I’ve had a lot of memories in the Defender office, some good and some bad. I went to Grant Park during Election Day and heard Obama speak from my window. I learned about several politicians wilding out while sitting in my office. But the goosebumps that came on my arms when a couple Defender staff members said that Michael Jackson was in the hospital topped it all. Several staff members huddled around the television in the newsroom listening to every single update, some exclaiming about CNN talking about Michael Jackson "in past tense" and how "geniuses always die early." Others said they refused to believe TMZ until a more credible news service said MJ was dead. When I left, the verdict was still out, but I left many links and articles on CD's site updating the status. Afterwards, I went to the DuSable Museum to the pre-screening of CNN's "Black in America 2." Sitting in the media area with Kathy Chaney, the host for the night said CNN's Don Lemon had to fly back and couldn't be with us tonight because of the MJ tragedy. And then he announced that Michael Jackson really was dead.

And when I heard he was dead, I just sat there sad. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had writer’s block in my life, and I kept trying to write a Message from Montie blog about Michael Jackson, but there are just so many things I want to say that I really don’t know where to start.

So instead, I Michael Jackson’d the Chicago Defender site out to pay tribute to all of his memories. I started a tribute blog. I started a photo gallery and a slideshow on the homepage (on Friday, June 26) and it’ll come down next Friday (July 3). I went to Best Buy and bought two of his CDs: “The Jackson 5: The Millennium Collection” and “25: Thriller, The World’s Biggest Selling Album of All Time” with two CDs and a DVD included. I contacted Brandon Adams (who played Baby Mike in “Moonwalker”) to ask for pics of him with Michael to share his friendship with the pop icon. I asked all the Defender staff to leave a message on the tribute blog of their memories. I only listen to Michael Jackson music in my car and at home. I’ve tweeted about Michael Jackson. But I just don’t have the words to write a blog about my memories of him. Too many. Don’t know where to start.

I’m too stunned that he’s gone.

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