Michael Jackson's star is set to rise again with Cirque De Soleil's "Immortal Tour", but after Conrad Murray was sentenced to four years in prison on Tuesday, there will be at least one empty seat in Vegas when the show opens on Dec. 3rd.
The King of Pop was laid to rest more than two years ago yet from the grave he's managed to keep his name on the Vegas strip and marquees all over the world. But is the infamy of Jackson's untimely exit -- for which we can now credit guilty Dr. Murray -- part of the reason why his name is still very much on the tip of our tongues? It seems as though white glove fans everywhere can credit the man who took their King away for simultaneously keeping his death alive.
Jackson's death, which became a circus itself with family members pointing fingers at the man in the center of the ring, was prolonged in the headlines as Murray faced trial after trial that resulted in a guilty verdict for involuntary manslaughter. The year 2009 also claimed the lives of legendary celebrities like Farrah Fawcett and Patrick Swayze, and although their star power may not have shined as bright as Jackson's, the dust from their deaths has settled -- no Cirque De Soleil "Dirty Dancing" tribute here.
In Hollywood, scandal sells. So is it Jackson's controversial death, with Conrad Murray at the center, that has kept his name in lights? We don't doubt it. Like Marilyn Monroe, whose death similarly spawned pages and pages of conspiracy theories, Jackson's grasp on the entertainment world will live far beyond his music. Get ready for "My Week with Michael" coming soon to a theater near you.
