Public Announcement #50
My Discovery Of Michael Jackson And Why He's Still The King Of Pop
Not long ago, my wife and our wonderful friend Michelle arranged an evening at the cinema which I had neglected for a while very likely because… nothing was in theaters I wanted to see unlike 20 years ago when ALMOST every film at the cinema was worth seeing and you could see an afternoon flick for $7!!! Today you’re paying at least $18 for your ticket. The big time prices were worth it to see the film about the King Of Pop.. Michael!!!
I was about 12 the first time I heard the name Michael Jackson. I knew Michael was a singer and dancer. I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Beat It” or “Billie Jean” and the beats were magical to me. The “Moonwalk” is a dance that if you can pick up on that, you can dance to anything. I speak from many moments of dancing The “Moonwalk” in school feeling short term acceptance which even to someone barely teenager is a lot of encouragement. Around this time I also saw a TV miniseries on the VH1 on Michael & the family entitled The Jacksons: An American Dream back when the network primary aired music based shows and I’ll go on record and say their series I Love… was more entertaining than Love & Hip Hop or Basketball Wives will ever be. The miniseries first aired on ABC in 1992 to nearly 40 Million Viewers!!!
I remember seeing Angela Bassist as Katherine Jackson or “Mother” as the children addressed their mom. I saw Lawrence Hilton Jacobs as manger and tougher than nails steel mill combined Joseph Jackson. That’s no wordplay because Joseph worked in the steel mills of Gary, Indiana. Joseph originally wanted to be a boxer or a musician which he later dabbled with for a brief time. I remember the living room rehearsals in both the 1992 miniseries and in the film that came out not long ago. Lawrence was I would say too loud but very passionate which I love. Joe Jackson was bombastic and loud but in interviews, not really I saw Coleman Domingo’s approach in the film as the more believable performance from start to finish. Stern but not Sidney Poitier stern as Lawrence delivered like. Did I hate it? Not at all. Lawrence is a talented actor and while he may not sell you on the first note as Joe Jackson, like any Jackson, they will not GIVE UP until the notes are perfect just like they were taught to perform. You see that with Jason Weaver portraying a young Michael Jackson the 1992 miniseries. Watch closely as they are singing the standard “Kansas City” with an important word called “attitude.” It’s still my favorite version, no one comes close. I believe Joe knew the reason
Vanessa Williams portrayed Suzanne de Passe who was creative director at Motown. I loved how supportive of the boys Suzanne was when they toured. A young actor named at the time named Terrance Howard portrayed Jackie. Holly Robinson Peete portrayed Diana Ross who I think it’s safe to assume Michael always fancied if we look again very closely. We saw The Jacksons learn and sing The National Anthem before an awesome baseball game. We saw Michael become infatuated with animals like snakes, doves, tigers, and yes even a chimp named Bubbles. I loved that Michael had a curiosity for goodies gizmos and toys. I loved his bedroom had vinyl and a giant cutout photo of Charlie Chaplin. My bedroom had a poster of Mariah Carey, a Packard Bell computer that I learned how to download music along with blackjack & poker among the many things. My room also had a couple hundred CDs, many DVDs overtime especially of Bernie Mac’s body of work AND The Entire series of The OC. It’s always surreal to see what we dug in high school and laugh at some it 20 years later even the music. But I’m glad we don’t mock the music especially when it’s iconic.
The downloading of music through Limewire, helped me find Michael Jackson’s landmark solo album Off The Wall. I credit Seinfeld for their use of “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” in my discovery of this masterpiece and for also helping me find the rock classic “Time Of Your Life” by Green Day. Both songs were used in one of the final episodes!!! The CD for its masterpiece follow-up Thriller was a high school graduation present from my parents in 2006. By this time I knew much of the MJ catalogue along with most of the work with The Jacksons. The thing about a masterpiece that separates it from a great album is this:
-A great album you’ll remember in high school or college then not remember it again unless one or two of the songs played at a reunion, a wedding, Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, a Halloween party, etc.
AND
-A masterpiece you’ll play it at more than the moments I mentioned. You’ll throw in moments like when you first fell in love with someone more important you are, when you were driving to your first job, driving home on a bad night for whatever the reason, while mourning the death of a friend or family member, getting your heart broken by your first love, a job loss, etc. You’ll also remember the album cuts more often on a masterpiece more than an album you find to be good or great. I’ve even said as much as I love “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” and they are the epitome of pop classics that I also love “Human Nature” and “The Lady In My Life” just as much. When I worked in TV news, a reporter named Karys on one or two occasions would sing “Human Nature” as we were getting ready to do an hour of news. She never made that feel awkward plus it’s a fun to sing. My friend Pat was quick to start singing in the middle of a commercial break if the annoying news director wasn’t coming in to update us.
I have many memories of weekends seeing The Jacksons miniseries while my mom worked and my dad was not well on VH1. I saw other documentaries on Michael’s life on the network as well. My personal favorites were seeing his best TV appearances including The Sonny & Cher Show. Michael really whacked it back to Sonny Bono after he asked Michael what he wanted to be when he grew up. Now Michael did hint an astronaut or the Governor or Georgia then Michael asked Sonny what HE wanted to be when SONNY grew up!!! The audience went wild as you did at the house!! The moments Michael accepting three American Music Awards for Off The Wall. Let’s also not forget the eight Grammy Awards for Thriller. Brooke Shields and Webster himself Emmanuel Lewis went to the ceremonies with Michael too. I also saw Emmanuel Lewis as easier person to chill at a party with than Gary Coleman plus I know Emmanuel won’t say “what you talkin’ bout Al?” I would have gone with Cher but Brooke is wonderful too. I don’t know what Tom Cruise would say on this matter. VH1 would play Michael’s videos on a regular basis along with their sister channels. I just soaked in all the music one song after another.
I was thrilled with joy in 2009 when I was in my office Fort Myers to learn Michael would tour London for 50 shows. Michael stated it would be his last shows. I’m not sure I totally bought him retiring though. One reason was Lenny Kravitz who was producing the single “(I Can’t Make It) Another Day” as a duet Michael Lenny would confirm to CNN. Lenny said that Michael was a workhorse when they worked together. I don’t think Michael ate or slept very much. The song is rock & funk with touches of MJ pop. Lenny said the first concert he ever went to was The Jacksons!!! It’s why I also love “Heal The World” and “Will You Be There?” just as much as “Remember The Time” or “The Way You Make Me Feel.” It is powerful when songs make you dance but you never forget the songs that remind you to be charitable toward others and treat others who work hard with respect. Michael Jackson worked very hard YES but make no mistake that guy lived his life. He did have three children after all. I also admire the work he did with Neverland to give children moments to be a kid and for some of them it was their final moments of life. Animals of all kinds as we established Bubbles, giraffes which Michael’s friend Steve Harvey has reminded us Michael owned TWO!!! Michael, who did you outbid? I only ask after knowing you outbid a Beatle. Oh let me be clear.. unless you have the big time money Michael Jackson had…please don’t show up to court for any reason 20 minutes no matter what your reason for being there.
There was a lot of music I was looking forward to and then June 25th, 2009 came. I was enjoying my hiatus from school and I was doing things I wanted to do for a moment for me and me alone. During that day my mother & I went to the dentist then I went to see a therapist I promised my parents I would see after I got cheated on I was dating briefly after we moved down here. They hated how upset I was and more power to them for encouraging me to see a therapist which I did off and on until three years ago. Your first serious breakup will make you want to spend precious time in solitary. I went for a swim early that evening and then went to get dressed and I saw the headline “Michael Jackson Died At 50.” I knew Michael was working endlessly to get ready for the show and I knew he had an issue with painkillers but death at 50? I felt the same sadness and confusion after Bernie Mac died at 50. So talented but you hoped there was more.
The memorial service made me respect Rev. Al Sharpton when many don’t want to. He reminded us that Michael inspired us all to be better than our beginnings if they happen to be challenges. He also reminded us and his children that Michael wasn’t strange but it was strange the judgement and ridicule that was endured. I was moved by Mariah’s rendition of “I’ll Be There” and seeing Michael’s daughter Paris who was 11 cry over her father’s shocking death. We all cried and Geraldo Rivera defended Michael and went after the tabloid press for their misconduct which isn’t hard to find. They celebrated Jackson’s career after years of harassing him, ridicule, and railroading him when it wasn’t necessary.
Five years after Michael’s death I was listening to Pandora and I heard a new song called “Love Never Felt So Good” by Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson. It was on a a posthumous album Michael made called XSCAPE. The duet was fantastic and I later discovered the tune “A Place With No Name” in a Jeep commercial. The beats were catchy and had 21st Century Pop vibe without taking anything away from Michael. He was fortunate to have Timberland who worked with Justin Timberlake and Rodney Jenkins who has worked with Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and the fantastic group Destiny’s Child, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, and many more. Rodney also co-wrote “You Rock My World” in 2001 with Michael. Xscape was a reminder that sometimes rock stars are respected for something they do at the start of their career and right after they died. Michael, Elvis, Warren Zevon, and of course Keith Whitley who inspired every male country singer I ever liked. Elvis did too!!!
The years passed and I would hear Michael Jackson or The Jacksons at church events and I’d make new memories with the greatest music of all time especially with my wife Jenny. Two years ago The Jacksons came to town featuring Marlon, Jackie, Tito and Tito’s son Tyrell at a casino in the middle of nowhere. Actually it’s the same casino I’ve seen Lonestar, Willie Nelson, & The Bellamy Brothers at and I won $82.50 one time after walking in with $15. I wasn’t even sure if I had enough for the t-shirt let alone dinner. The first blackjack was 21 and I kept winning then I knew the show was starting. No opening act and no intermission. I was also able to get breakfast for dinner which I also got when I saw the Jacksons. Waffles, home fries, fresh fruit & bacon. Seeing The Jacksons involved home movies, a medley of the hits, a journey into their move to Epic where they went disco, funk and made a plea to “Blame It On The Boogie.” We danced all night and shook our bodies down to the ground!!! I enjoyed every minute and it reminded me why I love music, dance and saw the world in a more creative way like Michael did. I saw it in a way where we live within ourselves a lot because the outside world was noisy and rude in many ways. I love Michael not only for his music and how he took it places it needed to go to but I admire what he did in return to make the world a better place. He didn’t JUST write a check. He actually saw terminally ill children in the hospital. In some cases, the children were also victims of war or violence. He was the King Of Pop but I think most of all I can say Michael was the King Of Living. He lived on his terms and made the greatest music in the process. We could learn a lot from that.