|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
By J. MATTHEW COBB "People don't get upset when they talk about Michael Jackson dying, they get upset when they talk about how much a part of their life it was. I mean, what are the 80's? A Rubik's Cube, 3D glasses and Michael Jackson. And that's the giant cornerstone that's gone. He's one of the few crossover artists that would make even the most radical white supremacists say, "Well he's not black — he's Michael Jackson."' - John Mayer, pop singer DO YOU REMEMBER THE TIME when Diana Ross first introduced those little boys from Gary, Indiana on their 1969 debut project Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5? if you don't, you will certainly remember their rise to fame with hits like "I Want You Back" and the popular breakout that immediately followed them with "ABC," "I'll Be There" and "The Love You Save." Those songs, along with the helping of Motown's good will and the cool combination of Motown soul and bubblegum pop, created what came to be "Jackson-mania." There were posters, teen magazine articles, stickers, coloring books, a cartoon series and even a variety show at their arsenal. From the group of Jackson brothers, Michael Jackson rose to be the group's calling card. Michael, eventually catching the eye of music mogul and music producer Quincy Jones, went solo and recorded his breakthrough album Off the Wall. While he recorded solo briefly during his tenure with the Jacksons, none caught on fire like Off the Wall. The album, which was a sweet tapestry of funky disco and pop ballads, was a goldmine of a success; containing four Top 10 album singles and also winning a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. To date, the album has been certified 7x platinum. But that album nor his engaged set of supporters didn't see what was coming.
When disco changed its name to dance and the 1980s beamed with a new energy and sound on pop radio using electric rock and heavy synths, Jackson emerged once again to the forefront with Thriller; considered to be the best-selling album of all time after the Eagles' greatest hits album Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975. This time it was different. MTV, the new cable station that depended on music videos for its regular programming, was leery of airing blacks because R&B usually didn't fit comfortably on their market of rock supporters. Breaking MTV's traditional rock format was Jackson's "Billie Jean." The song stayed in heavy rotation in 1983; allowing artists like Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Prince to air their concept videos. MTV became an even bigger success because of videos like "Billie Jean," the monster smash title track and the rock-natured "Beat It." With an unforgettable Jacksons world tour, the big magical moment on Motown 25 and after winning a staggering seven Grammy in 1984, Michael Jackson was instantly crowned the King of Pop. After reviewing the success of Thriller, Its quite understandable to give such a glowing title to him. His follow-up albums Bad and Dangerous, though not as crystal and refined as Off the Wall or Thriller, were still modest successes. His music videos became just as essential as his albums and performances. The Moonwalk became a legendary work of modern dance. His love for charity, best represented in his co-writing credits in the USA for Africa's hit song "We Are the World," moved him one step closer to becoming a celebrity philanthropist. He ended up buying the copyrights and publishing rights of the only pop act to seriously rival him: the Beatles. And even with the string of headlines in hundreds of tabloid magazines and media outlets surrounding child molestation charges and the years of plastic surgery, he remained a star. Uncanny, bizarre and oft times uncomfortable, Jackson continued to champion his superstar status even all the way to his upcoming sold-out UK concert tour - which the star claimed would be his last set of shows of performing live. Gospel legend Andrae' Crouch served as Michael's vocal arranger on a number of occasions including the #1 pop hit "Man in the Mirror." The song, which also included the vocal accompaniment of the Andrae' Crouch Singers and the Winans, is considered to be one of Jackson's greatest songs. Crouch returned to work with him on his 2001 comeback album Invincible. Music stars including R. Kelly, Usher, Chris Brown, Janet Jackson, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake and Mariah Carey leaned heavily on the work Michael Jackson organized. Even gospel artists like Deitrick Haddon, Tonex', Israel Houghton and J.R. lean upon Jackson as a major influence. His musical achievements are so colossal that it's almost unimaginable to even think that any superstar would ever replace him. Music journalist and Rolling Stone contributing editor Touree' , while speaking with Ann Curry on NBC's Dateline on the day of his passing, labeled Jackson to even being bigger than Elvis Presley. At the age of 50, Michael Jackson - like his ninth single from his Dangerous album mentions - he was "born To amuse, to inspire, to delight , here one day, gone one night, has gone too soon."
OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES TO LOOK INTO:
|
