For many Gen X parents, a little piece of their childhood died today.  I remember dancing to the songs from Thriller, practicing the moonwalk and putting posters of MJ on my bedroom walls. As several others have said, he was our Elvis. Even though I haven’t listened to his music in years, those songs instantly take me back to grade school.

Of course, Michael Jackson had a dark side. A troubled, psychodrama of a life that left him a sideshow freak and the butt of late-night jokes. His interview with Martin Bashir, in which he defended sharing a bed with little boys, will live in infamy. His strange and possible criminal behavior left many of his former fans disgusted. He alienated us with the monster he appeared to become.  

But whose star rose higher and then sunk lower than MJ’s? His own tragic childhood and convoluted relationship to children sparked open discussion about child abuse, child molestation and the role parents play in protecting their kids.  While he struggled with his own demons, he also sought to improve the lives of impoverished children in the world. His songs “We are the World” and “Man in the Mirror” brought to light those issues. 

My friend and KMOX radio host Debbie Monterrey posted his video on her Facebook page, along with these comments (below):

 Man in the Mirror on YouTube

“Michael Jackson really did focus on the plight of Africans long ago. It opened my eyes to it..”

Michael Jackson was a deeply disturbed musical genius. That his death provokes such mixed emotions is an honest tribute to his legacy.