Farewell to three icons

This past week, we witnessed perhaps the saddest week in Hollywook history as we said farewell to three icons in Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. The week started off with McMahon's death on Tuesday, June 23. He was perhaps best known as Johnny Carson's sidekick on the Tonight Show. However, I will always remember him as the host of Star Search.

Then, a couple of days later, fans around the world were saddened and heartbroken to hear of the deaths of actress Farrah Fawcett and singer Michael Jackson. I learned of Fawcett's death shortly after hearing the tragic news of Jackson's death. On Tuesday, it was reported she was going to marry Ryan O'Neal, but died only two days later. I'll always remember Fawcett as a talented actress who made guest appearances on shows and a star in Charlie's Angels and Burning Bed. While I never had the opportunity to watch "Charlie's Angels", I remember watching her performance in "Burning Bed" as a youth. Her skills as a battered wife who burns her husband, while passed out in a drunken stupor, were remarkable.

While most people knew of Fawcett's battle with cancer (especially through her final documentary, Farrah's Story), we were blinded by the untimely death of music legend Michael Jackson. Honestly, I still can't believe he's dead. He was only 50 years old. My mother talked of how it seems like she grew up with him as he came to fame as a young child. In fact, my parents told me I was named after Michael's brother, Marlon. I remember watching him perform on a replay of the Ed Sullivan Show when I was 15. His talent for performing was nothing short of God-given. For the past few days, I've been watching his videos. The way he sang and danced is simply unbelievable. I've heard he was influenced by Jackie Wilson and James Brown as a youth. You can see a little bit of both in each dance step he took. In my opinion, Jackson had something most perfomers today lack-talent. His career spanned four decades. His music styles changed with the times, but his voice remained the same. Upon hearing his death, I simply sat on the edge of my bed in shock. My parents have the original "Thriller" and "We Are the World" cassette tapes. Though they're old, they're in pretty good shape.

When learning of sad news as this, as a fan, I feel like a member of my family has passed. I've watched and listened to these three celebrities ever since I was a kid. I remember having the same sad feeling when Don Knotts and Elizabeth Montgomery died. Though we know no one lives forever, in our minds, our heroes will live forever. Thus, providing the sadness and shock by everyone.

I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the McMahon, Fawcett, and Jackson families. On behalf of their fans worldwide, I would like to thank each one for providing joy in the lives of everyone. By watching them perform, they offered temporary relief of our troubles and pains through McMahon's laughter, Fawcett's smile, and Jackson's voice and dances. Though the three are gone, they will live on in spirit. May God rest their souls.