Michael Jackson was my hero from the time I was 14 years old. I ate, slept and breathed his music, his videos, his moves. He meant so very much to me in a time when my life was in turmoil. I remember having to hide his music and sneak around because my dad wouldn't allow music by "black people" (NOT the word he used) in "HIS" house. And how I was called the most horrible of names when I got caught. Not to mention other things that happened to me. Still, I loved Michael.

Over the years, life got in the way, and I didn't pay attention to his music as I once did. The death of Michael affected me profoundly, as I felt I had lost a friend whom I had stopped communicating with. With his death, I have "discovered" music I had never heard before...almost like discovering a favorite author has been writing under a pseudonym all this time and that there are new books to read. Michael's music has depth and meaning to my life and though he was a great artist, I deeply regret that during so much of his life, he felt tortured. I wish someone could've helped.

God bless his sweet daughter who lost her dad, as well as his other children. God bless his family and friends and fans. Michael will always be in my heart.

Rest in Peace.