Michael Jackson’s farewell tour, announced above in London as the “This is it” tour, plays more like a goodbye to his fans as the King of Pop proclaims his last appearances on stage. There’s a lot to be said about the guy since he started as an 11-year old phenom to the best selling album of all time, “We Are The World,” skin coloring and plastic surgeries, outlandish purchases like Neverland Ranch and the criminal cases involving children. Essentially, he was a lightning rod of pop culture.
Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted “King of Pop” who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world’s most influential singer and dancer before his life and career deteriorated in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.
Jackson’s death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music’s premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
His 1982 album “Thriller” — which included the blockbuster hits “Beat It,” ”Billie Jean” and “Thriller” — remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters.
His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
The music videos of Michael Jackson helped redefine a generation of music and set the MTV station on the map with such epic videos as the John Landis-directed “Thriller” which clocked in at almost 14 minutes. Other videos such as “Beat It” and “Billy Jean”, all from the best selling “Thriller” album, helped make Michael Jackson the biggest star in the music world in the 80’s.
Later on the videos continued with the help of celebrity stars and directors such as Martin Scorsese’s video for Jackson’s “Bad” single. The big budget and flashy style helped make videos a wildly popular marketing item for musicians. Click the “More” link below to take a step back into Michael Jackson’s video legacy.
Great, I can’t wait to see the show!!! I always loved Michael Jackson, so these concerts should be excellent!