Michael Jackson RIP

I have never been a huge fan of Michael Jackson.

But his music is everywhere - on TV and radio and in our culture, an ever present force. An incredible talent. Sadly in his later life, the struggle of keeping it private and reclusive (for right or wrong reasons) became all that the media wanted to focus on. Trying to live a closed life in an open world, a world in which the media are ever intrusive and determined to root out every detail, became impossible. And so Wacko Jacko was born. No longer a man. Now a mask.

Sadly this is how he will be remembered.

In terms of his music, much has already been said about Thriller but all for good reason. I remember holidays and car journeys when the only album we would listen to was Thriller. Over and over again. Time after time. I never owned the album yet I knew it by heart. Friends who owned Off The Wall and Bad and later Dangerous had the same impact. His music was always there.

Hopefully this is how he will be remembered. At least by me.

Michael Jackson August 29th 1958 - 25th June 2009

RIP.