Friday, 03 Jul 2009 08:10
Jermaine Jackson reveals "unreal" pain of learning of Michael's death
Jermaine Jackson has revealed the pain of learning of the death of his brother Michael last week was "unimaginable".
In one of the first Jackson family interviews since the Thriller star's death, former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Jermaine told NBC's Today programme the experience of saying goodbye to his sibling was unreal.
"I wanted to see Michael, and I wanted to see my brother, and seeing him lifeless and breathless was very emotional for me," he explained.
"I held myself together, because I know he is very much alive, his spirit is. I kissed him on his forehead and I hugged him and I touched him and I said, 'Michael, I'll never leave you, you'll never leave me.'"
Jermaine added: "He went too soon. I wish that it was me. I've always felt that I was his backbone, someone to be there for him. I was there and he was sort of like Moses. The things he couldn't say, I would say them."
Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 last week, with unconfirmed reports suggesting he was a regular user of the painkiller Demerol and used prescription medication.
Jermaine, part of the Jackson Five musical group, said he "would be hurt" if the allegations proved to be true, as his brother had been "against anything like that".
"But in this business, the pressure, and things that you go through - you never know what people might turn to," he continued
"I'm not saying it's right, because it's not right."
As Jermaine Jackson expressed his grief at the loss of his brother, the former chairman of Sony Music said new releases of unreleased Michael Jackson material "could go on for years and years".
"There are dozens and dozens of songs that did not end up on his albums," said Tommy Mottola, who was in charge of Sony from 1998 to 2003.
"People will be hearing a lot of that unreleased material for the first time ever. There's just some genius and brilliance in there."