Posts Tagged: Death


7
Nov 11

‘Moon River’ crooner Andy Williams has bladder cancer

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Branson, MO, United States (AHN) – Crooner Andy William, best known for his hit “Moon River,” told fans Saturday he had bladder cancer.

The singer announced to a crowd, gathered at his Moon River Theater in Branson, MO, for his Christmas Show, that he has cancer of the bladder.

Williams told his fans, “I do have cancer of the bladder. But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this.”

Williams, 83, began his career at a child when he joined his older brothers in a quartet. He went on to record 18 gold and three Platinum albums. He also enjoyed a successful TV variety show that ran from 1962-71.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

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5
Feb 11

Michael Jackson: Succumbed by Corrosive Friendships

Introduction

News services were buzzing. Phones were ringing. By now, everyone knew. The “King of Pop” was dead. On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died at the age of 50. Immediately, cable stations started dissecting Michael’s life. In fact, in less than 24 hours, his so-called “friends” were coming out and releasing innuendos about him. CNN analyst Jeff Todbin noted, “He was surrounded by thieves and jackals.” As Michael rests in peace, many news commentators continue to sensationalize his life, hoping for another media circus. This article examines Michael’s life as it relates to his corrosive friendships so that readers can gain valuable lessons from his story.

Personal Background

Michael lived a life most people could only fantasize about. Born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana, Michael emerged from simple beginnings to become a mega Superstar. He and his four brothers became a Motown Records icon and a landmark for teens across the world. Michael’s lifetime record sales are estimated to be over 750 million. Michael had become the King of Pop. He was also one of the most generous Hollywood celebrities to charities.

Yet, the storyline of the King of Pop is disturbing. His eccentric ways, transformational looks, spending sprees, and financial troubles gave fuel to his critics. Additionally, his continual battles regarding child sexual abuse severely damaged his public image. To individuals concerned with this image, Michael was an individual to keep away from, even if you were supposed to be his friend. His brother Jermaine Jackson stated, “Michael became the victim of his own success.” Michael understood better than anyone the isolation of being a child superstar.

The Friendship Definition

Many people have not developed the instinct to know true friends. According to the Urban Dictionary, a fair weather friend is someone who is only a friend when circumstances are pleasant or profitable. An enabler is someone who allows another person to persist in self-destructive behavior by providing excuses or by making it possible to avoid the consequences.

Within minutes of Michael’s death, individuals seized this opportunity to attract media attention based on their past relationships with him. For example, Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson and his family are fighting for control of his estate. On July 6th, a Los Angeles judge gave temporary control of this estate to Michael’s long time associates, John Branca and John McClain. This action was done contrary to Michael’s family wishes. Katherine’s attorney argued, “To award unfettered control to the other side wouldn’t serve justice.” Therefore, the greater the media hype, the greater the financial gain.

Furthermore, enablers were also a part of Michael’s life. According to varying reports, Michael took a host of prescription drugs to ease his pain and anxiety. Several former friends and employees spoke out that Michael was surrounded by medical staff that enabled him. Lisa Marie Presley, Michael’s first wife, acknowledged the reality of Michael’s corrosive friendships: “I became very ill and emotionally/spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him.” Many superstars surround themselves with “yes” people. Who wants to hear opinions that may contradict his or her own? In this regard, celebrities are not alone.

Conclusion

Few people can deny the talents of Michael Jackson. Surprisingly, even in death, Michael manages to break records. Just a few weeks after his death, Michael became the first artist to hold 8 of the top 10 slots on a Billboard chart. Michael sold a combined 422,000 albums (241,000 were downloads). Therefore, his star power has proven immortal. Like so many stars, Michael was surrounded with wealth and fame. Yet, there is something that even the most common of people can understand. A person must surround themselves with true friends. This darker side of Michael’s reality places him alongside other high-profile celebrities such as Anna Nicole Smith. In spite of this fact, Michael remains a music genius. However, he is also an example of what can happen when an individual surrounds himself with corrosive friendships. Let’s hope we can heed this lesson from the King of Pop.

About Author
Dr. Daryl D. Green writes on contemporary issues impacting individuals, businesses, and society across the globe. For more information, you can go to http://stores.lulu.com/darygre or http://www.darylgreen.org

2
Dec 10

Suspect In Death Of Hollywood Publicist Commits Suicide

Ayinde O. Chase – AHN News Editor

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – A suspect in the murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen killed himself Wednesday evening as police approached to question him. The man shot himself in the head moments before he was about to be arrested.

According to reports, detectives investigating the slaying of the veteran Hollywood insider were attempting to serve a search warrant and question a man at a Hollywood apartment house. Investigators were in the lobby trying to speak to a “person of interest” when he pulled out a handgun and fatally shot himself in the head.

The shooting occurred shortly after 6 p.m., the Los Angeles Times reported on its website, citing unnamed sources. His identity and relationship to Chasen still remain a mystery.

Those close to the case say the man had been under police surveillance for some time in connection to Chasen’s murder.

The 64-year-old Chasen, a movie and music publicist, was found Nov. 16, slumped over the wheel of her Mercedes Benz dead from several gunshot wounds to the chest. She had just left the “Burlesque” movie premiere and was gunned down in a posh Beverly Hills neighborhood.

Chasen’s death has fueled numerous conspiracy and murder-for-hire theories.

Friends and colleagues of the publicist have offered rewards for information on her murder.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

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30
Sep 10

Watchdog Claims 25% Rise In Journalists’ Death Worldwide

AHN News Staff

Geneva, Switzerland (AHN) – A media watchdog, Press Emblem Campaign, on Wednesday claimed the number of journalists who died while covering unrest across the world has increased by 25 percent compared to the same period last year.

Blaise Lempen, the group’s secretary-general, said that at least 90 journalists lost their lives in the last nine months. He added that the situation was deteriorating.

“Lempen called upon the media associations worldwide to become more active and that governments act in firmness to prevent crimes against journalists and fight against impunity,” the group said in a statement.

He stressed the need to immediately launch an international convention to strengthen laws for journalists’ protection.

The PEC, in its report, described Mexico as the most dangerous country of the world, where clashes between drug cartels and government troops had claimed the lives of 13 journalists since January. Honduras and Pakistan are at second place on the list with nine deaths each.

“A number of journalists were targeted and executed in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which makes it one of the most dangerous regions for media work,” the PEC said. The report also highlighted deaths of five journalists in Iraq after a calm period.

The Philippines and Russia’s North Caucasus region also reportedly had five journalists’ deaths. Colombia, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria and Somalia had three killings, while India, Angola, Thailand, Uganda, Afghanistan and Venezuela had two each.

The PEC added that one journalist was killed in each of these countries – Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroun, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Greece, Ecuador, Lebanon, Rwanda, Turkey, Ukraine and Yemen.

“Europe has witnessed worrying isolated cases of targeting journalists in seven countries leading to the death of 12 journalists this year,” the PEC report said.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

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12
Aug 10

A Near Death Experience Gives Gift Of Healing Music

This is my story about me dying in a car wreck and from that car wreck, I was given this gift of composing music. Many people attribute their healings from listening to this music. I am not a musician and I can’t explain how I compose this music. My life and thousands of other people’s lives worldwide have greatly changed from listening to these compositions.


Many people call it, miracle music. Also, other people who have had near death experiences, have heard my music on the other side while they were dead. I can’t deny the phenomenon that has been happening in my life or in other people’s lives when listening to this music. And, no one can explain it. This is an amazing story that may change your life.


A truck rear ended my car and I died instantly.


All the traffic was at a stand still and a truck not paying attention to traffic, blasted into the rear end of my car. Not wearing a safety belt, I was thrown against the windshield and all of a sudden I was in this white silver light. A man’s voice, whom I couldn’t see, said to me “You can either come with us now, or you can go back.” When he said this to me, I thought of my computer studio that I had built. It took me ten years to build it and I had just finished it three days before this accident. I built this studio from an engineering point of view to see if I could do it. The next thing I knew, I was back in my injured body.


How the music started pouring through me like Niagara Falls.


After I recovered from my injuries a year later, I went into my computer studio for the first time. When I turned on all the equipment, I suddenly felt real tired. I thought this was strange since I had a good nights sleep, but I couldn’t fight it. So, I laid my head back on my chair and took a nap.


Suddenly I was engulfed in all this music and color. It seemed like a few minutes in this lucid dream, but when I opened my eyes, it was eight hours later. I was shocked. Then I noticed my control panel flashing which indicated that something had been recorded. I put the equipment in play mode and this music came over my sound system. It was the same music that I had just experienced in this lucid dream.


How the music became public.


I had joined a meditation class during this time in my life. I was curious and wanted to know more about it. After my experience in the studio, I thought this music would be great for meditation. So I took a copy of it to class. Everyone loved the music and my friend Leona pulled me over after class and said the following, “Marcey, you have a gift and you need to get this music out into the world.” I thought my friend had lost all of her senses. I told her she was nuts and went home.


Leona wouldn’t let this go. She called me everyday until I made this music public. After many months, I finally made her agree that if I went to a public fair on a weekend to sell my music, would she leave me alone. She said she would.


I named my first composition Inward Harmony. I took my music to a weekend fair with a table and two chairs. I set it up so someone could sit down and relax with the music using a headset.


My first customer heard my music while he was dead.


My first customer came up to my table. He put the headset on and stood there listening to my music. Within a few seconds, he turned white as a sheet. I thought my music was killing this man. I was thinking to myself that I was going to be put in jail for murder.I was getting ready to call for security when all of a sudden, this gentleman took the headset off and walked away. I fell back on my chair and was very relieved.


This man came back within thirty minutes and told me what happened. He told me that he had open heart surgery seven years prior and was pronounced dead for sixteen minutes. He told me that during the time he was dead, this music he heard on my headset, was the same music he heard while he was dead.


I started shaking. He asked me for a pen and a paper. I shakingly gave it to him. He wrote all this down on the paper, signed it and gave it back to me. He told me that he would be in my first chapter in a book that I would write some day. Then he turned around and left.


The miracles and phenomena all started happening.


From that weekend forward, my music started traveling so fast to the people by word of mouth. My first album called, Inward Harmony, reached Holland in the Netherlands within thirty days.


A lady in Ft. Worth, TX was in a house fire with second and third degree burns. She listened to Inward Harmony and within five days, her doctor could not find one blemish on her body. He couldn’t explain what happened.


A man in San Antonio, TX lost most of his hearing from working on jet engines. His wife played Inward Harmony each night while they slept and all his hearing came back.


A woman, who always had miscarriages, bought Inward Harmony in hopes the music would help her. For the first time, she was able to carry a baby to term and she had a healthy baby boy.


The testimonials continue and are endless. The phenomena that people experience with this music changes lives. I have seen plants, animals, children, adults, weather, pregnant woman, men going through mid life crisis and much more, experience miracles and all kinds healings with this music. No one can explain it.

Go enter my CD contest. The winner gets a free autographed music CD. Also, you can listen to my music and listen to people’s phenomenal testimonials. Like I always say, the proof is in the testimonials and experience is always your best teacher.

Marcey Hamm, composer
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