Friday, June 26, 2009

Farrah Fawcett & Michael Jackson

Thursday, June 25th is a day that will go down in history as the day that 2 of America's most beloved icons passed away.


First of all, the wonderful and beautiful Farrah Fawcett passed away after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Here is an article that really says it all:

"LOS ANGELES - Farrah Fawcett, a 1970s sex symbol and TV star of "Charlie's Angels," spent almost three years in private fighting for her life against cancer. But shortly before her battle ended, she allowed the public an intimate and inspiring look inside.
Fawcett, 62, died Thursday morning at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, after being diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006.
The news came just a month after the airing of "Farrah's Story," a documentary in which she made public her painful treatments and dispiriting setbacks — from shaving her golden locks before chemotherapy could claim them to undergoing experimental treatments in Germany.




"Her big message to people is don't give up. No matter what they say to you, keep fighting," Alana Stewart, who filmed Fawcett as she underwent treatment, said last month.






NBC estimated the May 15, 2009, broadcast drew nearly 9 million viewers.
In the documentary, she also recounted her efforts to unmask the source of leaks from her UCLA Medical Center records, which led a hospital employee to plead guilty to violating a federal privacy law for selling celebrities' information to the National Enquirer.
On Thursday, Fawcett was with Ryan O'Neal, her longtime companion who returned to her side when she became ill. He is the father of her 24-year-old son, Redmond.
This month, O'Neal said he asked Fawcett to marry him and she agreed. They would wed "as soon as she can say yes," he said, but it never happened.
"Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world," O'Neal said in a statement.
Other "Charlie's Angels" stars also paid tribute to the actress who stole the series with her winsome smile, tousled hair and unfettered sensuality." link to actual article: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/49098431.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBcy7hUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUHDYaGEP7eyckcUr



Here is a picture of Farrah with her son Redman, and her life partner Ryan O'Neal
Also leaving our world yesterday was the King of Pop himself, the very talented (however truely tragic life), Michael Jackson. Here is an article that really says it all about him:



Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop"[2] in subsequent years, his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time[3] and four other solo studio albums are also among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).
In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in
popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into an art form—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.
Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his
foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearance and behavior, generated significant controversy, damaging his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer had experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.
One of the few artists to have been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era and the sale of 750 million records worldwide.[4] Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades. Jackson died on June 25, 2009, aged 50.[5] The specific cause of death has yet to be determined.[2] Prior to his death, Jackson had announced a 50 date sell-out This Is It comeback tour, in London, England. link to actual article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_jackson

As yesterday was indeed a historic moment in our lives, I would like my children to be able to read this, and look back on where we were and what we were doing.

We had a busy day yesterday. After work, Eric picked up Lexie Noelle and took her home. Then Aunt Lisa surprised Jenna Jade and picked her up from day care to take her to VBS where I met her to enjoy our last night of Vacation Bible School. This year we learned about Moses and the burning bush, the plagues, and how Moses led God's people away to a better land. After Vacation Bible School, we took Grandpa Perry and Daddy out to the Pedler for a belated Father's Day dinner.

And we all sat around the table and talked a bit about the beautiful Farrah Fawcett, and the very talented Michael Jackson. (Again, however, Michael's life offstage was truely tragic...but onstage, the man was not only a genius, but he changed the world of music forever!)

In one of Michael's greatest hits, "Man in the Mirror", Michael sings "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. No message could have been any clearer, If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change!"

Both Farrah and Michael will be truely be missed by fans all over the world.

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