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How old were you when you started listening to Michael Jackson?

Whoa.. for starters great thread! Man, when did I start listening to Michael Jackson?

The most direct answer is: never. I've always been a fan and listened keenly to his music since the start of me. So I'll tell you all my history with MJ, why not? it's a good story if ya wanna read it.

My earliest memories of MJ and his music are intertwined with my own initial life memories. A quick rundown on myself; I'm 21 years old, born in Jan. of 1994. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family full of fans, my Dad in particular. Both my parents were born in 1968, so they being of Generation X got to experience MJ in his heyday. Around the time I was 2 going on 3 we were living with my Grandfather who still owned a pretty fancy record Player and sound system. Most of my Dad's old records were being stored there ever since he switched over to CD's in the late 80's. This included Thriller, which I have fuzzy memories of him turning on. The almost ritualistic aspect of vinyl records and the gathering together of the household to hear music was first impressed onto me via MJ and that album. So in a lot of ways, the reason I love the sonic bliss that is music is because of Mr.Jackson.

However, it was the HIStory album that really "introduced" me to Jackson. And when I say that, or course understand it was both disc 1 and 2. HIStory was still pretty new at the time and MJ was on tour, so that double disc set was a great way to become a fan. Through it I learned everything I really needed to know, asking such questions to my father like:

Why did he quit the Jackson 5? (My Dad would also play the motown material along with Destiny and Triumph)

Was he Black or white when he made this song? (In reference to Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', at which point my Father explains that he was always Black, and that he had a skin disorder)

So on and so forth, innocent questions. We had copies of both Moonwalk and Dancing the Dream, being unable to read at the time I prefered the latter, being full of pictures. Also remember being really excited when Blood On The Dancefloor was released and being terrified of the Ghosts short film (My Dad bought a VHS from a guy in Europe like a full year before it premiered in the States) Was also super confused by his first child not appearing to be of mixed race, this time my Dad had no answer other than, "Does it really matter?"


Me and my older Brother were slightly underwhelmed by Invincible, the album WAS good, just not up to what he had previously released. The 30th Anniversary concerts was also kinda ominous for me, as a 7 year old I definitely noticed something was really off about Jackson, in his eyes he looked almost despondent. That was sadly one of the first times me and my Parents discussed the dangers of drugs.

Later during 2003 I'd defiantly bring in Moonwalk to read in class and try to defend MJ against the accusations. Growing up on the later side of his career certainly had its pitfalls, as other younger fans have mentioned in this thread. Michael was viewed as a plastic surgery obsessed freak by most of my peers here in America. Everybody seemed sure that he was going to jail. I will say, the impression I got from some of the students was "Yeah I like his music, but i don't like HIM, he's just too weird"

In that regard, it was tough being a fan in the 2000s. I'll always be envious of you older fans who saw him in his prime!

After the court case Mike seemed to vanish, I was really happy for him after viewing the World Music Awards and seeing the outpouring of love despite all that had happened.

I recall rumours around 07 that suggested a new album was in the works much to my excitement, though nothing came of it. Thriller 25 was released, and finally the This Is It press conference. My Brother had his doubts on whether or not MJ could succeed at his age, but I felt if Tina Turner and Mick Jagger could still swing it, an even younger MJ could easily tour.

The spring and early summer just before June 25th I was listening to the album Dangerous heavily. That was the one piece from his Discography I had little appreciation for, mainly because growing up my Dad didn't play it much, outside of Black Or White and In The Closet, he just didn't like the album. Believe he said something along the lines of "Should've never left Quincy Jones, if it ain't broke why fix it?" though he was a super fan of HIStory, which he considers to be MJ's magnum opus.

I was 15 when he passed away, immediately went upstairs and cried my eyes out after hearing the news, it was like my best friend had died! I still miss MJ, but we've got his music and memories to sustain us. Can't wait until I have kids of my own so they'll have their first Michael Jackson listening experience, though i'm not sure what age they'll be.
 
^^Very interesting backstory. Especially about your Dad. I'm incredibly impressed by someone who is so refreshingly tolerant, compassionate and accepting, especially when he was just barely turning 20 during the Bad Tour-and then turn around and pass that maturity on to his kids?

And I Love hearing about people who loved Michael and stayed loyal. Passing that on to their kids.

That's the way we live forever.
 
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I already heard about MJ when I was little, and thankfully never about the issues revolving around him. I was fortunate enough to actually discover alot of his music before he passed that year when I was maybe about 10.
 
I'm ashamed about this but... I only knew Michael when he left us... So I had just celebrated my 10th birthday. But still that I am a true fan since ! He led me on the right way in life and I regret so much that I haven't knew him earlier or had the chance to see one of this concert for real ! His music brang me so much and entering is fanbase is one of the best thing I ever did.
 
Re: How old was you when you started to listnening to Michael Jackson?

I'm pretty sure it would have been around 1985, so I was 4 years old :)
 
I remember exactly when I first saw Michael: The 2001 VMA's on TV when I was 6 years old.

I was a big fan of *NSYNC when I was really young so I watched the awards to see them perform the song "Pop". Then this happened:

Then I asked my mom "Who is this guy and why is everyone giving him a standing ovation when he only danced for like 30 seconds?" Fortunately, my mom already had original CD copies of Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory in her collection and I started listening to them constantly. Coincidentally, that was also around the time I listened to *NSYNC less. I also distinctly remember watching his performance of Dangerous on the American Bandstand 50th anniversary show when it first aired in 2002 and I specifically remember the image of the woman with the spiked outfit dancing around him. I got the remastered editions of Off The Wall and Thriller for my seventh birthday and as of right now, I own every one of his solo albums, J5 albums, Jacksons albums, and practically everything he's every recorded on my iPod.

I also remember buying the Number Ones album and the Ultimate Collection box sets with my own allowance money on the days they came out. Unfortunaltely, the day AFTER Number Ones came out, a girl in my 3rd grade class told me that Michael got arrested, but I refused to believe her. For the next several years of grade school, I was continuously made fun of as the boy who was a fan of a man accused of touching boys. Nonetheless, I still followed every detail of the trial as it happened, even telling myself that I would skip school for the rest of the year if he was found guilty (which, thank God, he wasn't).

Even though he was found innocent, I was still being ridiculed, so I constantly denied that I liked MJ in school, to little avail. I distanced myself from Michael in public after the trial while anxiously waiting for a new album that never came (I didn't want to get Thriller 25 because there was only one new song and a bunch of crappy remixes). Even when the This Is It concerts were first announced I didn't get excited because he was performing thousands of miles away and the tickets were all sold out in a flash. I figured I would just wait until fan footage from the concerts would leak onto Youtube to see him perform again.

When he passed away, I was so detached from him that I couldn't shed a single tear no matter how much I wanted to.

Now that he's gone and the general public likes him again, I've been conflicted. At first, I became angry at everyone jumping on the "he was such a legend" bandwagon because most of them were the same people who were mocking him on June 24. Now I'm more accepting of it because now he has more fans than ever and newer generations are being introduced to his music without focusing on what the tabloids said about him.

I am now very public with my love for MJ and have even sung and danced to his music at several of my high school's talent shows and variety shows.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that not a day has gone by since I was a boy that I haven't heard his voice or seen his face in some form or another.
 
My uncle introduced me to Michael's music when we were both eight years old (he's 6 months my senior). I don't recall what song of MJ's I heard first, but it was probably "Billie Jean" or "Bad". I do remember being scared by the "Thriller" video, after seeing it on VHS. I bought my first CD of that album when I was 15, in 1995; my Dad gave me "HIStory" that Christmas, and I bought "Blood on the Dance Floor" in '96. Now, I have all his CDs since "Off the Wall", including "Thriller 25", "Bad 25", and the two posthumous efforts. I'm hoping the Estate releases another one soon, and hopefully puts more effort into it than "Xscape" (having duplicates of every song on the same disc sucks).
 
Personally, it was in 2005..i was 6. My first MJ-related thing was "The One", and then it continued with The Essential, Bad etc. Still a big fan today !
 
Kee said:
I'm ashamed about this but... I only knew Michael when he left us... So I had just celebrated my 10th birthday.
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No need to feel ashamed! I'm only four years older than you but we grew up in a time where Michael wasn't really doing much musically, he was either facing the molestation trials or laying low. I probably wasn't really even that aware of who him until the child molestation trial myself, who knows. Besides, you were only 10 so you can't be expected to know every huge music artist :)

Personally myself, I only discovered his music just over a year before he passed away and became quite the casual fan. It was his death that spurred me to look further into his catalogue and I've never been one to see the problem with becoming a fan of an artist once they passed away. Hell I did it just recently. A month ago I couldn't name more than 5 David Bowie songs (there was some I liked though and had on my Spotify); however his death encouraged me to go listen to his greatest hits on Spotify and I discovered just how much I actually loved some of his songs! Ended up spending ~$35 on his music on iTunes eventually and now I'm very much a fan of his works. The main thing is, you became a fan and that's all that matters ^_^

Have to admit, it's cool to see a number of younger fans like myself on here!!
 
I was 4 or just before that age.. 1989 when I learned about WHO Michael was... MOONWALKER! But I did hear him prior to that, my mom grew up listening to Jacksons, Janet, Michael etc.. so Of course I heard!

Moonwalker changed my life.. My parents thought I'd grow out of it.. lol 27 years later! NOPE!
 
I remember hearing "Will You Be There" when I was young but didn't know Michael much which I was about 7 years old, but then 10 years later when I was 16 I began to listen to Michael much after learning about him more.
 
I was born during Dangerous era. My mother remembers when she was at home with me and ironing, the RTT video was aired, so it's kinda possible RTT was the first song I've ever heard :)

In 2003, I asked Mum to bring Invincible home for me from a library. I liked it, but I wasn't convinced (MJ had a very bad reputation at that time). I became a proper fan in 2005 when I heard Billie Jean :) It became obvious to my parents shortly afterwards as I started cutting out MJ's photos from magazines and newspapers and spent my very first earned money on Invincible :)

Then my father revealed to me there was a Thriller gramophone disc at my aunt's. He and my uncle somehow purchased it in the 80s :eek: None of my parents listen to MJ though.

And then my grandpa (he's over 85 now) told me he loved J5 :eek:
 
damn...how do I find my post without going through all 10 pages? is there an easier way?
 
Michaels Lover said:
damn...how do I find my post without going through all 10 pages? is there an easier way?
Click to expand...

Hit of the overall number of replies:

528686.jpeg


Then a new window pops up with a list of each contributor of this thread. Search for your name and hit the number on the right with the amount of your posts in this very thread (in your case it's "2") and both your posts will be displayed.

Your other post was post #126
 
Michaels Lover said:
damn...how do I find my post without going through all 10 pages? is there an easier way?
Click to expand...

At the top of this thread, under the page numbers, there'll be "Search Thread". Click that and choose "Advanced search". Under user name, type in your user name and then click it when it appears. Clicking "Search" should then bring up every post of yours in this thread!
 
I was 13 / 14 when I heard IJCSLY and MITM on the radio. I was completely mesmerized... and I still am today :)
 
I remember hearing Thriller and Heal The World on and off on the radio during my childhood but I really started to discover MJ's discography when I was 16. 2005 was the year my fandom began.
 
Re: How old was you when you started to listnening to Michael Jackson?

I pretty much grew up on MJ - my parents were fans of his music and we listened to "Number Ones" in the car on repeat when we went on road trips to the US (I live in Canada). My first memory is probably from when I was about 5 or 6 and seeing the Thriller video for the first time and being scared out of my wits!

I really got into him when he announced TII in March of 2009. I was bound and determined to go see him in concert (even though I knew it was never going to happen because that stuff is expensive) so I uploaded all of his CD's into my iTunes and listened to him on repeat. I was devastated when he died - I actually cried on and off for about a week before I could calm down (I was 13 - picture that).
 
I became a fan in the year 2007 it was amazing news when I was 13 and saw
MJ on the news about his comeback
Sadly it never happened
 
It's strange. When I was younger I encountered MJ's songs on several occasions. I remember when I was a little kid back in the '90s, I heard Thriller on the radio. Even though it was still on the radio, I knew that song had a very scary short film and was scared to death when I heard it on the radio.

Then several years later, when YRMW came out, I remember watching MTV and seeing the Making Of You Rock My World. I LOVED that short film and the song.

Then there was a Turkish dance contest on tv where contestants had to dance each other off. There was one Turkish guy, calling himself Michael Yi?it, danced just like Michael. Especially to Dangerous. I remember listening to Dangerous very often thanks to Yi?it.

Then the allegations came. I NEVER EVER believed that Michael did such a thing and I supported him fully without being a hardcore fan. I loved that man very much. It's strange and hard to explain.

Then Thriller 25 came out. I LOVED WBSS '08. I remembering listening to that song non stop. One day, I was in the bus going back home from school, I forgot my earphones. So I didn't give a **** and started to play the song on low volume. But the bus driver made an announcement that the song should be turned off, because it was too loud.

Then I saw the This Is It announcement. I was soooo excited seeing him announcing him his concert tours. I watched the announcement several times. I was so excited, even though I knew I could not be there.

I remember the day the terrible news came out. I was at a theme park when it happened. The day after we got the news (different time zones). I was in shock. Literally. I was heartbroken. I was devastated. I was crying. I remember reading the news on my desktop computer and when I saw it my mouth just literally fell open. I could not believe it.

I'm 23 and I am ashamed to say that since my 16th I'm a hardcore MJ fan. It's strange. I encountered several times with his music. I listened to his music and I loved him. I supported him during his trial. But I was no hardcore fan. When I listen to WYBT or WII, sometimes I think why I didn't discover his songs when I was younger. Geez, I missed a lot. BUT, I have to say. Better too late than never. I'm glad to know all of his songs by heart. I'm glad to watch everyday his interviews, concert footages, etc etc on YouTube. I'm glad to be a hardcore fan now.
 
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My original answer was very brief, here is a bit more detail.

I first heard him when I was 3 and a half, late 1979, DSTYGE was a huge hit and played on the radio here in late 1979, early 1980 and I remember it as a child and then Rock with you came out. I remember liking those songs, but had no idea who it was, just that I assumed it was the same guy singing both songs.

In 1983 aged 6 going on to 7 was when Billie Jean, Say Say Say and Beat It were big hits, I loved the songs and knew it was a guy called Michael Jackson and that everyone liked him and he was this great dancer. My brother had the album and we had the poster on the wall. I got scared watching the Thriller video when I was 7 and a half.

I finally became a fan when Bad came out in 1987 and I was 11 and somehow got my 4 year old cousin into Michael Jackson and we are still fans now (He is 33 and I am nearly 40 in a few weeks).

Seriously obsessive fandom came in 1989, when the Leave me alone single came out and someone told me about the Jackson 5 and I got Moonwalker out of the Library and by 1992 I had read the first version of the Magic and the Madness and had Dangerous and was buying all the singles as they came out. Of course this was an expensive time for me, as that was when I getting into Prince big time as well. By 1993 I was supporting him against idiots saying he fiddled with kiddies and the like. The tale ends in 1995 when I queued up outside a record store at midnight in the middle of our winter to be one of the first to buy History.

So 3 and a half to 39 and 11 months, thats like 91% of my life being into Michael Jackson. He was barely out of nappies (Early 1962) at the age I discovered him and now when he was my age now, he had released Blood on the Dancefloor and Paris had just been born (Mid 1998)
 
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