There Will Never Be Another Like Michael Jackson...

It was a sad day this past Thursday when news broke that Michael Jackson had indeed left us. I don't know about you, but I will never forget where I was or what I was doing when I first heard, and there are millions of people around the globe who will say the same thing. In the coming days weeks and months, you will hear tons of speculation about the way Michael left this earth and who was responsible, and so forth. I for one would like to remember Michael and the way he lived his life, and all of the joy he brought to so many though his music, philanthropic efforts, and the impact he left on all of us.

Some people reading this blog post might wonder why I have focused so much attention and time on this subject over the course of the last few days. On Friday i did an all day hourly tribute to Mike and some of his greatest hits, and spent the better part of my weekend reminiscing about legend that is Michael Jackson. Truth is, some of my most fond memories with my brother and sisters were with Michael Jackson's music. I have vivid memories in my head of when we all used to stay up late at night to watch Friday Night Videos, greatly anticipating seeing what Michael was gonna do next, and what amazing dance music choreography he had up his sleeve.

There we were up way past our bedtime just the four of us all laying on one couch trying to keep each other awake so we wouldn't miss anything. It was significant, because as close as we were, we were not all the same age, so this was one of the few opportunities where we shared significant amounts of time together. Every Friday Night like clockwork we were there in our pajamas, and when we all fell asleep, my mother would come to the den in her long john pajamas and make us all get up and go to bed.

Another instance was when Mike was making one of his comebacks and the video to "Remember the Time" was debuting on BET. This was a big moment in my household as we all got together that night and as a family sat there and watched the world premier of this video as we ate dinner. Again this was significant, because we really didn't eat dinner together, or at least not as a family that often. It took Michael to bring us together and that means something to me.I also remember my cousin Keith doing his best impression of Michael and he would actually approach girls with this MJ like facade, and to our amazement, it worked well for him.

As far as my personal life goes, one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs is "Off the Wall," and I can remember that song getting me through many a bad day in college. I often listened to that and the Thriller Albums when I am having bad days, just because Michael's music can always put me in a better mood. Even if you didn't dance, you could just sit there and marvel at his brilliance and musical ability.

Some people may not admit it, but they owe their musical success to Michael Jackson, because no matter what your tastes, be it country, pop, R&B, or whatever, MJ was the inspiration behind it all. He perfected the art of the music video, the on stage performance, and was a model for the music industry on so many more levels. I think we can all admit that at some point in our lives we attempted the moon walk. I know I did, and probably a few other Mike moves that I had no business doing. I will always keep that MJ play list on my IPhone when I feel the need to dance, laugh, or cry. Thanks for the memories Mike and you will no doubt be missed by many.