R.I.P.

As we all know, yesterday Michael Jackson died. Now as shocked as I was at the news, I am even more shocked at the outpour of support to his family at their time of grief. Don't get me wrong, I'm heartsick over his death, but what bothers me is this...these are the same people who turned their noses up at him when he was dragged through court a few years back. These are the same people who sat in their living rooms watching the news saying " I'm sure he's guilty...look at him, what a freak", and so on and so on. Now that he is gone, they come out of the woodwork in droves supporting him and all he accomplished in his life. Whatever. To each their own I suppose.

Michael Jackson became popular when I was in 8th grade. This boy down the street bought a cassette tape called Thriller. We listened to it in his bedroom one Saturday and I must admit...it was weird. I had never heard black music before and I was not sure if I liked it. Later that year my cousin Shane had a birthday party and his Mom had got a copy of the music video Thriller. Back then this was a huge deal. It was hard to find and widely popular. I knew the song from my previous experiences, but I had never seen the video. I was hooked. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. The dancing was breath taking. The gril in the video (Ola Ray) was gorgeous. And the voice of Vincent Price just cinched the deal for me...I was a Jackson fan.

Over the next 25 years I have seen Michael Jackson go from absolute top of the world to the bottom of people's shoes everywhere. He was the undisputed King of Pop. He wore a white glove, was married at one time to Elvis's daughter, and caught his hair on fire doing a Pepsi commercial. He invented the Moonwalk, grabbed himself a lot, and could hit notes higher than some Vienna Boys Choir singers. He was a public spectacle and often times the butt of their jokes. He changed his appearance over the years, and not many could get past that. He had a pet monkey, an oxygen tent, a childrens amusement ranch and wore masks over his face. Did this change who he was? No. He was still Michael Jackson. The man who purchased the entire library of Beattles music. The man who sold over 26 million copies of one album.

I have watched the news and read the reports. Its a suicide...accidental death...he planned it...Does any of that truly matter in the grand scheme of things? Not to me. There will never be another like him, and my heart goes out to his close friends and family. Their grief is now a worldwide media spectacle. There have been many tributes posted to him, and some wonderful things said about him. Lisa Marie Presley posted a MySpace blog that was beautiful and heartfelt. All I can say is this...remember him how you want to. Pay your tribute your way. Grieve and find peace in it. My best to you all, and as always, thank you for reading.

Brandon