And so it seems everyone and their neighbour is writing something about Michael Jackson in some blog site or on facebook. I, too, am going to write something about the Gloved One. Why? Well...honestly, why not? MJ touched so many of us is so many ways that it would be a travesty not to write about an experience, or a memory, linked to MJ or one of his songs.
This all started a few days ago when my youngest daughter asked me, "Papa, who is Michael Jackson". For those of you who don't know, my youngest will be turning 6 in October later this year. So it is excusable that she doesn't know who MJ is....or, more appropriately, was. A simple question by a 5 year old got me all excited. I whipped out my trusty laptop and punched in youtube.com and started my youngest daughter on MJ videos. My darling wife helped out also. One particular song really got her attention. Thriller. Why that of all songs still baffles me till today. Whatever the reason, i must admit it is one of my all time favorite songs too. Actually, maybe it's not one of my all time favourite songs but rather the video made it what it is. So here we are, sitting with eyes glued to the sight of MJ walking her girlfriend back home, through the dark misty cemetery. Bare in mind that when this song/video was first released, i wasn't even married, let alone have 2 kids. In fact i wasn't even dating yet.
So, then comes time for the Rap. Yes rap. Back in 1983 when Thriller was released, before there was Eminem; or 50 cent; there was Vincent Price. Thriller featured the Vincent Price Rap. My daughter heard the rap and there was i, rapping in the background. For some reason my daughter got such a kick over this. So now every 5 hours or so, she will ask to watch Thriller with Papa rapping in the background. See what effect MJ has on people? Even a 5 year old.
Which brings me to another fond memory. I had this very close friend...still have. To ensure his identity remains secret, i shall name him Hank.....until such time i obtain permission from him to use his real name. Hank, like I, was totally emersed by MJ, his songs and especially his dance moves. Now granted, Hank was just a teeny bit more gifted when it came to putting some moves together. I was good (yeah right) but he was better.
Hank could do an MJ like no one else i knew. The leg kick, the spin and yes....the Moonwalk. Now the moonwalk was a whole other phenomenon. I vividly remember my standing before the TV, preparing to learn the seemingly gravity defying walk. There i was...moonwalk....run to the VCR to rewind....moonwalk....run to the VCR. For you young-uns out there, there was such an invention called the VCR. You could think of it as the grandfather of the recordable DVD of today. So, back to the story. He was so good that now a natural progression would be the wardrobe. Yes, Hank went out abd bought a bright red-ish orange-ish jacket with black stripes, just like the one MJ wore in the video. Now that Hank's image was complete, we went and got ourselves into a band competition and performed, on stage, billie jean (because Thriller was too difficult for the band members to learn).
There we were, in the hall of Bukit Bintang Boys Secondary School, playing away with Hank leading us to glory. Everyone waited for the moment. It was not Motown 25th but it was a moment. Hank spun and prepared for the Moonwalk. I forget if he tossed the hat like MJ but he moonwalked on stage in front of hundreds of screaming fans !! we had arrived. Not sure where were supposed to be going but we had arrived.
I sometimes wonder if Hank still does MJ as it's been a while since we last caught up.
So, Hank, if you ever get the chance to read this, do pen some comments down.
To MJ, you may never know how much you have touched our lives. Even the ones in a small town like Petaling Jaya.....not unlike Gary, Indiana, where you grew up. Where kids used to emulate your moonwalk and your spins.
I was going to end by quoting Al Sharpton's speech at the MJ Memorial but seems more appropriate to quote one of MJ's long forgotten songs...
"People say i'm not okay
Cause i love such elementary things
It's been my fate to compensate
For the childhood i've never known" - Michael Jackson, from his song "Childhood"
