goodnight michael

michael jackson, the king of pop, is now out to take the crown away as king of never never land from his boyhood hero peter pan. jacko as he was fondly called by media before it turned its back on him died today of apparent cardiac arrest at the UCLA medical center in westwood.

this blog was among the first to break the news minutes after the singer was pronounced dead. from whom and how i got the news is something that i am gonna keep for myself. a few minutes after 2 o'clock today someone called someone and that's how i got the news. first i was skeptical and thought that it might have been a mistake because just a couple of hours before another famous celebrity, farrah fawcett, also died of anal cancer in the same hospital. there was a second call and it was confirmed; there was no mistake - michael jackson was dead. i ran to my pc, drafted an email and shot it immediately to my blog. a good thirty minutes after, mainstream news started running breaking stories of michael's demise.

michael jackson for all his frailties is someone who shaped and influenced how a generation danced, sang, and be whoever they wanna be. he was the first black performer to break the mtv divide and crossed over successfully with his innovative and pioneering mtv videos.

he has accomplished so many things in his short life. he also fought and lost so many battles both professionally and personally. he ruled the charts for most of the '80s and thus was proclaimed the king of pop but he began to unravel beginning in the early part of the 1990s. he was injured in an accident and burned himself during a pepsi shoot; for this he would be taking painkillers most of his later life.

he also had a skin disorder that turned his complexion paler. this brought so many harsh criticisms from many including myself. it was during this time that he also started to change his appearance.

his eccentricity would now overshadow his extraordinary talents. he built a huge ranch in northern santa barbara and called it neverland. in the last 19 years, he would only make two albums that are nevertheless successful but were otherwise dismissed by critics and sold less than his previous megahits. he was on a downward spiral.

he had a series of marriages (including a short-lived one with elvis' daughter lisa marie) and had three children with debbie rowe.

for most of the current decade, michael spent most of his time battling child molestation charges againt him. although he was never convicted on any of the charges his image was irreparably broken. during the past three years he has mostly lived in bahrain and in other parts of europe. he returned to the united states later last year and started a plan to stage a comeback beginning with a 50-date concert tour in england.

today, the king of pop is dead. he brings with him his unmatched talent and possibly hundreds more of unwritten hit songs. his passing is as tragic as his latter life. i couldn't really say if michael would have really welcomed dying more than continue living under the watchful eye of most of the world waiting for him to commit his next mistake.

it's one of the drawback of being a celebrity. you lose all your rights to a normal life. michael lost his at the age of 5 and he never really recovered.

i am never a big fan. i didn't learn how to moonwalk, but his passing still struck me with shock and unexplainable sadness. i am sad for the man who could have been a lot greater and could have had a better life. i am sad because another icon is gone and a generation lost one of its heroes.

i would like to end this tribute to michael by printing the text of his mournful song "gone too soon", which i think resonates more powerfully to everyone now more than ever... good night michael, say hello to wendy, peter and the lost boys for me when you get there...

*****

Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow
Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly
And Splendidly Bright
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight
On A Cloudy Afternoon
Gone Too Soon

Like A Castle
Built Upon A Sandy Beach
Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower
That Is Just Beyond Your Reach
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Gone Too Soon