Reactions were mixed in Suwannee County following the announcement that pop

music icon Michael Jackson had died while preparing for a comeback tour.

Jackson, 50, suffered cardiac arrest at his west Los Angeles home Thursday and

was taken to UCLA Medical Center where doctors tried to resuscitate him for

more than an hour. He was pronounced dead at 5:26 p.m. ET.

Here’s what some locals had to say today about Jackson’s passing:



Dave Johnson, age 54 — “I hated to hear it. He wasn’t just an American icon,

he was a world-wide icon. After hearing the circumstances behind it, I feel

so sorry for him, I really do.”



Perry Tillman, 33 — “It’s a tragedy we lost such a great pioneer of the

music industry. For all his faults, he was a great individual. It’s truly a

loss.”



Ken Dolingo, 58 (Manager, Live Oak Music Center) — “I just found out. It’s

very sad. He was a great artist. He certainly changed music and music

videos.”



Ray Higginbotham, 52 — “Anybody, that passes I think is bad. From what you

hear on the news, I think they jump to conclusions. They say they’re going

to do an autopsy. People should wait to see the results. It’s just a young

age to go. I hate it for anybody, but we’re all going.”



Greg Clayton, 37 — “He was a good black artist. His music was good. He was

the best inventor in dance and the moonwalk.”



Elva Gaylord, 76 — “He got some good deals. He had some bad deals. But it

was all about money. He got money and people even got his money. He was a

good guy. He stayed on top. But money talks.”



Shauntina Cooper, 28 — “It’s very sad. I love all his music and stuff. Even

when we were kids, we used to love his music.”



Kelley Butcher, 37 — “In the ’80s he was great, but somewhere in there he turned into a freak. He wasn’t human no more. He was all plastic, silicone and implants. God made him one way. I don’t know

what happened to him. I lost all respect for him.”



Herbert Wells, 40 — “I’m sorry for him to leave. He was the world’s greatest

entertainer.”



Andrew Gray, 72 — “It’s a tragic thing. It’s a great lost to the

entertainment world.”



Vera Pittman, 56 — “It’s just real sad that he passed so young.”



Kenny Williams, 41 — “It’s a sad day for music fans worldwide. He definitely

was a music icon.”



Gloria Ross, 43 — “Mike was my boy back in the day. All I could say is that

I hope his soul was right.”



Arantez Hunter, 11 — “I think that he was like 50. He didn’t need to die. He

was a real great dancer and singer.”



Shandrel Thomas, 24 — “It’s a sad, sad thing.”



Rosetta Armstrong, 26 — “I feel bad because he did have children. It’s sad

though. It’s real sad.”



Jennifer Copeland, 43 (Live Oak native, visiting from Jacksonville) —

“Well, I know that he was a legend in my time. In the ’80s I danced to a lot

of his music. It’s a lost. His music legacy will continue on.”



Kemuel Clarke, 10 (visiting from Jacksonville) — “A lot of people will be

disappointed. It will just be a big lost. He was a big example in music to

all the older kids and bigger people.”