Goodbye MJ

Michael Jackson, one of the most widely loved entertainers and profoundly influential artistes of all time, leaves behind an indelible imprint on popular music and culture, write Gaurav & Saurabh

Michael Joseph Jackson, born August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, US, spent almost his entire life as a public performer. He was a founder member of the Jackson Five at the age of four, soon becoming their frontman. On stage, he modelled his dance moves and vocal styling on James Brown, and portrayed an absolute self-confidence that belied his shy, private personality. The Jackson Five were signed by Motown Records at the end of 1968; their early releases, including US chart-toppers I Want You Back and I’ll Be There, illustrated his remarkable talent.

Although Michael was too young to have experienced the romantic situations that were the subject of his songs, he performed with total sincerity, showing all the hallmarks of a great soul artist.

Michael Jackson’s (MJ) first release as a solo performer was an aching ballad Got To Be There, a major trans-Atlantic hit. A revival of Bobby Day’s rock ’n’ roll novelty Rockin’ Robin reached number 2 on the US chart in 1972, while the sentimental film theme Ben topped the chart later in the year.

In 1977, Jackson landed a starring role, along with Diana Ross, in the all-Black film musical The Wiz, where he met producer/composer Quincy Jones for the first time. Encouraged by the success of the Jacksons’ self-produced, mostly self-written 1978 album Destiny, Jackson elected to resume his solo career when his management contract with his father expired shortly thereafter. With Jones producing, Jackson recorded his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall. A flawlessly crafted set of funky disco-pop and sentimental pop ballads, the album made Jackson a star all over again. It produced four top 10 singles, including the number one hits Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough and Rock With You, and went platinum.

MJ, as he was called by his fans, continued to tour and record with the Jacksons even after this solo success, while media speculation grew about his private life. He was increasingly portrayed as a figure trapped in an eternal childhood, surrounded by toys and pet animals, and insulated from the traumas of the real world at his idyllic 2700-acre Neverland ranch in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. This image was consolidated when he was chosen to narrate an album based on the 1982 fantasy movie ET — The Extra Terrestrial. The record was quickly withdrawn because of legal complications, but still won the singer another Grammy Award.

In 1982, Thriller, Jackson’s second album with Quincy Jones, was released, and went on to become one of the most commercially successful albums of all times. It also produced a run of successful hit singles, each accompanied by a promotional video that widened the scope of the genre.

The Girl Is Mine, a duet with Paul McCartney, began the sequence in relatively subdued style, setting the scene for Billie Jean, an effortless mix of disco and pop that became a huge chart buster. It also became the first Black music video to receive rotation airplay on the MTV video station. Its successor, Beat It, also topped the US charts and helped establish another precedent, with its determinedly rock-flavoured guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. The Thriller album and singles won Jackson a further seven Grammies.

In 1983, Jackson accepted the largest individual sponsorship deal in history from Pepsi Cola. The following year, he received a Presidential Award from Ronald Reagan.

In 1985, Jackson co-wrote with Lionel Richie We Are the World, the theme song for USA for Africa. It reached number one and embellished Michael’s reputation as a humanitarian.

Jackson’s relationship with Paul McCartney soured later that year as, bidding against both McCartney and Yoko Ono, he secured the ATV music publishing catalogue for $47.5 million: among ATV’s holdings were more than 250 Lennon/McCartney songs – Jackson has long been known inside the industry for his almost encyclopaedic command of the details of his business dealings.

Shortly after signing a second contract with Pepsi in 1986 for $15 million, Jackson released Bad, the biggest albums of all time, in 1987; its 17-minute title track video was directed by Martin Scorsese. Bad generated five number ones in 1987-88: I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror and Dirty Diana. The Bad tour later became the biggest-grossing tour in history and one of the most expensive: Jackson’s entourage included 250 persons.

With 1988 came Jackson’s long-awaited, heavily illustrated, and brief autobiography, Moonwalk, in which he claimed that his father, Joseph Jackson, had hit him as a child. Generally, however, the book (edited by Jacqueline Onassis) was considered unrevealing.

The long-awaited Dangerous arrived at the end of 1991 and justifiably scaled the charts. This was a tour de force of dance-orientated pop, with Teddy Riley contributing to a number of tracks. Although the customarily sweet pop was sharpened to a hard point, it still displayed the unmistakable Jackson sound. As a result, the lead-off single Black Or White became a huge trans-atlantic hit, topping the US charts for seven weeks.

Until 1992, Jackson’s refusal to undergo probing interviews had allowed the media to portray him as a fantasy figure, a hypochondriac, who lived a twilight existence, cut off from the rest of humanity. He attempted to dispel this image, and succeeded to a degree, with a carefully rehearsed interview with US chat host Oprah Winfrey in 1992. The televised show was shown all over world, during which viewers saw his personal funfair in the back garden, and where Jackson also spoke of his domineering father.

However, the unthinkable happened in 1993, just as Jackson’s clean image was at its peak. Allegations of sexual abuse were made by one of Jackson’s young friends and the media had a riotous time. The police raided Jackson’s home while he was on tour in the Far East. The artiste, clearly disturbed, cancelled a number of performances due to dehydration. No charges were made and the matter was settled out of court in a multi-million dollar payout.

Things began to quieten down until November 1993, when Jackson left the USA and went into hiding. Additionally, he confessed to being addicted to painkillers and was seeking treatment. After this admission, Jackson’s long-time sponsors Pepsi Cola decided to pull out of their contract with the now damaged career of the world’s most popular superstar.

In 1994, Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. They divorced less than two years later, amid rumours that their marriage was a sham and had not been consummated.

Michael Jackson later went on to marry his dermatologist’s nurse, Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he had a son, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (also known as Prince) and a daughter, named Paris Katherine Jackson. The couple divorced in 1999. Jackson’s third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as Blanket) was born in 2002.

In 1995, with a $30 million marketing campaign, the largest in history, Jackson’s HIStory, a double-CD split between hits and new material, was released. Featuring Scream, a duet with his sister Janet, the album dropped out of the Top 10 after only a few weeks. The song They Don’t Care About Us included the lyric Jew me/Sue Me, provoking charges of anti-Semitism even from such stalwart Jackson supporters as Steven Spielberg.

Despite the allegations of child abuse and the constant media attacks, particularly surrounding his unexpected second marriage, Jackson’s fans remained loyal to the King of Pop.

In 2001 the singer celebrated his 30th anniversary as a solo artiste, reuniting with the Jackson Five on stage and breaking a long recording silence in August with his new single, You Rock My World.

A trial took place in 2005, and Jackson was acquitted of all charges. After his acquittal, Michael relocated to the Gulf Island of Bahrain, where he had reportedly been spending his time writing new music. In May 2006, the State of California closed Neverland Ranch and fined Jackson $69,000 for not offering his employees insurance.

In February 2008, Jackson released Thriller 25, an expanded version of the best-selling album, including five remixes featuring contemporary musicians (Akon, Fergie, Kanye West) and other bonus material. At the end of 2008 Michael Jackson announced he would embark on a comeback tour starting with 50 dates mid 2009 in the UK.

Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 in a Los Angeles hospital, just weeks before he was scheduled to perform several comeback concerts in London.

There are many, many people who think of Michael as a spectacle, and it’s sad. All of it has taken away from our ability to see him for the artiste he really is. A world without Michael Jackson would be a very, very different world. And we think we should all feel very blessed that an artiste of that calibre came into our lives, because he has enriched our lives in many ways.

Thank you Michael!