Young Prepares For Grammy 3-D Tribute For MJ

CLEVELAND - A lifelong admirer of Michael Jackson and one of his most dedicated fans ever, entertainer Deante Young is gearing up for a televised tribute to the man.

Oh my.

Young donned a pair of special edition 3-D glasses to view a star-studded Grammy Awards tribute to Michael, which is scheduled for sometime during the telecast. Jackson is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously for a legendary and highly groundbreaking career that spanned 45 years. His two oldest children will accept the award on his behalf.

And Young will be glued to his television with his trusty glasses waiting.

Michael Jackson's Grammy Legacy: Pure Legend

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson will be posthumously honored with a lifetime achievement award during tonight's Grammy Awards. But in spite of his 13 career victories, his musical genius was deserving of many more.

Even still, his Grammy legacy is the stuff icons are made of.

It all started in 1980 when a 21-year old Michael won his first Grammy for best male R&B vocal for "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," the hit single from 1979's Off the Wall. Jackson was disappointed that he didn't win more and that developed into the fire that spurred him to craft music's seminal juggernaut; Thriller.

Of course, Thriller became eligible for inclusion at the 1984 ceremony which took place at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium. To understand why Jackson dominated the '84 Grammys, it's worth mentioning that Thriller was selling about one million copies per week at the time -- a full 15 months after it was released! The Grammys that night felt less like an awards show and more like a coronation...a deification if you will, for the superlative Michael Jackson and the epic popularity he possessed. It seemed as though the phenomenal sales of Thriller were almost an afterthought...he loomed so large over the event that each time he trekked to the stage to accept an award, it felt like his own personal showcase (read: love affair).

Jackson was the ultimate showman that night without even performing. He showed up with actress Brooke Shields and diminutive child star Emmanuel Lewis and wore a sparkly, blue military-style jacket complete with epaulets and a gold hued sash adorned with sequins. A white, collared shirt was underneath and black Aviator shades matched his black trousers. His signature, single Rhinestone glove was accessorized with a matching bracelet. At one point, Michael briefly removed his shades while accepting an award with his three sisters on stage with him and the crowd screeched their approval.

When the dust settled, Michael galvanized the entire music industry at its most prestigious event. The feeling that went through my household that night, 26 years ago was unbridled joy and jubilation. The great Michael Jackson got his just due and even though I was just six years old, I felt the enormity of the event.

Michael also won Grammys in 1985 and 1986 but his next transcendent Grammy moment took place at the 30th annual ceremony in March 1988. The event was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and Michael was in town to perform at Madison Square Garden two nights later as part of the second leg of his historic Bad World Tour. His Grammy performance included two songs off the Bad album: a slower tempo version of "The Way You Make Me Feel" and a stirring rendition of "Man in the Mirror" complete with a full choir. Michael's energy and defy-the-laws-of physics dancing meshed with the soaring emotion in his vocals to bring the house down.

It's all we talked about the next day in my 5th grade class.

MJ won a Grammy the following year for another in his long list of pioneering music videos, "Leave me Alone," but his next awesome moment took place at the 1993 ceremony. That's when Michael, at age 34 was honored with the Grammy Legend Award during a very publicly visible time for him. In the past month alone, Michael had performed an historic and eye-catching show at halftime of Super Bowl XXVII, sat down with television maven Oprah Winfrey for a 90-minute interview broadcast to a record audience globally and prepped for the summer debut of the second leg of his Dangerous World Tour.

Before Jackson was given his Legend Award, his youngest sister Janet took to the stage and payed a glowing tribute to him with a short video entitled, "How to Become a Legend." After the clip, Michael stepped onstage to a standing ovation and hugged his sister before grabbing the microphone. He exhibited a genuine humility in his acceptance speech and said it was great to finally be "thought of as a person rather than a personality." He expressed his love for children, thanked many family, friends and colleagues and responded to the public's opinion of him being "weird" by declaring that "when you grow up in front of 100 million people, you're automatically different."

Absolutely agree.

When Michael and Janet left the stage, it was touching seeing two American icons simply being brother and sister and nothing else. Their closeness and strong affinity for each other was quite evident. This moment, more than any of his other legendary moments on the Grammy stage was the best of Michael. He was playful and reflective. He was intelligent and aware. He was a giant and quite humble. It was the final time he would be viewed with more positivity than negativity by the general public. During his next television appearance, which would come 10 months later via satellite, a very shaken and crestfallen MJ was suddenly defending himself against awful allegations of child molestation. From then on, his seismic legend was forced to share space with the nastiness that came from such accusations and similar ones that surfaced a decade later.

One thing is for certain, though. Michael Jackson's massively amazing career deserves only the highest of praise and celebration. That is why he's deserved the Lifetime Achievement Award for about 20 years now.

I just wish he could be there to accept it.

26 Years Ago Today: Pepsi Turns Sour For Michael Jackson

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson is said to have died from an overdose of prescription medications given to him by his doctor. The legendary entertainer had also become dependent on several painkillers, an addiction that was birthed after an awful fire in 1984 that nearly claimed his life.

Damn you, Pepsi.

It was 26 years ago today that Michael's scalp was severely burned while filming a Pepsi commercial. The event was horrible enough at the time given the fact that Jackson was at the very peak of his popularity and success. On top of that, the near fatal incident wound up having much worse lasting effects that didn't become apparent until last summer. That's when Michael suddenly died at age 50 from the aforementioned overdose. Those close to him revealed that because of the immense pain that resulted from the second degree burns he suffered on the Pepsi set, he began taking painkillers. That led to an addiction, which brought him into the world of other meds that would help him sleep or cope with the stress of his high-profile career and personal life.

Talk about a chain reaction.

It was baffling to me that, in mid-July 2009, video footage from that infamous Pepsi ad surfaced after 25 years and showed in very graphic detail exactly how Michael's hair caught fire. It shows him, at age 25 clad in a sparkly jacket and standing at the top of a flight of stairs. In front of him is an audience of people placed there to simulate a concert. Michael descended the staircase several times, but on the sixth take, a tiny spark from a pyrotechnics effect shot into his very flammable Jheri-curled hair. Oblivious to what has happened, the megastar struts down the steps while his head becomes engulfed in flames. He does one of his trademark quicksilver spins, and suddenly realizes his hair is ablaze, then drops to the floor. At this point, Miko Brando and several others frantically rush to him and smother the flames out. Seconds later, Jackson is helped to his feet with a now gaping patch of missing hair in the back of his head. He looks a bit shaken and groggy as he is whisked away to an ambulance.

Michael wound up recovering and Pepsi settled with him for $1.5 million. Naturally, MJ donated the money to a hospital which now houses The Michael Jackson Burn Center as a result. Needless to say, the entertainment industry held its collective breath when news of this accident spread. At the time, Michael's status within the United States and abroad was excellent. He was the most invincible, unassailable and mindlessly talented figure in the business who was less than two months past the release of the groundbreaking "Thriller" music video. He'd just won an amazing eight American Music Awards less than two weeks prior to the fire and was a month away from dominating the Grammys with another eight awards. In other words, Michael was the biggest thing on planet Earth at the time outside of water.

Looking back, I have fond memories of that Pepsi commercial as well as another he did in tandem. But I still remember my six year old self being horrified and very scared at what happened to MJ that night. In light of his demise last summer and its loose connection to the '84 fire, I have some contempt for Pepsi, rightly or wrongly.

Because of what happened to Michael on their watch, Pepsi will always leave a bad taste in my mouth.

The Frustration of 'Michael Jackson's This Is It'

CLEVELAND - The final creative work of Michael Jackson's lifetime surfaces on DVD today and once again reminds the world of the colossal genius that the universe lost last summer.

I'll never be over it.

This Is It, the quasi documentary/concert film assembled from candid footage of Jackson's rehearsals for his planned comeback tour is bittersweet. When it hit movie theaters worldwide last fall, I was delighted to see it. Once it was over, I was both awestruck and upset. Michael's attention to detail and innovation was peerless. But since I was armed with knowledge of his sudden death before those destined-to-be-amazing concerts ever happened, I vacillated between joy and despair.

Watching the DVD will do the same thing to me.

This film does one thing extremely well. It reminds those who may have forgotten of Jackson's breathtaking abilities as a performer. Indeed, even though he only gives half-speed effort during the rehearsals, it's still enough to astonish. His dancing, even at nearly 51 years of age seemed to redefine the limits and laws of physics and gravity. His singing soars through the mostly empty arena and his voiced concepts of how the show was to play out was precise and ambitious.

Given the fact that Michael's public reputation had been on a steep decline for at least 15 years, this film is perfect because it strips away the controversy, scandal and criticism. All it shows is a master in his element, filled with focus and drive and eager to rekindle his status as the greatest entertainer in history. After seeing the epic scope and magnitude of what Michael had planned for those London concerts, it becomes an absolute certainty that he would have crafted the greatest live show ever. But instead of the finished product, us fans are left with a skeletal blueprint of what could've and would've been.

But with Michael Jackson front and center, it's still an awesome treat.

Leno-O'Brien Rivalry Has No Winners

CLEVELAND - With the entangled mess that has been going on in late night television the past few weeks, I decided to wait until some sort of conclusion was reached in the Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien rivalry. Sad to say, us fans of late-night comedy are the ones who ultimately lose.

And that bites.

Leno, who hosted the venerable The Tonight Show for 17 years, was essentially given the ax last year in favor of O'Brien, who became the show's new host in May. Leno was inactive for a few months, until he re-emerged with The Jay Leno Show, a low-budget ripoff of The Tonight Show in an earlier time slot; the kiss-of-death 10PM position. Putting Leno in primetime was a disaster almost from the beginning, as he's had to face-off with popular crime dramas on other networks. As a result, his ratings have been awful.

O'Brien, meanwhile didn't necessarily set the world on fire in the 11:35PM slot. He consistently trailed David Letterman in the same slot, especially after Letterman's controversial extortion scandal hit in early October. Earlier this month, NBC admitted that Leno's variety show wasn't working at 10PM and that it was cancelling the show. This left Leno in limbo, and ignited the chain reaction with O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon, whose show airs at 12:35AM.

Clearly, there is loyalty to both Leno and O'Brien and both men enjoyed major support from fans and celebrities. O'Brien declared that he wouldn't stand for being bumped to 12:05AM in favor of Leno having a half-hour show at 11:35PM. That opened the door for NBC to essentially eliminate him and reinstate Leno as the host of The Tonight Show. O'Brien (who hosted his final episode of Tonight last Friday) was reportedly bought out of his contract for around $45 million, and can't sign with another network until September. Leno will return to his former perch on March 1, but in spite of that and the fact that O'Brien will likely land on his feet with his pick of suitors, the entire mess will hurt those of us who admire both men. I, for one think that Leno is often funny and occasionally hilarious, and O'Brien's frequent self-deprecation endears him and augments his stunningly brilliant comedic talents.

With months to wait for things to return to "normal" in late night, we are being robbed. Letterman has enjoyed the confusion, since he was famously involved in a similar situation in the early 1990's. I hope Leno returns to his standard of quality during his forthcoming return. I also hope that O'Brien comes back with a vengeance in the fall on his new network--whichever one that may be. Yes, in the long term, us fans of both men will probably win out. But for the in between time, we will suffer.

And that's a shame.

The Importance of Kobe v.s. LeBron

CLEVELAND -  Forget for a moment what last night's 93-87 Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the L.A. Lakers means for the rest of this season. Instead, consider what it means to have Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on the same court facing off as the iconic leaders of their contending teams.

In other words, be awestruck.

I was mesmerized watching these two basketball giants inflict their massive talents upon the game, which took place here in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs built on their Christmas Day victory, in which they trounced the Hollywood boys on their homecourt. Last night, Cleveland was without their number two star Mo Williams, whose injury will keep him sidelined for over a month. In spite of all that, the game never became a rout in either direction.

As Kobe came out firing -- and hitting, I shook my head because it's what the man has been doing for many years. His footwork was impeccable, and his focus was clearly evident. In contrast, LeBron seemed detached from the game and stayed essentially on the perimeter as he failed to capture a shooting rhythm early. By halftime, both Bryant and James had risen to the challenge and tallied 20 and 18 points, respectively.

Bryant, who became the youngest person in league history to score 25,000 points after hitting a foul shot in the 2nd quarter, has been heavily compared to NBA legend Michael Jordan his entire career. James has been compared to both Jordan and Magic Johnson ever since he joined the NBA in the fall of 2003. In both cases, the comparisons are actually spot on, which is astonishing but also pays tribute to the level of brilliance these young men possess.

Bryant v.s. James is destined to be a historical fascination. With such superlative reputations on the court, the matchup demands sky high ticket prices, hordes of media attention and transfixed eyes. Imagine an early 1980's era Michael Jackson on stage with a mid-1950's era Elvis Presley facing off. Imagine Muhammad Ali in the ring with Mike Tyson with both men in top form. Bryant is 31. James is 25. Their proficiency and relentlessness are powered by their surreal drive and focus, so watching them do battle should be treated as a magical occurrence. No other superstar in the game has that level of magnetism and talent. So when Bryant took the challenge of defending the much bigger James last night, it was a moment filled with drama. When LeBron revved his engines into fifth gear in the 4th quarter, it became must-see TV.

Bryant has four NBA championships. James has none, but will almost certainly win at least one in the next year or two. LeBron finished with 37 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds last night. Kobe ended with 31 points. Let's pray that this matchup isn't finished for the year.

Kobe v.s. LeBron in the 2010 NBA Finals? Have mercy!

Dr. King Turned Hopeless Into Hopeful

CLEVELAND - Given the blatantly racist climate of the 1960's, it's a wonder that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn't destroyed long before he was. But his uncompromised drive to bring together a segregated nation continues improving our society, if only in small and imperceptible doses.

But, because of him, we have hope.

Today is the annual celebration of King's legacy. For the past 24 years, he has been honored with a national holiday that was initially rejected by "the powers that be." Knowing how much resistance that he received when he tried to bring us all together during his lifetime, the difficulty of making a King holiday a reality was apparent long before it was proposed. But I believe that every one of us Americans owe him a debt of gratitude. King wasn't about championing Blacks to the exclusion of everyone else. He was in fact, very inclusive. He wanted civil and equal rights for everyone. It just so happened that Blacks were the most disrespected in this country during the Civil Rights Movement.

At a time when mainstream acceptance for Blacks seemed like a pipe dream of fantastical proportions, Dr. King, with his stubborn determination and convictions gave us hope. With his legendary public crusades and powerful oration, we suddenly had a shot at equal rights comparable to Whites. Or so it seemed. It has now been nearly 42 years since his tragic death, but racism is still quite strong, though not as upfront and prohibitive as it was then.

Whatever progress this nation has made as a racially unified land, us Blacks owe it to King for giving us a shot in the dark. And everyone else owes it to him for bringing a small measure of peace and civility to the U.S.

Think about it.

McGwire's Confession Both Honorable and Despicable

CLEVELAND - Mark McGwire made a huge NBA fan (me) interested in major league baseball in the summer of 1998. With his high-profile and epic pursuit of a hallowed home run record, I was transfixed by the sheer power and drama of what turned out to be an illusionary competition between he and Sammy Sosa.

What a shame.

Yesterday, McGwire finally confirmed what had long been suspected by the media and general public. He was an avid user of steroids during a pro career that was adorned with monstrous home runs for which he became very popular. His admission wasn't exactly altruistic; he is slated to become the new hitting coach for his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals this coming season. It has been reported that he needed to "clear his conscience" before undertaking this long-held goal.

While it is amazing that McGwire admitted such a disgraceful and damning thing, it also speaks to the despicable nature of his willingness to engage in steroid use in the first place. The steroid issue has been a major problem in the big leagues for many years now, but since I openly rooted for McGwire in '98, I feel a bit betrayed as does many of his fans. He was a peerless home run hitter of unlimited power and embodied athletic machismo as well as any pro in his prime. But I do understand that all of us are humans wrought with flaws. For those reasons, I will forgive McGwire for his ill-advised decision.

Funny thing is, it was most likely because of what his steroid use enabled him to do on the field that I became enamored with him in the first place.

Weird.

The Hypocrisy of Elvis Presley's Legend

CLEVELAND - In recognition of Elvis Presley's 75th birthday, I have been thinking a lot about the seismic scope of his everlasting legacy. Without question, the man was a true American institution and well deserving of the rabid fan base that he still possesses more than 32 years after his sudden death. But one thing troubles me.

His negative side is rarely discussed.

I'm not saying Presley's legacy should be tarnished because of the character flaws and inner demons that he battled. I'm simply saying that most of what gets celebrated is his iconic career as The King of Rock and Roll, with barely a mention of his flip side. In contrast, an equally iconic yet troubled star named Michael Jackson gets wide praise for his legend, but almost equal disdain, criticism and vilification for his shortcomings.

Unfair.

Presley first became super popular because of his highly controversial gyrations on stage during television performances. He was criticized and panned by the media and his fellow singers. Even the great Frank Sinatra offered a scathing review of the man at his mid-1950's beginning as a pop culture giant. When Elvis appeared on the Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan shows, he appalled the hosts with his brazen and sexualized dance movements. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1960, only a few months after meeting a 14-year old girl named Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he dated and ultimately married. His legacy amazingly omits the fact that he had a romantic relationship with a girl barely into puberty and thus, he remains deified.

People speak of Michael Jackson's long stretches of inactivity musically, but Presley spent nearly the entire 1960's focusing, not on his music, but on making horrible Hollywood films. When he made his much ballyhooed return in a famous 1968 television special, the music industry had practically passed him by. Sure, he still had major appeal to his fans and he still made a few hits, but he was at the time, pretty ordinary as a musician.

During his final several years, Presley became an erratic, unfocused shell of his former self. He committed adultery on his wife, even impregnated another woman while married. He became grossly overweight and heavily dependent on drugs, mostly prescription meds. He upped his touring schedule greatly early in the 1970's, and began to act as though he were a God-like figure during his performances. His life had become wildly out of control and his excessive indulgences expedited his downfall.

What a King.

When he tragically died late in the summer of 1977, his popularity and acclaim were based more on his past than anything he'd done or stood for recently. In the three decades since, he has been canonized as a cultural treasure with nary a flaw or blemish. Yes, there is some talk of his flaws, but those aspects of his life have never been put front and center like Michael's has. To legions of Elvis Presley fans, he is and always will be just perfect.

And that's a damn lie.

2010 Has Arrived...Use Your Past To Create Your Future

CLEVELAND - The 1st year of the 2nd decade of the 21st century is now our current and present time. This is the proverbial "clean slate" that gets talked about whenever a new year arrives. Just like the first day of school, every one of us starts out with an "A." Will we maintain that grade, or will we flunk out?

Only time will tell.

Happy New Year, everyone. Today is Friday, January 1, 2010. Where in the world did the time fly to? In any event, each one of us at one time or another has experienced highs and lows, made smart decisions and stupid ones and been filled with flaws and talents. I will use all of those things to dictate the course of my every day life for this year and this decade. I encourage all of you guys out there to do the same.

Use your past to create your future.

I feel as though all of us experience things and are put in certain situations for specific reasons. We may not know or understand why, but I believe that reasons always exist. God wants us to learn or be influenced by a particular person, so he places that person in our life. He wants us to hear something that he knows we need to hear, so he lets us hear or pay attention to a snippet of a television commercial or conversation. That's how I think the world works. So please, use what you see, hear and experience to fuel your mind, wisdom and perspective.

We're all guaranteed to be become better people by doing that!