Heather Sweet, 18, St. Pete: “I think it was sad. I definitely think he was a legend, a musical genius and a great song writer. But I think he became someone we are almost better off without. I didn’t like who he had become in the latter years of his career. I hate to say it, but I feel that our young children will be safer; the person he had become didn’t seem to be very wholesome. I definitely do think he was guilty of molesting those children; I watched the trial and read about it. His death is a shock and it’s just sad.”

Nikki White, 29, St. Pete: “His death did really affect me because we’ve lost a musical icon. Without Michael Jackson, there wouldn’t have been a Justin Timberlake or Jesse McCartney; you can hear and see his influence on just about every major entertainer today. We also lost a humanitarian. He did a lot of good things for the underprivileged. His music was important to everybody, not just one type of person. Everyone can take at least one of his songs and apply it to their life. My daughter Zakaria, who is eight, knew who he was; she’s heard his music on the TV and radio. Young, old, black, white, everyone listened to him and was influenced by him in some way. I think it’s just sad that in the midst of his tragic death that people are still dragging him through the mud, especially the media. He’s still someone’s father, brother and son. At this point we should be celebrating his life and legacy, not his faults and shortcomings.”

Jeff White, 50, St. Pete: “It is so sad because he’s my age and he’s been in my life forever. It’s like losing a family member. I grew up listening to him and his brothers; first as the Jackson Five, then later him when he went solo. I liked all his songs, especially Thriller; it was like WOW! Every song on the album was just really good; well written, something you could relate to. Michael Jackson was also a pioneer of the music video. Before his landmark Thriller, which he got John Landis to direct, a lot of music videos, including his earlier work were kinda cheesy. Thriller was like a mini movie and was phenomenal with the special effects and just flat out great music. I was sitting at home when my 11 year old daughter Jada came into the room and said that she had heard that he died. She had been watching VH1 and saw all the Michael Jackson videos they were starting to play as a tribute. She thought Thriller was weird and I had to explain to her that it was one of the most innovative videos of its time. As I was talking to her about him and realizing that he and I are the same age, I was reminded of my own mortality, especially when someone who had anything and everything in their life only lived half of it. And then he was gone.”