"I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones." -- Paul McCartney
“He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together. I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now.
He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be.
I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is ... I became very ill and emotionally/spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him ... The hardest decision I have ever had to make ... was to walk away and let his fate have him." -- ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley
"I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words ... To this day, the music we created together on 'Off the Wall,' 'Thriller' and 'Bad' is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all ... talent, grace, professionalism and dedication." -- Quincy Jones, Jackson's longtime music producer
“Really sad news about Michael, he was a talent from on high.” -- Slash, who backed Jackson in concert
“I was lucky enough to know and work with Michael Jackson in his prime," John Landis, who directed Jackson's famous "Thriller" video, said in a statement. "Michael was an extraordinary talent and a truly great international star. He had a troubled and complicated life and despite his gifts, remains a tragic figure. My wife Deborah and I will always have great affection for him.” -- John Landis, who directed Jackson's "Thriller" video
"I can't stop crying over the sad news. I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless." -- Madonna
"Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us. RIP MJ. I think we’ll mourn his loss as well as the loss of ourselves as children listening to Thriller on the record player. I truly hope he is memorialized as the ‘83 moonwalking, MTV owning, mesmerizing, unstoppable, invincible Michael Jackson.” -- John Mayer (via Twitter)
“We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music. He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.” -- Justin Timberlake
“MJ showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music
come to life!! He made me believe in magic. I will miss him!” -- Diddy (via Twitter)
“i know we make light of me never getting sleep and overworking. but i’ll say that he didn’t go in vein. i will do my best to slow down as to not overwork myself to the point in which i can’t even enjoy life anymore. im am devastated over this but we all have memories. i just hope that he will get due justice in all the press memorials and whatnot. i know he was mired in controversy the last decade of his life but i think its time we let him rest in peace and learn to separate the ART and the ARTIST. –that is the MJ i will forever remember.” The Roots’ ?uestlove (via Twitter)
“I have never felt this before in my life. I could measure my childhood 2 now on an mj growth chart. if this is true. Rip. The last legend.” -- Pete Wentz (via Twitter)
“I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going
to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I’m devastated he’s gone!” -- Britney Spears
“I will not be going on TV talking about this, but my memory of Michael was when he came and saw me in the studio, I LOVE MICHAEL” -- Wyclef Jean (via Twitter)
“A friend of Michael’s for the last 35 years, I call on people around the world to pray for him and his family in the hour. I have known Michael since we were both teens, worked with him, marched for him, hosted him at our House of Justice headquarters in New York, and we joined together to eulogize our mutual idol, James Brown. I have known him at his high moments and his low moments and I know he would want us to pray for his family.” -- the Rev. Al Sharpton