The King is Dead

I think most people would agree with me when I say that today is a very sad day. The death of Michael Jackson has shocked the world. It seems most people found out yesterday, but I woke this morning to hear it on the news.

They say everyone can remember where they were when they heard about the deaths of people like John F Kennedy, John Lennon and Martin Luther King. While I'm too young to remember them, I do remember where I was when I learned of Princess Diana's death (on holiday in Majorca).

The death of Michael Jackson will be one of those moments. However my memory won't be too thrilling, as I was standing over a pile of clean laundry, trying to find something to wear for work, with a towel wrapped around me and my wet hair turbaned up on my head. I was also bleary-eyed and the first time they mentioned it on television, I misheard.

Or perhaps I didn't mishear; perhaps I just wanted to think I did. The truth is the death of Michael Jackson is something I never thought I would hear. He was one of those people you thought would just live forever - in a really unrealistic way.

Love him or hate him; you have to admit that Michael was talented. And a law unto himself. I grew up listening to his music, because my parents were fans, so it's really no surprise that I have his albums in my CD collection. He has been a great inspiration to me, not because I'm musical, because I don't have a musical bone in my body, but because of what he's accomplished in his life.

Admittedly I did question his innocence when it came to the child abuse charges, but I never stopped liking his work, and I never gave him any less respect than I think he deserved. He was an incredible artist, an incredible dancer, and I think very misunderstood. I think the world has lost a gem with the death of Michael, and I think it would be very hard (if not impossible) to find a match for his talent and success.

I hope his family, especially his children, find some privacy to grieve during this awful time, and that the press and his fans don't cause too many problems for them. It's hard when someoene with such a high profile dies, because many fans seem to consider themselves as entitled to attention as their families.

But nobody's talking about the late Farrah Fawcett, who also died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. I hate to say it, but I think Farrah's death might be treated similarly to that of Mother Theresa - if you remember, Mother Theresa died shortly after Princess Diana, and while she devoted her life to helping the poor, her death was over-shadowed by that of Diana's, and the hardly got a mention. I think it would be sad to forget about Farrah, and I think it's important to recognise her as well. I didn't even realise she was sick, so her death came as a surprise to me.

Sorry I'm not posting about happy things today, but I thought both Michael and Farrah were worth a thought.