OT: Michael Jackson dead at 50

[Lilrock]

I still have the Thriller video I recorded on my old washing machine sized VHS player.
He was pathetic.
He was a freak.
He was phenomenal.

[YUMIKO]

RIP Michael

I was surprised so much.
I have a feeling that one times have been over....
I'm so sad...

[sockii]

I definitely would have seen him on this reunion tour if he hit the USA....I told sockii months ago...."watch out- he's coming back and he will be big again"

Yeah, I think we've had this conversation a number of times.

Vespa was the one who called me yesterday and I couldn't believe the news until I ran on-line to check...and of course my main source for celeb gossip, ohnotheydidnt, had completely crashed LiveJournal. Twitter, JournalFen, and a bunch of other sites weren't far behind.

I was kind of too busy yesterday to process the news until later in the evening...spent a lot of time watching youtube videos. Then spent hours reading all the ONTD posts once it went live again (all 3000-4000+ of them). I still remember the evening he did the Moonwalk for the first time and how all the kids of my age spent weeks afterwards trying to imitate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfIE3Rz6IgE

(I wish the audio sync was fixed on this, but you still get the idea.)

That's how I want to remember Michael -- not all the craziness that followed, all the allegations true or fictitious. I think his childhood and incredible fame took a terrible toll on his mental state and I have sympathy for him no matter what was true or false in the later allegations. I don't think anyone of my generation can deny the legacy and importance he had on the pop music and entertainment field; no matter what came later, for "Off the Wall" and "Thriller", for his performances and legacy to the music video field, he deserves a place in history that cannot be negated.

[Throb]

I to looked up that video on YouTube and wished the audio was synced.
It's hard to explain to my 14 year old daughter who has grown up only knowing his "weirdness" what it was like to see that on TV having NEVER seen anything like that before, and the Thriller video, I told her a Video had never been done like that before.
I think that is what me makes me very sad. As Vespa was saying you grew up on all of it, and now a whole part of that is Gone.

[sockii]

I to looked up that video on YouTube and wished the audio was synced.
It's hard to explain to my 14 year old daughter who has grown up only knowing his "weirdness" what it was like to see that on TV having NEVER seen anything like that before

Yeah, exactly. Kids today might not understand the impact they had (or rag about the obvious lip-syncing), but at the time it was truly a revolutionary performance.

and the Thriller video, I told her a Video had never been done like that before.

The other video of his I absolutely adore is the one for "Smooth Criminal".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex30DYwQlHU

He really took the music video format to a whole other level.

[Throb]

Or the kids may not understand today, as I heard someone say this morning, before Billie Jean MTV showed all white bands and artists.
I remember how everyone was talking about how Thriller was going to premiere on MTV, it was like a concert or something, counting down the days to it.

[empty]

I remember waiting for those video premieres as a young tween/teen. And I did not like his music. But the videos? wow. transformed the genre is an understatement.

I toured with Michael for over a year. It was more than a surreal experience. The whole tour. Him, his "people." But he was a showman, for sure, and when he would actually take the stage, it was definitely HUGE.

not my cuppa tea, but wow.

Anyway, this has a weird and surreal feeling about it too, of course, and I've been chatting with friends from that tour a bit. We all felt glad we suffered through that year for the experience.

[masayo]

I'm watching his special program on MTV now...

[sockii]

BTW, I know some people are "tired" of hearing about Michael Jackson at this point. But if you've never watched this clip before (and since it's later MJ, I'm sure plenty of people haven't), you really should. I think especially all of us drummers here should enjoy it. I think it's my favorite MJ piece ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mmjypW_hNw

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I'm not tired of it, just sad, still...his life could have turned out so much differently. You know, I'd probably go to the memorial if the logistics of it had been feasible.

Just remembering camped out in front of MTV, circa '82, waiting for the Thriller video....and not being disappointed...

[conroy]

And the tragedy is only beginning with the inevitable custody battle over the kids which is already starting to take shape.