Mourning King of Pop from U Street to L.A.

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By Robyn-Denise Yourse and Liz Essley THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The unexpected death of Michael Jackson Thursday prompted an outpouring of disbelief, nostalgia and sincere mourning among his fans - in real life, in the cyberworld, and on the radio.

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Reaction to Michael Jackson's death

Across the country there has been an outpouring of emotion over the tragic death of the King of Pop.

In Washington, D.C.'s bustling U Street area, once known as the city's black entertainment mecca, patrons who filtered into restaurants and bars were stunned and overwhelmed by the shocking news.

"Oh my God, I can't believe he's dead!" exclaimed Virginia Ali, 75, co-owner of the iconic Ben's Chili Bowl. "I'm just shocked and saddened ... what was he, 50? I listened to his music when he was a kid. It's so shocking, you know? He was coming back. We knew him as a kid when he was on Ed Sullivan."

The mood was equally somber at other U Street mainstays. Kelly and Maze Tesfaye, both 55 and owners of Twins Jazz, wept openly as they pondered Mr. Jackson's death.

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"A legend is gone," Kelly Tesfaye sobbed.

"From when he was young until now he was big [but] he was in trouble. Why was there no doctor? Why was there no nurse? Why did they find him in a corner?" Kelly Tesfaye said of Mr. Jackson's last moments. "Where was everybody to save this person, this king? At this age he shouldn't die at all."

Said W. Ellington Felton, 32, a local soul singer, "I cried when I found out," as he prepared to take the stage at the Bohemian Caverns for a Thursday night performance.

"I can say 'Man, where were you on June 25 when Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died on the same day.' It's like JFK's death. Everyone's gonna remember what they were doing," he said.