Michael Jackson Will Be Missed

For me personally, this is a very difficult article to write.  Like so many tens of millions of people worldwide, I am greatly saddened that Michael Jackson has died.  Without showing the slightest hint that his time on earth was near its end, the “King of Pop” on June 25, 2009 collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles, California from an apparent cardiac arrest and breathed his last breath.  For weeks, Michael was back at what he loved to do, which was rehearsing and planning the details for his big comeback tour in Europe.  Michael Jackson’s comeback tour was supposed to (1) re-establish his appeal and dominance in the music industry and (2) pay off a growing legion of debtors that had accumulated from years of borrowing against his assets.   The comeback tour comprised an elaborate series of 50 separate concerts which were scheduled to be performed in London, England before hundreds of thousands of adoring fans.  Had I even the slightest inkling that this very talented man was about to die, I might have set aside some time to re-examine my own personal hang-ups that I have about Michael Jackson the man.  Personal convictions prevent me from “glossing over” doubts and concerns that I have about Michael’s bizarre behavior over the last two decades of his life.  It’s because of these doubts that I struggle to find the right words in expressing how I feel about losing a person that has been apart of my life as an entertainer since I was nine years old.  What I’m trying to say is that on one hand I revere Michael Jackson as being the greatest entertainer of my lifetime, yet on the other hand I am taken aback by how as an adult, he cosmetically altered his facial appearance to the point that he no longer looked “human”.  I am confused to why Michael Jackson the grown man was so fascinated and attracted to things that were in nature, juvenile / pubescent.  Additionally, Michael’s rejection of his Afrocentric features and his apparent obsession to obtain a “Caucasian look” has always been a source of irritation for me and countless other Blacks who love and take pride in how God uniquely formed his Black children.

When Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 he was only 50 years old. Although some may argue that Michael Jackson did not look well, his untimely death came as a shock to his fans and music lovers around the world.  From Brooklyn to Moscow, fans grew up listening and dancing to the music that Michael Jackson gave us.  The world’s love affair with Michael began in 1968 when he first burst upon the music scene as the lead singer of the family group “The Jackson 5”.  The fact that Michael Jackson electrified audiences with his singing and his dancing cannot be disputed.  It was clear to most people who followed the Jackson 5 that little Michael was the most talented performer in the group.  Michael often attributed his style of dancing from watching as a little boy, Jackie Wilson and James Brown as they glided across the stage and captivated their audiences with complicated dance moves that made words like “Funky” a common household expression in Black America.  

Michael and his family were originally from Gary, Indiana which because of it’s proximity to Chicago, is sometimes referred to as being “South Chi-Town”.  The seventh child born from Katherine and Joseph Jackson, Michael was destined to become the brightest star of a family that would soon take the music industry and the world by storm.  His father, as did most people who lived in Gary, worked as a steel worker but unlike most of the people in his neighborhood, Joseph dreamed of one day leaving Gary and making it big as a musician and a singer.  Although fate may not have made the senior Jackson a star, fate was directing Joseph Jackson to take notice that his children had a talent for singing and playing musical instruments that would soon set them on a course that would enable them to permanently leave the steel mills of Gary, Indiana for the bright lights of Los Angeles, California.  Under the hard and demanding mentorship of their father, brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael went from performing in small clubs to eventually being signed in 1968 by Berry Gordon who owned Motown Records.

The achievements of Michael and his brothers is truly an American success story.  The Jackson 5 went from being an obscure singing group from Gary, Indiana to an internationally known singing phenomenon that had teenagers and adults wanting to hear more from them.  “I want you back”, “ABC”, “The Love you save” and “I’ll be there” made The Jackson 5 the first act in recorded history to have their first four major label singles hit number one on American music charts.  Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 because of their popularity helped America integrate before most people even knew what the word “integration” meant.  Before Michael and his talented brothers, there were no other Black kids that came via television into the living rooms of White families across America.  Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 broke racial and color lines during a time in America when Blacks still had separate rest rooms from Whites in restaurants and bus stations in the deep South.  The Jackson 5 was so popular that they were even made into a Saturday morning cartoon.

As Michael and his brothers grew older and they became more business savvy, they left Motown Records in 1975 for Epic Records and continued to blaze the charts with songs like “Dancing Machine” and “Shake your body (down to the ground).  But as fate would have it, in 1978, Michael Jackson during his acting stint as the Scarecrow in the musical “The Wiz” was introduced to Quincy Jones and with the collaboration of “Q”, Michael made magic with his fifth solo album (but first with Epic) which was entitled “Off the wall”.  Released by Epic Records in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You.  Overall,  the album “Off the wall” sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Michael Jackson the superstar had arrived !

In 1982, Epic Records released Michael’s second album entitled, “Thriller” and in true Michael Jackson style, “Thriller” thrilled the world.  The “Thriller” album sold over 110 million copies worldwide, making it the highest selling album of all time. The album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. Seven singles from Thriller concurrently hit the Billboard Hot 100 top 10, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'.  In 1987, five years after the “Thriller” album, Michael and Epic Records released the “Bad” album which produced the hit songs, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana.  Although modest in terms of album sells in comparison to the “Thriller” album, “Bad” sold over 30 million copies.  

As an entertainer Michael Jackson was the undisputed king of Pop music.  Michael Jackson was one of a handful of musical artists that has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.  He has sold over 750 million records worldwide, received 13 Grammy Awards and as a testament to his unparalleled success, Michael Jackson has 13 number one singles.  Guinness World Records list Michael Jackson as the most successful entertainer of all time, of all time.  What many people have forgotten is that Michael Jackson was a philanthropist. In between racking up countless awards as an entertainer, Michael Jackson found time to set up foundations which concentrated on helping children around the world live a better life.  In 1984 Michael co-wrote the charity single "We are the world" with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in Africa and the United States. One of 39 artists that performed on the single, “We are the world” sold over 20 million copies. 

In closing, in addition to Michael Jackson being the undisputed “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson was a devoted son to his parents, a loving brother to his many brothers and sisters, and a very shrewd business man.  Michael was also a loving father to his three children and found time to marry twice.  Regardless of what I or others may think about his eccentricities, God is the Ultimate Judge and because I have my own glass house that I live in, I want to remember Michael Jackson as the entertainer that I grew to love as a nine year old kid in Brooklyn, New York, as a teenager in Virginia Beach, Virginia and as an adult that periodically will try to “bust a move” while listening to “Billie Jean”.   As I sit back and reflect, Michael’s music will definitely be played in the parlor where Daddy and Sharon are waiting for me.  Ma, hook up those collards and ham, I need some good food to eat after doing a whole lot of dancing. 

May God Bless your Soul Michael Jackson.  You were given a beautiful gift from God to share with the rest of the world and for that I am grateful. Rest in peace my Brother.