27 Years Ago Today: Michael Jackson Transcends Pop Culture

CLEVELAND - If there was a single moment that propelled Michael Jackson to the very top of the music industry, American pop culture and showcased his stunning repertoire of talent, style and polish, it was without a doubt the evening that Motown Records broadcast their 25th anniversary special on NBC television.

The night belonged to him, hands down.

It was 27 years ago today that Michael ascended to the highest peak of his stunning brilliance while firing on all cylinders. His historic performance of his new song "Billie Jean" remains a seminal moment in pop culture history and more than anything else illustrated his trademark iconography in perfect detail. The television special, entitled "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever" featured numerous stars from the landmark record label's past. From Smokey Robinson to Diana Ross and the Supremes, it was a who's who of black musical dominance of the 1960's and '70's. The Jackson 5, who had joined the label in 1968 as a group of teens and pre-teens were slated to perform but Michael was initially against it.

At the time of the show's taping in March 1983, Michael Jackson was fast becoming the pre-eminent figure in music by a mile. His four-month old album Thriller was just starting to set shocking sales records and his music video brilliance had only a month prior become a public obsession. In short, Michael was a huge deal times a thousand. Meanwhile, as his luminosity grew in intensity, his brothers seemed more and more irrelevant. Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. pleaded with MJ to join his brothers on stage to celebrate the 25th anniversary and Michael agreed on the condition that he be allowed to perform the aforementioned "Billie Jean."

Of course, Gordy agreed.

Evidence of Michael's leverage at the time was obvious in that Gordy allowed the new song on the show in spite of the fact that it was the only non-Motown song in the show. Michael also requested full control over the camera angles used during his solo because he wanted audiences at home to experience it the way he saw fit.

Very shrewd.

The performance itself was a sight to behold. First off, MJ segued from a Jackson 5 medley with his brothers into the solo by placing a fedora atop his head, brim tilted down over his eyes while holding it there and striking a pose. The "Billie Jean" rhythm filled the arena and Michael began thrusting his hips, kicking his leg and pirouetting while executing precision footwork. He tossed his fedora into the crowd, mimed an ultra-cool hair comb then slyly grabbed the microphone and went into the song's first verse. The entire time, his footwork is mesmerizing as he keeps them moving and sliding while his upper body rocks to the groove.

The entire moment feels like history is being made and that Michael Jackson is completely unassailable in the field of song and dance. His stage presence is so phenomenally jaw-dropping that his breathtaking music videos almost seem like a rip-off by comparison. Michael's fashion sense jumps out at you during his masterful performance as well. He sports Black America's latest fad hairstyle; the Jheri-curl. But Michael's isn't like anyone else's. His curl has a few strands that hang down over his forehead and he has "baby hair" along his sideburns. He's five months from his 25th birthday at the time of filming and he has a handsome, brown skin toned face.

He is attired in a very sparkly, rhinestone adorned black shirt and black sequined jacket. He has basic black pants on that are cropped at the ankles to showcase very sparkly rhinestone socks inside his black penny loafers. One white rhinestone glove is worn on his right hand and the entire costume immediately becomes one of his most indelible, signature looks. It all made him look like a larger-than-life entertainer with such colossal talent that everyone else in the industry was essentially playing for second place.

Which he was.

Of course, this legendary performance was the very first time that Michael unveiled his soon-to-be-trademark dancestep "the moonwalk," which he did twice during the song. It was also the first time his single white glove went public. This performance represented him in all his splendor and rising fast to the peak of his powers. The following day after the show, Michael was praised and fawned over by older entertainers that he grew up idolizing as well as millions of fans who immediately flooded stores to get their MJ gear.

Needless to say, this iconic performance fueled the Thriller album into selling unthinkable numbers of copies. It also signaled the unofficial beginning of "Michaelmania" which lasted for another year and a half. He became a cultural obsession. His music was played repeatedly everywhere while replicas of his jackets, shades and glove became instant sellouts. MJ posters and pins were ubiquitous and endless magazine space was dedicated to him.

Those reasons are exactly why I love 1983 so much and look back on that time with great fondness. The world will never forget Michael Jackson, and "Motown 25" is one of the biggest reasons why.

Without question.

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.