The first words I heard when I woke up this morning were that Michael Jackson had died. I can remember what I was doing the day I heard that Michael Hutchence, Kurt Cobain and Princess Diana died. I can recall what I was doing when I heard about the passing of Hansie Cronje and Heath Ledger...
My earliest such memory though, is hearing the news of John Lennon's death. I was eight years old and on the way to school. I was with my family in our Toyota Corolla, driving up the hill past the Ohenimuri Country Club, in Walkerville where I grew up. We'd missed the bus again. The 7.30am news came on the radio and we heard that he'd been shot. I have no idea why that memory stood out so clearly for me. It wasn't like my folks were ardent fans of the Beatles or anything.
What is interesting though, is how much I came to love and admire Lennon, by the time I was 18 I had declared him my hero and searched for the books he'd written. I consumed his biographies and lost myself in his lyrics.
The media went beserk today with the news of Jackson's passing, and I couldn't help but wonder what the hooha was about - I mean, it's not like he WAS a Beatle, or anything. I can't say that I was surprised though, by all the reminiscing that went on. What with being an 80's child, I was there when Thriller was foisted upon the airwaves, but I just didn't get it. Not then and not now.
The only Michael Jackson song that I ever really liked was "Librarian Girl" - so I thought I'd make some smart-arsed comment to that effect on Twitter. But first, I checked the lyrics – you know... to be sure, to be sure... Only to discover that the song is in fact titled "LibERian Girl," and has nothing to do with falling in love with a bookish type at the library...
There goes that fantasy. I was clearly in some other tent when the Michael Jackson circus went thundering past...
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