Why I Was Wrong

I pick up where I left off.

The reason I say I would be wrong when naming the Top 5 Entertainers of all time is that I wouldn't have fully thought it through. Having said that, I don't think I truly understood the scope of the reach. And I've never had any obsession, so to speak, with too many other icons. At least with Elvis and The Beatles, I have always been fascinated. I've had crash-courses on their lives and music.

I think, too, beginning with Elvis, he was gone before I was brought to earth. I knew who he was from a young age, but there was nothing else that could be added to his catalogue, to his legacy. This may sound strange but I've always felt a connection with him. I can say what year it was he died if asked because it was 5 years before my birth year. His dark hair (I didn't know he dyed it until recently!), hailing from the South, and love of music add to why I feel connected I'm sure. And what else can I say? He was Elvis.

The Beatles came and went before I was here, too. John Lennon was gone shortly before I was born. The same as Elvis, their calatogues and legacies had also been sealed. With The Beatles, I feel as though their music is timeless. And they were able to take a huge variety of styles (country, blues, rock, pop, soul, doo-wap, acoustic, etc) and corporate into their music. They weren't afraid of being innovative or pushing the envelope.

So who would I round out the Top 5 Entertainers with?

Michael Jackson.

Why wasn't he on my list before? I didn't know much about him, other than the songs I knew and the fact that he was Michael Jackson. His voice is very distinguishable. His dance moves were out of this world. And his appearance was always changing. I want to reiterate that I *do* and have always known who he was, I just hadn't devoted time to him like I had the other people on my list. Over the past 2 weeks, I have studied him. I've learned that his music, not only his voice, is distinguishable, still ahead of its time, still timeless, engaging, captivating, ground-breaking, and FUN! He is the first icon that has died to have made an impact on the world before my existence, and to continue making waves during my life.

Like I mentioned in the previous post, I always wondered how I would react to the death of a celebrity who has made an impact on my life. I think the only time I've felt remotely like I do was when Heath Ledger died. It was so shocking and so out of the blue that I couldn't believe it. That's how the death of MJ came, but on a scale massively larger. So how did I react? I engaged myself in videos, songs, interviews, documentaries, breaking news. I always thought I would break down and cry. Nope. Not until I saw his little girl stand in front of the world to tell us how much she loved her daddy. But that's for another time.

Next post: My take on Michael Jackson the Super Nova Super Star.




You know that love survives so we can rock forever. -"Rock With You"