Michael Jackson's death: latest news, photos, videos, tributes

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By ALLISON ROSS and TRACEY McMANUS

Less than two hours after opening Friday, the Barnes & Noble in CityPlace sold its last bit of Michael Jackson paraphernalia.

“That’s the last DVD we have,” said saleswoman Elizabeth Lowe-Pyle, pointing at a copy of The Wiz in the hand of a departing customer. “I wanted to come in this morning and put up a Michael Jackson display, but there was nothing left to display.”

The King of Pop’s unexpected death Thursday resulted in a run on books, CDs and DVDs by and about Michael Jackson in stores throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.

Both the f.y.e. and Best Buy stores in West Palm Beach sold out of Jackson CDs and DVDs within an hour of the news of his death.

“I was standing in the CDs section when the rush happened around 5:30 or 6,” said Eddie Carrasquillo, who works at Best Buy. “I turned around and there was this crowd of people. The CDs were gone in less than 10 minutes. … So were the music videos, and the Jackson 5s are gone, too.”

All that remained were digital music download cards. But that wasn’t good enough for Best Buy customer Douglas Armstrong of Lake Worth, who was spending his lunch break searching stores for the Thriller album.

“It’s the only album I never got,” he said, calling Thursday “one of the saddest days in pop culture history.”

“I was 4 years old when Elvis died, and I remember that it was one of only two times my father cried,” Armstrong said. “This is the same for me. I am here to pay my respects. I will pay money for Mike somewhere. I don’t care how far I’ll have to travel to do it.”

The urge to snap up Jackson merchandise also was evident on the Internet, where Amazon.com, Borders and Barnes & Noble sold out quickly. As of Friday evening, the top 10 albums on Amazon’s “bestsellers in music” list were Jackson’s.

In some cases, the hunt for MJ’s music turned nasty in local stores.

When owner Debbie Ross opened Music, Movies and More on Friday morning, she was greeted by a line of customers. One woman went to the rack of Michael Jackson CDs and refused to allow others to get near until she had gone through them.

At one point, according to customer Paul Creed of Palm Springs, the woman snapped: “Back up. I’ll buy them all if you’re not careful.”

Ross had sold more than 40 CDs by midday Friday and ordered more to keep up with demand.

“This always happens when someone dies,” she said. “But this is something we haven’t had since John Lennon died.”

John Clements, owner of Confusion Records in Lake Park, agreed. “You’re going to get the nostalgia thing for a while and people run out for albums like they do for bottled water during a hurricane,” he said.

His store, though, was surprisingly quiet Friday afternoon. He surmised that it was because people are mostly looking for CDs and don’t realize he carries them.

Standing in an aisle of his small store, which is crammed with vinyl albums, posters and CDs, Clements ran his hands lightly across a Thriller 25th anniversary edition CD, an early Jackson 5 album and a soundtrack and poster from The Wiz. He then turned his attention to a vinyl Thriller album – a Japanese edition, complete with a booklet filled with art and notes.

“I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t have a big run yet, or I wouldn’t have this stuff,” he said.

At Purple Haze in Palm Springs, owner Ken Greenbaum erected a tribute display, complete with the Thriller vinyl record (not for sale) and a burning candle.

Greenbaum, who is keeping some T-shirts and stickers, said he discounted all music 10 percent in celebration of Jackson.

“We could have put $50 on the albums, but what if a kid comes in and buys it and it ends up being the record that makes him a musician?” he said. “Maybe through his death someone gets inspired.”

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