Flashback

Okay, I know this is a late post but I was in another country without Internet access when I found out about Michael Jackson's death. I was getting ready to hit the hotel gym and just turned on the BBC news for a second when I saw the "breaking news" story. At first, I thought it had to be a joke...I guess I didn't realize he was in bad health at all and I found it so hard to believe he was actually dead.

Anyhow, I am not a celebrity kind of person...yes, I have artists or actors that I like but I don't go all crazy over them and I don't feel like they are a member of my family when they die. So while I was completely shocked to hear of his death, and I did shed a tear, it wasn't so much for him or the loss of his talent on the planet as it was for more selfish reasons.

As my mom pointed out in her post Michael was a bid deal in my house when I was in junior high school. He was one of the first artists that I found on my own (most of my music interests up to that point were influenced by my parent's great taste). At the time, I didn't know his past, all I knew was that this great album came out with this really cute guy on it and the music made me want to dance. I grew up in a small town and we were a bit behind on trends but I did get the "Top 40" on the weekends and we had just gotten cable so I was glued to MTV. I remember when the Thriller video came out and it was such a huge deal. I "loved" Michael Jackson and did wear a single white glove at my junior high graduation (I wish I had the picture here with me to post but it is in storage). I learned to moon walk and taught my dad how to as well during that year of MJ. I loved all the songs on that album and I have it on CD now.

I stopped listening to MJ after the Bad album as my tastes changed but whenever I hear a song from the Thriller album, it takes me back to that year. It reminds me of being in between being a kid and being a grown up and not really being aware of anything outside my little world of school, friends and family. So I guess when I saw that he was dead, I was sad for his family and the loss of his talent for those generations that won't get to know how great of an artist he was, but I was a little sad for the loss of the icon of my preteen years and how much his music influenced my life and brings back those memories for me.

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One Year Ago on In My Words...Ocean