From the Headlines

Everyone’s heard the news about Michael Jackson by now, dead from apparent cardiac arrest at 50-years-old. Bermuda’s heard it too. For a small island nation in the middle of the Atlantic, it sure does love its MJ. Just the other day fans gathered at Camden Grounds to sign photos of the pop star that will be sent to the Jackson family on behalf of the island. It was a sight to behold. Hundreds of people showed up, all offering warm thoughts and calm prayer for a man they most likely never met. Locally Jackson made a splash when he visited the Hamilton Princess with then, child star Macaulay Culkin in 1991. In photos of the trip Jackson looked serene and cheerful—although that’s a common reaction for most visitors to Bermuda’s pink shores. It’s a shame he’ll never be back, but local deejays are ensuring the King of Pop will not be forgotten. Yesterday I tuned into a hits-of-the-past station when on came a twenty-minute mashup of Michael Jackson tunes. Each song blended into the next, one barely ending before the next one began. As a casual fan it was both entertaining and frustrating (just play the whole darn song already!) but it did underscore the pop singer's reach. “That one was for all you Michael fans out there,” the deejay said when it was done. Based upon the recent outpouring of island love, I think she was talking to all of us.