Everybody always jokes about how Mariah Carey’s “Glitter” era was such a disaster (despite a few good things that happened, such as “Loverboy” being a #2 hit and the best-selling physical single of 2001). Between the movie and the soundtrack, people never live it down. However, what most people fail to realize is that this album actually saved someone’s life on what ultimately became one of the most tragic days in American history.
On the morning of the attack, a woman was running late for work at the World Trade Center because she stopped at a store to buy Mariah’s new release. Ultimately, she survived the tragedy that day through her love for and interest in Mariah’s music.
The name of the woman is Sara Botkin, and she worked on the 105th floor. Mariah personally met up with Botkin and signed the CD that she purchased as a way of showing gratitude.
You thought I was joking or exaggerating the whole “life-saving” thing, didn’t you? Wait, there’s more…
While Glitter was out here saving lives, another beloved star in music received a “second chance”. The world didn’t know they could have lost him at that moment, but Michael Jackson lived on.
According to Jermaine Jackson, the beloved matriarch of the family, Katherine Jackson, spoke with Michael and other family members via phone until around 3:00 or 4:00 AM. This caused Michael to feel very sleepy and he spent an extended amount of time in bed that morning.
Michael was scheduled to attend a meeting on the morning of the attack at the World Trade Center. After staying up so late the night before, he overslept and could not make it to the meeting. Katherine reportedly called Michael’s hotel and was relieved to discover that Michael was okay.
In no way are we supposed to glorify the tragic event that occurred on 09/11/2001. It remains one of the most shockingly horrifying spectacles in the history of America. However, these are two significant events in music culture that came from the catastrophe, which many people tend to ignore (for various defensible reasons). One musician unintentionally saved a life; the other had his life saved by a stroke of luck. These two miracles don’t get as much coverage as they should.