Michael Jackson’s sudden death less than a month before a series of comeback concerts in London robbed the self-styled “King of Pop” of the chance to show the world that he could recover the magic that made him one of the most exciting performers in the music world 20 years ago.
Jackson’s musical genius that produced hits like “Thriller” and “Beat It” and “Bad” has long been overshadowed by his eccentric behavior in recent years and the allegations of child molestation that were never proved in court but which tarnished his image.
Investigations into his death on Thursday are already under way, but
how will the world ultimately remember Jackson?
As the cute child star of The Jackson 5, the moon-walking performer of spectacular stage specials, the star behind the innovative “Thriller” video: or the man who wore surgical masks, covered his young children with veils in public, declared himself to be Peter Pan in his heart and whose relationship with young boys proved perplexing to adults?
Sudden death at a young age often turns the dead into far bigger icons than they were in life.
Which image of Jackson do you think will ultimately prevail?
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20 comments so far
[...] ★ King Of Pop or tarnished genius? I’m not sure why the concepts need to be mutually exclusive. [...]
- Posted by Michael Jackson is Dead - spincitydotorgHe is a legend no matter what people say. Michael shapped the world with music to what we know today, and I highly doubt we will ever see anyone of his magnitude in our time ever again. Hail to the King of Pop, and may his memory inspire other artists to be themselves and maybe if they are talented enough they may even accomplish half of what he has done. Let his service to the public with his music be what we remember and let the memory of his goodness prevail. No one is perfect and whatever mistakes he has made in the past is not for us to judge. Let us celebrate his life and what he has added to the world instead of attacking him. My sympathies to his family and Michael than you for making music what it is today, may you rest in peace.
- Posted by AlessandraMJ was murdered for not being able to offer five prayers a day… MJ has gone to Heaven… Do send some good music from outside earth, where ever you are and leave a return address… Ok buddy so long till I die and meet you and then we will have one hell of a time in heaven and burn everything up there with some rock n roll from Judas Priest… I will bring an autograph of Rob Halford… Hopefully we will also catch up with Jim Morrison, Kishore Kumar, RD Burman… Till then let’s as you say, Beat It.
See you soon Mike. I am coming.
- Posted by RohitHe is a musical legend, his personal life was a mess but that has got nothing to do with his huge musical talents.
- Posted by Boss HossMichael Jackson was innocent of the criminal charges against him. I explained why in my blog: http://mahonblog.com/archives/9
- Posted by Tom MahonKING OF POP! Was Elvis tarnised? They had their issues but that doesn’t take away from the talent, the gift and the music! Let the man rest in peace considering the media didn’t let him rest in life!
- Posted by VeraWhat a bunch of hypocrites the media are! Until his death, they had nothing good to say about him. Total vultures - calling themselves journalists is the ultimate hypocrisy!!
- Posted by galeRIP Micheal - your talent was formidable.
Being a child of the sixties and having grown up with the jackson 5,I would prefer to remember his talent and not the problems he had in later life. Besides, nobobdy ever really knows what goes on out of the public eye that could have affected him to the point of altering his mental state.Living a life in the public eye from a very young age couldn’t have helped much either.And if you can’t be kind about Micheal, please give some thought to his children nd fmily in their grief.
- Posted by janeMichael was an innocent man, childlike with a big heart. but narrow minded hypocritical people were after him, his money, his reputation. people were jealous of him, his success and fame. They made a big deal of his sleeping with children and tarnished his image. He remains a true artist and a legend.
- Posted by reenaleesI cant believe hes gone. I have listened to him and grown up with his music all my life. I will love him always as he was a genius and a king and I will never forget him. Maybe at last he wil be at peace. I dont care what anyone says but he did make this world a better place in my eyes. R.I.P.
Always a fan……
- Posted by nicolaUndisputed genius and a true emperor in the music industry.Sadly though his carreer was filled with controversy and the allegations though never proven in a court of law must have taken a huge toll on his health.His life sadly was ironic in a way because although he had earned hundreds of millions of dollars and was immensely talented ;deep down he must have been very lonely .Who knows ;since he never had a normal childhood (because he began work at the age of 6);his desire to be young again and associate with young boys got him into a lot of trouble.That could be the innocent explanation of his actions.I feel that a lot of the people and journalists who siezed every opportunity to make money out of his life must have a conscious to answer to.In conclusion may his soul rest in peace ;eternal peace and harmony which eluded him in real life and which he sought out so much.Adios Peter Pan of the music industry!!
- Posted by dejavousMicheal!!! what can I say!!!your gone…..Im a huge person that loves music..preferrible the late 70`s n the 80`s n even into the 90`s, FREDDY MERCURY and YOUR GOODSELF are now gone…. I only have 1 more person that is now here, and , well what can I say..except 3 of you`s (the 3rd being Tina Turner)are \\\”LEDGENDS\\\”……. along with Elvis …. cripes, Music will never be the same…. you`s always gave it \\\”MEANING\\\”……..i`LL MISS you……..then again , I know your not gone, because …your music is still here and it`ll always have a place in my heart…. you`ve had it tough, but hopefully you will look down now and rest ,knowing you really were loved by thousands….R.I.P..n your music will live on……..for ever…
- Posted by JAYhe is was and all ways be a legend. dam the people who tried to take his money with bogus accusations
- Posted by benHe is a legend and there won’t be another like him or Elvis in a very long time. Its too bad when a person has so much talent that they are so watched and picked on by the public eye. I think the poor man died of a broken heart. I know I would have it I lived in his shoes. I don’t know all the facts that happen in his life time and I know he was different but I can’t judge him other than agree he was a real master at his craft at creating music. He will be missed and we are at a loss as we will not hear any new music from this creative man. I’m truly happy that I got to experience his music in my life time. I wasn’t a huge fan but I have a lot of respect for what he has done for the music business and the songs he wrote. Rest in peace king of pop. Michael Jackson.
- Posted by LeonHe’s been one of my IDOLS during my younger years. We even danced to his musics during parties, at school or just follow his steps. It’s a big blow now that he is gone forever. Deep in my (our) hearts, he made an impact on our lives one or another. I will miss him. And the only way I that he will be alive are through his music videos, music and our memories of him. Rest in peace Mike. We’re happy to know that you are with our creator with all the pain and sufferings long gone.
- Posted by RolandI have Loved M.J Since i was a little girl… I was at work when he died, so i had no idea about his death.. As soon as i entered my house i was greeted with the heart redden news…. Have you ever felt like your world stop turning? that is how i felt that afternoon.. I don’t care what the world think of Michael Jackson, all i know is i love him with all my heart.. R.I.P my love one…….
- Posted by Leslyn St.aimeMichael Jackson had a string of hits and released the biggest selling album ever; however, does that make him great or a genius? I did respect Michael as an artist, and I did like several of his songs, which are timeless, but I don’t think he warrants the accolades that the public is giving posthumously. If you want to give accolades, then give him the accolade for Thriller. Also, you can give him the accolade for serving as the catalyst that opened the doors for African Americans on MTV. Does that make him a genius? I just think the public does what it does best; it jumps on bandwagons. Also, I think that most people lack musical depth and knowledge and really don’t want to be challenged musically. People tend to settle for the status quo, generally. Michael’s music was status quo. It didn’t challenge you. If you want to place “Man in the Mirror” as reaching outside of that, then sure. I will also give you “Black or White.” Let’s thrown in “Heal the World.” But, what else do you have? I agree that Michael’s music made you dance and feel good, but he had a string of producers that did just that..they produced. Without them, I truly doubt if he would have had the hits that he did. And speaking of musical depth, I have read several blogs about Prince being less gifted than Michael. Like Michael, I like Prince, I’m not a fanatical fan of Prince nor Michael. I am a fan of music, so I did my own research. It is a fact that Prince has produced far more music in the last three years than Michael has produced in an entire decade. Michael released one album in this entire decade. One full album during the 90s and a compilation in the mid 90s. Where is the genius in that? Prince has created an album at least every year since he entered the business in 1978. There were a few times when he released two or three albums in one year. Prince creates music that challenges the mind, the spirit, and the soul; not to just jump on the latest musical fad that a lot of “artist” tend to do, Michael included. Jumping on musical fads doesn’t sound like artistry or genius to me. Prince changed his name to challenge the music industry and to force it to take a deeper look into the way the business operates and how it treats its artists. That speaks volumes to me as a music lover. I am not advocating on behalf of Prince, but when you think of the title the king of pop, which has become synonymous with Michael Jackson, I think Prince should be called the King of Music. He has created more albums than virtually any other artist in their entire careers. Madonna has even created more records than Michael in his solo career and has had just as many hits as Michael, but I definitely wouldn’t call her a genius. Janet has released more records than Michael. All respect paid to Michael Jackson for his ginormous contribution to popular music; however, just because someone sells more records doesn’t make them great or genius! It means that they had a great marketing team. If that’s the case, George Bush won the presidency twice….what does that tell you?
- Posted by MusicManMichael Jackson is a toast of the world
- Posted by hanmi reddyI’m not sure we need to qualify Michael Jackson’s success or even quibble about it. It is what it is, and to compare it, say, to Prince’s career is faulty. Prince is an innovator and pushed boundaries. Jackson’s herald, “The King of Pop,” is just that. And he has no peer. Saying he couldn’t have done it without “producers” is a little like saying he couldn’t have done it without a drummer. The inverse is more accurate: His producers would not have had their success without Jackson’s rare talent and they would be the first to admit it. The attacks on his personal life which is really a guarded mystery won’t have the longevity of his music. It’s amusing that people want to point to the last 10 years of his career and think that somehow negates the rest of his contribution and achievment. It doesn’t. Read that statistics, and if selling records is not an indication or measure of Pop, I don’t know what is.
- Posted by MJFargoWhy does everyone have to continue tarnishing MJ’s image even after his death? Why can’t they simply understand the fact that he had been acquitted of all the child molestation charges? Isn’t a jury verdict and a court order enough for them to believe it? His personal life was his and he had a right to live it as he wanted to? Who are we to question it? How will we feel if people start questioning every move of ours every single day of our lives? Just because he was a public figure did not take away from him his right to life and privacy…..Media has always been a gossip jungle and will always be as that’s what sells them as there are millions who demand such news..They’ll try to make most out of his death too…..Let MJ rest in peace now atleast, which he could never do while he was living……
- Posted by Rashi