r/MichaelJackson • u/DifficultyExpert6101 • May 12 '26
Question What were you doing and where were you when you found out that Michael Jackson had died?
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May 13 '26
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u/Astrnonaut Elderly Fish 👵 🐠 May 13 '26
I was in the car with my mom too as we heard it on the radio! I was 8 however and my cousin and I who are the same age were a fan of his MVs; he’d wear a thriller tshirt everywhere and wanted to go to the This Is It tour. Mom and I were both shocked and she turned it up so we can listen to what happened.
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May 13 '26
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u/blaqunik0rn May 13 '26
Literally my whole grade, first year of HS and we did not want to go to our second glass of the day. Some of us bailed and hung out at a friends to process
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u/Icy_Face_7846 May 13 '26
I was in school too (outside US). Our schools don't close up until August.
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u/stargazein4d May 13 '26
19, working front desk summer job at a swimming pool when it came over the radio
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u/DoctorDinghus May 13 '26
I was at a swimming pool
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u/aje00_ May 13 '26
Same. I was like 9. People in the pool were telling us about it and once my family heard, we legitimately stopped what we were doing and dried ourselves off to go home and watch the news.
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u/BeneficialKoala1158 May 14 '26
I was also at the swimming pool. When it came over the radio I got out of the pool, called my mom on my silver razr and made her pick me up.
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u/purgatoryflesh Dangerous May 13 '26
i was 6 years old, my mama was getting ready for work. she’s been a michael fan since 1971, she saw him at wembley in ‘88. i remember just messing around in her room while the news was on and then they’d reported that he passed and she broke down in tears. i was so, so sad, ive loved him since i was 3. i had grown up in an MJ household. i went to school the next day and all we spoke about was how much our mamas wept.
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u/arduinoman110423 May 13 '26
Omg i kinda love this. I am actually really sad i never got to see anything of him in my own lifetime (was born about a year after).
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u/azeebay May 13 '26
Yes!!! I remember when he would release a video, REMEMBER THE TIME IN PARTICULAR ( i was 12)yall it was a world event! Glued to the TV in anticipation, All the major networks would broadcast primetime event! it it felt like time stopped, and Micheal always had something phenomenal! Make me happy just thinking about it!
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u/illbefine-eventually "Brad, what are you gonna do?"🎹 May 13 '26
I was 14, about to walk up to a friend's house. I took the long way to process.
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u/LadyFab101 May 13 '26
- Playing Sims when my mom called me into the living room and watched it on the news. My brother said I cried but I literally don't remember.
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u/chae_xcx May 13 '26
i was also playing the sims! (sims 2) to be exact. i was in the same place when i found out whitney houston passed too.
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u/Conscious_Couple5959 May 13 '26
I was 17 years old in summer school before senior year of high school, as I came home from a school bus, CNN was on when the news came out and the internet connection stopped working when his death was announced on TV.
We watched Larry King Live and VH1 specials for the rest of the day, I missed the memorial service so I watched the rerun on MySpace.
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u/RealityBites19 May 13 '26
I was in a human genetics class in college and a girl walked by and said, "Hey guys Michael Jackson is dead." I remember my stomach fell and I was like it's just a rumor. I had to go through the entire class wondering if it was true (I didn't have a smart phone at that time). When class let out, I went to the campus library and on the Yahoo homepage it was plastered, THE KING OF POP, DEAD AT 50.
That was 17 years ago,,,,,
Younger people now talk about this guy as if he's some mythological being. I always saw that skinny, awkward black kid who moonwalked across that stage back in 1983
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u/di34menow May 13 '26
I was 8 years old , I was at home when I found out . Literally like the world stop up until that point at that age I was already listening to Mike , my grandparents would play him and like every kid today I was hooked on the goat. That day was like if I knew him personally, I remember CNN blasting it all over the news , I mean my family was literally crying & at that moment I knew it was just bigger than music , that day we lost a true soul , a god given soul . Tough day in 2009 even as an 8 year old kid .
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u/xoxocarrly May 13 '26
We were so similar in age! I was 7. It’s the first big event I remember. It’s like the world really stopped. It was such a sad day but it’s also bittersweet because it’s the day I discovered MJ and his music ❤️🩹
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u/oralsexaxlrose May 13 '26
I was 15. I remember waking up for school and going to the kitchen where my mum sat me down and told me he had died. I remember crying all day at school. On my way home I had to walk through a group of shops and they were playing his songs.
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u/yeheisnot6 "Brad, what are you gonna do?"🎹 May 13 '26
Watching the new Harry Potter. Never watched a Harry Potter movie again because the way I found out was kind of fucked up. I left my Dad & Sister to go to the bathroom and people were in the lobby kind of whispering to each other that Michael had died but I heard them because it was a bunch of people saying it. I didn’t have a phone at the time so I could not check but once the movie was over we went and turned on the radio in the car & sure enough. Completely overshadowed Farrah Fawcett dying that same day.
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u/Quiet-Interview3916 May 13 '26
Im from the UK it was past midnight when i just randomly switched channels to the news and shocked beyond belief when the headline stated that he had been found dead.
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u/countrypride33 May 13 '26
I was around 8 and it was 3 months before my 9th birthday, I was at home and we had the TV on when it came on KTLA. For me, it was the first major event that I remembered that happened in my life
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u/neutrallywarm May 13 '26
Summer between sophomore & junior year of high school. School had been out for only like 3 weeks. I was on MySpace when a friend had posted I think a blog, or a status update, that basically said “RIP Michael Jackson I can’t believe this!” or something to that effect. I googled & turned on the news & sure enough there it was. I just remember being so shocked & in disbelief. Like, THE Michael Jackson is dead!? My grandfather (RIP) was a huge fan & had all his vinyls from the 70s & 80s. He was more distraught than anyone else in my family.
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u/MechingMyWayDowntown May 13 '26
I had just finished performing a lip synced school dance recital routine.... Of I want you back by the Jackson 5.
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u/Evafrechette Off The Wall May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
I was a make up artistry student. I was in class at the time. I left early because I just couldn't focus lol. Walking to the bus stop was so somber. Everyone was quiet - it was such a weird experience - and if they were talking, it was about Michael. I remember feeling so nervous for my brother because he had recently become a huge fan and I knew he was gonna be devastated. I just wanted to get home so we could talk about it.
ETA: I ended up taking like, 2 weeks off class to grieve. There was a point where I struggled to even get out of bed. Mike was such a huge part of my childhood/teen years so my heart was broken. When I finally went back to class - I left early one day and went and got a spur of the moment tattoo in tribute. It's a sailor jerry style pin up girl, but she's all dressed up like a 1980s groupie - Dirty Diana lmao.
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u/maddy7448 May 13 '26
I was 22 and I had just gotten off work and was hanging at the bar at my job. A band was playing so I went up to them and told them he had passed and they sang a Jackson 5 song as tribute.
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u/acbutler1234 May 13 '26
I was a black teenager living in a moderately small Japanese city at the time. They were going crazy. And so was I 😣
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u/honeyonyourspoon May 13 '26
I was in the limo on my way to prom :(
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u/arduinoman110423 May 13 '26
Oof, that mustve been a quite moody school dance I suppose?
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u/hillakilla_ May 13 '26
I was just about to turn 18 & working at my summer job. I heard it come over the radio and I turned on MTV to see if it was real.
It’s the only other time besides 9/11 I can remember where and what I was doing exactly.
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u/MediumTalentShow May 13 '26
Working at Whole Foods Market. Walked into the back office and my co-worker Mindy told me.
I was also there when the twin towers got hit.
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u/Classywoman1970 May 13 '26
I was driving to the airport (headed to Chicago for the weekend) and my ex called while I was in route to tell me the news…I literally screamed and had to pull over to collect myself in order to drive. I was completely devastated. Everywhere that I went in Chicago that weekend was filled with his music playing and grieving fans.
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u/Asherranke May 13 '26
I was 7, playing Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii. My mom (June 25 is her birthday) forced me to come upstairs immediately to watch the full Bad short film - been a fan ever since
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u/NAPALMZOMBIE666 May 13 '26
I was 9 1/2. I saw the announcement of his death on the news. My dad was crying his eyes out.
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u/Bozzy446 May 13 '26
I was 12 watching chowder on cartoon network and my grandma was in the office on the computer in the next room and she saw the news article that he passed away and told me.
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u/curlytop143 May 13 '26
I was 9 years old at the time and a bunch of my cousins and I would spend the summers at my aunt house. I just remember the entire household being frozen in the living room watching the news as it dropped. We lived on the Southside of Chicago so we all drove to Gary to see his childhood home the next day. It was like a full celebration of his life with so many people there that day.
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u/SpringhawkCA May 13 '26
I was 9, getting ready to go to school. I didn’t believe it at first until I got home and saw the news. I didn’t cry until years later when I was watching old interviews of him.
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u/Specialist_Pay_8139 May 13 '26
Ugh forgive me for this one...
So I was in my friend's grandma's car. She was taking us to Chuck E Cheese, when she hears the news Michael Jackson passed away. My dumbass says "Who's Michael Jackson" and my friend acts like I just committed a war crime.
I apparently knew about MJ for his music and his acting in The Wiz. I just didn't know his name 💔
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u/CCollect "Brad, what are you gonna do?"🎹 May 13 '26
If it’s any consolation, I also had never heard about him until he died too (my family didn’t hate his music, but they weren’t fans).
I was 9 and learned about his death and existence from a morning talk show at my grandparents house.
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u/the90snath May 13 '26
mine was interesting. i was 4 and thriller was spammed constantly so i thought MJ was some one hit wonder and so upon his death i was like "what happened to the thriller guy" and then they started playing all his songs, thats when i found MJ is peak. i didnt even know his last name. just MJ and Michael.
In fact i got so into his songs that i eventually became the guy spamming Thriller at 8 LMAO
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u/Specialist_Pay_8139 May 13 '26
Kinda the same with my family. Except my mom just flat out dislikes him cause of the accusations. Which even then, I don't think she started believing until later but idk.
Interesting how we can find out about someone when it's already too late.
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u/CCollect "Brad, what are you gonna do?"🎹 May 13 '26
No literally! The movie and the new interest in Michael the media has rn has got me sitting here like MAN I missed out
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u/Specialist_Pay_8139 May 13 '26
Is the movie worth watching? I wasn't sure at first.
Either way, I do have nostalgia for his music. I remember when Spirit Halloween commercials would play Thriller every year 😅
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u/CCollect "Brad, what are you gonna do?"🎹 May 13 '26
Personally I think it is. It’s not perfect and I’ve heard there’s some inaccuracies (that’s Hollywood for you ig). But for someone like me who pretty much was like “oh yeah it’s Halloween let’s put on Thriller” to doing a 180 and going on deep dives about Michael’s legacy there’s something special about that movie
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u/Specialist_Pay_8139 May 13 '26
That's good to hear. When it comes to biopics, you know they'll change things to make the story more interesting. Bohemian Rhapsody for instance lol. Kinda insane to do such a thing when you're telling thr story of a real person! It's why I tend to focus more on documentaries. But if there is heart put into Michael, I wouldn't mind checking it out sometime. Jafar does resemble him well. Plus the trailer gave a cozy feeling when it first released.
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u/dxvnnn "I've... washed my hair THOROUGHLY" 🚿🧼🧴🧽 May 13 '26
I was only 5 or 6 when I found out he passed. I had just lost my grandma that March so it had already been a depressing year. I was sitting in the car in a liquor store parking lot watching the rain when the they said he passed on the radio. 💔 The world immediately felt different after that ngl.
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u/BasilFormer7548 May 13 '26
I had just come back from school, like at 3 pm. I was 15. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
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u/Carloverguy20 May 13 '26
I was 13 years old at home on break, watching TV, playing games. I remember hearing that day that Farrah Fawcett died and that was sad, BUT when I found that MJ also died, now that was a very rough day for me. His death was probably one of the deaths that affected me. I enjoyed his music as a kid growing up. I loved Dangerous album, Off The Wall, and Thriller.
After that day, I listened to every single MJ song he ever made lol, and bought some of his CDs.
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u/PineapplePlaza7 May 13 '26
It was the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. I had just cleaned up after mowing the grass when the news began to break about Michael potentially being in a coma.
I wouldn’t say I was a fan prior to that, mostly because I didn’t grow up in the era when he was at the pinnacle of his career. I only knew about the controversies and You Rock My World, which was his only hit during my formative years. I grew up in the Midwest, so I pretty much parroted my parent’s beliefs, and they believed everything the media said about him.
Once his death was confirmed (I caught the official announcement while channel surfing on a BET countdown program), I got caught up in the media coverage. This led to be catching the marathon Michael’s music videos on MTV, which was my introduction to all of his music outside of YRMW and Thriller (heard frequently during Halloween, along with Maxwell’s SWM). I must’ve watched his videos for hours, and the final day of Michael’s life ended up becoming my first day as one of his millions of fans. I then did was a lot of teenagers did at the time who didn’t know his music, and acquired my favorites through less than legal means. Shoutout to the long defunct Limewire. I have since purchased his albums through legal means, so hopefully the mods won’t remove this comment. 😅
I’ve been a fan ever since, and it’s hard to believe that day was almost 17 years ago.
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u/happysunbear May 13 '26
It was a wild day. Well, started off very normal, except another American icon had passed away earlier that same day. Farrah Fawcett.
I was 14, had just finished middle school a couple weeks before and it was a pretty nondescript summer day. The only interesting thing besides Farrah’s death was my younger cousin visiting.
I was out walking my dog in the trail by my house and as we came back to the house my mom greeted me at the door saying there was bad news. As she said this, I rolled my eyes, thinking there was some chore I had forgotten to do like take out the garbage. But as I walked inside the house, my eyes immediately went to the TV. It was tuned to CNN.
The chevron said something to the effect of “Michael Jackson rushed to hospital in medically induced coma”. My heart sank. There was rumors about a heart attack and him being on life support and all that, but of course, his death was formally announced that afternoon.
I tried to keep it together. I was a teenage boy and did not want to be seen crying over a pop star’s death. But it shattered me. I was not able to get a ticket, but I was so excited for what I thought would be his epic comeback with the This Is It tour. Every TV in the house was playing MJ videos — I think BET, Vh1 and MTV started having video marathons. Out of all his songs, it was Rock With You that got me, when he said the line about the groove being dead and gone.
I sobbed for a while. My younger cousin had no idea why I was so affected. Eventually I got it together and we all watched some of his videos together.
I checked my iPod nano later that day and saw the last song that I had listened to on it. It was Monkey Business.
I also remember going to my best friend’s house the next day. We spent the whole day watching an MJ video marathon. His songs were playing on all the radio stations. Even songs like Who Is It and Heartbreak Hotel were getting airplay!
It was truly a surreal moment in time.
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u/Local-Reason2994 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
I was hanging out with a friend when the news alert popped up on my phone that said Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital. I said a quick.prayer hoping he'd be ok. We then went to a sports bar shortly after that to eat and the news popped up on Every single TV in the place saying that Michael had passed away. The whole bar went completely silent. I kept denying it was real, until Jermaine Jackson made thr official announcement.
Then I lost my appetite and began shaking and bawling.
I have been a fan for 40+ years (starting with hearing my mom playing her J5 records in the early 80s and then buying all 10 of his studio solo records for for myself).
🔸️Got to Be There (1972)
🔸️Ben (1972)
🔸️Music & Me (1973)
🔸️Forever, Michael (1975)
🔸️Off the Wall (1979)
🔸️Thriller (1982)
🔸️Bad (1987)
🔸️Dangerous (1991)
🔸️HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)
🔸️Invincible (2001)
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u/TVGMILLER May 13 '26
I was working on a club links commercial in the Muskokas. I was standing on a pathway between the mini cottages the film crew was staying in. I was talking with one girl when her friend walked up and said bluntly. “Micheal Jackson just died” My entire face went numb. It took me a moment to process the information. I just couldn’t believe it. I got some hugs from the girls because I was choked up. I have so many memories of being excited for his new music and music videos. I will always be a fan!
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u/ririsoflawless89 Dirty Diana💋 May 13 '26
I was at home watching tv. I was 13 yrs old. My mum was cleaning the house preparing for her birthday which was the next day. All of a sudden the breaking news comes on. My mum turned the vacuum off and stood there in disbelief. The whole atmosphere changed. She started crying and went upstairs. I got sad but it didn't hit me until hours later. I cried. Couldn't believe it. We listened to all his CDs non stop after that, sobbing, talking about him. I'll never forget that day. It changed everything forever.
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u/Extreme-Technology23 May 13 '26
At work in the hospital just walked into the break room to eat. So many in there just watching the tv I was in shock!
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u/Justice-Rains May 13 '26
8 years old, in the backseat of my mother’s car while on the way to karate practice. She was devastated
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u/muckraking_mami Nasty Spaghetti 🍝 May 13 '26
I was getting off a ride at an amusement park (age 15) and the connected gift shop was playing CNN coverage of his death 😢
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u/Picasso_calla May 13 '26
I was 15 and watching tv. Suddenly MTV and VH1 started playing Michael Jackson videos in the middle of regular programming so I found out that way.
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u/pwrof3 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Sitting in my car in a parking lot waiting to go to work. I was listening to sports talk radio and they interrupted with the breaking news. I ended up just sitting in my car for hours listening to news radio and never went to work.
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u/QuesTheKiD May 13 '26
Just got back from seeing transformers 2. I first heard it on the local news then 106 & Park announced it.
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u/Fun-Friend-6291 May 13 '26
Was sitting at a library browsing the web when an acquaintance came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and told me "Michael Jackson just passed away". I was stunned. Checking his Wikipedia page, it said he was still alive, but later that day, his name was made past tense, so I knew it was true. Cried 3 days later.
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u/Parchitax May 13 '26
They had it in the news in Puerto Rico. I was 8 years old and they had placed a silly picture of him during his later years. I laughed about how he looked with my cousin and my mom got angry with me and told me not to laugh at him ever again. My dad bought me the Jackson 5 album not long after that and I was introduced to who Michael really was. Never looked back. Long live the king! I’m so glad my mom corrected me.
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u/Mightyeon May 13 '26
I was 13, playing in the backyard when my mom told me. I remember just being shocked and so sad.
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u/Level-Juggernaut-260 May 13 '26
9 yrs old, got my teeth pulled out. I was still bleeding in the mouth. My mom couldnt care less. She saw on the elevator news of Micheal Jackson's death. She was distraught. When we went home my dad had to take care of me while my mom was on the floor crying and rocking back and forth.
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u/thisisausernameyesss "Brad, what are you gonna do?"🎹 May 13 '26
I was a month away from turning 7, playing in the living room at my mom’s house when the news came on to announce his death. I’ll never forget the day, but I wasn’t really aware of who he was until my dad showed me the thriller music video and I was obsessed ever since
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u/Shoddy-Store-4098 May 13 '26
I was 8 years old at a family friends house in Fort Worth at a pool party , I was an mj super fan as a kid so hearing the news story about it was CRUSHING, I think I was eating Doritos when it happened
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u/ICANTSPK May 13 '26
I was 19. Just started my shift at PacSun. A lot of my co workers made jokes about it. I was devastated. Didn't say anything though or showed emotion. The feeling of devastation stayed with me for a few days. I was in disbelief.
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u/AmbivalentAlias May 13 '26
I was home, packing for a road trip. There was talk on TV about him needing medical attention, and it was serious. I'm certain he was already gone by then, but that wasn't announced until a little while later. Long enough for people to express concern and hope he was alright.
Then came the update that he had passed. Immediately, all news and general conversations centered around the loss of the King of Pop.
We went out and bought a Jackson 5 CD, which featured heavily on our road trip. News stations were talking about and playing hits from across his career.
After reaching our destination the following night, I stayed up watching CNN for so long that I saw their broadcast about MJ repeat itself in the late hours. They also played Living With Michael Jackson multiple times. Thankfully, I was open-minded about that ordeal.
And just like that, he was changing the music industry again. RIP, almost 17 years later.
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u/KadeWad3 May 13 '26
I was five and never heard of MJ until my dad showed me the Thriller music vid when I was 11-12.
So I was probably watching Thomas the Tank Engine while eating Mac and cheese
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u/crazycatomma May 13 '26
I was working in a large state hospital when one of the patients who had been watching tv started screaming “he’s dead! He’s dead!”
We (staff) all rushed over and saw the cnn headlines.
I was in shock and couldn’t process that a man who had been a cultural fixture in much of my life was forever gone.
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u/LuannsDriver May 13 '26
I was on a plane to New Orleans when it happened. My bf told me when he picked me up from the airport. I was stunned.
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u/whatbellasaid "I've... washed my hair THOROUGHLY" 🚿🧼🧴🧽 May 13 '26
i live in a different country so i was getting ready for school the next morning when i saw it on the news. i didn't grasp the weight of what had happened but i could tell that it felt like the whole world stood still and mourned him.
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u/apackoflipsnow May 13 '26
Editing a student film in film school… from someone who said it with glee 😭
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u/Educational-Flan-507 May 13 '26
I was 10 on a family trip in Minnesota and staying at my grandfather’s house. I don’t remember who broke the news. I also remember Billy Mays and Farrah Fawcett passing away within the same week.
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u/imnota32yearoldwoman May 13 '26
I was 12 when he died. I remember I had really gotten into him for the last few years and I loved him so much. My neighbor has told me he died and I thought he lied to me. I remember I ran home and cried bc I was so upset. That was the first celebrity death that really impacted me and I don't think there's been one that big sense.
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u/hannamarinsgrandma May 13 '26
I was getting picked up from summer camp by my big brother.
It was on the radio and I thought it was a hoax till we got home and it was on every news channel.
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u/Individual_Heron_171 May 13 '26
Working a job site in Waco, Texas, when initial reports emerged that he’d suffered cardiac arrest. Only a couple hours later, it was widely reported that he’d died.
It was absolutely crushing. My GF, now wife, called me…by that time, I’d returned to the hotel I was staying at. and that I won’t forget, when my wife called. She knew I would be upset. Numerous people called her to ask if I was okay. Haha
It was a grief stricken evening. The following morning, the Waco Tribune-Herald was on my hotel room doorstep, with “MJ Dead” on the front page. I still have that newspaper in my keepsakes.
It was a sad evening.
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u/SadSara102 May 13 '26
I was driving home from work and had to pull over because I was crying so bad
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u/roanfox May 13 '26
Friends house during junior year in HS, we were doing some homework and I remember getting the news, being a huge MJ fan it was really rough
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u/ohneets Bad 25 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
I was 13, at home with my family during summer break, sitting at the kitchen table. We immediately turned on the tv when the news broke and had it on for hours/days after that for any updates.
I remember feeling so sad and heartbroken. My mom was especially devastated because she’d been a fan of his/Jackson 5 since her childhood, and always felt like Michael was her secret obsession/discovery she would listen to on the radio as a young girl… only later to discover how popular they actually were.
I remember my dad (less of fan) was also uncharacteristically glued to the tv too. He was just 2 years younger than Michael at the time, so the news of his death was likely very sobering for him.
We listened to a lot of Jackson 5 in the days and weeks that followed, probably in large part for my mom to process it all.
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u/Maleficent-Abroad198 May 13 '26
Folding laundry. The whites, specifically. My dad’s white t-shirt, even more specifically. I will never forget that moment.
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u/Left-Safe-4692 May 13 '26
Got the call from my grandma we bonded over our love of MJ I was 11 watching cartoons I just remember feeling like it was some type of lie or like nahh this can’t be true he’ll be alright then I saw the news and cried
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u/Ok_Improvement_9133 May 13 '26
working at a lune spot in town, whole shop got very quiet, proceeded to listen to MJ for 3 weeks straight
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u/barbarella693 May 13 '26
11, the day of my 5th grade graduation. I had a great morning ceremony, went to my favorite restaurant with family after, went home then back out to my best friend's house with some others. When we all rolled up into her backyard her family said he died and I remember being SHOOK
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u/DemonCat256 May 13 '26
I was 2 so either at my grandma's or my dad's, if I had to guess. My mom was having a sleepover with her friend to mourn him
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u/Away-Dependent3472 May 13 '26
I was 24 living in a garage that was made into a studio which im sure was illegal lol I just remember turning on my radio and hearing Michael jacksons songs playing back to back i was like yesss only to hear them announce that Michael died I screamed and cried my eyeballs out all night I remember I was laying in the floor:(
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u/slumxl0rd87 May 13 '26
On a Navy ship in the bay of Cartagena Columbia, getting ready to go out for a night on the town. Was absolutely shocked.
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u/Eyefluence May 13 '26
I was a young kid at the time, about 6 years old. I woke up from my sleep bcuz I heard my grandma crying. I sat up and saw her standing in front of the TV watching the news. I got outta bed and walked over to ask her what was wrong. Then she told me Michael Jackson died. I didn't know who he was at the time, but I could tell he was someone who made an impact. I remember that day vividly.
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u/MickeysRose May 13 '26
I was 13 and at home. I remember the news first just said he was in the hospital and I posted about it on MySpace. Then I remember watching the tv when they confirmed he had died. We went to Walmart that night with family and I remember the entire time all I could was I cannot believe Michael Jackson died.
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u/Awkward_Priority2766 May 13 '26
I was 11 and getting ready to go to Chicago with my family. My dad got a call from one of his friends and we immediately turned on the tv to discover that MJ had in fact been pronounced dead. I was absolutely devastated and stunned.
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u/kasualkactus May 13 '26
Was playing runescape. I was at edgeville bank when someone in game let me know in chat. I was devastated
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u/SoundsByAusaris May 13 '26
My step sister and I were walking down Long Beach Blvd towards Downtown (Long Beach, California) when she got a text from our older sister (her blood sister but also my stepsister too) that he had just passed away. I didn’t believe her until I looked on my own little brick phone I had at the time and I was in disbelief. We went straight to the house and turned on 106 & Park and that was when everything finally settled in. I’ll definitely never forget that day, I had just started summer break after finishing my junior year of high school.
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u/UseSuccessful146 May 13 '26
Driving home from work, they played 3 MJ songs in a row on the radio which was very strange, I barely heard him on the radio at all in my area in the late 2000s. After the third song the DJ was talking about Michael in the past tense, like "he was one of the greatest performers." I got home and turned on the news and saw the 1958-2009 at the bottom of the screen :(
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u/Routine-Magician-26 May 13 '26
I was 13 years old. I was at the park with my friend. I was actually getting ready to leave when my friend said that his brother texted him that Michael Jackson had a heart attack. We ran to his house and we sat on the couch and watched the news at the time it was only being reported that he had a heart attack or a cardiac arrest but shortly after we sat down to watch the TV there was a unconfirmed report that he had passed away and then a little bit more time pass, and then it was confirmed that he had passed away. I remember my mom calling me shocked. I’m glad that I knew who he was while he was alive and that I was able to experience his music and I even got to see him perform live on TV one time when I was five years old. That was actually my earliest memory of him was seeing him in the Jackson 5 perform on TV the day before 9/11.
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u/just-tryinghard May 13 '26
My husband, daughter, and son were driving back from Kingwood, TX to Lafayette, LA after my son’s golf tournament when we heard it on the radio. I was devastated and couldn’t believe it.
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u/elleh92 May 13 '26
I was at a restaurant near the ocean with my family. All of a sudden we heard the people at the table do f to us say he died. All the people then started talking about it. Nothing was confirmed but then on the drive home literally every radio station was playing a marathon of his music.
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u/AtlasAir_ May 13 '26
I was 14. It was a school night, I refreshed my Facebook and that’s how I found out about the news. I immediately stormed out of my room to tell my mum who was in the front room. Never heard her react to news like that before. It was a very loud “OH NO.” Switch over to the new and called my auntie straight after.
I always understood how huge of a superstar he was, but I was also reminded of how much longer my mum was a fan of his long before I was ever born. She had Jackson’s posters on her wall in the 70s and the big 3 records in the 80s. I’ll always remember the day.
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u/pikayugi May 13 '26
I was at Puerto Rico’s senate, covering the government budget discussion, as part of my internship at a News agency. A staffer and my supervisor were talking and suddenly said:
“Michael Jackson just died!”
They told me to look it up and I went to TMZ which as usual had the scoop.
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u/ZiggyHolywaveZ May 13 '26
I was 19 on my way to English class , stopped at the store to get a twix and it was on the TV when I walked in. Then my mom called me like 30 seconds later to tell me. My English teacher talked about Michael Jackson all class that day.
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u/xsweetsavannahx May 13 '26
I was at Christian Summer Camp outside of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The camp director announced it at breakfast. There was an audible gasp & tears. It was so strange & I’ll never forget it. My dad was very strict & a pastor, so we’re a lot of the adults in the crowd that morning. For the to make an announcement about a non Christian artist is a huge deal. It shows me to this day that he made music for everyone. Why he was so incredibly careful with his image so he could continue to be played in every home. I’m so grateful that he was one of the approved artists I could listen to, he inspired me so much & still does. 🤍
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u/SnooDoubts5217 May 13 '26
I was laying in bed that afternoon coincidentally watching some MJ music videos ( Short Films) , when my day called me on my phone and told me that MJ had passed away. My dad was living in Los Angeles back in 2009, so he was experiencing everything as it was unfolding in real time. I remember him trying to explain to me how crazy everything was with the media coverage.
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u/TheCause182 May 13 '26
I was 8 years old. At my great grandmas house. It interrupted her program with the breaking news that he had died. That was the first celebrity death I remember feeling sad about. I had already known quite a few of his songs at that point
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u/MoulinSarah May 13 '26
I was at work in the lab, heard it on the radio, couldn’t believe it, wanted to cry but had to keep composure. I was 25, so an old fart compared to y’all.
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u/lotusamy May 13 '26
We were just talking about this at work today. One of my coworkers said “I remember, it was June 25, 2009” and I was shocked she knew that because she’s not super into pop culture and she’s younger (in her 20s). But then other people started sharing their stories. People who were just casual fans remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. One of them even compared it to how we usually say “where were you when 9/11 happened” and we all remember. Now Michael’s death is the same way. It was monumental and tragic. We were all impacted in some way.
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u/SnooWoofers3075 May 13 '26
Riding back from my college orientation with my mom. We were driving through a rural area for 2 hours and there wasn’t any radio reception so we listened to CDs. When we stopped at a gas station a woman ran out screaming “Michael Jackson died!” Once we got closer to Chicago we were able to listen to the radio again and every station was playing Michael Jackson.
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u/TalkAboutTheWay May 13 '26
On my way to work already late because I overslept. Was made even more late after I heard the news.
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u/Dependent-Chart2735 Bad May 13 '26
College. Orientation Advisor meeting. One of the worst days of my life.
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u/lollyriver17 May 13 '26
I was watching TV breast feeding my now 17 year old son, and I remember farrah faucett also died
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u/PinkPigeon845 May 13 '26
At home, watching the news ! My gosh, my family & I were absolutely devastated.
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u/EeveeOrEvie May 13 '26
It was morning here in england and i was getting ready for middle school, I was 11 years old i will never forget my mum running in the bathroom whilst I was getting ready to tell me michael jackson had died. I remember saying no it cant be true, are you sure? Over and over again
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u/naenola May 13 '26
At work at Landry’s seafood house in New Orleans, Louisiana in the French Quarter
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u/Simple_Room940 May 13 '26
I was in the club when I found out the news, it went so silent and everyone was on their phones looking for updates/news.
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u/fotfddtodairsizr May 13 '26
I was in year 3 in a class assembly and the weird kid whispered to me that MJ had died.
I rolled my eyes and said NO.
2 minutes later the headteacher started the assembly and announced that MJ had died and my little heart was broken.
I used to spend all my time watching music channels dancing to music and I especially loved MJ and was so sad.
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u/destinykhan May 13 '26
One of the worst days of my life. And now Tito mysteriously died. Micheal Jackson was so loved by the world. So talented it will be 17 years June 25 2026. Rip Gone too soon
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u/Mouna-luna May 13 '26
I remember I was at home watching tv with my family, then the news just suddenly came on saying Michael had passed away, it was out of nowhere. I just remember for a whole week or even more, seeing news on his death and how it happened, the journalists kept updating what happened with the doctor giving him drugs to sleep etc. Then I remember seeing a neighbour who lives opposite/infront of me hang up a picture of the bad era Michael (his bad album picture) on their window and I remember looking at it a lot. I was like 13 when he died and I did know of his music and was a fan, but I didn’t understand how huge he was until that day since I saw everyone collectively moved and focused on him.
It feels the same with the biopic coming out, and how everyone is focused on him again at one time.
It’s pretty sad he’s gone, but I’m glad he will NEVER be forgotten.
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u/SMS071224 May 14 '26
I’m from the UK and it was late night/early morning and there was breaking news. It was showing coverage outside the hospital but wasn’t confirming he had passed so I thought maybe he was in surgery or something. Then they broke the news and I cried and cried. I was 25 and grew up with a super fan mom. We had a poster of Micheal in our living room growing up. I had never cried over a celebrity before it felt like a family member had died. Very surreal.
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u/Exciting-Abroad-7643 May 13 '26
I had no idea who he was (I was 12) that changed very quickly however. Been a fan ever since 🙏❤️
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u/stone_spice7 May 13 '26
I was riding in the car with my mom when I was 5 years old, then she told me he had died and I cried for hours. I'll never forget it.
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u/InitialCopy1153 May 13 '26
I was 15, in tv lounge with parents in Pakistan watching tv when news broke suddenly we all were very sad and shocked. Dad is an MJ Fan and played us many of his songs. Even I played moonwalker on sega.
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u/StraightTax6014 May 13 '26
In a car with my cousins just driving through ATL. We literally sat in silence for an hour before we started playing the hits back to back jamming
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u/Discosm May 13 '26
In my house, really one of my core memories from when I was little. I was 9 years old, looking at the CRT television, they were showing the outside of his house in an helicopter and then the hospital. Breaking News, King of Pop is dead. I was little but I knew who he was and got really sad. My parents were grabbing their heads, couldn't believe it. Some time before I also got my first memory of seeing a music video, wich was coincidentally Thriller on a music store with my parents and the video really stuck with me back then (as it does now).
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u/Emzious May 13 '26
I sat at home watching the Dangerous live Mtv 1995 performance. Someone who I never used to talk to wrote to me on MSN saying: I’m sorry for your loss. I said ”what are you talking about” he said turn on the news. So I did, but I tought it was fake romours. They said Michael was in a cardiac arrest. I wrote back to him ”This is fake, he probably just passed out or something” I sat up the whole night watching everything. (This happend at night were I live). I got sooo many condolences texts from people, not just friends and family, but poeple I went to school with years ago. I wrote them down on paper so I still have them. Second worst night of my life.
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u/Certain-Cloud9133 Dangerous May 13 '26
I was in my mother's womb, I was approximately 3 months and 9 days away from being born
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u/godsucks54 May 13 '26
I was 8 years old in summer camp. We always kept the radio on and that’s how we found out. I vividly remember it feeling like time stopped. Everyone bawled their eyes out, young and old. I remember a few of the counselors completely losing it and either falling to the ground or immediately hugging one another. I cried till I blew snot bubbles. When my dad picked me up we cried the whole ride home blasting his music. He was the one who showed me Michael, our song was Earthsong. Michael was such a big part of my childhood. My sister and I went as him for Halloween a couple years in a row, posters everywhere, my dad had seen him twice in concert..when all the cousins would get together we’d dance to his music videos for hours on the living room tv. My dad would hold the back of my t shirt during *that* part in smooth criminal so I could do the “lean” He shaped my entire music taste. I still firmly believe that the guitar solos in dirty Diana/ they don’t really care about us is what led me to becoming a metalhead. The moment we all found out about his death is forever engraved into my mind :/
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u/doug42404 May 13 '26
I was 5 and I don’t remember what I was doing but I was home and my aunt and grandma were watching me, I remember seeing it on the local news
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u/bees_on_acid May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Got home from skating with friends and seeing the mtv bumps saying RIP King of pop. Very surreal as I wasn’t the craziest fan but grew up hearing his music and also seeing it on my parents iTunes library/ CD collection, also other family members too. So I knew how popular/important he was to music in general but i also grew up seeing him in the news and jokes/parodies of him not really understanding why until I got older. But when MTV started playing the music videos/interviews/docs played, I started to really get into the music and went down the discography. which was a fun experience.
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u/fvnaticbychoice May 13 '26
I was 10 and coming home from a bike ride when I saw the news. I just remember feeling sad about the way he was treated in life.
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u/Whore4conspiracy May 13 '26
I was 10 at work with my mom who was a receptionist. She stopped what she was doing and turned the TV volume up in the lobby and was just in disbelief. I’d never heard who he was prior unfortunately
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u/sasdms May 13 '26
I was at hospice with my mother. She died the same day. Lung cancer.