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Michael Jackson's appeal felt everywhere
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Michael Jackson was one of those artists whose appeal transcended time and place. It did not matter where you lived or whether you saw him onstage in New York or Arizona or Kansas. A true performer is a performer is a performer. .jpg)
His brand of entertainment was unlike some forms which do not travel as well, such as the stage musical. Once you have seen a show on Broadway, you are spoiled for life. The full orchestra and seasoned best of the best dancers, singers and stars shine nightly, and the excitement is palpable. While the road companies which perform here truly do an admirable job, nothing can compare to the thrill and history of the Broadway theaters.
But when it comes to an artist like Jackson, he could put on a show in your basement and it would not matter. Because he was the show. The special effects and costumes were appreciated but unnecessary. Anyone who ever saw him make music knew they were seeing one of a kind.
As someone who grew up alongside him, events in my life were often marked by what he was singing at the time.
As a ten-year-old I had a little crush on him when he sang “ABC”. As an angst-ridden teen, “Ben” spoke to me. As a young adult still amazed by the newness of MTV, I remember the night we all sat down to watch the debut of “Thriller” and realized what the medium could be capable of. It was taken as a matter of course that every person you knew owned a copy of the “Thriller” album. And yes, it was an album. Not a tape. And certainly not a DVD, still at least five years away.
And crystal clear is the memory of the night he unveiled his moon dance on the Motown Awards. My newlywed husband and I tried to replicate his moves on the kitchen floor, with laughable results.
The years that followed brought problems and complications, in both his life and the collective lives of us all. But those early innocent days were heady and full of promise.
And now those who thought they would get one more chance to watch him do what he did best have seen that opportunity slip through their fingers.
An individual like Michael Jackson does not come into this world very often. And unfortunately when one does, they often burn through their lives too quickly. Yet while we may never know who the person inside really was, we do know they touched our lives in a unique way.
Let’s hope that when we say our good-byes to Michael, he and his memory can finally rest in peace.
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