King of Pop Silenced at 50

It would not be an overstatement to address Michael J. Jackson as a phenomenon and not just a singer. The uncrowned King of Pop left us too soon at 50, last Thursday, just when he was getting ready to ‘Jacksonize’ the world again with his massive comeback planned for London. The early death came as a shocker as gigantic as the death of the real pop king, Presley himself. Despite his shortfalls and conspiracies none can forget that MJ was a living legacy.

Jacko was a power-play from the onset of his singing career at the age of 4 and he climaxed to the peak of his career in the ‘80s with “Thriller” that was a smashing record-breaking hit that sold 50 million copies. Undoubtedly, MJ’s persona sky-rocketed to match the likes of charismatic music sensations. He became a phenomenon as great as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. The Jackson moonwalk, the break dance moves, the MJ hat and gloves, the suited silhouette with the cha-cha heels, and the signature “Oww!” became the greatest fashion for all times to follow. It was the biggest musical innovation of the century; a genre of its own kind, a marriage of black and white music.

Jackson was an all-rounder; a singer, a composer and a choreographer. His artistic specialties blended with philanthropy and human rights advocacy to create a global stir. Michael believed in miracles and his lyrics to his most enigmatic songs “Heal the World” and “Black or White” reflected that he was looking for one. He penetrated the music industry as a human rights activist; dynamically carrying the slogan of world peace. “I’m not gonna spend my life being a colour,” sang MJ as he hit hard on the face of racism, “It don’t matter if you’re black or white.” The world readily absorbed into his vibe and it was Jackson all the way. He was hailed as children’s Peter Pan as he established Neverland and became the most generous charitable figure.

However, MJ’s internal conflicts were used against him and his vibrant career began losing its colour from the onset of the conspiracies and allegations structured against him. The court battles robbed him dry of his wealth and tarnished his heartthrob image. The next singles he released were desperate measures to sneak back into the music realm and reclaim his throne; but the king was unable to do that because of his wreck loose lifestyle that had raised questions in combination with the court room cases.

Despite the fact that the great Jacko had been renamed as Wacko Jacko by the critics, fans still gathered round in earth-shaking masses when MJ announced his comeback. The series of 50 concerts scheduled for London sold out as soon as they were announced. Public cheered, women cried tears of joy as MJ; dressed in an alluring red, at his last press conference announced, “I will be singing the songs my fans like.”

For MJ fans; supposedly half the world’s music-loving population, his sudden death was heart-breaking. They wept in tears of remorse seeing their sensational King; symbolic with shooting up into the air from an on-stage explosion of fireworks, to being lowered down from a helicopter into an ambulance for being driven away to an autopsy center in Los Angeles.

This was really not the way it should have ended for Jackson. The rockstar who could have lived for a yet another generation to stir up a yet another music revolution, left us a bit too soon. He lived to tell the Jacko tale for 8 more years than his ex-father-in-law; the great Elvis Presley who passed away as sudden as MJ himself at 42.

As the music fraternity gathers round to grieve their beloved King of Pop it is true when their words echo: “There cannot be another Michael Jackson.”

MJ, you left us too soon.