Friday, June 26, 2009 GLASTONBURY: Tributes were paid Friday to Michael Jackson at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival, where the shock news of his death filtered through the sprawling music fest campsite overnight. Nearly 140,000 people are descending on the festival site in southwest England for five days of music headlined by veteran rockers Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen this weekend. But Jackson hits including "Beat It" began blaring out late Thursday, with bursts of impromptu dancing to the self-proclaimed "King of Pop," whose music might not normally fit with much of the more cutting-edge Glastonbury bill. A Glastonbury spokesman said there was nothing formal planned to mark Jackson's death but said: "A lot of the performers will be talking about it during their sets". Festival-goers said Jackson was a key musical influence. "We were just partying and people started getting texts saying he was dead," said 27-year-old David Harris. "Everyone is walking around saying 'Have you heard the news? "Michael Jackson is one of those people. He is like Kurt Cobain for people of our generation. He's central to our generation." Another festival goer, Steph Taylor, 28, added: "It's tragic news. It was so unexpected. "There were rumours he may have been a special guest here on Saturday afternoon. It's such a shock." Some did not hear the news until Friday morning, waking up in their tents. "There were people in their tents, saying 'Oh my god it's true, Michael Jackson's died," said young festival-goer Jordan, speaking to a British news channel amid a steady drizzle. Her friend Jenny added: "I turned on my phone and I had about five texts from people saying Michael Jackson's dead. I was really shocked because... he's such a big inspiration to people. "We just grew up with him, and everyone knows his songs."
Friday, June 26, 2009 GLASTONBURY: Tributes were paid Friday to Michael Jackson at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival, where the shock news of his death filtered through the sprawling music fest campsite overnight. Nearly 140,000 people are descending on the festival site in southwest England for five days of music headlined by veteran rockers Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen this weekend. But Jackson hits including "Beat It" began blaring out late Thursday, with bursts of impromptu dancing to the self-proclaimed "King of Pop," whose music might not normally fit with much of the more cutting-edge Glastonbury bill. A Glastonbury spokesman said there was nothing formal planned to mark Jackson's death but said: "A lot of the performers will be talking about it during their sets". Festival-goers said Jackson was a key musical influence. "We were just partying and people started getting texts saying he was dead," said 27-year-old David Harris. "Everyone is walking around saying 'Have you heard the news? "Michael Jackson is one of those people. He is like Kurt Cobain for people of our generation. He's central to our generation." Another festival goer, Steph Taylor, 28, added: "It's tragic news. It was so unexpected. "There were rumours he may have been a special guest here on Saturday afternoon. It's such a shock." Some did not hear the news until Friday morning, waking up in their tents. "There were people in their tents, saying 'Oh my god it's true, Michael Jackson's died," said young festival-goer Jordan, speaking to a British news channel amid a steady drizzle. Her friend Jenny added: "I turned on my phone and I had about five texts from people saying Michael Jackson's dead. I was really shocked because... he's such a big inspiration to people. "We just grew up with him, and everyone knows his songs."
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