"The Moonwalking Maestro..." (1958-2009)

I had a phone call from one of my best friends just after 10pm yesterday (25th June) and as soon as I picked up she was like, 'have you heard that Michael Jackson is dead?' I was like 'what, you've got to be joking. Are you serious?' and she was like 'yeah, I'm watching it on CNN right now'. With that, I hurried to end the conversation and ran to the tv. I tuned into CNN and was immediately met with the headline: 'MICHAEL JACKSON IN COMA AFTER SUFFERING CARDIAC ARREST'. I switched to BBC and there it read: 'MICHAEL JACKSON DIES'. With that, silent tears started streaming down my face. I felt so sad. I then woke up my folks and they were just as shocked and surprised as I was.

Michael Jackson died at 2.26pm LA time at the UCLA Medical Center shortly after going into a coma subsequent to suffering cardiac arrest. The exact cause of death is yet to be established later today.

I've always felt sorry for him. I always saw him to be a victim of circumstance. I mean, who could possibly be, for lack of a better word 'normal'   after having dealt with divorce of his parents, an abusive father who picked mostly on him, a childhood spent constantly on stage, court issues later on, constant crazy fame which made him more and more reclusive, etc. Sure, he was rather 'queer' sometimes, but who wouldn't be after having to deal with such unfortunate issues? 

Supposed molestation, plastic surgeries, his claims of 'sharing love' by sharing his bed with kids, building a childhood fantasy land (Never Land)  in his home, bizzare first wedding to Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 where they spent wedding night in separate rooms, as weird as it may seem I  believe these were just many ways that he felt he could deal with his issues. Somehow I believe that is some cases they were just pathetic attempts to gain back a lost childhood. He was not a happy man. A very good friend of his, Uri Geller interviewed by the BBC this morning said that M.J. ever described himself as "a very lonely man". 'There was a lot of sadness in my past life', he again revealed in one interview by CBS.

We made him and unmade him. Unmade him by always picking on him. Why couldn't we have just respected his privacy and instead of ridiculing him, helping him to really find himself. He had the most bizzare of lives, never 'normal' because no one would ever leave him alone! He had it all, fame, fortune, but not the most important; happiness. How many more famous people are we going to 'kill' like this? We already did that to Princess Diana of blessed memory.

My earliest memories of him was of me and my brothers watching a video of him doing the moonwalk. We would rewind it constantly and replay it in slow motion, making miserable attempts to learn it for ourselves. We had loads of videos and tapes of his. Thriller was definitely a family favourite. 

He had an upcoming final 'This is It' concert at the O2 Arena in London this upcoming July. He was to do 50 shows in all. Tickets were claimed to have sold out in a matter of 5 hours, a ticket being sold every 11 seconds!! Amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_256XQiS1X8

He is the undisputed King of Pop and will remain for ever. I don't think anyone will ever be able to beat his records of 13 grammies, 100million copies of thriller (biggest seller of all time), 13 no. one hits in his lifetime!! Someone like this should have lived longer, 50 years was not enough! But then again, when you think of it, perhaps it is better for him. He can finally have his piece of mind.

Michael, you came, you fought, you conquered. Definitely, you will find better happiness and peace in death, than in life.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tqYUTjQIc0

What were your fondest memories of the Pop Legend?