Goodbye, Michael

The death of an icon reverberates differently when you only know him through the scattered shards of songs on an iPod playlist. The zeitgeist of Thriller as an album, not a YouTube video, is lost on teenagers and early twenty-somethings looking at cnn.com and seeing breaking news of Michael Jackson’s death — then clicking on a Wikipedia link to read more about him.

Sure, everyone has a passing familiarity with Michael Jackson, and more than a few teenagers know most of his songs by heart — they are undeniably catchy, stylish and classic. There will be more than a few house party DJs that will pay homage to “the Gloved One” by downloading some choice singles and sending guests into a blurry singalong or goofy dance-off.

But what will we really remember of Jackson? Those of us who never bought Bad on vinyl or witnessed his wildly original choreography in his prime caught him as he faded. We witnessed the scandals and eccentricities that flooded late night gossip television, tabloid magazines and celebrity blogs for decades. We viewed his descent with cynicism having never taken part in his exuberant rise.

Perhaps it’s time to scour YouTube for those early, raw music videos and concerts to find the rare gems that make the artist truly peerless, to simply listen to the feelings, impressions and memories that any early fan, parent, relative or friend has of Jackson.  

They’ll conjure up memories of that old lover or edgy style, an electric beat or infamous dance, even a first kiss during a prom night ballad. We’ll give an affirming smile, and listen again.

We’ll listen to a Michael Jackson album, any album, all the way through, and soak it in.

Then it will be easier to understand the man that was grandeur and glitter, style and oddity, ethereal and transcendent, fittingly crowned the King of Pop.

Ventura County’s music scene weighs in:

Shane Alexander: All of his personal life aside, Michael Jackson was a global icon who brought joy to everyone who ever heard his music or watched in wonder at his performances.  His passing leaves a massive hole in our popular culture, never to be filled again.

Bobbi/Megasound: What a loss! I was shocked when I heard the news. We have lost a true music icon.

Cassie Purtlebaugh/Viceroy Promotions: I think it's ridiculous how the whole world persecutes someone for the past few years and then all of a sudden decides to care when they die. I know he had an amazing career and has influenced countless artists musically, and he definitely deserves the recognition and tribute. I just think it's terrible how people only care when people die, rather than paying attention when they're alive.

Rene Ponce/Ellavati: I remember watching TV as a small child at a family gathering and seeing a promo for the Jackson 5 Skywriter album. All my cousins and I could talk about after that was not only how good of a singer/musician that Michael was, but what an awesome dancer he was as well. I took a great interest in that aspect of his performances, as I am a ballroom dancer as well as a musician. So I will always remember and respect him for not only being a great musician, but for being an outstanding entertainer.

Ashford Gordon: Michael Jackson as an artist, musician, entertainer, prolific and award-winning songwriter, master song and dance man with record breaking album sales, has left a body of work that will live on for many decades beyond the memory of his troubled and seemingly tortured personal life.

Kiley Ki: One of the greatest shows I have ever seen was the Victory Tour in Orlando, Fla. I was 12. Mom told us to meet her at the giant inflated Pepsi bottle at the end of the show, which was deflated when we got there. But we should remember there was a time when companies like Pepsi paid millions to have him as the face of their product, until his long spiral downward. Legends of his caliber have lost their lives consistently by age 27. It's probably a miracle he's lasted this long.

Brendan James/Shades of Day: I still have my cassette tape of Thriller safely tucked away in my small box of collectibles. I learned the moonwalk, I air-guitar the Van Halen solo in “Beat It” every time it comes on the radio, perfectly tapping the notes. At any given moment I might bust out in a crotch grab and a “HEE HEE.”  Michael Jackson is everywhere. He’s such a huge part of our lives. Music would not be the same without him. As I got more into my own art and music, and singing professionally, I grew more impressed and amazed at Michael's vocal ability and technique. Unequaled in pop music, still. You just can't sing like Michael did. He was truly alone. I'm happy knowing that now people can truly focus on his music and his pop legacy. Rest in peace, Michael.

Dan Grimm: His body of work is amazing. He pioneered so many sounds and had such a great voice to go along with full body rhythm. He earned his celebrity, and he started at a time before they could auto-tune voices and mold kids into stars based on their looks instead of talent. I hope his legacy will be his showmanship and how good people feel when they hear one of his masterpieces. You only get one Michael Jackson, and with his passing goes an era slipping into the distance on a sidewalk of light-up squares.

Doug Johnson/Funkyard: The dark side of Michael Jackson's tremendous talent and the incredible music he gave us is that he never got to be a kid. He spent his adult life fixated on, and obsessed with, trying to recapture the childhood he never got to have. A normal, healthy childhood is the best gift parents can give their children. No amount of fame or fortune can offset the lack thereof.     

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