I don't have any great insights to offer on the passing of Michael Jackson. He was a very complicated figure and a challenge to wrap your mind around, because he was a tremendously talented entertainer with almost unfathomable demons.
But what I choose to remember today is how great a performer he could be. And in lieu of a Guilty Pleasures, let me offer some of his best performances. If you have others you like better, post your suggestions in the comments. Not too put too fine a point on it, but it's one hell of a body of work. Rest in peace.
1 comment:
What a talented guy. And what a horrible life to have lived. To call hime weird is just too facile. That guy never had a chance. He was abused and taken advantage of as a child, imprisoned by a tyrannical father, not allowed to have a childhood, and he spent the last 25 years of his life trying to get it back. Watching him morph from one human side show to the next was very unsettling, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. Clearly, he wasn't right.
And I loved his music. The Jackson 5 was my intro to and began a lifetime of interest in contemporary music, and I can thank him for that. Had it not been for Michael, I might have liked the Osmonds. He set me on the right course.
He had it all, but if you had asked me to name the one very famous person in the world who hated life, he was at the top of my short list. I hope the guy gets some peace now. I don't think he ever had much.
Rich
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