Michael Jackson

[Nicole Glaude']

My heart is broken over the sudden passing of Michael. He was my number one. Do you guys think that he had any empathic abilities? Maybe he was overwhelmed by them. He seemed to be so tortured in his life. Anyway, it was just a thought that ran through my mind.

Just Wednesday, my friend Kim and I were talking about Michael for like 45 minutes. I was jamming to Man in the Mirror and then yesterday, he dies. Boggles my mind.

I was able to see him one time in my life. After 9/11, there was a benefit concert here in DC at RFK to raise money for the victims and their families. The concert started at 11am and Michael didn't come on until 12am. He sang two songs and it was definitely worth the wait. I remember standing there thinking," I understand why people cry when they see him." It was so loving. Anyway, I just felt like talking about Michael today. Hope all is well with all of you!

Love, Nicole

[Christy]

In the south we are very saddened by Steve McNair's passing today...he was shot to death. He did a lot here in TN for kids and helped out in the community...sad....
Christy

[Nicole Glaude']

I am very sorry too. It seems as if there's death every few days. Have they caught the person(s) who shot him?

[Christy]

It looks like a murder/suicide right now with the woman being the one who killed him.

[Nicole Glaude']

Was she in love with him or something? I read an article about it and they said that his wife was a person of interest, but she's not being charged with anything. This is gruesome.

[Christy]

Well, he had a wife and a home with 4 kids and a girlfriend who was 20 years old in a condo.. it still looks like the girlfriend shot him and then herself but who knows....it could have been cleverly staged....the police aren't saying much except this...
I feel bad for his kids. :(

[Nicole Glaude']

Thank you for putting this list together. I am putting a presentation about Michael together for one of my classes and I would love to include his charitable work in on it. Would you mind if I used some of your information presented here?

As for your comments about not being read or absorbed until after death, I agree with you completely, but I also think it's a clue to how much we still have to grow as a people in the LOVE department. We love to build people up, but we get a kick out of watching them fall. Michael's spirit was crushed by the hatred that was being thrown at him by the media, talk show hosts, the countless lawsuits...but I think the thing that crushed him the most was the fact that his symbol of "purity" (i.e. a child) could accuse him of doing something so beyond his realm of possibility. I remember watching the footage from the 2005 court hearings. The day that Michael was acquitted by 14 not-guilties, you could see the despair in his eyes. There was no spark. During the trial, there were bits and pieces of Michael's childlike spirit here and there...but on that last day, he looked so defeated, even though he was acquitted. I believe that is why he finally gave Neverland up. People talk about how frail he was...well, when you beat a person down...year after year after year, how can you expect them not to be frail.

Michael did so much to improve other people's lives--you didn't have to be sick or famished for him to care about you. What I wish more than anything is that he had a chance, in his lifetime, to feel real love OFF the stage.

Anyway, I hope that whereever he is now that he feels complete happiness.

Thank you again:)

[Nicole Glaude']

Yes, that would be great if you could get the information for me. I would love it and appreciate it very much:)

[Nicole Glaude']

PS. You're so lucky you had the chance to see the Jackson 5 perform. I'm jealous:)

[Nicole Glaude']

Thank you. I've been reading through the list that you provided. I've also been following Michael's "Debt saga" for the last week. Here's my thought...and I hope it's not a stupid one: what if--what if Michael was using those loans from Bank of America and Barclay's to provide for ailing children and funerals and liver transplants...? What if he believed that once he made other albums/cds he'd recover those debts? It may be like a modern-day Robin hood thing...but I think that he may have actually thought that way. Most everything that's on this list I REMEMBER from when I was in middle school and high school and a young adult. And anyone can google and wikipedia to "verify"...but what if that's what he was thinking? It's possible. Regardless, if you go through each of those donations, look at all the lives he affected! Through Heal the World alone, they were able to lift "46 tons of supplies to Sarajevo, donated millions of dollars to less fortunate children, including the full payment of a Hungarian child's liver transplant." Imagine all the people that can be helped still...even after Michael is gone...because of the vision that he had. I'm inspired by someone like him. It makes me strive to be a better person. It also breaks my heart that what was "entertainment news" for so many ended up contributing to the ruin of his beautiful life. But, you know what? People like us will carry on his vision.

[Nicole Glaude']

Actually, I added up the donations that he made (w/out foundations) and it turned out to be about $22mil. But, I still hold to my original belief about Michael, nothing's changed. Anyway, I just had to correct my money theory from before...I'm anal. Anyway, thank you for all the info.