the day michael jackson died
Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 8:58PM On the evening of December 2nd, 1983 I could not eat my dinner for my tween nervous system was in over-drive. As I anxiously awaited the 8 o'clock hour, my mom popped some Jiffy Pop, while my anticipation mounted. At 7:50pm, I grabbed my pillow and popcorn and made a cozy place for myself on the couch. At 8:00pm I flipped on channel 30 and the follwoing words came on the screen.
Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult. -- Michael Jackson.
And then history was made, in the form of a red leather jacket, zombies and a record-breaking, trend-setting video.
The next day, and nearly every day for the subsequent six months, my girlfriends and I performed the Thriller dance routine on the grade school playground. And my love for Michael Jackson blossomed into a full-blown obsession.
I adorned my walls with his posters, my jean jackets with his buttons. I cried when his hair caught on fire while filming the Pepsi commerial. I cried when he cried in "She's Out of My Life," and I tried like hell to moon walk (to no avail I might add). I followed and adored every move he made, that is before the nose job, the skin whitening and the Jesus Juice, little boy slumber parties began.
My parents never understood my intense crush on this skinny, shimmery singer with a high-pitched voice and an effeminate demeanor. But they supported me in my passionate love affair by buying me his albums and never complaining while Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' played endlessly on repeat so I could figure out what the hell he was saying.
His music was the soundtrack to my childhood.
When I received the call today from my niece Tiffany saying,"So are you crying over MJ?" my heart sank. Though I hadn't yet heard the news, I knew who she was talking about. There is only one MJ. And I knew in that moment that a living legend had died.
It is a little surreal tonight as I reflect on this legendary, world-renowned entertainer, who my kids will never get to see perform. They will hear of him as an icon, but won't really be able to grasp the breadth of his talents, or the impact his career had on an entire generation or on the music industry as a whole.
I am saddened that his life became a carnival and shudder to think that the allegations against him may be true. But tonight I chose to remember the Michael I grew up loving and listening to. The Off the Wall, Beat It, Bad Michael Jackson who gave me joy and inspiration with his music.
RIP Michael!
Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty--what would life be? Without a song or a dance what are we? So I say, thank you for the music, for giving it to me. -- Abba
Mary Burt-Godwin
I also am laughing a little, imagining my dad having a total field day in heaven right now: throwing back vodka tonics with Ed, ogling Farah, and wondering what in the hell "all those kids" saw in Michael.
RIP Ed & Farah too!
80's, Michael Jackson, Thriler, childhood, death, icons in Random Thoughts
Reader Comments (5)
Wow - I was going to post on Michael's passing - but then I read yours, and your post beats my post's ass, before I even wrote it. So can I just link to yours? :)
The only celebrity I ever had a true crush on, like I would die if I saw him in real life, was Michael Jackson. My grandpa knew this, and we'd be at a restaurant and he would say "Look Chris, there's Michael Jackson." And I would stand up and shriek, "Where???!!!" I had the Michael Jackson doll, complete with silver glove. I had the Thriller album - but I will have to admit, I was just shy of 4 years old when it came out - I watched it with my mom and it freaked the be-Jeesus out of me. I think one of my favorite videos/mini-movies was "Annie are you OK" - it had some of the greatest dancing in it ever. I even liked him after he got a little weird and did that space-agey video with his sister. I never could moonwalk - and I was completely envious of these kids I went to high school with that could mimic every single one of his moves. I will definitely miss him - I feel bad for the person he became, he had to be hurting a lot inside to have let his life slide so far off the edge. RIP Michael.
Crystal, thanks for your awesome comment. I LOVED the Annie are your OK video!!! And I think you're right, he must have had some serious sadness to have derailed so far off the tracks.
Mary,
Your post is amazing and said exactly what I have been feeling for the past two days. Michael Jackson's music was the sound track for so many of us. I was also devoted to his music and played my album endlessly. I hope his memory remains strong in our minds and his legacy endures.
We love you MJ!
Linda
Thriller! I stayed up so late as a "kid" waiting to see the MTV video just "one more time."
It makes me sad to think that he went down the way he did and I struggle with lauding someone who may have been rightfully accused of his crimes, but his music wove itself into my life in a way I will never ever forget.
Great post, really heartfelt. You write beautifully.I posted about his passing too, on my site.