My childhood favorite is gone. Pop singer Michael Jackson died earlier today due to cardiac arrest.

What girl my age didn’t swoon over his sexy Thriller album cover? Who didn’t love his badass-ness in the “Beat It” video? And who my age also didn’t understand why “Billie Jean” wasn’t his lover… how could that be? Well, I learned later.

All this after other members of my family watched him grow up as the lead singer of the Jackson Five. “ABC” was one of the first songs I liked from the family group… to sing it was… Easy as 123!

As a 9 yr. old, I pretty much demanded that my Mom find a way to get me to an MJ concert. Even though we in Indiana just couldn’t figure out why his Thriller tour wouldn’t visit his home state, not even in the capital of Indianapolis, I continued to hound members of my family until finally my Mom’s sister, my Aunt Sue, gave in a couple of years later and bought us tickets to the Victory Tour at Comisky Park in Chicago. Even though I was a bit older and not as much into the King of Pop (you know, trying to be ‘cool’ with my friends), I still wore my red zipper jacket, my glitter glove and glitter socks (actually those were my Mom’s ski socks at the time), my penny loafers and big sunglasses. I screamed and screamed and screamed when he walked on the stage, and according to my Aunt, I didn’t stop screaming until the concert was over… I think she is still deaf in one ear.

At family gatherings on my Dad’s side, I would force my cousins (I was the oldest of 7) to each be one of the Jackson siblings as I would portray the role of Michael. We then would perform for our parents, you know, by doing the moonwalk, shaking our right leg in the air and singing Jackson songs.

Yeah, we have it on video.

No, you can not watch it!

Seriously?!! Remember those Grammy Awards & American Music Awards where he cleaned house? I begged my Mom to let me stay up late just to see him grab another trophy… maybe that is why I wear contacts… I was glued to the TV, just inches from the screen.

Later in middle school, after the Victory Tour, I got a group together and taught each of them the ENTIRE choreography for the Thriller video. And yes I STILL have it all memorized! Someone posted a pic on Facebook of one of our ‘dance rehearsals’ that makes me laugh… thank goodness we weren’t decked out in costume. Then even later that year, a group of us gathered to watch one of Michael’s dreams come true as “We Are the World” was brought to life. How amazing!! Remember that phenomenon??

And even WAY later, in college, I was a song leader for my sorority in the large IU Sing event. When I heard the theme song would be “Can You Feel It” for my Senior performance, I was stunned. That was a Jackson Five song that I grew to love when watching Michael Jackson videos of his storybook life. In fact, my Aunt Sue actually pressed RECORD on her VCR to tape hours worth of MTV about MJ for me to have (since we didn’t have cable at my house at the time). On that very tape was “Can You Feel It” played in the background of “The Making of Thriller.”

Michael Jackson inspired me to dance. He inspired me to sing. He (along with my family) inspired me to do good for others. And believe it or not, throughout all of his trial crap in the last decade, of which we may never know if any of the accusations were true or just money driven, he inspired me to just keep believing in myself. He went through a lot, and he suffered a lot as well. But he kept trudging on… and, well, seeing him do it made me realize that I could handle all hard times as well.

Some may never get over the accused side of Michael Jackson, but at a time like this we need to, even if just for a day or so, because what the man did stand for in his heart was nothing but good.

You can tell when someone really means something to others, today, via Twitter. Yeah, it’s not scientific, but for the first time in my existence on Twitter, I noticed that ALL 10 Twitter trending topics were about Michael Jackson. ALL TEN!!

Michael Jackson, you will be massively missed, loved and will continue to be admired and appreciated by billions.

It’s been a hard week in Hollywood, losing first Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett and now Michael Jackson – all three of whom are icons in their own trade! But also from Twitter, I felt that this was a nice way to sum it up:
From @AtomicShroom: Johnny & Ed will b doing The Tonight Show in heaven & 2nite Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett will b their guests! God Bless!

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OK, so this article had NOTHING to do with motorsports, or the fact that, believe it or not, SpeedFreaks is celebrating our 9th Anniversary today… but it has been therapeutic to say the least, for me to say goodbye to someone who meant a lot to me, my lifestyle, my foray onto the stage and more. Thank you Michael Jackson… may you rest in peace!

Email me: CrashG@SpeedFreaks.TV

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BTW, some of you have Twittered and emailed me asking about my favorite Michael Jackson songs… well, here you go:

1. Man in the Mirror – just listen to the message – there isn't much better – and CLICK HERE for a great performance from the 1988 Grammys that you will enjoy

2. We Are the World – again, the message, and how Michael put it all together with so many talented people, for such an amazing cause

3. Thriller – I still love that video (well, at least the dancing portion)

4. Smooth Criminal – the story & dancing in THIS VIDEO are off the hook, too… and I incorporated it into one of my IU Sing performances as well

5. Can You Feel It – inspired as a youngin', then later by IU Sing as well

6. Say, Say, Say – loved the comedy in this video and loved him paired up with Paul McCartney

7. Wanna be Startin' Something – another song I incorporated into my IU Sing performance – just makes me wanna get up and go!!

8. Black or White – another good message song

9. Rock with You – just a feel good MJ song

10. Beat It – come on now, with Eddie Van Halen, this song revolutionized the music industry!!!

Others on my iPod:
– Remember the Time
– Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
– The Way You Make Me Feel
– Working Day and Night
– Human Nature
– P.Y.T.
– The Girl is Mine (also with Paul McCartney)
– Billie Jean
– State of Shock – reminds me of that Victory Tour! Ha, ha!