R.I.P.

The entertainment world loss 3 big names this weeks.  Stars who have been called icons.  I don’t watch television so the reactions that I’ve been paying attention to are those on facebook.  Concerning the losses, one of my friends wrote “as a child of the '70s and '80s, tonight I feel as if part of my youth as washed away in a flash. I had the Farrah Fawcett poster in my room, I loved Michael Jackson's early music and I loved staying up late to hear Ed McMahon bring out Johnny. I was six when Elvis died and I was crushed. I feel the same tonight.”

Another has written “Jackson died and Farrah isn't heard of again! They were both entertainers just different fields. One is just as important as the other!!”

I guess everybody has their own feelings about the different stars.  For me the loss of Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett mean very little.  I never stayed up to watch the Tonight Show and if Farrah was ever a great actress I didn’t know it.  I know that she was famous for her poster, but in my mind that is not an achievement that we should praise.

I was never what you would call a Michael Jackson fanatic, but I did like his music.  I think that his death is receiving the most attention because he did have a much greater impact on America and the world.  He began performing when he was only 4 years old and had been in the spotlight most of his life.  Music always has a way of touching people and Michael’s will continue to touch lives and be enjoyed long after he is gone.  I can’t say that Ed or Farrah will do the same.

My greatest Michael Jackson memory is from 1993. My oldest son, Zach was born on Super Bowl Sunday and Michael Jackson performed during halftime. I remember watching it from my hospital bed while holding my newborn baby.  I can’t remember which teams played in that Super Bowl, but the music still lives.