Date:07/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/yw/2009/07/07/stories/2009070750390400.htm

An immortal musician

PHEROZE L. VINCENT

The world said goodbye to Michael Jackson recently. Though he is gone, his music lives on.

Photo: AP

Just him: Remembering an icon.

“On stage for me was home. I was most comfortable on stage but once I got off stage, I was like very sad.”- Michael Jackson to Oprah Winfrey in 1993

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away last week, leaving behind countless heartbroken fans that grew up to his music. Jackson, whose music reigned throughout the 1980s and most of the 90s; whose dance moves were the staple consumption of college and school culturals, for more than two decades, reportedly died of heart failure on June 25.

Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, to Joseph Walter “Joe” Jackson and Katherine Scruse. As the seventh child among nine siblings, Michael was robbed of an ordinary and carefree childhood. The Jacksons were a musically inclined family, with Michael and his brothers performing as the popular Jackson5. Michael began performing in front of his classmates at age five, and turned professional with The Jackson5 at the tender age of six. The eight-year-old Michael then took on the lead vocals, and further popularised famous Motown renditions.

A demanding career at an early stage in life, Michael faced further pressure under an abusive father. It was later made known that Michael was physically and emotionally abused, which included pressure-filled rehearsals, whippings and name-calling. Michael never truly had a childhood to call his own, and this continued to torment him in his later years.

Record of sorts

What’s remarkable about Michael is that even those who aren’t his fans remember his lyrics. More than 750 million of his records have been sold worldwide. Thirteen of his tracks have topped the charts and he has won 13 Grammy Awards. His 1982 album, Thriller, is the biggest-selling original album of all time. He is listed as the “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time” by The Guinness Book of World Records.

He even dressed like royalty in many of his videos. His moonwalk and anti-gravity lean dance moves continue to capture the imagination of dancers, worldwide. Michael’s music attracted a huge crossover white audience. Michael didn’t just symbolise America; he is an immortal symbol of a whole generation. What he leaves behind is rich legacy of music that has a huge influence on contemporary music.