Thank You Michael For My Interest In Music

The recent passing of Michael Jackson currently has the world in a buzz. The last time I recall this much attention to the passing of a superstar is when Elvis Presley died. Kind of ironic that his daughter was at one time married to Michael Jackson, isn’t it?

In the days to come, there will be a final toxicology report that should determine the true cause of death for the “King of Pop.” Until then, there will be endless speculation and rumors as to drug use, or other facets of a decadent lifestyle, which could have contributed to his early death. I propose that we just wait until the toxicology report comes back before prematurely speculating on the cause of death.

Instead, I would like to stop to appreciate what Michael Jackson meant to the music world as a whole, and what he contributed. As a child, I never really listened to music. My parents never were really music fans and I never was exposed to it at an early age. However, as I grew into adolescence, I began to listen to the radio. One of the first songs I recall hearing that really got my attention was “Beat It.” There was just something about that driving beat, the electric guitar, and the vocals that engaged me. When the song stopped playing, I kept listening to the radio in the hopes that it would play again soon or that another similar song would come on. Eventually, “Thriller” hit the airwaves. By this time, I had begun checking out MTV and that video had me glued to the screen every time it played.

My parents, catching on to my new affinity for music, decided to buy me a “jam box” for Christmas. This thing was a shiny, silver monster with a cassette tape deck, FM Stereo, and large speakers. I know the neighbors hated that thing. Now, all I needed was a cassette tape. You guessed it. The first album that I ever owned was “Thriller.” Soon came the release of the Jacksons’ album, “Victory”, and the single by USA For Africa of “We Are The World.” As my collection of cassettes grew with other artists, Michael Jackson’s work remained the centerpiece of my collection.

As I grew older, my musical interests became more eclectic, eventually getting into the hair bands of the 80’s, such as Poison, Cinderella, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Stryper. As Jackson became more reclusive and strange, I found myself not really as into his music as I once was. Once I reached my early 20’s, I started appreciating country music, jazz, and orchestra. I now enjoy all kinds of music, with a special appreciation of Contemporary Christian. All of that, thanks to the “King of Pop.”

Had the initial strains of “Beat It” not have caught my attention that day so many years ago, who knows if my appreciation for music would have grown to what it is today? Regardless of what you may think of him or his music, Michael Jackson was insanely successful and was a talent unlike any other we may ever see again in our lifetimes. Farewell, Michael, and thank you.