When I heard that Michael died on Thursday, I was like many fans that was in heavy and deep denial. To be honest, I thought it was a prank or a media report gone bad. As I listened to the news with heigtened urgency, I began to realize that my deeply-rooted fear in my mind had come true -- Michael Jackson had died.
Sure, I must admit that I knew it was coming from a human standpoint...Michael was a human, 50 years old, and we all are going to die someday. It's just that, I, like so many millions of people, have grown up listening to his music that we just assumed that he would be there until he was 70 or 80..moonwalking with a walker or outbeating Madonna on which can release the most music before turning 80.
I grew up on the King at the tender age of either 6 or 7 years old, it was 1994. I remember seeing his tours on television and asked my parents "Who's that on TV?" my parents told me that it was Michael Jackson, the king of pop. I got into him heavily shortly thereafter, when I found Moonwalker (the movie) on TV...and loved Smooth Criminal and Dirty Diana instantly. I was very afraid of "Leave Me Alone"...I never liked the teeth in the middle of the video. I was born in 1987, the album Bad had been released...and he had reached his pinnacle with Thriller. I went into a heavy Michael Jackson phase when I was 7, and my parents got me "Off the wall" as a CD while my dad had Thriller as a vinyl. As I aged, I still loved Michael Jackson but unlike other artists...his release periods were very sporatic...and the last time I had owned during my early teens was "Dangerous". I always liked his music...even as my tastes began to mature and change. I re-discovered Michael when he released "Invincible" and I was very pleased with the record. Unforuntately, the perception of the album wasn't great.
As I sit here in my room at the age of 22, no longer 7 or 6, I feel I was gone back in time to the early 90s...where Michael Jackson's music, videos, and aura was everywhere. It is sad to hear and say that Michael Jackson is gone, but the music he made makes the death not as painful. Sure, Michael is not related to me...I considered him the godfather of the music business. He had a musical legacy like Freddie Mercury, Sting, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and my family's favorite...Frank Sinatra. Although my musical tastes have spanned from 80s new wave, britpop, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, rock, classical, and asian pop music...Michael's music wasn't too far behind. You can hear his influnence in everything today, I think I hear it the most in Japanese music. The lyrics are very expressive and the melodies are layered and intricate. Listening to his music makes me remember good memories of my childhood, when my parents were still together...when my loved ones hadn't died. Regardless of what is said or what will be learned from toxicology reports and autopsies, I am proud to have been born in a world where I heard his music because...without his music...music doesn't feel right and has lost its center -- its true balance.
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Sure, I must admit that I knew it was coming from a human standpoint...Michael was a human, 50 years old, and we all are going to die someday. It's just that, I, like so many millions of people, have grown up listening to his music that we just assumed that he would be there until he was 70 or 80..moonwalking with a walker or outbeating Madonna on which can release the most music before turning 80.
I grew up on the King at the tender age of either 6 or 7 years old, it was 1994. I remember seeing his tours on television and asked my parents "Who's that on TV?" my parents told me that it was Michael Jackson, the king of pop. I got into him heavily shortly thereafter, when I found Moonwalker (the movie) on TV...and loved Smooth Criminal and Dirty Diana instantly. I was very afraid of "Leave Me Alone"...I never liked the teeth in the middle of the video. I was born in 1987, the album Bad had been released...and he had reached his pinnacle with Thriller. I went into a heavy Michael Jackson phase when I was 7, and my parents got me "Off the wall" as a CD while my dad had Thriller as a vinyl. As I aged, I still loved Michael Jackson but unlike other artists...his release periods were very sporatic...and the last time I had owned during my early teens was "Dangerous". I always liked his music...even as my tastes began to mature and change. I re-discovered Michael when he released "Invincible" and I was very pleased with the record. Unforuntately, the perception of the album wasn't great.
As I sit here in my room at the age of 22, no longer 7 or 6, I feel I was gone back in time to the early 90s...where Michael Jackson's music, videos, and aura was everywhere. It is sad to hear and say that Michael Jackson is gone, but the music he made makes the death not as painful. Sure, Michael is not related to me...I considered him the godfather of the music business. He had a musical legacy like Freddie Mercury, Sting, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and my family's favorite...Frank Sinatra. Although my musical tastes have spanned from 80s new wave, britpop, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, rock, classical, and asian pop music...Michael's music wasn't too far behind. You can hear his influnence in everything today, I think I hear it the most in Japanese music. The lyrics are very expressive and the melodies are layered and intricate. Listening to his music makes me remember good memories of my childhood, when my parents were still together...when my loved ones hadn't died. Regardless of what is said or what will be learned from toxicology reports and autopsies, I am proud to have been born in a world where I heard his music because...without his music...music doesn't feel right and has lost its center -- its true balance.