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US President Barack Obama has spoken out in the wake of Michael Jackson's death from cardiac arrest last week (25 June).

The world leader revealed that he spent his formative years listening to the King of Pop.

Obama told the Associated Press: "[He will] go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers. I grew up on his music."

He added that he felt sorrow for the star's "tragic and, in many ways, sad personal life".

Meanwhile, former MJ collaborator Justin Timberlake has been making his own tribute to the departed icon.

Justin told MTV: "I'm lucky enough to have memories [of being] physically with him on stage and off.

"He's created so many cultural photos in people's minds with his music. He really was and always will be the King of Pop."

He continued: "No-one presented a song on stage like Michael. There aren't many performances that are as timeless - I would say of the Top 10 of those performances, probably seven or eight of them go to Michael Jackson.

"His music helped with segregation and not a lot of people can say that. Elvis did that. But Michael was the baddest."