Jackson on stage during "Bad" tour circa 1988. (press release photo)
As what would have been the beloved iconic entertainer’s 51st birthday approaches (August 29, 2009) the world community once again finds itself engaged in rediscovering, redefining, and re-devouring Michael Jackson. Some are feasting as they have been for years on continuous disclosures about aspects of his life (and now death) considered unconventional and mysterious largely because the man in question is Michael Jackson ––were he someone else, those qualities termed “eccentricities” while he lived might have been described just as individual idiosyncrasies or personal issues.
In addition to the extent of his dependence on drugs to manage pain in a world known to exact agonizing cruelty upon hypersensitive souls, another revelation that immediately set tongues wagging and fingers snapping was that of Jackson’s actual monetary net worth. Reports in recent years have often stated he was broke, the result supposedly of spending more to support a lavishly self-indulgent lifestyle than the millions of dollars he was actually earning. While the performer did indeed reportedly accumulate an excess of $300 million in debt, he had also worked hard enough and invested shrewdly enough to ensure at least that amount would go to his family once all debts were settled. One well-known investment in particular––a cache of rights to songs by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Neil Diamond––has a potential value of $1 billion plus.
The Timeless Music
Aside from conversations pertaining to his wealth, the one truth upon which all seem to agree universally is that the legacy of Jackson’s music will stand as steadfastly as that of the Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (whose classic Nutcracker Suite the performer adored), jazz master Duke Ellington, or songstress Ella Fitzgerald. To date, his solo albums Thriller (1982) have reportedly sold 110 million copies worldwide; Dangerous (1991) 32 million copies; and Bad (1987) 30 million copies, a feat that helped earn him the World Music Diamond Award in 2006. Additional recordings with his brothers as The Jackson Five and with other artists place his total sales (again, to date) at some 750 million units. In the simplest of human terms, those staggering figures mostly mean someone somewhere will always hear a Michael Jackson song for the first time or the ten-thousandth time and privately celebrate his musical art as a gift to their appreciative soul.
To Help Heal a World
What is so odd when it comes to public discussions of Jackson’s legacy is how few comments one hears about the monies the singer worked for and donated to dozens of charities around the globe. As NBA star Kobe Bryant put it at the singer’s memorial, “Michael gave as much off stage as he did on stage.” The acknowledged amount in that area also exceeds $300 million and prompted the editors of the Guinness Book of Records Millennium Edition to cite Jackson as “the Pop Star who supports the most charity organizations.” That observation places an entirely different spin on the title “King of Pop,” conjuring as it does the image of a true sovereign seeing to the needs of his people. That he touched as many lives as he did through his music is miraculous enough but when studying the vast list of organizations and individuals for whom he at times served as a philanthropist, Jackson’s impact on humanity magnifies to an astounding degree.
The following sample of the many organizations to which he made substantial (and some cases long-term) contributions provide some indication of the magnitude of his impact upon his fellow human beings: the AIDS Foundation, Camp Ronald McDonald, the Make A Wish Foundation, the United Negro College Scholarship Fund, Camp Good Times, the T.J. Martell-Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the NAACP, the Rotary Club of Australia, UNESCO, Volunteers of America, the YMCA, numerous children’s hospitals and various legal defense funds. But while most of these organizations are based in the United States, Jackson was a true citizen of the world, a globetrotting moonwalking philanthropist if you will, and the hands he opened to one segment of humanity did not close when he encountered another.
Michael Jackson in classic dancer form. (digital press release detail)
All those stunned by the literally worldwide outpouring of tributes upon his death need only recognize that his generosity truly was global. During the course of various tours he often forfeited individual payment and instead donated his earnings to others: at one point presenting Mayor Kronawitter of Munich, Germany, with a 40,000 DM-check for the needy people of his city; donating £400,000 pounds to charities in Dublin, Ireland; presenting 1 million pesetas to charities sponsored by the Queen of Spain, and £200,000 to Prince Charles of Great Britain for the Prince’s Trust. Argentina, France, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Russia, and citizens of countries throughout Africa benefited repeatedly from Jackson’s amazing capacity for altruism.
It is possible that the inscription on the Bollywood Humanitarian Award that the megastar received in 1999 sums up what drove him to work so hard in order to give so much: "Though he comes from the young American tradition, Michael is the embodiment of an old Indian soul. His actions are an expression of the philosophy of Weda, which asked to work for the people––not for one's own interests."
To Read Part Two Please Click Here
by Aberjhani, the African American Art Examiner and author/co-author of eight books including The Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance and ELEMENTAL, The Power of Illuminated Love.
For more on Michael Jackson:
To Walk a Lifetime in Michael Jackson's Moccasins
Notes for an Elegy in the Key of Michael
Action Jackson
Gallery of Photographs Michael Jackson Opus
GQ Magazine feature on Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson The Untold Story of Neverland
Comments
In the course of writing this article my intent was to present a birthday anniversary tribute to Michael Jackson and that intention still stands but news comes at this very moment that coroners have indeed ruled Jackson's death a homicide and it's not really possible to ignore the sad horror of that fact. I nevertheless will honor the man's spirit to whatever degree I can with the hope that it somehow helps to balance the carnival atmosphere promoted and exploited in the wake of Jackson's death.
Aberjhani
YouTube (500 character limit; no links allowed):
We support vindication of MJ by mainstream media. MJ was exonerated by a jury of his peers. Not good enough. For his children’s sake, mainstream media must become more responsible. We discuss how truth can compel mainstream media to publicly admit it wrongly accused MJ of despicable crimes. Many people still believe MJ was guilty. They were influenced to believe the allegations by a biased mainstream media. No links allowed here so search at Yahoo Groups for "vindication better than tributes."
No Character Limit/No Links:
We call for complete vindication of Michael Jackson by mainstream media. Michael Jackson was exonerated by a jury of his peers in 2005. Not good enough for his fans. For his children’s sake, mainstream media must become more responsible. We discuss how truth can compel mainstream media to publicly admit it wrongly accused Michael Jackson of despicable crimes. Many people still believe Michael Jackson was
Thanks for weighing in SoCalGal. In light of your comments, I think you will particularly appreciate part two of this article.
Aberjhani
At the end of the day, this is what Michael Jackson was. A never-seen-before performer and a great kind and loving soul. This is what is going to remain in the hearts of his admirers how much ever the ones who are jealous of him try harming his image.
Thank you Karmic. I believe it is within "the hearts of his admirers" that not just his memory but his creative spiritual presence will continue to find expression for generations to come.
Aberjhani
Once again, I have to praise this writer. Keep up the great job!
It's more the subject than me XOXO :-) but thank you very much.
Aberjhani
Finally!!!! God Bless you Mr. Writer. I hope a lot of people reach your article. Thanks so much from the bottom of my heart.
Oh my gosh! You so nailed it! Thank you so much for this eloquent piece.
mikelovesjanelovesmike:)and Robin--
You are welcome. The more I write about Michael Jackson the more I learn about him and vice versa. The creativity he inspires on a global scale is quite astounding.
Aberjhani
God Bless you for writing this wonderful piece about the pure heart of Michael Jackson.
I have been a Michael Jackson fan for all of my life. Like so many, I grew up listening to his music and watching his wonderful videos. Such a talented man he was. His generosity and kindness towards others, is what really won my heart. Thank you for letting your readers see the true person he was, not the person the media wanted you to believe he was.
The media has never given him credit for the hundreds of millions of dollars he gave to some 39 charities all over the world. He visited hospitals and orphanages bringing toys and helped families pay for operations for their children. Sad, that all the good he did, meant nothing to the press.
"Conspiracy" by A. Jones and "Redemption" by Geraldine Hughes are two books that gives you a different prospective about the trials that the media failed to report. It's unfortunate that Michael's side was never told. Maybe some day the world will know
And God bless you Susanne for sharing your appreciation of Michael Jackson's impact upon your life. I look forward to checking out the books by Jones and Hughes.
Aberjhani
Aberjhani, I really do hope you check out these two books, "Conspiracy" by Aphrodite Jones and "Redemption" by Geraldine Hughes. Just go to Amazon and read the book reviews. I guarantee you will be ordering them both. Getting the truth out there is the least, we can do for a remarkable, kind and caring man, who gave this world so much love and joy.
One day, I hope Spike Lee would make a documentary about these two books. Michael Jackson's story should be told, just the facts, without the lies and media spin. If you know Mr. Lee, please whisper this idea in his ear.
Thank you again for expressing your love for Michael.
Susanne
Susanne--
I did check out the books on Amazon and agree that the reviews are quite compelling. However, as a former bookseller, what made the biggest impression on me was learning that Aphrodite Jones had to self-publish CONSPIRACY. By the time she wrote that title, she was a well-established and best-selling author so it's a bit scary--actually very scary--that others tried to shut the book down. But how amazing that she persevered and now it's available to help shine a broader light on Jackson's life.
Aberjhani
Wow what a great article, its sad that time and time again the mainstream media choose to ignore MJ's humanitrian efforts.
Glad you enjoyed this Dimple. I just saw "Michael Jackson's This Is It" and am still absorbing the dynamic implications of the movie before writing about it.
Aberjhani
Thank you so much for this article! I encourage you to write more and more articles about Michael, to let people know how he was hurt by the media, how he was mistreated intentionally and portrayed with the wrong image. I admire him, and I will always will. His songs, the lyrics, are a treasure for people of all races and cultures. He had a perfect understanding of human nature, and I think he was a brilliant human being, one of the smartest guys who have ever lived on this earth, at the same level of Einstein.
Greetings from Argentina.
There are plenty of articles out there that seem to admire Michael Jackson's work and even the man, but sneak in words like "bizarre" and "childlike" and a horde of similar judgmental and misguided private opinions to not only dilute the positive message they appeared to portray, but lead the reader, who has decided to trust that message, down the wrong path (such as GQ's "Back in the Day: Celebrities" profile on MJ). Those skilled in writing are particularly good at that kind of thing. Happily, I haven't seen you do that. I hope I've caught up to everything you've written so far, and hope to read more of your thoughtful and fair portrayal of MJ. I agree you need to write a book to set the legacy straight, which other writers are still busy skewing. Keep up the good work.
I appreciate your readership Gina and Florencia. Jackson remains such a dynamo of creative inspiration that anything seems to become possible --including an actual book-- when that inspiration starts to evolve into literary expression. As I wrote in my blog 'To Walk a Lifetime in Michael Jackson's Moccasins,' we grew up during the same era, so watching him go out into the world and accomplish all that he did was particularly empowering for me and those of my generation.
Aberjhani
wow, you are a consummate writer. Very compelling and extraordinarily precise, compassionate, and convincing without being overbearing. Please write more -- you and this genius artist have many more things to say.
Michael, our sweet angel of the world, is the most loving,caring,giving,unselfish person i ever seen!! I'm sure he is waching over us still to this day!! I Iove michael forever!! Thanks for this Aberjhani!!
I'm inspired... :)
work like him and give like him .. :)
King of Pop, Michael Jackson is a true follower of King of kings.. :)
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHT AND APPRECIATION FOR MR. MICHAEL JACKSON. I HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED BY THIS ARTICLE. READING ABOUT MJ THROUGH YOUR EYESIGHT HAS TOUCHED MY HEART IN SUCH A SPECIAL WAY. I LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON SO MUCH AND I AM SO PROUD OF THAT MAN. MICHAEL IS LOVE TO EVERYBODY AND ALWAYS WILL BE. ALL THE WORLD SHOULD APPRECIATE THIS GREAT GIFT FROM GOD THAT HAS SHOWN US WHAT TRUE LOVE IS ALL ABOUT.
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