Regardless of the last years with all the scandals, the dude shaped a couple of generations and was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. As for his influence in music, I'm sure his legacy will live on because songs like Dirty Diana and Thriller are pop music at it's finest.
I'm a rocker at heart but I've always enjoyed his music and many childhood memories come with his songs on background. Yes, he had a fucked up childhood and ended up fucked up in the head himself but all that fades when you play a song like Man in the Mirror.
The saddest thing is that the new generation will take him as a joke and will never understand the influence he had in his glory days.
Man, I will never ever forget how the security crew had to keep carrying people who fainted from the crowd at his
Bucharest concert.
He was unfortunately the last world-wide idol. Him and Freddy. I'm still hoping for a new one, one I can fully enjoy in my youth years. Though I would've rather just been there for Beatles and Elvis.