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No matter what your thoughts about Michael Jackson are, no one can deny that the man was a legend in his own right. Dubbed the King of Pop, the iconic Michael Jackson has been entertaining the world since the 1960s. He was a director, a composer, a musician, a singer, a dancer, an actor, a producer, and most importantly, the inspiration to countless millions.
The word "triple threat" does not even begin to describe the often misunderstood superstar. On August 29 of this year, Michael would have been celebrating his 51st birthday. Sadly, Michael Jackson passed away today at the age of 50, but he leaves us with a half-century of genuine compassion and good deeds that have helped to shape the world we now live in.
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana (an industrialized suburb of Chicago) in 1958. He inherited his musical gene from his father, Joseph Jackson, who was a guitarist, but his father gave up on music when he married his wife, Katherine Scruse. The couple went to great lengths to nurture their children's musicial interests. And by the early 60s, Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, and Jermaine Jackson were already performing around Chicago. It was only a few years later that Michael Jackson (at the age of eleven) and Marlon Jackson joined the group, and thus was borh "The Jackson Five."
Jackson showed musical talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates and others during a Christmas recital at the very young age of five, leaving many to consider him a musical prodigy. As part of The Jackson Five, Michael took the lead and performed as the opening act for countless soul groups including the O-Jays, James Brown, Gladys Knight, and Diana Ross. Gladys Knight introduced the group to Berry Gordon and by 1969, The Jackson Five had created one Motown chartbuster after another. By the 1970s, their music had evolved from that of pop/soul vocals to a more discoesque side. It was only a matter of time before Michael would outgrow the band and emerge on his own.
And in the 1980s, that's exactly what he did. His first big hit was "Thriller," which can be found on both the soundtracks for Revenge of the Nerds and 13 Going On 30. He had a natural inclination toward television and even had a stint as an actor, but he was a master at creating cutting-edge music videos, especially during the infancy of MTV, which was suffering until Michael Jackson came around.
In 1985, Jackson was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. No doubt, it is covered with flowers right now. He is a double-inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of The Jackson Five and again as a solo artist. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He holds multiple Guinness World Records (eight from 2006 alone), thirteen Grammy Awards, thirteen number one singles (more than any other in the Hot 100 era) and has sold more than 750 million albums worldwide.
Michael Jackson appeared this year on American Idol and last year on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. He's performed in television and movies, including 27 Dresses, Cold Case, Drumline, Zoolander, American Pie 2, Rush Hour 2, Charlie's Angels, Sunset Park, Free Willy and Free Willy 2, and let's not forget, "Happy Birthday, Lisa" from The Simpsons!
But there's so much more: Moonwalker, Superman, Fame, The Beautiful Ordinary, Married with Children, countless others. And his music can be found in such video games as Guitar Hero World Tour and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. His stint at acting included the role of Agent M.J. in Miss Cast Away and Agent M in Men in Black II. The professional accomplishments of Michael Jackson could go on for pages.
Scandals began to erupt for the star in the 1990s. He became introverted, timid, and reclusive toward the press as a result. His appearance began to change quite dramatically (partly due to illness and factors beyond his control, but this did not stop the press from constantly adding fuel to the fire) and his behavior became more-and-more erratic as a result.
This did not stop him, however, from constantly supporting a multitude of charities; at the end of the day, Michael was a man that cared deeply about this world and he expressed that attitude in such songs as "Heal the World," "Earth Song," and "Will You Be There" which is featured on the Free Willy soundtrack.
His professional work, however, was just one aspect to the man who was Michael Jackson. He cared deeply about people and the welfare of the planet, and especially the health and protection of children from all backgrounds, all nations. In 1985, he wrote "We Are The World" with Lionel Richie and performed it as part of an all-star single to raise money and awareness regarding the horrific situations in Africa that continue to take place to this very day. He actively supported the End Hunger Network along with many other celebrities including Bob Dylan, Bonnie Rait, Brendan Fraser, Christie Brinkley, Elizabeth Hurley, Jeff Bridges, John Travolta, Katie Couric, Pierce Brosnan, and Tim McGraw.
One of the Guiness Book of World Records he holds is for breaking the world record for the "Most Charities Supported by a Pop Star." All in all, he has supported at least thirty-nine charity organizations either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or by participating in their silent auctions. He made special rooms at Neverland Ranch for the sick and terminally ill children. He devoted a great deal of time and money on a wide range of charities.
Michael wanted to leave the world a better place than how he found it.
As I said, no matter your personal feelings about Michael, he will be missed as much as Elvis Presley. Next month, Jackson was to attend the first of a fifty-concert tour at London's O2 Arena - completely sold out every single night within a matter of hours - which speaks volumes about the number of fans he has all over the world.
And as far as other entertainers go, they have publically acknowledged the influence he has had on them. His little sister, Janet Jackson, has always been a strong supporter and defender of her older brother. Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, R. Kelly, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Usher, Britney Spears, Jay-Z, will.i.am, and countless others have made statements that Michael inspired them to pursue musical careers. In fact, will.i.am just produced three remixes on "Thriller 25" and had this to say about his mentor:
"It was the first time a black dude was on MTV. It was the first time you saw things that were happening in the ghettos, and kids in the suburbs were copying it. It was like Broadway fused with street performance, and his wardrobe was fly. He made it possible to be yourself and be free, and just do you."
At the end of the day, all Michael really wanted was to be himself, to be accepted by others. He was compassionate, kind, supportive, creative, and he tried to encourage those same traits in the rest of humanity. He died knowing he had many supporters and many detractors.
It cannot be denied that the press has been as vicious toward Michael as they were toward Britney. Even with this sad news, many news organizations are rehashing all of the old scandals and rumors. I personally implore you not to read any publication that does this, to simply boycott them for good. As a people, we should be better than this. I certainly hope you agree.
With this news, many celebrities are speaking out and expressing their condolences. Keep in mind that celebrities are increasingly using Twitter, which is both informal and encourages the use of poor grammar. Perhaps one day celebrities will realize there are better outlets in which to communicate from, but for now, this is what we have. (Please email us with any statements made by other stars; we would like to keep this list updated.)
Our Hearts Go Out to All of His Family, Friends, and Fans - to Which There are Many!
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