text: LONDON, England (CNN) -- Michael Jackson had a level of hero worship on a par with Elvis Presley or the Beatles but he was the first black star to inspire such a massive following around the world. 
  
  Michael Jackson, the ultimate showman, craved attention and was rarely disappointed. 
  
  Total worldwide sales of more than 350 million records over his 40-year career give just a hint of the adoration there was for the "King of Pop." The fact that his death came on the eve of a comeback tour in London will leave his devotees feeling even more bereft. 
  
  While his career -- and wealth -- had waned greatly in recent years, there was still enough support for the concerts to sell out at a rate of nearly 40,000 an hour. Fans from as far afield as Japan, Germany and Dubai queued to buy their tickets. 
  
  Steve Greenberg, founder and CEO of S-Curve Records, was a disc jockey in Tel Aviv, Israel, when "Thriller" first dropped and witnessed first-hand how Jackson became an international icon. 
  
  His was a global appeal, Greenberg said, among fans and artists worldwide. 
  
  "He was as big in the Middle East and Southeast Asia as he was in America and Europe," Greenberg said. "He had that universality that not many people had. The Beatles had it, Muhammad Ali had it, but not many other people have had it." 
  
  Jackson was known for far more than his music though. Speaking after his death in Los Angeles was announced, U.S. civil rights campaigner Rev. Al Sharpton paid tribute to the work of a "trailblazer" in helping people around the world through his charities. How will you remember Michael Jackson? 