Okay I was wrong

Years ago, while driving from NJ where my daughter had spent part of the summer turning her white skin into a colour darker than one of my African-American friends and her hair white, we were listening to a concert broadcast live.

The perfomer?

Michael Jackson.

"Ten years from now, no one will remember him," I said. That remark had the same wisdom as the then Digital President Ken Olson, who said he could see no reason a person would want a home computer.

As much as I enjoyed Jackson's music and found his videos fascinating, I do not understand the media hype around his death. Yes, exceptionally talented. Yes a breakthrough artist. Yes, a dedicated, hard-working performer. Yes a tragic life despite his success. But with the world in crisis there has to be other stories that need more air time. I keep thinking of Roman bread and circuses.

Maybe I lack passion. I can think of no one outside my family in friends where I would travel for miles to stand outside their home if they died. Even Garou. Even Margaret Atwood. Even, dare I say it...George Clooney? Don't those who consider the death of a celebrity, any celebrity, a personal tragedy have something better to do or real people in their lives to care about?

My daughter, who that summer did a temporay reverse change in skin colour to Jackson's reminded me of the remark.

I can admit it.

I was wrong. He will be remembered and should.