His passing is yet another reminder of how pop culture consumes its icons. At 50, Michael Jackson outlived Elvis by almost a decade, but neither was destined for the old age that Sinatra and Bing Crosby reached in an earlier era.
When Presley died in 1974, he was a grotesque caricature of himself, obese and drug-damaged, planning a comeback tour, but a cynic called his sudden death on a bathroom floor “a great career move” for an entertainer who was barely able to stand up while slurring his way through abbreviated concerts.
Now, amid all the outpouring of grief over a figure who meant so much to millions, there is the reality that Michael Jackson, emaciated and worn out, was dreading a comeback tour of his own and reportedly told fans after a recent rehearsal, “I don’t know how I’m going to do 50 shows…I need to put some weight on. I’m really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do ten.”