Like a comet ,
blazing ‘cross the evening sky,
Gone too soon
Like a rainbow,
fading in the twinkling of an eye ,
Gone too soon
Like a sunset,
dying with the rising moon,
Gone too soon…
These are the stunning lines of the song “Gone too soon” , from the album “Dangerous”, by the man who needs no introduction, a man who has been a member of everyone’s family, a man who we have idolized & related atleast at some point (or if you are an artist, then at every point) of our lives. But nobody ever thought that the heart-throb who sung those brilliant lines would on June 26, 2009 , would personify the song with his own life & soul. Even now, its so hard to hit the reality, the fact that our beloved MJ is gone , forever. Michael Jackson was one of those rarest specimens who could rock ‘ n roll the world to utter eternal heights. A performer who had a fan following aged from 8 to 80!
Quite aptly branded “The King Of Pop”, well I think I can go a little further and call him “The Emperor Of Pop”, Michael Jackson (more popularly known as MJ) rejuvenated and redefined pop music during the 1960’s & 70’s. an era mainly dominated by the legends like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Mccartney, Phil Collins & of course the gung ho of The Beatles still persistant, MJ stood out and gave the pop music world a whole new dimension, a complete new set of rules unmatched even till date!
Born on Aug 29, 1958 at Indiana, Michael was a young lad of 11 years when he presented himself to the world of music. “Jackson 5”, an album that featured 5 Jackson bros, brought Michael to limelight. His 1st solo chart-topper was “Ben” in 1972. The same year, he MJ gave another sensational composition in “Got to be there”. In 1973, he came out with his next album “Music & Me”. Then with his next “Off the wall”, in 1979, MJ very dexterously invented & blended the newest sounds, in & out of the discos. By then he was almost a “cult figure” in the US. Well, the decade of 1980’s can be very clearly titled “The ornamental decade of the MJ era”. His album “THRILLER” presented in 1982, pipped his all-time best, went on to the history books & made created records unmatched even till date! “Thriller” thrilled the world so much that it was in the numero uno position for a whooping 37 weeks, a Guinness record. It sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Songs like “Beat it”, “Billie Jean” mesmerized the globe. The rock guitars, the electrifying beats, oh my God, you better experience it once to get that feel. Also, it was while performing the song “Billie Jean” that MJ unveiled the “MOONWALK” which later became his signature step. In 1987, he presented to the world another album “Bad” which (as usual by now) was another terrific album. By now MJ had scaled the summit of his career. He had become synonymous with stardom & sensation. Then came “Dangerous” in 1991, a foot-tapping, vibrant, truly show-stopping album. Slowly by now , MJ had evolved into a fulsome entertainer . his every album treated the music-maniacs unprecedented delicacies, chocolate smeared desserts. His last 2 albums were “history” in 1995 & “ Invincible” in 2001.
MJ was a visionary. He was one of those rare artists who wrote, composed music, sung & also choreographed their songs. He was an artist with multiple talents, a higher mortal, in fact. His dance moves were so lively & electrifying, exceeding human conception. And his lyrics, so articulate. His emotions were beautifully expressed in those lyrics. He had songs for happy occasions, sad miseries, for love , for compassion, almost for every possible moment! And not to mention his break-dance steps. Totally, totally astonishing. He was a human with superhuman powers.
But, MJ’s life isn’t just full of glory & happiness throughout. His very lavish lifestyle & exorbitant habits always attracted a lot of criticism and proved too costly ultimately. In 1988, he bought a huge piece of land in the US & named it “Neverland”. It included a funfair & a zoo & he got a huge luxurious bungalow built for him there. Its said that his childhood was precocious and his adulthood childish! Also the fact that he was a black. It is said that he was a victim to racial discrimination as well. This might have pushed him to resort to skin bleaching & plastic surgery which gave him an all new avatar. Post his album “Dangerous” & its success, MJ’s life headed to a u-turn. In 1993, he was accused of molesting a young boy! This took the world by surprise. Finally the accusations were taken back when an out-of-court settlement was reached but cost MJ top dollars. In 1994, MJ married the gorgeous Lisa Marie Prestley, daughter of the legendary Elvis Prestley, but that happy life too did’nt last long. The marriage broke in 2 years. By then MJ’s descent had begun. His health was also not supporting him. Later in 1997, he married the nurse, Debi Rouve. He then had 2 children, Michael joseph & Paris. MJ loved kids very much. His version of fairyland, ”Neverland” personifies his love & affection towards children. But paradoxically, again in 2003, he was put on trial with charges of molestation. These accusations put his life, stardom, career everything at stake. After a prolonged trial, he was finally acquitted of all charges in 2005. By then, he had become as cold as stone. No emotions on his face, no cheer in his body. People wondered if it was the same gave who did those stunning dance moves.
But, on contrary, MJ’s life was not as dark as it may seem. He was a good-will Samaritan as well. In the 1980’s, he along with the greats like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lionel Ritchie performed many shows & composed fine tunes like “We are the world”, “Heal the world”, “Man in the mirror” and many more , all for a noble cause, for charity. He donated huge amount for the establishment of “Heal The World Foundation”. He cared for those affected by HIV/AIDS & taught the world to care & respect them through his deeds. He also worked for Red-Cross, UNESCO & many such NGOs. He always wanted the world to be full of love and care.
MJ on the whole was one of the most influential & vibrant personalities of all times. Notwithstanding his illustrious career, he never got a chance to sign-off with a bang. The accusations, the court trials left him totally dejected. He had entered a stage where medication & drugs were a quintessence for his survival. He had in fact planned a come-back performance in July at London. But time did’nt hold itself for him. His soul departed on June 26, 2009. The day the world lost a truly inspirational artist. MJ was a soulful singer, a terrific dancer, a spirited performer, a caring Samaritan, he was a complete humane, a higher mortal. People might call him a legend ,but for me he is a legend of legends. Only MJ can match MJ. The world will miss him a lot. Though he is not with us today, his music reverberates , his dance steps thrill us forever…
R.I.P
MICHAEL JACKSON (1958-2009)
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