50 years old. What a shame. I was in the doctor's waiting room last week reading an article on Lulu in SAGA magazine. To think we'll never see Michael Jackson on the front cover.

Seriously, though, it's very sad to contrast the 10-year old in the Jackson 5 with the rather pathetic figure he became, at least in the public arena. I wouldn't say it could only happen in America, but it certainly couldn't have happened anywhere else first.

As far as his personal life is concerned, we will probably never know the truth. There are probably too many people with a vested interest in their version of events. What seems likely, though, is that if any of the allegations were true a lot of people would have colluded in making it possible for these things to happen. I can't see any of them coming clean anytime soon.

One thing's for certain - my 9-year old will be gutted. And telling her that lots of people think he was a bad person won't make her feel any better.