This blog takes pause to honor the memory of a music legend, the great Michael Jackson, who was reported to have died from cardiac arrest earlier today. In his honor, I’m posting a personal favorite.
“Rock With You” (Off The Wall, 1979)
I heard the news from the radio this evening while I was driving home from work. As a kid of the 1970s, I practically grew up with the man and his music. From the time when he was the boy lead singer of the Jackson 5 where he was joined by his brothers Tito, Marlon, Jermaine, and Jackie to the time he decided to go solo as a young man in the late 1970s, there was always a Michael Jackson song to be heard either on the radio or at a dance party that I attended. As some disc jockeys love to say, his music was, at least to members of my generation, part of the “soundtrack of our lives”.
Although he increasingly grew eccentric as the years passed, my fondness for his music never waned. And although the weird behavior that marked his later years made him an abundant source of jokes for late night tv comedians, we all knew that he was profoundly unhappy.
I had remarked to some friends years ago that it was hard for me to imagine how Michael Jackson, given all the stresses and pressures he constantly had to bear from a very unhappy and troubled life, could hold out for long. Any person’s heart could only take so much. Thus, even if I was saddened by the news of his death, I was hardly surprised by it.
A lot of tributes will be given Mr. Jackson in the days, months and years to come. Many will come from friends who truly cared and looked out for him. But sadly, many will also come from people who took advantage of him, his talents, and his kindness for their personal gain.
Michael Jackson is in a much better place now. Though we often reserve and utter such hopeful words for people who endured much pain, suffering and sadness during their days on earth, I sincerely hope, for his sake, that they’re true.
Rest in peace, Michael.
June 25, 2009 at 10:18 pm |
mama-se, mama-sa, mama-coo-sa
I grew up singing to MJ’s songs. Sad to hear he passed away. Such great talent.
June 27, 2009 at 5:16 am |
Mari,
He will definitely be missed but his music will always be with us. Like all the other great artists who have gone to the Great Beyond, he will forever be remembered through his works.
June 26, 2009 at 2:33 am |
yeah, rest in peace, Michael. i was glued to the TV this morning before going to work, watching CNN’s coverage. his song, Gone Too Soon, is fitting for his early and sudden death.
June 27, 2009 at 5:18 am |
Miranda,
I wonder what he was truly thinking about when he wrote that song you mentioned. I can’t help but think that given all the pressures and troubles he was going through that he longed for an escape. Just wondering.
June 26, 2009 at 6:02 am |
sa totoo lang ang nanay ko yan ang sinabi sakin first thing in the morning LOL
June 27, 2009 at 5:19 am |
Prinsesamusang,
Hahaha Iyan din ang nangyari sa sister ko. Iyan din ang unang binalita sa kanya ng mommy ko pagkagising niya. Hehehe
June 26, 2009 at 9:14 am |
inspite of the controversies surrounding MJ’s eccentricity and his infamous court battles, the man can truly deliver his art. May he rest in peace.
June 27, 2009 at 5:58 am |
BW,
MJ was truly a great artist. Some say that his father exploited MJ’s talent when he was a kid. But who can blame him (the father) for that? Their family was a poor one and the only ticket out of poverty was his sons’ singing. His father raised his kids in the best way he knew how and plus, it was a different time.
MJ was a good son and did his part to lift the entire Jackson family out of a dire economic situation. Yes, may he rest in peace now.
June 26, 2009 at 10:45 am |
Sad news indeed, especially when Farah Fawcett,another 70s icon passed away on the same day.
June 27, 2009 at 6:01 am |
Snglguy,
It hasn’t been a good year for 70s icons, Pards. We’ve already lost four of them this year because aside from Michael, we have lost David Carradine, Farrah Fawcett and Marilyn Chambers. Another sign that our generation is getting “up there” agewise.
June 26, 2009 at 12:12 pm |
His death was not a shock. Compound all the burden on his shoulders such as getting sued, RX’s (legal and illegal) he’s taking, all the stresses are indeed too much for the heart to carry – he surely was bound to go under early.
June 27, 2009 at 6:16 am |
TruBlue,
True, Pards. The pressures on him were just constant. All the fame and money in the world won’t have any answer for that.
June 26, 2009 at 1:40 pm |
isang icon na naman ang nawala. pero at least naappreciate ko ang music nya nang buhay pa siya, si john lennon hindi ko na inabot.
June 27, 2009 at 6:23 am |
Ardyey,
Musmos pa ako nang magkawatak-watak ang Beatles and as a result, ang inabutan kong music ni John Lennon ay noong solo artist na siya. As for Michael Jackson, I practically grew up with his music. His music was a constant presence in my life although I must still say na as far as personal favorites are concerned, #1 pa rin sa akin si John Lennon.
June 26, 2009 at 3:19 pm |
We were all glued online too, of course we weren’t even over talking about Farrah’s death announcement a few hours earlier.
Two icons on the same day, that is really sad.
I don’t have a fave Michael Jackson song.
May they both rest in peace.
June 27, 2009 at 6:29 am |
Ewok1993,
I agree. It hasn’t been a good year for 70s icons. It reminds us that a lot of time has passed since these people left their mark on our world.
June 26, 2009 at 8:21 pm |
so sad to know about his death. i was anticipating for his final concert in london. among my favorite michael jackson songs are stranger in moscow, man in the mirror and they dont really care about us.
may he find peace.
June 27, 2009 at 6:32 am |
Dong,
I heard on the news last night that the concert producers are looking at refunding about $150 million in concert ticket sales. 50 shows were booked and all were sold out. Thus, one could imagine that refunding those tickets is going to be one tremendous undertaking. It’s one of the many signs of the late Jacko’s immense popularity. He will be sorely missed.
June 26, 2009 at 9:12 pm |
Great post. We sure did grow up with him.
June 27, 2009 at 6:38 am |
RDL,
What is saddening is that for our generation, he was always THERE, that is, he was a constant presence both on the radio and on television. There was always a new Michael Jackson song and album to listen to. There was always something new to hear about him and his life. Now, he’s gone. Although many books and accolades will be showered on him and his memory in the coming years, all we have now with us is his music.
June 26, 2009 at 10:49 pm |
nasa seminar kami nung nalaman kong patay na siya.
goodbye to the man in the mirror.
may he rest in peace.
June 27, 2009 at 6:49 am |
Chiquesan,
I think Michael Jackson’s death is THAT kind of event where we will never forget either what we were doing or where we were when he heard the sad news of his passing. He is that GREAT.
June 26, 2009 at 11:16 pm |
Yes you are correct! He is in a much better place now. May he rest in peace.
I was lucky enough to watch his electrifying performance in Singapore where we were based at that time. If I remember correctly it was sometime in 1993. Awesome concert from the consummate entertainer. He will be sorely missed.
June 27, 2009 at 11:54 am |
Dahpne,
Wow. You are indeed very lucky to have seen Michael Jackson live. I regret that I wasn’t able to attend any of his concerts. It must have been nothing short of awesome. One can just imagine the physical demands of such a performance on him, that is, singing and dancing all across the stage for close to four hours and before hot lights. The guy must have been in tremendous physical shape to withstand all that.
June 27, 2009 at 12:48 am |
I loved the guy’s music. Sad that he rarely found happiness. Yes, RIP MJ.
June 27, 2009 at 12:16 pm |
Atticus,
The guy almost had it all. Aside from being a great talent, he was also a very good businessman. However, it was in his personal affairs that he had a lot of trouble managing. It’s very sad indeed that true happiness eluded him. What a price to pay.
June 27, 2009 at 1:43 am |
I don’t know if its fitting. Just like James Dean, he will be remembered the way he wants to be. His music and his image remains as it is. Just like the boy, in a fairy tale, who refuse to grow old.
June 27, 2009 at 12:17 pm |
Blogusvox,
Very true, Pards. With his death, he will now remain forever young in our collective memory.
June 27, 2009 at 7:15 am |
I grew up with MJ’s music. Gustung-gusto kong kantahin yung mga kanta niya noong bata pa ‘ko. Pero, mataas ang pitch. Kaya tinigilan ko na; pinakinggan ko na lang. Gustung-gusto ko ring gayahin yung pag-mu-moonwalk niya. Pero, parehong kaliwa ang paa ko. Kaya tinigilan ko na rin; pinanood ko na lang siya. And that’s how it’s been with MJ’s music. When you just listen to his music, you’ll know without a doubt that he’s musically talented. But when you see him sing and dance, you’ll know for sure that he’s truly gifted! He may have gotten some of his moves from James Brown or Fred Astaire. But his moonwalk was all his own. It’s the bomb! And he’s the man!
Rest in peace, Michael.
June 28, 2009 at 4:25 pm |
Jose,
Hahahaha Pareho pala tayo. Medyo nakakaya ko pa paminsan-minsan na gayahin ang boses niya pero hirap na rin ako maski papaano. Medyo ginagaya ko rin paminsan-minsan ang pagmoonwalk niya pero baka malapit na akong mapilayan at magkadulas-dulas. Hehehe
On his music, I became truly impressed with him in the 1980s when I learned that he was now writing most of his hit songs. He had become the complete musical package: singer, composer, and dancer. Awesome!
June 27, 2009 at 7:28 am |
Bad news indeed. I heard Farrah Fawcett died the same day. Two icons in one day. Can you believe that?
They did a Michael Jackson episode in A.I. this season. Kris Allen did Michael’s Man in the Mirror. It was good.
June 28, 2009 at 5:30 pm |
Andy Briones,
It hasn’t been a good year for 70s icons. David Carradine of Kung Fu and Marilyn Chambers, a 1970s porn star, both passed away too early this year.
I love MJ’s Man in the Mirror. It was a very nice song all around: great music, great message. He will be missed.
June 28, 2009 at 2:59 pm |
txs for posting me back.
… im so glad, actually that u did find time..
so ur a jacko’s fan as well.. me even..his “Ben” song gave me goosebumps till now..
as per this sad post, we all heared about people giving him good and kind words now that he left.. including those who troubled, and yes uses him in the past..im sure they’ll miss him, and feel sorry too..
June 28, 2009 at 5:34 pm |
AJ,
No problem, Pards. It was my pleasure.
As a child, Ben and Happy were the first Michael Jackson/Jackson 5 songs I learned to sing.
A host of American cable channels such as E!, Biography, and VH1 have been running programs in his honor. Watching all his old music videos, I still find it rather hard to believe that this man’s gone.
June 28, 2009 at 6:33 pm |
i just now came back to listen to the video. I think i remember dancing to this in my disco days. And I like his looks here, before he went to far.
June 29, 2009 at 10:32 am |
RDL,
I strongly agree with you that he looked far better during the “Off The Wall” days in the late 1970s. He looked very good then.
VH1 ran a show yesterday that featured all his old videos. He was truly a great and amazing dancer. It’s hard to imagine the amount of energy and preparation he brought to each of his concerts. It was reported that his concerts averaged about 3 to 4 hours in duration. They were physically demanding.
June 29, 2009 at 1:13 pm |
Big loss to the music industry. My thoughts go out to his family and close friends.
June 29, 2009 at 8:28 pm |
Abaniko,
Truly a great talent and thus, a big loss. I don’t think we’ll ever see the likes of him again. I hope that the kids he left behind will be well cared and provided for.
June 29, 2009 at 8:58 pm |
Condolences.. hee hee!
But he’s a legend!
June 29, 2009 at 9:01 pm |
Aline,
Yup, truly a legend. Now he belongs to the ages, as they say.
July 1, 2009 at 11:00 pm |
nakakainis, the Michael I learned to like is the one when he was still a toddler and of all the songs being played, none has played my favorite of all. I think nobody remembers it except me. I’ll give it a shot with you though. HAve you heard of a jackson 5 song entitled “Maybe Tomorrow”?
July 2, 2009 at 4:30 am |
Rolly,
Yes, I have heard of that song. Nice song. I believe that song came out either in l970 or 1971. Although he already sang well at the time, his voice still sounded a bit different then, a bit high pitched. The first Jackson 5 songs I listened to as a kid were Ben, Happy, and I’ll Be There. By then, he was already in his mid-teens.