It has been a week in popular culture like few others, as the news of Michael Jackson’s untimely June 25 death has dominated headlines, the airwaves and water-cooler discussions around the world.

For the last seven days — and surely, many more to come — Jackson’s music has been played nonstop, his mesmerizing videos filling television screens and his every transformative image displayed on every medium from magazine covers to commemorative pop art.

Talk had swirled over the last several days that Jackson’s Neverland Ranch would play host to a massive gathering of fans for a public viewing on Friday, but by late Wednesday afternoon Jackson’s family had quashed those reports.

On Sunday, BET drew its biggest-ever audience — 10.65 million viewers — for the live BET Awards 2009 at the Shrine Auditorium, which turned into the first widely seen musical tribute to Jackson following his death.

It was capped off by an unscheduled and emotional appearance by Janet Jackson, who spoke on behalf of her family to thank fans for their love and support. “My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful,” she told the audience. “To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family and he will forever live in all of our hearts.”

As the tragedy of Jackson’s death began to sink in further, entertainment industry insiders who knew, worked with, or were influenced by Jackson reflected on his legacy. “He stepped up and pretty much invented the [art of] pop videos,” said video director Life Garland, who has worked with the likes of Nelly, Jermaine Dupri and Lil Wayne. “He was a creative genius. ‘Thriller’ still stands up today as one of the best videos of all time.”

Garland added: “I think part of the reason for that was he never had a boyhood, and so he was able to tap into this super-sensitive, creative energy. [In a sense] he was in his own fantasy world. He had to escape into his imagination because his life was under a microscope the whole time.”

James Ingram, a renowned soul artist in his own right who co-wrote “PYT (Pretty Young Thing)” from Jackson’s all-conquering 1983 “Thriller” album, gave The Wave a simpler explanation at last Friday’s opening of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in the Crenshaw District.

“God gave him a gift,” said Ingram. “When Michael was in the studio … he was dancing and singing at the same time around the mic. I had never seen anybody dance, maybe I did a bit of head-bopping myself, but I was trying to save all my breath to sing. Michael was dancing for real and singing at the same time. He comes out, he’s sweating and said ‘James, am I singing all right?’ I said, ‘Michael, you killed it, you can sing anyway you want to.’ Man, I loved that brother.”

Allen, who was also a close friend of the superstar, first became aware of Jackson’s death when one of her employees heard the news on the radio. She immediately placed a call to choreographer Kenny Ortega, who was working with Jackson on a series of 50 concerts scheduled to begin in London later this month.

“We’re good friends,” she said. “I asked what was going on. He said there was no proof, but Michael was in the hospital. He called me back 30 seconds later and confirmed the news.” Shortly thereafter, Allen had the sad duty of relaying the news to a woman Jackson himself had idolized.

“I called Diana Ross in New York and told her it was true,” said Allen. “She had to get off the phone. My phone [was] ringing off the hook, I had to shut it off for sometime.” She later added: “It’s been a heavy loss … and the hope is that we all remember time is fleeting and we have to stay close.”

Bobbi Cowan, a former Motown publicist who worked with the late Bob Jones — the former record label public-relations boss who wrote a controversial 2005 tell-all book about life with Jackson — recalled both pleasant and painful memories.

“I met Michael just as he was preparing his first solo album away from the rest of his brothers, and had the pleasure of introducing him to several magazine writers for interviews,” said Cowan. “This was the first time Motown did not speak for him, and he was in the process of emerging from a child performer with his family, into a creative young person, writing, producing and coming into his own persona. My young daughter, who had a massive crush on Michael, came with me once for an interview at the family compound. Michael was very sweet to her, and my daughter, now a grown woman, cherishes a photo from that day.”

Cowan added: “Michael’s later life was terribly bizarre, and must have been painful. No wonder he took so much joy from his own children, and for helping kids around the world with his charities. It’s all too heartbreaking, and Michael left this world much too soon — but he was in deep trouble years ago.”

The tributes also flowed in for Jackson’s humanitarian work.

“Michael Jackson’s dedication to humanitarian issues, including helping to raise untold millions of dollars to alleviate poverty and hunger, showed us that he understood how to use his fame to advocate for equality and freedom worldwide,” read a statement from NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “In the African-American tradition of the great song and dance men, Michael’s incomparable talent and creativity influenced music, dance and culture for decades. His love of soul, rhythm and blues, and rock-and-roll, all performed with his innovative, unique style, captured the hearts and imagination of generations of fans. Michael Jackson was a musical artist rooted in the proud tradition of Black American music. His career — from the working-class neighborhoods of Gary, Indiana, to the heights of the entertainment industry — is a classic example of the American Dream.”