Fans remember a fallen star

For many like Riahna Bjornsen, an employee at the Guitar Center in Fountain Valley and lifelong fan of Michael Jackson, it started with a text message.

Bjornsen was driving home from work at 2:45 p.m. June 25 on the 405 Freeway when the words “MJ died. I bet you’re heartbroken” appeared on her BlackBerry phone.

“I thought my friend was joking,” she said.

As soon as she arrived home, Bjornsen rushed to her computer to check the veracity of the message. It was true.

“I got goose bumps,” she said.

Still in shock over the death of the world-renowned icon, a number of people in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley expressed their sorrow over his death and admiration for his accomplishments.

Zack Wesley, a fellow employee at the Guitar Center, was incredulous upon hearing of Jackson’s death, which was pronounced June 25 at 2:26 p.m. at the UCLA Medical Center. Jackson died at the age of 50.

Bjornsen said she’s probably never received so many text messages in one day. Even a teacher from high school she hadn’t spoken to in years remembered the fascination Bjornsen — now 22 — had with the star and called her.

William Dagsher, an employee at the Gear Trader in Huntington Beach, hoped Jackson’s personal problems didn’t prevent him from relishing his accomplishments.

Wesley said many customers are frustrated that the star will never embark on the comeback he was planning this year. Others remembered growing up in the height of the Michael Jackson era. The singer’s death has caused Dagsher to revisit memories of his childhood in Compton, where the Jackson 5 was a phenomenon.

Bjornsen remembers dressing up as Jackson three years in a row for Halloween. She decided to take dance lessons after watching his videos. She taught herself to do the moonwalk just to copy him. She had unofficial competitions with another girl in eighth grade to see who owned more of the star’s photos. She waited in line for six hours when Jackson’s “Best Of” album debuted.

His “ability to influence the entire world to love music” was remarkable, Bjornsen said. “In every country, they know Michael Jackson.”

Wesley deemed it unfortunate that many have mixed feelings about the nonmusical side of Jackson’s life, saying people should respect him for his career. Wesley paralleled Jackson with icon Marilyn Monroe, predicting that his career will be remembered disapprovingly, as hers often is.

“I think his legacy will be tainted by years and years of ridicule,” Wesley said. “His own triumph was his own tragedy.”