Remembering the King of Pop

Pop superstar Michael Jackson performing during the halftime show at the Super Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, file)

I can’t remember the first time that I discovered who Michael Jackson was.  Being a 90’s baby I grew up with all of his major iconic moments having already occurred.  So when I did start digging through his catalogue I had a goldmine full of decades worth of material to explore.   Like a lot of kids I went through a period where I was completely and utterly obsessed with Michael Jackson, I can thank my Aunty Lele for that.  One summer she gifted me and my cousins with DVD’s that included a compilation of Michael Jackson’s greatest music videos.  Now these  were the days prior to Youtube and post when MTV would actually solely play music videos all day.  So for us owning that Michael Jackson DVD was like having our very own little pot of gold.  We would crowd around the TV enamored by MJ’s singing and iconic dance moves.  Not before long everyone would be dancing as if Michael Jackson was in the living room putting on a show just for us.  That’s the way that his music would make you feel.  Very few artists have the ability to stop you in your tracks and teleport you into their world.  Michael Jackson’s music was infectious in the sense that the groove would spread throughout your body, whether you wanted it to or not.  I dare you to turn on P.Y.T. right now and try to remain still!  But, in order to understand how the undisputed “King of Pop” came to be, you have to go all the way back to where it all began. 

A young Jackson 5 before the fame

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana.  He was the eighth of ten children in the Jackson family.  Music ran through the Jackson family’s DNA.  His father, Joseph “Joe” Jackson, was a former boxer and a crane operator at US Steel, who also played guitar for the local rhythm and blues group the Falcons.  His mother, Katherine Jackson (née Scruse), played clarinet, cello, and piano, had aspired to be a country-and-western performer, and worked part-time at Sears.  When Joe Jackson discovered his son’s musical talents he formed The Jackson 5, originally consisting of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael.  Joe Jackson was notoriously known for making the boys practice relentlessly until their music and dance moves were perfectly in sync.  Michael has said that his father was physically and emotionally abusive during those rehearsals, recalling that Joe often sat with a belt in hand, ready to punish any and all mistakes.  

The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 first performed in talent shows and clubs on the “Chitlin' Circuit.”  The Chitlin' Circuit was a collection of performance venues found throughout the eastern, southern, and upper Midwest areas of the United States. It provided a safe space for Black artists to perform during segregation.  With Michael as the lead singer, they eventually signed with Motown, where they became the first group to debut with four consecutive number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the songs "I Want You Back" (1969), "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" (all 1970).  The Jackson 5 quickly skyrocketed to stardom and performed to sold-out concerts with record-breaking attendance nationally and internationally.  The Jackson family presented to America and the world a new positive image of Black families.  The brothers became a household name and appealed equally to Black and white audiences, shattering racial barriers.  They were so popular that they even had their own television series (Jackson 5ive), which was one of the first cartoon representations of a Black family that did not include cheap gags and stereotyping.  

The group left Motown for Epic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine, who was replaced by youngest brother Randy.  After signing to Epic Records the group changed their name to The Jacksons and went on to release successful albums and singles such as “Dancing Machine,” “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground),” and “Can You Feel It.”  It was during this time that the brothers began to embark on solo careers.  Michael released his first solo project under Epic, Off the Wall, produced by Quincy Jones and marked a significant transformation in Michael’s sound.  For the first time Michael was able to have full creative control and spawned hits like "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough,” “Rock with You,” and “Workin’ Day and Night.”  Off the Wall reached number three on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.  The album’s success led to rumors of Michael's alleged split from his brothers, which he confirmed during the final show of The Jacksons Victory tour.  

Michael Jackson Thriller album cover, the greatest selling album of all time

Michael began working on his second Epic solo release, Thriller, which later went on to become the best-selling album of all time, winning eight Grammy Awards including Album of the Year.  On March 25, 1983, Jackson reunited with his brothers for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, an NBC television special that aired on May 16 to an estimated audience of 47 million.  It was during this performance that Jackson debuted the moonwalk (which became his signature dance move) to Billie Jean while sporting a single rhinestone-studded glove and solidified his spot as a global superstar.  Thriller became the first album to generate seven top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the number-one hits "Billie Jean" and "Beat It".  Michael’s 14-minute zombie-themed music video "Thriller" took the world by storm, placing him in a league of his own.  Jackson followed Thriller with Bad (1987), the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana".  When Elizabeth Taylor presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, she called him "the true king of pop, rock and soul,” a title that has remained with him.   

Michael Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 500 million records.  He was inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Dance Hall of Fame. He is the only artist to ever have a top-ten single in six decades.  However, despite all of the success MJ came under a lot of public scrutiny due to changes in his appearance, relationships, behavior, and lifestyle.  

On June 25, 2009, less than three weeks before his farewell tour, This Is It, was due to begin in London, Jackson died from cardiac arrest, caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose.  The memorial service was one of the most watched events in streaming history, with an estimated worldwide audience of 2.5 to 3 billion viewers.

It has been almost twenty years since the King of Pop passed away, I can still vividly remember everything surrounding that day.  I even had friends calling to ask if I was okay, because I loved Michael Jackson as if he was an extended member of my own family.  There are few moments where it feels as if the entire world stops moving, and MJ’s passing was one of those moments.  Regardless of if you were a fan of Michael Jackson’s music the impact of his death was palpable.  Although the world was grieving, people managed to still find solace through Michael’s music.  I remember watching videos on the news of strangers taking to the street to dance together in remembrance of MJ.  Michael Jackson dedicated his life to creating music that transcended boundaries and continues to stand the test of time.  Even after death his art continues to reach newer generations.   It makes me smile whenever I see a clip of kids dancing in front of the television to Michael Jackson videos, like how I did when I was younger.  Michael Jackson has cemented his spot as a cultural icon in the history books and is truly one of one.  So this week I encourage you to listen to a Michael Jackson album or turn on a music video in remembrance of the King of Pop.  I know I’ll be dusting off the DVD that my Aunt made for me and having a dance party in the living room for old times sake.