RIP Michael Jackson

When Aaliyah and Leslie Cheung passed I wrote long eulogies for them. Shocking and tragic passings can never be ignored.

However, now that I’m older and having experienced a death in my family, media reports do not exactly move me as much. Yes, it is sad and even if I try to connect on some level, I do feel a sort of detachment from it all.

But this does not mean that I am not affected by Michael Jackson’s death. I am. Like most of you, I grew up on Michael Jackson. Undeniably, he was a part of me.

‘Beat it’ and “Bad” were the songs of my childhood. I still remember one of my prized possessions was the Live Aid “We are the World” cassette tape.

‘Black or White’, ‘Heal the World’, ‘You Are Not Alone’ and ‘You Rock My World’ features on the soundtrack of my life.

How can we ignore the songs by the Jackson 5? ‘I’ll be There’, ‘I Want you Back’ and ‘Ben’?

Michael Jackson infused the musical community with his unique brand of song and dance. None of us can ever deny having been touched by him. Because in some form or other, we were.

Michael’s stylistic and trademarked dance movements, envied and imitated by many, think Usher, Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown, although paid homage to him, they were incapable of duplicating his flair and fluidity.

He was and is a rare form of superstar, one we will never see again in our lifetime or if ever. He has and will transcend the ages and go down in history as the man rightfully crowned the King of Pop because God had chosen to bestow upon him the talent and gift to entertain and to touch lives with his music.

Without a doubt, Michael Jackson gave back as much as he could with what he was given.

It was unfortunate that he had to battle his personal demons in the public eye but he fought them with honesty, grace and humility. Unwavering and steadfast, he weathered the worst.

And just as he was planning his swan song, he was taken away from us, robbing us of the privilege to re-live his greatness once more.

Now, he is forever immortalised as a legendary musical icon – incomparable and unparalleled.

His light will never dim again. Instead, it will shine on and we will bask in his contributions and remember him for his best.

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Tributes from his peers:-

“Michael Jackson was a brilliant troubadour for his generation, a genius whose music reflected the passion and creativity of an era. His artistry and magnetism changed the music landscape forever. We have been profoundly affected by his originality, creativity and amazing body of work. The entire Sony family extends our deepest condolences to his family and to the millions of fans around the world who loved him.” – Sir Howard Stringer, Head of the Sony Corporation

“I am heartbroken. My prayers go out to the Jackson family,and my heart goes out to his children. Let us remember him for his unparalleled contribution to the world of music, his generosity of spirit in his quest to heal the world & the joy he brought to his millions of devoted fans throughout the world. I feel blessed to have performed with him several times & to call him my friend. No artist will ever take his place. His star will shine forever. ” – Mariah Carey

“This loss has deeply saddened me!” “It is with a heavy heart I composed this statement. May God cover you, Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire Jackson family, particularly Michael’s mother, children and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for him, and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer, who in so many ways transcended the culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled. Michael Jackson will never be forgotten.” – Usher