I be damned if I dare ask do you know who Michael Jackson is! (I won’t say was because he still lives…in countless hearts). You may know him as the King of Pop, or a Pop Icon, or a Versatile Singer or a mind blowing Dancer (Damn, I still can’t get that moonwalk right!)…a drug addict, may be? or just a homicidal maniac!
No matter what you call him or how controversial his life may have been, he reigned supreme on the world of music in the late twentieth century and was an undisputed king of the pop culture! His aura was so magical that he still continues to be a global phenomenon!
Fans world over, celebrated his 65th birth anniversary on 29th of August this year, paying tribute to the legend in their own ways. I pay mine today in my own unique way, by expressing my love for MJ.
But why today? After so many years! Well, I don’t have an answer to that. But one thing I know for sure is my unconditional love for him and his music! And why not? My generation literally grew up watching him perform those gravity defying killer dance moves on his groovy numbers. His music was an integral part of our lives. He was revered by the young and the elderly alike and I was no different.
In India, listening to the western pop in a middle-class family was not so common in the 1980s. Thanks to a liberal culture at home, I got introduced to the western music quite early. The first time I listened to MJ was Beat It, from his bestselling album Thriller. I instantly got hooked on to his music and went on to listen to the entire album. In those days there was no digital music, so no MP3s and ipods. The only way to access the music was to buy pre-recorded audio tapes and spending money on those was a luxury. However, I wanted his music to be a part of my collection at any cost. It did take some guts and efforts to convince my dad for the money. But he didn’t disappoint me either, and that was the start of my musical journey with MJ.
My only run with the western music before MJ was BoneyM, a Disco Band in the 80s. I didn’t attach myself to the likes of Metallica, Guns n Roses, Aerosmith or solo artists like Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, John Lennon and others of that era. An occasional listening to Madonna, Elton John, Billy Joel and George Michael was the only deviation. But it was MJ all along! I didn’t mind reminiscing the songs over and over again, as the love affair blossomed with time and it showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Thriller, Bad, Beat It and later on Black or White, Heal The World, Remember The Time, Man in the Mirror went on to become my personal favourites. The last album that I bought as an audio tape was History, before the advent of digital music. It is difficult to tell whether I loved these numbers because of the groovy beats or his killer dance moves. May be it is both. But watching him groove on the beats was a treat! I still remember spending countless hours trying to imitate his moves, albeit unsuccessfully.
Missing his live performance in India in 1996 is one of the biggest regrets in my life. That was an event that was not bound to happen any time soon in the future and I just missed it!! Very unlikely for an ardent fan like me who swears by MJ’s music! But alas, it happened. Nonetheless, I kept on watching him perform and listening to him in whichever form I could. First, the VHS. Then the VCDs. And then there was YouTube! To this day I watch his dance videos, live performances from the days gone by and keep tapping my feet or shaking a leg wherever possible.
Epilogue
You may hate him, you may love him. But there is no denying that he is irresistible. His journey to success was an inspiration to many. But I believe that made a good article on the web at the best. Many others even tried imitating him. Despite that, there couldn’t be another Michael Jackson, an undisputed king who ruled the charts unchallenged for a decade, the longest by any music artist ever!
For me, he was never a King of Pop or a Superstar. For me he was just MJ, whose music lived in me, whose dance moves had rejuvenating powers. His strength was his music and a message that each song conveys. It clicks, instantly connects with your heart! May it be the somber mood of Gone Too Soon, Earth Song, Will You be There or high on energy Black or White, Bad, Beat It or the sensuous The Way You Make Me feel, She Drives Me Wild!
I never dug deep into his personal life that was shrouded with mystery and controversies, because I didn’t want that to paint my love for his music. After staying out of the public eye for more than a decade, he was all set to make a sensational comeback, and I couldn’t wait to see that. But alas, he left the world stage on 25th June 2009, unannounced! Millions of hearts broke. Mine was one of them. It did take some time for me to register the fact and come to terms with it. But as they say, all good things come to an end, and he was no exception.
Though MJ is not with us any more, his music still lives in us and he will continue to rule millions of hearts like mine, till the end of time. To quote in his own words –
Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
– Gone too soon, by Michael Jackson, from the album Dangerous
Here one day
Gone one night
Like a sunset
Dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
