This Side of Heaven... where angels love to tread!

CPRDC or the Cebu Provincial Rehabilitation and Detention Center which is a maximum security prison located in the province of Cebu, Philippines made viral history on the world wide web when Byron Garcia uploaded a video of its prison inmates doing a dance routine to the music of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in 2007. The days and months ahead catapulted the prison and its inmates to world fame. Like it or not, these dance exercises were developed and conceptualized by Byron to make a daily prison routine more appealing to its prisoners.

Now with the death of Michael Jackson, CPRDC has put out another video as a tribute to MJ.

Hubby and I were on the road heading for home and with the usual bantering, sharing of stories about our work day and singing with the music on the radio, our boring drive home was suddenly hampered by the dj suddenly cutting in between a song like he was talking to a CB radio. After recovering from what was actually going on, we heard the dj's conversation with the other person about Michael Jackson has just passed. At first, I couldn't believe what I was hearing and then the dj made some sort of an unofficial announcement that MJ has died. I immediately called my daughter at home to ask if she has heard about it in the news.

Karrol has not heard about it yet so when she turned the tv on the news, it was already being reported that Michael had indeed passed away.

Being a long-time fan even in his Jackson 5 days, I couldn't help but choke and try as I might to compose myself, I couldn't help but shed a tear for the musician and the artist who have brought so much joy in his songs and his performance. For me, his influence in music is comparable to that of Elvis and the Beatles. Their legacy in the music industry or may I say performing arts will always be felt and discovered by the next generations to come.

I have blog about Michael before recalling my very first concert experience watching the Jackson 5 live at the Araneta Coliseum in 1975 (?).

Unfortunately, his later years was marred with scandals and bizarre behavior which is so unbefitting of a star of his stature. True music fans were I'm sure shocked and many disbelieved what was reported of him and even were in denial... but sadly, his continued abnormal behavior only made more fodder for tabloid news.

I would like to remember him the way he look when they performed as the Jackson 5 in their Philippine concert. He was still physically himself and for fans like me who grew up with him, we loved him not because of his looks but because of his music.

Thank you Michael Jackson! You were one of the best in the industry and helped pave the way for other top artists who are now enjoying fame and fortune just because they were inspired by you.