Jake Sutera remembers the first time he saw Michael Jackson.
The 19-year-old from Briarwood was just nine in 1999 when he saw a special on the King of Pop on VH1.
“It was the whole package – the dancing, the videos,” said the Northeastern University student. “That was my first memory.”
Though his parents had been fans, Sutera told The Queens Courier that once he saw that program, he was hooked.
“For some reason I just gravitated toward him.”
He began collecting CDs and DVDs, and, at the age of 13, the collecting began in earnest.
“I got pretty good finding deals on eBay,” he said.
With trading cards, hats, toys, posters, and even cologne, Sutera said he never paid more than $60 or $70 for a single item.
Now, however, a record player from 1983 with Jackson’s picture on it – that Sutera paid only $25 for – has quadrupled in price, he said.
The replica leather "Thriller" jacket he has is going for three times as much as he paid (now $200 to $250) on eBay, and the two dolls he owns are going for around $100 a piece, up from $20.
His assortment of Michael Jackson memorabilia grew so large that he purchased a display cabinet from Ikea just for the items.
As the years passed – and Jackson’s career seemed overshadowed by legal turmoil and personal problems – Sutera remained a fan.
“My admiration grew as I got older. I could not get enough of his music, his style, and his dancing. I became known as the kid that loved Michael Jackson throughout my middle and high school years, much to the bewilderment of my classmates and teachers.”
When “MJ” announced his tour this summer, Sutera and his family planned an entire London vacation around the concert.
“The way he commanded the stage was something that still amazes me to this day. I was traveling to Europe in three weeks to see him in concert for the first time on July 22, so as you can imagine, the whole situation was really upsetting for me,” he said. “I thought my dream had finally come true.”
In the days before Jackson’s June 25 death, Sutera said he had been checking on the status of the upcoming concerts. He was at home when he first heard that the King of Pop was dead.
“Tragically, his life was cut short before this dream could become a reality,” wrote Sutera in a tribute. “I am still traveling to Europe on July 16 with my mother and sister, both of whom were fans as well. Sadly, there is now a glaring hole in the middle of our itinerary.”
As for his Michael Jackson collection, Sutera said he plans to hold tight to memories of his idol.
“I think – I hope – his music will live on,” he said. “People love Elvis and The Beatles today. I hope for the next generation he [Jackson] will be like that.”
Sutera’s tribute to the “gloved one” ends with, “In closing, all I can say is ‘Thank You Michael.’ Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You will always be the man that introduced me to music and changed my life. I will forever be grateful.”
