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There will be plenty of time to speak to what the King of Pop wasn't; his bizarre lifestyle and the rumors that haunted him. But let us not forget that once upon a time, Michael was the very best of us.
Michael made us dance.
That is an often-ignored fact as we try to grapple with the phenomenon that was Michael Jackson. For 80 percent of his life, he wasn't merely famous. He was a megastar. Indeed, he rose to almost inconceivable heights of stardom, into such rarefied space that it could only be inhabited by the very peculiar and the personally uncomfortable.
Bubbles, Emmanuel Lewis, Neverland Ranch. Just a few bizarre plot points on the timeline of a life that became increasingly strange as the years went on. But the last 15 years, bizarre and troubling as they were, were not the full measure of the man. Those years and circumstances are a part of his myth; a part of his legend that we, at times, allow to speak for him. And in doing so, we forget. We forget Off the Wall and Thriller and Bad.We allow the bizarre behavior to obscure the greatness. Will the music he made be interred with his bones?
There will be plenty of time to speak to what Michael wasn't, on who Michael wasn't, on what Michael may or may not have done. Deserved or not, it’ll happen. But let us not forget that, once upon a time, Michael was the very best of us. He was young and black and handsome and charismatic. He was a talent who managed to have one of the great pop, rock and soul voices ever. And he wasn't a bad dancer, either.
Michael Jackson's brilliance, for those who saw it, was something unforgettable. No current celebrity can begin to fathom just how famous he was, and frankly, still is. Michael is on a very short list of people with global reach. Consider this as a measure of his fame: If your friends told you they'd never heard of Michael Jackson, you'd think they needed their head examined. A friend of mine, perhaps, tweeted it best.
"Well Michael Jackson broke Twitter."
Still, his stardom did not matter as much as the fact that Michael made us dance.
My father tells a story of a workshop in which he was required to bring in something representative of his culture. Some brought in flags; others sacred books. My father brought in Off the Wall, still in its original album cover, beaten and bruised from many a nights sweatin' hairdos out. This was no collector's item; this was an artifact, for his generation's zeitgeist. As he put it, "We were young and black and beautiful and everybody loved us."
The man had eras of music which provided the soundtrack for so many lives; grandparents, parents, kids.
I'm not one who's shy on the dance floor, but there are few artists who could drag me to it, broke-legged and thirsty. Plenty of folks like me are just marionettes when that drum beat for "Rock with You" comes on. What choice do we have but to shake our butts when that bass line for "Billie Jean" drops? Michael told us to just blame it on the boogie, and we did.
Jonathan Pitts-Wiley is a writer in New York.
Comments
A friend of mine, perhaps, tweeted it best. online games
Michael and I are the same age; He would have turned 51 in August. My generation grew up with him, from "I Want You Back" until yesterday. I am not a die-hard fan, but his music is a big part of the soundtrack of my whole generation.
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"Billie Jean" is the only song I can remember still dancing to three years after its initial release. Put it on at any gathering in the mid-'80's and your party got started! He will not be forgotten...
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The Chandler guy recanted his story and said his father made him tell it. Poor Michael Jackson. I cannot believe how easy it is for some people to destroy a man's life just for money. RIP Michael Jackson.
Was AWESOME.
Am I the only one totally annoyed about the BET Awards' tribute to Michael Jackson?
Let's all honestly admit, beyond the hype and bling, BET is not a genuine or reliable contributor to Black America's cultural and informational empowerment — whether under the previous Black ownership of Bob Johnson or its current White ownership by Viacom (parent company of CBS). That is the bottom line point, and perhaps BET's intended purpose.
Can we now all agree, as I have been saying for the last eleven years: BET is the abbreviation for Brain Empty Television. The huge potential that it had to become the premier example of African American TV news and entertainment excellence died before we reached the 21st century. Now, it is nothing more than a Sambotious icon of Black American culture. Last night's BET Awards show and their coming fall program lineup only affirms the obvious. TV One is not far behind.
No doubt, unnecessarily too many times, we can be our own worst enemy.
Dennis Moore — Publisher — http://www.POTUSworld.com — ppceo@potusworld.com
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Early afternoon of June 25, Michael Jackson had left his fans and loved ones. He died at the age of 50. He was rushed at the hospital and the staff tried to revive him but unfortunately he was completely unresponsive, and soon died. The news of Michael Jackson passing away is troubling, as he was set to begin a comeback and was only 50 years of age. The Jackson family commented soon after he was admitted that he was in bad shape. The King of Pop began his career at a very young age as a member of the Jackson 5, and later had great success as a solo artist, including Thriller – the best selling album of all time - and many thought he'd never need to think of payday lenders again – RIP Michael Jackson.
I don't know how the Nats did, but I did want to agree with your statements. You pretty much said exactly what I was thinking when the media had there nerve to show his body being transported in a bag and moved to a helicopter. I am appalled by the greed for money that the American people have continue to show the world, and in that process the people have been wrapped in that web of deceit for the love of money. MJ was a great performer when I was going out and partying it up in the infamous basement parties MJ music didn't even have to get requested it just came natural. I can say that MJ did bring many cultures together through his music and that is something that many need to realize, no he may not have been MLK but that isn't what he is great for doing, he is great for making history with his music that made a lot of people come together as one during social gatherings etc. I do think that MJ's death is a shock for me and I am sorry that life was cut short for MJ, I guess god has a plan for MJ and he wasn't going to be able to get it done while he was here. R.I.P MJ you will be missed by many whether we are Black Or White.
Micheals death was not pronounced right or just by his family. This IS indeed a real tragedy!
I dont believe that Micheal is resting in peace at all though. I do believe the Bible when its says that whatever is hidden in darkness will come to light. I believe if the Jackson family wants to find out what suddenly took Micheal from them so fast that they will find out even if it took 80 years from now, Because Micheals life means something Special to his family than from the Public. I do believe Micheal died with the media long before this tragedy. My lesson learned is that every person on this earth can go just as fast and faster just like Micheals life did. I would not want to die like that! So I pray and ask God that if i do go today or tomorrow that I can be with God so that My life can be celebrated and then I can Rest in Peace. Im not afraid to go suddenly. God is the most faithful being, not the world or anything in it.