Have you ever found yourself judging a person just because he or she might be different from you? Maybe it was because they don’t dress like you or look the way you do. They might not talk the way we talk. Perhaps they just don’t fit into one’s own stereotype. Their hair might be too long, or they might have a tattoo or body piercings. Or possibly they’ve done things to themselves that we wouldn’t ever think of doing.

For too many years, I put Michael Jackson in that category. I always liked his music and thought of him as a great performer. But putting all that aside, I still thought of him as so many others do — that is, until I saw the newly released documentary, This Is It, drawn from rehearsals he was doing for his planned London tour.

I was in my office the day the news story broke about an ambulance pulling up to Michael Jackson’s California mansion. At first, when I learned about the story on the Internet, I was unmoved. Strange stories about Michael Jackson were all too common. The idea that he might have actually died never crossed my mind.

Later that evening, I learned the terrible news of his death. I immediately asked myself why I didn’t see this coming when I first heard about that ambulance. Fortunately, we don’t all go about life expecting the worst.

It’s obvious that he suffered from a lot of pain. Whether it was physical pain caused by an accident or mental trauma caused by the stress and anxiety of being the greatest entertainer this planet has ever seen, complete with all the accolades associated with that distinction, his actions certainly revealed his pain.

His death was untimely as he was about to embark on a London tour that included 50 sold-out performances. After his death, speculation swelled about whether he was ready for such an exhaustive undertaking.

I listened and read all the stories that the news media quickly released. Reports spread rapidly about his drug addiction and speculation that he was not capable of performing so many grueling shows. Before actually seeing the movie, I guessed the reports were accurate.

Was he going to perform a miracle in London? You bet he was! His rehearsals in This Is It — cobbled together from footage shot just a few weeks before his death — showed he still knew the words to every song as well as all the notes. He showed he still had the moves and garnered love and respect from fellow performers. He was Michael Jackson, the King of Pop and clearly in charge.

Kenny Ortega, Michael’s co-director for the show and director of the movie, had very obviously worked in the past with Michael. The two had great respect for each other.

In one scene during rehearsals, Michael encourages a young female guitarist named Orianthi Panagaris, performing a solo, to continue because “this is your time to shine.” It was one more quiet demonstration of his unselfish nature.

I feel bad for the Jackson family, especially his young children, but also for those dozens of performers about to take the stage alongside Michael — people like Orianthi.

So if you are one of those people like me, someone who enjoyed Michael Jackson’s music but thought of him in a less than favorable light, I recommend you see this movie so that, perchance, like me, you can set aside any stereotype differences and remember him for what he really was — the greatest entertainer of our lifetime.

If there was ever an opportunity for this to happen — This Is It!

Gordon Robinson is president of Robinson Media, which owns the Tribune-Herald.