What's your favourite Michael Jackson memory ?

It's one of those moments.

It is really is.

Years from now, you will look back and find you will always remember where you were when you found out Michael Jackson died.

Especially if, like me, you grew up, to his music. If 'Bad' was among the first audio cassettes you owned. If , like me, you grew up watching a black kid trying to fit in with a cruel world by literally turning white... by watching him trying forever to be different and succeeding... by being the ultimate showstopper... the golden glove, the crotch grabbing, the 'hee-hees', the crazy fans idolation... and the music itself. I mean one of my first music video memories is him serenading a girl as only he could in "The way you make me feel". This is the guy who stunned us with the dance moves of "Smooth Criminal". I absolutely worshipped the variety of the album "Dangerous" be it the legendary "Black or White", the trademark "Jam", the haunting "Who is it", the supercool "Dangerous" or just the touching "Will you be there." If you haven't crooned "You are not alone"even once, if you haven't shaken to the beat of "They don't really care about us" or "Bad", my friend, you have not lived. This was the guy who invented moonwalking, made pop music an art form... along with the late Princess Di & Mother Teresa, he was one of the most recognisable icons all over the world at one time.

I'm not going to speak on the court cases, the bankruptcy and the final decades of a life ruined - that's not the Jacko I want to remember.

I prefer to remember him for who he was - THE KING OF POP.

In fact, seeing the grief online, I'm glad that atleast in death, people have been more forgiving of him than they were during his lifetime. I'm glad that like me, millions the world over, will remember his passing away for what it is - the end of an era.

What's my favourite Michael memory ? It's of an era I still consider the best time of my life - my school days and the memory of a friend with an uncanny likeness to the 'black Michael'. He too was a big Michael fan and we used to have the most hilarious times singing and mimicking the King. I still remember his awesomely soulful ( comical ) renditions of one of Michael's most underrated songs- Who is it. Man, you had to be there to see it - him singing to a rapt audience of teenagers in a very cool, heart rendering, ear piercing voice, the gals applauding, the guys beating the desks to his voice, the mega-cool standstill pose as featured in the pic above; sounds silly now, but back then as a teen, life was just about that - living life KINg sized. Enjoying it to the core. You can't replace that time and that era for all the Paris Hilton sagas in the world.

Generations grew up to his music decades ago... generations mourned his early and untimely demise today. I should know. Even my mom was heartbroken watching the news on his death... that says a lot.

What is your favourite Jackson memory... and favourite song ?

Below is the video of his "Will you be there"... I chose it because it shows everything I remember about him - a compassionate singer who loved to be a showman and had legions of supporters at the peak of his career... someone who was loved and respected by all. Someone who was a living God of music once upon a time.

Rest in peace, finally, Michael.