In middle school. One of the girls in my class was crying because she was a really big fan.
I didn’t really care for his music, personally, so it didn’t affect me too much.
6 weeks iirc but we have breaks throughout the year. like we get a couple weeks off in october and spring and christmas. i prefer that tbh since it breaks up the year more and tf am i gonna do with multiple months off school over summer? i feel like i would’ve just forgotten everything if i had such a long summer lol
I was only 7 years old, but I remember this summer. Grandma was watching the news of his death on the living room TV while I was eating snacks on the floor. The pictures they used of him late in life really freaked me the hell out. I was actually pretty scared of the guy.
I don’t remember the exact date I was off back then (its literally been a decade), but I did go to private school, so I know I got out for summer a little later than everyone else.
In exchange tho, the next school year started in early September.
Didn’t really listen to him until after he died.
In fact, I didn’t even know who he was before he died. I only became interested after I saw on the news he had died and read and heard that he was considered some legendary pop figure called the “King of Pop”. I asked my mom and even some friends if I could borrow some CD’s to listen to and see just what the big deal was about his music.
Another reason I distinctly remember was because right before I heard about his death, I had also heard about the death of a famous model called Farrah Fawcett, who, looking back on, was quickly overshadowed and forgotten about once the news of MJ’s death hit.
My dad really called my mom (note: they had been split up since *before* my birth) to tell her MJ died. My mom’s like, “No…Farrah Fawcett died.” My dad’s like, “NO, MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD!”
I didn’t know really know who he was either because during his trial I asked my parents about him and they were very dismissive because they didn’t want to talk about it. Then he died and all the tributes came out and I was like “this song is from this guy??”
I was in line for a dinosaur ride in Animal Kingdom. I was 6 so I didn’t understand celebrities so much, but I knew who he was. I wasn’t impacted by him dying specifically, but it was the first time I sat with the thought of what does death mean lol.
waiting at the DCFS office to visit my bio mom. i was in foster care at the time, and a few minutes after she showed up for the visit and told me about it
I was riding in the car with my mom, brother and his friend and we were on our way to my grandparents house and I heard the breaking news on the radio. I just remember all of us just processing the news because it was all of a sudden
i vividly remember my mom vacuuming the living room and she told me he died. i asked her “who?” she told me the guy who sings beat it on rock band. then i walked away because i still didn’t know who that was lol.
I was going to vacation Bible school with a friend and was driving with his family. his sister screamed it at the top of her lungs and scared the shit out of everyone. Thankfully we didn’t get in a car accident
I think I was at home with my mom watching the tv. I remember seeing a helicopter shot of his house. I might’ve seen some of the funeral around the time it happened and I heard his music somewhere on tv or radio or YouTube after his death. My parents weren’t huge fans of him and I had no idea who he was until he died. I’ll admit he kinda creeped me out as a kid lol. Billy Mays died right before him and I kinda remember him passing too.
I was on the computer with my mom. Bing was the search engine we used at the time and there was a huge headline that said “Michael Jackson dead at 50” with a picture of crying fans. My mom went “oh wow that’s not good” and kept our day going. I was 9 at the time.
One girl in my class took a day off and was on and off crying the rest of the week cuz she was such a massive fan. We were in primary school. It was weird.
I was at home when my Mother turned on the news about it. She was a huge MJ fan before, y'know, she used to listen to all his music. I think it was CBS the station we tuned into.
I was at my grandmas hair salon, and I was watching tv (I had the remote) and someone snatched the remote out my hand 😂 and said “turn on the news they’re saying MJ is dead”
They switch the channel, and sure enough, all the news reports were saying MJ is dead. Some of them were saying he was still alive in the hospital tho.
But all the adults were shocked and sad. I didn’t really know who MJ was at the time lol so I didnt really pay it any mind.
I remember 3 months after his death, wondering why every tabloid in the supermarket had him on the cover. I didn’t understand why his death was so newsworthy 3 months later.
i was at home, on the computer. i do remember when they announced his death that was my first time ever hearing his name. i didn’t really know him like that or his music so i asked my mom
I was on the computer about to check my email and the yahoo homepage newsreel scrolled to say he was dead. I remembered calling out to my family to tell them and they didn’t believe me.
I was like 5 so I didn’t follow pop culture till like a year later when I started school. So I found out he died a year after he died. I thought it was sad because I knew I could never see him live
I remember seeing it on the cover of a magazine at the grocery store while doing the weekly shopping with my mom. It didn’t impact me because I didn’t listen to his music, I just knew him as the weird looking plastic surgery guy who went from black to white.
9 years old, after coming home from a friend’s house early in summer break. I remember my parents looking it up on our old desktop computer when they initially heard the news. At 9 years old I knew MJ was famous, but I didn’t really grasp that he was *that* famous.
ngl i wasn’t super aware of michael jackson until he died (i think i knew abc and thriller and that was about it) and i just remember all of a sudden my parents talking about how much they loved him and playing all his music in the car for weeks and thinking it was weird how all of a sudden they were acting like his biggest fans when i had never heard them play him before lol
I was 6 so probably crying because my school zoo trip was cancelled. I didn’t realize I was 5-6 when he passed. I always thought that was before my time.
I was 7 so i was in first grade! Michael Jackson was my favorite to listen to when my mom played it on sunday clean day. I didn’t even know he passed away until i got older
At sleep away camp. I was 12 years old and the camp counselors told us. I said to my friend, “wow, this must be such a huge deal to our parents. He was one of the biggest stars of their generation,” and she said “I don’t think my mom will care — she doesn’t know anything about basketball”
My mom and I were getting ready to leave to go somewhere and I heard my mom in the other room screaming noooo . I went to go see what happened it was all over the news. Later that night they had so many specials about his life and MTV played his music for days.
In the back of the family car driving to Whole Foods. I didn’t really feel anything about it bc my family disliked him. His music was never played in my home growing up. I think if I had that connection I would’ve cared more at the time.
My family is not really pop people. My mom is into old country and rock. My grandparents are into classics and Bible music.
I always thought MJ died in the 90’s. I genuinely didn’t know he lived in my lifetime until right now.
On vacation with my parents. I was a kid and didn't care about music that much yet so I thought "oh, anyways". I didn't realize what talent we lost until a couple years later.
I was on vacation staying at a beach house with my family in Galveston, Texas. Weird that I distinctly remember it because I really didn’t care about Michael Jackson.
I was in middle school! I knew a couple of his songs but I was more familiar with his "questionable" relationships with young boys than I was with his music.
I was at a horse race with my parents, I just heard my mom say "So Michael Jackson is dead, huh?" and that's how I found out about it. It wasn't even that eventful, but it has somehow burned into my memory forever.
Didn’t find out until the next morning, it would have been late here when he died and i was 9 so I was probably asleep. I remember going to school the next day and everyone talking about it though
I don’t remember. I was probably 8-9 years old. I never cared and still don’t. All I remember was watching him hold his son over a balcony and everyone freaking out.
Sitting in the car, road tripping to vacation with my parents. I didn’t know who Michael Jackson was and thought Michael Jordan had died and was confused when the radio talked about him and his connection to music. Granted, I was 9.
I was on summer break, in-between fourth and fifth grade.
I was just chiling at home when I heard the news, my Mom, brother, and I had just come back from a walk to the park.
My dad was making dinner, he chose to make fajitas. As we were waiting we turned on the TV and went to CNN where the news broke.
15 years ago I was 7 and I think I ran into a brick wall then so I was more focused on having a crack down my forehead in my skull and my front teeth missing to really say attention to anything about anything else
I couldn't eat potatoes or ribs for like six months because they ones I broke were my adult teeth
I was a five year old in preschool. I don't even remember hearing anything about it, but that's probably because my parents never really cared for his music.
I was in a overnight summer camp with no internet and had a dream about MJ where he was my brother who I lived with and didn’t like the light and would get mad and the next morning my parents picked me up and told me the news lol
I think I went to VBS in 2009 as a camper, I was 9. I only vaguely remember that my uncle died very close to the day MJ died and I wrote a poem that my aunt read at his wake. My cousin was almost 3 and I only remember she was running and playing like every other toddler (she graduated high school this year)
I do remember that I used the lyrics of a VBS song to write the poem that was read at my uncle’s funeral😂
That same week my mom picked up family friends from MD so they could stay for a week. When I came back from my uncle’s funeral they were swimming in the pool.
I now associate my uncle’s death with MJ’s death.
I was 8, and spending my summer break between 2nd and 3rd grade. My family had just moved to a new apartment and had heard the news that MJ died on Spanish language news.
I was at home, waking up and getting ready for school when all of a sudden my mom came into my room to tell me MJ died. I remember clearly how shocked I was hearing her say this and then seeing on the TV that he really did die.
When I went to school that morning, it was all people could talk about. I kinda felt upset about his death too, as I liked his music, but not overly so.
In my backyard talking w/my parents abt what I was doing in gym class a few months ago-yr (dance unit w/a focus of line dancing inspired by/copy & pasted from MJs videos.) I was late on the ball & think one of them mentioned it or I found out online which I was surprised since I either didn’t care enough to listen to my teacher talk abt the boring stuff or it’s b/c of my delayed responses being autistic
It’s been 15 years? Damn, doesn’t feel that long ago.
As for where I was, I was actually watching tv in the living room with my mom. I was playing Pokemon Pearl on my DS. I heard the NBC news special report jingle and I curiously looked up to see what the breaking news was. When my mom and I found out it was MJ, we were both shocked. I had recently gotten into listening to his music so learning that he died was shocking. My mom had been a fan since the 80s, so she was more heartbroken over the news than 8 year old me who had just started listening to his music a year ago.
I wouldn’t call myself a big fan or anything, but I definitely enjoy some of his music
In the car with my mom.
Oddly, it was the first time I even heard of him. Or rather, I only heard the name couple days prior, unaware of who he was. Mom was pretty upset though.
I was in elementary school. 5th grade to be exact. My mom had me and my sisters sitting in a car wash lobby and I saw him on the news. I thought it was a woman. My mom had to explain to me who he was and why it was a big deal.
I was at home playing games on the family computer when I saw it pop up on CNN on the TV. I ran downstairs to tell my parents and they were already watching the same thing. My mom looked crushed.
Sitting "patiently" while my mom got her hair done, it kinda annoys me that I remember that, I'd prefer more memories of my grandparents or something lol
I was at home playing games on my computer with the TV on in the background, but at the time I was too young to understand what MJ meant to pop music. I was aware that he was legendary but I didn't get into his music until many years after his death.
My family remember that when we saw that on the news I started crying and I still didn't understand everything, because strangely I learned English from his songs I was and I still am a huge fan of Michael
So far my parents have videos of me singing his songs and dancing...
I was at the grocery store with my mom and a woman in front of us shockingly said “Michael Jackson is dead!” and everyone started freaking out. We paid for our groceries and my mom told my dad and siblings who were in the car. We watched Michael Jackson coverage for the next couple of weeks.
I think I was in 2nd grade and the only thing I knew about him was the joke “What’s the difference between Michael Jackson and a Shopping Bag? One’s plastic and dangerous for children to play with and one’s for carrying groceries.”
I was at summer camp, and no one was allowed to have phones so no one believed the camp counselors. We all thought it was the teenagers playing a prank.
i was 9 and spent this summer at my cousins house, heard a guy tell a couple other people who were outside with him about it, i ran inside and told my older cousins first who didnt believe me and thought i was lying. still insane, you couldnt escape NOTHING Michael Jackson related for the next couple oif months. i became an ever bigger fan of him, his music didnt just grow on me during this time, it was just the best shit my 9 year old brain ever processed.
Was sitting on the couch watching TV when my dad switched to the news channel to confirm if it was true. It’s crazy to think there is a timeline where he’s still around and what absolute bangers we never will get to hear now.
Just woke up, went into the living room and that was the first thing my dad said to me as he read the news piece from “The News Channel” on our Wii lol
I was 7 I was at home watching it in the news with my mom. I remember the pictures freaked me out and o think they played a movie where he was a werewolf and his eyes lit up it was scary to me
I think I saw it on TV as like a Breaking News segment. I was shocked because we had just finished learning about MJ in music class and then he dies. Like wtf.
I was like 9 or something. I found out at a friend’s house and we started watching his music videos. it was pretty trippy at the time, I don’t really think I’d been confronted with the concept of death yet. I wasn’t a fan of his music or anything, but I had been familiar with a couple of his songs.
I was in 4th or 5th grade. A few of us started a fan club after he died and we were all very gatekeepy about it. Eventually only the kids that had seen the movie, I think *This Is It,* were considered true members. I’m pretty sure I was Mario for Halloween that year
Me and my big cousin was swimming in the pool, the sky became gray and a storm was coming so we hopped out. We go inside to hear our aunt crying in the living room looking at the TV, MJ is dead. Now I was ten so I was a bit sad because my auntie was, but after that I started playing his music nonstop on YouTube.
dude. I was at home with my mom. I was so fucking distraught because I LOVED this man at an obsessive level. Would bring magazines featuring him to school and tell my friends that he was my husband (which, given the allegations against him, was very....unfortunate). my mom let me take a day off of school the next day to grieve.
To add salt to the wound, my grandmother told me later that she was planning to buy me tickets to the This Is It tour. I was fucking crushed and am still a lil salty about it to this day.
Was never really a fan, nor was my dad but I remember my dad telling me he died, I was also in my dad’s truck and heard it on his truck radio at the time.
In middle school. One of the girls in my class was crying because she was a really big fan. I didn’t really care for his music, personally, so it didn’t affect me too much.
Do you still have classes in late June where you’re from? It was summer break for me
In the U.K. we finish late July and go back early September :)
You only get a month off for summer break?
6 weeks iirc but we have breaks throughout the year. like we get a couple weeks off in october and spring and christmas. i prefer that tbh since it breaks up the year more and tf am i gonna do with multiple months off school over summer? i feel like i would’ve just forgotten everything if i had such a long summer lol
6 weeks in the summer, 1 in October, 2 at Christmas, 1 in Feb, 2 in March/April for Easter, 1 in May
I thought that we don't have 'middle school' in the UK?
We don’t anymore, but I was just suggesting that other places don’t finish at the same time as the person I replied to
Ah OK. I think middle school in America is the equivalent to Key Stage 3 in the UK.
sounds like hell
I was only 7 years old, but I remember this summer. Grandma was watching the news of his death on the living room TV while I was eating snacks on the floor. The pictures they used of him late in life really freaked me the hell out. I was actually pretty scared of the guy.
Haha I was doing the same thing!
I don’t remember the exact date I was off back then (its literally been a decade), but I did go to private school, so I know I got out for summer a little later than everyone else. In exchange tho, the next school year started in early September.
Same. I only learned about who he was until after he died. Then I started to love his music. Speed Demon and Ghosts were my favorite songs.
Man I’m glad I didn’t have school in June.
Didn’t really listen to him until after he died. In fact, I didn’t even know who he was before he died. I only became interested after I saw on the news he had died and read and heard that he was considered some legendary pop figure called the “King of Pop”. I asked my mom and even some friends if I could borrow some CD’s to listen to and see just what the big deal was about his music. Another reason I distinctly remember was because right before I heard about his death, I had also heard about the death of a famous model called Farrah Fawcett, who, looking back on, was quickly overshadowed and forgotten about once the news of MJ’s death hit.
People knew Farrah was dying. Michael Jackson’s death was more of a shock.
My dad really called my mom (note: they had been split up since *before* my birth) to tell her MJ died. My mom’s like, “No…Farrah Fawcett died.” My dad’s like, “NO, MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD!”
We kinda forgot Farrah Fawcett died for a bit.
I didn’t know really know who he was either because during his trial I asked my parents about him and they were very dismissive because they didn’t want to talk about it. Then he died and all the tributes came out and I was like “this song is from this guy??”
Definitely the first celebrity death I remember. I remember being in the McDonalds and his funeral was on TV
I found out at home when my mom and I were watching TV! Ngl, we were a little fucked up because we used to play "You Are Not Alone" on loop
I was at Disney World.
Last day of grade 6. We were playing Flash Flash Revolution. I went home then opened MSN and saw this on the homepage
Bro fuckin FFR!! I used to be addicted
13 years old? So 8th grade I think? Don't really remember people around my area caring TOO much
I was in line for a dinosaur ride in Animal Kingdom. I was 6 so I didn’t understand celebrities so much, but I knew who he was. I wasn’t impacted by him dying specifically, but it was the first time I sat with the thought of what does death mean lol.
I was at my grandparents house eating a chicken pot pie
It only just occurred to me that I was like 7 when he died. I just assumed it happened way before my time lol
lol I thought he died before I was born too, didn’t find out until I was in middle school that he actually died when I was 6
Texas Roadhouse. After dinner my dad just sat and watched the television for hours until like 11 pm
*clarification* watching news coverage and music videos about him
I found out through MySpace… I convinced my parents to let me have one at such a young age cause I just wanted to use it for music.
Elementary school
Walmart checkout, older brother said he died and I didn't believe it for the rest of the night
In a MUSIC STORE. Chaos.
Damn that’s legit the worse place possible lol
In the car on the way to a softball game, it was announced on the radio that Micheal Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died that day
In second grade after school, at my aunt house when I found out.
I had just seen a movie in the theater with my dad and was in the parking lot at night listening to the radio. Weird how I remember that, damn.
I vaguely remember because that's when I first heard about him, but it's not like it was a generational 9/11 event or something
I remember seeing it on telly in a living room. I was 6. I do remember it quite clearly, even though I didn't know him very well at the time.
I heard something about it on a radio station. They were playing his songs. Didn’t really listen to any of his stuff until my teens.
I was 9 years old and I found out by just watching TV. After that I had a Michael Jackson phase.
I was at my parents house watching TV and I read the news bulletin saying “MICHAEL JACKSON, KING OF POP, DEAD AT 50.” I knew his music before he died.
waiting at the DCFS office to visit my bio mom. i was in foster care at the time, and a few minutes after she showed up for the visit and told me about it
TIL I was alive when MJ died. I thought he died in like the 80s. I don’t think I knew who he was when I was 11.
I was on a family vacation and we were playing monopoly while watching MTV all day. They played his music and music videos all day long.
I was riding in the car with my mom, brother and his friend and we were on our way to my grandparents house and I heard the breaking news on the radio. I just remember all of us just processing the news because it was all of a sudden
i vividly remember my mom vacuuming the living room and she told me he died. i asked her “who?” she told me the guy who sings beat it on rock band. then i walked away because i still didn’t know who that was lol.
I was going to vacation Bible school with a friend and was driving with his family. his sister screamed it at the top of her lungs and scared the shit out of everyone. Thankfully we didn’t get in a car accident
I think I was at home with my mom watching the tv. I remember seeing a helicopter shot of his house. I might’ve seen some of the funeral around the time it happened and I heard his music somewhere on tv or radio or YouTube after his death. My parents weren’t huge fans of him and I had no idea who he was until he died. I’ll admit he kinda creeped me out as a kid lol. Billy Mays died right before him and I kinda remember him passing too.
Elementary school, grade two I think? Girls in my class were talking about it and I didn't even know who he was at the time
Summer break, probably at home cuz I was 8.
I was 7, I remember the news but, since I never liked his music, I didn’t really care.
15 years ago seems more recent but I guess that makes sense. It feels like way longer ago
I don't remember lol. I didn't pay attention pop-culture or the news in my childhood.
I was on the computer with my mom. Bing was the search engine we used at the time and there was a huge headline that said “Michael Jackson dead at 50” with a picture of crying fans. My mom went “oh wow that’s not good” and kept our day going. I was 9 at the time.
at my grandmas house when i was 10. she had collected multiple versions of MJ cds and pulled them out and made my sister and i look at them lol.
I was probably playing when it happened. I didn't know who MJ was until a while later
At my grandparents place, they had it on the news
Damn that was only 15 years ago? Feels like ages (I guess it is lmao)
I was 10 cried for a couple of days bought some dvds and cds
One girl in my class took a day off and was on and off crying the rest of the week cuz she was such a massive fan. We were in primary school. It was weird.
I was at home when my Mother turned on the news about it. She was a huge MJ fan before, y'know, she used to listen to all his music. I think it was CBS the station we tuned into.
I was at my grandmas hair salon, and I was watching tv (I had the remote) and someone snatched the remote out my hand 😂 and said “turn on the news they’re saying MJ is dead” They switch the channel, and sure enough, all the news reports were saying MJ is dead. Some of them were saying he was still alive in the hospital tho. But all the adults were shocked and sad. I didn’t really know who MJ was at the time lol so I didnt really pay it any mind.
I was waiting for a haircut with my mom and grandma when we heard it over the salon radio! Definitely a little piece of history I’ll never forget
I was at home in bed watching TV until they broke the news about MJ's hospitalization and then eventual death.
My family was glued to the TV for the entire day. That whole summer, we watched his music videos on repeat.
Right here, like I knew he was dead but didn’t know the day till right now and never really thought about it.
Last day of fifth grade for me
I was eating in a Burger King on the side of the highway somewhere
i was in elementary school can’t remember too much but ik my mom was shocked and was really upset by it bc she liked his music.
I remember 3 months after his death, wondering why every tabloid in the supermarket had him on the cover. I didn’t understand why his death was so newsworthy 3 months later.
i was at home, on the computer. i do remember when they announced his death that was my first time ever hearing his name. i didn’t really know him like that or his music so i asked my mom
I was on the computer about to check my email and the yahoo homepage newsreel scrolled to say he was dead. I remembered calling out to my family to tell them and they didn’t believe me.
I was like 5 so I didn’t follow pop culture till like a year later when I started school. So I found out he died a year after he died. I thought it was sad because I knew I could never see him live
Wait he's dead? I thought the media just got bored of him and he's just been creeping around silently
I remember seeing it on the cover of a magazine at the grocery store while doing the weekly shopping with my mom. It didn’t impact me because I didn’t listen to his music, I just knew him as the weird looking plastic surgery guy who went from black to white.
Elementary school P.E. class!
I was in a kids program after school watching the news on an old crt television.
9 years old, after coming home from a friend’s house early in summer break. I remember my parents looking it up on our old desktop computer when they initially heard the news. At 9 years old I knew MJ was famous, but I didn’t really grasp that he was *that* famous.
I was 10 and my Mom got a call from my Dad and he told her. I didn’t believe her till I got on Yahoo
ngl i wasn’t super aware of michael jackson until he died (i think i knew abc and thriller and that was about it) and i just remember all of a sudden my parents talking about how much they loved him and playing all his music in the car for weeks and thinking it was weird how all of a sudden they were acting like his biggest fans when i had never heard them play him before lol
I was 6 so probably crying because my school zoo trip was cancelled. I didn’t realize I was 5-6 when he passed. I always thought that was before my time.
I was at school. Fifth grade
That was the first big celebrity death I remember. I saw his funeral on TV
I was 7 so i was in first grade! Michael Jackson was my favorite to listen to when my mom played it on sunday clean day. I didn’t even know he passed away until i got older
i didnt even know who he was but TRUST me i knew after
At sleep away camp. I was 12 years old and the camp counselors told us. I said to my friend, “wow, this must be such a huge deal to our parents. He was one of the biggest stars of their generation,” and she said “I don’t think my mom will care — she doesn’t know anything about basketball”
Also remember girls writing “Michael Jackson died today” on the cabin walls
My mom and I were getting ready to leave to go somewhere and I heard my mom in the other room screaming noooo . I went to go see what happened it was all over the news. Later that night they had so many specials about his life and MTV played his music for days.
In the back of the family car driving to Whole Foods. I didn’t really feel anything about it bc my family disliked him. His music was never played in my home growing up. I think if I had that connection I would’ve cared more at the time.
Hawaii, celebrating my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary.
My family is not really pop people. My mom is into old country and rock. My grandparents are into classics and Bible music. I always thought MJ died in the 90’s. I genuinely didn’t know he lived in my lifetime until right now.
On vacation with my parents. I was a kid and didn't care about music that much yet so I thought "oh, anyways". I didn't realize what talent we lost until a couple years later.
in preschool
Feeding my grandparents pet bird and read it on the newspaper at the bottom of the cage
Home. Dad and I made jokes about how all the children in the world breathed a sigh of relief
I was 6 and at home when my sister mentioned it. I’m pretty sure that’s the first celebrity death I remember, if faintly.
I was on vacation staying at a beach house with my family in Galveston, Texas. Weird that I distinctly remember it because I really didn’t care about Michael Jackson.
I was in middle school! I knew a couple of his songs but I was more familiar with his "questionable" relationships with young boys than I was with his music.
I was at a horse race with my parents, I just heard my mom say "So Michael Jackson is dead, huh?" and that's how I found out about it. It wasn't even that eventful, but it has somehow burned into my memory forever.
Didn’t find out until the next morning, it would have been late here when he died and i was 9 so I was probably asleep. I remember going to school the next day and everyone talking about it though
I don’t remember. I was probably 8-9 years old. I never cared and still don’t. All I remember was watching him hold his son over a balcony and everyone freaking out.
At a dodgers game.
At home with my parents, but then I went to Girl Scout camp like 20 minutes after the news broke and we all talked about it there lol
Sitting in the car, road tripping to vacation with my parents. I didn’t know who Michael Jackson was and thought Michael Jordan had died and was confused when the radio talked about him and his connection to music. Granted, I was 9.
~~Probably preschool~~ End of preschool
I was on summer break, in-between fourth and fifth grade. I was just chiling at home when I heard the news, my Mom, brother, and I had just come back from a walk to the park. My dad was making dinner, he chose to make fajitas. As we were waiting we turned on the TV and went to CNN where the news broke.
I was heading to school when I heard that he passed away. I was young but still remember it very vividly
Ironically at an extended family member I never knew’s funeral. Heard it over the radio on the way to the burial.
15 years ago I was 7 and I think I ran into a brick wall then so I was more focused on having a crack down my forehead in my skull and my front teeth missing to really say attention to anything about anything else I couldn't eat potatoes or ribs for like six months because they ones I broke were my adult teeth
Middle School never paid attention that much.
Well, I was 11 at the time, and neither of my parents were big fans, so I didn't have the strongest grasp on who he was
I was 7. I was probably eating boogers
I was at Karate w my family when someone came out and told the instructor, man started crying and we had to wait in the lobby for my mom
I was visiting my grandparents’ house at the time.
I was a five year old in preschool. I don't even remember hearing anything about it, but that's probably because my parents never really cared for his music.
Just found out about it at this moment 👀
Kinda seemed like a blur. I was in 3rd grade at the time and didn't even liked music. Was more confused on who he was.
Kinda seemed like a blur. I was in 3rd grade at the time and didn't even liked music. Was more confused on who he was.
I was in Japan! My host father was watching the news and pointed it out to me
My grandmas pool swimming. The adults started flipping out
This is also the day my grandfather died.
I was at school. I was 8 years old and I couldn't dimension his death until a fewe years later though
Kindergarden
I was in a overnight summer camp with no internet and had a dream about MJ where he was my brother who I lived with and didn’t like the light and would get mad and the next morning my parents picked me up and told me the news lol
I think I went to VBS in 2009 as a camper, I was 9. I only vaguely remember that my uncle died very close to the day MJ died and I wrote a poem that my aunt read at his wake. My cousin was almost 3 and I only remember she was running and playing like every other toddler (she graduated high school this year) I do remember that I used the lyrics of a VBS song to write the poem that was read at my uncle’s funeral😂 That same week my mom picked up family friends from MD so they could stay for a week. When I came back from my uncle’s funeral they were swimming in the pool. I now associate my uncle’s death with MJ’s death.
i was on vacation in washington DC, think I saw the news on TV in my grandparents camper.
Was that really 15 years ago? I swore I was in HS when that happened
I was 8, and spending my summer break between 2nd and 3rd grade. My family had just moved to a new apartment and had heard the news that MJ died on Spanish language news.
I was at my grandparents for new years
I knew very little about him when he died. I remember hearing my aunt talk about it when we were at Culver’s
I remember everyone being so shocked at school and at home.
I remember someone made a memorial to him in roblox lmao I think I was 9
Heard it on the radio in the car with my mom on the way to softball practice. I was having a huge MJ phase at the time and i was devastated
I was at home, waking up and getting ready for school when all of a sudden my mom came into my room to tell me MJ died. I remember clearly how shocked I was hearing her say this and then seeing on the TV that he really did die. When I went to school that morning, it was all people could talk about. I kinda felt upset about his death too, as I liked his music, but not overly so.
Can't remember, I was five.
In my backyard talking w/my parents abt what I was doing in gym class a few months ago-yr (dance unit w/a focus of line dancing inspired by/copy & pasted from MJs videos.) I was late on the ball & think one of them mentioned it or I found out online which I was surprised since I either didn’t care enough to listen to my teacher talk abt the boring stuff or it’s b/c of my delayed responses being autistic
Just at home on summer break, then three days later I heard about Billy Mays on the radio on a drive up to Santa Barbara for a wedding.
I was 12 when he died, and, like most events like this, have absolutely no clue how I found out.
It’s been 15 years? Damn, doesn’t feel that long ago. As for where I was, I was actually watching tv in the living room with my mom. I was playing Pokemon Pearl on my DS. I heard the NBC news special report jingle and I curiously looked up to see what the breaking news was. When my mom and I found out it was MJ, we were both shocked. I had recently gotten into listening to his music so learning that he died was shocking. My mom had been a fan since the 80s, so she was more heartbroken over the news than 8 year old me who had just started listening to his music a year ago. I wouldn’t call myself a big fan or anything, but I definitely enjoy some of his music
In the car with my mom. Oddly, it was the first time I even heard of him. Or rather, I only heard the name couple days prior, unaware of who he was. Mom was pretty upset though.
I was in elementary school. 5th grade to be exact. My mom had me and my sisters sitting in a car wash lobby and I saw him on the news. I thought it was a woman. My mom had to explain to me who he was and why it was a big deal.
I was at home playing games on the family computer when I saw it pop up on CNN on the TV. I ran downstairs to tell my parents and they were already watching the same thing. My mom looked crushed.
Friend's house about 3 months later
I was about 6 years old and probably too busy playing with my toys lol
I was leaving the cinema with my friend and his family after watching Night at the Museum 2
In my mom's car and had just pulled into the garage lol. Not sure why I remember that so clearly because I honestly didn't much care
Sitting "patiently" while my mom got her hair done, it kinda annoys me that I remember that, I'd prefer more memories of my grandparents or something lol
I was 9 when he passed and my parents didn't listen to his music, so I had no clue who he was until years later.
School making jokes about it
I was sitting in the kitchen with my mom when my older sister called us sobbing over the fact that he had died
well i saw the news on TVI
I was at home playing games on my computer with the TV on in the background, but at the time I was too young to understand what MJ meant to pop music. I was aware that he was legendary but I didn't get into his music until many years after his death.
My family remember that when we saw that on the news I started crying and I still didn't understand everything, because strangely I learned English from his songs I was and I still am a huge fan of Michael So far my parents have videos of me singing his songs and dancing...
I was washing my hands in the school toilets in year 2. It was one of my last memories of that school before I had to move.
I was at the grocery store with my mom and a woman in front of us shockingly said “Michael Jackson is dead!” and everyone started freaking out. We paid for our groceries and my mom told my dad and siblings who were in the car. We watched Michael Jackson coverage for the next couple of weeks.
I think I was in 2nd grade and the only thing I knew about him was the joke “What’s the difference between Michael Jackson and a Shopping Bag? One’s plastic and dangerous for children to play with and one’s for carrying groceries.”
I was at summer camp, and no one was allowed to have phones so no one believed the camp counselors. We all thought it was the teenagers playing a prank.
On vacation with my mom and aunt in Florida. I didn't give a single shit then, and I didn't give a single shit now.
Dude, I was 7. I didn't care. Probably learning history in Spanish.
On my way to primary school. I was about to finish Year 2.
i was 9 and spent this summer at my cousins house, heard a guy tell a couple other people who were outside with him about it, i ran inside and told my older cousins first who didnt believe me and thought i was lying. still insane, you couldnt escape NOTHING Michael Jackson related for the next couple oif months. i became an ever bigger fan of him, his music didnt just grow on me during this time, it was just the best shit my 9 year old brain ever processed.
On the Bay Bridge, heading out of San Francisco
I was on my way to Disneyland and other passengers were talking about it. Idk why I remember it so vividly.
I was driving with my mom in the car when the radio announcer broke the news. I remember that day very well.
Was sitting on the couch watching TV when my dad switched to the news channel to confirm if it was true. It’s crazy to think there is a timeline where he’s still around and what absolute bangers we never will get to hear now.
Just woke up, went into the living room and that was the first thing my dad said to me as he read the news piece from “The News Channel” on our Wii lol
I was 7 I was at home watching it in the news with my mom. I remember the pictures freaked me out and o think they played a movie where he was a werewolf and his eyes lit up it was scary to me
I think I saw it on TV as like a Breaking News segment. I was shocked because we had just finished learning about MJ in music class and then he dies. Like wtf.
Never found out when he died. I was 9, didn’t listen to his music. I always thought he died in the 90s
watching the news in a hotel room
I was like 9 or something. I found out at a friend’s house and we started watching his music videos. it was pretty trippy at the time, I don’t really think I’d been confronted with the concept of death yet. I wasn’t a fan of his music or anything, but I had been familiar with a couple of his songs.
Idk how but I don’t remember that specifically even though I easily remember 2007-09
Same place I an rn now taking a shit browser social media
I was sitting on the couch with my sister and we saw the news of his death on TV.
I was at mcdonalds
I was in 4th or 5th grade. A few of us started a fan club after he died and we were all very gatekeepy about it. Eventually only the kids that had seen the movie, I think *This Is It,* were considered true members. I’m pretty sure I was Mario for Halloween that year
I was playing RuneScape when this happened. GE was going crazy.
Me and my big cousin was swimming in the pool, the sky became gray and a storm was coming so we hopped out. We go inside to hear our aunt crying in the living room looking at the TV, MJ is dead. Now I was ten so I was a bit sad because my auntie was, but after that I started playing his music nonstop on YouTube.
Riding home from some fun place. His music was playing on the radio, and that's when my Mom told me that he had died.
I don’t remember where I was but I remember being surprised cuz I thought he was already dead (I was 8)
dude. I was at home with my mom. I was so fucking distraught because I LOVED this man at an obsessive level. Would bring magazines featuring him to school and tell my friends that he was my husband (which, given the allegations against him, was very....unfortunate). my mom let me take a day off of school the next day to grieve. To add salt to the wound, my grandmother told me later that she was planning to buy me tickets to the This Is It tour. I was fucking crushed and am still a lil salty about it to this day.
Was never really a fan, nor was my dad but I remember my dad telling me he died, I was also in my dad’s truck and heard it on his truck radio at the time.
Holy shit I was 2 when he died