Special to Echoworld Communications

The God of popular culture is dead: Michael Joseph Jackson -
August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009!

Rest in Peace, Michael. You were part of not only my life, our generation at large, but that of most people around this world.

You were the greatest entertainer, the greatest dancer & choreographer, the greatest musician of and in modern times, influencing the greatest of the great and inspiring the poorest of the poor.

Your music was unparalleled.

Your words, music and moves surely moved the world.

Your unconditional love for the world transcended colour, built bridges, furthered peace.

Your iconic moonwalk, the undead dance number as part of the history-setting Thriller video, the glove, the dance-stanced emulation of the statue of liberty out of your Black and White video, all that, and then some, all that translates into an ad infinitum influence on pop culture and even HIStory at large.

Your unwavering support, be it for bearers of the future, preservers of man’s limited natural resources or defenders of universal human rights is legendary, was unlimited and consistent to the end. This then, fused with your ever-reinventing creativity and so magically expressed in your sung and spoken words, made you the stuff that only comes once in any given millennium.

Your trials and tribulations, whether you mastered them well or not, shall never outweigh your unsurpassable legacy. Same legacy is immortalized within the eternal book-of-time. It declares your pioneering, crafting, artistry, perfection, execution, timing, strive, innovation, but especially your lifelong defiance of gravity to have been the most high amongst no equals.

Your unexpected and untimely passing, just as you prepared to bow out with those 50 forthcoming mega-concerts in London, is already in line-significance with that of JFK, Elvis, Lennon and Diana. The forthcoming tributes and memorials will surpass everything ever created in all of humankind’s time other than those ceremonials due to regents of the past.

My personal inspiration derives from the words in "Man in the mirror" (MitM). It speaks to change that will happen when soley looking at your self - first and foremost.

In fact, while still working for a Canadian bank did one of my ICB-instructors (Larry K.) put me on to MitM. It timeless message did re-inspire me as of rather recent to embark on the most massive and lasting change operation within my very own life.

Thank you for the music and inspiration, Michael.

Eternal respects, eternal salutations, eternal regards.

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His
Ways
And No Message Could've
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .
Change!