amelialourdes: (music ; mj billie jean)
amelialourdes ([personal profile] amelialourdes) wrote2009-07-07 05:45 pm

goodbye, michael.

i didn't think that i was going to write anything today. i don't know what else to say that hasn't been said or i didn't want to clutter the friends list with more michael. though, for me, there is never enough michael.

many of us grew up with him. we saw him from his "i'll be there" to "never can say goodbye" to "dancing machine" to "thriller" to "bad" to "dangerous" and to "blood on the dance floor" and "invincible". he was literally there as we (his fans) grew up. i was born in 1985 and i remember when the singles from bad were all over the radio. i tell this story a lot but it's because the memory is so vivid. i was in my mom's dental office and i heard "man in the mirror" for the first time. i remember feel so excited and happy to hear a new michael jackson song on the radio.

i felt that way every time that i heard a new michael jackson album or song. i know a lot of people have these stories. michael's been so part of their lives and most of us share in that experience of having a michael jackson memory. i consider myself really, really lucky to have discovered his music at such a young age because he's truly rooted in my life. i've never stopped being a michael jackson fan and i never will.

it has really hurt to watch the memorial. i haven't really stopped crying since they started. the memories, the speeches, the montage, the michael songs, his daughter speaking to the crowd for the first time. he really did as good of a job as he could do protecting those kids from the media. it's kind of incredible in this day how we could not see their faces or even hear from those kids until now. i imagine he didn't want them to suffer the scrutiny that he'd faced at such a young age.

but, he'll definitely be missed. i don't think that we'll ever see anyone else like him.

today is a remembrance day for him and his music and his dancing and his originality so i'll leave you with a few videos.


this is the man in the mirror from the moonwalker video. it's the version i grew up watching.


here's the famous billie jean video from the motown anniversary special.


this is probably one of my favorite songs of his in his entire catalog. it's such an inspirational song. it's just one of those songs where if i need to kick ass, i'll listen to it to get inspired and feel pumped and confident about myself.


never can say goodbye. it's appropriate.

[identity profile] savemeimdtba.livejournal.com 2009-07-08 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh man, I cried all day yesterday... I had such a headache. Paris and Marlon killed me... "maybe they'll leave you alone now, Michael" and of course, they won't... and Al Sharpton "your daddy was not strange, what he had to deal with was strange" and a lot of other very good speeches.. I'm sad it's officially over :(

[identity profile] amelialourdes.livejournal.com 2009-07-10 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I definitely felt the same way. There were way too many tears shed. I liked what they had to say about him. In a moment of peace, they gave him a break and allowed him to be remembered as a great performer, brother, and father.

[identity profile] turnyourankle.livejournal.com 2009-07-08 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
you know, i haven't said anything about all of this, but i just. this, this post, it's exactly what i feel as well. my favorite will always be the free willy song, just cause i was so obsessed with that movie. they showed the dangerous tour after the memorial here, and i can't decide if it's a comfort that we'll never have someone as great as him around again, or not :(

[identity profile] amelialourdes.livejournal.com 2009-07-10 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
I'm glad that you said something and that we can relate. It helps to have that in a wave of cynics. I remember going to see Free Willy because Michael's song was in it. That really was a great movie, wasn't it? I agree. I don't think that we'll ever see anyone like him again and watching his older material is just a reminder of that.

[identity profile] on-the-ground.livejournal.com 2009-07-09 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
sends to memories and I'll read this tomorrow..

[identity profile] mozartfan1313.livejournal.com 2009-07-09 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
I find I get sadder by his passing every day. It hits me a little bit more every day. He was such a huge part of my childhood. There can never be enough Michael posts. I don't even know if I'm done posting them yet on my LJ.

Man in the Mirror is LOVE. It's one of my top five favourite Michael songs. It was so personal for him, you can just tell. It's incredible.

My heart aches thinking about how sad and isolating a lot of his life must have been. I didn't watch the whole memorial. I was at work but, even if I wasn't, I don't think I could have been able to watch the whole thing. Too sad. I always struggle when watching people grieve. It might be because I'm so private when I grieve myself. Plus, some people were so cruel to him it breaks my heart.

Marlon's speech, Paris's tears and Jermaine singing "Smile" were the moments that did me in. RIP Michael. We all love you, we all miss you, you talented and generous man.

[identity profile] amelialourdes.livejournal.com 2009-07-10 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
I hope you're not through with them! I'm certainly not tired of them. But, I find that we're in a rare minority who are talking about him. A few months ago I was trying to find an active Michael Jackson community. Kind of depressing that this is what it took to get people to talk about him again.

I watched the entire memorial at my desk and was sobbing, alone. I really should've done something. I said I was going to go down to Staples Center even without a ticket but I listened to all those police warnings and I couldn't take off anyway. I just would've liked to have been with other people who understood the way that I was feeling.

There'll never be anyone else like him, never. I feel sorry for the people who don't appreciate that.

[identity profile] mozartfan1313.livejournal.com 2009-07-12 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
I'm definitely not through with them. I think I might make a list of my all-time favourite Michael songs. Maybe a top ten. I think a top five would be way too hard. lol.

Are there active MJ communities that you are part of? I'd love to join one.

I have a hard time watching people grieve so I didn't watch the memorial. I saw some highlights through CNN afterward so I saw a clip of Jermaine singing "Smile" and I heard Paris' little speech. That was heartbreaking enough. I wouldn't have lasted the entire service.

Agreed!

[identity profile] amelialourdes.livejournal.com 2009-07-12 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
You know, I haven't looked for an active Michael community since the last time that I checked so maybe I'll do that today. I'm curious.

[identity profile] mozartfan1313.livejournal.com 2009-07-13 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
I joined the first community last night. It seems pretty good.