Michael Jackson - Like a sunset dying with the rising of the moon.. Gone too soon

We all remember 7/7 as the date when the tragic bombings ocurred in London but after last night while a part of London gathered at Leicester Square for Harry Potter The Half-Blood Prince Premiere, the rest of the world came together with many emotions and heartache for its final farewell to the legendary entertainer, Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson was more than just a pop singer. He was the iconic figure of our time who made his mark in history with his music, his moves and his bizarre sense of style. Everything about him was completely out of this world which is why the world idolised him to such an extent.

The world went fanatic when the fresh and unique video of Michael Jackson's Thriller was released. My mother was among one of Michael's crazy fans who went to an all girl's high school. She tells me to this day that the Thriller video was shown on television after watershed hours but one girl recorded the video and brought it in to school the next day. Apparently the entire school went crazy and crowded in the auditorium at lunchtime where the teachers allowed the video to be played. Whenever my mum meets someone who went to the same school as her, she always asks them if they remember the day that the Thriller video was played in the auditoriam and she has never come across an ex Challney school girl from her time who wasn't there.

Michael Jackson has influenced the lives of many generations and cultures around the globe. My grand-parents who are Pakistani know of him and were in shock when the news of his death broke. My mother grew up listening to his music and sticking his posters up on her bedroom walls. While I was growing up I fell in love with the great king of pop and everything about him and now my very young cousins know each one of his songs and imitate the dance routines from his videos.

On a visit to Pakistan during the 80s my mother's uncles watched her Michael Jackson videos so often that they eventually ruined the tapes. People loved him in Asia, Europe, Africa, USA and even down under. Michael shook up the entire world.

Sadly Michael's life was not always full of clouds with joy but the speculations over his child molestation allegations and the change of his skin colour from black to white, which he put down to vitiligo, was not enough to make the world hate him. However, it turned some people against him and the king of pop received many snide remarks. He had a lot of issues throughout his life and he did things that were totally out of the ordinary, performances of insanity at times, but what people fail to comprehend to this day, is the traumatising childhood that Michael Jackson had.

He was abused by his own father in many ways and was constantly told that he was ugly. What people forgot most of the time was that Michael was human and like all humans he was given the right to make mistakes. The world was always quick to judge him and perhaps should have taken a look at the 'Man in the Mirror' first. The lack of a normal childhood could have been the reason why Michael allowed so many children not only into his home but also his life. People say that he was like Peterpan, a child trapped in a man's body which is why he truly felt he was at home when he was at Neverland.

Unlike a lot of music artists Michael sang about anything and everything. He sang about love, hate, crime, racism, politics and the world. He sang about his life. Despite having everything a man could ever want, Michael was perhaps the most lonliest a man could have ever been. He had family but he didn't have family, he had friends but he didn't have friends. Never knowing who was really his or knowing who was true to him was an obvious negativity that was a part of his life. He was betrayed by many such as Jordon Chandler, who has apparently now admitted to lying about the allegations that he had made against Michael Jackson in conjuction with sexual harassment in 1993.

Michael admitted to having undergone cosmetic surgery twice but his image said much more. One could have questioned Michael's so-called friends and associates about their advice to the young boy who was entering the huge world of fame and entertainment. Did his family and friends tell him that he was a handsome young man? Even though he had undergone surgery before he released his Thriller album in 1983, did anyone ever tell him that he looked good and that he didn't need to change his image, at least not anymore than what he already had? If so, did they try hard enough to protect Michael? Could they have done more to have prevented his face, body, image and health from deteriorating? These questions will be left unanswered but although he succeeded and ruled the world with his music on his own, behind his degeneration were certain people, people who played individual roles in bringing Michael, his image and his career down.

There will never be another Michael Jackson ever again because what he did only he could do. Michael was not the first person to moonwalk and there have been many people like Justin Timberlake who have adopted his dance moves in their own ways, but for the world no one can move like the king, simply because no one can ever look as damn phenomenal as he did.

If it wasn't for Michael Jackson we would not have the music videos that we have today, the dance moves that we have today, the rhythm and beats that we have today, we wouldn't have the same love for music and entertainment that we have today. Michael is a true legend and will be remembered forever for his greatness. He did what no man has ever done before, Michael Jackson rocked our world. He did it with the birth of his music and he has kept it rocking ever since and while there are still people who appreciate the true meaning of music, love, equality and respect, Michael Jackson will continue to rock the world.