Listen, Michael Jackson is one of those people who was just destined for stardom and although driven to it in part by his father's cruelty, he seemed to take full advantage of it.

The man was 50 years old and even according to friends had been in a downward spiral for the past several years. Physically, financially and psychologically. There came a time when he had to stop blaming daddy, let go of the Neverland, man/child, poor me personna, and take a good long look at himself. Especially after becoming the father and SOLE parent of 3 children. I don't think he ever did. When friends tried to talk to him he curled up in a fetal position and didn't want to hear about it.

He was about to do the only thing he knew, perform again...and even THEN, didn't have the brains to prepare his body, which he knew he had done damage to. If he hadn't dropped dead last week, it probably would've happened at some point during the upcoming tour. Quite possibly on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans.

We can all get on Joe Jackson's case and call him a jackass, but he saw talent in his kids and got them out of that shack in Indiana, and he gave The Jackson Five and then Michael Jackson to the world. Without Joe, we would never have heard of the rest of them. He cannot be held responsible for how Michael Jackson messed up his own life over the past 10+ years.