RIP MJ & Thank you for the Music!

Three generations swung to his music.

Three generations saw a dancer like nobody else.

He crooned with energy that a 100 strong men could not have mustered. Yes, he was not just just a once in a generation performer, he was also the performer of the past century. Some people might throw in names like the Beatles, or even Elvis - no disrespect - none of them had $%^t of this guy.
He left them all behind with his cool moves, and a singing style that made it hard to decipher words, but you know what - people never really cared about what he was really singing about : It could have been about ghosts ghouls and goblins [as in Thriller] or it was about something touching [I'll be there] or it could be the raunchy seductive. His amazing singing skills were on display primarily as a child artiste. But if you want to know a man who was born to rule the mother of all stages of the world, then it was MJ.
Whaddaman, the ultimate performer.
Hhe could sing in that amazing voice, he could moon walk, and then stand on his toes.
His live shows could only be described at 2 hours of continuous adrenaline pumping through his veins. This man cut across so many geographical borders, that I wont have any trouble believing that even people in far flung North Korea, Ulan-Bator, Swaziland or Peru would have trouble connecting with this man - his music and his novel dance moves. Heck even my dad knows a few of his songs, so universal is his appeal!

The man leaves behind a personal void for me as well. I spent some of my early years in NY before I came back to India - Michael's Thriller on LP is one of my most prized posessions [although I honestly don't know if it is still around - the cover with him lying done, and on the inside is a picture of him and a tiger. MJ's music videos were trailblazing and way ahead of his time : Even when I see some of his videos [thriller, black or white, smooth criminal, scream], I can honestly tell that modern day music-videos are flaky and made more by studio honchos and less by imaginative people.

The man screamed and "Shamon-ed" his way into our hearts and minds. His controversies may have dimished MJ the man - but MJ the artiste truly lives on. And for once a supposed child molestoer actually has my sympathies because quite frankly his father treated him and his brothers like a bunch of performing poodles.

I hope history is kind to you MJ and you've meant so much to me - as a child of the 80's. I swear : 50 years from now we can look back and say - there has since been no other and there probably never will.
I see no harm in letting my guard down and shedding a tear for you.
Since the days leading to your tragic end, I hope you've find peace at last...