Thursday night at the King Kamehameha Club. We just finished our first set, and I was surfing the Net on my iPhone, reading my favorite news blog, the Huffington Post. The first headline in the Breaking News caption: Michael Jackson Suffers Cardiac Arrest. The news was shocking, but I was hopeful that he would eventually be OK. I went to the bar to get a drink, then I returned to my seat to continue reading. I hit the refresh button, and in an instant, my heart dropped into my stomach; Michael Jackson had died.

Feeling quite numb, I spread the word to the people around me that the King of Pop has died. The most common reaction was, “are you kidding me?” People couldn’t believe it. My colleagues Tiffany and Worthy, two singers who like me are known for their interpretations of Michael Jackson hits, were just as shocked as I was at the news of his death. At the time, the reports were still unconfirmed, and as the word spread through the club, many people were pulling out their cell phones, trying to get any info that they could. Even as we took to the stage to perform our second set, I constantly checked my phone while on stage to get confirmation. When the news was confirmed, a feeling of sadness and shock came over all of us on the stage: Michael Jackson, the superstar whose music and stage performance influenced an entire generation of musicians, was gone.

Most Europeans love affair with Michael Jackson began with “Thriller” and the albums that came after that; the American fascination with Jackson began much, much earlier, in the late ‘60s, as he was a child. I grew up on the music of the Jackson 5 (later called just “the Jacksons”), but I was always amazed by Michael; his voice, his moves, his charisma were all things that would influence me in my own pursuit of a musical career. As I was discovering my own voice, I did so singing Michael Jackson songs; one of my goals as a 12 year old was to hit the low notes in the line of the song “Billy Jean” that goes:

“…so take my strong advice / just remember to always think twice.”

As a teenager, where I realized that I wanted to be a musician, my inspirations were Prince and Michael Jackson; Prince because of his skills as a musician, and Michael for his talent as a singer, dancer and performer. I had the red leather “Beat It” jacket, the white studded glove, and the Jheri curl, just like every other kid in my neighborhood did. I was hooked to MTV whenever they showed MJ’s videos, and I drew portraits of him for my friends. “Billy Jean” is, without a doubt, one of my top 5 favorite songs ever. Even into my 30s, his music would influence my approach to performing and songwriting, even as I recently became a “rocker”, his presence can be felt. Michael Jackson is a text-book example of how to win over an audience and connect to fans unmatched in today’s show business atmosphere.

Given the troubles he’s had in recent years, it’s very easy for people to forget just how influential MJ was in the world of entertainment. He was the first child star to win a Grammy, for his first solo single “Ben”. He was the first black artist to be played on MTV. Though he didn’t actually invent the moonwalk, he made it famous. He has given millions to charity. He is to this day the biggest selling artist of all time, with over 700 million records sold over the course of his career. There will never be another like him, and he will be missed by not only millions of adoring fans, but musicians of all genres mourn his passing. A new generation is also discovering his genius, through artists like Usher, Justin Timberlake, Neyo, etc., who openly admit to owing their success to Michael Jackson’s influence. Michael Jackson was bigger than Elvis, the Beatles, and Madonna, and his influence and legacy will be felt for generations to come.

As the night went on, and the loss of such a great entertainer and musical ambassador started to sink in, I broke the news to the audience in the club. Many were shocked and visibly shaken. I then asked the audience to join me in a celebration of his life and his music, at which point we played “Thriller” in his honor. The crowd loved it; they danced and sang along, just as Michael probably would have wanted it to be.

The King is dead; long live the King!