CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson may be viewed as an eccentric nutjob by many people these days, but there was a time when he was the biggest, most successful and beloved person on the planet.But at the peak of his fame, he was nearly killed.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Jackson's near fatal accident on the set of a Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles. It was a horrific, panic-filled moment for not only the entertainer, but his legion of fans worldwide.
A pyrotechnic special-effect went awry during the sixth take of the shoot, and a fire spark shot into his then trademark Jheri curl and ignited a small fire in it. As he crumpled to the floor, his brothers and a few crew members (including director Bob Giraldi who also helmed Jackson's "Beat It" clip) ran to his aide and helped to smother the flames. When news of the stunning event spread to the public, many held vigils (including radio stations nationwide) for the fallen megastar.
I was nearly seven years old, but I shed many tears as well.
Jackson, 25 at the time, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was treated for second and third degree burns to his scalp. Before being wheeled into an ambulance, Jackson famously waved to the camera while sporting his signature single sequined glove.
What made the event so devastating was Jackson's global status at the time. His phenomenal album Thriller had been released over a year prior to this, but had been a runaway freight train since then, already having become the biggest selling album in music history with close to 30 million records sold (today it has sold more than 104 million copies worldwide).
Jackson's music videos had also transcended the music industry and raised the bar on what was considered the norm. Less than two months prior to the Pepsi accident, his iconic "Thriller" short film debuted to rave reviews and sparked the album to even greater heights. He'd also garnered a record eight American Music Awards for the album less than three weeks before this mishap.
Of course, Jackson's popularity was at an all-time high. Everyone wanted to be him, it seemed, and many purchased and wore replicas of his trademark jackets, sunglasses and "glitter glove," not to mention the famous Jheri curl that almost spelled his doom on that January 27, 1984 afternoon.
MJ would eventually recover and a month later, he dominated the Grammy Awards, winning another eight trophies (seven for Thriller). That summer, he and his brothers embarked on a cross country tour called "The Victory Tour."
For that night in January, 25 years ago, Jackson scared us all. I'm just grateful that it wasn't worse.
We would have been robbed of a true legend in his prime.
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