When I first saw Michael he was a wiry athletic 20 year old merging with a microphone stand. Above the smoke and noise he lingered so beautifully like a perfect sculpture in motion. Michael's intentness upon delivering a song with sincerity was as apparent as his future and his future was clear from where I watched him. He sang an old song with a new regard and the regard was all his own.
I was interrupted during Michael's performance by people shuffling stools at the bar around me. I moved my head and strained to see Michael better as bottles of spirits started to block my view. I could barely hear him and a man watching me watching Michael whispered in my ear “You're intoxicated”. I listened harder and heard him so clearly after that, all my senses were tuned just to him and the words of the song “The Loved One”.
The truth was and is that there are people amongst us who constantly redefine our point of view and landscape of our visions, I recognised Michael as one of them. When I watched Michael's performance that night I knew I was witnessing the emergence of an enigma and that enigma would haunt me like an echo to which I never grew deaf.
Michael turned heads to listen because he took a few words, strung them carefully together and made them as meaningful as they were memorable. Like a magician he immersed us in emotions and experiences that we may never otherwise feel or know first- hand. Michael carried us there to where he was and I for one couldn't wait for the journey even if I had to be a captive of his magic across huge spaces of air, land and sea.
In a lifetime short he gave much of himself to his family, his colleagues and friends, his country and the world. Michael expected little but respect in return. In the meantime he demonstrated a beat to walk by, sang words to live love and bear by and even though he is not here as long as we remember him he lives from moment to moment in the many memories he gave us.
If Michael were here I would gladly tell him without shame of my admiration and feel proud to honour his work. I have no doubt he would have kept evolving into a finer and finer artist carrying more importance and more depth by the decade. Time has not dulled his echo, chilled his humour or etched his face and instead it has brought us all together united in love and peace to wish him a very Happy 50th Birthday.
I was interrupted during Michael's performance by people shuffling stools at the bar around me. I moved my head and strained to see Michael better as bottles of spirits started to block my view. I could barely hear him and a man watching me watching Michael whispered in my ear “You're intoxicated”. I listened harder and heard him so clearly after that, all my senses were tuned just to him and the words of the song “The Loved One”.
The truth was and is that there are people amongst us who constantly redefine our point of view and landscape of our visions, I recognised Michael as one of them. When I watched Michael's performance that night I knew I was witnessing the emergence of an enigma and that enigma would haunt me like an echo to which I never grew deaf.
Michael turned heads to listen because he took a few words, strung them carefully together and made them as meaningful as they were memorable. Like a magician he immersed us in emotions and experiences that we may never otherwise feel or know first- hand. Michael carried us there to where he was and I for one couldn't wait for the journey even if I had to be a captive of his magic across huge spaces of air, land and sea.
In a lifetime short he gave much of himself to his family, his colleagues and friends, his country and the world. Michael expected little but respect in return. In the meantime he demonstrated a beat to walk by, sang words to live love and bear by and even though he is not here as long as we remember him he lives from moment to moment in the many memories he gave us.
If Michael were here I would gladly tell him without shame of my admiration and feel proud to honour his work. I have no doubt he would have kept evolving into a finer and finer artist carrying more importance and more depth by the decade. Time has not dulled his echo, chilled his humour or etched his face and instead it has brought us all together united in love and peace to wish him a very Happy 50th Birthday.