It’s always a time of sorrow when someone dies, its even compounded when it comes unexpectedly. With that there are condolences tonight in my heart of Michael Jackson’s family and close friends.
As I watched some of early news reports, the crowds of people gathering around the UCLA medical center, many of them sobbing, I couldn’t help think back to an event the happened thirty-two years ago, the death of Elvis Presley. I thought of the parallels that have already begun and many more which are to come in the months ahead.
I was still in my teens when Elvis died and while I’m sure he still had his fans out there, at least in the area where I grew up he was mostly known as a guy who made a bunch of really bad movies. Before that he enjoyed a successful singing career but all of that was before I was born. Rock had gone in a completely different direction and while certainly many popular artists of the time counted Elvis as an influence, no one that I knew called themselves a fan.
Jumping forward a few years in my lifetime, there wasn’t any place you could go without hearing Michael Jackson music being played. Backed then MTV stood for music television and Michael’s videos dominated that too. Michael Jackson was so big that even one of the accomplished rock guitarist in history contributed an uncredited piece to Michael’s biggest hit.
It was hard to imagine Michael’s position at the top of the music world not lasting forever, yet in retrospect it only lasted a few short years. All of that took place over twenty years ago and I cannot help but wonder if those in their late teens and early twenties today have the same type of impression of Michael Jackson as I did of Elvis Presley thirty-two years ago.Up until today, if you had brought up the name Michael Jackson in conversation, most of the talk would certainly have been his freakish behavior in recent years.
Elvis himself was also know for unusual practices by social standards, and in the eyes of many a superstar has been. Yet when he died his popularity soared, his face on the cover of every magazine, his awful movies suddenly were not so bad playing frequently on the small screen, thousands turned out for candle light vigils in his honor all over the world. Some to this day believe he really hasn’t died because he was spotted working at a gas station in Oklahoma.
I was awestruck at the magnitude of grief exhibited by so many, some even taking it to a tragic end. I had to wonder, how many of these truly loved the man or were so many simply caught up in the moment?
Already in the early hours after his death we are starting to see the same type of reaction to Michael Jackson. The outpouring of emotion and grief is usually not a bad thing and I support all who feel that need. However it does concern me about those who will take things too far. If they occur this time around will be the stories that I grieve over, lets hope they don’t.