Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson

June 25, 2009 4 Comments

The Los Angeles Times reports that Michael Jackson has died. CNN has confirmed it.

As with so many others, he was definitely a part of my childhood. From time to time my parents joke about me doing “the Michael Jackson dance” when I was little. This basically meant I moved around in a sort of jittering fashion like a crazy person, resembling Jackson’s moves for maybe a second and by accident.

At EPCOT, I loved the Captain EO ride. I had the Michael Jackson sneakers from L.A. Gear (black with gold, metal circles). I was really young, so I didn’t really listen to or buy albums, but the big singles, especially “Beat It” and “Bad,” I loved. I didn’t end up buying any of his music until the past few years, which is when I got a little deeper into his older stuff and other tracks. I still need to go back and buy all his albums and I’ll do that one day.

So, today is a sad day. He was a tremendous talent, which goes without saying, and his accomplishments were immense. He inspired a generation of entertainers. He’ll be missed.

Patrick O'Keefe

Managing online communities since 2000, I publish a collective of websites known as the iFroggy Network. I wrote the book Managing Online Forums and, as a public speaker, have presented for organizations like CNN, institutions like Australian National University and conferences like SXSW. More about me.