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On Blue Hill Avenue, tears for Michael Jackson

E-mail|Link|Comments () June 25, 2009 08:33 PM

By Matt Byrne, Globe Correspondent

Tears, shock, and surprise were just a few of the reactions on Blue Hill Avenue in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood tonight as news spread of the death of Michael Jackson, the legendary King of Pop.

"It's wild. I wouldn’t have expected it," said Daniel Rogers, 38, of Dorchester from behind the counter of the Century Liquor Store. "It's going to be interesting watching people react. L.A.'s going to be crazy tonight."

Many customers in the store in the predominantly African-American neighborhood mentioned Jackson as they approached Rogers at the counter.

"Everybody's got jokes, but everyone's hurt," said Rogers, who said he believed the child sex abuse charges Jackson was cleared of in 2005 would probably not tarnish his legacy.

"Oh, my God, no. Not the King of Pop," said Carla Snow, 30, outside on Blue Hill Avenue. "Farrah Fawcett I get, with cancer. But Michael Jackson, no. My daughter is 7 years old and she loves Michael Jackson. I'm going to have to tell her and she's going to cry. No one lives forever."

"I cried for Tupac [Shakur]. I'll cry for Mike," said Lugi Romaine, 40, of Dorchester. "In the 80s, when Michael Jackson was the hottest pop star artist, there wasn't a single day when he wasn't on the cover of newspapers or magazines. Every inch of my walls in my room were covered with Michael Jackson posters. He is a phenomenon. I still can't believe it."

On the question of the child molestation charges against Jackson, Romaine said, "Only God can judge. If he did that, he will be judged by his Creator."