MJ beats it: Leaving the world in shock

MANILA, Philippines – Aga Muhlach dropped his celfon as soon as he turned it on when he woke up mid morning yesterday.

“I got a lot of messages, the first coming from (Quezon City Vice Mayor) Herbert (Bautista) and Goma (Richard Gomez),” recalled Aga in a phone interview. “I felt like a member of the family. I couldn’t believe it; nabitiwan ko nga ‘yung celfon ko, eh.”

And neither could the whole world which Michael Jackson left in shock with his sudden death Thursday afternoon in L.A.

You see, Aga has been an avid MJ fan since he was 12. In 1984 when he was featured on the cover of Weekend, the Sunday magazine of the Daily Express, he wore an MJ get-up. His 38-square-foot room at the then Muhlach residence in New York St., Cubao, Quezon City, was dominated by a life-size poster of MJ in his Thriller costume. The record racks were packed full with MJ albums which Aga would play day and night, before sleeping and upon waking up.

He wanted so much to be like MJ that Aga even included a Thriller sequence in his starrer Campus Beat, in which he did MJ’s classic moonwalk.

“If ever I go to the States,” Aga said then, “hindi ako uuwi hangga’t hindi ko nakikita si Michael Jackson.”

He finally got the chance years later when MJ had a concert in Singapore.

“I went there with Goma and Tito Douglas (Quijano) purposely to watch his concert which was cancelled because Michael was depressed. That was the first time he was accused of child molestation. Many people didn’t show up the next day so we were able to get tickets na malapit sa stage. Umiiyak kami nina Goma habang nanonood kami ng show.”

Aga said he never believed MJ was guilty as accused and he was even acquitted.

“My admiration for him was never lessened because the accusation was not true,” insisted Aga whose favorite Michael memorabilia is a Thriller jacket. “He was a very private person but no matter how hard he tried to guard his privacy, pilit pa rin siyang sinisiraan.”

The next time Aga saw MJ was during his concert in Manila in the 1996.

“Idol ko pa rin siya noon,” Aga said. “Hanggang ngayon.”

Gary Valenciano, another MJ fan, was devastated when he heard the sad news minutes before he and his wife Angeli Pangilinan boarded a plane for Beijing. He cried throughout the flight.

As soon as they landed, Gary V. (whose act is MJ-inspired), sent Funfare Update the following text message:

It is a sad day for the entire world that the greatest performer-artist of our time has passed away. The music industry would have never been what it is today without him. Truth be told, I’m totally grieving and there is difficulty in finding the words to say.

His music and style transcend generations as seen in the way he influenced even the youngest of artists we see today. In some ways, it’s like part of me has died, too. He was an inspiration to me. I still wonder if he ever read the letter I wrote him when he performerd here. It was the least I could do for all the years that he inspired me.

Michael Jackson...there simply will never be another quite like him. His death is now the biggest event but his music and his life were always about something big. I’m thankful that I witnessed him “live” on stage and that he played his part as he sang and danced his way into my life.

I don’t know until when this grieving will settle in all those who have been inspired by him.

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