Cover of Michael Jackson memoir, Moonwalk.
Ways of letting Michael Jackson go while simultaneously holding on to the phenomenal megastar appear to have become an international determination as a variety of special events and projects are lined up to honor the late great icon.
The definitive letting-go part of this ongoing scenario occurred when the Jackson family buried its famous son September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. A veritable season, however, of apparently holding on to him kicked off with MTV’s much acclaimed and buzzed- about Video Awards September 13.
Projects still slated to come are far from limited to the following but include: the re-release of Michael Jackson’s memoir, Moonwalk, October 13; the This Is It movie documentary based on Jackson’s extensive rehearsals for his “comeback” tour, now set for theatrical release the week of Halloween; the Official Michael Jackson Opus scheduled for delivery just before Christmas; and the one-million-dots MJ Tribute Portrait by David Ilan and dot-contributing fans from around the world.
Classic MTV Send-Off
Of all the tributes to Michael Jackson over the past couple of months, two of the most loudly applauded came during the MTV Video Awards. The show opened with a kind of post-eulogy from the reigning “Queen of Pop,” Madonna, who said Jackson was a “hero” whose creative finesse endowed others with the ability to believe in their own potential. In a presentation that was personal throughout, she also went on record with the one statement most celebrities connected to Jackson have managed to avoid. She recalled, upon learning about his death, the following:
“All I could think about in that moment was I had abandoned him, that we had abandoned him. That we had allowed this magnificent creature who once set the world on fire to slip through the cracks.”
"Queen of Pop" Madonna at MTV Video Awards. (AP photo release)
If that observation was more on the somber side than many would have preferred, she ended on a “positive” note by describing her children’s imitations of Jackson’s dance moves. Madonna’s speech segued into a spectacular medley of Jackson’s videos, starting with Thriller, on a giant screen while a group of live dancers performed the routines on stage. The ultimate expression of that strategy came with the last video, Scream, in which Michael Jackson originally performed with his sister Janet. This time Ms. Jackson performed onstage, dancing and singing in perfect synchronicity with her older brother on the screen behind her, creating one of the most memorable moments in television history.
Working his way around Kanye West’s interruption of Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, for best video by a female artist, host Russell Brand implored, “Let’s honor Michael Jackson tonight by loving one anther … Total love in memory of Michael Jackson.” Just as the show opened with tributes to Jackson, it closed with the debut of the extended trailer to his This Is It music documentary.
This Moonwalk Continues
The Moonwalk memoir was originally released in 1988 with a foreword by another iconic figure, the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The stated intent behind the publication of Moonwalk at that time was to provide the public with “a remarkably candid and courageous book” that allowed an inside look at the singer’s life.
Though written, as many celebrity memoirs are, with the assistance of a ghostwriter, it provides what to date is the most definitive literary statement available from Jackson himself on his vision of his life and purpose. With characteristic simplicity, he wrote the following of the endeavor:
“I’ve always wanted to be able to tell stories, you know, stories that came from my soul. I’d like to sit by a fire and tell people stories – make them see pictures, make them cry and laugh, take them anywhere emotionally with something as deceptively simple as words.”
.jpg)
Janet Jackson delivers the heat and the love at the MTV Video Awards.
(AP photo release)
The 2009 edition of Moonwalk will feature a new supplemental foreword by Berry Gordy, the man who transformed the Jackson family’s life when he signed the Jackson Five to his Motown Record Label, and who at the Staple Center memorial for the megastar proclaimed he was, “Simply the greatest entertainer of all time.”
In addition to Berry’s foreword, the new 320-page edition of Moonwalk will also feature an afterword by Shaye Areheart, who served with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as the book’s original editor.
Continues with part 2 of 2: Greatness Immortalized
By Aberjhani, the African American Art Examiner and author/co-author of eight books including Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance and The American Poet Who Went Home Again.
This Is It Trailer on YouTube
Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait Page
Michael Jackson Legacies of a Globetrotting Moonwalker
To Walk a Lifetime in Michael Jackson's Moccasins
Notes for an Elegy in the Key of Michael
The Untold Story of Neverland
Jackson Action
Comments
I've heard a number of people privately express the sense of regret over "abandoning" Michael Jackson in his time of need but Madonna's statement on MTV was the first I'd heard from a major celebrity along those lines, especially in such a public setting.
Aberjhani
Indeed, part of my sorrow, perhaps the world's sorrow, I dare say, is that we are ashamed of ourselves for what we didn't do when we had Michael jackson with us. We didn't believe in his confessions of innocence, his pain and sorrow, his loneliness that he sang about in the last line of many songs, the danger he felt, the slavery and seduction of drug addiction he sang about, the sexual desire for a woman, but the integrity of remaining the old-fashioned, gentleman he declared and acted to be. What a treasure we've lost and how hard it is to say goodbye, as if we ever can.
It really is a very deep issue, isn't it? I believe you're quite right to say "part of the sorrow" because another thing people are trying to cope with is why they allowed themselves to be fed obviously biased beliefs about Jackson rather than forming opinions and conclusions based on their own instincts toward and experiences of him. It actually goes beyond Mr. Jackson I think to a crucial and somewhat scary examination regarding how much of what we experience as individuals on a daily basis is authentic and how much manufactured by whomever or whatever. I know that's kind of heavy on the X-Files side but if that shoe fits.... :-)
Aberjhani
I've had numerous conversations with my friends who were also fans about the issue of abandoning Michael in recent years. We all felt the same. I was startled to realize I had not purchased his last cd, Invincible. I had the joy of discovering a new set of songs from him as I mourned his death. In an odd but sad way, the personal nature of the songs gave me more insight into the man than ever before.
I think many people in Michael's professional circles may have lost touch with him too. However, we have to remember that Michael had intentionally taken a bit of a pause to focus on raising his family. He chose to distance himself a bit, but he was still actively writing and recording, often with other musician friends. So, I believe while he was surely going through personal struggles, he still had plenty of moments of joy during these years away from the limelight with his friends, his family, and especially with his children.
I also totally agree with your comment about what this phenomenon says about how much media we ingest daily and how lazy we've become about viewing it with some analysis, with a critical eye. We need to stay awake and remain conscious of the power of the media in shaping our beliefs and assumptions. We need to step back and question the content. And sometimes we need to simply turn it off!
The point about MJ having chosen to take time away from the spotlight in order to spend it with his children is a very important one indeed. Not only must it have been on certain levels a very special period for him but it will certainly remain a valuable one for his children from this point on.
The best route around all regrets at this time seem to be re-evaluation, recognition, and celebration because clearly the momentum in that direction --even with the implications of the homicide ruling-- is not slowing down at all.
Aberjhani
I can only add that I too shared deep sorrow and regret at having "abandoned" Michael in his last years. I never much believed tabloids, the accusations against him, and I distrust the mainstream media immensely.
But - during the last 10 or so years of his life, I admittedly wasn't paying much attention to him or his music and when he suddenly was gone, like Madonna, I went to YouTube and my iTunes library to again re-listen and re-watch him sing and perform. I listened to various past interviews and reviewed and learned even more about what an amazingly storied and extensive humanitarian resume he has as well. I knew of some of Michael's humanitarian work, but wasn't aware of the full extent of it.
My heart broke and with each memory or new piece of information about him, yet another piece of it went with him until it's all his now.
I was also gratified to hear someone of Madonna's stature mention this abandonment in public. It needed to be said. Bless her.
Thank you Seven for your very moving comments both here and on my AuthorsDen post of “Notes for an Elegy in the Key of Michael.”
The kind of merging of qualities of identity you describe is a very powerful and somewhat mystical kind of thing. Yet it may touch the very core of the best way to acknowledge MJ’s passage through this world, which indeed is to identify his strongest positive qualities and exemplify them to whatever degree possible within one’s own life. It’s all very fine and appropriate to honor the man himself but I suspect that even he would suggest that more important than becoming too tangled up in him as an individual, or even his brilliant creative works, would be picking up where he left off and making such qualities as altruism, environmental consciousness, and unconditional love as much a living reality as humanity can. Those are, after all, not just grand ideas but do-able practices essential to our world's survival.
Aberjhani
Aberjhani,
What I'd most like to see in honor of Michael and for the World is a documentary on his humanitarian work (or a book)- not so much to lionize him (though he deserves that) but to use his extensive and moving humanitarian efforts to inspire others to carry on this work. Others can't be inspired by what they are not aware of.
I've pestered Kenny Ortega (who is busy with This Is It right now) and who of course isn't going to answer emails from a nobody like me, and PBS et al about doing a show/segment or documentary centering on the subject - including of course, his relevant music. Michael wrote a lot of songs about social (in)justice, poverty, hate, racism, earth/environmental issues as they all concerned him.
I hate to see such magnificent humanitarian work go unnoticed - not only for Michael, but for others who would be SO inspired by it IF they fully knew about it.
Such a program/docu/book could be beautiful, moving, inspirational, and very valuable to our
That's not a bad idea at all Seven. If you come across a publisher who decides they would like to finance such a project and needs a willing writer, please point them in my direction via the message system at AD. I've been resisting the idea of attempting any kind of book on Michael Jackson but possibilities keep popping up, so I guess I'll leave the door open in the event something positive and concrete develops.
I doubt Kenny Ortega answers his own email and his schedule is definitely a full one these days, and likely to stay that way for the next few years. PBS is a question mark, so... But as MJ sang: Keep the faith :-)
Aberjhani
Aberjhani,
I know what you mean about hesitating to do a book about Michael. It seems these days, every other person is doing one - though usually about much more superficial things than his humanitarian resume and many full of untruths.
One publisher who did a positive book on him before his death had to self-publish as the publisher told them "We won't print anything pro-Jackson". I guess that's testimony to how profit-driven the industry is, that anything positive doesn't sell.
For that reason, I'd rather almost have a documentary done or a documentary and accompanying book. But as you alluded, getting any interest, much less funding might be tough. Interest in and funding for positive or inspirational works seems anemic, at best, no matter who it is, and especially if the person is as "controversial" (thanks to the tabloid media, mostly) as MJ.
It's a shame because this could be a beautiful, breathtaking, inspirational documentry. As much so as his creative legacy.
Celebrity artist David Ilan is creating an original portrait of Michael Jackson using only dots. Each dot in the drawing represents a real fan. Everyone who signs up gets a free hand-drawn dot in their honor added to the portrait.michaeljacksontributeportrait .com
Thanks Star. I actually mention Ilan in this first part of The World Lets Go While Holding on to Michael Jackson and share more about the project in part 2. It does sound like an amazing and unique tribute.
Aberjhani
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!