When Michael Jackson Became A Legend

CLEVELAND - Looking at the wide array of celebrities and musicians that have existed over my lifetime, I became very curious as to why Michael Jackson has stood head and shoulders above them all.

It happened in 1983 and 1984.

Michael was a very prodigious star as a child. He was the leader of The Jackson 5 in the late '60's and early '70's and by the end of that decade, he had become a superstar in the music industry as a result of the brilliance of his then-brand new album, Off the Wall. It was the release of Thriller in late 1982 that began him on the path towards music immortality.

But his iconic celebrity was something different.

Yes, the Thriller album is the biggest selling record in history, but there wasn't much to indicate that it was anything special upon its release 27 years ago. The lead single, "The Girl is Mine" was released in October of '82 and received mixed reviews. You'd think that a studio pairing of Michael Jackson and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney would be thought of as monumental and historic, but at the time, it was met with subdued excitement. Admittedly, neither Jackson or McCartney showcased their true brilliance on the track, even though it was still a fun song. Also, Michael was just 24 years old and had not yet become a demigod in the industry. He was a mere superstar recording with a 40-year old icon in McCartney.

The Thriller album began to dominate the charts and bolster Jackson's image beginning in early 1983. That was when "Billie Jean" was released as a single and music video. For the first time, Michael's effortless dancing and feathery smooth abilities as a vocalist were on display in unison. In the video, Michael came off as a magical and mysterious figure -- graceful and stylish as he danced his way through a desolate neighborhood while illuminating the pavement with his every delicious step. The catchy bassline of the song only furthered the clip's appeal.

Then, the "Beat It" video hit the airwaves in the Spring and once again fueled Michael's image and greatness. The zippered, red leather jacket, penny loafers with white socks and flooded pants made up his highly stylized outfit in the clip. With an actual storyline and choreographed dancing, this video continued shoving Michael deeper into America's collective minds as a wildly talented and creative genius. And none of us could get enough of this megastar.

Jackson's historic appearance on "Motown 25" catapulted him to a new level of superstardom, if that was even possible. This performance, the first public one of "Billie Jean," forever stamped MJ as the ultimate performer, an unmatched dancer and showman and received universal praise for his mastery and command of the stage and crowd. All of his trademarks were on display during this performance; the single, glittery glove, sparkly jacket and shirt, black fedora pulled down to obscure his face, then tantilizingly tossed into the audience, the leg kicks, body spins, head pops and for the first time ever, the moonwalk. Even his Jheri-curled hair was more stylish than anyone else's; "baby hair" near his temples and forming delicate sideburns and ubiquitous curls hanging down his forehead.

This is when his entire "look" became iconic and forever burned into our minds.

After that May 16, 1983 airing of the Motown special, Michael was no longer just a megastar. He was THE star; an iconic member of entertainment in his prime and only getting better. For the next several months, Thriller continued its historic sales records and stunned folks in the industry for its unreal popularity and staying power. When the unspeakably brilliant "Thriller" video debuted in December 1983, it became an instant masterpiece of history. Nothing about it was standard or customary; Jackson somehow managed to top the untoppable: himself. It was critically acclaimed from the get-go and caused the album of the same name to surge in popularity and sales for the umpteenth time a full year after its release.

Wow!

Just three months into 1984, Michael had already had a full and accomplished year. Thriller earned him an astounding 16 awards in January and February and two commercials he'd filmed for Pepsi won him even more popularity (though one of those ads famously almost cost him his life). A videocassette documentary on the making of the "Thriller" video became the best-selling in history, just another in an endless stream of accolades for the 25-year old legend. By the time he and his brothers embarked on the Victory tour in the summer of 1984, Michael had become the biggest star in the world by a mile. That legendary status was so great that it held strong even as his popularity and "approval rating" began to take major hits years later.

Indeed, as media reports of Michael became less and less favorable, he never stopped being the ultimate star. When he went on trial for child molestation in 2005, his legion of fans stood behind him faithfully and other contemporary musicians became humbled or speechless in his presence. Understand that all of this was taking place over 20 years after that amazing Thriller era. At the time of his unspeakably tragic death in June 2009, Michael's face had been redesigned so many times that he looked nothing like he did back then. He hadn't been a force in music in more than 15 years and his last album had been released nearly eight years in the past. He'd been vilified in the media for, not only the child molestation allegations for which he stood trial, but also ones he faced in 1993. In spite of all that negativity, his legend endured and he continues to be the biggest celebrity in history.

That's pretty damn amazing.