Death has visited the musical scene once again and this time it takes one of the greatest. Michael Jackson, love him hate him but you gotta give it to him, 'brother' had talent. He opened the way for musical videos and dance strokes that called for physics professors seeking prime time TV appearances to comment on.
My encounter with the man through the music was one of those strange ones. Way back in '83 or was it '84 one of my brothers brought a music tape that had these hot dance tracks. We would listen again and again to this tape and loved the music. Later in '85 or was it '86, some girl I used to sit next to in class had this exercise book that she had penned down the lyrics of the hits of the day, among them was Thriller, Human Nature and The Girl is Mine. By that time, I had seen the posters, watched a silent video of him hitting the dance floor hard with back slides and moon walks, read the Time magazine article about his being a vegetarian and losing up to 4 stones per concert and that being very dangerous for his health. Then one day in '87 just before enrolling for Senior One, I am at a friend's home and he is racking through his older brother's music collection while asking what to play and I asked for Michael Jackson. As the songs rolled off, was I embarrased or what. All along Jacko had been a resident of our old Akai casette player. Soon as I left my buddy's house, I went on home, locked the door to the sitting room pumped up the volume on that Akai player and tried my legs at MJ strokes (no I didn't have the red jacket or white socks and short pants). But for a man who is dance-challenged like I am that was the kind of inspiration MJ's music and videos could evoke.
MJ as the media has made it known to us was a flawed character like all geniuses that history has been brave enough to chronicle. His decision to switch skin colour and facial features up today haunts all of us black folks (singing 'Black or white' was an apology I guess). He was a sweet-looking kid (singing 'ABC' and 'I Want You Back' with the Jackson 5). Well, he explained it to being deprived of his childhood and carrying the mantle of golden child from his early years. The most troubling allegations against Jacko were, of course, the child molestation charges (and his appearance in court wearing pyjamas, now that was the limit). Despite having been acquitted of all charges, it just didn't feel right that such a champion of children could get caught up in such a fracas.
MJ though wasn't only about drama in his life, we have to credit his business acumen. Releasing Thriller on the MJJ Productions label, buying the Beatles master tapes, owning all his master tapes, being at the time the only artist earning in excess of $1 per CD sold and, of course, marrying the daughter of the other King, Elvis Presley.
As the years have gone by, being a Michael Jackson fan has been a dicy thing with several people out there ready to laugh at your hero. Recently, as I watched Chris Rock's 'Kill the Messenger' I realised how much of a fan of Jacko I was, because as CR pilloried him with joke after joke, the temptation to reach for the forward button increased. Last year, while in Indiana, I asked one of my hosts what Indiana could boast of apart from being home of the Colts, arena of the Reggie Miller Pacers show and the burial place of the only US president who died immediately after swearing in because of a lenghty speech in freezing conditions. One guy with a smile of pride said, out east in Gary, Indiana, is the birth place of Michael Jackson. Nonetheless, during my travels, I have gotten myself a Thriller CD that I have hardly listened to in years. Now this CD will join my Luther Vandross, Gerald Levert and Marvin Gaye CD rack.
This morning a day after my 4th wedding anniversary, MJ was certainly way out of my mind till I saw the CNN headline "Michael Jackson is Dead". I quickly altered my dress code to include my black cotton shirt (despite the sauna-like conditions in this tropical part of the world) and rummaged through my CD collection to locate that Thriller CD. On the ride to office, my wife Rebecca gave me food for thought when she said somehow people seem to love the music more than the man. I wonder, can you separate the man from the music? I almost got misty eyed as the hits rolled but the up tempo 'Baby Be Mine' surely got me drumming my fingers on the steering wheel and my mind back sliding, I was at once Michael Jackson and Richard Temperton (the writer of the song). Unfortunate for MJ (or is it for me), I don't have a song like Pavarotti's rendition of Pucinni's Nessun Dorma that I can seek closure with one more play.
Michael Jackson King of Pop, tortured genius, we will miss you.
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