Re: September 9 News and Mentionings - Steven Ivory backstage with James Brown and Michael Jackson
Sorry if this has been posted allready. A little late "happy birthday commentary"
Jackson should be recognized for revolutionizing pop music
Katherine Heriges - Art and Entertainment Editor
Monday, September 08, 2008 issue
He’s much maligned. He gets no respect. He is admittedly a little crazy. And this past week, he turned 50. Michael Jackson deserves far more respect than people give him.
When I mention interest in (well, borderline obsession with) the Jackson family in conversation, college students usually respond the only way they know how — with a Michael joke. For those born in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Michael’s popularity was dying off as they were children and leading into years dominated by controversy and problems. His relevance is questioned by many who look back on his pop career and wonder why he never demonstrated the prowess with instruments that his contemporary, Prince, did, or why he made his odd habits publicly known (befriending rats, etc.).
Perhaps there are points to be made there. However, his title as the King of Pop should never be disputed, nor should his place in music history. Michael Jackson is not just a personality or a celebrity; he produced some of the most lasting music in pop history and should be remembered as such. No one has had a life like his, from childhood traumas to global success to shameful criminal investigations.
Michael’s first gig was in his family group, the Jackson 5, with brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon. Family groups were really en vogue in the early 70s, with groups like the Osmonds and the Partridge Family playing very well to teens on television. The Jackson 5 were among these groups. However, Jackson songs like “ABC” and “I’ll Be There” are still played on iPods all over America, while “Yo-Yo” is forgotten to all who didn’t live to throw their underwear at Donny Osmond. The thing that set the Jacksons apart from the rest was that they had Michael. He was incredibly talented and could even outsing Motown superstar, Diana Ross.
When he set out on his solo career, he adapted to the times. “Off the Wall,” his first solo record with Epic, had a disco feel that was appropriate for the time, but set a musical precedent that he would follow for the rest of the ’80s. He released the best-selling album of all time, “Thriller,” in 1982, which performed so well because of the incredible string of successful singles on the record and because of his now-legendary performance on the Motown 25 television special where he premiered the moonwalk dance. During his Epic years, he worked with Quincy Jones, a producer even Pharrell Williams is jealous of. He’s had thirteen number one singles and has been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
So why is he so hated now? The controversy is understandable. However,
those who hate him because of the bandwagon opinion are not thinking clearly. He changed pop music. No pop artist will ever have a life-spanning career that is so varied and fascinating. As his career progressed, he successfully changed with the times to fit the music at the time and his own personal style. No one can say his odd physical transformation changed his musical ability — the “Bad” and “Dangerous” records were both tremendously popular and pleasing to the ears, despite the fact that they featured strikingly pale images of the singer on their covers.
Today, he should be able to be celebrated and let his career rest in peace, but instead his numerous detractors do not allow him to live the quiet life.
He’s followed by litigation and bad press. He’s made fun of regularly, though thousands of those who make jokes about him own “Thriller” or at least have “Billie Jean” on their iPods. He’s an oddball, for sure, but he’s a living music legend and should be respected as such.
Happy 50th, Michael. Stay strong.
http://dailybeacon.utk.edu/showarticle.php?articleid=53660
I do not agree on everything, but this has some killer comments.
