As he strided gracefully with people gaping at the analog fluidity of his legs , Michael Jackson not only ‘moonwalked’ into our hearts but he also made us wonder whether such talent was human. Thus now, to hear about his death at UCLA medical centre in LA ,it almost feels like a lie, a dirty lie. Welcome to the world of Michael Jackson , where every passing moment never failed to enchant you , either in ecstasy or in bewilderment. Perhaps that was the greatest trouble with his life. As long as he lived he was never allowed to be a common human being.
Born on 29th August 1958 , Michael was the second youngest of six brothers. As a child he suffered incessant abuse from a demanding father and was beaten up and molested. Infact in one of his interviews to Oprah Winfrey MJ admitted that even as an adult his childhood memories continued to haunt him.
Michael Jackson began his career as a lead vocalist of his family group ‘Jackson 5ive’. But soon the king was to rise from the mob. In 1969 MJ debuted with ‘I want you back’ for Motown records and it became the fastest selling record for the company. He followed it up with a string of hits , including his first No.1 ‘ Ben’ and the album’ Off the wall “ with producer Quincy Jones.
But it was November 1982 that changed the course of music history. ‘Thriller’ became Jackson’s biggest triumph with over a 100 million records being sold worldwide and it was No. 1 for a record 37 weeks. It was proclaimed the Best Selling Album Of all times by the Guinness Book of Records in 1985 . As a music critic rightly observed “ After Thriller MJ ceased to be a phenomenon infact he went beyond phenomenon.” In 1984 he won 8 Grammy awards following it up with 3 more in 1985. As time passed by he continued to release chart topping albums( Bad(1987) ,Dangerous(1991), HIStory (1995)). Channels like MTV were born because of his songs. His dressing sense including his red jacket and his white gloves became the talk of the town. Every thing that he did was now dissected and scrutinized by the media. MJ sold, and the paparazzi knew that. By 1995 he had become a legend , a one man industry.
Even as his musical career soared high on the personal front he did not meet with much success. Two failed marriages and his behaviour towards his children became the talking point in the media. Then in September 1993 he was accused of sexual abuse by a 13 year old. Several such allegations followed. His out of court settlements and his shopping sprees landed him into deep financial troubles. In January 2005 , he was acquitted of all charges. MJ’s last album , ‘Invincible’ sold 2.1 million copies and was probably his first critical flop. In March 2009 he announced his final tour ,” This is it” to be held across London. As destiny would have it, it was never to be।
Whatever the accusations, however eccentric he might have been , one cannot forget the cheer Michael Jackson brought to his fans. With chart topping , heart rendering numbers like ‘Beat it’, ’They don’t really care about us’ , ‘ We are the world’, MJ proved to the world that music could unify souls trespassing all barriers .
In India itself Michael Jackson inspired an entire generation , from music director Bappi Lahiri , to choreographers like Farah Khan. Mithun Chakrobarty’s steps in the superhit ‘DiscoDancer’ were inspired from MJ.
The entire world is shocked at his untimely death. There are reports that he was being administered morphine by his coterie of doctors , that he was being put under tremendous pressure from his sponsors for the last tour. Agreed that Michael Jackson had his faults . He may not have been the perfect father or the perfect human being but when it came to music and dance he always was and always will be ‘ THE KING’.
As his last words I put before you Michael Jackson’s letter to his Indian fans (during his 1996 tour )
“India
All my life I have longed to see your face. I met you and your people and I fell in love with you. Now my heart is filled with sorrow and despair for I have to leave you. But I promise that I shall return to love you and caress you again. Your kindness has overwhelmed me your children have truly touched my heart . I truly love and adore you India. Forever continue to love lead and educate the children, the future shines on them.
You are my special love India. Forever may God always bless you
Michael Jackson”
I only hope that in heaven his soul receives what his mortal body could never find on this earth……….PEACE.
We love you MJ
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