Michael Jackson - Jackson leaves us with iconic images, enduring music

By Mike Devlin, Victoria Times Colonist - on June 25, 2009

VICTORIA — The timeless image of Michael Jackson moonwalking across the stage, sequined glove on one hand, the entire world in the other, ranks among the most iconic in pop music history.

The slick feet and glitzy accoutrements, which at first were the defining traits of the King of Pop, would eventually fade, dwarfed by his enormous musical talents.

Jackson arrived almost fully formed, a triple-threat who could sing, dance and write. The intangible was he looked good doing it. And that, in the pop music world, is the bulk of the battle.

Jackson died Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles. He was 50.

It was a tragic ending for the native of Gary, Ind., who leaves behind one of the most talked-about careers and impressive, enduring catalogues in modern music.

Few performers before or since could compete with Jackson during his prime. To date, only the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby have sold more records than Jackson. He mastered movies, videos and concert tours, and worked with Eddie Van Halen, Martin Scorsese, and Slash.

He would try anything and could do everything. And yet, he was never far from controversy. It was an ongoing conundrum for Jackson: On stage, few were more famous; behind closed doors, only a select few could match his bad press.

It eventually took its toll. Beginning with a child molestation scandal in 1993 and continuing right up to his death, Jackson always seemed to struggle — financially, personally, musically — despite numerous comeback attempts.

Even the talked-about 25th anniversary edition of his masterwork from 1982, Thriller, released in early 2008, failed to ignite audiences. It sold well for a catalogue reissue, but moved well under one million copies in the U.S., a mediocre result for the biggest-selling album in history with sales of more than 100 million copies worldwide.

A break in the clouds may have been forthcoming. Jackson was reportedly working on a comeback recording and was scheduled to perform a string of 50 concerts in the U.K. beginning in July. He was expected to earn approximately $100 million in net income from the dates.

The millions in mourning worldwide have found solace in his music. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were flooded with tributes, while Jackson's videos on YouTube were inundated with similarly emotional user comments.

In death, as in life, Jackson remains the biggest star in the universe.

His legacy, though questionable in spots, will not tarnish — not in the years to come, not likely ever. He may have been a punchline at various points, but his musical output was never part of the joke. You don't become the world's most successful pop star without good reason.

His philanthropy and goodwill were unrivalled, and grew in correspondence with his wealth. He was kind to a fault, a rare character trait for a performer who was literally raised in the spotlight.

Jackson graced the cover of Time magazine in 1983, a decade-and-a-half after he emerged alongside his older brothers in the family band, the Jackson 5.

At the time of the cover story, Thriller was riding high on the charts. Quincy Jones, not only Jackson's producer but a friend and one of his biggest supporters, saw the emergence of Jackson as a beacon of hope for the black community, whose music "had to play second fiddle for a long time," Jones said.

"Michael has connected with every soul in the world."

That he did. It was a brief dalliance with the King of Pop, just 50 short years, but it was a memorable one.

Source: Canada.com

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Home Call to action Heal the world for children A million trees for Michael Justice for Michael Open Letter Michael´s mystery MJ Humanitarian work Awards Michael in his own words The Dream continues Fan´s work Inner Michael Message that went unseen Book: We love you more Vindicating MJ Aphrodite Jones Helena's investigation Who bashed M.Jackson Global prayer Supporters Sources - links Contact us	Jackson leaves us with iconic images, enduring music By Mike Devlin, Victoria Times Colonist - on June 25, 2009 VICTORIA — The timeless image of Michael Jackson moonwalking across the stage, sequined glove on one hand, the entire world in the other, ranks among the most iconic in pop music history. The slick feet and glitzy accoutrements, which at first were the defining traits of the King of Pop, would eventually fade, dwarfed by his enormous musical talents. Jackson arrived almost fully formed, a triple-threat who could sing, dance and write. The intangible was he looked good doing it. And that, in the pop music world, is the bulk of the battle. Jackson died Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles. He was 50. It was a tragic ending for the native of Gary, Ind., who leaves behind one of the most talked-about careers and impressive, enduring catalogues in modern music. Few performers before or since could compete with Jackson during his prime. To date, only the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby have sold more records than Jackson. He mastered movies, videos and concert tours, and worked with Eddie Van Halen, Martin Scorsese, and Slash. He would try anything and could do everything. And yet, he was never far from controversy. It was an ongoing conundrum for Jackson: On stage, few were more famous; behind closed doors, only a select few could match his bad press. It eventually took its toll. Beginning with a child molestation scandal in 1993 and continuing right up to his death, Jackson always seemed to struggle — financially, personally, musically — despite numerous comeback attempts. Even the talked-about 25th anniversary edition of his masterwork from 1982, Thriller, released in early 2008, failed to ignite audiences. It sold well for a catalogue reissue, but moved well under one million copies in the U.S., a mediocre result for the biggest-selling album in history with sales of more than 100 million copies worldwide. A break in the clouds may have been forthcoming. Jackson was reportedly working on a comeback recording and was scheduled to perform a string of 50 concerts in the U.K. beginning in July. He was expected to earn approximately $100 million in net income from the dates. The millions in mourning worldwide have found solace in his music. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were flooded with tributes, while Jackson's videos on YouTube were inundated with similarly emotional user comments. In death, as in life, Jackson remains the biggest star in the universe. His legacy, though questionable in spots, will not tarnish — not in the years to come, not likely ever. He may have been a punchline at various points, but his musical output was never part of the joke. You don't become the world's most successful pop star without good reason. His philanthropy and goodwill were unrivalled, and grew in correspondence with his wealth. He was kind to a fault, a rare character trait for a performer who was literally raised in the spotlight. Jackson graced the cover of Time magazine in 1983, a decade-and-a-half after he emerged alongside his older brothers in the family band, the Jackson 5. At the time of the cover story, Thriller was riding high on the charts. Quincy Jones, not only Jackson's producer but a friend and one of his biggest supporters, saw the emergence of Jackson as a beacon of hope for the black community, whose music "had to play second fiddle for a long time," Jones said. "Michael has connected with every soul in the world." That he did. It was a brief dalliance with the King of Pop, just 50 short years, but it was a memorable one. Source: Canada.com Back to The dream continues <


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