Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

On June 25^th 2009, the world heard a tragic & shocking news. Michael Jackson (MJ) had passed away. Even I was flabbergasted when I heard it. I didn’t even believe it at first. I thought it was just another one of those dumb rumors about him. Everybody was talking about him & even radio stations were playing only his songs. I went to the nearest computer & checked the news. Sadly, it wasn’t a rumor.

Anyway, MJ is without a doubt one of the biggest artists of the century. He’s a legend & a global phenomenon in his own right. He ranks among the greats such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles, & he’s definitely the world’s greatest entertainer.

While MJ was alive, he began singing with his brothers at the tender age of 5. Years later his dad discovered that MJ was the talented one & literally pushed him to stardom. Therefore, MJ never had a childhood. He spent his whole life performing. His entire life was publicized by the media. Come to think of it, he’s probably also the world’s biggest workaholic.

MJ was also full of controversies. His changing appearance, occasionally weird acts & outfits in public, the child molestation case to which he was acquitted, his lavish spending, also made him famous in the public eye. Yet, I doubt many would think or remember him for all that. Most people will definitely remember MJ as the man who entertained & touched the hearts of millions with his mesmerizing music, amazing dance, & great showmanship.

Now not having a proper childhood, working his entire life, going through scandalous child molestation trials just to make money out of him, surely must have brought MJ mentally, physically, & financially down. He was suppose to make his big return just under 3 weeks before his death…& now he’s gone.

In another perspective, his death can also be seen as a blessing in disguise for him. To be 50 years old, over worked, to do 50 strenuous concert shows, to be in huge financial debt & nearly bankrupt, to live up to all the hype & expectations, the pressure, it must be better to just die.

Since his death, the Internet slowed down, Google slowed so much & thought they were under attack, Twitter crashed, downloads for his songs & purchases of his albums skyrocketed, & the media worldwide is covering his story heavily. Suddenly, the global financial crisis, Iran’s political crisis, global warming, the war in Iraq, North Korea’s nuclear threat to the USA,…none of it seems as important anymore. That alone is enough to show how gigantic MJ is. Who else can get as much media coverage as him ?

In conclusion, MJ united many with his music, he broke down barriers for many especially for the black community, he shattered & created world records, & he danced like nobody else. Elvis, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Aaaliyah, James Brown, & now MJ who must be moonwalking on the clouds. Heaven must be having one hell of a party.