Before his 2009 This Is It Tour, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was a mere shadow of his former self during the rehearsals. The This Is It concert residency was scheduled to take place at the O2 Arena in London between July 13, 2009 and March 6, 2010; however, it was canceled following the sudden and tragic death of the pop star.
His final moments before his death were detailed in a book, 83 Minutes: The Doctor, the Damage, and the Shocking Death of Michael Jackson, by Mark Langthorne and Matt Richards. In the book, the authors shared the facts about the singer to make it clear to everyone around him that the tour, and possibly his life, was doomed. During an interview with People in 2016, Langthorne shared, “The most surprising thing we learned [in writing the book] is that people thought the This is It tour was ever going to happen. Jackson was in no state to perform…and the reality of doing 50 shows in London was absurd. But the entourage of ‘yes’ people created an arena of unreality.”
It was revealed in the book that with the comeback concerts set to begin on July 8, 2009, Jackson was only sporadically adhering to the demanding rehearsal schedule. He was drained by chronic insomnia, relying increasingly on the powerful anesthesia Propofol, which was administered through an IV by his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray. Furthermore, the combination of Propofol at night, regular doses of the narcotic Demerol from his dermatologist, and frequent use of benzodiazepines left the singer often unable to communicate properly with his closest friends, and he repeatedly made little sense during conversations.
In addition to the details stated in 83 Minutes, Director Kenny Ortega wrote an email to the CEO of AEG Live, Randy Phillips, the company that was financing the tour, “[Jackson] appeared quite weak and fatigued this evening. He had a terrible case of chills, was trembling, rambling, and obsessing. Everything in me says he should be psychologically evaluated. If we have any chance at all to get him back in the light, it’s going to take a strong therapist to help him through this as well as immediate physical nurturing.”
Ortega continued, “As far as I can tell there is no one caring for him on a daily basis. Tonight I was feeding him, wrapping him in blankets to warm his chills, massaging his feet to calm him, and calling his doctor.” He further admitted that Jackson was “frightened” that his tour may get canceled, and asked Ortega if he was going to leave him, as stated in the book. The authors shared Ortega’s email, “He was practically begging for my confidence. It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy.”
Unfortunately, the night before his death on June 25, Jackson seemed to have pulled it together. He delivered a successful performance at rehearsal before heading home to Dr. Conrad Murray. It was then that Jackson was given the drugs that ultimately killed him.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Google News