Michael Jackson The King Of Pop
In the 80’s he was a legend, I suppose he still is as his music is still very popular. But when your own son is hanging outside a balcony looking straight down on a 30-foot drop. You have to ask yourself. “What was he thinking?”
Before you ask your self such a bizarre question we must remember what Michael is really renowned for: His mind-blowing music, his talent to write and produce his own music and his ability to indulge any women’s heart with his magical lyrics. Here’s a bit on how he was to be known as a musical legend.
By 1982, Michael Jackson was riding high, having enjoyed a solo smash, and continuing to record and tour with The Jackson’s. That was all to change when Michael and Quincy Jones returned to the studio to record what would become the biggest-selling album of all time: Thriller. Crafting a perfect mixture of pop and R&B. Michael and Quincy set out to make a record containing nothing but hit singles. With over-the-top videos for “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and the masterpiece short film “Thriller,” Michael became the first black artist to have a video played on TV. Eventually selling over 26 million copies in the US and winning 8 Grammies, Thriller became the international phenomenon of the ’80’s.
When I first heard a few of his songs from his album “thriller”, I thought, “What’s all the fuss about?” he was just a normal guy promoting a new album. After hearing his songs over and over I was finally captivated by his unique melodies and the realism of his lyrics. My opinion on Michael was about to change.
Who knew he’d get addicted to plastic surgery, face accusations of paedophilia, and end up Americas most famous sideshow. It wasn’t until 1993 that he suffered serious damage to his image. Jackson was accused of child abuse by a teenage friend, sparking major media frenzy. Through it all, Michael denied the accusations. You just knew the media had to destroy him before he could get better at what he did. I couldn’t believe such a talent; such a fascination in modern day would be interrupted by such peculiar accusations. To everyone, he became famous for changing his face every time you’d see him on TV or in the newspaper. I was crushed; his music was so inspiring and joyful, now his music was a disgrace, he’d set a poor example after such a success in his music and lifestyle.
I think his real appraisal would be that despite all his problems he was still able to provide his fans with more hit singles and more best selling albums. This is why he was to be known as a legend. He wasn’t always best at interviews but his reputation did the talking. He didn’t forget his lost fan as one of the singles on his new album (The lost children) reflects his feeling on how important it is to gain trust from his fans.
One day I came down the stairs and noticed Michaels new album “invincible” was laying there on the table. I listened to his music and realised that he had lost his talent. The inspiring lyrics were gone, the catchy tunes were gone and his fame for writing great music had broken down. Michael was a changed man and so were his fans, the only music Michael would be renowned for was his album “thriller” and all his number one hits in the 80’s and 90’s. Intelligently Michael realised this himself and released the album with all his best songs and number one hits. He named it “The best of Michael Jackson”. Not having this album was a sin; his best music written was compiled in this one album. The album was a dream to most of his fans.
Michael stayed low for a while; most of his time was spent in court. First signs that Michael had turned insane were when he didn’t arrive at one of his court cases. His excuse was that a spider bit him. “It is a spider bite,” Jackson told reporters. “It is real bad. If I showed it to you, you’d be shocked. It hurts very much right now as I speak.”
Apart from the spider bite Michael again was in the spotlight for an outrageous attempt to dangle his baby from a balcony. “It is a clear-cut case of child endangerment,” reporters wrote of the baby-dangling incident. “In addition to the obvious physical danger the child was in, he is also living in psychological danger with Michael as his single parent.” All was going very bad for Michael. Being a fan of Michael Jackson was now a disgrace. He started his career as a superstar famous for his talented work in the studio. It ended on allegations that he is a bad single parent and his own baby should be taken from him. Things cannot get any worse for Michael; his reputation had taken a major blow. Despite everything that happened to Michael, his music and albums would be locked away safely and described as probably the best and most talented music ever heard.
A few days later Michael was asked in court. “What were you thinking when your own son is hanging out a balcony being held in one hand?” Michael replied “Umm…. He’s my son??” the audience couldn’t stop laughing.
