Thanks for the memories - RIP MJ

Michael Joseph Jackson

R.I.P
(August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009)

I was reading CNN on the Internet this afternoon and there was breaking news that Michael Jackson was brought to UCLA hospital due to a cardiac arrest. I followed the proceedings live on the Internet as well as on TV, wondering if it was just a mild attack or if it was serious. When Kevin came home, I told him that Farrah Fawcett passed away today and he said that he heard that on the radio at work. I then said that MJ's in the hospital, brought in due to a cardiac arrest and jokingly said that he might die. Kevin was like "Whaaattt? No wayyy...really?" I believe that was also the first reaction of many people around the world when they heard the news. It's hard to believe that someone so young, a non smoker (we think) and not overweight would be a victim of a heart attack. While eating dinner, the breaking news came on TV. Michael Jackson had passed away. We both sat there in disbelief, just staring at the TV, trying to comprehend the piece of news that we just heard. The King of Pop is dead.

I was shocked and mildly sadden by this. It's not that we knew MJ personally or that he is in any way related to us. It's just that Michael Jackson is such a public figure, he seemed larger than life. Also, although we might not know him personally but we sort of grew up with MJ. I remember wearing a single white glove all over the house for period of my life as a little girl or trying to imitate his dance moves in various music videos like Billie Jean and Beat it. I also remember watching those videos over and over again, wondering how he could come up with such amazing moves ( especially the Smooth Criminal video). I'm sure Kevin was also like all the other boys around the world, trying their best to moonwalk, secretly in their bedrooms, in front of the mirror :P As I grew older, I remember loving songs like Black or White, You Are Not Alone and Remember the Time. MJ came to Malaysia as part of his HIStory World Tour in 1996. I had the chance to go for the concert, together with a few of my cousins and a friend from school. The excitement of actually seeing MJ in person as well as all the hype of a live concert was totally out of this world. For a 17 year old, it was a dream come true. I had never ever seen such a world class performance before, with amazing backup dancers, special effects and a whole lot of pyrotechnics! Here is a short documentary someone made on YouTube about MJ's historical visit to Malaysia.

I guess I've pretty much grown up listening to MJ and even though I do not know him in person, his music was a big part of my childhood/teenage years. Thank you Michael for memories and the music...may you rest in peace.