Remember the Time: My Memories of Michael Jackson

Do you remember the time?

I do.

It was one of those moments. The moments where you remember everything. From where you were, what you were wearing, how you felt… everything.

The first tweet came from @BreakingNews & TMZ.com. Hours pasted before CNN confirmed what we had all feared to be true:

The greatest entertainer of our time, Michael Jackson, had died. Passed away of cardiac arrest at the age of 50.

Despite his often troubled personal life, Michael has left a incredible musical legacy that not only spans over 4 decades, and will influence many to come. His music will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of all those who heard even one song. His videos were and are still are legendary. His fluent dance moves and showmanship are unmatched by any other performer.

His appeal was global. It spanned every race, color, and class on the face of the Earth. Whatever continent he’d be on, in whatever city, hundreds of thousands of fans would pay hundreds, even thousands of dollars for concert tickets. They’d scream hysterically and weep when he took the stage.

Michael was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. He opened countless doors for African American entertainers when no one else could. He influenced the hearts and lives of millions upon millions of people. He was truly one of a kind.

I pray that grace, peace and mercy would cover his family, friends and fans in this time of mourning. While he was a great artist and so much more, he was also a father, a brother, a nephew, an uncle. And a son. What a tragedy for any parent to have to bury their child.

We have no way of knowing where he’s ultimately spending his eternity, but something posted on Mary Mary’s Facebook page may give us a glimmer of hope that he’ll be in Heaven:

Last night we received some good news from Terri McFaddin-Solomon who is good friends with Sandra Crouch. Three weeks ago Sandra and Andre’ spent some time with their close friend, Michael Jackson. Michael asked Andre` to play, “It Won’t Be Long And We’ll Be Leaving Here.” Michael then prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he’s singing in the heavenly choir.! Our hearts rejoice!

He was a legend; an icon. His career, epic. His talent, unrivaled. His life, troubled. Often imitated but will never duplicated. He is the King of Pop. The late Michael Jackson.