50 Is On The Horizon

CLEVELAND - After a roller coaster ride of perversity, obscenities and endless controversy, Deante Young's cult reality show has reached its much ballyhooed conclusion.

At least, season 2 has anyway.

The shock-tinged web series, a Date with Deante is about to close up shop for the next several months, but not before it unveils its watershed 50th episode on Friday. Young announced weeks ago that the season finale would pay homage to his hero Michael Jackson's seminal music video, "Thriller." Today, a short preview trailer debuts and from the looks of it, the episode will be a very diverse and ambitious endeavor.

Entitled, "Deante Young's Thriller," episode 50 is said to follow an actual scripted storyline penned by Young himself. Dirty Truth Films remained tight lipped about further details of the short film.

In any case, enjoy the 55 second clip above.

Jackson's 'Off The Wall' Was Historic Record

CLEVELAND - Everyone on the planet knows about the colossal success of Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller, but few understand that his solo brilliance had already arrived a few years before.

In an enormous way.

Michael's solo debut, apart from the Jackson 5 had been released in 1972. But it was the scintillating album Off The Wall that marked his beginning as a solo superstar. This week marked the 30th anniversary of that incredible album's release, August 10, 1979 and it made me reflect on just how awesome it was.

Ironically, today marks the 32nd anniversary of the iconic Elvis Presley's death. In many ways, that tragic event was a symbolic passing of the torch from the wildly popular Presley to the then-adolescent Michael, who was two weeks shy of his 19th birthday when Presley died. Michael flew under the radar between that 1977 event and the 1979 release of Off The Wall, but when that record hit stores -- it was over. America had a new superstar, all grown-up Michael Jackson...you know little Michael Jackson of the Jackson 5!

Oh man...he's all grown up and awesome!

"Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough" was an instant standout song and remains one of my all-time favorite MJ tunes. It, along with the track, "Rock With You" was another major hit and both were supported by simplistic music videos. That was the last time Michael made a simple video; everything that followed were major groundbreaking productions.

Off The Wall showcased all of Michael's expansive talents as a vocalist and songwriter and the album was as versatile as his prodigious gifts. My favorite track, "Working Day And Night" is a frenetic groove that makes one want to move and dance rapidly. The midtempo songs ("Get On The Floor"), the ballads ("She's Out Of My Life") and the dance cuts make for a breathtaking listen, and the hyper "Burn This Disco Out" is strangely addictive after a few listens.

The album will forever be known as the little brother to the gigantic Thriller, but without the opportunity that Off The Wall provided Michael, nothing after it would have been as awesome. Indeed, legendary composer Quincy Jones made his first collaboration with MJ on Off The Wall after meeting him on the set of 1978's The Wiz. Furthermore, Off The Wall sold 7 million copies in the United States (a huge figure at the time) and made history by spawning four top-10 singles in the U.S.

Yes, we all know about Thriller, the machine that dominated America a few years later. But Off The Wall should also be recognized as one of the greatest albums in music history.

It's only fair.

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.

Michael: A Creative Genius And Peerless Visionary

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson was such an incredibly creative being, that he changed the face of music videos and music, rewrote the rules and raised the bar. He was the prime reason that I became a student of creativity.

And he only worked with the best.

During filming of Michael's feature film debut The Wiz in 1978, the 19-year old star met super-music producer Quincy Jones. They forged what would become a stunningly successful partnership as Michael provided the killer vocals and Jones crafted the scintillating production on three brilliant albums; Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. Teaming with Jones, who was among the best in his field began a decades-long alliance with superstars in all genres of entertainment for Michael.

He was the master at thinking outside the box. Jones was a jazz music producer, yet Michael brought him in to produce his pop/R&B music and it was obviously a rousing success. Michael also worked on The Wiz with such legends as comedian Richard Pryor, singer/actress Lena Horne and director Sidney Lumet. During production for the Thriller album in 1982, Michael recorded songs for acclaimed film director Steven Spielberg's E.T. Storybook. He also worked with Beatles' icon Paul McCartney on two songs and one music video.

Michael's approach to his music videos for Thriller was pure genius. He never called them videos; he called them "short films." Before Michael, music videos were basic and uninspiring. Michael included storyline, dialogue and special effects to his videos. For the "Beat It" video, he brought in real-life Los Angeles gang members to give the clip an air of authenticity. He'd already worked with superstar guitarist Eddie Van Halen on the song.

For the iconic "Thriller" video, he hired film director John Landis instead of a standard video director. He'd greatly enjoyed Landis' work in the 1981 flick An American Werewolf In London so he made the pivotal choice. He used make-up guru Rick Baker, a man who was accustomed to working on movies, to craft highly realistic make-up effects for the ambitious project.

In addition to his incredible decision making with the people he worked with, he also had unlikely friends and admirers. Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy visited him on the set of "Thriller." Legendary movie actress Elizabeth Taylor was his close friend as was Liza Minelli and Jane Fonda. All older women, and presumably not interested in a young pop star like Michael, his relationships with them belied conventional wisdom as well as proved his universal appeal and amazing transcendence.

He treated his Pepsi commercials like they were music videos or even micro films. The two from 1984 were highly popular, but the ones from 1989 (a 4-part ad that placed Michael in an over-the-top storyline) were a major event. Think about that -- a commercial series that played like a mini-movie and garnered much attention.

He picked movie actress Anjelica Huston to co-star in his 17-minute film, Captain EO in 1986 and brought in Francis Ford Coopla, another iconic film director to helm what was essentially an extended, special-effects laden music video set in outer space. The king of outer space-type films was George Lucas, who brought us such classics as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Michael enlisted Lucas to produce the 3-D short, which played exclusively at Disney theme parks for a dozen years.

For the Bad album, Michael worked with music icon Stevie Wonder and made another cutting edge short film to accompany the song. The clip was directed by another super movie director; Martin Scorsese and featured a then-unknown Wesley Snipes.

Michael also featured around two dozen Hollywood celebrities in his video for "Liberian Girl" and used a then-unknown Sheryl Crow in the video for "Dirty Diana." The 1991 release of the Dangerous album ended Michael's musical alliance with Quincy Jones, but the videos were more cutting edge than ever. He featured then-super popular child star Macauley Culkin in the clip for the song "Black or White" as well as actor George Wendt. He once again called on the services of film director John Landis to helm this project and he also utilized then-revolutionary "morphing" technology in the video.

For the video to "Jam," Michael brought in basketball giant Michael Jordan to co-star with him in the 1992 clip. During this time, Jordan's stature had grown tremendously due to his leading the Chicago Bulls to their 2nd straight NBA championship. The highly stylized short film for "Remember the Time" was set in ancient Egypt and filled with special effects. Michael brought in the then-recently retired Earvin "Magic" Johnson, another basketball deity to co-star along with legendary comedian/actor Eddie Murphy and supermodel Iman. Another acclaimed film director, John Singleton (who was in high demand as a result of his semial debut a year earlier with Boyz N Da Hood) helmed the nine-minute masterpiece.

For "In The Closet," Michael used another supermodel, this time Naomi Campbell, as the object of his affection. He was a man with limitless clout and endless influence which enabled him to bring in such A-list talent across the board.

Not to mention the fact that everyone seemed to be a huge fan of his.

Michael even did a largely forgettable video with Eddie Murphy for "Whatzupwitu" in 1993 for Murphy's Love's Alright album.

The rest of the 1990's were largely sparse for Michael in terms of creating music and videos. He did have a few other notable highlights during mid-decade; co-starring with sister Janet in the 1995 video for "Scream," working with R&B star R. Kelly, who wrote "You Are Not Alone," teaming up with rap legend The Notorious B.I.G. for a song in '95 during B.I.G.'s most popular year and bringing in acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee to direct two clips for "They Don't Care About Us" in 1996.

Michael also worked with legendary horror author Stephen King for Michael's 38-minute film "Ghosts."

In 2001, Michael released Invincible which was generally panned. In any case, he teamed up with star producer Rodney Jerkins in an attempt to create a stunning and updated version of his past sound. In the short film for "You Rock My World," Michael starred alongside comedian and actor Chris Tucker as well as the legendary Marlon Brando. Succeed or fail, Michael always came from an innovative and unconventionally ambitious place in all of his endeavors.

He even did a remix for "You Rock My World" with rap legend and mogul Jay-Z.

He was invited to the White House by President Reagan in 1984 and was honored and hailed as a man who was a valuable citizen of the world. Reagan also said that Michael's success was "an American dream come true." Michael also met with both President Bushes and performed for President Clinton. He was close friends with Princess Diana and sang for Nelson Mandela.

With Michael's surreal brilliance and incredible spirit, it's no wonder so many esteemed superstars, luminaries and dignitaries were drawn to him.

He was one-of-a kind.