The Life and Legacy of Michael Jackson, Essay Example

Michael Joseph Jackson, the seventh in a family of nine, was born to Joseph Walter Jackson and Katherine Esther Scruse on the 29^th of August 1958 in Gary, Indiana. Jackson had five brothers: Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Randy and three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet (George, 2004). Dubbed the “King of Pop”, Michael became one of the most successful commercial musicians and entertainers of all time. His uniqueness, in music and dance and his publicized personal life exalted him to unimaginable prominence that spanned four decades. His works became likable and influential the world over! As is narrated in this paper, the life and times of Michael and his works and the influence thereof on the writer and others is proof of how dedication, versatility, uniqueness, and kindness can be rewarding to humanity.

Michael’s career started with his vocalist and dancer roles in the Jackson 5. He was then able to launch his singles and soon became a favorite in popular pop culture. Jackson produced so many albums, most of which were hits in the United States and the world.  Michael married his first wife, Lisa Marie Presley but divorced less than two years later (Taraborrelli, 2004). Jackson married a second wife, Deborah Jeanne Rowe, in 1996 with whom he had two children: Michael “Prince” Joseph Jr. and a daughter named Paris-Michael Katherine (Taraborrelli, 2004). In his late life, Jackson experienced controversies related to child molestation and confrontations with the media. His performances were marred by instances of failing health and apparent skin cancer and face surgeries that were rumored to cause deterioration in his health. He collapsed at his mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in Los Angeles and attempts to resuscitate him failed. He was pronounced dead at 21:26 UTC at Ronald Reagan UCLA Hospital (Tourtellotte, 2009).

The Memorable Works of Michael and Why it is Likable

Michael showed his singing talent at an early age when he performed Christmas recitals in front of his class. He and his brother Marlon were to join his other brothers in 1964 as back up musicians. He then progressed into dancing and vocals at an early age of eight in the Jackson 5. Under the Jackson 5, they recorded several songs under Motown Records such as Big Boy, I Want You Back, The Love You Save, ABC and I’ll Be There. In these, Michael quickly emerged as a unique singer with Rolling Stone describing him as a “prodigy with overwhelming musical gifts” (Brackett & Hoard, 2004 p23).

Michael started his solo career in the year 1971. His first hit was the album Thriller which sold long after its release. Other hits came later and included Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory in 1995. Others hits which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts included I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror Dirty Diana and Dangerous  among others (Leopold, 2005). His hit songs, Thriller, Billie Jean and Beat It accorded him respect as the first African American to amass a strong crossover admiration on MTV. His numerous albums saw him being inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time in multiple Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy Awards, and close to 17 singles that became number one hits. His sales were estimated to between 350 and 750 million records worldwide (Rian-Ashlei, 2009).

Apart from releasing these appealing albums, Michael popularized several complicated dances such as the Moonwalker and the Robot. He is also accredited for transforming the music video, early considered a promotional tool to a rich art form liked by many. He starred in the film Captain EO, the most expensive film at the time ever produced on per minute basis. The film was screened by Disneyland in Tomorrowland area for close to 11 years while Walt Disney World featured it from 1986 up to 1994 (George, 2004). Michael was also a noted humanitarian and philanthropist; donating and raising several million dollars through his Heal the World Foundation and with the support of close to 39 other charitable organizations to help disease and war ravaged children (Lewis, 2005). He also joined other artists in worldwide charitable events and hosted underprivileged children in his ranch to enjoy theme park rides. He also drew attention to HIV/AIDS when he pleaded with the Clinton Administration to give more impetus and funds to HIV/AIDS research and charities (Taraborrelli, 2004).

Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, who had all the tools with which he dominated charts with ease. He had an instantly identifiable voice, stunning versatility and management of his music, and sheer star power. These made him instantly likable. Most prominently, an admiration that is deeply embedded in the writer is Jackson’s seemingly unique and eye-popping dance moves. According to Time Magazine, Jackson was “the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley” while Vanity fair described him as “the most popular artist in the history of show business” (Cocks, 1984 p42; George, 2004 p44). According to Utley, he was “a genius” and an “extremely important figure in the history of popular culture” (Utley, 2003 par8).

The Outstanding Impact

Jackson’s music genre derived from R&B, Motown’s music, soul and pop and great influence from celebrated musicians like Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Diana Ross, Bee Gees and Fred Astaire and English artists like Benny Hill and Charlie Chaplin among others. In return, he influenced even more people. He transformed the music video art and modernized pop, paving way for strong roots of the same in the US. His distinctive musical sounds and vocal style continue to influence pop, hip hop and R&B productions. Artists like Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Usher, R. Kelly and Justin Timberlake are some whose performances got the Jacksonian influence (Reid, 2005). For the greater part of his career, Jackson had an unparalleled influence across the world. His many awards remain an inspiration to musicians across the world. His music and humanitarian involvements captured the spirit of the youth (Robinson, 2005).

Conclusion

In his long spanning and exhilarating career, Michael Jackson starred, prospered, helped and influenced. Despite several controversies that dogged his career, he was able to hit market value in assets and sales comparable to very few in his career. He made a career out of determination; maintained uniqueness, versatility and commitment that gave him a natural lead over his contemporaries. Most importantly, his dancing style, vocals and genres influenced musicians and fans. He was likeable. He was helpful, influential and controversial. But most importantly, he never looked back until his demise. His dedication, versatility, uniqueness, and kindness was a recompense to himself, his fellow artists, fans and producers; a recompense that has endured posthumously.

References

Brackett, N, and Hoard, C. (2004). Rolling Stone Album Guide. Fireside.

Cocks, J. (19 March 19841984). Why He’s a Thriller. Time. Retrieved 20 August 2009, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,950053-1,00.html

George, N. (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.

Leopold, T. (6 June 2005). Michael Jackson: A life in the spotlight. CNN. Retrieved 20 August 2009, from http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/01/30/jackson.life

Lewis, J. (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: The big picture: The Music! The Man! The Legend! The Interviews! Amber Books Publishing.

Reid, A. (2005). Michael Jackson. Rollingstone. Retrieved 20 August 2009, from http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940053/35_michael_jackson

Rian-Ashlei, M. (18 August 2009). Michael Jackson: The second coming.  Georgia State University. Retrieved 20 August 2009, from http://media.www.gsusignal.com/media/storage /paper924/news/2009/08/18/Urbanite/Michael.Jackson.The.Second.Coming-3755223.shtml

Robinson, B. (23 February 2005). Why are Michael Jackson’s fans so devoted? ABC News. Retrieved 20 August 2009, from http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/LegalCenter/story?id=464753&page=1

Taraborrelli, J. R. (2004). The magic and the madness. Terra Alta, WV: Headline.

Tourtellotte, B. (25 June 2009). King of Pop Michael Jackson is dead: Official. Reuters. Retrieved 20 August 2009, from http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE55O6AK20090626

Utley, T. ( 8 March 2003). Of course Jackson’s odd — but his genius is what matters. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 August 2009, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/02/08/do0801.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/02/08/ixopinion.html