Barack Obama: 'I Still Have Michael Jackson On My iPod'

US president Barack Obama has revealed he still has all of Michael Jackson's music on his iPod.

Obama, whose MP3 player is also known to include hits by Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z, said Jackson "will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers”.

The president spoke about the King of Pop, who died on June 25, during an interview at the White House yesterday.

He said Jackson had been given “extraordinary gifts” and bought “great joy” to his fans.

But Obama also acknowledged that the star's “brilliance as a performer also was paired with a tragic and, in many ways, sad personal life”.

Until now, the president's thoughts on Jackson's sudden death had only been conveyed by a White House spokesman.

When asked why he had failed to speak sooner, Obama told the Associated Press that he wasn't aware that he had caused any offence.

"I know a lot of people in the black community," he said. "I haven't heard that."

A number of politicians, inducing UK prime minister Gordon Brown, have joined musicians and celebrities in paying tribute to Jackson over the last even days.

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