Remembering Michael Jackson

Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan and Michael Jackson circa 1979

#42: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! The death of Michael Jackson a.k.a. 'The King of Pop" is indeed a shocking and sad moment. A man who never grew up but spent his adult life trying to rediscover his lost childhood. A man who lived in a kind of bubble. A great dancer and singer/songwriter. I still remember cramming into a friends front room in the summer of '84 to watch the "Thriller" video and how it was made.

There is only one thing that I would like to say - or rather re-state - with regard to this occurrence. And that is - as with some of the sad losses I have experienced in my life and in particular this year - we never seem to appreciate what we have until it's gone. Whether that is a person or a 'thing' or a special time. Life is short and eternity is forever. Yours Truly KJS is still having a little trouble believing that Kelly Groucutt has gone and so too my Uncle Charlie, this year alone.

Leif Garrett (l) and Michael (r) show off their ELO World Tour '78 tour jackets either side of Richard Tandy!

Death is a fact of life. We never appreciate what we have most times until it leaves our lives. The events yesterday in Los Angeles have underlined this truth to me. It's my soundtrack for life ...

Until next "Time" in the ELO (and related) Universe ... KJS ... 26-June-2009