RIP: Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

Trailblazing & historical figure of pop culture is dead at 50

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

As hard as it is to fathom, Michael Jackson--the rightful "King of Pop"--died today (Thursday, June 25) as a result of cardiac arrest, two months short of his 51st birthday. The iconic entertainer had collapsed at his Los Angeles residence at around noon (Pacific Time) today, and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, where the pop legend was pronounced dead at 2:26 pm.

"Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour," remarked the Rev. Al Sharpton upon hearing the tragic news. "To say an 'icon' would only give these young people in Harlem a fraction of what he was. He was a historic figure that people will measure music and the industry by."

Just hours after Michael's untimely death his older brother Jermaine Jackson, 54, made a public statement in which he pleaded for privacy for himself and the rest of the infamous Jackson family, which includes sisters Janet & La Toya and other brothers Marlon, Jackie, Tito and Randy Jackson. Meanwhile, thousands of fans had gathered at the UCLA Medical Center, as well as at the late singer's home and even at the Apollo Theatre in New York, where Jackson and his brothers got their start back in the '60s.

Born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, Michael Joseph Jackson became a musical prodigy when, at age five, he began performing with his older brothers as The Jackson Five. The quintet, led by the young Michael, signed a recording contract with Motown Records in 1968, where they enjoyed hits like "I Want You Back" (1969), "ABC" (1970), "The Love You Save" (1970) and "I'll Be There" (1970), all No.1's.

By 1972 Michael had begun making records on his own with Motown, and even moonlighted as a part-time actor when he starred as the "Scarecrow" in Sidney Lumet's modest hit The Wiz (1978), a black variation of The Wizard of Oz that also featured Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor. Over his lengthy showbiz career Jackson had dabbled with acting via his classic music videos (most notably in the 13-minute, John Landis-directed "Thriller"), a guest voice appearance on The Simpsons (1991), a cameo in Men in Black II (2002), and mini-films Captain EO (1986) and Ghosts (1997).

In 1979 Michael broke new ground as a solo artist with the Quincy Jones-produced Off the Wall (Epic Records), which sold 20 million copies worldwide, won him his first of 14 Grammy Awards, and spawned five hit singles, including chart-toppers "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You." In 2003 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it amongst the "500 Greatest Albums of All-Time," placing Off the Wall at No.68.

Jackson, a self-proclaimed prefectionist, returned in 1982 with what is considered to be the most commercially successful album in music history, the renowned Thriller. Again produced by Jones, Thriller sold in excess of 27 million copies in the U.S. alone, and upwards of 50 million around the world, birthing numerous major hits along the way, including "Beat It" (#1), "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (#10), "The Girl Is Mine" (#2/ a duet with Paul McCartney), the title cut (#4) and the groundbreaking and infectious "Billie Jean" (#1). The legacy of Thriller also includes memorable music videos that changed the face of MTV forever, and a stunning Grammy sweep that saw the singer walk away with eight trophies. Thriller was reissued in 2001 and again last year.

Around the same time, in 1983, Jackson premiered his signature "moonwalk" dance move on the TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. The following year saw Jackson suffer second degree burns to his scalp during the filming of a Pepsi TV commercial, which led to a $1.5 million lawsuit and his long addiction with pain killers. During 1985 he was part of USA for Africa, a group of popular musicians who topped the charts (in 17 countries) with a song Jackson co-wrote, "We Are the World," which raised millions of dollars for aid to Africa.

Although Jackson's subsequent albums, Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991), sold extremely well, they could not come close to the daunting triumph that was Thriller, despite lodging #1 smash hits in "Bad" (1987), "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (1987), "The Way You Make Me Feel" (1987), "Dirty Diana" (1988), "Man in the Mirror" (1988) and "Black or White" (1991). Combined, Bad and Dangerous saw international sales of more than 60 million units.

Jackson, who published an autobiography in 1988 (Moon Walk), would also become a staple of the tabloids, as his personal trials and tribulations fed the pages of supermarket mags, including his countless plastic surgeries, gay accusations, a bizarre relationship with his pet monkey Bubbles, a brief affair with actress Brooke Sheilds, an eating disorder, supposed skin bleaching, and even claims that he slept in an oxygen chamber and had purchased the remains of the "Elephant Man."

But it all came to a boiling point in 1993 when a 13-year-old boy alleged that the pop superstar had sexually molested him at the singer's infamous Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Later in the year Jackson underwent a "humiliating" strip search after a police warrant was issued in order to verify descriptions of Jackson's genitals, according to the young boy. The case was eventually settled out of court on New Year's Day 1994 for a reported $2 million.

Unfortunately, from this point on Jackson's eccentric and peculiar personal life overshadowed his music career (despite 1995's #1 hit "You Are Not Alone" and Janet Jackson duet "Scream"), as he made headlines for his short marriage to the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie (1994-96), a second marriage to nurse Debbie Rowe (1996-99), and the births of his three children, Prince Michael (b. 1997), Paris Michael (1998) and Prince Michael II (2002). Known now as "Wacko Jacko," Jackson also had to deal with the "failure" of his anticipated comeback album Invincible (2001), which offered just one Top 10 hit, "You Rock My World."

Things somehow took a turn for the worse in 2003, when a candid Michael revealed too much in a British documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson, in which the reclusive performer admitted to sharing his bed with "many children," something he saw nothing wrong with. As part of a damage control campaign, Jackson released a "rebuttal video" that claimed doc host Martin Bashir lied, misled, and took things out of context for the interview. The documentary aired shortly after Jackson went under fire for dangling his newborn son from a balcony at a hotel in Berlin, Germany.

As of late Michael Jackson's name continued its drag through the mud, made worse with bizarre court appearances, various lawsuits, failed comeback attempts, and rumours that the former multi-millionaire was broke. Jackson, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice (1997 and 2001), was scheduled for another career comeback this July, as he was to perform for over 1 million fans over 50 sold-out concerts at London's O2 arena. Unfortunately, we will never get to see what this latest attempt to regain the spotlight would've resulted in. Rest in peace.

"People think they know me, but they don't. Not really. Actually, I am one of the loneliest people on this earth. I cry sometimes, because it hurts. It does. To be honest, I guess you could say that it hurts to be me."
-Michael Jackson