How do I know that I'm a Michael Jackson fan?

Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

The biggest news last month has got to be the passing of one of the world's most loved superstars the King of Pop Michael Jackson.

When a colleague informed me the news, I seriously thought it was one of those jokes people made of him. As the day went on, it started to dawn on me that the news was real this time.

What finally made me want to write about MJ's passing on my blog is when I came across another blog where the author said that with his sudden death, there was also an influx of people claiming to be MJ's fans. Add to that, MJ's CDs sold out in some music stores in this country! The author then questioned whether those people claimed to be his fans just to 'be part of it'. It made me question myself, am I a genuine MJ fan?

So, how do I know that I'm a genuine Michael Jackson fan?

Here's my list:

1. I knew him before Thriller.

2. When I was still a kid in primary school with limited understanding of English, I was already able to sing One Day In Your Life.

3. I could easily cry singing One day In Your Life which I used to sing back to back with Sheena Easton's For Your Eyes Only.

4. I remember being able to pronounce 'boogie' which was the only word I could decipher from Blame It on the Boogie. I would run around phonetically singing it my way :-)

5. I remember the melody of the chorus to Don't Stop Till You Get Enough. I didn't understand a word he was singing of course :-)

6. I even sat in front of the TV with a piece of paper and a pencil when watching Grammys and American Music Award to total up MJ's many award wins for the Thriller album.

7. I waited for days for the world premiere of the music video Bad. Me and my brother made sure that we 'booked' the TV so we wouldn't miss anything. Yes! We watched the entire video with the short movie in the beginning and all.

8. I was actually able to memorize the acapella 'gangsta' adlibs that Michael did with the dancers at the end of the Bad video.

9. People go ga ga over MJ's moonwalking but his dance move that I yearn to learn the most is the Michael Jackson's 'pirrouette' where he would spin around like his feet were surgically attached to skate boots.

10. Many times, when I'm sitting, concentrating on my work etc, I found myself singing Man In the Mirror, the lyrics of which still inspire me to believe that any change one wishes for the world must start with the person him/herself.

11. I have one of his CDs, Bad. Bought it in the UK while I was studying there. Ok, I'm not a very good fan now that I have only 1 CD. Hey, at least I have the CD years before his passing so that technically takes me out of that group of people who bought MJ stuff coz he died.

12. When Jarvis Cocker of Brit band PULP invaded MJ's performance at the Brit Award 1996, I was of course backing up Michael when my buddy and I argued about it. She supported Cocker. Me? I took MJ's side of course :-)

* Jarvis has put the whole episode behind him now and praises MJ for being a musical genius who tragically didn't live up to his 80s heyday.

13. Play any MJ's videos up to Dangerous album, I'll watch them. His work after Dangerous honestly is not as exciting BUT play any of his concert videos, I'll watch them and still go ga ga over his dance pirrouettes, moonwalks, his adlibs of "hee hee" and what seems to sound like "jamone(?)", the Smooth Criminal leaning tower spring back move (genius!) and the guitars (more about this later).

14. When MJ had to go to court, I would always take his side. Hey, one is only guilty when proven guilty and they couldn't prove anything. Besides, people who are willing to take millions of dollars of settlement after claiming of being molested aren't 'victims' to me. Money can't buy dignity. It can buy greed and opportunity.

15. I believe MJ was innocent.

16. I am sad that nobody wanted to talk about what a charitable person MJ was.

17. I still watch all the tributes every channel gave him. No boredom.

18. I know the songs he duetted with Paul McCartney, Rockwell and Saeidah Garrett (his own backup singer)

19. I of course know the THREE metal guitarists he worked with. Eddie Van Halen, Steve Stevens and Slash. It showed how open-minded Michael was and that was why he was the ultimate superstar who managed to cross so many boundaries musically, artistically and socially.

Goodbye Michael.
Thanks for the inspiration and being a big musical part of my childhood.
My personal wish is that you left with the faith and peace you longed for.
Only the Almighty knows.