A TRIBUTE TO MJ

Hi,

This was written by a someone who is very dear to me and its all about MJ.Do enjoy it:

Michael Jackson is gone at age 50. Funny thing is yesterday afternoon I was busy listening to his Thriller and HIStory albums in the office. I didn’t hear about his death until very late at night! Was it a premonition of sorts? I really don’t know.

Growing up as a kid, I was very fascinated with Michael Jackson. He was an enigma without rival. A music genius from boy to man.

I remember watching videos like the calm and sultry “She’s Out of My Life” & “Human Nature”, to the excitingly thrilling “Thriller”, “Beat It” & “Billie Jean”. Michael was just it.
I would watch endlessly as he mesmerized on stage and do my own moonwalk right behind the living room settee, spinning round and kicking out while mimicking the infectious howls, “Hehe!!”, “Ooow!”, “C’mon now!”

Those were the days!

I remember my dad coming back from a course in Australia with Michael’s tour video. It was amazing watching it. The screaming crowd. The feverish atmosphere. The crying fans who swooned just on sighting him. The girl who went berserk because she touched him; “I touched him! I touched him!” It was simply awesome.

Even through secondary school, for every slum book I filled, Michael Jackson’s name was a “no contest” when I reached the Favorite Artiste category. It just had to be the King of Pop.

Not even the magic shuffling steps of MC Hammer or Bobby Brown’s “Running Man” could rival Michael’s electrifying dance steps in my eyes. They were at best protégés of the maestro himself. Same as Usher and the many more after him (including our very own P-Square, Rasqie etc)

In SS2 we were asked to write an essay on our “Role Model”. Without thinking I began to write about Michael Jackson, but halfway I stopped and realized that my No. 1 role model was actually my Dad. So I wrote about my dad. Michael, of course, came in a close second. I ended up scoring a perfect 10 on that essay by the way, but that was how much I loved the man some referred to as Wacko Jacko.

For me the biggest mistake Michael made in his career was settling out of court when the first child molestation case came up in the mid 90’s. The moment he paid that out-of-court settlement fee, I knew it wouldn’t be long before another family came up with a case against him.
Was he guilty or innocent? I honestly don’t know. I guess he’ll be discussing the details of that with his Creator now.

As I grew older too and developed a closer relationship with God, I wondered why Michael could never seem to get over his lost childhood. I longed for him to let go of the past and at least thank God for what he had in the present and also plan for his future, especially after he had his kids.

“C’mon Michael”, I would say, “Grow up and let it go. It’s in the past”

But I’ve learn't not to judge a man until you walk in his shoes. It does take the grace of God to let go of past hurts, failures and disappointments.

That aside, no one can deny that Michael was the greatest music artiste of all times. I say that with no apologies whatsoever. He was an artiste whose influence reached far and wide on a global scale (maybe even extra terrestrial) and across several generations (I’m 11 years older than my last sibling, but he loves Michael just as much as I do). I can’t think of any other artiste who had such phenomenal appeal. He was also a lover of children and a campaigner for global peace, love and unity.

He was a living legend while he was here, and now that he is gone his legendary status will most likely soar higher.

I will definitely miss him, as will millions of people. In the end, one thing is sure, Death is certain. What legacy will we be remembered by?

Rest in Peace M.J

You were the best.

Like a comet
Blazing 'cross the evening sky
Gone too soon

Shiny and sparkly
And splendidly bright
Here one day
Gone one night

Like the loss of sunlight
On a cloudy afternoon
Gone too soon

Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day
Gone one night

Like a sunset
Dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
Gone too soon


Gone too soon!