I`ll remember Michael Jackson for the smile he put on Ryan Whites face when he gave him a red mustang convertable

It'd be interesting to see how this correlates to the age spread on WC. Based on the fact that the biggest response is "moonwalking through the eighties", I'd guess I'm at or close to the median age here (I was a teenager when Thriller came out and lived through the excitement of that period even though I wasn't a fan myself). There are very few citing his early years in the Jackson 5, although I suppose that could be due to the 80s being a more memorable period in his career than the 70s. Quite a few choosing the scandal-plagued last period of his career (but fewer than for the 80s) and we certainly do have quite a few teens and twentysomethings who would have been born during or after his heyday and would have come of age during the decline. Just speculation, but I wonder if this really does reflect a "generation gap" in how people view Jackson.

Mendalla

everything I remember from the 80s heyday is coloured by the weird stuff that came after... I was 11 or 12 when Thriller was out, and I was never a big fan.

Many people are clamoring to get a look at Michael Jackson's last will and testament.  Michael Jacksons' last will could shine a light on what he intended to happen to his property and fortune once he had passed, and what he had provided for his heirs, and it has been published on the Smoking Gun website.  He leaves his estate in trust, and his children in the care of his mother, Katherine, and in case she is unable to care for them, to Diana Ross.  At one time, Jackson was considered to be Ross' protégé.  However, Michael Jackson's last will doesn't cover what to do with all the money lenders he owes.
 

It doesn't have to provide for debts. If estate law in CA is similar to other jurisdictions, the estate has to settle his debts before the heirs get anything. In other words, it's up to his executor(s) how to deal with the creditors.

Mendalla

Well, I came of age in the nineties, so I have to admit I remember him mostly for his legal trouble and his wackiness.  Later on I've come to appreciate his musical legacy, but it's not really what I "remember" him for.

I was a teenager in the late 70s and early 80s. MJ was adorable then. I stopped paying attention to his music therafter. In the late 90s however one just could not ignore the whacky image he had acquired in the media. I would prefer to remember MJ as a gentle soul who strode by...

I know a guy is owns his own private jet company that works with celebrities. He's actually my moms ex boyfriend but thats not the point. He knew all the celebrities, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, 50 cent, Brad Pitt(love of my life), you name it. He knew Michael Jackson fairly well, and he told me that he believes that Michael Jackson was filed for lawsuit because of his money. He is a gentle soul, but the media put up such a bad image of him that it was hard for Michael Jackson to show his face in the same way he did back in the day.

This is what happens in the media industry. Drugs, lawsuits, scandals, etc.. Not a pretty business.

I feel bad when I click on the legal troubles, but I wasn't really around for any other part of his life...