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6.26.2009

The Day The Music Died

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June 25th, 2009 will be known as the day the music industry and the world lost one of the greatest showmen that has ever lived. Michael Jackson died from an apparent cardiac arrest. This was sudden news and has affected everyone in different ways.

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While leaving my very, very gay neighborhood with Dan-e-o and Botany Hill enjoying the beautiful L.A. weather in a cool ass convertible, Dan-e-o received a text. It said that Michael Jackson was dead. He reacted with almost instant belief and shock. I didn’t believe it. I said that I wouldn’t until I saw it on the news or something. We all know how shit is. There are always rumors of something happening and its usually on the internet or through texting. Next Botany Hill got something. Okay. Maybe this is true, but still, I refused to believe it.

Then the floodgates opened.

Text after text with bad news. He’s dead. He had a heart attack. We started flipping through the stations to find something to tell us what was going on. Of course this is L.A and we have the worst stations so it took a minute to find something. Tribute songs. Shit. Multiple stations were playing Michael Jackson song after song. One text said that he was at UCLA Medical Center. Well, fuck. I used to work there, I know where it is, and we weren’t very far from it. We popped a bitch (made a U-turn) and headed to the hospital. We found parking further down and booked it. We were amongst the first group to arrive. News reporters were there. Multiple news vans from every channel and helicopters circled the area.

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Everyone was getting information from each other left and right. Was Michael dead or not? How did he die? Was he inside? Too many questions and not enough answers. More and more people showed up. Dan-e-o asked if people would start some shit. I told him that they wouldn’t. It’s only when we win championships. Also, it depended on how someone had passed away. We were safe. Plus, we were three Black dudes. We were the safest people in the area.

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At one point a huge rush happened. We all started running with them. Why? We don’t know. We ended up at the entrance to the hospital where people started chanting MJ’s name. Everything was starting to set in. The King of Pop was dead. After we realized that we weren’t going to get any more information there we headed back to the car and shared our thoughts and memories on Michael.

There is no one that has ever listened to music that doesn’t know one of his songs. No one. He spent his life entertaining us and died preparing to continue doing so. He will live forever in his songs. He has made hundreds of songs for us to remember him by and I believe that we should do so. Listen to any of his music and just chill (“Rock With You”), dance (“Off The Wall”), or think (“Human Nature”). Yes, I got to meet Dan-e-o and Botany Hill on a very sad day. But at least we all had one another for such an occasion. Everyone take care and God bless.


18 comments: on "The Day The Music Died"

Anonymous said...

You were meant to be there this week homie. Simple as that.

Anonymous said...

Unreal that you experienced all the madness. Godbless you and Dante for the updates

Anonymous said...

RIP MJ

Anonymous said...

RIP Michael
He was the best

Anonymous said...

Here's hopin Michael Jackson can FINALLY be at peace.

God knows he never had any on earth

Anonymous said...

So does this mean we can finally see these mysterious kids of his?

Anonymous said...

They gonna DNA test the kids and prove they arent his??

Sandro in Toronto said...

Sad day. I'm still in shock. Words can't express the loss of the greatest entertainer to ever live.

RIP MJ

no no no no said...

Wow. Suck it up losers. You act like you knew him. He was a famous freak who touched children.

Anonymous said...

Michael Jackson was aquitted on those charges. Whether he did or didn't, the man has passed on.

His impact on the music of our generation is hard to quantify, but needless to say, it was huge. Now that he's gone, how about we cut him some slack and look back at his incredible music, dance and style. Remember him for the icon he was and still is.

Anonymous said...

Dan's fat

Rico

Dan-e-o said...

There is no one who comes near to Michael Jackson in terms of the
influence he has had on me as an artist. He is the reason I wanted to
become a musician. As a child, I refused to allow anyone around me to
utter a bad word about Michael Jackson as my stockpile of his albums grew in my collection. Vinyl, cassette and CDs. I own several copies of Michael's work in all formats...especially Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad
which I can't live without. We're talking "what you'd take with you to a deserted island" type shit.

MJ is the single "most deserving of all his praise" artist of all time.
Easily number one in the categories of singing, performing, dancing, music videos and the world-affecting magic he created by combining all of the above. He was and is the planet's most well-known human not because of the
oddities that were his physical appearance and curious nature but because of his unmitigated, insane wealth of sheer, raw, awe-inspiring talent.

The world has lost its most remarkable individual of all time. The man has moved more people with his art than anyone ever has and ever will. The news of every celebrity death from this point on will be mundane by comparison. My musical hero, biggest influence and favourite artist of all time is gone. As many words as I've expressed here, there are still none
that really describe this loss. Will all due respect to Biggie, Pac and all of the other artists who have passed on, the REAL greatest of all time has now died. I still can't believe it. Rest in peace Michael, God Bless you.

Anonymous said...

Holy hyperbole!

D.J.B. said...

RIP and God Bless to a true legend of the musical world. Yesterday when I got the news it was horrible. It's still horrible. Instantly a lyric from the first Dan-e-o album I bought hit me when he talked about being the next Michael Jackson.

As a kid who grew up hearing all kinds of music Michaels was some of my favorite still is. 21 year old southern white dude who won't hesitate to bust out Michael Jackson anytime anywhere. Thriller and Bad never fall out of rotation for long, and right now especially they are getting major play. Last night I'm sure some neighbors got irritated, but oh well.

RIP Michael, and thanks Dante and Dan for the updates. God bless.

Anonymous said...

I got to see the Victory Tour in Philadelphia when i was a kid,and the man for all his future oddities was the most Incredible LIVE entertainer i have ever seen. You can talk all about the rumors and allegations,but to overlook the man's accomplishments as an artists does him and the music industry a disservice. All of the lame ass posers like Britney Spears,Justin Timberlake and so many other cookie cutter mass produced,overhyped no talents owe Michael a debt they can never hope to repay. While they go clubbing and pretend to be "bothered"by the paparazzi,Michael Jackson was a virtual prisoner of his fame. The man never had a chance at being normal. As a child he was a singing and dancing prodigy,the likes of which the world has never seen.Michael carried his entire family on his back for years and did it all in a quest to be loved and accepted,something deep down he never really felt. The next time you see one of these asshole celebs hanging out getting wasted at some club,acting like total assholes,imagine how much Michael would have loved to have had that kind of freedom. I know some will say,"Boo Hoo" "He was rich" FUCK THAT! That man was a tortured soul who never ever had a shot at being a normal kid and he gave his LIFE to his fans. He changed his face,his hair,his skin color all so that people would love him. I can only hope that people remember the man for his tremendous gift and how much he sacraficed to share that gift with the world. I hope Michael finds the peace he tried so hard to obtain after all these years.

Dante said...

Damn, Bob. I loved everything you just said. "Celebs" (I wish I could make bigger quotations) spend so much of their lives acting like asses and they really dont appreciate the freedom they have.

And damn your neighbors, DJB. Blast that shit as loud as you want. I was just with my lady blaring "Can You Feel It?" as loud as her radio could go down La Cienega. Oh, by the way, ask Dan-E-O to pronounce that street. He makes it sound racist.

Rob Nekoda said...

Currently blasting They Don't Care About Us. Brilliant song.

I like how everyone's quick to ignore the not guilty verdict on him - sorry, then TEN not guilty verdicts - because it's cool to do so. They amount of made-up crap about paying off juries that doesn't even make sense. All I've got to say is this:

He was not guilty of two serious crimes. He was responsible for helping hundreds, thousands through Heal the World, Heal the Kids and a huge amount of other charities.

If you, for some odd reason, like to accuse people of crimes against children, Gary Glitter is still around and making a bigger ass of himself every day.

Chef Lucky said...

To Rob: Not to mention R.Kelly!