The King is dead!

The 'King of Pop'- Michael Jackson, passed away in LA yesterday. I write this post as a dedication to what the man meant to me.
Aow! - that was probably his biggest contribution to the world. I first started listening to him when I was around 7-8 years old. He was supposed to make a trip down to India and there was a show in DD promoting him.
The show brought me to the world of Michael Jackson. There were the phenomenal music videos and dance moves. There was the gyrating pelvis, the moon walk, the characteristic full throated yell that portrayed passion and energy, and I, like most guys that time, was floored.
I bought all his albums. I practised his dance moves and could even do the moon walk! (people who know me now will laugh, but I could at one time.) I even started to dress like him with the light blue denim shirt, buttons undone and a white vest underneath. I remember Dad saw me once like that, and he gave me an earful. He He!
That particular tour to India was cancelled, and he toured only much later. My fascination for the man though continued unabated.
My favourite song of his was 'Beat It'. There were others also. There was 'Billie Jean' also from Thriller, 'Smooth Criminal' from Dangerous, 'Bad' from the album Bad. There was also a video featuring Michael Jordan called 'Jam'. That was also brilliant. In Smooth Criminal there's a scene where from standing in the upright position he goes all the way down bending just his ankles. I was fascinated by that move and kept practising it. Unfortunately I'd always fall on my face! I later learnt that trick- photography was used in filming that particular move. :)
As I grew older, I moved on to other musicians and genres. After a certain point of time, it was no longer cool to be listening to Michael Jackson. I'd grown up. I got rid of all my MJ tapes and CD's.
Every once in a while though, there'd be an MJ song playing on TV. And I might have stayed on that channel for a second longer than usual, just to remember the old times. He was the first guy I'd ever confessed to being a fan of. And somewhere at the back of my mind, in my sub-conscious he was still there.
Yesterday's news brought back those wonderful feelings and emotions that were locked away in my mind/ sub-conscious. I remembered being fascinated by the guy and I still can't point out why. I didn't know what he stood for. I didn't understand the lyrics of his songs. His dance moves were maddening, his dressing sense was outrageous. And I still loved the guy. Gosh, what was wrong with me?
Well nothing was wrong with me or the millions of others he'd influenced in the same way. He had that magnetic pull, the charm and aura. Commentaries and tributes to him have gone on and on about how he was a force for good and how he broke down the barriers of race and so on and so forth. I don't know about all that. The truth is that there was a force around him that was/is simply inexplicable. He was and always will be a one of a kind entertainer. He truly was the King of POP!
Thank you MJ. May your soul rest in peace.