about MJ et al...: "Michael was a messenger and he was here to teach us."

Photographer David LaChappelle On Michael Jackson

“Everyone had a judgment about Michael Jackson, but I think Michael was a messenger and he was here to teach us. He was a really good friend of mine. When he was charged with pedophilia, he still lived his life with such dignity. Even when he was under the most horrible of times, he never lost it, he never freaked out. He just lived it out with dignity, and kindness, and talent.” – renowned photographer and personal friend of Michael Jackson, David LaChappelle

Here are some of the digital portraits that LaChappelle created in homage to Jackson after his death in 2009. They are part of a collection he calls “American Jesus.”