What more can I say about the King of Pop, I guess I should give you the background of my influence of MJ. He is the reason I dance, the reason I sing, and has influenced much of my talents. Honestly, it still gets me emotional listening to his music and watching his movie that he had to die to soonI come from a big family. I am the last child of 5 and was the "surprise" of the family. I'm 7, 9, 11, 13 years from next siblings, so growing up in the 80's, I was exposed to MTV, music, and music videos. I remember when I was age 5, 6, or 7 and I remember always watching Michael Jackson, Janet, Bobby Brown, and other 80's artists. I would stand in front of the TV and just mimic what he would do. I remember I would be so scared at Thriller and the crazy costumes. Never could I watch the end of the Thriller where the girl runs into the house and the zombies break into the house and surround her. NOOOOO! Too scary!
The dance scene in Thriller though got me on my feet dancing all around in my Batman underwear, grabbing my crotch, and spinning around. My mom never really liked the crotch grabbing haha, but I was just doing what Michael did. One of the things I remember most about dancing to MJ was performing at my Dad's wedding reception as well as Orange Glen Ward Talent Show as a kid. Apparently there is video out there but not too sure where.
The next time I really remember dancing was in middle school in 8th grade. I remember the DJ playing Thriller once again and so naturally it came out. The days from being a kid to my early teen years, I don't remember the actual songs but I remember how happy I was when the music played. There was an energy in all his songs that just could pierce your heart no matter who you were. Everyone was inspired in some way by MJ. I do remember watching the "Man In The Mirror" video and also being scared to watch because of the images of children and violence on it. But look at the effect it had on the world.
When I got into high school, every stake dance no matter where it was, when MJ was on...there I was! My style of dress, my dancing, and my songwriting were all influenced by the King of Pop. At that time, MJ wasn't really touring the US because he was traveling around the world performing in other countries. Had a lot of friends who were influenced by him too and at dances we would battle in the circle.
My biggest love for MJ came after high school when I was transitioning into Singles Ward/Mission/BYU-Idaho. Same thing, anytime there was a dance party I would be right there representing for the King of Pop! I remember meeting David Alan Romney at a dance or at church as he had come back from a mission, we ended up creating an N'Sync influenced lip-sync band called "N'Rhythm" and performed at dances as well as talent shows around church. The other thing I loved about Dave was his love for MJ. We really connected with the MJ thing and had all these inside jokes.
My next big MJ influence really came when I went to BYU-Idaho aka Rexburg, Idaho. There was very little hip-hop dancing up there, a few people who had performed or got together and danced. I needed somewhere to dance and along came Retrix! aka Strata! aka Club Dance (booooo) aka LAME SECURITY COMPANY! I remember my first dance at school, they played MJ at the dance and instantly I was going to like this place. One of the first things I did was sign up for a thing called "Battle of the Dance" that was going to be held at Viking Stadium that summer. I remember practicing for the show, mixing music with Nate Dogg, and the night of performing to an MJ/JT mix. I remember walking through the crowd and busting the hat, the spin, the kick, and the moonwalk.
At BYU-Idaho, I was able to do so many things and overcome this voice inside of me saying "you're not good enough" or "what can you really do?" It was tough I'll tell you trying to realize who I was. I had these talents I never did too much with, but I was surrounded by friends who helped me share them. How does MJ become involved like this in my life? Well look at what he did from his music, to his dance, to his style. The one thing I love about dancing is that I escape into another world and the person I am really is unfolded before peoples eyes. So when I attended school and found that there wasn't a big dance scene, I attracted myself to people who loved to dance. Cameron Weeks, Tyson Stevens, Ivor Lee, Brian Osbourne, Tyler Hollingshaus, Jacob Rosen, and many others that would come later. But these guys were some of the first together and start dancing at the Kirkham.
I went from the "You Got Served"/MJ kid to learning to pop and bboy. After a while of going to Strata or the Kirkham or anywhere really, I started involving other people to get together and work on routines for Battle of the Dance or any talent show. MJ was always the one to open the doors to doing some event, or allowing myself to be heard through my talents. Through those avenues, I was able with Cameron Weeks and Jacob Rosen to create Urban Vibe! And through Shelly Burk's amazing idea-we were able to create Dance Battle Wednesday and Dance Battle University! I can't tell you the amount of influence those events had on ALOT of people in Rexburg. I don't mean that for any pat on the back for myself, but it was just the right thing at the right time, and WE DID IT!
All my music and my dancing comes from God, but God sends people with AMAZING talents into this world, and they (as well as all of us) have an opportunity everyday to improve, use, and share it with the world. MJ was one of those who changed the whole world by utilizing his talents. I do not look to him as an idol but one I can take aspects of his influential talents and say, "How can I share what I have with someone else, and have them grow in their talents?"
When I moved out here to Arizona, it was around March, I remember sitting in this very spot now and looking on the Web only to find MJ's announcement of "This Is It" concerts. I stayed up all night on the phone with my best friend, Josh Mack, looking to purchase these tickets for London. When I finally got through and saw that I could purchase 4 seats in REALLLLY AMAZING seats, I had to do it! On my Bucket List #20 you will see, "Watch MJ peform live at a concert." This WAS IT! We were going, we were going to see the King of Pop on January 27, 2010 in London at the O2 Arena. My excitement was beyond words!
Life goes on! I'm stoked to be going! MJ is rehearsing in LA at the Staples Center. Then everything goes for a 180. June 25, 2009, I sat at my computer at work and received a text from Mack saying MJ had just had a heart attack and it wasn't good. This was about 15 minutes prior to anything that had been released as I had checked online instantly. I was like thats funny man, ahhaah. Mack replied "No man, London isn't going to happen!" I was like what? are you kidding? that bad? Another 15 minutes rolls by and reports are coming out left and right that MJ was in bad shape and even that he had died. I DID NOT WANT TO BELIEVE IT! Then it was confirmed that he had in fact DIED!
I broke down like he was my own kin! I think a lot of people felt the same way that day! I honestly took a walk for about 10 minutes and tried to just realize it. To this moment, I still get sad about him passing. It was his time, but it felt too soon! These concerts were to be epic! Like he was back! And after watching "This Is It" he really was! The way he moved, and sang, and had that passion to return to perform for his fans and kids!
His memorial was so touching, with his kids saying how much they missed him and the heartfelt song Usher sang. It was just a beautiful service. Also being able to go to London and be at the Arena where he stood and where he would perform made my love and thankfulness for MJ even deeper.
MJ thank you for the light that you brought in this dark world. The people that constantly tried to ruin your life because of your purity with charity work, dancing, music, and just the person you were will never prevail over those such things. May we all take some aspect of positivity and goodness that you shared with us and apply it to helping this world be a better place. Start with the MAN IN THE MIRROR to HEAL THE WORLD and make it a better place for you and for me! May we all care for the children of this world who are in dire need of love, warmth, food, and water. May we shine our light so that others may feel they can share theirs.
I could probably go on for days about MJ! If you really know me, I really could! haha. But I will end with a few quotes from MJ
"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with. "
"Let us dream of tomorrow where we can truly love from the soul, and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation."
"The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life. It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation."
"And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance."
RIP MJ - SEE YOU WHEN I GET THERE! (YOU OWE ME A CONCERT!)
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