"A tragic figure": The death of Michael Jackson
Great and tragic
"He was first a great artist and finally a tragic figure, unfortunately." Gunthild Kupitz, 43
Live he was the greatest
I've only experienced live once when fences have been torn down. That was when Michael Jackson played in the Munich Olympiastadion, in the late 80s. I was 14, had no money for a card, wanted to sit outside on a lawn with my friends and listen. Tens of thousands wanted that, in front of the stadium there were at least as many people as inside. Then we heard the first bars of "Dirty Diana" - next to "Beat it" and "Thriller" for me one of his biggest songs. Not just for me, suddenly no one was sitting. Everyone wanted to go in, cling to the fences, and shuffled up the ticket booths. I was just about to jump into the stadium when the security people had closed a chain and pushed us back.
I was not really a fervent fan, otherwise I would have saved the card somehow. But that evening, I felt the Michael Jackson fire. And that his flame still blazes in me, I know since I turned on the radio this morning and a few moments stood motionless in front of my sink. And if that sounds pathetic now, it's completely intentional. For me he is the biggest star I have ever experienced live. Tinka Dippel, 35
Alone on the dance floor with Michael
"1984. I was 16 and drove off for the first time with my girlfriends: a week in Munich - the very big freedom One evening we went to the disco (at that time you did not say" club "), that was my first time I wore a long hippie dress and sand-colored suede boots, except for us there were no other guests in. Logically, who went to the Abhotten at nine, we drank Coke, felt like ordered and not picked up, and then the DJ put down "Beat it" by Michael Jackson, I rushed off and danced, Alone, with my eyes closed, thank you, Michael, for that special moment in my life. " Kathrin Tsainis, 42
His "say say say" video was the best
"There are a lot of good Jackson videos, but my favorite one will always be Say Say Say, which he recorded with Paul McCartney, which should have been around 1983. I can still see him in front of me, with suspenders and flat-top hats like him kess jumps onto the back of a delivery van and does not lose sight of the radiance, when I learned later from his first beauty surgeries (at that time that was not so common), it scared me a lot - and I did His death makes me very sad, he was a lonely person whom I would have been more fortunate in. The planned tour might have given him some lift, but he left something behind with his songs will live on. " Antje Heidböhmer, 35
Torn from the seat at the concert
"Actually, I only went to my friend for the open air concert that Michael Jackson gave at the Munich Olympic Stadium in 1992. I was more into Pink Floyd, but I thought, it does not hurt to see the singer live I was most interested in his dance and whether I found out whether he sings live or is all playback.When he stepped on the stage, I sat with my arms crossed in my place, the other 72 000 jumped immediately. Ten seconds later, it did not hold me back in the seat, its rhythm, its passion, its whole show carried me away, the concert was terrific, and Michael Jackson's music never let me go, every time I hit the radio "Thriller "hear, it tingles in the legs and belly." Doris Ehrhardt
By his death redeemed by himself
"Although I'm the classic Michael Jackson generation with my class in 1965, I've never made much of his music, I danced with it when I was 16. But the person behind it was unimportant to me at the time later, when Jackson began to get weird, first the cosmetic surgery, then his strange dedication to the children of this world, who always had a taste, then the mysterious adoptions or his mysterious founding of the family, then the terrible images of the children with the veiled ones Minds, the process, his alleged bankruptcy, the pictures from his infantile private life, the pictures of that creepy Neverland, would I ever have made something out of his music, then no longer, after all, I think Michael Jackson was very mentally ill, and I've always considered it irresponsible to entrust children to him, and my first reaction this morning was, hopefully the kids are free now. And that's exactly what I mean: free. From a prison one can only hope that it was at least not a torture prison.And as for Michael Jackson himself: He is redeemed by himself. It was time. "Katja Jührend, 43
Imitated the moonwalk
"Dangerous" was my first Michael Jackson album. At eight, I got it for Christmas. And for some reason, it was already clear to me that this artist is something special. Whenever the music video "Black and White" was playing, I started dancing in the nursery. Anyway: these music videos! Ten minutes of thriller are not a bit boring and still cool, that's out of the question. Jackson has been instrumental in making music videos and making small films with history out of them. And constantly, really constantly I tried to imitate the Moonwalk. Later I got to know his older songs like "Billie Jean" and was simply fascinated: rhythm, danceability and drama made the songs unique.
When I was in America in 2002, I absolutely had to go to the Motown Studios and see how and where Michael Jackson and his siblings recorded first records as "Jackson 5". In these cozy homes, the world star has already sung as a cute little child? Later his appearance alienated me: the narrow, deformed nose, the white skin and the respiratory protection. The marriage with the Elvis daughter Lisa Marie Presley, the handling of his children, as well as the process of child abuse irritated me and left me from my idol. But one thing was already there and remains undisputed for me today: Michael Jackson is an exception in music and entertainment. He coined the music of the 70s, 80s and 90s and thus also my taste in music. "Catharina Muuß, 26
An icon of pop history
"With Michael Jackson's death, the biggest icon of pop history has died for me, he's influenced the 80's with his music, performance, and lifestyle like no other musician, and his songs have been with me throughout my youth let's face it, who did not try the legendary Moonwalk? " Sandra Hintze, 34
Now they play Jackson non-stop
"The day before yesterday, after 18 years, I happened to meet an old Abifreund again, and now Michael, the old sack dies! Well, who knows what it's good for, I'm definitely upset, the good news is that about every radio station is non-stop Michael Jackson plays, I'm just saying: Heal the world! " Nikola Haaks
Great moments
"You were still colored, I was only 8. You sang" Thriller ", I understood" Diller "You could dance, I did my best We had a good time in 1982, Michael Thanks for that!" Katharina Wantoch, 35
Sunny times
"Probably there is a phase in almost every life that is colorful, sunny and exciting in my memory - for me it's the early 80s, I studied in Munich, very consciously enjoying the freedom before entering professional life and I moved adventurously through Munich's cultural and nightlife.Michael Jackson's music is part of that time, when "She's Out Of My Life", "This Girl Is Mine", "Billie Jean" is playing in the disco I was always drawn to the dance floor, so I could not do anything about it, and because we are both born in the year 58, and being in the same age always creates a sense of connectedness, even though you can not do much with the other one, I followed that up Even when his music did not interest me much, I was sorry because he could not help but destroy himself, but I still feel m I immediately put into the early 80s when I hear his hits from that time. And that is what one should do first! "Claudia Kirsch, 50
Also a family man
"Recently there was this photo: Michael Jackson with his son and daughter, this was the first time in all the years that he did not seem like an artificial madman who is not up to his life." They looked nice, the three of them , normal, sympathetic, a family First, I thought of my youth when I heard this morning that Michael Jackson is dead, as his songs have accompanied these years, that he will not accompany the youth of his own children is heartbreaking . " Christine Hohwieler, 43
He committed suicide on installments
"He was the star of my childhood, I was mesmerized by him and glued to the TV to see his brilliant, hitherto unique videos and movies, his records were the first ones I bought," Beat it? Favorite song: I wanted to be able to dance like him, and even more, have such a fascinating, explosive charisma, he was a shimmering, vigorous, passionate man with a huge sex appeal Most of them were touched by how obviously he was showing off his severely injured soul, turning from black to white and from adult back to being a napped child From a sexual man to an androgynous, asexual fictional character It was easy to describe him as a total freak easier than watching a man with enormous talent publicly execute himself.He first tried to literally slip into someone else's skin to later commit suicide by installment. He murdered his ego by at least outwardly destroying it.
Did he abuse a child? Possible, which would be terrible! He was an abused child himself. And, almost more frightening, would the abuse itself have been clear to him? Hardly anything in his life followed a normal, human standard. Apparently, he could not give his children what they needed and what he needed. Nevertheless, he always longed for it, and never got it fulfilled. Presumably, Michael Jackson, the star of the century, would have a normal, happy childhood? even if it sounds like cliché? like to renounce fame and talent. Why did not this man, who died in the thunderstorm of lightning for decades, get any help? "Heide Fuhljahn, 35
On my first cassette was Michael
"The feeling that Michael Jackson is gone is somehow sad and strange, I mean, I did not admire that bizarre person, at least not after his tenth nose surgery and puberty (crazy was both), but with My first self - acquired cassette (CDs were not there yet) was Michael Jackson - Bad, which I heard on my recorder, which my parents gave me for their twelfth birthday my very own life, I'll miss you, Michael. " Bianka Echtermeyer, 33
"Heal the world" sung in music lessons
"As a kid, I hated traffic news, which meant the radio announcer babbled in the middle of the song that my brother and I were about to record on cassette." Cause this is thriller, thriller night, "Michael Jackson sang, for example was interrupted by: "On the A28 Oldenburg - Bremen between Kreuz Oldenburg-Ost and Delmenhorst, the emergency telephones were down in both directions until about 12 o'clock." Who cares, we asked ourselves, sometimes it was helpful to pause and immediately after Record, when the - in our eyes completely meaningless - message was over, we had a choppy song on cassette, but that was better than nothing, but more often it happened that we could completely forget the recording, because the radio man kept talking endlessly, then we waited until the song was played hours later, "Opus' live is live" was constantly repeated when our favorite music Once again, Michael Jackson came back and was a matter of luck. I did not understand these radio people. Why could not they just play Michael the whole day, what's the other stuff? "We are the World", "Bad" - my brother and I loved everything.
Even in my class, the Jackson fever broke out. We sang "Heal the World" in music lessons. My best friend had a leather glove and a Jackson hat, combed a lock in the face to look just like Michael in a photo. She made a presentation about him and got a one for it. On a birthday party she danced the moonwalk? and was the star of the evening. At some point, Michael faded for us. My brother listened to Hip Hop, my best friend loved Black Music, I bought Depeche Mode albums. But we never forget Micheal Jackson. When a song is played by him at a party, we are still storming the dance floor. And I still have a double CD of him, with the "Essential Hits". There are his best songs on it, also "thriller". Fortunately, without disturbing traffic news. "Katrin Schmiedekampf, 28
