This morning when I received the SMS saying, 'Michael Jackson is dead', my immediate reaction was 'Oh! My God, he was not that old'. Well, it seems he was only 50.
But then I sat down to think about his life and I remembered that in the 1980s, there was no bigger phenomenon than 'Michael Jackson'. He taught the youth how to 'break dance' and was actually the King of the Pop. I remember how youngsters used to gather in market places to perform the break dance and anybody who could move that way actually used to attach the word 'Jackson' to his name.
I remembered his songs; 'Thriller' with its spine-chilling ending; 'Billy Jeans', 'Just beat it' were some of his original hits. He introduced innovative ideas in all his song videos for example, lights would come on anywhere he would walk...wow! what a phenomenon.
Then I remembered his more somber and mature songs of later years. His very famous 'Black and White' was a beautiful song to bridge the gap between different races. Then his song, 'We are the world' had such meaningful messages that I had used it for a student presentation on environment. It had gone....'Lets make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race....'
Then I thought about his more than famous estate, 'The Neverland', the name taken from the famous story 'Peter Pan'. He had probably made this to relive his childhood and to allow other children to enjoy theirs. Well, at Neverland, he had his own amusement park including a roller coaster, his own railway line and his own airport.
It should have been a place that would be brimming with joy but the last fifteen years of his life were only but joyful. Too many plastic surgeries gone too wrong had brought an artificiality to his face, the neverending child molestation charges (nobody knew the truth behind...maybe they were just publicity stunts) then his unsuccessful marriage with Lisa Elvis Presely. He was even charged by 'Child Protection' agencies for putting the life of his child in danger by showing him to the public outside his window. Its seems with all this behind him, he died of a broken heart.
But then, for a few days I had been hearing that there was going to be a huge 'Michael Jackson Relaunch' where he would be performing concerts all around the world. But I believe God had other plans of him.
No matter what, Michael Jackson's contribution to the world of Pop has no parallel.
