This post is aimed at honoring Michael Jackson the artist, not the man. There is no question his antics in later years leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, but though it all, Michael Jackson’s music and artistry changed everything for performers all over the world.
Thriller was the first album I ever bought – I had a dance routine for every song on that album. Bad was the first concert we went to as a family – and it is still, hands down, THE BEST concert I have ever seen (and that is competing with some big ones like Prince, Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder!) Music was big in my house and his music was always on – my dad loved all it – the old Jackson 5 stuff all the way to his last CD. Man in the Mirror was one of my favorite songs – so much so that I wrote a college entrance essay based on it (ha!). Say what you will about him and his personal life – I am not denying (at all) that he got weird in his “later” years but as a music icon he was and always will be a legend – at least to me and the members of my family.
Last night I was on the phone with my dad when he read from the muted TV “Breaking News – Michael Jackson is in a coma at UCLA Medical building” and by the time I got back from my evening walk I heard a girl on the street telling one of her friends that he had died. My dad put on some of his tunes and rocked out for the night, my mom texted me and watched the coverage with my grandparents and my brother is going to be blasting some of his best tunes at his gig on Saturday night. Me – I will keep him on my i-pod and get some great work outs in and jam out to him on my car rides pretending that in another life I would have made a great backup singer.
I would have liked to see him make a comeback and really rock it on his London tour but unfortunately for me and all of his other fans we won’t get that chance. So, it is with a little lump in my throat that I say good bye to MJ and a little piece of my childhood.
Posted by: Becca
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