Among the welter of media commentary, I think the most sensible I heard^* was from the presenter Paul Gambaccini, who drew parallels with the death of Judy Garland, just 40 years ago.

At the time, all the talk was of her wayward lifestyle and drug abuse. Now, with the distance of time, all of that is little more than a footnote, and what we remember is her artistry - the marvellous music and films. It will surely be the same with Michael Jackson.





^*There are plenty of candidates for the least sensible thing I heard. But I think the best was from the ever-fatuous BBC Radio Five Live, during the period of uncertainty before the bad news was confirmed, when one contributor was asked: "Can you remember where you were when you first heard this still-to-be-confirmed news?"