Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

Off The Wall

Thriller

Bad

Dangerous

HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I

Blood On The Dancefloor: HIStory In The Mix

Invincible

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009), often named as the King of Pop, was an American recording artist. Widely regarded as the greatest entertainer who ever lived, with his trademark black fedora and single, sequinned glove, his unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a central part of popular culture around the world for four decades.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his achievements include multiple Guinness World Records-including the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time-13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles, and the sale of over 750 million records. He was also a notable philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to the 39 charities he supported, and raising more through his own Heal the World Foundation.

The seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his debut in 1968 as a member of The Jackson 5, beginning a solo career in 1971. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with four others- Off the Wall (1979), d (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995) - among the best selling. He popularized several physically complicated dance moves, such as the robot and the moonwalk, now iconic. He is widely credited with having transformed the music video from a promotional tool into an art form, with videos such as Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean making him the first African American to amass a strong crossover following on MTV, and others, such as Black or White and Scream, ensuring his popularity well into the 1990s.

Jackson's personal life generated significant controversy. His changing appearance was noticed from the early 1980s, his skin appearing paler and his facial features changing. He was accused in 1993 of child sexual abuse, and though no charges were brought, his health suffered when he started using painkillers to cope with the stress. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and fathered three children. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of different child molestation allegations, which provoked a further decline in his health. He died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, after suffering a cardiac arrest. His memorial service was broadcast live around the world, watched by up to one billion people.

At Michael Jackson's Memorial Service, we were blessed to witness Queen Latifah read Maya Angelou's original poem for Michael Jackson, entitled We Had Him. Here is the poem in it's entirety.



Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.

In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell time. No oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.

Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England

We are missing Michael.

But we do know we had him, and we are the world.

~

You can view the reading at YouTube here.

Here are some memorable quotes from Michael Jackson's Memorial Service



"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him - so much."

- Jackson's daughter, Paris

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"Michael, when you left us, a part of me went with you. ... I will treasure the good times, singing, dancing, laughing. ... We will never understand what he endured ... being judged, ridiculed. How much pain can one take? Maybe, now, Michael, they will leave you alone."

- Marlon Jackson

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"Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date. ... We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age. I used to tease him and say, `I started when I was 11 months old. You're a slacker. You were like 5?' Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. ... M.J.'s laugh was the sweetest and purest of anyone I've known."

- Brooke Shields

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"He created a comfort level, where people that felt they were separate became interconnected with his music. ... Those young kids grew up from being teenage, comfortable fans of Michael's to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a person of color to be the president of the United States of America. Michael did that. Michael made us love each other. Michael taught us to stand with each other."

- The Rev. Al Sharpton

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"I'm here representing millions of fans around the world who grew up listening to Michael, being inspired and loving Michael from a distance. ... Somehow when Michael Jackson sang and when he danced ... we felt he was right there. ... He made you believe in yourself."

- Queen Latifah

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"When he did his iconic moonwalk, I was shocked. It was magic. Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down. Though it ended way too soon, Michael's life was beautiful."

- Motown Records founder Berry Gordy

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"This is a moment that I wish that I didn't live to see come. But as much as I can say that and mean it, I do know that God is good and I do know that as much as we may feel - and we do - that we need Michael here with us, God must have needed him far more."

- Stevie Wonder

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"Michael was a personal love of mine. A treasured part of my world ... "

- Smokey Robinson, reading a note from longtime Jackson friend Diana Ross at Tuesday's memorial service in Los Angeles.

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"You don't think you'll live to see them gone. ... He is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever."

- Smokey Robinson

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"We miss you, Michael."

- Mariah Carey, after singing "I'll Be There" at Jackson's memorial service.

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"There are certain people in our popular culture that just capture people's imaginations. And in death, they become even larger. Now, I have to admit that it's also fed by a 24/7 media that is insatiable."

- President Barack Obama, who was asked about the outpouring of emotion related to Michael Jackson's death during an interview with CBS while he was in Moscow.

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"They're holding up well in part because they're a strong family ... a big family, religiously devout family. Therefore, they have a sense of insulation of their faith."

- The Rev. Jesse Jackson, on how Michael Jackson's family is coping.

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"He was a true gift and there are very few that have come to the magnitude of influence that he had on the world."

- Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Album Cover Art

I'm sure you all know the importance of this film, so I won't belabour the obvious. If you haven't yet, go see it. Now. Stop reading this and go see it. Nah, just kidding, I haven't seen it yet either, but I still wanted to add this module because I think This Is It is a pretty big deal to every Michael Jackson fan.

The film opens with a short text introduction stating the purpose of the footage and its intent to be for the fans. After short dialogues from various dancers, Kenny Ortega is heard talking through the original concert opening sequence involving a body suit made from screens which display fast clips and images with bright intensity from which Jackson emerges on stage. Immediately after this, Jackson begins Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' first solo, and then half way in is joined by dancers. A short clip showing rehearsals of the "toaster" mechanism is shown before rehearsal footage of Jam is played. This plays directly into the green screen adaption of soldiers dancers for Bad which are also used for They Don't Really Care About Us which is shown next. A small snippet of Jackson singing acapella his song Speechless is shown next. From here, the film shows Michael directing Ortega and his band for his solo rehearsal performance of Human Nature which he performs acapella, then acoustic and finally with full band. Green screen rehearsals for the video vignette for Smooth Criminal come next, with dress rehearsals of the song following, including parts of the vignette intertwined with the dancing. Jackson is seen next directing his musical team for the cues in his song The Way You Make Me Feel. Jackson then performs a rehearsal with dancers which he alters and changes as he goes. A small animatic introducing the Jackson 5 is shown afterwards, and Michael then rehearses "ABC", The Love You Save, I'll Be There and Shake Your Body. Jackson stops only to report problems with his earpiece. After this, Jackson sings with one of his back up singers on his duet song I Just Can't Stop Loving You in which he sings at full strength, directing his partner as he goes. The filming for the Thriller vignette is then shown with Jackson and Ortega watching with 3D glasses. Jackson is then seen rehearsing Thriller with the vignette intertwined like that in Smooth Criminal.

During the dance sequence, puppets are suspended in the audience aisles while Jackson emerges from a robotic spider originally seen in the vignette. Jackson and Ortega rehearsing the cherry-picker is seen next, along with Jackson rehearing Beat It. Jackson creates the ending he wants for the song, a long drum build up in which he tears off his jacket and burns it. Footage of the show's aerialists rehearsing to the instrumental of Who Is It is shown next, followed by the Jackson and his band rehearsing Black or White, in which he allows guitarist Orianthi Panagaris to take centre stage to finish with a high guitar rift. The video-sequence for Earth Song is shown next, featuring a small girl who wanders through an abundant forrest, falls asleep, and wakes up to find the forrest destroyed by man. Jackson then performs the song both onstage and using the cherry-picker, with his voice being heard at the end telling of the dangers of Global Warming and the lack of reversible time left. Afterwards, Michael is seen conversing with Ortega, his dancers and band about the shows, trivial dance moves and his hopes for the concert series. He then performs a quick version of his song Billie Jean featuring an extra dance sequence. Michael is then seen talking to all crew members and wishing everyone the best for the London performances. As a sound check, Jackson performs Man In The Mirror with strong backing vocals. The film ends with Jackson with his arms extended on stage with the message: "Michael Jackson King of Pop Love Lives Forever"