For followers of the entertainment world, June 25th, 2009 will be a day they will never forget. Michael Jackson, the greatest pop star of all time, collapsed in his rented Californian home and was whisked by ambulance to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, where doctors frantically tried to revive him, after he had suffered heart failure.

As the news of the shocking crisis spread, worried fans gathered outside the hospital and other spots throughout the country-and the world-to pray for the beloved singer. Sadly, when Michael Joseph Jackson tragically died, two months shy of his 51st birthday, it seemed as though the whole world suddenly stood still and went into mourning.

“the King of pop, rock and soul”

The outpouring of grief from his fans has been tremendous and something rarely matched in the history of music and entertainment, but that’s the power of a man who was called a King, crowned a King, and truly was, as his dear friend Elizabeth Taylor once declared, “the King of pop, rock and soul”.

James Davies- who attended the press conference at which Michael spoke enthusiastically about his forthcoming This Is It tour- proudly presents this personal tribute to the star, whose musical genius and creativity earned him the undisputed title: ‘The King of Pop’.

Millions of people around the world will have their own memories of Michael. I’m no different, other than the fact I was fortunate enough to grace the great man’s presence while he was in London promoting his final This Is It tour. Having been invited to Michael’s press conference, shortly before his death, I was able to see, up close, the man who, with the mere mention of his name, is able to stop the world go by.

The excitement that surrounded the superstar was incomprehensible to someone who hasn’t ever seen or experienced it. Even hours before his arrival there was an unexplained buzz amongst all those who were lucky to be in the vicinity. We all knew ‘The King of Pop’ was coming. As an admirer of his work, I was incredibly excited to be part of ‘HIStory’ and couldn’t wait for his comeback.

Standing within a few feet of Michael, I was able to see, firsthand, the pandemonium that surrounded the singer, wherever he went. The chorus of screams was insatiable and one that did not go unnoticed, with him responding, in his characteristic tone, “I love you, I really do, from the bottom of my heart.”

Despite the world’s fascination with his appearance, up-close, he looked well and, dare I say it, normal.
But what struck me most about Michael was the aura he exuded. His mere presence sent a crowd of even hard-nosed journalists wild, as they hung on his every word. This is something that few entertainers have or ever will have, but I suppose that is what made Mike special; the man’s charisma.

The magnitude of Michael Jackson’s star power is almost impossible to overstate. His influence on music and culture has been immeasurable. During his lifetime he has smashed sales records, pushed creative borders, broken racial boundaries and influenced generations of pop, R&B and hip-hop stars. But there was never a doubt that Michael was going to be a star. When the Jackson 5 exploded onto the music scene in 1969, the world found out what his family had known for a long time- Michael was special.

As a child, the spotlight loved him, and he loved it. Even when sharing the stage with his four talented older brothers- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon- and recording on a Motown label full of legends, the pocket-sized singer, with the big voice and magnetic smile, stood out. The musician, who was born to perform, had the rare achievement of being a mass cultural phenomenon- twice. First in the late 1960’s, as a cherubic eleven-year old with his brothers in the Jackson 5 and again with the release of his solo recordings.

When the group were put together by their father Joseph they were instant sensations, putting four albums at the top of the pop charts in 1970 alone.

With singles such as ABC and I Want You Back, the Jackson 5 became the darlings of millions, and made genre and chart distinctions irrelevant with their universal appeal. ‘Jacksonmania’ began with bubblegum soul.

Michael would do it again, twelve-years later, with Thriller, which became the biggest-selling studio album in history, and brought sweeping changes to the music industry and redefined the word ‘superstar’.

Even though Michael’s 1979 solo album, Off the Wall, went multiplatinum, that was a mere prologue to the supernova that followed, and its success could not prepare the world for the cultural tsunami that was Thriller.

On stage, Michael brought applauding audiences to their feet with acts of genius that transformed the entertainment world, racking up enough awards to fill a personal Hall of Fame.

One defining moment for the talented showman came on a March evening in 1983, during the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever television special. After performing a few numbers with his brothers, from his Jackson 5 days, Michael, at the tender age of 24, in two short breaths, black shoes and sequined socks, takes over.
“Yea, those were the good old days…those were magic moments,” he tells the audience, as he pants for air. “But, I especially, like the new songs.”

Suddenly, thunder. The thumping beat of Billie Jean sent fans to their feet screaming. Jackson struck a pose on stage, clasping his black fedora hat and the now infamous white sequined glove. His black jacket and silver vest glittered as white socks peeked from under his black trousers. Then he erupted into a flurry of fluid dance moves as he launched into the song. But it was not until three minutes and forty seconds into the song that Michael introduced his most unforgettable move: the fluid, gliding, seemingly airborne, moonwalk.

Taking four short, sliding steps backward, Michael danced into history- unknowingly changing the world that night. Four steps. That was it. No pyrotechnics, no backup dancers, just a man, one glove and four monumentally memorable steps that seemed to defy the law of gravity. It is no exaggeration to say Jackson’s surreal dance step triggered a lasting transformation of music, dance and pop culture.

Seen by forty-seven million people, the Motown special created even more of a frenzy around the singers 1982 album Thriller, helping him become, arguably, the first African-American artist to truly own the mainstream, turning him into the biggest superstar of his and, perhaps, any generation. It would be his coronation as ‘The King of Pop’.

For nearly four decades, Michael Joseph Jackson brought the world to its feet with his incredible voice, innovative dance routines and catchy pop lyrics. There was no one bigger than Michael and his longevity and record sales speak for themselves. For roughly ten years, starting in 1982, no celebrity could hope to approach Jackson’s level of global fame and influence, nor has any since.

When the world lost Michael, it lost one of its few international superstars. From his work with his brothers, The Jacksons, to his international success with the Billboard-topping Thriller and Bad, to his anticipated 50-date show in London, he was truly at the pinnacle of pop culture.

His extraordinary gifts were shared by all of us as he excited our senses with music and dance, as exemplified in the epic albums Thriller, and Bad and the sounds and beat of Billie Jean. His stage presence was always an extravaganza.

He offered everyone his music and love with a white-gloved hand extended out to all. He contributed his time to so many worthy causes as he truly believed We are the World. But what’s more, Michael loved to create magic, to put something together that was unusual, something so unexpected that it blew peoples’ heads off, something ahead of its time. The moonwalk was just that, sending adrenalized kids scurrying to their kitchens in white socks, trying to master the move. When Billie Jean aired on MTV in 1983, Jackson became the first African-American artist ever featured on the emerging channel and inspired fans around the globe to copy his rhinestone style.

The glittering white glove became Michael’s singular accessory soon after it made its TV debut on Motown 25. So synonymous was it with Jackson’s image that it morphed into one of his nicknames, ‘The Gloved One’. Like Marilyn Monroe’s white dress or Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the glove ceased to be merely an item of clothing. It was part of a persona.

“These will be my final shows in London. This will be it. When I say this is it, this really will be it. This is my final curtain call!”

Lost amidst the eccentricities that increased later in life, many people may have forgotten the huge volume of time and money Michael donated to charity. He was always ready to give back to those who were less fortunate and never forgot his own humble, blue-collar roots. He gave in to the tens of millions of dollars to charities over the years- even including his entire cut from one of his incredibly successful world tours.

Michael Jackson will be remembered as the ‘King of Pop’, as an enigma who may never be completely understood. While his 50 years on this Earth were entirely too short, his light flickered so bright when he lived that it has left an indelible mark on everyone who has ever listened to his music, or been helped by this gentle and sometimes tortured soul.

We now celebrate Michael’s life’s work as we reach out and eternally hold that gloved hand and remember him forever in his music. Perhaps, somewhat fortuitously, Michael knew these would be his last
performances.

“These will be my final shows in London. This will be it. When I say this is it, this really will be it. This is my final curtain call!”

Michael Jackson lived the last hours of his life doing what he was born to do. He will always be ‘The King of Pop’.

Words by James Davies
www.jamesdaviesmedia.co.uk

Images by The Outside Organisation

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The King of Pop

20 July 2010

Words by James Davieswww.jamesdaviesmedia.co.uk

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Words by James Davies
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