Michael Jackson Remembered

Below are a few touching comments that were posted on Facebook today. Thanks to you, beautiful Michael fans.

“In the end, what should matter is all of the good that he did, looking at his heart and his pure desire to help others, seeing the beauty that was within, and accepting and forgiving his humanity just as we would want done for us…In my opinion, Michael was a beautiful person inside and out and he did his best to live out the beauty that was inside of him and in the end, who we are inside and what we do with what God has given us, is what will change the world, affect others’ lives, make a difference and be our legacy. Michael’s legacy still shines bright because he dared to share who he was inside with all of us. He dared and risked being transparent even if it wasn’t easy for him and was something that may not be received favorably. He hurt and felt pain because of it, though many forgot that he was, in his own words, just like everybody else. He hurt and he bled. He was…wonderfully human. ” Deborah Kunesh, journalist, from Reflections on the Dance.

Is this the Michael Jackson the media showed you? I didn't think so. Please take the time to get to know who Michael Jackson truly was. THIS is the REAL Michael Jackson!

“Michael was all that and more. He embodied and encompassed all that is good and right with man kind ~He was pure and gentle. He loved life, he loved his friends, he loved his children and he loved (most members) his family ~He was a father, a brother, a lover, a world class human that will never be replaced but always missed.” ~Kristina Stewart

“He never gave up, never backed down. many say he was a broken man but I don’t believe that for a minute. I believe Michael Jackson’s spirit and heart overcame all the trials and suffering that the world put him through.” ~Rebecca Edwards

“We hurt, like everyone else. We’re not made of steel. We’re human beings. We’re family. And when Michael passed and the world cried, they didn’t cry because of an entertainer. They cried because of the love that he put back out there, and what he was about.” ~Jermaine Jackson

I find these lyrics providential for MJ. From his initial jaunt down the yellow brick road with Diana Ross at his side, to his glorious Moonwalk strides at Motown 25 and beyond, Michael eased on down the road, didn’t lose no ground, and kept on keepin’ on♥

♥♥♥♥♥

What a joy that Dorothy’s fun-loving Scarecrow friend can dance like Michael Jackson! His ability to simultaneously kick up his heels while singing “Ease On Down the Road” elicits endearing affection. Far from being afraid, even the king crows of the cornfield loved him!

Michael breathed life into the Scarecrow while expanding his own musical style. On his own for the first time, after parting from his brothers and The Jackson 5, Michael embarked on his solo career. Working with Quincy Jones on the set of The Wiz would be the first of many projects that the two would share.

It is obvious that Michael had already been studying the likes of Charlie Chaplin and the greats of stage and silent film. Michael developed his Scarecrow into a clumsy, goofy, shy, malleable and earnest character. Until he started singing and dancing, you actually felt sorry for him, the victim of the cornfield. When he gets freed from the confines of his wooden pole, and the bullying of the big, black birds, he bumbles, buckles his legs and then he does a series of tight, perfect pirouettes. Michael dances up the yellow brick road with his mentor and friend, Diana Ross, on the precipice of his astronomical solo fame.

It would be only a year later that the success of Off The Wall would launch Michael into his very own Land of Oz, a terrain which held the promise of eternal glory. Move over King Crows of the Cornfield…make way for the King of Pop!

♥PREFACE♥

“The Dangerous World Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American superstar Michael Jackson as a solo artist, covering Europe, South America, Mexico and Asia from June 27, 1992 to November 11, 1993. The tour, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, who also sponsored Jackson’s previous tour, included 69 concerts to 3.9 million fans. The tour grossed up approximately $125 million and all profits were donated to various charities including the new Heal the World Foundation that was set up by Jackson.

During the tour’s third leg in 1993, Jackson decided to end the tour due to, as he announced, illness which ultimately resulted in hospitalization. Jackson had become dependent on painkillers and suffered from dehydration, migraines, back aches, frequent ankle injuries and stress.” ~Wikipedia

♥♥♥

Michael was at the height of success in the midst of his record-breaking Dangerous World Tour when, in August 1993, false allegations of child molestation surfaced as part of a well crafted extortion plan.

After nearly four months of inflated gossip by the mainstream media and tabloid outlets, and disgusted by the allegations, Michael recorded a heartfelt and sincere statement from his Neverland Ranch in response to the defamatory manner in which their stories were being reported. His statement was televised worldwide on December 22, 1993. Michael said:

“At every opportunity, the media has dissected and manipulated these allegations to reach their own conclusions. I ask all of you to wait to hear the truth before you label or condemn me. Don’t treat me like a criminal because I am innocent.“

Since the early 1980′s Michael had consistently donated large sums of money to numerous children’s charities all over the world. This practice continued until the day he died. For more details on Michael’s humanitarian efforts over the years click here.

These efforts were grossly overlooked, in favor of the reportedly, more eccentric side of his personality and life circumstances. Throughout his entire solo career, MJ had a tenuous relationship with the media. In 1991, Why You Wanna Trip on Me, was released. This is a song, among many that Michael wrote, which addresses his early relationship to tabloid and mainstream reporting.

♥ Tribute video by rivieracar1992, posted on You Tube May, 2010. Producer creatively uses footage from This Is It.

Michael retreated from the public eye in late November 1993, in an attempt to regain stamina, and resolve a prescription drug dependency brought on by the overwhelming emotional stress of his unfairly damaged reputation. This resulted in the remainder of the two-year Dangerous World Tour being canceled. He released an audio statement to the press:

“I was humiliated, embarrassed, hurt and suffering great pain in my heart. The pressure resulting from these false allegations coupled with the incredible energy necessary for me to perform caused so much distress that it left me physically and emotionally exhausted. I became increasingly more dependent to the painkillers to get me through the days of the tour.”

The tabloids, as well as mainstream media, offered no sympathy toward Michael, whose emotional and physical health was at risk. They continued instead to exploit him as the subject of taunts and ridicule. Once the allegations were in the public domain, the mainstream and tabloid media went on full attack:

♥ Newsweek questioned “Is he Dangerous or Off the Wall?” on it’s cover page ~  September 6 1993.

♥ Time stated “Michael Jackson: Who’s Bad?” ~ September 6, 1993.

♥ The Daily Mirror held a “Spot the Jacko” contest offering readers a vacation to Disney World

♥News of the World ran the headline “Hunt for Jacko the Fugitive.”

♥ The Sunday Express headline read “Drug Treatment Star faces Life on the Run.

♥ The New York Post on it’s front-page declared “Peter Pan or Pervert?” ~ August 23 1993

The press continued their malicious coverage of Michael during the course of many years, succeeding in their creation of the caricature they dubbed “Wacko-Jacko,” previously known as Michael Jackson. In an interview with Barbara Walters in Paris 1997, Michael declared his dislike for the commonly used nickname. He said in the interview, “Wacko Jacko – where’d that come from? Some English tabloid…I have a heart, and I have feelings. I feel it when you do that to me. It’s not nice. Don’t do it. I’m not a ‘wacko’. I’m Jackson.”

Stranger in Moscow (song and video) was well-received and highly acclaimed by industry critics.  The song was originally written by Michael, as a poem, in September 1993, in a hotel room in Moscow, just a month after the false allegations of child molestation broke during his Dangerous World Tour.  It is perhaps one of Michael’s most personal songs, as his lyrics are direct and vulnerable. He was alone, outside of his home country away from family and friends during this shocking, and extremely emotional and physically taxing period. The opening verse of Stranger in Moscow speaks of isolation and despair. The verses refer to the unfair ridicule by the press.

In the chorus of Stranger in Moscow, Michael asks the listener a question that he has been asked many times, regarding his fame, fortune, talent and celebrity. He suggests that it all means nothing when you feel isolated, disconnected and alone.

Over the years, Michael was continuously deemed a criminal, regardless of the fact that no court of law ever recognized that to be the case. After years of hugely celebrated success, Michael felt forsaken by the public. Through his song lyrics and occasional public interviews, he repeatedly asked the media to separate his celebrity persona, from his true self. He continually asked for privacy, and for the public and the media to understand that, behind his image, he was a man, worthy of respect simply by virtue of being a child of God.

Stranger in Moscow concludes with lyrics spoken in Russian. The lyrics, spoken by an unnamed individual, lend to the feeling of paranoia, despair, fear and isolation. Stranger in Moscow is a ballad about a man merely trying to have his voice heard, while by being crucified by the unjust lies and money hungry media machines.

Information sources:

* Campbell, Lisa D. Michael Jackson: The King of Pop’s Darkest Hour. Branden Books. 1994
* Halstead, Craig and Cadman, Chris. Michael Jackson: The Solo Years. Authors OnLine Ltd. 2003
* Jackson, Michael. “Stranger in Moscow” HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1. Epic Records. 1996

“Stranger In Moscow”

I was wandering in the rain
Mask of life, feelin’ insane
Swift and sudden fall from grace
Sunny days seem far away
Kremlin’s shadow belittlin’ me
Stalin’s tomb won’t let me be
On and on and on it came
Wish the rain would just let me

How does it feel (How does it feel)
How does it feel
How does it feel
When you’re alone
And you’re cold inside

Here abandoned in my fame
Armageddon of the brain
KGB was doggin’ me
Take my name and just let me be
Then a beggar boy called my name
Happy days will drown the pain
On and on and on it came
And again, and again, and again…
Take my name and just let me be

How does it feel (How does it feel)
How does it feel
How does it feel
How does it feel
How does it feel (How does it feel now)
How does it feel
How does it feel
When you’re alone
And you’re cold inside

How does it feel (How does it feel)
REPEAT (above)

Like stranger in Moscow
Like stranger in Moscow
We’re talkin’ danger
We’re talkin’ danger, baby
Like stranger in Moscow
We’re talkin’ danger
We’re talkin’ danger, baby
Like stranger in Moscow
I’m live in lonely
I’m live in lonely, baby
Stranger in Moscow

[KGB interrogator - Russian to English Translation]
“Why have you come from the West?
Confess! To steal the great achievements of
the people, the accomplishments of the workers…”

Stranger in Moscow Behind the Scenes Footage:

Thanks to YouTube member JR2008JR

Michael never recovered from the terrible and horrific experience of being raked over the coals by a greedy corporate money machine. How could a such a sensitive human being ever survive this type of treatment? Michael’s life was unfairly destroyed by evil lies and corporate greed. Over the years, his breath was slowly choked out of him.

Just when he was trying to “come back” to life, a life that included bringing joy to his family and fan-mily, he was trampled on. This time it went too far.

“Money”

Money.
Money…
Lie for it
Spy for it
Kill for it
Die for it
So you call it trust
But I say it’s just
In the devil’s game
Of greed and lust
They don’t care
They’d do me for the money
They don’t care
They use me for the money
So you go to church
Read the Holy word
In the scheme of life
It’s all absurd
They don’t care
They’d kill for the money
Do or dare
The thrill for the money
You’re saluting the flag
Your country trusts you
Now you’re wearing a badge
You’re called the “Just Few”
And you’re fighting the wars
A soldier must do
I’ll never betray or deceive you my friend but…
If you show me the cash
Then I will take it
If you tell me to cry
Then I will fake it
If you give me a hand
Then I will shake it
You’ll do anything for money…
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Insurance?
Where do your loyalties lie?
Is that your alibi?
I don’t think so
You don’t care
You’d do her for the money
Say it’s fair
You sue her for the money
Want your pot of gold
Need the Midas touch
Bet you sell your soul
Cuz your God is such
You don’t care
You kill for the money
Do or dareThe thrill for the money
Are you infected with the same disease
Of lust, gluttoney and greed?
Then watch the ones
With the biggest smiles
The idle jabbers…Cuz they’re the backstabbers
If you know it’s a lie
Then you will swear it
If you give it with guilt
Then you will bear it
If it’s taking a chance
Then you will dare it
You’ll do anything for money…
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
You say you wouldn’t do it
For all the money in the world
I don’t think soIf you show me the man
Then I will sell him
If you ask me to lie
Then I will tell him
If you’re dealing with God
Then you will hell him
You’ll do anything for money
Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil
Even sell my soul to the devil…
~Michael Jackson

Michael grew up familiar with the privileges of sovereignty. He was practically weaned onto the stage, where he was clothed in all manner of military and courtly regalia from an early age. He learned to play the part of Admiral, Commander, Czar, General and King. Hence, King of Pop became a most appropriate title. It is important to understand Michael’s unique developmental dilemma before casting judgment. His psyche was formed while he identified with his stage persona, and as he projected what he was instructed to project as an entertainer. He honed the skills of showmanship from early childhood.

Michael grew up learning to please his fans. He depended on his fans somewhat like a king depends on his subjects. The loving and dependent interconnection between Michael and his fans ran deep. Michael’s first born son, “Prince” Michael Joseph Jackson, aptly stated on the night he accepted the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his father, “his fans were always there for him.”

Watch Prince Jackson’s acceptance speech here.

Michael’s fascination and appreciation for military style, both in costume and choreography, reminds me of the days when my sons used to play a favorite game they called “militia.” They played for hours on end, in the woods and in wide open fields.  Michael, on the other hand, always in the public eye, and with as much royal privilege as his life offered him, lacked some of the simplest and most basic privileges required for balanced emotional health.

Michael’s developmental playground was the stage, with the whole whole watching!

First, there was Starlight…until producer Quincy Jones and Michael reworked it, and song writer Rod Temperton renamed it Thriller. These original lyrics give me chills. They reflect social commentary much more than the finally accepted Thriller lyrics do.

Starlight Sun Lyrics

There’s indication that someone else is standing on the ground
Across the nation there’s always people trying to pull you down
Now is the time for us to spend the scene here close together
Deep in the night we’re holding on to someone else’s dream
Girl can’t you see

We need some starlight starlight sun
There ain’t no second chance we got to make it while we can
You need the starlight some starlight sun
I need you by my side you give me starlight starlight tonight yeah

They’re out to get you there ain’t no .. you’re acting like a fool
Love can possess you and make you see that ..
High in the night this magic’s gonna keep us close together, yeah
We’ll start to fly cause this is the beginning of your life
This is the night

Give me some starlight starlight sun
This is the only chance we’ve got to make it while we can
You need the starlight starlight sun
I need you by my side so give me starlight starlight tonight
Light up the world let the love start take charge of this masquerade
Take your delivery and show me that this is your light
Give me your starlight tonight

There’s indication that someone else is standing on the ground
Across the nation there’s always people trying to pull you down
Now is the time for us to spend the scene here close together
Deep in the night we’re holding on to someone else’s dream
Girl can’t you see

We need some starlight starlight sun
There ain’t no second chance we got to make it while we can
You need some starlight starlight sun
I need you by my side you give me starlight starlight
Give me starlight starlight sun
There ain’t no second chance we got to make it while we can
You give me starlight starlight sun
I need you by my side so give me starlight starlight
Give me starlight starlight sun
There ain’t no second chance we got to make it while we can
We need the starlight starlight sun
I need you by my side so give me starlight starlight tonight

Gimme gimme that sun (x3)
Uuuh Yeah
Gimme gimme that sun
Uuuh Yeah
Gimme gimme that sun
Now is the time for be together
Gimme gimme that sun
Starlight Sun
Gimme gimme that sun, starlight (x2)
Uuh Babe
Starlight (x11)

Thanks to Pelleneo’s You Tube Channel

Music video by Michael Jackson performing Thriller. (C)1982 MJJ Productions Inc.

A video narrative with the melody of Michael’s speech leaves me speechless♥