The Generous King of Pop, Speech Example

Introduction

Attention-getter: According to the Guinness Book of World Records, he currently holds the record for the “most Grammy Awards won in a year, bestselling album of all time, longest span of No. 1 hits by an R & B artist, best selling music video, highest annual earnings ever for a pop star, and most successful pop music family.”  He is one of the only artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, with estimated worldwide sales of 750 million records.  In addition to these amazing feats of success, he has also achieved great humanitarian accomplishments.

Credibility/Relevancy: As a long time fan of Michael Jackson, I have taken the effort to do extensive research about Michael’s charity efforts and plan to share some facts that some of us may not have known.

Preview of main points: We have gathered today as fans of Michael Jackson to commemorate his life and in doing so; I plan to share with you aspects of Michael Jackson’s humanitarian efforts outside of his music career.  Michael gave generously throughout his life and is considered one of the most charitable musicians of all time.  He actively participated in numerous charities, but there were a few that held special significance.

<< Transition: You may know him as the King of Pop, let me introduce you to the King of Generosity.

Body

Main Point: Considered one of the most charitable musicians of all time,   Michael donated money from concerts and record sales, organized concerts and singles for charity and even received awards and a world record for his charitable contributions.

According to the informative website Brainz, Michael donated $5 million dollars from the 1984 Victory Tour and all of the profits from his ’92-’93 Dangerous World Tour.  The website Look to the Stars states that 100 percent of the profits from the single “Man in the Mirror” were donated to Camp Ronald McDonald.

According to the British newspaper The Examiner, Michael recorded the single “We Are the World” with Lionel Richie to raise funds for famine relief in Africa.  It is also known that he organized a charity concert with Luciano Pavarotti for refugees in Kosovo and needy children in Guatemala, organized the “Michael Jackson and Friends” benefit concert to raise funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s fund, the Red Cross and UNESCO, and he also organized the “United We Stand: What More Can I Give” benefit concert for the families affected by the September 11^th terrorist attacks.

Because of his numerous charitable contributions, he received an award from President Regan for his support of drug and alcohol abuse charities and according to the fan-based site All Michael Jackson.com, he was listed in the year 2000 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records for the “Most Charities Supported by a Pop Star” with a total of 39.

<< Transition: Now that we have an understanding of the magnitude of Michael’s generosity, let us now turn our attention to some of the charities that held special meaning to Michael.

Main Point: Of the many charities that Michael was involved in, two particular charities can be viewed with special significance.

While filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984, Michael suffered severe burns to his scalp causing him to be rushed to the hospital.  The ensuring lawsuit resulted in a settlement of $1.5 million dollars, which according to the UK edition of MSN Money, Michael donated to charity.  This would later lead to the burn ward of the Brotman Memorial hospital being renamed the “Michael Jackson Burn Center” in his honor.

Of the charities in which Michael was involved, none were more personal than the “Heal the World” foundation, which according to The Seattle Times was established by Michael himself in 1992.  With a focus on the safety and welfare of children around the world, Michael aimed to improve the world through eliminating violence and famine.

Conclusion

Review/Summary of Main Points: As we have now learned, Michael led an extraordinary generous life.  He proved to be one of the most charitable celebrities in the world and personally involved himself through charitable concerts and by establishing the “Heal the World” foundation.

Concluding Remarks: He will be dearly missed, but never forgotten.  His legacy will continue to endure through his generous donations and efforts.  I hope that all of us can follow Michael’s example and make this a better world for each of us.

Works Cited

Morrison, Holly. “Michael Jackson and Pepsi.” UK MSN Money. Ed. Unknown. N.p., 2 Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://money.uk.msn.com/your-cash/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=150418799&page=3>.

Pabst, Georgia. “Jackson’s Foundation Aimed At Helping Children.” The Seattle Times. Ed. Kate Riley. N.p., 8 Feb. 1993. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19930208&slug=1684302>.

St.Cyr, Linda. “Michael Jackson’s charity contributions.” Examiner.com. Ed. Unknown. N.p., 1 July 2009. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://www.examiner.com/sitemaps/x-11533-Celebrity-Charity-Examiner~y2009m7d1-Michael-Jacksons-charity-contributions>.

Unknown, . “16 of Michael Jackson’s Greatest Non-Musical Achievements.” Brainz. Ed. Unknown. N.p., 2009. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://brainz.org/16-michael-jacksons-greatest-non-musical-achievements/>.

Unknown, . “Charities.” All Micheal Jackson. com. Ed. Unknown. N.p., 2002. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://www.allmichaeljackson.com/charities.html>.

Unknown, . “Michael Jackson’s Charity Work, Events and Causes.” Look To The Stars. Ed. Unknown. N.p., 2006. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/113-michael-jackson>.

Unknown, . “Michael Jackson Dies at 50.” Guinness World Records. Ed. Unknown. N.p., 26 June 2009. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. <http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Michael-Jackson-dies-at-50/BLOG/407707/7691.html>.