So much to talk about!

[Cindy M]

to the Hey, sorry for my lack of site updates. I lost my job on January 3rd, with little prospects ahead. Have been mentally paralyzed and couch surfing pretty much since then. But yesterday I finally uploaded my first YouTube video since Jan 1 - see the mjblue.com & YouTube Updates section on this message board. I will strive to add new content on this site and new music and videos as much as I'm able. 

I paid (Visa) $250 to a freelancer on Jan 3 for the new search script after trying many other options myself. This took a month to finish so I never dreamt I could be unemployed when the payment came due. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly, I received the following letter in the mail yesterday. I have removed the offensive items from the home page (and will put them elsewhere) but I would like to hear your views. After 20 years of working with Michael on the website and hearing him say yes and no, I thought I knew what he wouldn't or would like, which may not agree with all his fan's tastes but I certainly never meant to offend anyone. The Spam photo showed such happiness on his face, the caricature I thought captured him and the 1975 set list I thought would interest MJ's fans. I am including a screen shot of the original home page for you to judge. I just have to think if one fan was offended, maybe others were, too, and any of you were, I'm deeply sorry. I appreciate her honesty but I have to admit, I was a bit sickened to read this letter. I'm trying to carry on Michael's legacy any way I can and I would never intentionally offend anyone. I will add some less offensive photos to the home page today. This website is for all of you and I always want to hear your opinions.
Thanks. The letter:

I've been a Michael Johnson fan since the start of his career. I hadn't visited his website since he passed away. I used to visit this former site for his concert schedule and I remember it was professional. When I logged in and saw the home page today, I  was sickened. I asked two friends to look at it and they were appalled also.

How can you disrespect and dishonor him like this? Is it supposed to be a joke? A world renown musician and you have him pictured with Spam, a terribly done caricature and a taped-up set list from 1975? This looks like a lovesick teenager's scrapbook page.

I read that you have always managed Michael's site, but I can't imagine why you wold mock him in death. It's awful that his life and death paragraph is surrounded by all that junk. He deserves to be honored, not ridiculed.

Michael Johnson is a legend and deserves to be treated as one on his own website. Whatever made you think this is a tribute to him is very misguided. I hope you will reconsider the home page to show respect and reverence to a great musician who is not able to speak for himself. Please.

[retnavycpo]

Cindy,

After reading the letter from the fan who stated she was offended by those pictures, my initial thought was "get a life, and get over yourself". Seriously. Michael had such a wonderful sense of humor, in addition to being a consummate singer/songwriter. You, more than anyone, knew Michael so well. It is my opinion that this person's observation is way out of line, and just plain ridiculous. Michael would be proud, so proud, the way you have carried on his memory with all the Youtube posts you have made, providing the world with music/videos we never would have had the opportunity to hear. Thank you Cindy. Peter

[drd]

Cindy, not having known or met Michael I can't say what he would have liked and not. And I agree that you can't please everyone, but you of all people should have the best idea and I wholeheartedly trust your judgement on this. I can say that every time I see the homepage I have to smile. I believe if Michael had not wanted that SPAM picture it would a) not have been taken or b) he would not have been smiling. Yes he was a world class musician but also a person with real life issues away from the theatre halls and it's a treat to read about his personal life as well here. I now know what made the whole man and that has to be a good thing.

I don't know what type of 'professional' site the woman expected to see here and she is certainly entitled to her opinion, as am I. And I didn't know about MJBLUE before Michael's passing so I can't compare the two. But as far as I'm concerned keep doing what you are doing, and don't apologize to anyone. She could have been a bit more diplomatic in expressing her views and not been so 'appalled' and 'sickened.' Leave those type of epithets for the truly awful.

As a new subscriber / contributor I find nothing offensive about any of it. Life is too short as we all know. I know you have been struggling recently with where to put everything and it's still a work in progress. Let me say I enjoy the site in its entirety now, as is, and more musicians' webmasters could take lessons from what you are doing, and have been doing for MJBLUE for a loonngg time.

[NewYorkMJFan]

Cindy,

I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your job, and then had to be on the receiving end of that fan's displeasure with your site.

I always enjoyed visiting your website and NEVER found it to be unprofessional.  Like MJ, your website made me smile!

When I think of Minnesota, I think of Land O Lakes butter; I think of the factory that produced countless cans of SPAM to send oversees to our brave troops in WWII; and of course, I think of Michael Johnson!  All three images should have been on the MN state quarter, IMHO.  But I digress...

Whenever I was missing MJ, I would go to your home page and have a good laugh when looking at the SPAM photo!  Michael had such a wonderful smile in real life, and in that photo!  I loved seeing the photo, and loved remembering him laughing. 

It was great seeing his quirky handwriting again, too, always scrawled in GIANT letters with a big black Sharpie pen!  He would always end up losing his pens somehow.... and then he would promptly lose the ones I loaned him!

What kind of website would your detractor have you create instead?  Should there be a sombre web site with a fake tombstone like Find-A-Grave?  Should the background be black and foreboding?  Should there be a photo of the wooden box which once held his cremains?  Should there be a hearse?  A funeral flower arrangement?  Just what should be there instead? 

Would Michael have wanted something that serious?  One would hope not.  Despite all the years of sadness that touched his life, he never showed that side of himself to his fans.  Instead, he brought happiness to everyone he met with his stories and music.  Let's all remember him as inimitable, and whimsical, and self-deprecating and charming.  It's how I choose to remember him.

[pob]

I don't find it at all offensive! Didn't he perform at the SPAM festival?

[Cindy M]

I don't find it at all offensive! Didn't he perform at the SPAM festival?

Yes, he did. And the photos he took are at https://www.mjblue.com/photostravelaustin.html. He really enjoyed touring their museum.

I put some of the items, including the SPAM photo back on the home page. He's posing in that photo which meant he asked me to take it or he gladly posed if I asked. He wouldn't have otherwise.

[Nicholas Marcario]

Cindy,

I am so sorry that you are out of work and hope that you find something worthwhile in the near future.

I can't imagine anyone being so critical about your decisions and choices for the web page you have shared with us for all these years. The fact that she hasn't been to the site since Michael's passing, speaks volumes of her lack of dedication, support and passion for Michael, his music and the beautiful legacy of his humor, and craft. Please don't change a thing. I know that most of us always look forward to what you are going to post next. I, myself, visit this wonderful site at least once a day and will continue to do so. The homepage always brings a smile to my face. Isn't that what Michael would have wanted? Thanks again, Cindy for all you do. I ask everyone who visits this site to please donate as much as you can to keep these wonderful video's and music selections coming. Now more than ever, Cindy needs us to step up and help keep this site going. Thanks for listening.....

[Cindy M]

Cindy,

I am so sorry that you are out of work and hope that you find something worthwhile in the near future.

I can't imagine anyone being so critical about your decisions and choices for the web page you have shared with us for all these years. The fact that she hasn't been to the site since Michael's passing, speaks volumes of her lack of dedication, support and passion for Michael, his music and the beautiful legacy of his humor, and craft. Please don't change a thing. I know that most of us always look forward to what you are going to post next. I, myself, visit this wonderful site at least once a day and will continue to do so. The homepage always brings a smile to my face. Isn't that what Michael would have wanted?  Thanks again, Cindy for all you do. I ask everyone who visits this site to please donate as much as you can to keep these wonderful video's and music selections coming. Now more than ever, Cindy needs us to step up and help keep this site going. Thanks for listening.....

Thank you, Nicholas. You're always so supportive. I did redo the home page. Put the Spam photo and Guthrie set list back up along with a new Mark Ahlstrom photo from the late 60s. It's my new favorite photo. I thought her criticisms were a little over the top but I'm always willing to listen. After all, I'm doing it for you guys and what I think Michael would have liked. I'll start working on a new youtube concert (audio) now.