In celebrity gossip this morning is news that Michael Jackson has died of a heart attack. Born August 29 1958, we all know the impact Michael Jackson had on music and dance classes everywhere. Various homages have been paid to MJ over the years by other musicians in a salute to his indisputable talents - Justin Timberlake (pretty much all the time, but esp in Rock Your Body), Chris Brown at the VMAs in 2007 performed a mad Billie Jean, Fall Out Boy (remake of Beat It) and Eminem (somewhat less flattering, of course).
No one denies he was a strange man (let's face it, creative types generally are in some way or another) and his final years were dogged with controversy surrounding his finances, plastic surgery, bizarre behaviour frequently involving his children and of course questions surrounding his relationship with younger boys who stayed in his Neverland Ranch.
Regardless of all of those issues, it's impossible to ignore the impact his brand of music, moon walking, fingerless gloves and crotch grabbing had on the music and dance world. Michael Jackson was the soundtrack to my childhood dance classes. I know a lot of dance teachers who will be shedding a tear or two today.
It's sad what happened to Michael Jackson, as he appeared to struggle with life not only as an adult, but as an adult out of the spotlight he had grown up with. It's also terribly sad that he died so young (relatively speaking), leaving 3 children behind.
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