Noah St. John: Michael Jackson's Death: Avoidable or Inevitable?

My most vivid Michael Jackson memory was his 1993 Oprah Winfrey interview. I remember watching the show and thinking two things: 1. This is the most talented person I've ever seen. 2. This person has the lowest self-esteem of anyone I've ever seen. Here was this supremely gifted, awesomely talented individual. Yet even before I had heard of the term "head trash", I couldn't help thinking that he was suffering from inner demons that few of us could comprehend. In my seminars, I've often compared the success of Tiger Woods with Michael Jackson. Whereas Tiger's parents encouraged and supported their young prodigy, Michael's father (we don't hear much about his mother) literally beat his sons to get them to rehearse " the right way ". It's no secret that this kind of physical and emotional abuse cost Michael any chance at a normal life. Now, after his death, Brian Oxman, identified as a Jackson family spokesman, has said that he voiced concerns that Michael was abusing prescription drugs ... (link)