Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.~ Victor Hugo

Here are a few more quotes from Victor Hugo for Morning with Victor Hugo week :

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. ~ Victor Hugo

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.~ Victor Hugo

Morning with Victor Hugo week:

Here is my daily contribution for :

Morning with Victor Hugo week :

"Dream no small dreams. They have no power to stir the souls of men." ~ Victor Hugo

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. ~ Victor Hugo

"People do not lack strength; they lack will. ~ Victor Hugo

These are my thoughts on today's quotes and the relevance to my life
today : Somehow all of these quotes remind me of Michael Jackson and the attributes he had along with his amazing gift for entertaining and
unmeasurable talent to perform...All combined is what it took to get him to the top...his discipline and practice and studying the great artists before him never ceased even after he hit the top....He did dream big....with his Peter Pan mentality and his amusement park, People are calling him the best entertainer of our time...people are wishing we paid tribute to him before his death. Yet, somehow you know he has his "Corner in the Sky" and is looking down on all of this smiling. Watching the BET awards; hearing and seeing all of the stories and tributes to him put him right back on the map just like 2 decades ago....I will
share more of that later and more statements from his loved ones....

His songs were the soundtrack to so many era's in my life and you heard
so many people say that yesterday...he touched our hearts...he touched all of us globally....

Blanca from El Salvador was here yesterday who takes care of
my Dad once a week to help me out. She was in tears saying. "I remember his music, my youth, dancing to his music and loving him...I am so sad Micheal Jackson will be missed by me and the people in my
country..."<3

Where There Is Love, I'll Be There......

Where there is Love I’ll Be There
Just call my name and I’ll be There
2x #1 hit soul song written by Berry Gordy from Soul Train
#1 hit 1970 Jackson 5
#1 hit 1992 Mariah Carey

The BET Awards yesterday, Sunday 6.28.2009 ended with this song and there was not a dry eye in the house...everyone was moved. There was truly evidence of Michael Jackson's magic from above...The BET Awards were great and the tributes to him were incomparable and to think how this show turned around in a matter of a few days to change the format to honor him since he had just died last Thursday, 3 days prior....BET did it...Good thing the MC, Jamie Fox who did an excellent job is gifted at improvisation, not much time for memorization. But the show was done from the heart with love and you could see in the eyes of the performers, how much all of these artists were inspired and influenced by Michael Jackson ( 1958-2009 RIP )

The final song of the show was after the surprise arrival of Janet who was elected to talk on behalf of Michael to represent the entire Jackson family. She said :

"My entire family wanted to be here tonight but it was just too painful.
So they elected me to speak with all of you.
I’m going to keep this short but would like to say that…
To you Michael is an icon.
To us Michael is family.
And He will forever live in all of our hearts.
On behalf of my family and myself,
Thank you for all of your love.
Thank you for all of your support.
We miss him so much…"
statement from Janet Jackson

Did you notice she never spoke about him in the past tense. She spoke about him in the present tense...He truly does live in their hearts ...he truly does live in our hearts...he truly lives in my heart. Here it is almost a week after he passed away and I'm reminded of him everywhere. The joy he radiated when he electrified any stage is what we all remember now clearly fading the eccentricities of his later years that diminished his glory.

So for now, I simply Can't Get Michael Jackson Out Of My Head so I will continue to write about him...at this point I'm also sorry that this tribute wasn't done while he was alive to see him teary eyed in the audience...and that all of this recognition and glory came in his death. Everyone at BET said lets celebrate him now because the media is going to be bringing up all kinds of trash in the next few weeks....one can only imagine at this point...Let's honor the King of Pop.

I think his sudden death reminded, reawakened, resurrected and revived the reality of his greatness... in all of us...Even Jamie Fox who was the MC at the BET awards said that after his death all he could see were all of the videos online and TV. These were videos we hadn't seen for decades...yet with just a glimpse, all of those memories came back and how much Michael Jackson's music was a part of our lives....its as if his death in just a few days became a sort of resurrection re-sparking our memories...And many have said it is a shame that he can't be here to see how millions of people have been touched alike with tributes and shrines all over the world in his name from Hollywood to Poland, Japan to Detroit, from the Apollo in NYC to Gary, Indiana...Amazing....

Deepak Chopra who was a person friend of Michael Jackson's said :

"The main thing is that Michael was a lovable character...He was a compassionate, caring beautiful person and an extraordinary dancer, musician and entertainer of all times. He had the ability to put you in an ecstatic state. I love Michael " He also said " the first time I saw Michael dance was at "Neverland". It was magical. He was great with kids because he never had a childhood himself."

He had a way of blurring distinction between black & white; adult & child; old & young; gay & straight; mail & female. Everyone could relate to him making him the biggest entertainer of our time globally.

He was recognized as a cultural icon starting as a child in the 60's. Some of his many acheivements and awards and world records were 13 grammy's and 13 #1 hit singles. He grew to become the #1 artist of all time. He sold 750 million records and was inducted ino the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.

He was in the Guiness Book of World Records for the Harry Chapin humanitarian award. He was also in for
Youngest vocalist to top the US singles chart, (aged 11, fronting The Jackson 5)
First vocalist to enter the US single chart at No.1 ("You Are Not Alone")
Most weeks at the top of the US album charts (non-soundtrack) (37 weeks for Thriller);
Most successful music video (Thriller sold over 1 million units)

First entertainer to earn more than $100 million in a year

Highest paid entertainer of all time ($125 million in 1989 Forbes list).

His ultimate and latest accolade was also presented to him: Most successful entertainer

of all time.

Thriller sold more copies that any other album and continued to sell over 130,000 copies estimated a year since then..increasing those quantities now with his death. Thriller has sold over 100 million copies as of 2009, more than any album ever. Michael Jackson at that time in 1982 was already considered "the late twentieth century pre-eminent pop icon". Much was written about him, The New York Times said in their opinion that he was a "musical phenomenon", and that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else". What a lifetime of acheivements at such a young adult in his 20's.

Thing's did take a turn for the worst in his later years as the uglyness that comes along with any Icon and all of the tabloid exploitation. His multiple facial surgeries made matters worse. It is always most difficult to stay on the top but with this new tour about to kick off in London in July 2009 called "This Is It ". Everyone around him believed this was his comeback tour to make him the Global figure once again...instead his death has brough global recognition....this is the saddest part.

Michael Jackson's choregrapher and friend, Kenny Ortega for 25 years, had been rehersing with him 6 days a week since April for the upcoming show and said "I was with him the night before he died. Michael was in perfect shape like it was 25 years ago. It was awesome to watch him & was not like watching a 50 yr. old man returning to the stage. He was the same incredible, timeless, ageless, electrifying performer. He had the same performer know how. He is the entertainer of entertainers. He invested 100% in every aspect of the show from lining up shot sequences to helping with the dancers and singers."

Lou Ferrigno who won Mr. Universe 2x and also was the incredible Hulk was also a lifetime friend of Michael Jackson. He said " Over the years I have also trained Michael. I was shocked and devastated when I heard of his death. It's like a dream.We were very close friends. He was not frail and never complained of chest pains over the years. Michael required more flexible stetching type of training popular for dancers. Michael felt safe with me and trusted me. His recent training session he was alert and didn't complain about pain. He was always concerned with diet and fitness. He is as healthy as he was 20 yrs ago. He was my friend and a real genuine guy..a regular guy when we were hanging out together. I was convinced he was going to make the biggest comeback in history."

John Landis was living in London and directing "American Wearwolf in London". He said "Michael was in London and called me in 1982. He wanted me to turn him into a monster and then the Thriller video was born..It had already been a hit album for the past year. They created a theatrical short. Michael was a hard-working disciplined fun guy who was extremely professional. He had the most amazing friends visit him on the set while they were filming. To name a few were Marlon Brando, Lillian Disney, Fred Astaire and Jackie Kennedy. It was unbelievable. Everyone who worked with him was very fond of him but he was very sad. Despite how many gifts he had or how much success he gained he was a tragic figure. There is no reason why he should have died so suddenly and be so broke and have all of these terrible stories about him. that is the tragedy. He was way up front with everyone and honest with people and I admired him for that quality. I loved him both as a person and a great international star. "

David Wild the editor from "Rolling Stones Magazine" said :

"We forgot how powerful and indelible Michael and his music was. Sadly now, in the impact of his death we are all remembering the impact he had on our lives and how great he was. As a performer he took everything to the next level. Recently he has been in a sort of excile along with his face being an everchanging landscape. I don't think he ever recovered from the molestation charges against him. But we are remembering more the "Wow" of the great Michael Jackson , not the freakshow. We can now reflect on the music from the greatest singer ever heard"

David Wild also said "Rolling Stones Magazine is currently pulling together a special issue in tribute to Michael Jackson. It will take more than 1 issue to sum up what he meant to so many people. Aside from all of his great acheivements there is a place he has in all of our hearts."

Former president and CEO of SONY Music. Tommy Mottola said " He was the largest pop icon in the world. He was a cornerstone to the entireglobal music business. He always stood out from the Jackson 5 as a kid and you could see he was destined to Super Stardom. michael bridged the gap between man genre's like R & B and Pop. He created a new musical language. HE DEFINED THE VIDEO AGE. you can see his influence with so many artists all over the world. "

" MY brother Michael was unique and talented from day #1. His vocal and dancing abilities were all natural gifts and acheived without training. "Jermaine Jackson

" Michael was always focused, thinking, listening, and studying to be better. He had a command on what he did. He put Motown on the map.The first time I heard him in my studio I was so excited." Berry Gordy ( founder of Motown Records & Soul Train )

Many artists, performers and friends at The BET Awards on Sunday had wonderful things to say about Michael. The following are words from some of them....

“It’s all about the energy of a man who passed away and what the man’s done for music. He will never die…He will go on to live forever.” Ne Yo

" None of us would be here in this room tonight without Michael Jackson" Lil' Wayne ( He said this about MJ when he went up to receive "Best Male Hip Hop Performer")

" Michael Jackson inspired me to be a musician" Latoya

"When I made the decision to leave my talk show Michael Jackson called me and asked if I was OK and wanted to know how I felt about it. He was concerned. He gave us his heart. He made us happy. How could anyone listen to his music without it putting a big smile on your face ?" Arsenio Hall ( On the BET Awards Red Carpet )

"He changed my life. He made me believe that anything is possible. He was magic. Lets give him the honor he deserves. He started the change. He is the #1 star in the world. He is my greatest hero. He is the reason why Obama is president. His rise to fame paved the way for the black man. I alway respected his genius and his humanity" Sean "Diddy" Combs

" This BET Award is to you Michael Jackson. thank you for being my teacher. thank you for being my hero." Beyonce' ( While receiving her BET Award for Best Female R & B Performer)

"I'm excepting this award in honor of Michael Jackson because he inspired me with his great works to help those in need. Alicia Keys ( while receiving the BET Humanitarian Award

The list is endless....he had so many friends and did so many great things for so many people and influenced to many artists...

Michael was a very sad person in spite of all that surrounded him. He said he was uncomfortable being alone. His life was on the stage and wish he would sleep on the stage.The stage was hi home.

What sums it all up...He did have a way of touching the masses. And now he is bowing out with his final curtain call...leaving earth with the entire world mourning. watching. tributing. and honoring him....many said he was never meant to grow old..

RIP Michael Jackson

There is still so much more I want to say about Michael Jackson. I can't seem to get on with my new blog without centering it around the King of Pop and what I have discovered about Michael Jackson in the past few days since his death.

Most everyone agrees he was a talented wonderful person with a big heart. He did much for people in his personal circle of friends and in big ways for humanitarian projects having a generous spirit...He has been in the past compared to Michealangelo or Einstein as a genius and they were also a little odd in their behavior or appearance to people....But...why question genius ?

"To be great is to be misunderstood" Emerson

So, I decided to continue to tribute and honor him. I can't get his legacy out of my mind and the media reminds us of it. He incredibly touched so many peoples lives in such a good way. It's amazing....I know how he touched my life and how his music has been a part of my life. The following are words from friends of Michael Jackson...

It is not always a ritual but I did go to church this morning and a woman in front of me seemed a littl strange. She kept staring at us...I was with my friend Diane and her daughter Sophia. After communion she called me to write a petition for hr in a book by the Sacred Heart statue of Jesus. She recited and asked tht I write:

"Dear God,

Please be sure my good Michael Jackson is bounded to you and that he is in heaven with you also

Prayer from Lucy"

I sat back down and then...Chula moved in the carrier and the man behind us who was in contemplative prayer jumped up almost through the ceiling...he said he thought it was a snake when the bag jumped...I showed him Chula through the bags mesh facing the other direction. He smiled and his eyes calmed. He looked like he was from Haiti or Jamaica with his accent and dark skin....

Today was the 9th Annual BET Awards and the entire show was dedicated to him, the entire show was in his honor. now keep in mind this show was planned prior to his death and after he passed away they reformatted the show in 3 days. How incredible is that ? See the words of the BET Networks CEO at the Awards Show tonight.

CEO of BET Networks Debra Lee stated :

"When we heard the news of Michael Jackson's passing on Thursday we knew immediately we were going to have to change the nature of this show. So since Thursday there have been 100's of BET employees working around the clock to put this show together who truly worked their hearts out. We wanted to do the perfect tribute to Michael Jackson..and I want to thank everyone who made this possible tonight.

It has truly been a Labor of love for us because Michael Jackson was so important to our world, to our country and to our network.

So what can I say about a man who not only meant so much to us but to the entire world....

Michael Jackson is a global icon leaving behind an undeniable legacy and an indelible imprint on all who loved him.

He was often imitated but never duplicated.

Michael was a musical deity with the gift of bringing people together.

Yet like a comet blazing across the evening sky he shined brightly and was gone too soon. Michael helped so many people that he's in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most charitable pop star in world history.

He approached his humanitarian work with the same energy that he brought to the stage inspiring other artists to be involved in somthing bigger than themselves."

Celebrity Tributes for Michael Jackson on Larry King.

Larry King had a variety of celebrities talking to him about Michael Jackson...and will continue to do this all week. EVERYONE LOVED HIM !!!

The following friends are some of the people who called in on Larry King and discussed Michael Jackson.

"I am taking the news very hard and I'm shocked like the rest of the world. It it is not sinking in right now and I'm overwhelmed by this tragedy. Michael Jackson has always been an idol for me all of my life and I looked up to him. I was privilaged to be on the same record company as him. He was so kind to me and gave me an autographed hat many years ago and it always had an amazing meaning to me. We sang together back then. He also came to see my show in Vegas. He came backstage and had so many questions and wanted to learn so much from me yet she had so much to ask him and she was so honored and amazed to have him in her dressing room. She announced him during her show and the entire stadium went crazy...It is such a loss...his death...It feels liike when Kennedy or Elvis died. He was not only an amazingly talented person, he was unique and a genius..I grew up with Michael Jackson's music and am rediscovering him again through my 8 year old son who is discovering him for the first time now with all of the media this week....He will never die....Michael Jackson will never die..."

~ Celine Dion

"I found out he died right before I had to go out and do a show..and it impacted me so heavily in my show...It just broke my heart. What troubles me the most is people jumping on the wrong things about Michael. I think now is a time to celebrate his life. I had a photography book I was working on and asked him to come over for pictures and I promised it wouldn't take more than 15 minutes. He staying for 8 hours...He was just such a special guy...You don't meet guys with that level of success that would take the time to sit around and talk and are really able to communicate on a different level."

~ Kenny Rogers

"I'm as sad as everyone else and I tell you it's probably one of the biggest shocks in my lifetime. He is the best entertainer ever. This guy lit up a stage like no one else. when your miles above everyon else as a performer I think he was one song away from a big huge comeback. Musicwise Michael Jackson changed the face of music forever. He also broadened the base of music bringing theatrics into music and merged different styles of music together... there was pop, rock, soul, broadway theatre, it was a melange of every kind of musical genre. And then videowise he completely changed the game, the videos were completely monumental...they were great pieces of work. People will look back on this for a long time. This is legendary status, this is not just pop star status. He transcended eveything, he was colorless, he was extremely talented, he inspired so many people. Everyone I run into is so sad, I hven't seen so many people effected by something like this in a really long time. This comeback show was going to elongate his career and remind people that he was a true icon and a legend. I got reports a few days before his death that he and the band were sounding great and all was going well. We lost a great one but no one can ever compare to him. He inspired everyone !"

~ Randy Jackson Judge of American Idol

"It hit me in the heart. It can't be. He is the Mohammad Ali of the entertainment world. We all tried to copy him. I never got to meet him but I feel like I knew him. I feel like I knew his heart. I would have loved to work with him..... I come from a musical family and we all loved him...Everyone did !"

~ Aaron Neville of the Neville Brothers

"It's an incredible shock to me. I've known Michael over the years and we did many things together over the years and I know his family. I will miss Michael. I'm sure the world will miss Michael. We are all in a state of greif right now. His greatness was perfection...when you meet people like that who will only do things at the utmost highest level, it makes you up your game. He upped the standard. I will personally miss him. I will miss his light.

~ Donna Summer

"My heart is hurting...its hard to explain in words...When I first heard the news.. I was just in shock. And watching TV and all of the old videos...This man was the greatest recording artist of our time. This man through his music actually made a change in the world. He was the only artist people know about from every country in the world even though his music is in English, everyone knew the words. Its sad to hear him accused of things that weren't proven. He made me believe in magic, he made me visualize the music, he made me want to make music. Its important that all of his friends call in so people can see how much we loved him "

~ Sean"Diddy" Combs

"I felt so shocked about his death...He will be totally missed. I did the "Bad" tour with him in 1988 & 1989 and I feel greatful to have had the opportunity to work with him and watch him do a show every night for the 2 years of time that we did those shows together. He was absolutely and undenyably the greatest performer of all times for my generation and other generations. Every night was an amazing show. He knew what set him apart and had huge crowds in the palm of his hand every night. He had a different take on life. He was a child at heart. I never could imagine him as an older person or growing old. He would rent out amusement parks for the band to go on the rides all night. He was famous his whole life so he lived a bit of a sheltered life. He was a prankster and all around fun. But when it came to the show he was extremely professional"

~ Sheryl Crow

I also am quoting Victor Hugo this week ansd the folowing are the quotes I had on Facebook and Twitter this morning. :

Morning with Victor Hugo week :

"To love beauty is to see light" ~ Victor Hugo

"To love another person is to see the face of God" ~ Victor Hugo

"He who opens a school door, closes a prison" ~ Victor Hugo

"Many great actions are committed in small struggles" ~ Victor Hugo

"There is nothing like a dream to create the future" ~ Victor Hugo

Michael Jackson "Man in th Mirror " RIP

In Memory of MJ 1958-2009

I'm Gonna Make A Change,

For Once In My Life,

It's Gonna Feel Real Good,

Gonna Make A Difference,

Gonna Make It Right ~Michael Jackson ☆

When I first heard about Michael Jackson's death 2 days ago the first song tha came to mind was " Man in the Mirror " and it has been in my head since. I proceded to read posts on Twitter and Facebook throughout my day inbetween other necessary daily tasks and started to add my own. The format of social networking became for me a venue to pay homage...a place to tribute all of the great work of his youth...a place to be reminded and to share and remind others...As the last two days unfolded I realized that I no longer saw the eccentric and tormented adult but saw the Artist, the Icon, the genius, the great talent that my generation and my friends of a variety of generations loved so much...It all came back the 70's & the 80's....Thriller, We are the World, Off the Wall,Bad and other songs and videos's so clearly..Somehow death washed away the negative attributes and amazingly got me in the perspective focused on why Miichael Jackson earned the titel of "King of Pop".

In the past two days many people in the social networking circles sent links, and CNN had specials. I collected what I was moved by and then in turn I proceeded to post updates and links to videos as well also watching them myself being reminded of when I first saw them decades ago. Along with those memories came the events in my life taking places at those times and I became nostalgic , sad and still today find myself crying from time to time....I then realized I hadn't listened to or seen his music video's in decade's and by seeing them again it brought me back to his incredible talent and the great gift he had to change the world.

Let's remember Michael Jackson - His life, his legend and his legacy. He crossed over into a new musical media with Thriller. He defined the music media genre putting MTV on the map.

He bridged R& B and Pop...he bridged Soul & Rock with amazing talent...inspiring many artists along the way and in the future...You could see he did break down barriers and paved a road for many artists.

And to think he was working on making a comeback and probably would be a success at it globally as his previous efforts throughout his lifetime touching the masses of a variety of generations...

Many people loved him and he had many friends...

Fred Astaire called Michael Jackson, the greatest dancer of his generation...!

Liza Minelli said he changed history, he was always learning and growing and never had a childhood being pushed on the stage to perform and reherse from a very young age. She said everyone adored Michael.

He was an Apollo legend. I received many posts from there yesterday about all of the people gathering there celebrating Michael Jackson and his music. He first went to the Apollo with the Jackson 5 to amature night in the late 60's when Michael Jackson was 11 years old.

My favorite Michael Jackson quotes :

"The greatest education in the world is watching the masters at work.” ~ Michael Jackson

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.” ~ Michael Jackson

"And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance.” ~ Michael Jackson

"In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.~ Michael Jackson

"Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's the gospel." ~ Michael Jackson

"Let us dream of tomorrow where we can truly love from the soul, and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation." ~ Michael Jackson

The following are some of the outpouring of statements from his loved ones and co-workers : They all really loved him !

"My heart, my mind are broken. I loved Michael with all my soul. I cannot imgine life without him.We had so much in common and had such loving fun together. I was packing up my clothes to go to London for his opening when I heard the news and I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so..He will live in my heart forever but its not enough. My life feels so empty. I don't think anyone ever knew how much we loved each other... the purest most giving love I've ever known...Oh God I'm going to miss him. I can't yet imagine life without him. But I guess with Gods help I'll learn...I keep loking at the photo he gave me saying "To my true love Elizabeth, I'll love you forever" and I'll love him forever "...statement from Elizabeth Taylor

Quincy Jones produced three of Michael Jackson's solo album's :

Off the Wall

Thriller

Bad

We Are The World Charity Project ( He collaborated with Michael Jackson on)

HE said : "Hearing of Michael Jackson's death has been so surreal. I almost collapsed when I heard the news. Our souls were attached for a long time. He is my little brother. He had such love, trust and passion and I will always cherish that for a long time. He was the most professional person I ever worked with in my life. He was so aware and focused and always studying everyone to be better. I was on my way to London to be with everyone tomorrow at his opening. ~ statement from Quincy Jones

"I'm shocked and saddened by Michael's passing. I, along with his millions of fans, looked forward to seing him tour one more time. Now may he rest in peace." statement from Tina Turner

Shelly Berger managed the Supremes Diana Ross, The Temptations, and Smoky Robinson. He said :"He had just come home from being on the road with the Supremes and was told by his boss that he was needed to manage the Jackson 5. He went in to hear them and was blown away by Michael. He reminded him of a young Sammy Davis Junior. He was flabergasted at how great they were.....statement from Shelly Berger

"I have a heavy heart. I wouldn't be who I am today as a philanthropist, a humanitarian or an artist without being friends with Michael Jackson. He honestly transcended music and broke down barriers that were unbreakable. But through God's will he was able to do incredible work while here. He was truly a vessel." statement from Usher

"He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I wil always cherish the moments I shared with him on the stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together" statement from Justin Timberlake
"I can't stop crying, this is too sudden and shocking. I am unabl to imagine this. My heart is hurting. I am in prayer for his children and his family." statement from Diana Ross

"Let us remember him for his unparalleled contribution to the world of music, his generosity of spirit in his quest to heal the world and the joy he brought to his millions of devoted fans throughout the world " Mariah Carey