Death of a sad man.
Whatever you thought of him, he was a remarkable talent. He wrote some terrific songs, had an incredible voice and was a truly astonishing dancer/performer. Of course, there is no escaping the horrific accusations that surrounded him over the past decade and a half, but none of us has experienced the surreal lifestyle imposed on Jackson from the time he was five years old. As I write this, "Earth Song" is being played on Channel Four. You can argue that it's both naive and hypocritical---I would agree---but it's still a powerful song. It's difficult to avoid cliches when talking about Jackson and "troubled soul" is certainly an expression that springs to mind.
Predictably, I've already heard a dozen jokes about his death---I admit to smiling at one of them---but I truly hope he's remembered for his music rather than his bizarre off-stage existence.
