ice station zebra: June 2009

Friday, June 26, 2009

I'll Be There Acapella

earlier tonite i could only think about the nba draft. i was on the internet checking the trades the buzz etc. one eye on the computer and the other on cable i heard the breaking news about the king of pop, michael jackson. i am so so sad about his passing. michael jackson is the definition of pop music. he is the very very best, singularly the best. the only ones who come close (the beatles, abba) are groups. i remember the moment when i learned john lennon died, when i learned river phoenix died, when i learned kurt cobain died, when i learned joey ramone died, and now sadly when michael jackson died. earlier today i was contemplating farrah fawcet's death which is also a profound passing, arguably the biggest stars of both the 1980's and 1970's passing within hours of each other. later tonight on nightline they replayed part of an interview with michael where he recounted details of his very first girlfriend, tatum o'neal. he talked about how she frightened him with her frank sexual talk and their date at her parent's beverly hills mansion. tatum's father ryan o'neal is mourning his long time love farrah but one thinks of the troubled tatum also tonite and what is running through her head this improbable night where she spans both epic passings. i will say this in regards to myself that in 1983 in particular december of 1983 the three people i was most in awe of were my grandfather, dr. j, and michael jackson. dr. j of course was a member of the reigning world champions of bastketball, my hometown philadelphia 76ers. my grandfather along with my grandmother had been my babysitters up until i had gone to school and he had passed earlier that year. michael jackson was the biggest music thing i had ever experienced. my dad liked rock and roll but i liked pop. i went as a village person for halloween in kindergarten - i liked barry manilow, i liked abba, i liked the fifth dimension, i liked christopher cross, i liked blondie, i liked men at work, i liked hall and oates, and i loved michael jackson. thriller is the greatest pop record ever it will always be. my dad made me and my brother a fake glove using a painter's glove and glitter. oh and back to december 1983 - we spent christmas break at my grandmother's house and the cable tv which we didn't have at home and everytime every hour when the thriller video came on we dropped whatever we were doing and ran to the tv. rest in peace king of pop michael jackson, gone far far too soon, there will never be another. love, anthony campuzano/tc/bubbles inc.