The King of Pop – A Tribute.
My real love of Michael Jackson happened at Aly McLeod’s 8th birthday party. We watched the HBO special “The Making of Thriller” and I was hooked. I was 7. Over the next few years I collected music, books, t-shirts, posters, stickers… you name it. I saw every TV special and even learned the Thriller dance.
God, I remember throwing a HUGE fit and crying because my mom wouldn’t let me stay up and watch him win the 8 Grammy’s for Thriller. I cried and listened really hard so I heard it all.
I had this poster in my room. I’m not gonna lie- I talked to it. Shut your faces, I was like, 8!
I remember my friend Tony Poche loved him, too. We used to bring the Thriller tape to school and blast it in our jam-boxes while swinging and singing at the top of our lungs at recess.
Yes, I was a hard-core 8 year old.
I used to listen to Thriller over and over again. I had one of those little small, hand-held tape recorders and I’d play, rewind, play. And sing. And dance.
Man, could he dance. He moved like no one else. I remember seeing him moonwalk on the 25th Anniversary Motown special. It blew my mind. It was so awesome. I remember several people doing impersonations for the talent show. And I remember the dance school I went to did Thriller as the finale and had a guy dance to Billie Jean. T-boy Hamilton, I think it was. He was older than me- probably in high school. I remember being so impressed. I mean, I was 7, people. It was pretty freakin’ impressive.
Now, the yellow sweater poster was actually my favorite, but i didn’t have that one. I couldn’t find it. I did have it on a t-shirt, though. And a sticker. Tony had it and I was totally jealous. And she had a trampoline that was totally awesome.
I even had a t-shirt with him and E.T. on it. E.T. was my favorite movie, too, so of course this was a sign that we should be bff forever. Again, I was 8. Shut up.
God, I would dance for hours to his music. I also had Off the Wall and I bought the Jacksons Victory album. I had books on the family. I was 8 and read an actual adult biography on him. I had a cool picture book, too, from Weekly Reader that was awesome. I knew EVERYTHING. I used to be able to name all the kids, in birth order. Not even playin’. I read that his dad was abusive so I automatically hated him. And I was a Janet Jackson fan long before she released the Control album. I watched her as Penny, Cleo and Charlene. Penny in re-runs, though.
I was seriously ridonklous. I mean, I remember Kim Fields (Tootie from The Facts of Life) singing a song called Dear Michael on American Bandstand because she was such a fan. Hi, I’m crazy. Nice to meet you.
Mike teases me that when I like something, I can’t just enjoy it. I have to, like, bathe in it. Roll around the floor in it. Become one with it. I’d like to say he’s full of shit, but he’s not. I have to pretty much absorb all knowledge I can of something. This started really young, as you can see.
To this day, hearing Thriller makes me break out and dance. I was in NYC a few years ago with Mike and Dianne. We went to Planet Hollywood after drinking A LOT. We did it because we were too drunk to go find real food and it was right there. I get in the lobby and what’s on? The Thriller video. I danced along with it right there. It was a great moment for me and the other tourists hanging out down there.
The thing about Michael is that he is, undeniably, the Elvis of our time. His music and legacy forever changed pop music- how it’s created and marketed. He pioneered the music video. He could move like no one else. He had an amazing voice. He was epic and over the top and simply awesome. And like Elvis, he died young and unexpectedly after a very hard fall from grace.
No matter what happened in the last 15 years, the first 35 were spectacular. He was a visionary and a dreamer and an artist. He will surely be missed.
My ode to the King of Pop:
RIP.
-Ali
I’m so glad that I made you write this.
My mom bought me Bad when I was a kid. It was the first cassette (!) that I rightfully owned (meaning it wasn’t one that I took from my parents and said was mine.)
I was no where near the über-fan that Ali was/is (who is) but I loved the music. And I still do. I was jamming in the office to “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin” and “Rock With You” earlier tonight. Like a damn fool.
that was fantastic. i love watching you guys dance! you rock, ali.
GREAT blog and a fabulous tribute! I never get tired of watching that video and I’m still really sad that we don’t have video footage from NYC, because THAT was classic!
I was a little too ‘old’ (shutup) for the whole ‘Thriller’ craze at the time, but I was a huge fan from the beginning – when HE was 8 (again, shutup!). He was always amazing and I’ll totally agree with you that, no matter what he was for the last 15 years, he was amazing for most of his life, and that’s what I hope people remember about him.
You go rock the Thriller dance, girl. Love you!
Do you know that I never listened to Michael Jackson as a kid? I was raised on oldies and Christian music, and didn’t venture near pop until the year of the rise of NKOTB. I feel a bit robbed.
I loved this. The best tribute I have read.
I may be 24, but my cousin Amy was just a big fan like you were, who grew up loving Michael. She’s quite older than me. She would send me cassettes, posters, shirts, and pins for my birthday of him to try and get me to be a fan. She did manage to make me a fan. I would say I practically grew up with him, just at the end of the 80′s. I was a little late lol. But all in all, I’m still sorta in shock. We lost the King of Pop. Very weird. And you’re right, he’s the Elvis in our time and we will never have anyone like him.
I love your Thriller. I finally got to “see it.” Di talked so much about you and Thriller, and I always wanted to see it. lol, it was awesome. Girl, you even did that egyptian head move thing like he did, in it. Classic.
I knew you would write this! You guys only think you can imagine how crazed she was. Seth and I used to fight over your old Michael Jackson t-shirt to sleep in when we were little!!
Madeline and I watched the video again, twice. She danced and pointed out Nanny and titi!! It was totally cute!
That video was great! My first MJ album that I owned myself was DANGEROUS. My favorite song was The Way You Make Me Feel.
Ali-
I HAD the yellow sweater poster and the other. IN fact, I wallpapered my room in MJ posters and I would rub the face of the yellow sweater poster every day. I even had a pic hanging from my damn light from the ceiling. And I actually got to go to the Victory tour and I actually got to see poor Mike after the concert when his van got stuck because the fans went crazy and surrounded the van and were shaking it and I stood in front of the van (on the sidewalk) and waved at him and I could see his glove as he freaked out because they were rocking the van.
I was so sad when I heard the news.
z
Michael Jackson would always be the best popstar ever. i love all his songs and his live concerts.