Thursday
August 29th, 2013 – Fox Lake, IL
Today would have been Michael Jackson’s 55th
birthday. What a fascinating character study he was on so many levels. Only a
handful of people who ever lived have had a worldwide influence like he did
during his run. Like Elvis, he was the right person in the right place at the
right time.
Did he have
talent? He was loaded with it, but that doesn’t always guarantee success. There
are many things that have to come together for massive success, and both Elvis
and Michael Jackson were the proverbial ‘one in a million’. They were one in
hundreds of millions, but that in no way insured their lives would be Shangri-La.
Their problems were larger than life just like they were.
From all
I’ve read I don’t think Elvis was a dented can but Michael surely was. I don’t
think he and his father got along well to say the least, and that’s usually
where it starts. Unfortunately, we as children of relationships like that often
tend to think fame and fortune will heal those wounds, but it never does.
Sooner or later that fact becomes apparent, and it’s a stunning disappointment.
I can’t
comment on Michael Jackson’s personal life, as I wasn’t there. Whether he did what
he was accused of or not I don’t feel qualified to talk about. It’s absolutely
none of my business and nobody else’s but his and his accusers. Unfortunately,
on that level one’s personal life becomes a wide open book to be rummaged
through by the public on a whim. That’s the downside of fame.
I’m just
focusing on his career. The success he had with The Jackson Five alone would be
a big deal, but that was only the beginning. His star steadily rose, and he
took entertainment to heights that had never been seen on a worldwide level
ever – including Elvis. He set the world standard.
He rode the
global wave of MTV, and pioneered the way music videos were done. Every other
act to come along after Michael Jackson basically used his template of a lead
dancer in front with a flock of dancers behind, but few came close to doing it
as well as he did. He was the innovator.
Elvis had
his own greatness for his time, but he wasn’t a dancer or writer of songs. He
was one of the most charismatic stage performers in history, and that alone is
impressive. Michael took it to a whole other level at a different time, and his
influence is still being felt today. What a talent.
I’ve always
been especially impressed with the ‘Thriller’ album. That came out the year after
I graduated high school, so it’s been a part of my life for decades. I heard
the songs played on the radio, and they were a part of my entire life
experience just as the Beatles were for a generation before. I hear Beatles
songs being played today, but I was never part of that intense culture blast.
I watched
Michael Jackson’s career soar, and it was quite impressive. During the ‘80s it
wasn’t easy to turn on a TV or radio without seeing or hearing something about
Michael Jackson. It was a true cultural phenomenon, and part of the fabric of
life. How many ever reach that level? Him.
I’m sorry
his and Elvis’s lives ended so sadly and quickly. No mortal can sustain that lifestyle
for long, but the question is if one could choose would it be the short fast life
of a superstar or an ordinary one filled with mediocrity that lasted into old age?
That’s a decision most never face.
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| Every entertainer alive would LOVE to have a project like this on the resume - an all time classic. |
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