that we know on exactly what occurred during those 911 tapes.
We've got so much more on this story.
Stay right here. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: We want to get you answers to your financial questions.
Let's get straight to the Help Desk.
Greg McBride is a senior financial analyst at Bankrate and Alison Brower is the executive editor at "Redbook" magazine.
All right. Let's get right to work, guys.
Keith in Washington asked, "I called my credit card company to lower my interest rate. I was near the limit each time I made a payment, but their rates caused me to go over the limit each month without having used the card. The supervisor told me I was not eligible for a rate adjustment until January 2010. Is this legal?"
Greg, great question. People are always trying to get their rates lower.
GREG MCBRIDE, SR. FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE: Yes. And it is legal.
Now, in February of 2010, new legislation does take effect that will, among other things, prohibit the card issuer from raising the interest rate on an existing balance unless the cardholder is 60 days delinquent. In the meantime, your best defense is a good offense -- pay down that debt as aggressively as you can. Being near that credit limit every month really snaps your bargaining power when it comes to getting a better rate.
WILLIS: And you can always get a new card. Look, there's a lot of competition in that market. Sometimes it's time just to look for a new card.
Milton asks, "I own a double wide mobile home and I'm buying a single family home for the first time. Would I qualify for the first time homebuyer's tax credit?"
Alison, great question.
ALISON BROWER, "REDBOOK": Unfortunately not. The law considers a first-time homebuyer anyone who hasn't owned a principal residence for the past three years, and a principal residence can include a houseboat, a mobile home, any kind of home.
There are also some income requirements. So, it's a great benefit, but you definitely need to look into it to make sure that you qualify.
WILLIS: But this is going to be a big boom to the housing industry, isn't it, Greg? I mean, you know, this tax credit, it's going to spur a lot of people to get into the market. We're already seeing it.
MCBRIDE: And for well qualified borrowers, there's some urgency here. You have to close by November 30th in order to get that first- time homebuyer tax credit.
WILLIS: All right, guys. Great answers. Tough questions. The Help Desk is all about getting you answers. Send me an e- mail to gerri@cnn.com, or log on to cnn.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions.
And the Help Desk is everywhere. Make sure to check out the latest issue of "Money" magazine on newsstands now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A life remembered, a death investigated, and a legacy still being written. Fans the world over mourning Michael Jackson, who died yesterday after collapsing at his Los Angeles home. LA coroner is doing an autopsy right now, and we're still waiting to hear any new details. Jackson, 50 years old.
And his musical career spanned most of those years. 1982's Thriller is still the worldwide best selling album of all time. But Jackson died deep in debt and all sorts of unresolved legal clouds hang over his estate.
And we're also hearing that police are looking for Jackson's personal doctor. Drew Griffin from our Special Investigation Unit has been looking in to this. We talked to you last hour, and I understand you have additional news.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT: A lot of updates coming out of this investigation. Indeed, it is a death investigation. We say that because it's not criminal at this time. A lot of tabloids are trying to run up some theories, but what we do know is that the doctor that was treating Michael Jackson, a cardiologist licensed in California, Texas and Nevada and based in Las Vegas, did actually briefly speak with detectives yesterday. Those detectives want to follow up and investigate him or at least question him again. They haven't been able to find him, but now we're hearing from the Los Angeles Police Department they fully intend their detectives to be talking with this doctor, who is in fact not missing.
They did impound a car that we believe to be the doctor's sister's car from the home of Michael Jackson's house, and they did that because there may be some medications pertinent to the investigation inside that car. That's according to the Los Angeles Police Department. But, again, they are continuing to say this is a death investigation, not a criminal investigation. We do know, Betty, that the Los Angeles district attorney's office not involved at this time. And along with the police that want to interview the doctor, the coroner's office also wants to talk with the doctor. Standard protocol when you're trying to determine the cause of death..
NGUYEN: It seems like it would be. Especially this was the man who was there when he was struggling to breathe and they called 911 and all of that. It just seemed logical that they would want to speak with him. But what doesn't seem to be in the order of things is why he would leave his car there and then take off. GRIFFIN: Remember when Michael Jackson went to the hospital yesterday, there was an entourage that went with him. Perhaps the doctor was even in that ambulance with Michael Jackson. Perhaps he was part of the entourage. Perhaps his car was left behind.
What's unexplained, why didn't he come back? We do know yesterday he did talk with the detectives briefly. They want to follow up on that. So he has cooperated to that extent, and there's no reason to believe now that he has left Los Angeles. The police department telling me they fully expect him to be reinterviewed again.
NGUYEN: It's going to be interesting to see what went down, what occurred. And what medications were given to Michael Jackson. All right, Drew Griffin, thanks so much for that developing story right there. Thank you.
You know, Michael Jackson's life was full of ups and downs. He sold an estimated 750 million albums worldwide, but amazingly enough, he was about $400 million in debt. $400 million. No wonder he was rehearsing for a comeback tour, a series of 50 concerts in London. Well, now the promoters have to face refunding the $85 million in tickets that have already been sold.
So how does the family of Michael Jackson deal with the death of a loved one with all the hype and the glare of the public eye? One woman who knows all about that is Deanna Brown-Thomas. She is the daughter of soul singer James Brown. Her father died nearly two years ago, and her family is still dealing with legal issues. Jackson was also among the mourners who attended her famous father's funeral.
She joins me now by phone from Augusta, Georgia. And Deanna, I really do appreciate your time. As we mentioned, your father died almost two years ago. You're still dealing with legal problems. Because of that, what's been the toughest part of the legal battles for you as we look to you for some insight from you as the Jackson family starts to deal with their own?
DEANNA BROWN-THOMAS, JAMES BROWN'S DAUGHTER, (via telephone): First of all, I want to offer my prayers and support on behalf of my family to the Jackson family, to his children, his mother and father and family. Because right now, they are in shock. The world is in shock. I'm still in shock myself.
Michael was a beautiful person. He was a nice person. He was very humble when he came to Dad's funeral. And he came for one reason and one reason only, and that was to show love and respect and that's what he did. He didn't come for show. But the only thing that I offer right now to the family, Betty, is my prayers of support and peace because what they're going through is very, very hard and the road ahead is going to be long.
NGUYEN: Well, give us some insight, because you're experiencing your own legal battles over your father's estate. How long and how difficult is this road?
BROWN-THOMAS: Well, it was a struggle for our family and thank God we finally came to a settlement, and the family very happy with the settlement. We are all on one accord, and we look forward to moving his legacy forward and doing things. It was a struggle. It was a struggle. But we made it through. And, again, I offer my prayers to the Jackson family, because they do have a long road ahead and their peace will be very important.
NGUYEN: What about any advice that you would have to the Jackson children? Obviously they're much younger, but at the same time, they'll be in the spotlight. They'll face numerous questions. And they'll be dealing with a lot in the days and years to come.
BROWN-THOMAS: The prayers that we have for them will help them, and they have a large family. They have grandparents and aunts and uncles. And I'm sure that they're going to shower them with love because that is what these young children will need, a lot of love and prayers and support.
NGUYEN: One last thing. Share some personal memories of Michael Jackson. Some of the ones that you have that you will continue to keep with you and really look fondly upon.
BROWN-THOMAS: You know, I keenly remember a conversation that my father and Michael were having over the phone. My father -- I literally heard my father saying "Michael, I'm very proud of you, of how you've kept the music clean and how you've done well with the music."
My father was displeased with the music industry and the way the music was going and how the lyrics were so bad and tearing down people and cursing and profanity and vulgarity. He couldn't take it. But he told Michael that he was proud of him of how he kept the music clean. And Dad respected and loved Michael. It was a mutual relationship there with respect and love.
NGUYEN: And Deanna, Jackson was of your generation. You grew up listening to him.
BROWN-THOMAS: Yes, I did.
NGUYEN: What kind of an inspiration was he to you?
BROWN-THOMAS: Watching him was kind of funny for me. It was great because I'm a big fan of his. But it was like watching a big brother go out there and do what Daddy did. It was really something knowing that he had studied that for so long. But Michael Jackson was a wonderful, extraordinary artist in his own right, although did he study Dad. He was a wonderful in his own right and he -- his music, just like my father's, will live forever because it's good, clean music.
NGUYEN: All right, Deanna brown, James Brown's daughter, reflecting on Michael Jackson came today. Thank you so much for your time.
The musical career spanned 45 years, and his legacy will live forever. A.J. Hammer from "Showbiz Tonight" has been covering Michael Jackson for years. A.J., his fan base just seems to keep growing even after death.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: It's true. And it's amazing. And pretty overwhelming when you look back at Michael's discography and just the number of hits that he's had. I want to run down a few of the highlights of his career. I'd be here for a half hour if I was going to run down every song that had an impact, but you go back to the beginning with the Jackson 5. "Got to Be There," a top five song. Everybody remembers that "Rockin' Robin," that went straight to number two. "Ben," a big number one song for the Jackson Five and Michael.
And then he transitioned later in the '70s into more of an adult artist out of being a child star when you remember he starred in the musical "The Wiz," which had the great hit "Ease on Down the Road." I haven't been hearing that a lot in the last 24 hours. I have to get that one out a little later. And then a couple years later he released his album "Off The Wall." When you think back, he was only 21 when the album was released. It went straight to number one with "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough." Other huge hit off that album, "Rock With You," that spent a month at number one.
And all of this is before we even got into the Thriller era with over 100 million copies sold. Still the best selling album of all time, certainly not to be duplicated. The singles on there, the ones that went to number one, spent a collected 16 weeks at the top of the charts. Of course "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" among them.
And "Thriller," should point out, while certainly a huge hit, number four hit on the charts and a huge video, of course, one of the most expensive of its day, that song did not hit number one. Which surprised a lot of people. It did go platinum, but keep this in mind. Michael Jackson, only 24 years old when that album was released.
NGUYEN: Hey, you mentioned Thriller, A.J. And, in fact, that video itself pretty much changed the way people were starting to create videos. It changed MTV.
HAMMER: It certainly changed MTV, particularly in its acceptance of African-American black artists getting on MTV. This was at a time back in 1984, very new territory, the music video territory, and also MTV was quite reluctant and resistant at the time and got a lot of flack for not having enough diversity. In fact, Michael Jackson's record label at the time gave them a hard time about that and said, you know what, if you don't start playing some of Michael's videos, you can't play any of our artists' videos. And I got to tell you, that kicked down the door for black artists on MTV forever.
NGUYEN: All right, A.J. Hammer. Thanks so much for that. We have something coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM we want to bring to you right now. We are getting the first White House reaction to Michael Jackson's death. This coming from press secretary Robert Gibbs. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I talked to him about it this morning. Look, he said to me that obviously Michael Jackson was a spectacular performer, a music icon. I think everybody remembers hearing his songs, watching him moonwalk on television during Motown's 25th anniversary. But the president also said he had aspects of his life were sad and tragic. His condolences went out to the Jackson family and to fans that mourn his loss.
(INAUDIBLE QUESTION)
GIBBS: Because I just said it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you say he sent condolences to the family. Did he call the family personally?
GIBBS: Not that I know of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And that is the first White House reaction that we're getting today coming from Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on the death of Michael Jackson. This Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern, CNN does take an in-depth look at Michael Jackson's life, his childhood, his music, his finances, his influence. Don't want to miss this special. Don Lemon reports, "Michael Jackson, The Man in the Mirror," only on CNN.
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NGUYEN: Many people are inspired by their parents do great things with their lives, and Ethiopian native Alfa Demmellash was inspired to create a place that helped a lot of other people do great things with their lives. And many of them single mothers. She is this week's CNN hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN News.
ALFA DEMMELLASH, CO-FOUNDER, I was born and raised in Ethiopia. My mom (INAUDIBLE) a brutal dictatorship to save up for me to come to America. She started making beautiful gowns as a way to make extra money and save. Entrepreneurs, they are the very heart of what the American dream is all about.
My name is Alfa Demmellash. I co-founded an organization that provides business education to women and minority entrepreneurs like my mom. We believe in your dreams and what that makes possible. We launched a school so that people can go in and really work on the hands-on management side of their business.
We focus on providing people with quality coaching so that they can take their products and sell.
ROBIN MUNN, FLORIST: So I was thinking about closing, but once I started taking the classes, I found that the fire come back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To know that I can go out in the world and sell clothes, it's crazy, because I never would have had that insight.
KIM BRATTEN: They put hope back into the community. I'll be able to send my kids to college.
DEMMELLASH: We believe in you that you are on the beginning of a journey. This is really for us a place where the American dream can be realized. The ability to become self-reliant, the ability to have economic hope. That is the fabric of this country. This is something that speaks to people's dreams. We have to fight for it.
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NGUYEN: The five remaining defendants in the Jena 6 case are in court this hour, and they're expected to plead guilty as part of a plea deal. The African-American defendants were originally charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white high school student. CNN'S Sean Callebs joins us now live from Jena. What are you hearing so far, Sean
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we expect to be the final chapter in the Jena 6 saga could be wrapping up right now in district court in LaSalle Parish Courthouse behind me. As you mentioned, the five remaining defendants are expected to plead no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge against a former white classmate, Justin Barker. Barker's family has apparently accepted that, so this should wrap up everything. We say the five remaining because Michael Bell, really the central figure in all the Jena 6 controversy pleaded guilty to battery some time ago and served his time.
Now, this has been going on since December of 2006. If you remember back, it actually began when racial tensions began building at the high school here in town. It culminated with a fight among the six students, known as the Jena 6, African-American students who were accused of beating Justin Barker, sending him to the hospital.
Initially, the district attorney was going to prosecute for attempted murder. That was eventually pared back but not before a massive civil rights demonstration that came to this town, more than 20,000 people descending on this. We talk about Michael Jackson on this day, what a crossover artist he was and really what a lot of people are pointing to is this showed civil rights still remain the central focus here in parts of the United States. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. Sean Callebs joining us live. We're waiting to hear that plea deal and the results of it. Much more to come right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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NGUYEN: Well, look who's here. Ali Velshi filling in for Rick Sanchez this week. What's coming up?
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: We'll continue to follow what's going on with Michael Jackson, continuing the follow the idea that he's in an autopsy right now, find out what's happening right there. Also, the authorities are looking for the doctor who was there apparently when the 911 call came in, so we'll be following that.
Also Mark Sanford, the South Carolina governor who, by the way, was all the news before all of these other things happened this week. Inquiry is being called for by some of his colleagues about whether or not he was spending public money on this relationship that he was having. He has said that he'll reimburse the state -- some of it -- for one of the trips to Argentina, so we'll be finding out more about that. Speaking to someone who's calling for that inquiry.
NGUYEN: Good job. Ali, thank you. Looking forward to it. And in just two and a half weeks, Michael Jackson was going to open in London, his concerts sold out through March. What Jackson's British fans are now saying about list unexpected death.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Just over three months ago, Michael Jackson announced his "This Is It" concert series in London. What was going to be a ten night stand, which stretched it to 50 shows after tickets sold out so quickly. CNN'S Zain Verjee is in London. Here's London's fan reaction.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, London was going to be it. Michael Jackson was on the verge of an attempted comeback. In just about two weeks, he was going to perform here in London right away through to March. A million people bought tickets to 50 concerts. Many of them sad, many devastated, but many also saying that they want to take this moment and celebrate Michael Jackson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: ABC, 1, 2, 3, baby, do-re-mi. ABC, 1,2,3, baby you and me, girl.
VERJEE: What do you think of when you think of Michael Jackson?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, he is my idol. Whenever I close my eyes and think about what's going to be the world forever. Michael, we will miss you forever.
VERJEE: We're walking down Carnaby Street in London, and people are remembering Michael Jackson by blaring out his songs in these shops.
What was your reaction?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was really upset by it. He's definitely kind of a main -- he's actually the reason I became a musician.
VERJEE: You make me feel --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're really absurd (ph).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: We spoke to one woman whose family moved to London. They were from Bangladesh. And she said they could not speak a word of English. They could only say two words, Michael Jackson. Betty?
NGUYEN: He entertained and inspired a generation of artists. Tonight, Larry King pays tribute to his legacy with Liza Minnelli, Usher, Quincy Jones, and many others. "The Michael Jackson Legacy" on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight at 9:00 Eastern
But the NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.
