RD Mathers.com

They say that these things come in threes.  Tuesday we lost Ed and this morning the world lost Farrah Fawcet and Michael Jackson – just three hours apart.

Being a music head, I’ll make a comment or several on the passing of Michael Jackson:  I was by no means a fan. In fact, I had a small love/hate thing for him.

I own one single record by Jackson and it’s his 1982 masterpiece, Thriller. My mother bought it for me, because she thought that I should hear “new Motown.”  I liked it because it had a duet with Paul McCartney and I had a passing knowledge of who Vincent Price was.

One afternoon in most likely 1983, Mike from Hoboken and I, along with some other friends gathered in my den, to watch the full Thriller video and making of companion piece and we thought it was cool. This was, of course right before I discovered the Grateful Dead, CSN and Led Zeppelin (but not before I discovered Howlin’ Wolf and John Coltrane).

I remember my mom buying me a black version of the leather jacket with the mesh on the shoulders.  Mine was made of plether from Korvette’s.  My mom wanted us to be cool (and still does), but sometimes she missed the mark.

I will say that Jackson was a talented performer and when he was actually making music, a decent signer.  I’ll refrain from commenting on his non-musical life, because I am not a judge, even comically for these purposes.  He achieved success in a way that many entertainers dream of.  Did he find happiness?  I have no idea, but I hope he has found peace at last.

Jackson employed technology and brilliant people to make his dreams a reality.  In 1991, he took what Godley & Cream did with the video for “Cry,” and evolved the concept for “Black & White.”  It made such an impact, we had to watch it over and over in a class I took at Emerson.

Without Michael Jackson… Weird Al would have two less hits, part of Justin Timberlake’s routine would be fresh (as in new), and the world may never have known the dangers of too much plastic surgery.

In the late 1980’s I said that I would never forgive Michael Jackson for stealing the Beatles music and letting some of their most brilliant works be used to sell sneakers.  I am older now, and realize that such things should not hold forever.  I have an amount of respect for the musician and if Paul, Yoko, Olivia and Ringo can forgive you, then most certainly, can I.

R.I.P.