RIP ... Michael

[mrkpower]

A true legend was gone!

[ryler]

Well, I am just floored by this.  Even with all the drama, controversy and plain oddness of his public persona, you can't deny his musicianship and performance ability.  He defined the word superstar.  His death makes me sad for his life, or that which I know or think I know of his life.  I hope he finds more peace now.

[L-fan]

Well, I am just floored by this.  Even with all the drama, controversy and plain oddness of his public persona, you can't deny his musicianship and performance ability.  He defined the word superstar.  His death makes me sad for his life, or that which I know or think I know of his life.  I hope he finds more peace now.

Well said!

[fongie]

This is truely a sad, sad, day, especially for me. Love him or hate him, Michael will always be my 'Idol', his music have and will be part of me. Being the same age as Michael, his musics are memories of my growing up in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. His moves were incredible, a true 'Master', 'Peter Penn' Fred Astair in the modern days of dancing. The 'Jackson 5's', undescribable, I had every album, I truely love these guys. A privilege to have been part of this dynasty
cheers
fongie

[obe-wan]

A tragic end to a complex life. He wasnt my style but theres no denying he is one of the Pioneers and Legends of the music world.


Cheers, Scott.

[Zohn]

..even with all the drama, controversy and plain oddness of his public persona, you can't deny his musicianship and performance ability.  He defined the word superstar.  His death makes me sad for his life, or that which I know or think I know of his life.  I hope he finds more peace now.

Yes, he certainly was never ordinary..

[fongie]

Yeah man, I'm still feelin' for the man. I remembered when Elvis, John Lennon, Bruce Lee and Princess Diana passed away in such tragic circumstances, that was devastating. I pray this man finds his peace and happiness.
cheers
fongie

[rpm60912]

It has not fully sunk in yet. I read the bulletin. Next thing I know, the media is flooded with MJ coverage.

Great singer & composer. Great dancer. Great innovations in music video.

In elementary school, I remember singing "Ben."

At 14, I learned to dance the 50s boogie-woogie with "Rockin' Robin"

and enjoying the Jackson 5 Christmas album while growing up in Manila.

May he rest in peace, indeed.

ricky

[fongie]

It has not fully sunk in yet. I read the bulletin. Next thing I know, the media is flooded with MJ coverage.

Great singer & composer. Great dancer. Great innovations in music video.

In elementary school, I remember singing "Ben."

At 14, I learned to dance the 50s boogie-woogie with "Rockin' Robin"

and enjoying the Jackson 5 Christmas album while growing up in Manila.

May he rest in peace, indeed.

ricky

Ric, are you from Manila? "Comastas"
cheers
fongie

[GA-ME]

This is what is wrong with popular culture. Revere the celebrity, in their greatness, regardless of the heinous acts committed by said celebrity. It sickens me.

[SMixon]

Well said Ryler-
  This guy was an awesome performer and musician.  He will be missed!

[Walkerman]

This is what is wrong with popular culture. Revere the celebrity, in their greatness, regardless of the heinous acts committed by said celebrity. It sickens me.

Will wonders never cease....for once we agree.  I live close to Santa Ynez, so this was a local matter for me.  Just as I can never remember OJ for his football skills, so I can never remember Jackson for his performing skills.

[GA-ME]

Will wonders never cease....for once we agree.  I live close to Santa Ynez, so this was a local matter for me.  Just as I can never remember OJ for his football skills, so I can never remember Jackson for his performing skills.

Walkerman, it doesn't amaze me that we may agree on this. There are certain lines, decent HUMAN BEINGS never cross, no matter how ideologically opposed they may be on other less weighty, less important issues. I will never remember this person for anything other than what he clearly was. The only compassion I feel for him, is that according to the statistcs, he probably started down his road of destruction at the hands of another sick evil sub-human. If there is justice in the afterlife, he is getting his rewards now.

[Caleb]

If there is justice in the afterlife, he is getting his rewards now.

I'd also say there is justice in this world. Think of it, someone so in love with fame and adoration, someone who obviously wanted to be taken very seriously, being reduced to a sick joke. And being someone who, at the mere mention of their name, conjured up images of child molestation and overall weirdness in the minds of most people. I'd say if he had anything coming it got started in the here and now; that may be one of the reasons for his early demise. But really, the only thing any of us know about this man is what the TV told us, so who really knows what was true about him. I don't care either way. He, and hundreds of thousands of others, died yesterday. What makes his passing anymore special than thiers is just the oddity of our own culture that feeds on the bottom of the barrel.

[Tycho]

I'd also say there is justice in this world. Think of it, someone so in love with fame and adoration, someone who obviously wanted to be taken very seriously, being reduced to a sick joke. And being someone who, at the mere mention of their name, conjured up images of child molestation and overall weirdness in the minds of most people. I'd say if he had anything coming it got started in the here and now; that may be one of the reasons for his early demise. But really, the only thing any of us know about this man is what the TV told us, so who really knows what was true about him. I don't care either way. He, and hundreds of thousands of others, died yesterday. What makes his passing anymore special than thiers is just the oddity of our own culture that feeds on the bottom of the barrel.

Well, that and the fact that he was an undeniably gifted artist, which is why his death matters to so many people.  If he were nothing but a freak, this wouldn't be the big news it is.

John Lennon was very far from being a model human being too.  Yet I'm still sad about his premature death, 30 years later.   

[Caleb]

A famous musician is the same as a garbage man to me; they're both people.  And in an age where morality is defined on a whim, there is no such thing as a "model human being."

[ducktrapper]

I find myself in agreement with Ga-me and Walkerman. Oddly enough or not. Yes, a fantastic talent but a less than admirable (understatement) human being, at least as an "adult". Talented, very rich and free to do anything he chose to do. Ah poor thing!
Tycho - Lennon was no saint, true, but as far as we know John Lennon never molested children or had to pay one, 20 million to keep quiet about it.

[tuffythepug]

I guess it's sad when anyone passes away at such an early time in their life.    Makes me think how lucky I am that I've managed to hang on for 9 years longer than he did.
As far as his talent is concerned:   Yes, I guess I'd have to concede that he had plenty of talent but I never really cared for his music.  I know that puts me squarely in the minority.  It just seemed way to polished,slick and contrived for my tastes.  Charles Gibson on national TV this morning made the statement that virtually everyone who owns an I-pod has Michael Jackson songs on it;  "If you don't have Michael Jackson songs on your I-pod...well... you're just..." and he shakes his head... "I don't know".      I guess I'm the only one who doesn't have MJ songs on my I-pod.  Won't be adding any now either.  Another person on the radio stated that this was like the president being killed.    Really ?   Do people really think that this event, though tragic, can compare to the death of any head-of-state ? 
My view is that he was a very, very, mentally unstable human being who, by the grace of god, was given enormous talent and charisma and then just let fanatical idol worship go to his head.  I won't comment on the other accusations of devious behaviour with children because he, after all, was never convicted.     Dude was wierd though.

[ducktrapper]

Tuffy - I don't even own an Ipod. What does that make me? I believe I have a greatest hits of the Jackson 5 around somewhere but that's the only MJ, that I have. I do recognize ability even when it doesn't appeal directly to me, though. As for never convicted? Has anyone besides the guiilty paid millions for people to not talk about things they haven't done?

[Walkerman]

So, I was just at Best Buy getting the season 6 dvd set of Mission Impossible, and of course, they're blasting out Michael Jackson music over the store loudsystem.  In particular, they were playin I'm Bad.....I'm sorry, but I was listening to him sing "I'm Bad, I'm Bad, I'm Bad, I'm Bad..."
and what I was hearing was "I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead..."

May the Lord forgive me, and I'll go to stay with the starving pygmies in New Guinea....