There's an old saying that bad things happen in threes.
This adage gained some ground last week with the deaths of three stars: Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon and Michael Jackson.
McMahon died June 23 at 86 years old. He was best known for working with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show."
Fawcett died Thursday at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer. It was her 1976 role in the television series, "Charlie's Angels," that brought her fame.
Friday, Jackson died unexpectedly in his home. His fame started in childhood with the group The Jackson 5. As an adult, his album "Thriller" pushed him toward legendary status.
All three stars had an effect on pop culture, but has their death made an impression on our community?
Courtney Packard, formerly of Warsaw, said, "People die everyday, but just because your name is famous, it somehow has a bigger stigma attached to it. Farrah and Ed passing is incredibly sad, but more or less expected as they were both suffering with crippling health problems."
Of Fawcett, Michelle Weidenbenner, Warsaw, said, "I'll never forget her hair or her beauty inside and out."
Malachi Vanier, Warsaw, talked about the deaths as he worked his shift at Courthouse Coffee on Sunday. "Nobody cares about 'Charlie's Angels.'" However, to him, McMahon was a different story.
"Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon were the two big names in talk shows. (McMahon) was a genuine nice guy and he will be missed. Talk shows won't be the same without him," Vanier said.
Others who were asked did not have much more to say on McMahon or Fawcett. Jackson's death was what stuck out in everyone's minds regardless of how they felt about him.
As Tatiana Castillo, Warsaw, put it, "Everyone only knows Michael Jackson."
There were mixed reactions when asked about Jackson. Many remembered him and felt a loss at his death.
Castillo's mother, Mirna Castillo, had only good things to say. She said, "I just respect the way he was. He was the best dancer and pop singer I've ever seen."
Packard said, "Michael was a complete shock. He's one of those people who, no matter how you feel about him personally, has shaped the world we live in. Pop music and performing were changed forever because of his influence. We are so shocked and taken back by his death because, even though we don't know him as a friend or family, his music is tied to memories of our lives."
Julie Baird, Ligonier, said, "Regardless of whether you liked him or not, he was someone most of us grew up with. We watched him as a young, energetic and outstanding child performer and later as a trend-setting glove-wearing, moon-walking entertainer. It was hard not to pay attention to Michael Jackson news regardless of how we felt about him. Michael Jackson reminds me of my childhood. He was not much older than I am and now that he's gone, I feel as if a part of my childhood has died."
Some saw Jackson's death differently.
While working at the IPFW center in Warsaw, Cheryl Marchetti, Columbia City, said, "(Jackson was) a sad and lonely person with many talents. But that is all he was, just a person. No more important or less important than any other person that God has placed on this earth."
Natalie Wilson, Warsaw, said, "It's interesting how so many people still buy his album 'Thriller' every year, more than about 130,000. He definitely had a legacy, and he was an icon in the true sense of the word, even though we throw the word 'icon' around a lot. He was a person with a lot under his belt and the king of pop music in his day. But he was just a person, too. And people die."
Caroline Aukeman, Winona Lake, said, "I've had mixed feelings about him for so long. He was so talented and such a central figure to American pop culture for years - the icon of a generation. I respect him for that. Yet it was very difficult, disturbing really, to see how he changed over the years. Dying at 50 is a tragic yet almost merciful twist to Jackson's sad life story."Russ T. Hammer, Warsaw, said, "Like most celebrities' deaths, I don't care all that much, people die everyday ... but, Michael was a bit of a surprise this morning."
As Stephanie Hawley, Warsaw, put it, "Death is the end that everyone gets, rich or poor, famous or not."
In the end, the deaths of McMahon, Fawcett, and Jackson are hard to overlook. They will be missed regardless of how people felt about them.
