Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett

Wow. What a terrible day. In all my life, I've never idolized anyone more than I did Michael Jackson when I was a kid, nor have I ever lusted after anyone more than I lusted after Farrah Fawcett when I was little more than a kid. Today we lost them both.

A lot can be said of Jackson's eccentricity, but I've never seen anyone work harder. I had the honor of serving him and his dedicated music production team in the mid-90s during a fevered recording stint as he attempted to hold on to a greatness that eventually eluded him. The result of that effort was the album "HIStory," a two-disc set of greatest hits and new material that became a footnote in the greater history of a man who was once the biggest star in the world.

As for Farrah, it was all about the poster. I had one. There was one in almost every dorm room at my boarding school. It hung on the backs of doors, on walls, inside closets and on ceilings above beds. The hair. The teeth. The nipples. Even the autograph. She taught me a lot, and I still have this Oedipus thing against Lee Majors.



Photos: Michale Jackson by Henry Ditz, Corbis; Farrah Fawcett by who knows.