Pony

If you were around in the early '80's you knew the full impact that Michael Jackson had on the world. I can remember walking down the street in Boston, circa 1984 and witnessing a gang of kids parading about, all wearing the signature silver glove. No artist since the Beatles has had such an influence on so many people.

So, what does this have to do with fatherhood?

Watch the above interview clip between Larry King and Rabbi Schmuley, who was close with Jackson and you'll see why. The fact that Jackson would focus on a childhood memory of his father placing him atop a pony at a carnival as the sole reminder of the love between them is staggering; but even more so, that this need for love from his father drove Jackson to find it from his adoring fans - what a tragedy. If ever there was an iconic example of what can happen to a person when their father is not a source of care and love, Michael Jackson's tragic story is it.