Whether loading groceries, making a coffee stop, or simply out and about, people around Porterville took a moment over the weekend to express their sentiments for the recently-deceased King of Pop.

It had been nearly two days since announcements of the sudden death of Michael Jackson hit the airwaves, but the news remained fresh for Terry Whisler, who was making his way across the Wal Mart parking lot, Saturday.

“I am quite shocked,” Whisler said. “[Jackson] was the biggest thing in music for the last 15 years...both he and Madonna recreated music videos, made them popular.”

His favorite album by the pop legend was “Thriller.”

“I still can’t sit still when ‘Billie Jean’ comes on,” Whisler said, a jolt of excitement in his voice. “I think [Jackson] was going through a transition in his life. He had some issues, and he was trying to get through them, and to do that, he had to get back to entertaining.”

Jackson’s death, the cause of which is yet to be determined— according to the Associated Press — occurred only a few weeks before he was scheduled to begin a comeback concert tour in Europe.

“I thought he was a great entertainer. Not a good one: a great one,” Whisler said.
Robert McMath, sipping a Starbucks coffee, held Jackson in the same regard.

“The guy was a super star. He revolutionized the pop industry. He’s the one that set the standard so high back in the ‘80’s.

“I was a big fan in my younger days,” McMaster, 32, said. “Everyone was wearing The Beatles T-shirts and Michael Jackson pants. [Jackson] set such high standards in the music industry, and in entertainment, no one is on his level of entertainment, as far as I know.”

“Shocked” was Wendy Thomas’s reaction to the news about the fallen pop icon.

“I’m going to miss him a lot. I love his music. He was an awesome pop star. He was someone to look forward to and someone to look up to. He was a great inspiration,” she said.

Eddie Luna, loading groceries into his truck, made a comparison between Jackson, who died at age 50, and music “King,” Elvis Presley, who died at age 42, in 1977.

“I think [Jackson’s death] was pretty sad. I like his music, and I think he died too young, and unexpectedly. I think it’s sad for everybody. I think his music is going to be around forever, just like Elvis, and he died young like Elvis too,” Luna said.

Justin Simmons, an Employee at the Brickhouse, said the local band, Bloodline, performed at the restaurant Friday night, paying tribute to Jackson by covering some of his songs.

Kelly Garcia, who’s husband works at the restaurant, said she was there, and up to that point, Jackson’s death hadn’t yet sunk in.

“It has been really devastating for me,” she said.

Her ex-husband, who died in 2006, was an avid fan of the pop star, she said.

“It took me back, because I know how upset he would have been,” she said. “We all did the jokes, but when it comes down to it, [Jackson] was the mastermind behind a lot of good music.”

Darla Pugh said she was at Salon Sassified, where she works as a hair stylist, when she heard the news.

“It spread like wildfire. Everybody was texting,” she said. “A self-described fan of Jackson’s, Pugh said she would have made the effort to attend one of his concerts, if he were to perform here after his European tour.

“I’m just sad. I was hoping to see him one last time. I just wanted to if he would have come closer. I would have wanted to see him just for the shock: to see how he is now,” she said.

Mario Chacon said he was in class at Porterville College when he received news of Jackson’s death in a text message. He and a group of friends, socializing at the Bickhouse restaurant, agreed most in the area received the news by word-of-text.

Chacon, a fan of Jackson’s, said he thought the message was a joke, until he checked the Web.

“I think I was more shocked [than sad]. I would have never thought he would die at age 50,” he said. “A lot of people make fun of him, because of accusations and stuff. I know some people are kind of embarrassed to say they were a fan, but his music overshadows all of that.”

-- Contact The Recorder newsroom at 784-5000, Ext. 1043.