MJ's Legacy

Waking up in the morning can be as challenging as climbing Mt Fuji, especially for people like me whose brain takes an eternity to start up. That's why I keep my remote control just next to my pillow; the morning news gives me a jump-start.

The first time I switched on the TV this morning, it was reported in the news that Michael Jackson was sent to the hospital - no details. Still groggy from my sleep, I squinted my eyes to take a look at the time. 6.33. Jeez. I decided it was still early and went back to sleep.

The next time I woke up was at 8, when the alarm rang. Switched on the TV again and this time, there was an update on MJ's news.

He's just died.

Whoa! Talk about getting a jump-start in the morning! The crappiest news last night was about the recovery of Colonel Sanders from a river in Osaka. (See: Curse of the Colonel) I wouldn't bat an eyelid if they reported in the morning that the North Koreans tested another missle. But MJ's death? Now, that's very sudden. In fact, in a small skit we're going to make in a lesson next week, there'll be a brief reference to MJ.

I remember that back when I was about 7 years old, there was a music concert and we sang "We Are the World" as the ending song. I didn't know it's MJ's song until very much later, but the fact that it's one of the songs that was part of my childhood gives it a big significance.

I'm not particularly a fan of MJ but he's the King of Pop who once rocked the world after all. As a child, he endured the abuses by his father and rose to become a star. (To an African-American, that's a big feat.) His career reached its peak in the late 80's/early 90's, when he was dubbed the King of Pop. Unfortunately, fame turned him into a spoilt super star, and later, his reputation was seriously marred by the child molestation allegations.

It's a pity we won't see him making his comeback in his scheduled London tour the world has been looking forward to. Now, when we talk about MJ, it's going to be like when our fathers talk about Elvis Presley. I feel so old already. I mean, he's one of the people who defined the world we grew up in. And now he's gone.

But one thing for sure is, his albums are going to sell like hotcakes once more. MJ's music will live on.