michael jackson passed on this day in 2009.
he was 50 years old.
i have posted about him before....but in the internet world, people come and go and nobody reads or remembers everything.
also, i know how much many of you loved the man and his music, so i am sharing a few recollections one more time.
he was a friend of mine. i do not claim to have known him well and doubt if anyone really did. but we shared some wonderful times together. he always treated me with respect and generosity.
beyond all the accolades that he rightfully earned and deserved, i found him to be quite grounded in his core beliefs. he was much smarter than people gave him credit. he was an attentive listener and frequently spoke to me from a place of deep knowledge and compassion. he truly believed through his humanitarian work that music had the power to alter the planet.
i can recall nights sitting with michael in his living room as he spoke softly about everything from racism in america to his empathy for the 'elephant man'. he asked me questions about john's songs, especially 'come together'.....which he masterfully covered.
we attended a james brown concert in l.a., a broadway show in new york (where this photo was taken), a visit to the l.a. zoo on 'fathers day' with sean. he invited me to the taping of one of his music videos, movie screenings at his home…..…and would phone late at night when he knew i would be awake as he always was.
michael was the definition of 'contemporary' with respect to his artistry, but nostalgic and respectful when he spoke of sammy davis jr, james brown or fred astaire. he had a great sense of reverence and respect for the artists that came before him.....and spoke excitedly about a few he met.
i liked his chimp but was nervous around the snake.
my favorite room in his house was the 'game room' filled with pinball machines. we played….and he always won. that's where he first introduced me to his sister, latoya so many years ago.
in our late night phone calls, we spoke more about the state of the world as opposed to the trappings of his superstardom. the first was an imperative..... the rest, a given.
i will always miss michael jackson as i know so many of you do tonight.