MICHAEL Jackson's ex-wife LISA MARIE PRESLEY led the tributes to her former husband yesterday, saying she was "confused with every emotion possible".
"I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me," she said.
MARK LESTER, who is godfather to Jackson's children, described him as "a very swe
et, kind and loving man".
The former child star said the pair first met more than 30 years ago.
"The last time we saw him he was in London a few weeks ago. He was absolutely fine." He said Jackson was ready for his planned gigs in London, saying: "If he didn't think he could do it, he wouldn't have done it."
A host of celebrities from the music and entertainment industries lined up to pay tribute.
MADONNA said: "I can't stop crying over the sad news.
"I've always admired Michael Jackson – the world has lost one of its greats but his music will live on forever.
"My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless."
Friend and psychic URI GELLER said from his home in Berkshire: "I'm shocked and devastated. I am hoping this is a dream I will wake up from, but it is not. Michael is dead.
"For him not to be around, that he's gone, is just surreal. It cannot sink into my psyche. He was a genius."
He said he feared it may have been the "stress" of Jackson's planned comeback tour that killed him.
Music producer QUINCY JONES said: "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news."
He said Jackson "had it all – talent, grace, and professionalism and dedication", adding: "I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
Film directors MARTIN SCORSESE and STEVEN SPIELBERG also paid tribute.
Scorsese said: "Michael Jackson was extraordinary.
"When we worked together on Bad, I was in awe of his absolute mastery of movement on the one hand, and of the music on the other. Every step he took was absolutely precise and fluid at the same time. It was like watching quicksilver in motion.
"He was wonderful to work with, an absolute professional at all times, and – it really goes without saying – a true artist.
"It will be a while before I can get used to the idea that he's no longer with us," he said.
Spielberg said: "Just as there will never be another Fred Astaire or Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley, there will never be anyone comparable to Michael Jackson.
"His talent, his wonderment and his mystery make him legend."
Singer CHER said: "I'm having a million different reactions I didn't expect I would feel.
"He was a great singer – God gives you certain gifts and this child was touched by this ability. He could sing like nobody else and he was able to connect with people."
Fellow singer CELINE DION added: "I am shocked. I am overwhelmed by this tragedy. Michael Jackson has been an idol for me all my life.
"He was not only a talented person but he was unique – a genius. It's such a loss. It feels like when Kennedy died, when Elvis died."
In a tribute reported on the website MTV.com, singer JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE said: "I can't find the words right now to express how deeply saddened I am by Michael's passing.
"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."
A tribute on the star's website from his record company described him as a genius.
Broadcaster PAUL GAMBACCINI paid tribute to the "biggest world star since the Beatles" and said Jackson would really be remembered for his career as a solo artist.
He said: "In decades to come, people will look back and remember the records."
He insisted "the freak show" part of Jackson's life would fade into the background.
He added: "You have to recognise that he was the first American male star of the video era – Madonna was the first female star.
"It was Michael Jackson and Madonna who were the first big stars of the MTV generation."
Rock singer ALICE COOPER said: "Michael Jackson was easily as influential as James Brown, and that's saying a lot. He was the Fred Astaire of his time.
"We had Vincent Price in common – I used him first on Welcome To My Nightmare in 1975, and he later used him on Thriller. He was truly the King of Pop."
DOWNING STREET said the singer's death was "very sad news" for his fans and that Gordon Brown's thoughts were with his family.
"This is very sad news for the millions of Michael Jackson fans in Britain and around the world," the Prime Minister's spokesman said.
"The Prime Minister's thoughts are with Michael Jackson's family at this time."
Radio presenter CHRIS EVANS said the Jackson he had met was a slick professional, unlike the usual caricatures.
He encountered the singer backstage at rehearsals for the Brit Awards. "What I saw was not some goofball with a hankie tied around his mouth, but a guy in jeans and a green T-shirt, totally at ease with himself and all those around him, busy putting the kids through their paces of a complicated dance routine.
"He led by example and made them gasp open-mouthed with the way he moved whenever he showed them how to do something, laughing and joking with them to get his point across like all the best teachers."
Chart star LENNY KRAVITZ said: "He was a boy that God blessed with the most angelic voice. Just listen to an early Jackson Five album and listen to that voice. The purity, the feeling, the interpretation of the lyrics.
"At the age of ten, he was on par with James Brown and Aretha Franklin. But the thing he had that they could not match was the fact that he was a child. But at the same time he sang as an adult. That line between child and experienced adult took his expression to an unmatched level.
"I got to work with Michael on a track that has not been released and it was the most amazing experience I've had in the studio. He was funny. Very funny and we laughed the whole time. I also saw what a beautiful father he was. He was a beautiful human being."
Kravitz added: "If not for him, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. He gave me joy as a child and showed me the way to go."
Singer MARIAH CAREY said: "I am heartbroken. Let us remember him for his unparalleled contribution to the world of music, his generosity of spirit in his quest to heal the world, and the joy he brought to his millions of devoted fans throughout the world.
"I feel blessed to have performed with him several times and to call him my friend. No artist will ever take his place. His star will shine forever."
A tribute on COLDPLAY's Twitter page said: "MJ was the best of the best. His music and performances made the world a brighter place. His light will shine on forever."
Dame SHIRLEY BASSEY said she was shocked and devastated:
"I have very fond memories of Michael with one dinner in particular where he renamed me Lady Goldfinger.
"For the rest of the time I knew him that was my name. He was an icon and the King of Pop, quite simply magic."
A statement from the producers, cast and creative team on Thriller – Live, which showcases Jackson's life, said last night's performances at the Lyric theatre in London's West End and the Manchester Opera House go ahead as planned as a "tribute".
Conservative leader DAVID CAMERON said: "I know Michael Jackson's fans in Britain and across the world will be sad today.
"Despite the controversies, he was a legendary entertainer. Everyone will be thinking of his family, especially his children, at this time."
Bee Gee ROBIN GIBB said: "We've not only lost a great friend in Michael but also lost a wonderful sensitive human being.
"The Bee Gees heard music with the same ears.
"He had a great voice and millions of people yet to be born will sing his songs.
"This tragedy should teach us a lesson to value and praise those gifts while we still have them in the world.
"If even a small portion of the praise that is bestowed on Michael Jackson now in death was given to him last year, in life, he might well still be with us.
"That is the sad truth. One consolation is that he will triumph by his legacy."
