On Monday, the media announced that it was the third anniversary of the death of pop music superstar Michael Jackson.
I thought back to one of my favorite memories of Michael...seeing him up close and personal in concert in London, England in 1992.
I don't remember the exact date, but it was sometime in August of 1992. I was heading back to my flat after having spent some time with my then-girlfriend, a Slovenian hairdresser who lived near Golders Green.
On the way home -- I don't remember if I was on the tube or on a bus -- but I noticed people getting all excited talking about Michael Jackson. They said he was playing in concert at Wembley Stadium. I was nearby already, so I decided to go over to Wembley and see what was up.
I missed the first few songs of the concert. I was hanging around outside the stadium and couldn't find an extra ticket. Then I noticed some American media people leaving. When I asked them why they were leaving, they said it was the third night of a three night stand and they had seen the show twice already.
Thinking quickly, I asked them for their "Dangerous Tour" ID lanyards and passes. One reporter shrugged and said "Why not?' and handed them over. I raced into the stadium and managed to gain access to all different areas -- even backstage ....but eventually I ended up in the front rows on the field level as British fans went absolutely insane.
The way that Europeans and international fans loved Michael Jackson was very different from the way American fans appreciated him. People around me were delirious and hysterical ...sobbing, weeping...passing out from the intensity of the moment.
I was having fun, but not nearly as much fun as they were having.
If you watch the video above, you will see what I mean.
These fans were in Bucharest, Romania... not London.
But it was the same "Dangerous" Tour, just a different venue.
For international fans, seeing Michael Jackson live in concert was beyond their wildest dreams. It was something they couldn't even imagine. Even in their fantasies this could never happen.
And then there they were...living that moment.
It was magical to them.
And I enjoyed being part of it.
Michael will be missed.
We are unlikely to see anyone like him again in our lifetime.
