Jackson's mother weeps in court

20 July AFP

Michael Jackson's mother Katherine broke down in court Friday recalling the day her son died, as she testified against tour promoters AEG Live whom she blames over his 2009 death.

Taking the stand 12 weeks into a civil trial, she also lashed out at critics who described her the star as a "freak," and said AEG Live should have done more to help the late singer, clearly sick in the weeks before he died.

"When I lost Michael, I lost everything," said the 83-year-old, repeatedly wiping away tears as she was questioned by her lawyer Brian Panish in the Los Angeles courtroom where the wrongful death trial started in late April."Michael and I were very close. Michael was the the type of son every mother would want," she added, describing him as "very shy." Jackson accuses AEG Live of pushing her son too hard as he rehearsed in Los Angeles for a series of "This is It" comeback concerts in London, and negligently hiring medic Conrad Murray to look after him.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 over the Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol, administered to help the 50-year-old singer with chronic insomnia.

Jackson's 16-year-old son Prince testified last month that his exhausted father warned that AEG Live were going to "kill" him as he rehearsed for the marathon concert tour.