When I heard that Michael Jackson, popularly known as "the King of Pop" had died on 25 June 2009, my reaction was a bit like, oh, ok! So unlike my colleagues who wept, I was not moved at all by the news of his death. You see although I know that Jackson was a talented dancer who invented the impossible "moon walk" his music did not necessarily have impact on my life. Let’s just say I am not big on pop music and would rather listen to R & B or jazz, for example. Add to that the many allegations involving children, drug abuse or surgery.
So on 07 July 2009, I flipped TV channels to CNN just to catch up with the news of his memorial and be in the know. That is when things started to become very interesting in my “digs”.
When the speech from South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela was read, I thought, for once that some people regarded him highly. I respect Mandela so that was big. Then came the speeches by the children of Martin Luther King, the congresswoman and other celebrities, and performances by Mariah Carey, among others. These touched me and I began to realise that Jackson was human and that the world had lost a talented and kind human being. Not only had he sold over 100 million of his Thriller album, he had sold over 750 million albums overall. That there is so BIG that no other musician has achieved such a feat yet! I will tell you that by the time Usher performed his Gone too Soon song, I was in tears! But that was nothing compared to the floodgates that opened on my face when Jackson’s daughter Paris talked about how she will miss her father who, in her words, was the greatest dad ever.
I will tell you now that watching the memorial service reminded me about myself and my destiny; and forced me to think about what impact I am having on other around me. The memorial was beautiful in many ways and it will be on my mind for many months to come. Such is the impact of a man who has played his part. Jackson will be missed by many old and newly-found fans.
Romosh
Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP and he is a legend! I loved his music. Heal the World, the Earth song, Black or White, among others were inspirational songs! It's so bad he died suddenly but well, God always takes the good ones... And se how much was brought to light about his personality after his death. He was a good man with a heart of a child. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
ReplyDelete