Goodbye, Michael

After hearing the news late Thursday night, crying myself silly and working in an office that was responsible for some of the earliest (and, in my own humble opinion, some of the best) MJ content, I can now bring myself to write about my personal feelings on the passing of a musical icon, and a man who has a very special place in my heart.

I fell in love with Michael Jackson at about the age of 5 and bored everyone that I came into contact with by singing his songs, putting on MJ-style dance routines in my living room to my patient family and plastering every section of wall space in my bedroom with posters of my hero. Luckily, I saw Michael twice in concert, first at the age of 12 and then at the age of 15. I can remember both gigs like they were yesterday and I can honestly say that they were the best examples of pop entertainment that I've ever had the pleasure of seeing.

There was something magical and other-worldly about Michael - he was untouchable in terms of musical and dancing ability and despite his vast, all encompassing fame, his controversial lifestyle, I continued to love his music and the man who never really grew up.

After reading so much press on him in the last few days, there have been many points when I have felt truly pained, particularly when reading interviews with Jackson just before Thriller came out. He was confused by the deaths of legends and why they all ended up being recluses and being hooked on the bad things that fame could provide, It's so sad that he too followed in their footsteps and was eventually killed by his own fame. All he wanted was to provide people with music that he was proud of and strive to be the best artist he could be.

His music, his dancing, his genius and his lovely face (circa 1985) will stay with me always. x