My Rememberance of Michael Jackson

As the world mourns the passing of Michael Jackson, I take the time to reflect on what impact his legacy and music had on my life.

Michael Jackson personified, for me, what music and entertainment is and should be. My first recollection of music is that of my mother playing songs like ABC, Stop, the Love You Save, and my favorite J5 song, Goody Girl. I would sit for hours listening to those songs over and over again trying to memorize the harmonies and duplicate the melodies.

Then when I was seven Thriller came out. That's when I started to notice how cute Michael was, and it was that year that I swore that I was going to be Mrs. Michael Jackson when I grew up. I remember drawing a mustache on Brooke Shields because she had the nerve to be in my man's poster which hung by my bed close enough for me to kiss every night.

From that point on, I began to gravitate to Michael Jackson's music. I loved the way he sang his songs with so much feeling, emotion and melody. That's always been what did for me musically; music and harmony. Everything about most of his songs was memorable to me because of the way he sang it, the arrangement of the lyrics, the add libs, everything. That's when I decided that I wanted to be a singer and began trying to write my own songs.

Human Nature, Lady of My Life, This Place Hotel and Can You Feel It for some reason were all songs that caught my ear, and Man in the Mirror always made me a little emotional right at the part when the choir begins to sing. Not to mention the countless other songs that I spent hours memorizing and mimicking, but never could seem to get quite right. Ah...the memories.

I smile when I think of the backdrop that Michael Jackson's music has contributed to my life and my aspirations to write because I wanted my songs to sound like his. I often dreamed of him one day singing a song that I'd write just for him. Then I think of his life and how troubled he must have been.

To live your life in the public eye is a burden that Michael Jackson was forced to bare from a very young age, and I truly believe that he dealt with it the best that he could. For all his quirks and perceived eccentricities, he was always true to himself. He did not pretend to be anyone but who he was.

Even though his passing was an unexpected shock to the world, we must all realize that death is the one thing that is promised to all. Beneath the surface of the superstar, Michael Jackson was a troubled man who was beautifully human. I can only hope and pray that he was at peace with God and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior before he passed so that his soul can have rest with Him in paradise.

And for all that he created that contributed to my life and the lives of those around me, I thank him.

Rest in peace, Mr. Jackson. You will never be forgotten.