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Showbiz Tonight
The Continuing Coverage on Michael Jackson`s Death
Aired June 26, 2009 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, why did Michael Jackson die? Tonight, late-breaking news on the investigation. Michael`s autopsy, brand-new clues and startling brand-new claims.
Also tonight, you will hear the dramatic call to 911 after Michael collapsed. Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a revealing look and listen to the music of Michael. So turn up the volume as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the great debate - was Michael Jackson bigger than Elvis and the Beatles?
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
And tonight, why did Michael Jackson die? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you there are disturbing new claims about what killed him. And tonight, there are big breaking developments in the death that has just shocked the entire world. An autopsy was performed on Michael Jackson today. And late this afternoon, the coroner held a news conference to provide the latest information. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG HARVEY, L.A. COUNTY CHIEF CORONER: I`m here to announce that the coroner has concluded the autopsy for Mr. Michael Jackson. The cause of death has been deferred, which means that the medical examiner has ordered additional testing such as toxicology and other studies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Also new tonight, the absolutely chilling and disturbing 911 call made from Michael`s house after he collapsed was released today. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has it and we`re going to be playing for you the entire call.
And Lisa Marie Presley`s shocking revelations today about Michael`s dark thoughts about death. Once again, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is covering this like no other entertainment news show, beginning with the breaking developments making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need an ambulance as soon as possible.
HAMMER (voice-over): A desperate plea to save a dying King of Pop. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained the recording of the frantic 911 call placed from Michael Jackson`s home just after he collapsed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a gentleman here that needs help and he`s not breathing. Yes. He`s not breathing and we need to - we`re trying to pump him but he`s not -
911 OPERATOR: OK. OK. How old is he?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s 50 years old, sir.
911 OPERATOR: Fifty? OK. He`s unconscious? He`s not breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. He`s not breathing, sir.
911 OPERATOR: OK. And he`s not conscious either?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. He`s not conscious, sir.
911 OPERATOR: OK. 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 CPR or anything.
911 OPERATOR: Oh, OK. We`re on our way there. If you guys are going CPR as instructed by a doctor - he has the higher authority than me. Did anybody witness what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one here.
911 OPERATOR: OK. So did the doctor see what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doctor, did you see what happened, sir? Sorry, he just - if you can please -
911 OPERATOR: We`re on our way.
HAMMER: Less than two hours after this call was placed, the world learned that Michael Jackson was dead. And all over the globe -
(PEOPLE SINGING)
People are now grieving the loss of the King of Pop. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you amid all the sadness, there are lots of major questions like did Jackson`s rumored prescription drug abuse play a role in his death?
BRIAN OXMAN, FORMER JACKSON FAMILY ATTORNEY: I said that Michael is overmedicating.
HAMMER: And who gets custody of his three kids? And the biggest of all, what exactly killed the King of Pop?
DAX HOLT, TMZ: I think people just want to know why.
HAMMER: It will be a while before we get final answers. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that toxicology results aren`t expected for another six to eight weeks. But almost immediately after Jackson`s death, people who knew him started drawing some disturbing conclusions.
During the child molestation trial in 2005, where he was acquitted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy, Jackson`s alleged prescription drug use became an issue. It`s also something his family reportedly worried about.
OXMAN: I talked to this family about it. I warned them. I said that Michael was overmedicating.
HAMMER: A former Jackson family attorney tells CNN he always feared Jackson`s drug use might one day kill him.
OXMAN: He had overmedication and it was a serious problem. All I know is that I had warned that this was a problem and this is my worst fear. It is a nightmare.
HAMMER: Now, a big question mark surrounds Jackson`s three children, 12- year-old prince Michael and 11-year-old Paris whom he had with his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, and 7-year-old Prince Michael II who was born to a mystery surrogate mother.
HOLT: A lot of people are questioning where Michael`s kids are going to be living now.
HAMMER: TMZ`s Dax Holt tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Jackson`s ex-wife could end up getting custody of the two kids she had with Jackson.
HOLT: The only way she would not get custody is if a court determined it would be detrimental to the kids in any way.
HAMMER: But there are also reports that Jackson`s mother and even the kids` nanny may also be in the custody mix. Are we in store for another Anna Nicole Smith-style custody battle?
HOLT: Whoever gets custody of these kids is going to get a huge payday in child support because Michael`s estate still is worth a lot of money.
HAMMER: Jackson`s estate is another issue. When he died, he was reportedly more than $400 million in debt. To say nothing of the tens of millions of dollars now in limbo from the comeback concert tour he was preparing for when he died.
Long story short, it will be a long time before all the questions about and fallout from Jackson`s death are all sorted out. So for now, the only certainty is that the world is now without one of its most thrilling stars.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Just such a tragic loss. So why did Michael Jackson die? Well, joining me tonight in New York is Jean Casarez, who is a legal correspondent for the legal network "In Session." From Hollywood tonight, Carlos Diaz who is a correspondent for "Extra."
So Carlos, Jean, the Los Angeles Coroner`s Office telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`re not going to release the cause of Michael Jackson`s death until all the results are in that includes toxicology reports.
And Carlos, we could be looking at six to eight weeks from now before those results come in. So this mystery is only going to deepen between now and then, isn`t it?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": And if anyone from the L.A. Coroner`s Office is listening right now, hurry, please. That`s my advice to you after working on the Anna Nicole Smith case. Because in that six to eight weeks, our job is to find out what you`re trying to find out with a toxicology report, what caused Michael Jackson`s death?
I know the tissue samples take a long time. But just wipe everything off the slate for now and get these back as soon as you can. Because the difference is with Anna Nicole Smith - that was down in Florida. This is in L.A. where resources and reporters abound.
HAMMER: Yes. Something certain to play into this investigation as well, this brand-new, just released dramatic 911 call made from Michael Jackson`s home after he stopped breathing. We`re going to play it if for you.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure. We have a gentleman here that needs help and he`s not breathing. Yes. He`s not breathing and we need to - we`re trying to pump him but he`s not -
911 OPERATOR: OK. OK, how old is he?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s 50 years old, sir.
911 OPERATOR: Fifty? OK. He`s unconscious? He`s not breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he`s not breathing, sir.
911 OPERATOR: OK. And he`s not conscious either?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. He`s not conscious, sir.
911 OPERATOR: OK. All right. You`ve got to - what, is he on the floor? Where is 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 him -
(CROSS TALK)
911 OPERATOR: We`re on our way there. We`re on our way. I`m going to do as much as I can to help you over the phone. We`re already on our 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. No, he`s not responding to CPR, to no - or anything.
911 OPERATOR: Oh, OK. We`re on our way there. If you guys are doing CPR as instructed by a doctor, he has a higher authority than me. And he`s there on the scene. Did anybody witness what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just the doctor, sir.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: In the 911 call, the person calling from Jackson`s home confirms the reports we`ve been hearing that Jackson was not breathing before the paramedics even got to him. Jean Casarez, off to you. This is another piece of the puzzle here, but just one piece of the puzzle. How might this play into the investigation?
JEAN CASAREZ, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": I think it could be extremely important. And one reason the autopsy report, the complete report, will take so long to come out is the chief medical examiner will study this 911 call.
And I think one of the most significant things - not only is he not responding. He`s not breathing. But it appears as though there was only one person around when he died or became unconscious. And that is what they refer to as a personal doctor.
HAMMER: Carlos, what do you see is the significance of this call in the investigation?
DIAZ: Why didn`t the doctor make the phone call? If he has a personal doctor and that personal doctor`s one responsibility is to care for Michael Jackson`s health, when something goes wrong, shouldn`t you be the first one to call 911? Why did someone else make the phone call and why do you never get on the phone during the 911 call?
HAMMER: Yes. And perhaps only because he was working on Michael at the time as we heard in the call, that he was apparently already performing CPR. That`s just a speculation on my part as to why maybe he wasn`t the one making the call.
One of the reasons everybody`s now waiting to hear exactly why Michael Jackson died so suddenly is because of Jackson`s reported use of prescription drugs. There are so many questions about how that may have played into his death.
In a brand-new interview with CNN, Michael`s spiritual advisor, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach says that he pleaded with Michael to stop taking painkillers. Watch this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
RABBI SHMULEY BOTEACH, MICHAEL JACKSON`S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR (through telephone): Michael`s involvement with prescription drugs was extremely well known. No, he would be very woozy around me. And I used to sit and say to him, "I`m pleading with you. This is not who you are. You can`t be so dazed. You can`t live in a fog."
I even remember once after he told me the night before that he had a terrible backache and he need just regular painkillers, and I pleaded with him not to. The next day he came up at dinner and he stood up at dinner. And I said, "Why are you standing?" And he said, "You see, I`m taking your advice. My back hurts me but I`m not taking the drugs."
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. That is just so telling. Jean, the autopsy and the toxicology results are not the end of the story. Even when we do get them, the Michael Jackson mystery - it`s so deep and complex.
CASAREZ: No, you`re exactly right. And Brian Oxman, former family attorney for the Jackson family - he`s been the one person at this point to come out talking about possible enabling, those around him encouraging him or assisting him in the use of prescription drugs.
And you know that the California Medical Board launched for two years an investigation into Anna Nicole Smith, and they have now charged Howard K. Stern and two doctors for pharmacy shopping. That`s within the jurisdiction of California, the very same state.
HAMMER: Yes. A lot of eyes are going to be on this case. It`s going to play out with so many fingers in so many ways. Jean Casarez, Carlos Diaz, thank you guys. I appreciate it.
Now, let me turn it over to you. Here is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Michael Jackson: Are you even more interested in his music now?" You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. I`d love for you to E-mail more of your thoughts, too, at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Obviously, we have so much to talk about tonight - the latest breaking developments about Michael Jackson`s shocking death. Tonight, I can tell you there are disturbing comparisons between Michael Jackson`s death and as Jean Casarez just mentioned, Anna Nicole Smith`s death. The possible battles over Michael`s kids, his estate. Is all this going to get really ugly, kind of like what happened with Anna Nicole? We have got that coming up.
Also, Lisa Marie Presley`s stunning new confessions. Michael`s ex- wife opening up with incredible new details about their marriage and how Michael would talk about his death. This is really eerie stuff.
And we`re also going to debate Michael`s music. He was certainly one of the best, but was he the best? Who`s the greatest of all time - Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley or the Beatles? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of Michael Jackson`s death on HLN.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CHER, ACTRESS AND SINGER: God gives you certain gifts and some people he gives just like gifts and some people he gives more gifts. And this child was just an extraordinary child, touched by this ability to have people feel him and feel people. And he just had that sense that you get and you don`t get it from a living person.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SMOKEY ROBINSON, SINGER: He has left such a legacy. He was remarkable. He revolutionized the presentation of a song and he revolutionized the making of videos and like that. He`s got so many young artists imitating him today or mimicking him or trying to. He was just an awesome artist.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with our continuing coverage of Michael Jackson`s death. Tonight, tears and tributes, mourning fans gathered around the world to pay tribute to the King of Pop, out there singing and dancing and sharing their favorite Michael Jackson memories. And that is exactly what`s been happening in Hollywood where fans have been placing flowers and balloons and cards on Jackson`s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
And CNN`s Dan Simon has been there all day. Dan joins us from Hollywood.
Dan, it has been 25 years since Michael Jackson got that star on the Walk of Fame. Tell us what it`s been like. I have to imagine emotions have been running very high.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, emotions running pretty high, obviously, for the most ardent Michael Jackson fans. But you also have a lot of people who are just curiosity-seekers, people sort of taking in the event, if you will.
Let me show you what it looks like. You can see the star there maybe about 40 yards away. You can see this line here to my right. But if we pan the camera around, you can really get a sense in terms of the number of people who have come out here to pay their homage to Michael Jackson.
Let`s just talk to one person here in the crowd. Sir, where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m from St. Louis, Missouri.
SIMON: And tell us what Michael Jackson meant to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I grew up on Michael J., from, you know, his first album, ABC, all the way through "Thriller." I mean, he was just part of your life growing up. And this certainty of his absence is just a heartbreaker right now. It`s sad to see this. This is just a sad story.
SIMON: And how about one more person? Sir, where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m from Norway. Yes, I just arrived.
SIMON: Tell us why you`re here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m here because of the news and Michael Jackson, at least. I`m curious.
SIMON: A Michael Jackson fan?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
SIMON: So you have somebody here from Norway. We`ve talked to people who come here, really, from all over the world. These are mainly tourists who just happened to be in town, decide to come in and really take in the spectacle. A.J.?
HAMMER: Dan, what`s one of the most interesting things you`ve seen since you`ve been out there? Because I would note that it certainly seems a little more somber, a little quieter than some of the celebrations we`ve seen playing out in other parts of the world?
SIMON: Well, I think the police department, to some extent, is responsible for that. They`ve really tried to sort of make this into controlled chaos, if you can put it that way. Before, there was sort of a crush of people around the star.
And LAPD here, the men in blue, trying to keep things a bit tame. We did hear some music earlier, people dancing to some Michael Jackson songs. But for the most part, things going pretty smoothly, A.J.
HAMMER: And the sentiment you`re getting, Dan, is I assume a lot of people are traveling either from far away or they happen to be in Hollywood tonight because they just want to somehow feel a closeness to the King of Pop?
SIMON: That`s right. You know, after all, if you`re a tourist who`s come to Hollywood, how could you not come to the Walk of Fame and take in the spectacle? It really is quite a sight to see. And we`re told that things are going to be like this at least through the weekend.
And A.J., before we go, I wanted to show you one thing. You know, people maybe not surprisingly have sort of figured out how to capitalize on what has happened. We`ve seen a lot of t-shirts being printed. This one here says, "Michael Jackson, rest in peace," going for $10.
But I`ve seen a lot of people buying these t-shirts. And of course, a lot of people coming with their flowers and candles and paying their respects to Michael.
HAMMER: Well, we sure appreciate you being with us tonight. CNN`s Dan Simon for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks, Dan.
More of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of Michael Jackson`s death is coming up. The developments in the story - they are changing minute by minute.
And there are so many burning questions. Tonight, what killed Michael and is there a startling connection between his death and Anna Nicole Smith`s? Are there comparisons to be made there? Will there be a fight over Michael`s estate?
Also, the dramatic 911 call. Tonight, I`m going to play you this just-released chilling 911 tape. You will hear the frantic attempts to save Michael Jackson`s life.
And another burning question, what will happen to Michael`s three children? Who will get custody? Will it be Debbie Rowe, Michael`s ex- wife? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CELINE DION, SINGER: Michael Jackson`s been an idol for me all my life. I remember being in my house when I was very, very young and having his posters above my bedroom. He`s been my idol all my life and looking up to him.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, as we bring you the latest developments on Michael Jackson`s shocking death, I also want to share with you what our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers are saying about Michael`s passing.
We`ve been asking you to call us at "Showbiz on Call" and to post your thoughts on our Facebook page. We have Dina calling into "Showbiz on Call" and she is still in shock.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DINA, CALLER: All I have to say is Michael Jackson will be missed and he is loved. It`s shocking that he is gone. And you know, I`ve never been so sad. I can`t believe it. God rest his soul and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He will truly be missed.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is still so unbelievable. Thanks, Dina, for that call. Also, Emma calling in to "Showbiz on Call" from Virginia. And Emma would like Michael`s memory to live on in a very interesting way.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
EMMA, CALLER FROM VIRGINIA: We`re just calling because we love Michael. We truly will be missing Michael. Our heart goes out to his family. We would like to see that Michael be buried in Neverland. That`s the only place that I think that he truly, truly felt at ease. I think that it could be something like they did for Graceland with Elvis.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Interesting idea. Thanks, Emma. Please keep calling us at "Showbiz on Call" with your thoughts about Michael Jackson. Here`s the number, 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
Let me go over to Facebook and read an entry from Inni A. She writes, "M.J.`s music for some people was more than just something to listen to. It was touching because it calmed their soul and healed their hearts."
Tiana M. is devastated, "My heart has shattered into a million pieces. He was the King of Pop and forever he will be.
Hermie G. agrees, "No one has ever or will ever come close to the great talent that he was."
And finally, Vannah G. has this very interesting perspective, "Even if we couldn`t understand him as a person, we could definitely respect him as an artist."
Please do continue to write us on Facebook. You can sign up for our Facebook page on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Click on the Facebook logo. You can always E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup. This is what we`ve got coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is more of our continuing coverage of the death of Michael Jackson.
Tonight, I`m playing for you the just-released Michael Jackson 911 call, the dramatic attempts to save his life.
Also Michael`s ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley`s dramatic new revelations. Did Michael predict his own death?
And the great Michael music debate, was Michael Jackson really the greatest of all time, bigger than Elvis, bigger than the Beatles? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SHERYL CROW, SINGER: I grew up with him, watching him as a 4 and 5-year- old - I had - my first record was "ABC" - and how much he changed all of our lives and then to be able to stand up there with, I think, the consummate performer of my lifetime and learn from him. And I can`t - there`s no way to express how amazingly talented this person was.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, brand-new burning questions in the death of Michael Jackson. Why did he die? Startling claims, shocking new clues and what happens to his kids now that he`s gone?
And Lisa Marie Presley`s startling new revelations. Tonight, Michael`s ex-wife opens up in a brand-new, jaw-dropping confession. Did Michael really predict his own death?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
And the great Michael Jackson debate - was Michael bigger than Elvis? Bigger than the Beatles?
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, the brand-new breaking developments in the shocking death of Michael Jackson. The L.A. Coroner`s Office conducted an autopsy on Jackson today, the first step in solving the mystery behind Jackson`s sudden death. Well, late today, the coroner held a news conference. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, was right there. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARVEY: I`m here to announce that the coroner has concluded the autopsy for Mr. Michael Jackson. The cause of death has been deferred, which means that the medical examiner has ordered additional testing such as toxicology and other studies.
And the Los Angeles Police Department has requested that a security hold be placed on the investigation of Mr. Jackson so there`s an extremely limited amount of information that we will be able to discuss about the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The coroner also revealed it could be six to eight weeks before the final toxicology results are in, revealing what, if any, drugs were in Michael Jackson`s system.
There are also other breaking developments to talk about tonight. Officials today release the chilling 911 call made from Jackson`s house revealing that Michael Jackson was lying in his bed unconscious and not breathing. We`re about play that call for you.
And are the chilling comparisons to the tragic death of Anna Nicole Smith accurate? The bizarre and complex family situation surrounding Michael Jackson and his three kids got even messier today. Who will get custody of his kids? And could there be a long, sordid custody battle?
Also tonight, Michael Jackson`s ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley her disturbing conversations about death with Jackson, why he said with absolute calm certainty he would end up with a similar fate as Elvis.
Joining me tonight in New York is Jean Casarez who is a legal correspondent for the legal network "In Session." Tonight in Hollywood, hardworking man that he is, Carlos Diaz, who is a correspondent for "Extra."
So tonight we have this dramatic, chilling 911 tape. It reveals the moments just before the paramedics arrived at Michael Jackson`s home to try and revive him. He was unconscious and he wasn`t breathing. Let`s listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure. We have a gentleman here that needs help and he`s not breathing. Yes. He`s not breathing and we need to - we`re trying to pump him but he`s not -
911 OPERATOR: OK. OK, how old is he?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s 50 years old, sir.
911 OPERATOR: Fifty? OK. He`s unconscious? He`s not breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he`s not breathing, sir.
911 OPERATOR: OK. And he`s not conscious either?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. He`s not conscious, sir.
911 OPERATOR: OK. All right. You`ve got to - what, is he on the floor? Where is 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 him -
(CROSS TALK)
911 OPERATOR: We`re on our way there. We`re on our way. I`m going to do as much as I can to help you over the phone. We`re already on our 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. No, he`s not responding to CPR, to no - or anything.
911 OPERATOR: Oh, OK. We`re on our way there. If you guys are doing CPR as instructed by a doctor, he has a higher authority than me. And he`s there on the scene. Did anybody witness what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just the doctor, sir.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. That is disturbing in its own right, then realizing it`s about Michael Jackson, wow. Carlos Diaz, to you first, no doubt this tape is going to play into the ongoing investigation, is there?
DIAZ: No doubt at all. And the very pertinent thing in that phone conversation is just after that last line that we heard, the 911 operator asked, "What did the doctor see?" And then the person on the phone asked the doctor, the doctor said something and he said, "Where are you guys? Where are you guys?"
He said, "We`re on our way. We`re on our way." That`s the one thing because if you heard, he said, "Did anyone see what happened?" And he said, "We have a doctor here. He`s the only person." So that`s the question. What did the doctor witness or see?
HAMMER: And that is certain to come out as this investigation moves forward. And when we`ve been thinking about this and watching everything unfold, it`s hard to escape the parallels, the many parallels between Jackson`s sudden death and the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Both were famous and tragic figures. Both died quite unexpectedly. And both, of course, leave behind big legal and custody battles.
What do you think, Jean? Is the possible aftermath of Jackson`s death going to be as drawn out and as complex and downright messy as we what we saw with Anna Nicole Smith?
CASAREZ: I think it just might be. You know, I covered all the aspects of the Anna Nicole Smith case. And I`m suddenly remembering all of those legal issues. I see them here. I think there can be issues with custody. I think there can be issues with money and lawsuits.
Also issues in regard to the will and also in regard to the custody of the body because, remember, that`s really it will first legal issue once the coroner issues the autopsy. Who takes custody? Well, according to California law, as different from Florida, I think it would be the parents of Michael Jackson.
HAMMER: Well, let`s go back to the custody of the kids for just a moment and bring it into focus. Because it could be a very messy battle when you consider how complex this is. Jackson had three kids. He had 12-year-old Prince Michael I, 11-year-old Paris and 7-year-old prince Michael II.
And of course, normally, the surviving parent is the one who gets custody in this case. As I said, a very complex family dynamic here. Breaking it down for you, Jackson`s kids were born to two mothers, an unidentified surrogate and Jackson`s ex-wife, Debbie Rowe.
Rowe telling "People" magazine she is the legal guardian of her two children even though back in 2005, you may remember, she sought to give up all parental rights or guardian rights which a judge then denied. The court may allow Rowe`s two children, Paris and Prince Michael I, to go back with her. But Carlos, what happens then to Jackson`s third child, Prince Michael II?
DIAZ: Well, you know, you talk about the surrogate that no one knows whom this person might be. You have to think that that person may have signed their life away and said, you know, "OK. Here`s the child," you know, because we have not heard from this mystery woman who gave birth to this third child, Blanket.
But you do take solace in the fact that Michael does have a loving mother in Katherine, does have loving sisters, you know, in Janet and La Toya. There is love in that family. And so it that family that will embrace Blanket, the nickname of Prince Michael II. So that`s covered there. But it is going to be difficult to see these children possibly split up.
HAMMER: Well, also brand new today, really the shocking and disturbing comments Jackson made about his own death to his ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, something that she`s writing on her blog.
We`ve seen a lot of tributes on the Internet. This is something entirely different and quite - I don`t know, almost dire. This was an entry called "He Knew." It was about an intense conversation Lisa Marie had years ago predicting his own death.
Listen to what Lisa Marie wrote on her blog, "He stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, `I am afraid that I`m going to end up like Elvis Presley` (This is Michael Jackson speaking), the way he did.` I promptly tried to deter him from the idea at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that."
Jean Casarez, is this not so disturbing?
CASAREZ: Oh, it`s very disturbing. And we are still mourning the death of this international superstar, someone whose talent just spans the globe. When I read that as an attorney, though, I think about if he did have a premonition, would he have a will?
I would assume he does have a will. We don`t know what it states. But the intention of Michael Jackson would be very important to the outcome of many things in this case, even in the custody issue.
HAMMER: And Lisa Marie went on to say that she never thought after August of 1977 when she saw a very similar scenario play out with her father dying and the circumstances around that that she would ever see that again and didn`t want to see that happen with Michael and that may be what we`re looking at here.
Jean Casarez, Carlos Diaz, I really appreciate you both being here. Thanks so much.
Well, I`ve got to say, going back and watching all these great performances of Michael Jackson over the past 24 hours has been pretty extraordinary. He was such an unbelievable artist.
It`s been great to look at these videos. The iconic white glove, his incredible dance moves, all those unforgettable music videos. Thirteen career Grammys, 750 million albums sold over his career. So no matter what you thought of Michael Jackson, the person, you simply can`t deny the man and his music. Coming up next, it`s a revealing look and listen to the music of Michael.
Plus the great Michael Jackson debate - was he the greatest pop sensation of all time? I`m talking, bigger than Elvis? Bigger than the Beatles? It`s a fired-up debate and it is coming up. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN P. DIDDY COMBS, RAP ARTIST: My heart is just hurting. It`s hard to explain in words, when I first heard the news I was just in shock, and when you watched television and you see all the old videos. This man was the greatest recording artist of our time.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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HAMMER: "Thriller" is and, you know, probably always will be one of the greatest music videos of all time. When it came out just before Christmas back in 1983, it was like Michael was giving us all a great big gift, changing music and the art form of music video as we knew it forever. Tonight, as we mourn Michael`s sudden death, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT celebrates the man and his music.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s special continuing coverage of the death of Michael Jackson. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Michael Jackson was barely 10 years old when he started singing with the Jackson 5. And it was the beginning of a massive 40-year legacy of memorable music. But what was it that made his music so unforgettable?
Joining me right now from Chicago is Brian Monroe. He is the former vice president and editorial director of "Ebony" and "JET" magazines and conducted one of the last interviews Michael Jackson ever did. In Hollywood tonight is Kim Serafin. She is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly."
All right. Guys, we`ve got to take a look at the Michael Jackson that everybody remembers. It`s Michael doing that famed moonwalk at the Motown 25. Let`s watch.
(VIDEO FOOTAGE OF MICHAEL JACKSON PERFORMING AT THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOTOWN)
HAMMER: Brian Monroe, let me start with you. Are you with me? Do you just get chills watching that?
BRIAN MONROE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "EBONY" AND "JET" MAGAZINES: Oh, it is - even today, it`s still amazing to see all that talent. When I did the interview with Michael, he and I sat and watched this very video and he broke it down frame by frame what he was doing and how he choreographed that.
And most people don`t realize that that performance almost didn`t happen. He was asked by Barry Gordie to do the Motown 25 and he told him, no. In fact, it took the second and third round. And it was a woman whom he used to work with in the studio, the Japanese woman whose job he told me was to keep his head in front of the microphone because he used to dance around all the time in the studio.
It was her that convinced him to do that performance. But it was only - what he said is he would perform with his brothers - he performed with his brothers before - only if he could do "Billie Jean." And then choreographed every move for himself, his brothers, and then, he (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that all of the shots with the camera and every frame, every angle, the lighting and everything.
HAMMER: Wow. With such precision and laser focus. And here`s something that`s absolutely incredible. Since Michael passed away on Thursday morning, there has been an absolute frenzy to buy his music.
You`ve got to take a look at this. Right now, seven of the top 10 singles and eight of the top 10 music videos sold today on iTunes - Michael Jackson songs. On "Amazon.com," 19 of the top 25 albums - by Michael Jackson.
Kim, it is like everybody just wants to have this one last connection with him.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Oh, exactly. I mean, we`ve seen this in the past. And even when Susan Boyle sang "I Dreamed a Dream," that suddenly shot to the top of the iTunes chart.
But this is something that - I think you almost forget the songs that Michael Jackson sang. You forget that the same guy who sang "Rock and Robin" was the same guy who was in "The Wiz," who was the same guy who sang "Beat It" and "Thriller."
HAMMER: Yes.
SERAFIN: You know, you kind of are brought back to all of these times in your own life. You can sort of kind of time it with times in your own life, I think, when you have a guy who 40 out of the 50 years on this earth, had number one songs, had songs on the radio.
It just brings back so many memories. I think that`s why people are diving to iTunes. It`s so easy to download a song. You don`t have to go to a record store. You download it. It`s on your iPod and it brings you back in time.
HAMMER: And the need for instant gratification is so great right now. All right. You`ve got me itching to play some more music. We can`t forget the music video for "Bad." This was directed - a lot of people have forgotten - this was directed by Martin Scorsese. And it was a national event when it debuted on primetime TV back in 1987. Do you remember that? Let`s take a look.
("BAD" MUSIC VIDEO)
HAMMER: Brian, back to you, you know, back then, nobody thought of asking one of the biggest movie directors in the world to direct a music video. But this really speaks to how Michael Jackson did everything on such a huge scale, doesn`t it?
MONROE: Yes, it does. And you know, Michael Jackson really made MTV as we know it. He really invented the long form, theatrical music video.
And another thing that almost didn`t happen because, as he and Walter Yetnikoff both told me, they had to threaten MTV to put his videos on. MTV wasn`t going to play them until Walter Yetnikoff, who is the head of CBS Records and Epic Records went to them and said, "If you don`t play Michael Jackson, I`m going to pull the rest of my catalogue."
HAMMER: That`s right.
MONROE: I think it was Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel and Barbra Streisand and then a whole bunch of other folks who were on CBS. He`s going to pull them all off if MTV didn`t play it. And of course, it went on to really create the MTV genre as we know it today.
HAMMER: Yes. It really kicked down the door for so many artists. And of course, Michael didn`t only work with the best directors like Martin Scorsese. The world`s biggest stars all wanted to be in his videos.
You had Michael`s "Remember the Time" - everybody remembers that in 1993. Eddie Murphy was in that - Iman, even Magic Johnson. Then supermodel Naomi Campbell starring in Michael`s video for "In the Closet."
Kim, these days, you know, stars - they appear in each other`s music videos, kind of doing each other a favor. But then, being in a Michael Jackson video, for the artist and the star, it`s almost like winning an Oscar, wasn`t it?
SERAFIN: Oh, absolutely, because these were all kind of like little movies, all these videos that he did. You almost have to wonder if he was still doing those kind of videos like "Thriller" today, would MTV still be showing "The Hills" and "Sixteen and Pregnant?"
You know, maybe they`d be showing more of these kind of videos, because Michael has totally transformed that network. He transformed music videos.
HAMMER: Yes.
SERAFIN: And yes, stars were clamoring to be in these videos. You couldn`t wait to see the next Michael Jackson video to see what star was going to make a cameo appearance.
HAMMER: All right. Michael Jackson often lumped in with Elvis Presley and the Beatles when people talk about the greatest music stars ever. So here`s the controversial question that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is daring to ask, "Was Michael bigger than the Beatles and Elvis?"
Brian Monroe, Kim Serafin, stay where you are. We`re debating that in just a moment.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Please sound off - "Michael Jackson: Are you even more interested in his music now?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LIZA MINNELLI, SINGER AND ACTRESS: He was a wonderful man - a really nice, wonderful man. He was a lovely man. He was a genius, absolutely genius. And I will miss him until the day I go.
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HAMMER: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s special continuing coverage of the death of Michael Jackson. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And tonight, it`s the great music debate. Who really is the greatest of all time, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley or the Beatles?
Joining me again from Chicago is Brian Monroe. He`s the former vice president and editorial director of "Ebony" and "JET" magazines. In Hollywood tonight is Kim Serafin. She is the senior editor for "In Touch Weekly."
OK, guys. I want to get right down to it. We`re going to kick off this great music debate. Right now, who is the greatest?
Of Michael Jackson is certainly the King of Pop and always will be. But you have Elvis, the King of Rock `N Roll still topping the charts 40 years after his death. And of course, the Beatles - they remain the bestselling artists of all time, more than 1 billion records sold. Brian, I`m going to you first, man. Who is the greatest of all time? And you need to defend your choice.
MONROE: Oh, you put me on the spot there. That`s a tough call. All three are great artists. They define the generation. And some would say Michael Jackson was the Elvis or the Beatles of our generation.
You know, all of them sold great, great music. But one of the things about Michael Jackson is that he transcended geographic as well as racial boundaries. The following that he had in Europe, in Africa, in Asia, in the Middle East was unknown before then.
And the fact that he crossed the racial boundaries with white, with black, Asian, Hispanic, Native American listeners - I don`t know. He`d be up there on my list.
HAMMER: So much of what he did throughout his life was unprecedented. Kim Serafin, over to you. Weigh in. Greatest artist ever?
SERAFIN: You know, it`s tough because Michael Jackson did slow down the Internet yesterday. So you`ve got to give him credit for that. Of course, that wasn`t around with the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
You know, there`s like the mythology around Elvis. We sort of don`t still know a lot of things about him. With Michael Jackson, everything has been so documented - the good stuff and the bad stuff.
So I think in a way, he might have more lasting presence because of his music, because of the controversy, because of the kind of the craziness. But, it`s hard because they are such different eras. As I`ve said - tough question.
HAMMER: Actually. But they each define the art form for which they were responsible.
SERAFIN: Absolutely.
HAMMER: No question about that. Brian Monroe, Kim Serafin, I really appreciate you being here tonight. Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I really appreciate you watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Good night.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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