I read the news yesterday – in the top right-hand corner of page three. Shock. Disbelief. And then of course the radio and TV stations were full of it. His songs, the reactions, commentary, analysis, the autopsy. For much of yesterday I had a few of his songs on as a kind of background music in my head. Bad. Thriller. Billie-Jean. Heal the World.
I was never a great fan but I was as fascinated as anyone else by the phenomenon (good, bad and strange) that was Michael Jackson. On SkyNews yesterday evening the tributes were coming in thick and fast. And there was also a sense that his troubles are over, which allows the genius and the music and the dancing to come to the surface again. He will be celebrated (and rightly so) for all of this.
I was going to post something about “Saint Michael” and how he is being glorified now that he’s gone. But I actually like the fact that this happens. There’s a settling of accounts, a tallying up with the greats. Is he as good as Elvis, better even? The parallels are also interesting. Have just read DoctorDi’s comments and I think she’s captured a lot of the sadness (and loneliness) behind the mask.
Here’s Billie-Jean:
Posted by Pete 
