RIP Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

[chipsman]

Singer, dancer, songwriter, record producer, financier, musical icon. The King of Pop is dead. I grew up with him. From "I Want You Back" to Thriller to "We Are the World" there will never be a talent that will come into this world again. This Hoosier mourns the death of another Hoosier today.

[Stephen Martin]

I hope his troubled soul finds peace now. Such a fantastic musical influence. I'm so glad he was here the time he was.

[lanny]

One less cho~moe in the world.Children everywhere can sleep a little sounder tonight!

[Marvin P. Goldstein]

No comment, but I left a few over on facecrack...

[mike whybark]

I tried to grab links for the epic MJ bar-brawl here earlier this year to post in this thread, but alas, it was buried in the context of John's even more epic "wuss rock" thread. What's interesting to me about it is that since we have all been there and did that I fell much less fighty about the current garment-rending than I would have otherwise. And I was pretty fighty yesterday evening!

[John Scot Sheets]

I would like to thank Chipsman for starting this converstation, it's been kind of "dry" round here lately. go Coker!

[Jeb Banner]

Put on Jackson 5 "ABC" and "Off The Wall" LPs last night. Both great records. MJ knew what he was doing from an early age. Told my girls (3,5 and 8) about him. The oldest Ramona is really fascinated.

[John Scot Sheets]

I like Off the Wall better than Thriller, here is something I just figured out: Try singing the words to Evenflow by Pearl Jam to Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, crazy I know but it works!

[BURD]

Mama always said if you don't have anything nice to say.... of course, what the Hell does she know!

[Kenny]

Thriller was the first full length I ever bought with my own money. I bought it from Hills ("Hills is where the toys are.") Up until then, I had just purchased singles from the record store in the mall (Is There Something I Should Know by Duran Duran, Turn Up the Radio by Autograph and some other hot stuff). I COMPLETELY wore it out. To this day, when I hear Human Nature, the bridge melts my heart in that way that only songs you heard as an open-hearted kid can... He's been just a creepy headline in the paper for so many years, but every time I hear that song or I'll Be There it reminds me that he was something else once. He really seemed like an open channel in his youth.

[JIm]

What a waste. I grew up in Gary and he and I are about the same age. I have always carried a resentment toward him and his family for how when they left Gary they never came back. I believe you should never forget where you come from. He worked so had to run away from where he was from in the end it wasn't completely clear what planet he was from. Michael Jackson could have done so much just giving a little back to a town that has had so many problems. He gave back to Gary zero. There's no denying his contributions to music but as a person deeply, fatally flawed. He sold his soul to celebrity. And I've read enough court documents concerning the molestation charges as well as looking at the obvious (you don't spend your adult life hanging out with little boys and settle court cases for $22 million if you are innocent) that I have no doubt he was a pedophile. This presents the dilemma we face how an artist's personal frailties influence our perception and enjoyment of their work. 'Catcher in the Rye' touched my soul like few other things ever in my life and it stays close to me still to this day. But after reading Joyce Maynard's book discussing her relationship with Salenger, when thinking of Catcher now the elephant of how Salenger treated an innocent young woman always enters the room of my thoughts. That said, the night after hearing he had died and a few drinks, I put in the DVD that accompanied the re release of his 'Thriller' album last year and danced the night away to the videos of 'Beat It', 'Thriller', and even doing my best to try and moonwalk watching his performance at the Motown tribute show performing 'Billie Jean'. His music brought a very special, wonderful joy to my heart and spirit. Amazing talent but such a sad and wasteful end to a life.

[JIm]

Watching the news coverage and the Gary connection it still angers me so much. He and his family could have come back regularly for concerts or events that would have funded scholarships and community action for a city in a death spiral. I mean, come on, Gary regularly having the highest rate in the United States, that's like having been the most 'roided out' Major League ballplayer in the '90's. Just a little give back from him and his family could have done so much in a positive way to have changed the trajectory of the history that has transpired in Gary the past 30 years. They were the greatest thing to ever come from my hometown and to me they just pissed on it. He turned his back on his hometown for a life that has him being buried probably in that hyperbaric sleeping chamber with Bubbles as one of the pallbarers. Again, what a waste.
PS rereading my comments, I probably should acknowledge that I clearly have some unresolved anger issues at work here! Still, that is how I feel, micro centric though that opinion might strike others.

JIm said:

What a waste. I grew up in Gary and he and I are about the same age. I have always carried a resentment toward him and his family for how when they left Gary they never came back. I believe you should never forget where you come from. He worked so had to run away from where he was from in the end it wasn't completely clear what planet he was from. Michael Jackson could have done so much just giving a little back to a town that has had so many problems. He gave back to Gary zero. There's no denying his contributions to music but as a person deeply, fatally flawed. He sold his soul to celebrity. And I've read enough court documents concerning the molestation charges as well as looking at the obvious (you don't spend your adult life hanging out with little boys and settle court cases for $22 million if you are innocent) that I have no doubt he was a pedophile. This presents the dilemma we face how an artist's personal frailties influence our perception and enjoyment of their work. 'Catcher in the Rye' touched my soul like few other things ever in my life and it stays close to me still to this day. But after reading Joyce Maynard's book discussing her relationship with Salenger, when thinking of Catcher now the elephant of how Salenger treated an innocent young woman always enters the room of my thoughts. That said, the night after hearing he had died and a few drinks, I put in the DVD that accompanied the re release of his 'Thriller' album last year and danced the night away to the videos of 'Beat It', 'Thriller', and even doing my best to try and moonwalk watching his performance at the Motown tribute show performing 'Billie Jean'. His music brought a very special, wonderful joy to my heart and spirit. Amazing talent but such a sad and wasteful end to a life.

[Steve "FRED" McMurray]

Sorry, but never got it and never will. Talented? Probably so. Something that I ever want to listen to? NO. Never bought a J5 or MJ record, ever. Closest thing was probably Double Nickles on the Dime, since it contains a tune for Michael Jackson to sing. Remember seeing the world premier of Thriller on MTV with my college roomates and all we could do was laugh at the over-the-top of it, less than half was music if I recall. Christ, make a movie already. We stated at the time that it would kill MTV for good, and I think it is safe to say it did. If anyone was around prior to that it was more a place for off the wall, oops pardon the pun, music as much as anything else. I think naturally we are now set for a revisionists version of history, but what else is new. When I was 10 it was Alice Cooper, 14 the Stones Beatles etc. 16 the Sex Pistols, Clash, 18 Dow Jones and the Industrials, Gizmos, Zero Boys, well I think you can extrapolate the rest.

He was an entertainer, dancer, whacko to me. Musically, he was always way on the other side of the tracks. My opinion. RIP for sure, always hate to see someone leave this earth, but let it go. There is certainly more important news out there besides this. Hell, Billy Mays and Farrah are both gone too.