MJ: THE THRILLER IS GONE...

08.29.1958 - 06.25.2009

I thought of posting this up the day of, but I wanted to wait until the media frenzy calmed down a bit before I spoke my peace. I'm not going to be long with this but to the point. I am still and always will be an MJ fan...all the way. I have his CD's. I play his music on my annual Old Skool Jamzfests every year. He is the icon of the 80's and early 90's and dominated music since before I was born, and was primed for a comeback this year at the ripe young age of 50!. But on June 25, 2009, as I was heading home, I had on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee for news and updates as I usually do each day, and then they broke in and said paramedics were at MJ's home tryng to revive him. Revive him? I thought...WTF is going on here?? ... and as I drove home trying to watch the road and listen in to the minute by-minute details, it became apparent after about 20 minutes of non-stop coverage: the icon of my childhood/adolescence had just passed away from cardiac arrest. Shocked as I was it was a double whammy following Ms. Fawcett's passing earlier that day (RIP, FF). I cannot describe it, but that day was really BIZARRE. I had the strangest tinge of fear and anxiety go through me, the same thing that I felt when I realized my dad had passed away unexpectedly in 1999.

So I just want to say that MJ, your music lives on and has forever changed popular music. You broke down the barriers of black and white, soul and rock and made he world a better place. I just want to say "thank you" and you will truly be missed. This one's hard to deal with still and my heart still aches, as it does for my dad to this day...

But life goes on... It must. We can and must never forget those who went before us.

RIP Michael. You are now at peace and away from this cruel and wacky world.

JD