Never Can Say Goodbye

I certainly did not forget the passing of the legendary Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009 , the King of Pop.  I took time and waited to post about it for a few reasons.  First, everyone else did it instantly and I did not want to be a follower nor did I want my post to get lost in the pile of numerous tributes given in the first week of his loss.  Second, I want to take a moment and reflect on what his loss means to me and the several generations he touched. Finally, I wanted to write something special, a tribute befitting a king.

As a young boy, Jackson  captured the hearts of the boomer generation as he embodied the gut wrenching soulful sounds of his adult Motown contemporaries like Marvin Gaye and David Ruffin.  After the success of the Jackson 5 waned, Michael charted his own path and began a chart topping, electrifying solo career with his debut album, Off the Wall.  His new album, transformed him into an adult star, carried his boomer fans as they danced to disco and ushered in a new era of pop.  But it would be Thriller, the greatest selling album of all time, that endeared him to Generation X.  We  looked for the first time and never took our eyes off of him.    The album, with stupendous hits Beat It, Billie Jean and the title track, broke the color barrier on the previously all white, no black newly formed MTV.  Though his successive albums, Bad, Dangerous, History, Blood on the Dance Floor and Invincible, would never reach the pinnacle of Thriller’s success, each new release garnered yet another legion of adoring fans. 

The man and his magic; skillful dance moves—a three second moonwalk performed a quarter a century ago, will forever be his, his use of imagery to convey in his videos—transforming in Black or White and that iconic voice, high pitched well into manhood, attracted far more attention than he wanted.  His every move was scrutinized.  His strange and bizarre physical transformation  coupled with his public and private gaffs (dangling his young baby from a balcony and the child sex abuse charges were an all time low for the star) to many, were sign of a deeply troubled soul at conflict and filled with torment.  His lyrics illustrated the pain  felt of his public image as in You Are Not Alone and his plea to the public and press to keep their distance in Leave Me Alone.  But we just could not.  Even in death, we still seek, haunt and ask.  There were reports the Google server crashed the day after his death due to so many hits.  He was dead less than 24 hours before iTunes reported that 9 of the top 10 albums sold that day were his.

Michael Jackson, the world over, represents American iconography in death as he did in life. Farewell my King!