In Memory Of...

Tonight we celebrate. Sounds strange, I know, but bear with me. Tonight we celebrate the life and the work of perhaps the greatest entertainer of our era. A man who irreparably changed the face of popular music and entertainment. Forget the controversy. Forget the complex and troubling questions of race and gender. Tonight, we remember the songs that made us move and the voice that made them come alive. We remember an icon, a figure so ingrained in our culture that many in the generations above us considered him something like a family member.

I remember being eight years old and rockin to a cassette tape of Thriller every damn day. I let my tape rock 'til the tape popped. Literally. Michael's music is special because it is truly transcendent. The feeling it contains is powerful enough to reach through the speakers and touch people of all ages and of any color. And though nothing I could say could truly do the man justice, I feel this song speaks volumes. Tonight, I say we give thanks for Michael, and for the opportunity we've had to listen and watch for all these years. Tonight we celebrate Michael Jackson. Rest in Peace.

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In Memory Of...