HAPPY BIRTHDAY 54 TH MJ ( MICHAEL JACKSON )

MY VERY FIRST MEMORY OF LISTENING TO  MICHAEL JACKSON WAS WHEN I WAS A FLOWER GIRL AT MY AUNTIE 'S WEDDING. FEW ARTISTS CAN PRETEND TO HAVE A HUGE / TREMENDOUS / INTERNATIONAL IMPACT LIKE MICHAEL.

I CAN REMENBER THAT DAY LIKE YESTERDAY DESPITE THAT I WAS 9 YEARS OLD. IT WAS AFTER THE  MARRIED COUPLE ENTERED THE CONFERENCE ROOM PACKED WITH ALL THE GUESTS DURING A SONG OF ABBA " NIKITA". THEY WALKED ALL AROUND THE ROOM THEN  WENT TO SIT DOWN AND THE SPEAKER JUST ANNOUNCED THE BEGINNING OF THE PARTY.

I WAS JUST SITTING AT MY TABLE WHEN I JUST HEARD A SMOOTH VOICE WITH A VERY SLOW BEAT .......

You know i was...
I was wondering, you know, if
I should keep on, because
The force has got a lot of power and
It makes me feel like...
It makes me feel like...

AND THEN .......    OOOOH

I COUDN 'T MOVE DESPITE THE FANTASTIC BEAT I JUST SAT THERE LISTENING AND ASKING WHO - BUT - WHO MADE THIS SONG I NEVER HEARD SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I JUST RAN TO MY UNCLE WHO WAS THE DJ AND BEGGED HIM TO TELL ME WHO MADE THAT SONG AND HE SHOWED ME " OFF THE WALL " ALBUM.  HIS NAME AND THE PICTURE JUST STICKED TO MY HEAD.

UNTIL THAT DAY I WAS....  I AM..... AND .... I WILL BE A HUGE FAN.

 IT WAS IN FRANCE AND AT THAT TIME ONLY AFRICAN OR BLACK  PEOPLE WERE LISTENING TO BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC A LOT. ON TV IT WAS VERY RARE TO SEE BLACK AMERICAN ARTISTS. SO WHEN " THRILLER " EXPLODED  A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED WHEN  WHITE DISCOVERED MICHAEL AND THEY DIDN' T EVEN KNOW THAT HE STARTED SINGING SINCE CHILDHOOD.

ON THIS SPECIAL DAY I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU  AND HAPPY BIRTDAY TO YOU MICHAEL ! GOD BLESS YOU