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Let's remember the real Jackson
THE tragedy of Michael Jackson's death is the realisation that the King of Pop – the slick, moonwalking, hysteria-inducing star of old – actually departed a long, long time ago.
For the last 10 years we've been left with a freakish looking middle-aged man beleaguered by troubling allegations and growing financial problems.
But his official passing does at least allow us to separate the two faces of Jackson, now we can wrestle the image of the young 70s starlet from that of the increasingly Wacko Jacko of the 90s.
We can cherish once more the single-gloved enigma of 20 years ago rather than have to endure sporadic news reports about the reclusive and increasingly derided man of the last decade.
For a long time the uncomfortable accusations surrounding Jackson's private life meant acknowledging his brilliance felt somehow wrong. But that strange man has gone – it's safe for Michael to come out now.
The fact is that Jackson was the first black star of the MTV generation and an incomparably gifted performer who leaves behind a back catalogue like no other.
Could anyone on the planet not name one of his songs? Not be able to at least hum it? Or even sing it word-for-word? Heck, which one of us wouldn't instantly recognise 10 of his tunes if they weren't played to us?
And I'd wager anyone under the age of 40 could instantly spot just a sample of the sweeping strings from Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, the epic bassline of Smooth Criminal or that guitar riff from Black and White.
Now, that's the stuff of true legend.
And yet he became known as a bleached weirdo whose personal profile – oxygen chambers, plastic surgery, primate playmates – threatened to eclipse his musical legacy. Finally, let us pray, we can shift the focus back on to his glory years.
Not just for one generation, but for the last two or three generations he's been a global phenomenon no one could compare to. Even as a boy he stunned audiences with his voice and apparent joie de vivre.
Both as a solo artist and with the Jackson 5, tunes like ABC, Can You feel It?, I Want You Back became instant classics, remembered forever – and remember he was just 11 years old when he started out.
Even in 1982 when he released Thriller – which went on to become the biggest selling album of all time – he was just 24 years old. Here was the world's first genuine pop prodigy.
And from there on in the hits flooded out, Beat It, Thriller, Billie Jean and after the release of Bad in 1987 came The Way You Make Me Feel, I Just Can't Stop Loving You and Dirty Diana.
By the 1990s, and the release of Dangerous and his greatest hits, he may still have been shifting records by the millions but his ability to create seminal songs was starting to fade.
Nevertheless the legacy of his early career stands out above all others – perhaps even above that of Elvis Presley – because his arrival on the world stage marked, or may even have sparked, a sea change in music.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll may have caused a sensation for 1950s audiences with his hip-swinging blue-eyed soul but when the King of Pop came along 20 years later it heralded a new chapter of popular culture.
He was the first African-American to break through the racial barrier and appeal to a mass market. He was the first to marry soul with pop, funk, rock and do it successfully. He was the first to fully tap into the burgeoning MTV market, to create a stage-show as big as the music, and a persona equally huge.
It's no coincidence that virtually every entertainer – of almost every genre – will reference Jackson as some kind of inspiration.
Without Jackson there might never have been RnB, hip hop, rap, at least not in the form it is today. Without Jackson's bouncing beats and disco classics dance music wouldn't be quite the same and in the pantheon of pop gods he is simply the greatest showman that ever lived.
Although he's often portrayed as a victim of modern-day media, Jackson also mercilessly worked the media. Far from being exploited by fame, he nurtured his iconic status in a way that few other entertainers had ever done before.
Along with his music, this level of control is what sets him apart from his contemporaries and has subsequently set the bar.
Michael Jackson, a black working class kid from an industrial suburb of Chicago, sent out a powerful message to every teen wannabe across the world: I'm famous because I made myself famous.
So in months to come, as allegation after allegation is sure to seep out, let's hope that we separate the memories of heyday and latter day Jackson – and let's recall the one that changed a small part of history.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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