Walking with “The King” in my ears

July 7th, 2009 at 01:28pm Linda Grist Cunningham

For my Tuesday morning walk I traded Billy Joel for Elvis Presley. I thought about Michael Jackson, but truth? I don’t think I own a single piece of MJ music. I’m just too old. So, it was The King instead of the King of Pop.

But, equal truth, I am too young for Elvis. Never appreciated him until after he was dead. I’m thinking the same will happen with MJ because when it’s, well, all over, what will really matter is whether the music remains.

I know there are plenty of folks who are appalled or just bewildered at the stunning outpouring of grief over the death of Michael Jackson. How can anyone, they ask, celebrate this suspected child abuser, this gifted child-turned creepy man? It is, I remind them, about the music. The music that he brought to life on stage and in those jaw-dropping, cutting edge videos.

And, it’s about the love his friends, co-workers and family clearly have for the private Michael Jackson, the one none of the public knew. There has never been such a memorial service, which Tuesday combined some of the best musical talents of three generations. I listened and watched it live at rrstar.com, marveling while I wrote this post at the technology that integrates such multitasking.

There will be plenty of time to dissect Michael Jackson’s fortunes or lack thereof, plenty of time to explore the conspiracy theories and the strangeness and horror that were his life.

But above all of that swamp will be the music. The music.

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