Stars have paid tribute to pop legend Michael Jackson, who died of a cardiac arrest in Los Angeles yesterday. He was 50 years old.
"On this tour I have been paying tribute to MJ by wearing his Beat It jacket and rhinestone glove," said Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. "The irony and timing is shocking. I am very sad. He was truly brilliant and the reason why I love to dance."
"Michael Jackson was easily as influential as James Brown, and that's saying a lot," said Alice Cooper. "We had Vincent Price in common. I used him first on Welcome To My Nightmare in 1975, and he later used him on Thriller. Nobody moved like Michael, he was truly the King of Pop."
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen made a guest appearance on Jackson's 1983 hit Beat It.
"I am really shocked; as I'm sure the world is, to hear the news," said the guitarist. "I had the pleasure of working with Michael - one of my fondest memories in my career. Michael will be missed and may he rest in peace."
Chris Cornell, who recorded a cover version of Billie Jean on his 2007 solo album, Carry On, was "saddened" by the loss.
“I was on my way from Poland to Berlin following a show. At 1am I got the news and was immediately saddened. I remembered being 6 years old and seeing the Jackson 5 on our black and white tv. His brothers were cool but he had a halo around him. Superstar at 12. What promise. He had magic! It was by chance that I recorded and rearranged his song Billie jean and have been amazed at the response it gets when I perform it every night. He was amazingly talented and largely misunderstood. I hope that the media will be kind and celebrate the genius instead of cashing in on the tabloid angles that made him a prisoner. I think he deserves that.”
Here is a video of Cornell's reworking of Jackson's classic hit:
Great song, great band but I prefered the ori...
