30 Years Later: Jackson’s Thriller Film Mirrored His Reality

CLEVELAND - Sleek, glamorous and full of childish enthusiasm, a young man (played by 25-year old Michael Jackson) runs out of a movie theater in pursuit of his date, (played by 23-year old Ola Ray). The gorgeous young woman had just seen a frightening film while out with the guy and was so spooked that she charged out in fear and frustration just moments after it started. After a little “flirtatious teasing,” Jackson gets back in her good graces by singing to her as they stroll down a dark and desolate street. This represents the calmest time in the entire evening for Ola, because soon after, her smiles would once again turn into screams.

It went that way for many of us watching too.

Today marks the 30^th anniversary of the release of the seminal short film (though labeled a music video), Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The groundbreaking flick premiered on MTV that night and immediately became a cultural touchstone for both its star and the entertainment industry at large.

In retrospect, it is both fascinating and quite sad that this grand time in Jackson’s life represented the very peak of his enormous powers, popularity and public reputation. Sure, he went on to have a historically successful 1984. But the Thriller film forever remains a transcendent artifact of the man at his most creative, innocent and accomplished mind and overall being.

The bookends of MJ’s charming serenade in the 13-minute masterpiece happened to involve his character turning, first into a ‘werecat’ then into a wild-eyed, dancing zombie. The harrowing nature of both scenes sadly mirror his own real life. Between the release of his 1979 solo smash LP Off the Wall but prior to the dawn of the “Thriller” era in late 1982, the path of his life changed for the worst in an instant. During a live performance, Jackson suffered a broken nose after falling on stage. This led to the first of an obsessive number of nose jobs, and thus the downward spiral of his own self-consciousness took flight.

This seemed to take a back seat to his rapidly ascending popularity in early ’83 when the newly released “Thriller” album began dominating the music charts. But after the Cinderella-type adulation and achievement that MJ enjoyed for two years suddenly ended in 1985, his public profile began taking subtle hits, then massive attacks in the media and the court of public opinion.

And it lasted for the rest of his life.

This reversal of fortune was illustrated time and time again for MJ’s co-star in the film. First Michael was a nice and charming guy, then he suddenly turned into a monster. That turned out to be “only a movie,” but then the “real” him comforted her by singing that he could “thrill [her] more than any ghost would ever dare to try.”

Then, the “real” him became a possessed zombie hell bent on scaring her into oblivion. THIS turned out to be just a dream, but secretly Michael still had “cat eyes” that he was hiding.

I shudder when I think about how his life played out in the same roller coaster fashion as this film’s storyline did. The man changed the course of history and raised the standards of imagination and creativity with this short film. Those facts alone made it grossly unfair that he was ultimately fated to live the remainder of his life being chased by the proverbial demon that would never just let him be.

On such a special anniversary of such a special artistic work, I am grateful for the genius of Michael Joseph Jackson and how he masterfully delivered the Thriller film to the world.

Forever love.

4 Years Later: Understanding the Magic of Michael Jackson

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson, dressed sharply in a black leather suit and his trademark dark shades made his way into an Augusta, Ga. church on December 30, 2006 to the sounds of thousands of screaming fans and countless flashbulbs. Flanked by two beefy bodyguards, the entertainment icon waved and soon took a seat in the first row of the church as media cameras focused on his every move and news anchors broadcast his arrival on national television.

But this event was not for Michael Jackson.

Instead, MJ had just arrived at this church to honor the great James Brown, the man who most inspired Jackson as a child to become an entertainer. This event was Brown's funeral service; he died just five days earlier at age 73.

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the shocking death of Jackson, a man so publicly maligned at the time of his departure from Earth that he almost seemed to be an unwanted alien by many. I, for one never saw him that way and was absolutely crushed when I received that horrific news on that dark Thursday. But even as his public reputation nosedived in the final 20 years of his life, he never lost his magical aura, as evidenced by his appearance at Brown's funeral just 18 months after his acquittal of child molestation charges.

In understanding Michael's magic, I believe that it is essential for people to realize how we first came to know about him and care what he did. Beginning at age 11 in 1969, Michael exhibited substantial singing and showmanship qualities that made him seem almost fictional. No child of that age should've been able to sing with the majestic passion that he possessed, or the poised stage presence as evidenced by countless television appearances with his brothers as the Jackson 5. Thus, Michael entered our minds as a true prodigy filled with breathtaking talent and that memory never left anyone that saw him decades later.

When he re-invented himself as an adult solo artist in 1979, his superstar status was complete. He entered the 1980's as a 21-year old star who could sing his heart out and was blessed with killer dance moves. All of this sensationalism reached a fever pitch with the release of his seminal album Thriller.

The Thriller era spanned two years; 1983 and 1984. This is when Michael was at the apex of his power, appeal and universal resonance. His stylistic choices, both in his work as well as his visual appearance took elements of innovation from past artists and expanded on them to create his own unique presentation. So, as his career flew into the stratosphere of excellence, critical acclaim and achievement, his highly inventive and singular appearance became embedded in all of our collective minds. The fact that he created such iconic music, short films and commercials completed the package.

So, when Jackson took to the podium at that church in Augusta, Ga. 22 years after the end of the Thriller era to give a brief statement on the impact that James Brown had on his life, it was easy to understand why the assembled crowd screamed loud at his appearance. They cheered and applauded as if this event were for MJ, which was pretty amazing given the enormous stature in music that Brown himself held.

For decades, anytime Michael Jackson made a rare television appearance at a live event, it was almost like a coronation or a very special treat. He was always dressed in something cutting-edge and original, and his whisper of a voice (which had been internationally famous for many years) always fired up the crowd as he spoke into the microphone to accept an award or make any sort of comment. Simply put, he just ooozed a cultural mythology that no one else could match, even nowadays. I'm not saying that fans would think of all of his great accomplishments right then and there; but subconsciously, we all knew about the incredible art that he gave us over many years, and that always made him seem larger than life.

When he went on trial in early 2005, he showed up to court daily clad in a very elaborately designed suit that was unlike anything anyone else ever wore to a court proceeding. But it always felt like a huge "happening" when he would emerge from his SUV and walked towards the courthouse, flanked by bodyguards and family members. Fans would scream and shout and snap photos of the man, even though his greatest artistic works had been released many years in the past. Scandal and heavy media scrutiny had trashed his once pristine reputation, but in spite of the sordid headlines and accusations, he always carried the magic of being Michael Jackson, the former child megastar who sang the hell out of "Who's Lovin' You?" and "I Want You Back." The adult supernova that crafted three consecutive classic albums in eight years; Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. He was still the man who mesmerized the world with his performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown 25 and in the process, claimed the moonwalk dance step as his own signature move. This was still the man that dominated awards shows, popularized the single sparkly glove and white socks and loafers and danced at night in a red leather jacket with a host of "zombies."

Michael Jackson was always far more than he seemed in any given moment. He was the sum of his overall greatness and lifetime of unforgettable, standard raising genius. And here we sit, four long years after his demise and we look around at constant replays of his legendary short films, timeless music and inventive style and we realize something pretty amazing.

Even now in death, he still has that magic.

Thriller Album Took Jackson From Superstar To Pioneering Legend

CLEVELAND - For an album to sell more than 100 million copies worldwide, capture record numbers of Grammy awards and American music awards, and catapult a superstar recording artist into the stratosphere of mythical legends, that album would need to have more going for it than just great music.

One brilliant album had far more than that.

It was 30 years ago today that Epic Records released what is now the crown jewel of their catalogue; Michael Jackson's sixth solo LP, Thriller. Its lead single, a syrupy ballad called "The Girl Is Mine" had been released in mid-October and featured legendary ex-Beatle Paul McCartney in a lyrical back-and-forth with the 24-year old Jackson, with both men professing their undying love for a woman that they both feel is their "girl."

Upon its debut, Thriller received fairly pedestrian reviews, even though some critics hailed it as an outstanding effort. However, within six months of its release, the record had attained a stunning and universal status as a seminal masterpiece which elevated MJ's popularity to staggering heights.

How did it all happen?

First off, in order to truly understand why Thriller became the dominant force of nature that it did, careful attention must be paid to what the music industry was like at the time. Also, everything Jackson did to supplement the album ended up becoming a very key element of the Thriller era. Lastly, the force that was driving MJ at the time may have been the single biggest reason for the performance of Thriller.

Jackson had been upset that his classic, 1979 album Off the Wall did not receive the type of critical admiration that he felt it deserved. The album was all but ignored at all of the awards ceremonies which gave the normally shy and soft-spoken star a big chip to carry on his shoulder. He vowed to create the biggest album in history with his next project.

Alas, Thriller spent its first two months of release as anything but an album destined for the record books. Then, in the weeks leading up to spring 1983, Walter Yetnikoff, then-president of CBS records tried to get the 18-month old MTV network to play a brand new music video by Jackson for his just released single, "Billie Jean." MTV refused initially, a decision that was felt to be racist by many involved, especially since MTV barely played videos by black artists at the time. After Yetnikoff threatened to withdraw videos of all CBS artists from the video channel's reach, MTV gave in and allowed "Billie Jean" to go on the air, and soon  put the hugely popular clip into "heavy rotation."

This is when the magic happened.

In the sleek clip, Jackson sings and dances his way through a mostly deserted cityscape at night, dressed head to toe in black leather. Along the way, he is being followed by a P.I.-style paparazzo who seems determined to catch the elusive star in a compromising position, but fails repeatedly. Jackson is full of mystique and magic in the short film; every step he takes illuminates the ground he walks on, the street pole he leans on and the bed he lays in. At one point, Jackson even transforms a dirty vagrant into a man of style clad in a white tuxedo.

With stunning visuals, plus fancy and eye-catching dance moves set to an irresistible beat, the video dominated the airwaves, set MJ's public profile ablaze and sent the Thriller album flying off shelves. A few weeks later, Jackson's brand new "Beat It" video took it all to another level.

"Beat It" was another brilliant step in Michael Jackson's creative evolution. Not only was the song itself historic (it merged rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen with a pop and R&B star), but the gang versus gang storyline and choreographed dance conclusion made the short film another imitable and pioneering work of genius. It was in this clip that MJ unveiled his unique fashion sensibilities to a very noticeable level. He wore a red leather jacket adorned with 27 zippers, sleeves rolled up and a pair of black high-water pants, which showcased pearly white socks and black loafers.

America had become mesmerized with Michael Jackson. Handsome--pretty even, with a slightly modified face from his original appearance, carefully coiffed Jheri-curled hair, feather-soft voice and an endless repertoire of talent, style and innovation had made him the toast of the globe.

Then, he got even bigger.

Seven weeks after performing the super hit song "Billie Jean" in front of a live audience, the full range of Jackson's showmanship and heavily evolved star power became public knowledge and resulted in, arguably the most important moment of his illustrious career. It took seven weeks for NBC to broadcast MJ's solo performance on a television special celebrating the 25th anniversary of Motown Records, the company that gave Jackson and his brothers their first big break as the Jackson 5 in 1969.

All reports had been glowing about his performance, but no amount of words could effectively sum up what 24-year old Michael Joseph Jackson did on that stage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on the night of March 25, 1983. The world saw it on May 16, and when the dust settled, Thriller began another steamrolling assault on the music charts, then turned its attention to the record books.

Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" was a blindingly brilliant expression of intense precision, focus, craftsmanship and world class talent. Executing a breathtaking series of dance moves, stylistic flourishes and classic Hollywood theatrics, MJ endeared himself to the greats of the entertainment industry, especially ones whom the budding icon personally admired. He also revealed two new signature elements of his public presentation; the single, sparkly glove and the moonwalk dance step.

From that point, Michaelmania enveloped the U.S. and abroad as scores of children, teens and even adults purchased replicas of his costumes, curled their hair like his, wore his pins on their clothing, hung his posters on their walls and snatched up the tons of magazines that featured his internationally coveted face on the cover.

All of this consumed the summer of '83, a time when MJ kept a fairly low profile. A few more singles were released from Thriller, but there were no music videos to go along with the songs.

Just as it seemed that Michael Jackson had disappeared from the limelight, he re-appeared in a blaze of glory just in time for Christmas 1983. On December 2, the highly anticipated music video for the title track made its world premiere on MTV and completely changed the world of entertainment and music.

Jackson, now 25, had filmed the ambitious 13-minute film "Thriller" during a week in early October. He treated the video as if it were a major motion picture and it even played in a Los Angeles area theater nearly three weeks before its official release date.

The horror-tinged flick, complete with storyline, plot twists and a still iconic synchronized dance number, won Jackson endless critical acclaim, loads of money and universal respect from fans and fellow artists. What was truly amazing is that, at the time of the "Thriller" film's release, the album had already been out for over a year, yet was still selling at an astounding rate of one million copies per week! It was the perfect way for Michael to end 1983, on the highest of notes, which led to a phenomenal first few months of 1984.

On January 16, 1984, the American Music Awards played more like a lengthy tribute to Michael Jackson than an actual awards show. From the opening moments of the telecast, host Lionel Richie made it clear that this show was going to be heavily about Michael. Richie, a major star himself at the time, addressed Jackson (who was seated in the first row with Brooke Shields and Emmanuel Lewis) from the stage and even tried to mimic MJ's signature moonwalk, which he executed with a wild and awkward clumsiness. Thriller captured a record eight awards that evening, and Michael received a special award of merit. Six weeks later, MJ was the center of attention once again as Thriller swept the Grammy awards, sending Jackson home with another eight trophies.

The one chink in the armor for Michael occurred between those two awards shows. On January 27, the legendary entertainer suffered second and third degree burns to his scalp while filming a commercial for Pepsi. Fans around the world held their collective breath, but Jackson recovered in time to dominate the Grammys a month later. Michaelmania continued throughout the rest of 1984, especially with Michael performing a music tour across the U.S. with his brothers, which began that summer.

The Thriller album wound up being the top selling album of 1983 and 1984 and earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Its legacy endures to this day, three decades later and has inspired an endless array of contemporary musicians. For Jackson, the album's historic success proved to be the greatest of gifts as well as the worst of all curses. He held himself to such lofty standards as a result of this record's achievements that he could not possibly outdo. Even still, all future work from MJ made history in a variety of ways; that is the mark of a once in a lifetime artist.

Long live Thriller.

'Bad' Era Featured New and Improved Michael Jackson

CLEVELAND - It was 25 years ago today that the great Michael Jackson revealed a brand new album, style, music video...and most of all, ambition.

It was the start of a new era.

Jackson's 7th solo album, Bad was the catalyst in his remarkable transformation. As the highly anticipated (and long awaited) follow-up to the Thriller album, the LP, and Jackson himself had an enormous standard to live up to.

First, the 29-year old icon debuted a brand new physical appearance. The last time the world saw him, he was fighting off evil forces in outer space in the made-for-Disney short film "Captain EO." That had been a year in the past when MJ still (mostly) resembled his Thriller-era self, with the exception of slightly lighter skin. Now with the release of Bad, his skin had taken on an even lighter hue, his curled hair was now shoulder length and of course, he now sported a much talked about cleft in his chin. Personally, I was very enthusiastic about Michael's new appearance when I first saw it back then and I now see it as another inventive aspect of his singular style.

The best part of MJ's new look was his hip, street-styled attire. Gone were the sparkly glove and jackets that was his signature style during "Era Thriller," and "in" was multiple belts, buckles and boots. Fitting in with the theme of the new album's title track, Jackson certainly took on a pseudo-"bad" persona.

The lead single from the LP, a syrupy duet with Siedah Garrett called, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," had been released nearly two months prior to the full release and built on the public's thirst for a new MJ offering. Since it had been almost five full years since his last album, interest was sky high.

Naturally, Michael delivered.

The music videos for this album built on the innovation that Jackson used to groundbreaking success during the Thriller years. He entered into a creative phase in his career that saw him take far more control in the conceptualization and production of his work. Tracks such as "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Dirty Diana" were dynamic in their style and brilliantly infused pop music with R&B and hard-rock to form a masterpiece of sonic diversity. "Man in the Mirror" ended up becoming Jackson's signature anthem as a significant humanitarian and "Smooth Criminal" re-enforced his cinematic storytelling skills and old Hollywood sensibilities.

Massive support for Bad was achieved with the outrageously successful "Bad World Tour" which began in September '87 and continued all the way until January '89. This is when Michael truly became a global figure of reverence as it was his first tour as a solo artist. Crowds all around the planet were mesmerized by his dancing, singing and overall showmanship and the gigantic press it garnered expanded his popularity to even more unthinkable heights. Pepsi Co., who sponsored the tour and had enjoyed a very successful partnership with Jackson since 1983, even produced a series of television ads complete with special effects, story-line and cliffhangers. This was yet another example of the legendary creativity that was a hallmark of Michael Jackson's special qualities as an entertainer.

Jackson, in addition to the 10-track album (11 tracks on the CD), released 7 highly memorable short films for their respective songs as well as an autobiography in spring 1988 called, "Moonwalk." He later released a VHS anthology film entitled, "Moonwalker" which featured an extended version of the short film for "Smooth Criminal." He was certainly the most ambitious, imaginative entertainer in the world at this time and I gained a new level of admiration for his work.

Of course, the seismic achievements of Bad's predecessor Thriller could never be topped, not even by Jackson himself, at least in terms of sheer numbers. But in terms of scope and substance, nearly everything about the Bad era at least challenged (and in some cases surpassed) the Thriller era. No, the album didn't sell 100 million copies worldwide like Michael had hoped. No, it didn't dominate the awards shows the way Thriller did (and with the enormous surge in public interest in hip-hop at that time, how could it?). What it did do, however, was take the evolution of a classic entertainer to even greater heights of artistic craftsmanship. It also raised the bar in the industry and proved once again that Michael Jackson was a peerless visionary of the highest order.

What a legacy.

Three Years After His Death, Jackson's Legend Continues To Grow

CLEVELAND - It was one of the worst days in music history; a tragedy on a global scale that hit with such impact, that even the stability of the Internet was challenged. The event held such weight and generated such pervasive interest, that every major newspaper around the world featured the story as front page news the following morning.

Michael Jackson was dead.

Today marks the three year anniversary of that shocking Thursday that robbed the planet of, arguably its most accomplished and imaginative entertainer. Jackson was just two months from his 51st birthday when he suddenly died at the hands of his now incarcerated personal physician. More importantly to his legion of fans around the world, he was also less than two weeks away from embarking upon his first tour in a dozen years. That ill-fated, already sold out concert series was going to remind the world of MJ's significant brilliance as a stage performer and musician.

At least, that was the plan.

This year, two of Jackson's greatest accomplishments will be celebrated and re-appraised for the groundbreaking strokes of pure genius that they are; his Thriller and Bad albums reach important milestones in 2012. In the case of Thriller, November 30th marks the 30th anniversary of that iconic LP's release. For all intents and purposes, it was that album and its cutting edge trifecta of music videos that transformed Michael Jackson from star musician to one of the seminal entertainers in history. The worldwide obsession with Jackson reached a fever pitch in the spring of 1983 and persisted intensely until the end of 1984. That era, known as Michaelmania, was anchored by the chart domination of Thriller, which resulted in the then 25-year old megastar's unprecedented popularity and universal critical acclaim. MJ amassed dozens of awards and accolades during this period, and stood firmly at the pinnacle of not only his own career, but the music industry as a whole. When the dust settled on that album's performance, it had gone far beyond the realm of being just a great album; it became and remains a cultural touchstone of unfettered brilliance.

Then, there was Bad.

As the much ballyhooed follow-up to the Thriller freight train, Bad was destined to pale in comparison to its predecessor, if not in quality, then certainly in acclaim and cultural ubiquity. Released just two days after Jackson's 29th birthday on August 31st, the album has already kicked off a marketing push in recent weeks to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Since both records hold prominent status as two of the most revered in the annals of pop music, Jackson's singular talents and astounding achievements are just a fraction of the multitude of reasons that his stature and body of work continue to expand in his absence. Of all the musicians and entertainers in today's world, none of them even approach his resonance, significance and influence--not to mention his artistic craftsmanship.

June 25th will forever stand as a day of horror and grief for myself as well as Michael's millions of fans in every corner of the globe. In spite of that, the timelessness, innovation and breathtaking quality of his work will immortalize the man as a true giant in the world of music, dance and live performance.

He will always be with us.

Michael Jackson: Respect Deserved

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson, the most successful entertainer in history as well as a record breaking humanitarian would have turned 53 years of age today. That makes August 29th a seminal day in history for the many millions he inspired through his artistry and generosity.

Happy Birthday, Michael.

One thing that has forever troubled me about people's treatment of the man is the high level of disrespect he has received over the past 20 years. For a man that reshaped and transformed the music industry and donated multi millions of dollars of his own money and endless amounts of his time to charitable causes, he has never been as celebrated and respected as he deserves to be.

How rude.

I have said many times that the colossal apex of his career, a.k.a. The Thriller Era of the early 1980's was responsible for the best of what happened to him as well as the worst of what happened. He gained the most immense fame and status that any person could ever have. On the flip side, his life became a cocoon of impossibly high standards and salacious tabloid stories, which clearly led him into a life of extreme stress.

While it is very true that Michael was far from perfect and purposely led an eccentric life, he still never deserved to be repudiated so extensively at the expense of giving him the credit and the acclamation that was due him. He perfected pop music as a child superstar in the late '60s and early '70s, then pioneered and mastered the short film as music video with the cultural touchstone that was the Thriller album in 1983. Everything that resulted from that LP changed the rules of music, entertainment and the business that anchors both fields. As a live performer, his showmanship and innovation raised the bar for every other popular artist of any genre of music, and that continues to this day.

Fashion-wise, MJ's style inspired countless trends and sartorial concepts and cultivated his reputation as the ultimate show business megastar top to bottom. The way he embraced philanthropy and giving to those in need was, unfortunately not something that many of his wealthy peers emulated. However, he tirelessly spoke of making the world a better place and took the actions to do it.

He instilled love in every way.

So, today is something of a holiday. Of course, there will always be legions of haters, naysayers and critics of Michael Jackson who will forever hold up the many accusations against him as unquestioned fact that he did anything criminal, and that is grossly unfair.

For the great man he was, he deserves better than that.

Two Years Later, Loss of Michael Still Stings

CLEVELAND - Horrible memories of that devastatingly dark Thursday two years ago still haunt and harass me. Michael Jackson, the wondrous and eminently gifted genius left this planet and in the process, forced me and his many millions of fans to love him without his physical presence.

Forever.

Naturally, today represents tears, sadness and a hopelessly depressing reminder to his most devoted fans and family of that shocking day when Michael ceased to exist. Yes, his artistry and groundbreaking impact will forever delight and influence the world, but the man himself can no longer bless the world with innovation and relentless generosity. That is a tragedy in and of itself. I see the iconic costumes he wore during milestones in his career being sold, auctioned and exhibited. Those items are indeed historic, but without him continuing to walk this earth, they seem so...empty.

I miss Michael so much.

It's still a treat to watch the legendary "Thriller" short film, or his epochal solo performance on "Motown 25." But having the painful knowledge that MJ himself will no longer create magic in music and dance is a cruel and infuriating burden to bear.

Michael Jackson served as the foundation and inspiration for my own style and creative sensibilities. That part of him, as well as his 40 year career of showstopping excellence will live forever. But that one, heartbreaking fact remains no matter what.

I want him back.

27 Years Ago Today: Michael Jackson Goes Up In Flames

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson stood at the top of a staircase in front of around 5,000 fans surrounded by television lights, cameras and very dangerous pyrotechnics. As he descended the steps to a stage occupied by his brothers, sparks from the setup landed in his hair and set his scalp ablaze.

The next several moments were spent frantically extinguishing the flames by almost everyone close enough to do it.

This dramatic scene took place 27 years ago today in the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. on the set of a pioneering Pepsi commercial starring Jackson and his brothers. MJ, just 25 years of age at the time was rushed to the hospital where it was revealed that he'd suffered second and third degree burns to his scalp. Once news of his very dangerous accident spread across the world, the music industry and millions of fans held their collective breaths as tears fell and prayers flowed.

What made the event particularly horrific was Jackson's status in the entertainment industry at the time. He was less than two months removed from the release of his iconic "Thriller" music video and two weeks past his grand showing at the 1984 American Music Awards. That was the ceremony that garnered Michael a record 8 trophies for the Thriller album including a special Award of Merit and a host of gushing, fawning accolades and superlatives from his music industry brethren.

In other words, Michael was at the very apex of his historic career and was the planet's most popular, celebrated and omnipotent  megastar by a wide margin at the time. It was a classic tragedy in the making to almost everyone in the U.S. Thankfully, he recovered, donated the $1.5 million he settled with Pepsi for to burn victims, then dominated the Grammy Awards just a month later.

That part was NO accident.

Despite Criticisms, New Michael Jackson Album Impressive

CLEVELAND - Anytime an artist of any kind is unable to finish a project of their own creating by virtue of their unexpected death, there's always a sense of what might have been mixed with a lot of frustration. Michael Jackson is now the latest creative genius this has happened to.

But the results, though not perfect, actually impress.

Today marks the release of Jackson's first full album of "new" material in nine years. Entitled Michael, the album has received the predicted amount of criticism, bashing and unacceptance by many in the media and more than a few fans, many of whom question if it's actually MJ's voice on the recordings or a bootleg impersonator. However, after a few careful listens, I can say with great confidence that it's indeed Michael...assisted (necessarily) by savvy studio production here and there, which surprisingly doesn't overshadow the soaring beauty of his vocals.

Of course, MJ was shockingly taken from us (his multi-millions of devoted fans) 18 months ago, so this album isn't truly Michael. He was famous for being a meticulous perfectionist with his art, so the cut-n-paste nature of this latest offering would surely gain his ire. That fact is sort of besides the point when evaluating this record. Comprised of 10 different songs recorded over a 28 year period, Michael has a few notable moments. The Akon duet "Hold My Hand" is a beautiful and uplifting song and finds MJ in excellent voice.

The cautionary tale "Hollywood Tonight" is also better than expected. "Keep Your Head Up" sounds a lot like the anthemic style songs from Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous but is still a great listen. On "(I Like) The Way You  Love Me," Michael's voice is pure elegance, his vocal delivery as soft as silk. "Monster," a track featuring 50 Cent is boisterous and aggressive and actually works well sandwiched between the ballads and slow tempo tracks.

Maybe my favorite track of all is "Behind the Mask," which was allegedly recorded during Michael's legendary Thriller era prime of the early 1980's. Whatever the case, it's an excellent track.

Yes, Michael made far better albums in his career than this, but understand that his two best, Off the Wall and Thriller were made before he'd set an impossible standard of greatness and unprecedented success for himself. Anything he made post 1983 would never be able to scale such a high and slippery mountain. Also, it must be remembered that the tracks on this new album were things he either purposely rejected many years ago or things that were still works in progress at the time of his death.

He didn't release this. His estate did.

When those factors are considered, it becomes a must to crown the new album as not only a success, but a delicious treat for his endless array of fans around the world who are grinning from ear to ear and dancing in the streets at the opportunity to hear our beloved hero one more time singing with that beautiful and indelible voice.

Much love, Michael.

Michael Jackson Was Victimized His Entire Life...And Beyond

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson lay motionless in his bed around noon on June 25, 2009. In his bedroom, a frantic and nervous doctor noticed that the legendary entertainer wasn't breathing. Simultaneously, millions of people across the U.S., unaware of what was happening to MJ at that moment, perceived him as a once-amazing talent that had long ago become an embarrassing sideshow. Within a few hours, those same people reconfigured their perception of the man and began expressing sympathy and grief over his sudden and Earth shattering death.

All of those people need to go to hell.

Head shaking as it is, today marks the one year anniversary of Michael's departure from life. It was an unspeakably horrific day for me personally and for the tens of millions of his fans globally. I still have a difficult time accepting it as reality, even though Michael was such an emotionally fragile and sensitive person who was forced to deal with a pressure cooker of a life for 45 years. I look back on that dark Thursday with endless contempt and impossible bitterness.

I've thought about the man's life in great detail. His successes were of epic magnitude. His failures were tragic and colossal. And although Michael Jackson was perceived by many as the ultimate oddball and a raging weirdo, the truth is, he was very much like the common man. He only wanted to be loved and admired. He was blessed with a gigantic amount of talent, yet he was also prone to making bad choices and being irresponsible. He had several lapses in judgement just as we all do, but none of that should ever overshadow what he was truly about.

He wanted to make the world a better place.

Long ago, it became the "cool thing to do" for many people to not only criticize Michael, but to completely assassinate his character and spew some of the most vitriolic hate ever conceived towards him. In the years after Michaelmania dominated the U.S. and abroad in 1983 and 1984, Michael began being vilified and mocked for his constantly changing facial appearance, his reclusive and eccentric lifestyle and for the failings of his music to eclipse the impossibly high standards of his historic Thriller album. Years after those criticisms began, he was mutilated in the media and court of public opinion for what many considered to be his seemingly seedy relationship with pre-teen and teen boys.

It may seem as though the mid-1980's was the beginning of the sniping at MJ, but in reality, his entire life had been that way. Since he was a child, he was forced to support his family through intense dedication to his music career. True, his brothers were all a part of The Jackson 5, but with Michael being the lead singer and far and away the biggest talent, the pressures on him were greater, and he wasn't yet 10 years old. He had to endure heavy criticism because of his nose, which even family members mocked and took to calling him "big nose." For a kid who was already sensitive, that sort of attack was almost too much to take. It heavily shattered his spirit. Then as an adolescent, he endured the cruel effects of acne to his soon-to-be-adult face. Of course, he was made fun of for having "so many spots" on his face.

The level of pressure that was upon Michael Jackson during the late '60's and throughout the '70's was incredible. Not only did he have to excel musically for the sake of his family and others in the music industry with a vested interest in him, he had to do so with a face that was constantly frowned at and mocked. He didn't have the luxury of hiding. His face was public property.

He began to flex his muscles as an adult solo artist in 1978 when he turned 20 and co-starred in "The Wiz." Shortly thereafter, he crafted his masterpiece Off The Wall album which launched him into orbit on the path to megastar. Beneath it all, he was more ambitious than he'd ever been, yet very insecure. He had been tethered to his brothers for years and now, he was finally developing his own sound and legacy.

Of course, Off The Wall became a huge success in an unexpected way but the phenomenon that came with the late 1982 release of Thriller was beyond comprehension. That seminal era, early 1983 through late 1984 was owned by Michael. The entire U.S. was consumed by his music, style and artistic trademarks and his work sold in record numbers. The Thriller era was such a charmed, fairy-tale time for Michael that it felt almost too good to be true.

As it turns out, it was.

Michael had been a man who could do no wrong during the whirlwind dominance of Thriller and its accompanying music videos. When he and his brothers ended the Victory Tour in late 1984, it was as if the clock struck midnight for Cinderella. Beginning in early 1985, the immense love affair that the public had with Michael began to fade. I remember this time vividly, even though I wasn't yet eight years old. Over the next 2 and a half years, his character took major hits in the media for his various eccentricities and lack of a new album. By the time Bad, the highly anticipated follow-up to Thriller debuted in August 1987, he had been getting major criticisms for his much lighter skin tone as well as other modifications to his face. It occurred to me that the man did exactly what many people would do if they had been in his shoes and had the means. Remember, he had been ridiculed since childhood by people (including members of his own family) and thus, carried a complex about his nose in particular and his face in general. If I were subjected to that and I was a multi-millionaire, I would have made changes as well.

During the last 20 years of his life, the criticisms and insults grew harsher and more insidious every moment. There were complaints about his record sales which were still awesome but always fell short of the juggernaut that was Thriller. MJ was already a notorious perfectionist, so he naturally put tons of pressure on himself to please his public. As his skin appeared more and more pale white and his face changed shape often, endless jokes and repudiation of the man fell upon him. No one believed he suffered from the skin disease vitiligo as he stated. Instead, they poked fun at him, called him a liar and hurled insults at him.

No one bothered to care about what pushed him to remodel his face. No one cared that his skin lightening was essential to even out what the disease was doing to his color. Imagine having to deal with that from a few people. Michael had to deal with a nation of people ganging up on him.

Then, the child molestation charges that effectively turned him into a pariah. Sure, it is bad judgement for a grown person to surround themselves with underage kids. It is also puzzling as to why and how Michael ended up in the same situation a second time after the horror of the first time. What people ignore is that Michael isn't an average Joe. Yes, he was an adult. But he was an adult who surrendered his childhood in favor of an entertainment career. The significance of that is it explains why he took to creating a childhood as an adult that he never experienced as a child. He may have been an excellent businessman, but he certainly didn't see himself as an adult. From what I saw, he looked at himself as a 10-year old boy and thus, saw nothing wrong with being around young boys.

To him, they were his "peers."

His thinking was clearly unconventional, but when such epic success isolates a person, it becomes understandable. Remember, Michael's closest female friends were women who were sometimes decades older than he; Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda and Katherine Hepburn. He always tried to surround himself with people who best understood him or whom he could truly connect with and relate to.

People ignore the fact that Michael spent his adult life donating endless amounts of his time, energy, emotions and money to countless charities. Children were his inspiration and he loved them. No one gives as much as he did without genuinely caring for the cause they're supporting. Not only that, but it was disclosed several months ago that MJ had been under surveillance by the FBI for 13 years and nothing was found that showed him to be a molester. In sum, he was acquitted after a trial in 2005 and the FBI found nothing improper on him, but no one ever mentions those things. Instead, he gets castigated for what was actually just allegations against an easy target and the possible "appearance" of impropriety. People label him a pedophile as though it was ever proven.

Add another stress inducer to his life.

I'm not saying that Michael didn't bring any of this on himself. He certainly placed himself in compromising situations, but he never deserved such malicious treatment by people. It infuriates me that so many people say such nice things about him now that he's gone, but never would have done that while he was alive. Jay Leno was always delivering below-the-belt jokes about him, but now speaks of him like he's a beloved icon, which he is, but Leno never spoke that way before.

I read unbelievably cruel comments all the time from idiots who continue to disparage Michael, even in death. It just further underlines the hell that MJ had to deal with daily while millions sat back and judged him. Those same people are hypocrites who clearly know nothing about class and love.

I will forever love Michael and I will use this awful anniversary as another opportunity to appreciate the gift that God gave us.

Michael Jackson forever.

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.

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.

Influence Of Jackson's Thriller Video Still Amazing

CLEVELAND - I'll never forget how I felt the first time I watched "Michael Jackson's Thriller" video because even though I was just six years old, I knew that is was a masterpiece of originality and brilliance.

I'm not kidding.

It was 26 years ago today that the groundbreaking music video premiered on MTV after a much ballyhooed promo campaign in the weeks leading up to its release. Even though it was officially a music video for the title track of Michael's unstoppable album, it was ostensibly a short film musical complete with a storyline, horror film motifs and expensive special effects. Jackson had already wowed the world with his creativity in music videos with the early 1983 clips for "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." But "Thriller" was a far more ambitious endeavor as Jackson treated it like a feature length film from the start. The 25-year old megastar eschewed traditional music video protocol and instead enlisted film director John Landis to helm the project.

It had never been done before.

MJ also brought in acclaimed film make-up artist Rick Baker to make the gore of the flick as realistic as possible. In other words, he went all out and spared no expense to craft a stunning film that would amaze its viewers and acquire a lasting legacy. As a result, the budget was outlandishly high for '83 and nearly derailed the film's production.

Nearly.

Looking back, it stuns and amazes me when I think of how ahead of his time Michael was. Nothing about the "Thriller" video was standard or commonplace and its tour-de-force nature inspired artists then and since then to up their game and their creativity. While it is very true that the "scary" nature of the video terrorized countless children nationwide, the true scariness was in just how brilliant Jackson's mind was. He trumped every one of his peers, not just because he outworked them, but because his outside-the-box thinking was fourth dimensional.

If anyone wants to know how enormous of an impact "Michael Jackson's Thriller" still has, take one look at the recently completed worldwide "Thriller dance" in which prisoners and scores of individuals from foreign countries get together in their streets and re-create the famous, synchronized choreography of the video. Take a look at any contemporary music video and notice the "story" as well as the costumery and how slick the production is. Those characteristics derived from the ultimate game changer; "Thriller" and today's artists readily admit its influence on them.

Just one more reason why Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer in history.

Young's 50th Episode Critically Acclaimed

CLEVELAND - In a decidedly surprising development, critics worldwide have submitted generally positive reviews and critiques of "Deante Young's Thriller," the 50th episode of the obscene web series, a Date with Deante.

Talk about a change.

The short film, which serves as the show's second season finale was praised by many for its script and production, as well as its twist ending. Normally, the show is the target of harsh criticism and vilification, but not this time. Gabriel Svedka of The London Mirror opined; "Mr. Young's Thriller film is extraordinary in its scope relative to his past clips. He is clearly a comedic powerhouse and this flick illustrates that." Aden Winthorp of The Chinese Opinion wrote in his daily column that "Young is a grand filmmaker with a brazen flair for the most shocking of humor. He is a legend in the making."

Here in the U.S., Harry Wexler of The New York Star wrote, "Deante Young's Thriller exudes creativity and genius storytelling. This effort manages to outlast its own filthy elements and survives as a masterpiece of unlimited imagination." Kevin Saxson of The L.A. Tablet remarked, "not since the early days of Howard Stern has a man so reviled created such a fervor and fascination for his brand of sexism and exploitation. But Young does it better than Stern ever did."

A statement issued by Young through his production company thanked the fans and the critics of his show. It also hinted that the entertainer may do an exit interview since his show has reached its hiatus.

We'll be waiting.