JERMAINE JACKSON fought back tears on U.S. TV on Thursday morning (02Jul09) as he recalled seeing his brother MICHAEL lying lifeless in hospital - and admitted he "wished" he was the one who had died.

In the grieving family's first official interview since the sudden passing of the Thriller hitmaker last week (25Jun09), Jermaine described how "empty" he felt as he came to terms with the shocking news.

Speaking on the Today show, he said, "There's nothing that can compare to this. We lost our brother, our healer. The world is mourning, we are mourning, the fans are mourning, it's unbelievable.

"I wanted to see Michael and see my brother. Seeing him lifeless and breathless was very emotional for me, but I held myself together because I knew he was very much alive and his spirit (lives on). It (his body) was just a shell.

"I kissed him on his forehead, I hugged him and I touched him and I said to him, 'Michael, I'll never ever leave you. You'll never leave me.' I felt really, really empty."

And Jermaine, who is Muslim, admits he would give anything to trade places with his younger brother so that Michael could continue his "good" work on this earth.

He adds, "This sounds strange but... I wish it was me because I always felt that I was his backbone. Someone to be there for him. Things he couldn't say, I would say them.

"Michael is a gift from Allah and He has taken him back. The world didn't appreciate him. The world loved him, but certain people, certain industries, didn't appreciate him.

"His time on this earth, he did good for everyone. He saw the good in people who were claimed to be bad, but he wanted to change things. He sent messages through his songs, through his lyrics, through his actions, going to hospitals, going to orphanages trying to cure children of cancer, trying to bring them enlightenment."

Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 50.