Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Michael Jackson’s been on my musical radar for my whole life. First with the Jackson 5, then on through Off The Wall, Thriller and BAD (let’s gloss over Dangerous okay?). Whilst I’d never describe myself as massive fan, for my generation he really was ‘the king of pop’. At a time when record releases and video premiers were real events, millions of us around the world would turn on, tune in and attempt to moonwalk across the living room carpet (not the easiest thing to do). Of course the last decade or so has pretty much been a write off and I really couldn’t see that O2 comeback happening (surely it would have done more damage to his reputation than anything else that’s dogged his later years?), but strip that away and you’ve got an impressive body of work that stands up to anything in pop history. I’ve picked ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ as the best way to pay my respects - a video that looked like it cost $50 and Jacko looking like happier and more full of life than he ever had done…and, sadly, was ever likely to again. RIP.