King of Pop

This afternoon at work, I received a phone call from my seven-year-old nephew, Iyan. He said, 'Taiyee you must throw away your King of Pop t-shirt.' 'Why?' I asked. 'Because he is dead.' He said he heard it on the radio.

I heard the news this morning when a few colleagues of mine mentioned of his demise. I did not and could not believe it initially. Then this feeling of utter sadness crept all over me when I realised that I could not pretend that it did not happen anymore.

Whenever I saw clips of his videos on tv, I had to hold back the tears that were threatening to flow. The King of Pop is dead. It's a reality.

Indeed, he is an icon. When I look back, the entertainment world has not only lost a sensational singer but an icon who cannot be replaced. Practically everyone in this world knows who Michael Jackson is. His fast moves and dances on stage and his signature moonwalking and crotch-grabbing moves will definitely live in everyone's heart.

His first few songs that I heard as a young girl were songs like Beat It, Thriller and Billie Jean. Later on, I learnt more about him and knew about the Jackson Five and his other songs which he recorded when he was younger. My all-time favourite is Ben. I fell in love with the song the moment I heard it.

He might be gone but I believe his name and songs will live for generations to come. Hence, it is very apt that the title King of Pop be given to him. He is even called a legend by many and as proof, most of the radio stations are paying tribute to him by playing his songs throughout the weekend.

I will not throw away my King of Pop t-shirt as requested by Iyan. I will not even wear it anymore but will keep it to remind me of the existence of such a great singer. RIP Michael Jackson.

jennyiyan's recollections...