**Please share your favorite Michael Jackson memory in the comments below!**

Ours was the family in the neighborhood that kept up to date with all of the hit records so while my Father worked late most nights one summer, my mother and sister and I would slide the back door open, point the speakers out towards the playground behind our townhouse, and blast Michael Jackson out into the neighborhood.

None of the backyards were fenced in and everyone’s yard opened onto that playground.  The subdivision was packed with families who had young kids, and all of them ended up sitting on the grass, night after night, watching my mother and sister and I put on a concert using turkey baster microphones and broom guitars.  My cousin Josh was the best of all of us at The Moonwalk.

For a fan as big as me, yesterday was a very sad day that compelled me to drop everything to create this portrait as my tribute to The Greatest.

God bless you, Michael Jackson.  You gave us everything you had – body, mind, and soul.  You will live forever.

EDIT: Here is a eulogy, by Bob Lefsetz, that is far better than anything I had started to type and then deleted over and over: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

Excerpt:

He missed his childhood and now he’s gonna miss his old age.

How fucked up is that?

Michael Jackson never had a chance.  He had to succeed for his family, his parents’ dreams were dependent upon him.

And a boy with that much pressure delivers.  He works truly hard, so he will be loved.  That’s all Michael Jackson was looking for, love.

Did you watch the Motown 25th Anniversary special? Were you born a little later only knew him from what you saw after the fact? Share your favorite Michael Jackson memory below…

And here there are!  Phil Litevsky, Drew Davis, Alex Pulec, Brendan Yapp, and David Milligan!!

Each department was invited to have a stall, carnival style. The photography department was selling ice cream and selling off their photo albums cheap. There were a whole bunch of contests going on. There was a blackjack tournament. The spa offered massages for $1 per minute. I went out on my own and offered to draw portraits for people.

It was so awesome, and it totally sucked. It was awesome because I had the biggest line up and my portraits – or, “kustom artwerks” as my sign said – were a big hit. it sucked because I was in a shitty chair, at a low table, and by the end of it my back and eyes hurt terribly and I could barely speak or walk.