26th
I didn’t even grow up listening to Michael Jackson. I came after that. It was just understood that he was the King of Pop and that was that.
Today, I went to Fort Tilden with my friends Joe and Ryan. We stopped at Chipotle in Brooklyn Heights and as we were leaving, I got a text from Morgan at 6:09pm that just said “Michael Jackson just died.” It was one of those moments when you think “Wait what? No. What?” A second later two girls next to me were looking at their phones as well and one said something about a heart attack. Morgan texted me again and said that he had died of a heart attack. The whole way to Fort Tilden, we listened to the radio as the story unfolded and the LA Times officially confirmed that he had died after going into cardiac arrest. We listened to the classic MJ songs playing one after another on every station: Thriller, Beat It, Smooth Criminal, Billie Jean. It was surreal but listening to it was oddly perfect for our drive to the beach. When we headed back after sunset, it was the same thing. One MJ song after another along with people calling in to talk about their favorite memories of him and the role he played in each of his or her childhood and adolescence.
Michael Jackson had a pretty rough life and maybe he’s better off now. He was one of the most important, influential, and inventive artists of all time. And there’s not a single person in the music industry today or since who has come close to the natural talent he possessed. Farewell to an American icon.
