Today, a shocking news was felt and spread in the entire world— THE KING OF POP IS DEAD. Michael Jackson died at at the age of 50. Trying to make a comeback to the industry that has been very good to him. Sadly, he wasn’t able to do so.

I don’t consider myself to be a big fan of him today ( I was into grunge / alternative stuff now ) but I was once when I was a kid. Those are the times when his albums spawned hits after hits and all the local radios are playing his songs all through the day. I am a kid that grew up on those times. Dancing and watching his videos and awed as he perform those trademark moves.

Michael Jackson is perhaps the most well known musical figure ever to graced the world. His achievements as an artist is second to none. His Thriller album is still considered the best selling album of all time generating a sales of about 109 million copies sold. The album also won a record 7 Grammy Awards. He was perhaps the world’s best selling pop artist of all time. He is a forerunner of a generation known as Generation X ( I myself included ).

His influence was never ending. Its spreads in every corner of the globe. Here in the Philippines, we remember him as the influence behind some of our american-oriented culture. During the 80’s, the Philippine show business is largely Michael Jackson-like. Remember the local movie Bagets ? The term coincide with the fashion and behavior of that time. The Bagets impact was so huge that it was a mainstay in whole 80’s time. Our very own Gary V. is one of the most notable example of Michael’s influence on our artists.

Although Michael has wonderful career, he didn’t escaped the bad side of that fame. He was viewed as an example of a bad plastic surgery. He was accused of trying to become a a caucasian when he was really black. He defended that it was due to skin disease called Vitiligo. There are also those child molesting cases that made him a regular favourite of the feasting media, looking and anticipating when he will really go down. Although all the charges was either dropped or he was acquitted, the impact of the accusations really made its toll. He is still well known but his career was a damaged one. He went into seclusion thereon, avoided the glittering lifestyle he was accustomed with, moved to Bahrain where he befriended a Bahraini prince only to go back to America to pay tribute to the death of James Brown.

As of this moment a lot of tribute was bestowed to him. How he single handedly changed the course of entertainment industry worlwide. How this and that…blah blah blahh…This really what made me laugh. Because just moments ago before his death was announced to the world, people seems to think differently about him. Whenever they hear Michael Jackson, it always comes to their mind that this is the guy that was accused of these and that. The guy that changed his color into this. The guy that was the result of a failed plastic surgery.Yes, they knew about his achievements and contributions yet they seems to think that he is the bad guy here.

How many people especially on the press have destroyed him because of their writings? And now they are in the frontline paying tributes to him. Very odd. I think the guy deserved these accolades more in his lifetime. It always happen that they only remember how valuable a person is when that person left this world. 

To you Michael…Thanks for the memories and for your contribution to the world.