The Day The Earth Cried
On Jun. 25, 2009, Jackson died at his home on North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills sending shockwaves around the world. On Jul. 7, a public memorial service was held at the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles and was broadcasted live around the world. More than a billion people tuned in to lay eyes on the king for the last time.
Michael Jackson’s influence on the world lives on not only through the music but through the new wave of pop stars dominating the mainstream. His reach included global superstars such as Chris Brown, Usher, and Beyonce. Rihanna, Jaden Smith, Chris Tucker and Pharell Williams are also among the long list of stars who have paid homage to the king and attributed his career to fuelling their love for music.
Even Beyonce penned a touching tribute to him on her website upon his passing.
“When I was just starting out, my first producer used to make me listen to Michael Jackson’s live performance of “Who’s Loving You.” He would have me watch that for hours back to back to back.
What he wanted me to learn was his soul. You could hear his soul. And he was this little kid who hadn’t experienced love but he was a vessel. For whatever reason, he could evoke more emotion than an adult. It was so raw and so pure. It was these little things that he did that were just swag. It’s something that’s God given.
Michael taught me that sometimes you have to forget technique, forget what you have on. If you feel silly, you have to go from the gut just let it go.
Michael Jackson changed me, and helped me to become the artist I am thank you Michael.
Love always,
B”
Jackson kept in very close contact with not only his lifelong peers but also the rising stars of the new millennium, taking them under his wing to help guide them and, very often, to collaborate. He remained humble to the very end, an amazing feat for an artist who even years after his death still holds the global record for the greatest selling album of all time.
If Batman, with all of his advanced technologies and gadgets, can be considered a superhero in the world of fiction, then surely, Jackson’s entrancing performances, visionary endeavors, and usage of his celebrity to make a change in the world should earn him the same title.
Happy birthday, Michael!
