The Thriller Is Gone
But His Art Goes On

It’s been a year already. Some say, it’s been more than that. In Los Angeles and all over the world, people are paying homage to one of the greatest performers of the 20th Century, who passed away today, a year ago.
Michael Jackson’s life, family, idiosyncrasies, obsessions, immaturity and dark dreams all but obscured his great talent but when all was said and done, it was easy to realize why so many have loved him for so long.
There were great dancers among his fans, such as Fred Astaire, and great musicians too, such as Paul McCartney. He was on equal footing (in more ways than one) with Elvis Presley, Madonna, James Brown and pretty much every performer who, for a minute, shone as he did his whole life.
There’ll never be another one like him. Most likely, all the others still to come will be measured against the oversized mark he’s imprinted on popular culture.
Michael, who would’ve turned 52 on August 29, has stopped amuse us with his astounding life and unpredictable behavior. But in death, all else is irrelevant and what’s been left is his gift to us. Very few others made us better all around just because he once existed physically and now is ever present in spirit.
Michael Jackson, who once started something, will live on forever.