RIP Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009)
Today marks a very sad day in the history of my life. Today we lost the King of Pop. But not only did he influence music for the world and generations, he was the biggest pop star of my youth. I idolized Michael Jackson and wished I could be just like him. As I grew older that idolization faded, but I always respected Michael as an artist. In the past many years, he was never able to capitalize on his early fame and had become a sad shadow of his former glory. But in my heart, I always remembered him as the guy that hung in my bedroom covering almost every surface. My favorite picture of him is the one I have posted with his yellow vest and bow tie.
This is not meant to judge Michael for whatever choices or decisions led him to who he was before his death. I always saw a broken man who was forever locked in a world where he didn't have to grow up. It was always sad to see how he had changed. I only hope that whatever tortured him in life has finally released him in death. Death may have been a welcome respite for the icon who could never see himself very clearly.
Michael will never be forgotten and will forever be a permanent part of pop culture history. I pray for his family in their grief and I hope his children will know the man he was and understand why so many people revere him.
I wanted to just list some of my fondest Michael Jackson memories as my memoriam of the man.
This is not meant to judge Michael for whatever choices or decisions led him to who he was before his death. I always saw a broken man who was forever locked in a world where he didn't have to grow up. It was always sad to see how he had changed. I only hope that whatever tortured him in life has finally released him in death. Death may have been a welcome respite for the icon who could never see himself very clearly.
Michael will never be forgotten and will forever be a permanent part of pop culture history. I pray for his family in their grief and I hope his children will know the man he was and understand why so many people revere him.
I wanted to just list some of my fondest Michael Jackson memories as my memoriam of the man.
- I was seven when Thriller came out. It was the greatest thing EVER! The Thriller video was so fantastic and our dance studio always tried to copy the moves. My best friend Christen just told me she had a slumber party themed around the making of Thriller.
- My parents went to a Thriller party at my old dance teacher's house. They were all forced to do the routine. My Dad got carried away and broke a chandelier (oops).
- I practiced moonwalking until I thought I was just like MJ...I was never even close.
- When Beat It came out and Michael wore that red jacket with the zippers, I knew I had to find it. One day at Miller's Outpost, they had a red faux leather vest with zippers. I begged my Mom to buy it for me. I wore it all the time and thought I ruled the world.
- I mentioned earlier that my room was covered with MJ posters. I also collected buttons with his face and kept them in a jar in my room. My sister found one of them in the past year and wears it. People always compliment her on it, especially because it's "vintage".
- I did a jazz routine to Bad. It was sped up so much that poor MJ's already high pitched voice sounded like the Chipmunks. Other kids did Smooth Criminal and wore the same styled white suit. That number won everything because it just kicked booty it was so good.
- I remember going to competitions when I really young and there was this one studio who did a trio with a little black boy that danced like MJ and his two backup dancers. They always danced to PYT and I thought they were good.
- Moonwalker video - my friends Dove & DJ were in the Badder video in which kids reinact Bad. Nikki Cox (Unhappily Ever After) was also in it . It's hilarious, but also so cute! It was never released on DVD. My Mom has a VHS copy of it. I have the VHS version saved in my Amazon Wishlist, but never bought it because I was hoping they'd release it on DVD or BlueRay. Maybe now they will re-release it. I love that whole Moonwalker video. It has many of his music videos in full length and concert footage.
- Captain EO - Possibly the greatest Disney attraction ever to exist!!! I used to live near D-Land and had yearly passes. I would go just so I could watch Captain EO. I got to know it so well that I could recite the words, sing the song, and do the dance. It started going out of fashion so I could watch it as many times as I wanted back to back and dance in the theater. What a sad day when Disney decided to close it down to put in Honey I Shrunk the Kids. I think they should bring Captain EO back! We are here to change the world!!!
- The Wiz...Michael Jackson is the best character in that whole movie in my opinion. He was the perfect scarecrow.
- Man in the Mirror - That song really got to me. Not only was it beautiful, but it had a great message. I really wanted to be a better person because of the song. I used to sing this one constantly.
I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change
I wish him peace in his afterlife and I hope people will respect his life, his memory, his legacy, and his children. Rest in peace, Michael! You were loved and will be missed by so many.
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change
- Black or White video - That technology when all the faces morphed into one another was so good. Again, another positive message.
- Off the Wall - I was late discovering this album because of my pop obsession with Thriller and Bad, but once I heard it, it jumped to the front to become my favorite. This is a MJ I want to always remember. Young, on the brink of solo stardom, untouched by the scrutiny that later followed him, all original parts, and singing in a sparkly jumpsuit about how he wanted to rock with me. What's not to love about disco infused pop music? Seriously, I just want to dance when I hear most of this album.
- I remember this boy who was a few years older than me named Terry. He was a singer and one of his favorite songs was "She's Out of My Life". I always remember feeling so sad for him during the "it cuts like a knife" part of the song.
- The Billie Jean video and the lighted floor. I never knew what the song was about when I was young, but I loved that video. Recently, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs used a very Billie Jean inspired concept in their Heads Will Roll video.
- We are the World - It was the Superbowl of musical talent in one place and Michael Jackson had a huge hand in making that song so successful. It's completely cheesy now, but at the time I was mesmerized by all the stars.
- Anytime Michael danced...I had never seen anyone like him and never will because everyone is just a reflection of the master.
I wish him peace in his afterlife and I hope people will respect his life, his memory, his legacy, and his children. Rest in peace, Michael! You were loved and will be missed by so many.
That was sooo great Diane. "There are so many things I love about Michael Jackson because he reminds me of being young".....my thoughts exactly. I had the albums and a big poster on my wall--and my cool cut off shirt with the shiny glove on it, which I thought was waaaay cool when I wore it! :) His legend as a great artist will live on forever! :)
I loved this so much! You reminded me of so many things that made me laugh! And I must say, you are FAST! This would have taken me a week to do, and not nearly so well!
Captain EO was the BEST and it was a sad day when Disneyland got rid of it. Miller's Outpost, LOL!!! And that poster! The best one. The yellow cardigan vest and tie, still beautiful! OH his style, who can match it?
Thriller makes me instantly think of roller skating rinks. I remember the lights would go out and at the start of the music, excited screaming! I love skating to that song, and trying to imitate all of the dance moves. We were glued to MTV waiting for it to come on. My sister had the moonwalk down, we thought, and I remember us all watching her in awe as she moonwalked across that wooden floor of the game room in her socks.
We Are The World. Probably watched it at least 100 times. This I credit, at least in part, for the humanitarian I aspire to be today. "It's true we make a better day, just you and me"...these words resonated with me deeply. And when he sang Heal the World, and I think Black or White, at the Superbowl in 1993 my sisters and I screamed, cried, jumped on our mom's bed and pulled our hair out.
The Oprah interview. I believed everything he said in it. I saw his gentle heart, loneliness, and obvious pain and it broke my heart.
He didn't have a childhood but he gave us one didn't he?
Thank you for the music Michael, and the LOVE!
When you say to your fans, "I love you, from the bottom of my heart", I believe you. You truly made this world a better place, for me and millions. I wish it had been kinder to you. I hope that now you are in the world of your dreams where there is only love!
Hi my name is Jessie and I was a friend of your husband many, many, many years ago. We shared a bestfriend together who in his life and death made us friends.
I would just like to say that my hat goes off to you. Much respect to what you wrote. It's very beautiful.
-Jessie-