Remembering Michael: Shock and Awe

To me, the 1980's were defined by one significant detail: a sparkly white glove, and at five years old, my favorite song was "Beat It". I was too young to realize it then, but the Michael Jackson fan in me was emerging.

Thursday, June 25, 2009, is a sad day in pop culture history. Michael Jackson passed away of a heart attack - suddenly, and shockingly.

In retrospect, his shocking passing seems to fit the pattern of a rather shocking life that he lived. Michael Jackson was a star that excelled at shock beyond anything any other shock entertainers could come up with. Most notably, the damage that was been done to his appearance by an overdose of plastic surgery. Then there was his weekend wedding to Lisa Marie Presley back in the 90's. And who could forget in more recent years, when he dangled a child over the balcony of a hotel while on vacation.

Yet despite the oddities, Michael Jackson could be counted as one of the best artists to ever walk the earth. In a dance class I recently enrolled in, they teach the "Moonwalk" a move invented by the King Of Pop himself in the 80's. The famous sliding of the feet lives on long after many other moves like the "Running Man" have fallen by the wayside.

Overshadowing Michael's dance techniques were his blockbuster music hits, and even blockbuster seems an inadequate description. I think if people had to set a playlist that defined their lives, Michael's songs would be on a unheard of number of them. Even if someone didn't have a MJ song on their playlist, who, in modern society, would not recognize "Thriller" from the very first rift? Who could not sing along to "Bad"? Who has never heard "Billie Jean"?

Personally, one of my picks would be "Beat It," of course. My preschool classroom boasted a poster of Michael Jackson, with this signature glove, on the door around the same time that song was released.

Then, a summer in the 90's would be represented by "You Are Not Alone." I fell in with a crowd of other Michael Jackson fans that year, and that song was played over and over during the summer as we hung out on elementary school playgrounds, and cruised around in cars.

Tragically, Michael's voice has been stilled now. His feet will no longer dance before millions. Yet, between his shock moments, and his explosive talent, the King Of Pop is more then a celebrity, he is a legend that will transcend beyond the 50 years he was given to this earth. We love you Michael! And as a fan of yours, I hope to catch your shows on the other side when I get there!