RIP MJ
I get CNN breaking news from my Twitter account in the form of text messages. When I got the one about Michael Jackson being brought to the hospital in cardiac arrest I was sure that was the end. Not too many people live through that if their heart stops at the hospital.
If it stops at home? Really almost no chance. I guess this is why some radio stations were announcing his death before the cable news networks were calling it.
So Kara calls all upset about what she’d just heard on the radio. Eighteen years old, and she’s a fan.
Spanky had a house full of friends here at the time, all sixteen year olds, and when I told them, they were upset. Really upset.
When Blane Jr. was a toddler and I’d take him in the stores, he’d point at the magazine covers and say, “Michael Jackson” and start dancing. He couldn’t say much else, but he could say that.
When I first heard Jackson’s Off the Wall album, I was just a kid, but absolutely mesmerized. How could one person come out with such a perfect set of tunes. One after the other?
Then there was Thriller.
And that moonwalk.
You know the rest.
Here’s an cool video I swiped from TPGoddess. I’ve never seen this before, it’s a Pepsi commercial (I think) that was edited to show Jackson singing a duet of “I’ll Be There” with a child version of himself.
I never could listen to his stuff and not dance.
Spanky’s Facebook status says: “He’s totally choreographing the angels through Thriller, right?”
I can see it.
dailytri said,
June 26, 2009 at 8:11 am
Great post. Love the imagery of St. Peter and the rest learning the moves to Thriller.
tpgoddess0103 said,
June 26, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Spanky has nailed it – and it’s a wonderful image to carry around today. Hah!
voodoo said,
June 26, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Really enjoyed the video and post.
voodoo said,
June 26, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Am I remembering correct that MJ was the first black person to have videos on MTV?
Kitty said,
June 27, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I feel sorry for these dancers who had just made the cut last month to be on his This is It tour.
Well that was that.
michele said,
June 28, 2009 at 6:49 am
So sad.
Spanky’s comment is great. I can see it.
michele said,
June 28, 2009 at 6:51 am
Great video. Poor dancers.
Kitty said,
June 28, 2009 at 1:30 pm
The same guy who did Britney Spear’s Circus tour was doing Jackson’s show. I’d love to see what those sets and costumes were going to look like.
Jill said,
June 28, 2009 at 8:49 pm
I so agree with Spank, and it just seems so surreal that he’s gone….I used to have the Jackson five posters hanging in my room (along with the Osmonds) Ha!…but I have always loved all of his music…Nic and Blane II were two when Thriller came out and the reason I remember is because Nic was petrified of watching the video….RIP Michael Jackson….
Kitty said,
June 29, 2009 at 1:18 am
Jill, when i was in elementary school, this band came to play for us. I don’t remember the real name of the band, what I remember was a bunch of rumors going around the school the morning before they showed up. “The Jackson Six,” kids were saying. Supposedly, a new member had joined, maybe two, but they were going by that new name now.
It was the strangest thing, you know me, i’m so gullible now, imagine then. I kept looking for a little kid in the group but I only remember some fat woman spinning out on the stage.
I was so disappointed.
nursemyra said,
July 4, 2009 at 6:34 pm
great clip
Julie said,
July 8, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Damn! I couldn’t watch the video. Some “copyright” message came up.
I’ve been watching some of the footage over the last few days. I can’t image anyone coming out unscathed with a childhood like that! So sad because he was such a mega talent.
I am disturbed by the cash-ins, though. Like the news media making comments about the ad value the Staples Center is getting every time its name gets mentioned. Jeez!
Kitty said,
July 8, 2009 at 9:33 pm
The media are repulsive, but I’ve done my fair share of watching that shit over the last couple of weeks.
I never did watch all that stuff about his trials, though. He was only interesting to me as a singer and dancer.