R.I.P. Michael Jackson 1958 – 2009
Though I’ve never met Michael in person, his death effected me as if he was a close friend or family member. I still can’t believe it. I was taking a much needed nap, something I never do, when my phone rang and it was my sister Cindy. “Are you watching the news?” She asked. “Michael Jackson died!” Those words hit me like a bat to the chest as I turn on CNN and there it was. “I’ll call you back.” I told my sister, then sat at the edge of my bed in total disbelief.
I am no different than so many others in the music industry, because Michael was a tremendous influence to me too. I was about 4 or 5 years old when I first heard The Jackson Five. Mom bought me anything they put out, one of my favorite was the Christmas Album. How can you twist iconic songs, such as Christmas songs and pull them off better than the originals? At least that’s my opinion.
I use to love singing, it was what I wanted to do in life, and The Jackson Five songs were the first I ever memorized. There was one song in particular that stands out more than any of them…. Ben! Till this day, I can’t stand even the sight of rats, but Ben, the song about a Rat, was my very own personal theme.
Mom would have friends over and right before I went to bed, she would beg me to sing Ben for her company. I played like I didn’t really want to, but that was just a front to make everyone beg. “Okay!” I would say, and Mom would put the 45 (record) on the ”Record Player” thats what it was called back then, and the music would begin. I would sway side to side to the music, looking at each of Moms friends, a few smiled, a few seemed like they wanted me to hurry up so they could get back to their adult conversations, Mom smiled ear to ear, then I sang!
Till This day I am still not sure whether I sang it good or not, because even if I was terrible, my family would never say so, but Ben became a life long association to me growing up. From a young boy, to a teenager to a grown man with kids of my own, I still run a cross a family member here or there who would ask me.. “You still sing Ben?”