Pop icons

I was in an airport, cut off from the world outside and immersed in a good book for the majority of yesterday afternoon, so I didn't hear anything but whispers among fellow passengers until I got to my destination. That's when I confirmed the news that two major personalities from the world of entertainment - people whose names I was very familiar with throughout my 'growing up' years and beyond - had departed this world.

Many of us who were teenagers through the latter part of the 1970s and early 1980s were glued to television sets weekly if not more often and are only too familiar with Farrah Fawcett, and the Charlie's Angels series. I remember seeing a note in a newspaper a few weeks ago which I thought was announcing Ms. Fawcett's death, but apparently that was an update on the gravity of her mortal condition. Well, her struggle with cancer came to an end yesterday, and many who idolized her throughout her life and career are now mourning her loss.

Ms. Fawcett's death was overshadowed yesterday though by the sudden death of another pop star from days gone by. Michael Jackson, one of the Jackson Five, and perhaps the most well-known among generations who were on the music scene throughout the 1980s and 1990s, also met his maker yesterday.

Whether one was a fan or not, Mr. Jackson has enjoyed fame and fortune because of the music he made. His records sold more than any other artist I can think of, and people are still listening to his music today, chasing after recordings and idolizing him. As news of his death broke, crowds began to assemble outside the hospital where he had been rushed. Even in death, he makes big news, and images as well as stories of this passing quickly flashed across various forms of media.

The circumstances of his death, as of his life, are still suspect, and whether they will be made public still remains to be seen.

One thing is certain: both these personalities have played a part in influencing the lives of many millions of others who have followed their careers from near and far. Their passings mark milestones and all of us who enjoyed their work, or learned from them in any way should pause to give thanks.