Michael Jackson

Unless you live in a cave I'm sure you know that 50 year old music legend Michael Jackson died yesterday. Fans have gathered at Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame to honor the former child prodigy who became one of the best-selling pop artists of all time.

His music was the soundtrack of my childhood as I think back to the 80's. I'm now 31 years old, and he is to my generation what Elvis was to my parent's. Those who are in their early 20's and younger don't know the Michael Jackson I know. They just saw tabloid headlines that painted him as a strange looking has-been that descended into a strange and reclusive lifestyle with accusations of child molestation. Jackson's reputation as a singer and dancer was overshadowed in recent years by his increasingly abnormal appearance and bizarre lifestyle.

Jackson dominated the charts in the 1980s and was one of the most successful entertainers of all time, with a lifetime sales tally estimated at 750 million records, 13 Grammy Awards and several theatrical music videos.

"Michael was and will remain one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived," said Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Jackson's first label boss. "He was exceptional, artistic and original. He gave the world his heart and soul through his music."

Enough said!

Here is a popular video of Michael singing Billie Jean for the first time in public. It was also the first time the showed us is signature dance move......the moonwalk.


A few years later Jackson released the album Bad.
Dirty Diana had more of a rock edge compared to his previous releases.


In the early 90's Black or White was released from the Dangerous album.

I remember vividly how we huddled around the TV in my grandmothers kitchen watching this video on MTV at Christmas. The way they morphed into different people in the end was awesome. It was also obvious that this 1992 Michael was looked quite different than the 1984 Michael in the Thriller video. Talk about morphing.....