Do you remember hearing “ABC” by the Jackson 5 on WJET radio in the 60’s? How about the haunting theme song to the movie “Ben”? Or his first moonwalk on the Motown 25th Anniversary special? The countdown to the debut of the “Thriller” video? The bewilderment at his apprearance on a Barbara Walters special?

What is your memory of Michael Jackson?

Two of mine: When I was in high school, I used to DJ dances after the basketball games. My friend Sam Cohen and I were the S & S Express-the Dynamic Duo of Disco (my nickname at the time was snarkily “Slim”). One of the songs that got the most reaction was “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” from Michael’s first solo album “Off The Wall.” It’s hard to believe that at the time, there was skeptism that a Jackson could get back on the charts as the popularity of the Jackson 5 had been in demise for a few years. “Off The Wall” was a solid R&B, fully danceable record and totally launched MJ into his own.

The second is remembering when MTV came to Erie in the early 1980’s. Michael’s video’s were the most produced of any on the video channel. But nothing matched the buildup for the “Thriller” video. According to Wikipedia, the video was released on Dec. 2, 1983, smack in the middle of my senior year at Gannon, where we were all abuzz at the media phenomenon, and the budget of $500,000! As it turned out, we all absolutely loved it.