Michael Jackson: 1958-2009

You may not have heard of this given all the media coverage surrounding the death of beloved 1950’s television personality Gale Storm. Seriously though this is sad, and I think its gotten sadder as the weeks have passed. While of course Jackson’s many eccentricities, and the various charges leveled against him over the years have come up, it is the image of Jackson as ‘King of Pop’ that I think has resonated most with people. A perhaps surprising rehabilitation that may well have only been achievable in death.

Shortly after Jackson’s passing my sister lent me a copy of the 25th anniversary re-relapses of Thriller. Along with the CD (which I’ve listen to several times already) there is including a DVD of Jackson’s music video’s from the album, and his performance on the Motown anniversary special where he introduced the moonwalk. It is that Jackson, circa 1983 that I prefer to remember. Who can deny his talent then, and the sense of universality his music and life radiated, and which he perhaps took to far in the end (his physical changes which seemed to blur racial and gender distinctions). Jackson’s is the most significant death in the music world since John Lennon’s, and in many ways parallels Elvis Presley’s. Like those two Jackson is destined to never be forgotten.