I’m sure everyone has heard the very, very sad and shocking news that MJ has passed away. There’s no way you couldn’t know. It’s everywhere, from The Hindustan Times to the Wall Street Journal to Le Monde to The Economist. I have no plans on spending the next 2-3 paragraphs rambling about his missteps and personal woes. The media has done enough of that. I would like to focus solely on his talent. And, he was one talented individual.
G and I both grew up in an era that was defined by a few select entertainers, Michael Jackson obviously being one of them. From the songs of the Jackson 5 to Thriller to Bad to Billy Jean, we were true fans, like so many people around the world. I even remember doing a solo dance (professionally choreographed, I might add) to Beat It during my 2nd grade talent show. Many have compared his death to that of Elvis and John Lennon. Quite honestly, though I’m not from their era, I would say this tops them all. He was a true legend…worldwide, around the globe. Even to this day, you see images of girls crying and fainting in Japan and in Europe, just being in his presence. He was so influential and broke down racial barriers in the music industry. Not surprisingly, the entire WWW almost crashed (twitter actually did) when news started spreading that he had been taken to a hospital…that he was in a coma…that he had died.
On a more positive note, it’s been amazing to see all these people come together, from so many different walks of life, to celebrate his music, to sing, to dance, and to mourn. We’re heading to NYC next weekend and you can be sure that we’ll be making a stop at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem to take part in what has become one of the more profound, raw, and impactful moments in our life. RIP MJ.
-k
by Gaurav
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