We are the world, we are the children,

— “We Are the World,” music and lyrics by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie

Anyone who has not yet heard of Michael Jackson’s death either lives in a closet, has no television or radio, or has no friends. The King of Pop is dead at age 50. The whole world, it seems, mourns his death and celebrates his life. He was one of a kind, and we may not see his likes again. Michael Jackson was a game-changer.

I expect the media will continue to examine virtually every aspect of Michael Jackson all-too-short life. In the process, they will talk about his llamas, snakes and pet chimp, Bubbles. They will talk about his wild shopping sprees at Tiffany’s; his over-the-top plastic surgeries; and, of course, his marriages, his children, his sexuality and the controversial effort to brand him as a pedophile, even in death.

Let them talk. The world knew it was looking at something special. As I write this, I can think of no other entertainer whose appeal was so universal. I recall that, at one of his overseas concerts — Belgium, I think — tens of thousands gathered, lit candles in the dark, and — male and female alike — openly wept. I can think of no other artist who would have such impact on a foreign audience.

Many from the audience simply wanted to touch him; many others passed out and had to be carried from the stadium. That is the way it was everywhere he performed. In his last planned tour, which was to have occurred next week in Great Britain, I think, a million tickets for 50 concerts had been sold in two days. My guess is that there would have been a similar reaction anywhere in the world.

Michael Jackson was a true icon. He was one of those rare game-changers who are not defined by whether or not they are the “first,” the most popular, or even the best at what they do. Instead, as the term suggests, they change the game. In Jackson’s case, he elevated popular music to an acceptable American art form and, through the use of video accompaniments (MTV), made popular music both an auditory and visual experience.

All of his much publicized troubles and woes aside, most older ones of us remember him as a rather shy, soft-spoken little boy who, once on stage, lit up the place. In truth, due to a father who was his greatest blessing and worst curse, even as the stages grew larger and larger, Michael Jackson remained almost childlike. Perhaps that is why audiences always felt a personal connection to him. Though sad, it was, I suppose, part of his magic.