Michael Jackson R.I.P

I fee like I should say something about Michael Jackson. I'm sure everyone knows about his passing last week, and there is a ton of commentary already out here on the interweb covering everything from bad jokes to discussions on whether or not his children are in fact biologically tied to Mr. MJ. I'm certainly not about to fuel any fires, or try to start a pissing contest between one faction or another. I just wanted to say my little piece about the man.

It may surprise many (and others not so much) that I was quite a big fan of Michael in my formative years. My mom was a big fan, and as such MJ was an artist played often in the Montoya home. In fact, he was probably one of the artists along with Phil Collin who got me on the path to being a musician (Quit your giggling! I had to start somewhere didn't I?) I'm even reasonably unashamed to admit that for a while there, I was looking forward to one day attaining enough fame that I might join the man on stage (granted, this was before the reports of child molestation started to hit the fan, but it was still a goal.) In time, I went my own way and kind of forgot those things, but the man's work has always had a special place in my heart. There are days I still remember sitting with a walkman, listening to Dangerous over and over again until the cassette finally snapped.

And when I heard the sad news, I found myself strangely indifferent.

Don't get me wrong, I feel great sympathy for his children (biological or otherwise) and for his family. Losing a loved one is never easy, and I understand the pain they must be going through. I've wished a lot of evil things to many a celebrity, but never the big end. And I wouldn't want it in this case either. So, I know there are some very sad and hurting people out there for whom Michael was a big part of their lives, and my condolences go out to them.

But, clearly me an Michael Jackson were never tight. And my feelings come from nothing more than being a fan of his work. And that's where I feel it's strange to be so indifferent about it. When Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker passed on, I was crushed. Even when Dimebag Darrell met his unfortunate end, despite not being a big fan of his music, I was pretty bummed. And I felt this way because I knew there would be no more magic. There wouldn't be one more inspired song or well played lick. It was over, and any creation that one could possibly make would be left with the rest of us.

Not so with Michael. While he did generate a huge catalog of amazing music (and yes it was amazing, even you cynics must agree) those were his glory days. And they were very much behind him. He wasn't revolutionizing anything anymore, and despite the fact that he did put out a decent amount of tunage between now and Dangerous, none of it was amazing. In fact, most of it was utterly forgettable.

And it probably didn't help matters that he was also becoming a talk of great gossip around this time. Child abuse, molestation charges, and more off-the-cuff weirdness than usual. The music was lax, so who and what he was became of much greater interest in the world. And sadly, who and what he was, was pretty strange. I'm not blasting the guy for it, frankly most people who revolutionize the arts tend to be some weird bastards, Michael just happened to be a bit more bizarre than most. More than most of us could stand.

At the time of his death, people talked more about what a bad father he was and how you should keep him away from kids more than any music he created. And while he spoke of comeback tours, it's doubtful any of them would have won us back.

And this, my friends is the sad thing: In order to be remembered as a legendary artist, and truly appreciated for his work, the only thing he could do was die. No new album would've done it, no world tour, his life needed to end for his legacy to be appreciated. I'm not sure what that says about him, but it says something pretty damned dark about us.

So, while I regret the pain his dear friends and family must be feeling at this time, I am at least glad that he is getting his dues as an artist. It's all people can talk about, is what an important singer/songwriter he was, and how much of an impact his work had on us all. People will, as people often do, let all that nasty business about his personal life slide under the rug. And in that way, what has happened was truly for the best.

So, rest in peace Michael Jackson. We never got to tour together, but I appreciate the small contribution you made into making me the fella I am today. May your legend continue to be remembered for artistry and dance, and may everything else fall by the wayside.

That is all.