Cher: 'Jackson could connect with people'

Cher has admitted that she is having "a million reactions" to the news that Michael Jackson has died.

The music legend was pronounced dead at a Los Angeles hospital yesterday. It is suspected that he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Speaking to Larry King Live, she said: "I am having a million reactions. When I think of him, I think of this young boy, this teenager I first met. He was a great teenager, optimistic and adorable."

She went on to praise the late star as a "great singer" and "a genius like Ray Charles", adding: "He had a gift... He was able to connect with people."

> Obituary: Michael Jackson