Michael Jackson was, is, and always will be the ultimate pop star! He was a legendary entertainer, transcending culture and breaking barriers. For this I will remember him. For his unparalleled dance style, he will never be forgotten. There will never be anyone else like Michael Jackson. His music embodied love and for this I will remember him.
His death has jolted the world, but for me personally, Michael Jackson's death has been most shocking and sad. I am a fan, always have been, always will be. I was 7 years old when Thriller came out, it holds a dear place in my heart, immortalized as my very first picture LPs! Even though I was so young, I explicitly remember knowing that Michael Jackson was an important figure in our culture.
Back when I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with MJ!! I loved him so much that I even dressed up like him for Halloween in fourth grade, with the red jacket and rhinestoned glove! I have seen the “Making of Thriller” at least 300 times over, although I never did learn how to Moonwalk. What I did learn, was the creative collaborations that existed between the musician, the director, the choreographer, and even the special effect masters.
For me the level of artistry that Michael brought us is unparalleled. He used his music as a palette to paint the world not as it is, but how it could be. “If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself and then make a change” . These are the lyrics to “Man in The Mirror”. To this day it remains my favorite song, with a love for all his other hits, I seem to always go back to that one. Michael's talent was an inspiration to me and helped me to be myself and have ‘Hope’ in the world.
As an expression of admiration and an homage I painted MJ as “The King Of Pop.” This painting has been one of my favorites ever since its completion over 10 years ago. Michael Jackson spread his message of love with his music, and it’s that message that I strive to spread through my art. That message like his music, will live on forever.
