Michael made so many people feel good. The joy and excitement of his music, and the possiblity of a comeback, even if he could never repeat "Thriller's" success, was hoped for by most folks; anything he would have done would have been appreciated and sought after.

I haven't been watching or listening to hardly any of the tributes to Michael, because it'd be too much of a downer. I think by the time Martin passed, I became a little numb; when Robert Kennedy was shot I thought "What else is new?", and when Jimi died I couldn't look at that at all, it was too painful. And that's how I feel about Michael; I feel the collective pain. Understand, I didn't follow him or that style of music as closely as others. What makes his passing sad was his age, and that his life had (had because results from his autopsy are inconclusive at this typing) many unhealthy aspects that punctuated his end. If he had lived to be Duke Elligton's age, it still would have been a loss, but his life would have been viewed as fulfilled. However, now we see his life shortened and painful, of his final hopes of a return being canceled. We are now left to sum up, along with his unparalleled performance skills, his unfinished childhood, the actions he had to resort to so that he could indulge in simple pleasures, the attention and criticsm for his lifestyle, his "lack of blackness", and law suits for child abuse, all of which must have given him unimaginable stress.

So Michael, Boy King of the Ages, thank you for sharing your gifts, you will be remembered but finally, with what you have left us, not absent.























© Amir Bey, 2009