I am sitting here with my mouth open in shock.
I was about 11 years old when my older sister brought home the "Off the Wall" record (yes, on vinyl.) And it was just so incredibly cool, it was dance music, but not cheesy disco. It was pop, but not fluff. My favorite was "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough."
Then "Thriller" came out when I was in 7th grade and forget it, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing or seeing something about Michael Jackson. I had no idea then that he would achieve the iconic status he did.
I hate thinking about how he declined in his later years, and how it was as if he became a punchline to so many sick jokes. I can't imagine how growing up being treated as a commodity would affect someone.
So RIP, Michael. I will remember you as the sweet little boy with the angelic voice, and later the young man who moonwalked himself into immortality.