June 25th 2012, was three years to the day when the King of Pop, Michael Jackson passed away. I traveled to the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California to pay my respects to the man that not only inspired me growing up in Australia, but also millions of others around the world. Regardless of the sad life Michael endured leading up to his death, he will never be forgotten for his kind heart and incredible music that changed the world. Michael Jackson had the kind of celebrity status that very few could compare to in this lifetime and a smile that drew so many fans to him because he made each and every one of them feel special.
Even though visiting any cemetery can be a very sad experience, for Michael Jackson’s family, friends and fans it was a celebration of his life. There were people from all over the world paying their respects as they remembered fond memories of the late singer. You could feel the love as soon as you walked up the beautiful green hills, to reach his final resting place. I placed a sign from Australia for the fans who were unable to make it to pay their tributes to Michael. There were also hundreds of butterflies released in his honor that flew into the beautiful blue sky and ironically one of them landed on a flower arrangement in the shape of his initials. It was all pretty breathtaking, but at the end of the day, Michael Jackson’s presence is so dearly missed. Although I was never fortunate enough to ever meet Michael, I have felt a special connection to him since I was a little girl pursuing a singing career, while admiring his incredible videos and dance routines.
There is nobody that will ever compare to Michael Jackson’s talent, although there are many performers that have been influenced by him over the years. I cannot imagine what the music industry would have been like if we were never introduced to Michael Jackson, there would have been a huge gap in what we as performers and fans know of music today. Not only was Michael an incredible talent, what was even more surreal was the effect he left on his fans during concerts, where people would literally faint and hyperventilate whenever he performed on stage. This is something that I have never seen before even with artists of today, Michael Jackson had that special something because of his beautiful spirit. If he had have been a mean person, I highly doubt that he would manage to have captured so many hearts that he has. Michael was incredible because he was a humanitarian that only ever wanted to spread the word of peace and help the needy and helpless to the best of his abilities. In his short time on earth he broke down barriers to bring people of any race or nationality together in harmony.
I hope that Michael Jackson’s legacy to change the world will help to bridge the gap between the discrimination and unrest between us fellow human beings that is still felt to this day. Michael Jackson made the world a better place for being the amazing person that he is and the amount of generosity that he shared with others is beyond words. It’s such a tragedy that Michael never got to see how much he really meant to all of us and how he changed music forever. I believe that his spirit is looking down upon us and he still smiles whenever he hears people play his music. He will be forever loved and missed. My thoughts and go out to his family and beloved children Prince, Paris and Blanket that will carry on his legacy for many years to come.
R.I.P Michael Jackson we love you always!
