On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died at the age of 50. His was a sad story of a world-renowned entertainer that grew up too soon and yet never at all, was beloved the world over and yet never found love himself, and whose reputation as an entertainment legend was harshly diminished by a tragic personal life. Michael will forever be remembered yet perhaps never fully understood.

Though many will choose to eulogize Jackson by focusing on the controversy, the contradictions, and the catastrophe of his fallen star, I have decided instead to pay tribute to Michael’s history on a positive and personal level. After all, it is only what we have seen and heard with our own eyes that we can truly know.

Quite simply, Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer I have ever seen. He was a performer that was bigger than life, known the world over, and had the power to capture the imagination with his singing and dancing like few before or since. He set records for music album sales with his 1982 Thriller, still the top seller in history. His television specials, be them musical or personal, were always must-see television. His persona, his costumes, his wearing of only one glove, and his incredible movements were unprecedented and immediately changed the way entertainers perform, a change that can still be seen today. His videos in the 1980s are hallmarks not only of the era but are a large reason Music Television succeeded as a popular culture phenomenon that continues through the current generation. Thriller, the 14-minute John Landis directed mini-movie made for the song of the same name, was itself a phenomenon. I still remember going to a friend’s house to watch it the day it came out and as it concluded staring in awe as I realized I was viewing a modern classic. I may have been only seven years old then, but greatness is understood at any age.

And who doesn’t know “The Moonwalk,” a move Jackson debuted in 1983 at the Motown 25 celebration that still boggles the mind with its brilliance and majesty? Has there ever been a dance move before or since that is as beloved the world over? I don’t think so.

Who can forget Smooth Criminal, another video off the Thriller album, which continued Michael’s trend of featuring a cadre of back-up dancers supporting The King of Pop? That too, continues to be the model for many a modern music video.

And how about Man in the Mirror, Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough, Wanna Be Startin’ Something, P.Y.T., Dirty Diana, Black or White, I Want You Back, Bad, Beat It, A-B-C, Leave Me Alone, Remember the Time, Who Is It?, Working Day and Night, Give In To Me, The Way You Make Me Feel, In the Closet… the list of amazing Michael Jackson songs is nearly endless. The best perhaps is Billie Jean, unquestionably the song to which I have danced with more girls than any other. If it weren’t for the power of Michael’s songs to get everyone on the dance floor I’d probably still be dancing with myself to some Billy Idol song.

Though my fascination with Michael began in the early ‘80s and peaked in the early 2000s while dancing to a bevy of his tunes at The Phoenix Landing in Cambridge, Massachusetts my love for the world’s greatest entertainer has never waned. In 2004 I ran a road race wearing a self-made shirt featuring Michael’s likeness and his unofficial catchphrase, “Shamone!” scribbled below it. Take a look at the wall in my apartment and you will see a framed Thriller album hanging above my television set. Watch me dance and you will see that 75% of my moves are cribbed from the Jackson catalogue. The reason: Michael was the best dancer ever.

When it came to Michael’s dancing there was a way about his movements that not only captured a viewer’s attention but also made him or her want to get up and dance, too. His moves were angular, with a sharp thrust or a precision flail cutting through the lameness of so many choreographed routines. Where Jackson’s moves may have actually been choreographed they never appeared that way because you never knew where he might go next. Even when he filled his stage with back-up dancers mimicking his movements nothing Michael did ever seemed by the book. Where others look strained, calculating, or uncertain in their dance moves Michael always appeared loose, powerful, and improvisational, a testament to his ability to be in the moment no matter the circumstances.

Because of his unmatched talents, Michael became a symbol of American song and dance that cut through the racial barrier between black and white. People loved Michael’s performances not because of his skin color but rather because he was amazing. Check out any montage of Jackson performing around the world and you will see faces of all colors fixated on the man whose spectacular performances knew no boundary. While it is often said that music has the power to cross ethnic, racial, and class lines Michael Jackson proved it.

While Michael Jackson jokes have been a staple of my comedy repertoire for decade, I have always kidded him in jest and always worshiped him as an entertainer. Whatever strange or disheartening circumstances have clouded his personal life nothing has ever altered my opinion Jackson’s unique ability to inspire, entertain, and lift my spirits with one of his performances. While others may choose to remember Michael as a recluse, an oddity, a man-child, or any other number of potentially sad notions I will remember him simply as an innovator and the greatest entertainer I have ever seen and probably ever will see. Quite simply, Michael Jackson is a one of kind performer and icon, and quite possibly the greatest entertainer of the 20th century.

Thank you, Michael for all that you have given me, and your millions of fans the world over. We will miss you.