Day, erm, Jacko's dead? What??

Where were you when Elvis Presley died? And John Lennon? Surreal to be in the States when such a monumental story breaks. We were just about to soundcheck when Nick (Eede) came over and asked us if we could guess who'd just died - I'd been on the BBC website about 20mins before and thought I knew.
Farah Fawcett.
Yep, but who else?
Shit.
We carried on with a 10min line check and then I grabbed my laptop. The BBC was still running the line that there were unconfirmed reports of his death on some entertainment channels, but that he was definitely in UCLA hospital after suffering a heart attack. We piled into the tourbus at the first chance and turned on FOX news. There it was. Jacko dead at 50. The usual circling aerial shots of the scene that seem to accompany any LA news item these days, and the solemn anchorman reading a hastlily prepared partial obituary.
I'm surprised at my reaction - this really is a massive shock. Scandals and weirdness aside , I've grown up with his music all around me. As Dom (Finlay) pointed out, for a man to die at 50 and have had a 40 year music career is really some going. Off The Wall was one of the albums that I lifted from my sister's vinyl collection when I was 9, and everyone of that age here remembers staying up late to watch the Thiller video. No denying it, this is massive. Apparently, when the news first broke, Google feared it was under attack due to the incredible amount of search inquiries from people trying to verify the information.
We're parked up now in the lot at WGN, a local TV station in Chicago, waiting to do a couple of live slots to promote the tour (it's 5.30am). All the channels are still buzzing with it, and I'm wondering what the scene's going to be like inside. Can't imagine they're going to be very interested in talking about our merry band.
Personally, I hope he's sitting in a suite in Las Vegas right now, watching FOX and laughing his glove off.