ABC will present a special edition of 20/20 Friday night at 9. Michael Jackson: The man and his music.
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Story: First report confirming Michael Jackson's death
On the air waves, people celebrated Jackson's life and grieved his death. MEGA 97.9 went into nonstop Michael Jackson mode when he died, and listeners took over.
"The phones just went completely nuts," said DJ Jeff Davis. "The phones haven't stopped ringing."
The shock wave spread fast across town through word of mouth. Within hours, everyone seemed to know about it and most wanted to share memories of the Michael they remember -- the musician and dancer.
"I used to breakdance, moonwalk, like I used to dress up like him when I was really young, 3 years old," said James Henderson, who was visiting River Park from Houston, TX. "I remember watching thriller and being scared."
Record stores like Spinners in the Tower District are seeing a run on Michael Jackson albums. They're worth a lot more now than they were just yesterday. And then there's eBay where autographed pictures of Michael Jackson are selling for hundreds of dollars.
Like the title of a song from his Dangerous album, fans say Jackson is "Gone Too Soon." They say nobody can replace him, but his legacy will live on.
"There are a lot of talented people out there, but I don't think anyone can do what Michael Jackson did musically," said Davis.
His station will have played almost 20 consecutive hours of Michael Jackson music by the time they wrap it up with their morning show on Friday.
Television channels from Sydney to Tokyo have interrupted their Friday programs to report the news of Michael Jackson's death.
Online fan pages dedicated to the King of Pop have become impromptu memorial sites.
In Sydney, where Jackson married second wife Debbie Rowe in 1996, commuters in the business district stopped outside television studios to watch coverage on outdoor monitors. Christos Winter calls it "a terrible day for all of us." He had been using his Facebook fan page as a petition to try to get Jackson to add Australia to his concert tour.
Morning TV shows have devoted full coverage to the Jackson story, alternating live reports from Los Angeles with e-mails from viewers filled with condolences and memories.
Hundreds of fans crowded the street outside Michael Jackson's modest childhood home in Gary, Ind. Some fans formed a prayer circle. Others left stuffed animals and notes expressing their condolences. Jackson's last trip to Gary was in June 2003.
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