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It was the biggest deal in my family, when Michael Jackson was about to release HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. We talked about it for weeks. It literally was a family affair when it showed up at the house and all my aunts, uncles, cousins and grand parents showed up. It was like Christmas! We all gathered around, glued to the TV and watched, singing along, laughing, crying. That is what Michael Jackson means to me. Unity. That was all he ever wanted. To unify people of all races colors, classes, creeds, origins… as one. He wanted to harmony between people and saw beauty in everything and everyone. I didn’t want to be like Michael Jackson. I wanted to BE him.

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I remember being a little girl, and my grandma would take video tapes of Michael Jackson performances and music videos. I swear that was all I watched all day, whenever I was at my grandma’s house. I didn’t get his crotch grabbing but I loved it! It was so dramatic whenever he did it. And the way he would slide across those huge stages with pyrotechnic backdrops; I wanted to do that. I saw smiles and tears on faces of all ages in those massive, screaming crowds. I took my mom’s lipstick and wrote on the mirror, ‘Music.Is.Life’ to remind me everyday, where I wanted to be. Who I wanted to be. Michael Jackson was not just the Pop King, he was the King of Catharsis. He was therapy for so many. Hope. Inspiration. Motivation. Comfort. A voice for those who could not be heard through the noise of the world. They needed a King. A King to speak for them because the world would listen to him. And many did. I don’t even have to get into his accolades (which are obviously endless).

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I tried my best to summarize what MJ means to me in a short video that I was asked to make, shortly after The King had passed. It’s been 1 year already but honestly, as much as I cried my soul out, it feels as though he never left…

Shontelle MJ Tribute 1 from Michael Jackson Tribute on Vimeo.

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I bought these Marc Jacob sunglasses in Miami simply because of the design:

Can we spell O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N?

We even share the same favorite color, Yellow/Gold, (not red and black as assumed because he predominately wore those colors). My favorite flower is also the Yellow Rose, which was the chosen flower for the service, although I have since learned that Sunflowers, yellow as well, are MJ’s favorite flower. I wan