Do you remember when you first got into Michael Jackson?
I ask this because I believe MJ is going to be our generation’s Elvis especially now that he is gone. Like generations before who knew where they were when they heard JFK was shot or even now when we remember where we were when we heard about 9-11. Yesterday may be one of those days.
I know I’ve been listening to Michael Jackson since I first started hearing the radio. My first memory; though, of when he became a musical force in my life was way back in the 1st grade.
My sister and I would go grocery shopping once a week with my mom and we were able to get 1 small toy each. Usually it was a Hot Wheels car for me and something small and girlie for my sister. When I started school and had to get up early on a regular basis I was given a clock radio to wake up to. That’s when my musical listening days started. I had it tuned to Foxy 101 coming out of Saginaw, MI in 1980. My grocery shopping toy selections would take a turn after this. Now I wanted records.
This was a time when you could still buy 7” singles for about .99 cents. My sister’s and my record collection would start to flourish with one 7” single per week.
Fast forward three years. I just got the Billie Jean 7” from the grocery store when it came out. Sure, some people were waiting in line at Record Town or some local Mall music shop for this record to drop. I got mine from Meijer music section (Meijer Thrifty Acres represent!).
The next day was show and tell at school. Kids usually brought in their favorite toy or something their family brought back for them from some trip. We usually didn’t pay much attention to what the other kids had, especially if we were waiting to show our stuff.
When it was my turn I didn’t say a word. No intro to my toy and no explanation needed. I walked over to the small classroom record player, turned it on and slid the record out of the jacket and on the turntable. After I turned it up and the music started I just turned around and went back to me seat. But I didn’t just take my seat. I walked tall with a certain strut in my step that no 6 yr old should even know how to do. The madness in the music got to me, you could say.
All eyes were on me as I took my seat. The music played and the classroom was enthralled.
This show and tell was all mine and I was king of all 6 yr olds for a day. This was the first time I felt just how powerful music could be. For a few minutes I was transformed and everyone took notice of the sound.
After that other kids started bringing their favorite records to show and tell and it turned into a small music corner for a short while.
That’s what Michael Jackson did for me and that’s when I became a fan.
The questions have been painstakingly researched. The answers, however, have not.
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