When I was young and not sure what I wanted to do with my life God found a very creative way to gently push me in the direction I needed to go. A friend was working on a music video with her cousin who was directing the video and she called me to come in and interview for a job as a stand in. I got the job and for the next nine days I was stand in for Michael Jackson on his now legendary Thriller video.

He was kind, he was fun and he was a great mentor who stimulated the creative urge in me and helped to set me on the path that I follow to this day. For a brief period of time he was a friend. I learned alot from him during those nine days including how to follow my dreams, be a good son, be a good person and most of all he told me to believe in myself. It took a few years for me to fully embrace the challenge of believing in myself, but the message always lived inside me. Much to my surprise when I ran into him several times in subsequent years he actually remembered me (not an easy thing to do when you meet thousands of new people per month) and took time to say hello and ask how I've been doing.

I will NEVER forget the blessing of being able to know a hero as an acquaintance. I will always treasure the conversations we shared and the knowledge he imparted. I will forever be grateful for the experience he provided and for the thrill of a lifetime.

Life is brief, life is a blessing and of course we never know how long our lives will last. The mission is to do your very best with the time you are given. Michael Joseph Jackson did that better than anyone before him the music business and touched lives in ways that transcend mere entertainment.

50 years of you, was like multiple lifetimes for most of us. Thank you for touching my life in a very personal way. Rest well and thank you for the memories my friend.

BIO from Wikipedia

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009[2]) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearance and behavior, generated significant controversy, damaging his public image.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sales of over 750 million albums worldwide. Cited as one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, has made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.

After being taken to the hospital in a coma, Jackson was reportedly pronounced dead on June 25, 2009.[