Michael Jackson's son Prince shares poignant tribute to late father on 15th anniversary of his death
26 June 2024, 13:48
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It's been 15 years since Michael Jackson died.
Fifteen years since the world lost the indisputable 'King Of Pop', after Michael Jackson died on 25th June 2009 at the age of just 50.
His impact on popular music and popular culture can still be felt today - he has some of the most dedicated fans who strive to keep his spirit alive through his songs.
There's no denying how different the charts would have been if Michael hadn't merged the world of Motown, R&B, disco, pop, and dance music in his unique way.
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Songs like 'Bad', 'Billie Jean', 'The Way You Make Me Feel', and 'Man In The Mirror' sound as fresh now as they did when they were released.
Whilst his music may have changed the lives of many, one person whose life was irrevocably changed by the death of Michael Jackson was his son, Prince.
Prince Jackson was merely twelve years old when he lost his dad, and has shared a poignant post on his Instagram to mark the 15th anniversary of his father's passing.
Michael's son - who is now 27 years old - shared a photo of his dad smiling whilst performing with children at the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in 1993.
“Miss you pops,” Prince wrote on top of the photo he shared with his Stories. "The world felt better with you in it."
It's a rare emotional outpouring from Prince, who doesn't open up about his late father that frequently, despite his enduring influence on popular culture.
In 2022, Prince revealed to People magazine that he thinks about his dad "every day" and that he regularly listens to his music as it expresses "so much of his personality".
“There are a lot of complexities in life that I feel parents teach their children [about], so without that, there’s some confusion there," he said.
"And also, it’s a big legacy to uphold, you know? It would be great if I knew how he would like it to be upheld. So, in that way, I think about him every day."
Prince wasn't the only Jackson family member to pay tribute to the late 'King Of Pop', with his brothers Tito and Jackie also taking to Instagram to share their feelings.
"Hard to believe it's been 15 years without you ❤️🩹 We miss you everyday 🕊️," Jackie captioned his post.
Tito shared a gorgeous black and white portrait of the 'Thriller' superstar, alongside the hashtags "15 years without Michael Jackson", "Gone too soon", "Always in our hearts", "Miss you much", "MJ4ever", and "No words."
Michael - who would be 65 years old if he were alive today - sadly died of a cardiac arrest which was caused by a fatal combination of drugs he was subscribed to at the time.
His doctor Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011, proving that the star's death was entirely preventable, which must still hurt his family to this day.
