There’s no lack of coverage on Michael Jackson‘s death and the more salacious details of his life – the legal woes, the health problems, the debt, the weirdness that led to the Wacko Jacko nickname. But my first reaction to the news that Jackson had suddenly died – I found out on a restaurant TV while my family was celebrating a much happier event, my nephew’s graduation – was a flashback to the early ’80s, when there was no one bigger in music, or pop culture, and when my friends and I were obsessed (futilely, I have to add) with learning to moonwalk.

Jackson’s performance on the famous Motown 25th anniversary special in 1983, and his classic “Thriller,” “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” videos on MTV and the old NBC series Friday Night Videos are big childhood memories for a lot of us, I’m sure, so, in the days ahead, when there is going to be a lot of retrospective coverage and a lot more news, good and bad, about Jackson and his death, I’m going to watch those videos again and remember Jackson before “Wacko Jacko” overtook his reputation as the King of Pop and one of the most exciting performers ever.

What’s your favorite Michael Jackson video or TV memory?

Michael Jackson’s performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever

The “Thriller” video

The “Beat It” video

The “Billie Jean” video

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• Tags: Beat It video, Billie Jean video, Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson death, Michael Jackson Motown special, Michael Jackson videos, moonwalk, Thriller video