Sleepwalker Hall of Fame Showcase: Michael Jackson Tribute

How do you do a tribute to the greatest entertainer of our time, and perhaps all time? How do you say all the things that should be said, that you want to say, or must be said? It could take too long. The truth is, on June 25, 2009 an icon passed. Whether you’re one of the billions that loved him or one of the few that didn’t…his talent is undeniable! His art is timeless! His performances were magical! His heart was filled with love!

My Memories of Mike
For me, like most young black kids, I grew up listening to Michael on vinyl, then tape, then CD! My parents started blasting it, but eventually I was taking their tapes to blast it on my own time. Some of my fondest memories involve doing the “Michael Jackson” for family at a young age. I remember every Halloween one of the music video channels would play “Thriller”, and on his birthday there would be video tributes all day!

One of my big memories was doing "Billie Jean" as a talent for my high school's male contest. My freshman year of high school I participated in the Mr. Richland Northeast contest. What was I thinking? I guess I thought I would win as a “nobody” freshman doing a self written monologue! After that loss, I promised myself I would participate again…and I did in my senior year! I knew I had to go for the gusto if I really wanted to win. There were a lot of talented guys who were participating in the contest. My mom actually came up with the idea of me taking my childhood entertaining performance to the stage! Time was short when I decided to do it. I remember getting help from my mom’s friend to learn how to moonwalk. I watched tapes and the “American Dream” film over and over. My mom had one of her friends make the sequined black jacket. I remember hating to have to wear those Bubblegum tight black jeans. I remember my soccer coach making fun of me for doing a “pageant” at practice the day before the contest! But nothing beats the memory of taking the stage, the curtain opening and hearing the people scream. It was electric! The oversized glove, tight jacket and pants were all worth it. The screaming wasn’t really for me so much as it was for the music, for Mike, for the Moonwalk. It was the fact that we could all identify with the music and the moves, and we've all had great memories from them! Even when I watch the video now I cringe because I was so nervous that I moonwalked in the beginning of the routine. Regardless of how much I hate watching the video, it’s a great memory that I can hold on to and that's what Mike was great at...creating pleasant memories.

Lessons from Mike’s Life
So what can we Sleepwalkers learn from Michael Jackson’s life? There’s more than a few things but I’ve tried to narrow them down.

One, he worked hard to be the best. He practiced countless hours and pushed himself creatively to do things no one else was doing or thought of. Two, he surrounded himself with the best! I used to love MJ videos (I still do, and in part think it’s why I got interested in film) but looking at them from an older perspective I see that he had Martin Scorsese do “Bad”, John Landis “Thriller, Spike Lee “They Don’t Care About Us”, David Fincher “Who is It”, and the list goes on. We all know how many hits he made with Quincy in the studio! He collaborated with Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder…I mean “We Are the World” is just one all star cast on just one song that proves my point. He was a genius in surrounding himself with people in the top of their craft and trusting their knowledge and creativity as well. Perhaps his biggest contribution was that he gave back to the world. He was a humanitarian. So many of his songs were about loving other people, caring for your fellow man, and healing the world. Not one of them was lame! He made “Kumbaya” cool, and helped us to analyze ourselves and be the change we wanted to see in the world. He gave millions to charity, and still gave from the grave!

Ultimately, he made timeless music that everyone could feel good to from the bottom of their soul. The funny thing is that earlier I said that like most young black kids growing up I listened to MJ. Yet I’m finding out in talking to co-workers of other races, they shared the same experiences! They grew up listening to the same music and making some of the same memories with their family huddled around a record player. He broke down barriers and brought people together at the same time. He touched the world with his gifts by giving us his soul in the music!

I was one of the many people watching CNN Live on head phones at my cubicle today. I had to catch the memorial service of one of my childhood heroes! The final prayer really struck a chord with me when the pastor said “the King of Pop must now bow before the King of kings”. In the end I see that Michael Jackson didn’t take a thing with him. Mark 8:36, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? (Now I don’t know Mike’s status and I'm not making a call on that), but to me…this is a huge lesson. I could shut down the internet with my death, be known worldwide, sitting on stacks of old money but at the end I can’t take it with me! So I better get it right on this end, and make a positive impact. Something to think about! His death has inspired me to do the great things that I’ve always felt I am destined to do, but I want to do it humbly knowing who’s Boss.

Closing Thoughts
All in all. I loved MJ! I’m sure you did too if you took the time to read all of this! So let’s blast his music, remember the memories we may have from his music/videos/performances, and celebrate his artistic impact on the world. Michael Jackson was an ultimate Sleepwalker! So he is my first inductee into the Sleepwalker Hall of Fame! May he Rest In Peace.



Kevin