The reason why everybody loved Michael was because of the way he made them feel. He would eyeball you while you were talking, as though your piece of information was THE most important in the world (which I have to admit in my case it usually was) but he never looked to see who was more interesting in the room, and he always made you feel special, boy or girl, old or young, black or blue.
I always despaired every time I saw a new publicity photo of Michael because he was NEVER smiling. He would have this somber pissed of look, the prerequisit "Rock Star" glower and yet he was so totally different in life. He was constantly ready for a good laugh, and constantly making people laugh even in not such happy times.
I feel most proud of him when I think of the mammoth progression he made in his life as a singer. He was always a pretty good lyricist, always a mesmerising performer, but as a singer the person I heard when we first met in 1982, and the singer he became encompassed (to quote someone famous) all prerequisits from A to Z. He made himself into a seriously good singer from someone who got into the business by default.
I could go on but some things aren't for sharing and all that needs to be said is that the world's a far more colourful place for having known him.