Michael Jackson was a musical
prodigy from day one in the musical business. He had his unique idiosyncrasies,
his bad habits, and his bizarre thoughts. Since day one he challenged himself.
After he released his first solo album, Off
the Wall, in 1979, it achieved great success, despite much conflict in his
life at the time. This conflict consisted of his father’s great displeasure at
his decision to create a solo album, his father and mother’s marital problems,
and last, Michael Jackson felt he could not cope with all the fame he achieved
with The Jackson 5. In the next few years, as he gained even more acclaim and fame,
Michael created his signature move. This legendary signature move was the
moonwalk, and the first time he performed the moonwalk was at Motown Records 25th
Anniversary Celebration. Michael then released Thriller in the year 1982. This album would turn out to be his most
famous album. Over 100 million copies sold worldwide. It was then that he had
earned his title, “The King of Pop.” One tragic incident that would never be forgotten
occurred while he was performing a commercial for Pepsi-Cola. As Michael
was performing, behind him were fire lit silhouettes on display. Something
malfunctioned with the timing, and unfortunately Michael’s hair and scalp set
fire. Injuries and effects of the malfunctioning were worse than first expected,
as Michael remained at the hospital for up to one month. This is what caused
Michael to become addicted to painkillers. The chemicals used to treat Michael
are what people presume had changed the color of his skin. (As an aftereffect.)
During these years, life for Michael was difficult. His sister accused him of
being a pedophile. His fans began to dislike him, as a result of these
allegations, and he was voted worst singer of the year on Rolling Stones magazine. Many of his albums, such as HIstory, Bad, Dangerous, and Invincible did
not receive as much success and acclaim when compared to the success of Thriller.
Throughout his life, Michael
would repeatedly attempt to beat the success of Thriller. When recording, Michael would recurrently record a song,
until it was perfect in his perspective. This is the main way Michael Jackson
had demonstrated perseverance.
During
the 1990s, Michael’s life had come to pieces. His sister accused him of being a
pedophile while being interviewed with her husband. She accused him of
molesting children. This is said to what have put an obstacle on his career and
success. After her statement went global, she agreed to be put on a lie
detector with the presence of thousands of people in the audience to confirm
her claim. However, right before approaching the stage, she refused to be
tested and demanded more money. Her request was denied, and she fled the
building. The big statement would not be confirmed that day. It was not until
2003 when she took back her statement and apologized to Michael. It was too
little too late as the damage had already been done and his reputation had
already been tainted.
In 2008, as Michael was approaching
the big 50, he agreed to perform one last tour and to release one last album (This Is It.) Sadly, one week before his
first performance in London, he returned to California as he was in agony as a
result of sleep deprivation. He was injected with harmful chemicals; and he
suffered from a massive cardiac arrest. After being rushed to hospital, he was
then pronounced dead. Michael was a huge icon in entertainment. He achieved
greatness, prestige, and achieved success during a time where “blacks” were not
supposed to be famous.
The
book covers the 1950s to the first decade of the 2000s, as this time period is
the span of Michael Jackson’s life. Here is text from the book for more proof. “There
is speculation that perhaps Michael had been left alone between the time of the
injection and when Michael’s bodyguard placed the call for an ambulance at 12:21
P.M. on June 25, 2009.” (Page 130) “In 1982, Epic Records approved a budget of
$750,000 to produce the next Michael Jackson album.” (Page 55)
The
era that Michael Jackson lived in made it difficult for him to succeed in the
music business. During the 1960s and 1970s, “blacks” were racially discriminated
against. In my opinion, I think that if Michael Jackson did not live in this
particular era, then he wouldn’t have made it. He wouldn’t have recognized a
challenge, meaning that he wouldn’t have perfected most of his music, as it was
tough for blacks to make it in the music business. An example of this is how he
was the first “colored” person to be aired on MTV. In my opinion, Michael
Jackson was born at the perfect time. He was an outlier.
This
book matters and is significant because it demonstrates how Michael Jackson was
an outlier and the challenges he faced. He achieved greatness in a tough world.
What I liked about this biography was that it exhibited how Michael Jackson
achieved great things in his life, just because he set his mind to it. Michael
Jackson is important to talk about because he is a great idol and example in
musical excellency, dance, and philanthropy. Out of 10, I would rate this book
an 8/10 because it was not very reliable as many false reports were stated about
Michael. I see myself in Michael Jackson because like Michael, whenever I set
my mind to something, I do it.
Vocabulary:
Pedophile: Child molester
Loitering: Stand or wait by without purpose
Sanctity: The state or quality of being holy or
sacred.
Choreograph: Dance steps
Rhinoplasty: Plastic surgery performed on the
nose
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