Could Michael Jackson have made a comeback?

The sudden death of Michael Jackson "puts a halt to what might have been one of the greatest comebacks of entertainment history," said Jack Bremer in The First Post. Not too long ago, he was "living with his three children in Las Vegas, on the wrong side of the tracks, nearly $400 million in debt." Then Jackson signed a multimillion, 50-concert deal—which sold out quickly, and was set to begin next month at London's O2 Arena. The shows may have allowed him to get back on his feet financially, (watch Jackson announcing his London shows) and promoters had plans for Jackson to "embark on a three-year tour of Europe and Asia before finishing in the US." Now we'll never know if he "still had the magic."

It might have been the stress of the London comeback concerts that killed Jackson, said Gail Brown in the Examiner.com. "The decline of Jackson's image and brand had a direct impact on" his ability to sell records, and "financial stress tends to consume a person's life as they try to get things back on track as Jackson was doing at the moment of his untimely death."

"There is an unmistakable irony in this tragedy," said Richard Siklos in Fortune. "In death, Jackson's long-awaited comeback looks to already be well underway." When Elvis Presley died, the "King of Rock" "sold more records in the six months following his death in 1977 than he had over the previous decade." And based on all the attention Jackson's death is generating, the same may prove true for the "King of Pop."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up