Throughout his whole life, Michael Jackson was in the limelight. No amount of allegations (whether true or not), bad jokes or facial surgeries will ever change the fact that he was an enormous chunk of pop history all on his own, and that he will forever be remembered.

Since age 11, Michael has been entertaining the American public. With his unique dancing style, powerful vocals and all-around popularity, it’s no wonder he was dubbed the King of Pop during his music career. Artists who get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one time consider themselves blessed; Michael was inducted twice. Holder of the “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time” entry in the Guines World Records, Michael sold over 750 million records globally.

Though on his death June 25, 2009 Michael was beginning a comeback tour, the last years of his life were buzzing with controversy. Without a real childhood behind him, many wonder if Michael’s eccentricities—and his potentially harmful behaviors—stem from emotional and mental problems he may have acquired along the way. His physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father is well-known, and affected him his whole life.

That said, plenty of pop stars have held records of harming themselves as well as others; Elvis Presley—Michael’s own deceased father-in-law—held quite a reputation for messing around with young girls not yet out of pigtails himself.

A lot of the stories about Michael were actually started by none other than Michael himself, attempting to get some press coverage. He didn’t expect the “Wacko Jacko” persona the press soon adopted. Knowing this, and knowing how much the media latched onto Michael Jackson stories to make a buck, one has to wonder just how much, if anything, the tabloids have printed is true.

My own childhood is permeated with Michael Jackson memories. My mother, an “oldies” fan, played “ABC” while she cleaned the house and my friends and I loved to dance to it. When I was a little older, “Thriller” came out and I was absolutely obsessed with it, doing the “creep dance” that the zombies in the film danced to. My family would all do that dance in honor of me every time it was played. Those songs, along with “It’s Black, It’s White,” “Hold Me,” (the Free Willy song) and “Man in the Mirror” are all still favorites of mine to this day.

Hopefully, wherever the 13-time Grammy Award winner is now, he can finally find some peace from his demons, the tabloids, and whatever else haunted the pop star.