Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Michael Jackson died today after suffering a heart attack at the age of fifty. Tragically, Jackson was set to begin a musical tour that was to mark the comeback of the pop superstar and which could have signaled a new album for the music icon.

Michael Jackson's influence has been felt the world over, as his music and videos shaped a generation of artists. My fondest memory of Jackson is of course his music video for Thriller. It went beyond the other videos of its time to become a cinematic experience, one that I both loved and dreaded once the lights went out in our living room.

I remember sitting with mouth agape as I watched Jackson and his horde of zombies get down with moves I had never seen before and would later try to imitate. As the velvet tones of Vincent Price were heard on the voice over I squirmed with gooseflesh, almost feeling the cold grip of the grisly ghouls closing in to seal my doom.

I once scared the living day ligths out of my best friend Stacy when I changed her computer background to the image of Jackson transforming into a werewolf by the light of the full moon. She never forgave me for the sleep she lost that night with visions of a lupine Jackson haunting her dreams.

I can honestly credit Michael Jackson's Thriller as one of the things that fueled my interest in horror films and monsters, and while he may no longer be with us his impact on the world of music and popular culture will still be felt long after his death.

Rest In Peace.

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