I grew up knowing who he was, how he danced (boy could that man really dance!), and had heard a smattering of his music, but that was all. Still, it was clearly cemented in my mind, perhaps for reasons not yet clear to me then, that he was a great artiste, the undisputed King of Pop. I had seen video footages of screaming, shrieking, wailing female fans with tears streaming down their faces as they cried out for Michael at his stampede-ready concerts. I heard from the grown-ups around me talk about how people fainted from excitement, and once on the telly a woman got a kiss from Michael, to which my dad joked that she was not going to wash her face for a year. Everyone seemed to try to imitate his famous moonwalk. I mean, someone who caused that much hysteria had got to be a big deal.

His songs that I came to know as a kid were his hits in the 90s such as "Heal the World", "Will You be There", "You are Not Alone" and "Scream", a duet with his sister Janet. I honestly don't think those were some of his best works, explaining why the impact he left on me back then was not a strong one.

Things changed when I entered my late teens and twenties. My curiousity about this demi-God grew as media reports about his increasing eccentricities grew too. I started digging up on his older classic releases to listen to, and watched his music videos again. At some of the clubs and parties I went to, whenever the dj busted out some old skool tracks, Michael Jackson would inevitably get the dancing blood in me flowing as I happily grooved away on a music high.

Forget all that Lisa Marie Presley girly-softie crap songs that he released much later like "you are not alone" . His best music that truly delivered a punch was in his HIStory!

These are my favorite timeless MJ songs that I could listen to over and over again:

- Smooth Criminal
- Billie Jean
- Do You Remember the Time
- Rock With You
- The Way You Make Me Feel
- Beat It
- Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
- Man in the Mirror
- Ben
- I'll Be There, I Want You Back (Jackson 5)

I'm very much into old skool jams, rather than modern pop ditties that I feel lack... REAL SOUL.

I gradually came to fully appreciate Michael's great works, his amazing dancing, and his ground-breaking music videos of the time. I finally understood why he was such big of a deal as I had seen during my childhood, why he was the King of Pop. As a result I have a great amount of admiration and respect for him.

Michael was the one to bridge R&B and Pop as we know it. He was the single individual who defined the music video age. With the introduction of the CD-format, MTV, and his Thriller album, Michael was the one artiste who brought it all together to make it that impactful, more than anyone ever did or anyone ever will.

The very sad thing is that over the past decade MJ has been made out to be a freak by the press, media, and unscrupulous dirtbags with dollar signs in their eyes.

I for one, have always sympathized with MJ's plight and have never fully believed he was as crazy and disgusting as people painted him to be. I will even say that I often feel ANGRY at the kind of treatment he got.

Michael Jackson was a complicated human being who was denied a childhood in order to provide us with great musical and dancing entertainment, ever since his little days with the Jackson 5. But with all his wealth and success, it seems to me he never seemed truly happy.

Because of his lost youth, Michael Jackson very much remained a child trapped in a man's body, riddled with confusion over his status, his identity, his life, and the world around him. Add to that problems with his health (he supposedly has little appetite and spent $45,000 a month on medications!).

He was soft-spoken like a child, he likened himself to Peter Pan and fashioned a sprawling home for himself after "Neverneverland". He was just a kid at heart, or trying to relive a childhood he never had, can't people give him a break and let him live his life???

I also think people should think twice before making rude and mocking comments/offensive jokes about him being a paedophile or child molester. Shame on you. I believe with all my head and heart that HE WAS NOT!

Since he was like a real-life Peter Pan, it is not entirely unusual that he would enjoy the company of kids. And since he was deprived of a happy childhood and ABUSED as a child entertainer in the Jackson 5, is it so hard to see why he would want to provide for other kids what he did not have, especially that now he has the money and means to?

I saw on televison, personal friends like chereographer Debbie Allen tearfully grieve over his death, and remark that he was very close to his kids, and loved them very much.

Regarding child molestation charges, people tend to focus on the negative and the bad for their own entertainment value. They forget the the press is always trying to sell more papers, tv stations are always trying to gain higher viewership levels. They forget the nasty and despicable things some people will do to take advantage of the rich. It never occurs to them that there are horrible parents out there who will go as far as to make use of their own offspring when there is a money incentive.

"At trial, the boy testified that Jackson initiated the hand-holding, but that he had put his head on Jackson's shoulder because he was "really close to Jackson" and Jackson was his "best friend". Both he and Jackson testified that they had slept in the same room, but not in the same bed. They also agreed that each had offered to sleep on the floor and let the other have the bed. Later, the boy complained that he had not realized that the footage would be broadcast all over the world and that, after it aired, he was teased by his friends. His mother stated that she had not given Bashir permission to film her son and was not even aware of it prior to broadcast. Jackson stated in the documentary that many children, including Macaulay Culkin, his younger brother Kieran, and his sisters had slept in Jackson's bed; all maintained that nothing inappropriate occurred."

You can read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_v._Jackson .

Michael Jackson was simply the best entertainer alive. He had to deal with the enormous pressure of being the largest pop icon in the world, and all the atrocities that came along with it. Can you imagine being under that kind of public scrutiny he did? I can empathize with how terrible he must have felt, to be maligned, mocked, and have awful rumors spread about him. I can understand how misunderstood he must have been.

It is all the more sad when you look at his later music, where you can see his hope to "Heal the World", his fragility, vulnerability, his need for love and his wish to spread love.

"Will You Be There"

Hold Me
Like The River Jordan
And I Will Then Say To Thee
You Are My Friend

Carry Me
Like You Are My Brother
Love Me Like A Mother
Will You Be There?

Weary
Tell Me Will You Hold Me
When Wrong, Will You Skold Me
When Lost Will You Find Me?

But They Told Me
A Man Should Be Faithful
And Walk When Not Able
And Fight Till The End
But I'm Only Human

Everyone's Taking Control Of Me
Seems That The World's
Got A Role For Me
I'm So Confused
Will You Show To Me
You'll Be There For Me
And Care Enough To Bear Me

(Hold Me)
(Lay Your Head Lowly)
(Softly Then Boldly)
(Carry Me There)

(Lead Me)
(Love Me And Feed Me)
(Kiss Me And Free Me)
(I Will Feel Blessed)

(Carry)
(Carry Me Boldly)
(Lift Me Up Slowly)
(Carry Me There)

(Save Me)
(Heal Me And Bathe Me)
(Softly You Say To Me)
(I Will Be There)

(Lift Me)
(Lift Me Up Slowly)
(Carry Me Boldly)
(Show Me You Care)

(Hold Me)
(Lay Your Head Lowly)
(Softly Then Boldly)
(Carry Me There)

(Need Me)
(Love Me And Feed Me)
(Kiss Me And Free Me)
(I Will Feel Blessed)

[Spoken]
In Our Darkest Hour
In My Deepest Despair
Will You Still Care?
Will You Be There?
In My Trials
And My Tripulations
Through Our Doubts
And Frustrations
In My Violence
In My Turbulence
Through My Fear
And My Confessions
In My Anguish And My Pain
Through My Joy And My Sorrow
In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow
I'll Never Let You Part
For You're Always In My Heart.

This song was from the soundtrack to Free Willy, and I think in many ways he felt like the poor trapped whale himself.

"SCREAM" (with Janet Jackson)

Michael:

Tired of injustice

Tired of the schemes

Kinda disgusted

So what does it mean

Kicking me down

I got to get up

As jacked as it sounds

The whole system sucks, damnit

Janet:

Peek in the shadow

Come into the light

You tell me I'm wrong

Then you better prove you're right

You're sellin' out souls but

I care about mine

I've got to get stronger

And I won't give up the fight

Michael:

With such confusions don't it make you wanna scream

Your bash abusin' victimize within the scheme

Janet:

You try to cope with every lie they scrutinize

Both:

Somebody please have mercy

'cause I just can't take it

Stop pressurin' me, just stop pressurin' me

Stop pressurin' me, make me wanna scream

Stop pressurin' me, just stop pressurin' me

Stop pressurin' me, make me wanna scream

Adding on to this softer side of Michael, let us not forget the humanitarian that he was. Michael was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guiness Book Of World Records for breaking the world record for the "Most Charities Supported By a Pop Star". That is certainly very commendable in my opinion! It states that Michael Jackson has supported 39 charity organizations either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or by participating in their silent auction. He also set up his very own Heal the World Foundation. His desire to make the world a better place is not only evident through his music but also his actions.

Many artistes today from Justin Timberlake to Chris Brown have professed to be influenced by MJ's talents in some way. His music and moves will transcend all his controversies in time to come. He is simply timeless.

It is ironic that it is only with his passing, that the world, and the younger generations who may not be as familiar with him, are starting to fully realize how much of a legend and icon he is. These people are learning all the great things about MJ, instead of all the foul crap that they have been exposed to in recent years. In that sense, his passing could be said to have come at an opportune time.

Any normal person would never have been able to survive the kinds of things that Jackson survived.

The "Thriller" may be gone, but his thrill remains.

R.I.P, King of Pop. Your memory will always remain with me.