Michael Jackson died 15 years ago, but his impact and legacy live on
OPINION: The King of Pop left an indelible mark on the way people perform music and produce music videos that cannot be denied.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first got the news that Michael Jackson had died.
On June 25, 2009, I was at a gamer convention in St. Louis – of all places. I was in one of the meeting rooms engaged in a rather competitive game of Rock Band with some of my fellow gamers, giving my very best Courtney Love impression as I belted out “Celebrity Skin.”
In the middle of my performance, someone ran into the room and said, “Hey, there’s a story going around that Michael Jackson just died.”
I didn’t immediately stop singing because I thought we were being trolled, but then someone else came downstairs and asked if we’d heard about Michael Jackson.
I put my microphone down and pulled out my phone. That’s when I saw a text from a family friend saying the same thing.
In a blur, I left the conference room and ran upstairs to the bar where the television was tuned to the news, and my heart sank as his death was confirmed.
It was one of the biggest WTF moments of my life. I cried for a week, and then I cried again when they televised his funeral service.
My family and friends can tell you how obsessed I was with Michael Jackson when I was a child and teenager. His posters covered my wall. I had a collection of buttons with his image on them. I bought magazines, cut his pictures out and taped them everywhere I could in my room and on my dresser mirror.
I would style my hair with a little curl hanging down in the front like he did. I begged my mother for a “Beat It” jacket that she never bought (way to go, Mommy!), but she did buy me a lot of T-shirts with his image on them, so I guess that was OK.
He integrated MTV at a time when they were repeatedly called out for not playing videos by Black artists.
He revolutionized the music video. If you aren’t old enough to remember staying up all night the day the “Thriller” video premiered, you probably can’t relate to this.
I remember watching Motown 25 in real-time and watching him moonwalk his way into superstardom.
Michael Jackson was and still is an icon.
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From a very young age, he demonstrated the kind of charisma and star power that makes people into legends. He grew up before our very eyes, and he never stopped being at the top of his game.
His impression is felt and seen in a lot of the artists people enjoy today.
Michael Jackson harmonized and moonwalked so Usher could sing in his falsetto on rollerskates.
I sometimes wonder what life would be like if he were still here. Would he still be making music that makes us sing along and dance? Would he still be performing? Would he jump on tracks with other artists?
Although today could be a sad day of remembering, I would instead like to highlight some of the beautiful things Michael left behind when he joined the ancestors.
Here are some of my favorite Michael Jackson songs and performances.
Butterflies
I heard this song before it got released because my friend Anil Dash (an avowed Prince fan, and today is also the 40th anniversary of the release of the album Purple Rain) sent it to me ahead of “Invincible” being released, and it instantly surpassed every other song to become my favorite MJ performance. It was 2001, and this song was giving 1978 Mike. I loved it then, and I love it now. I’m sad we never got a video.
The Motown 25 Performance
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. No one remembers who else performed on Motown 25 because once Michael Jackson did this, it was all anyone could talk about whenever that ceremony comes up.
Thriller
This isn’t a music video; it’s a short film.
No, I will not elaborate further.
Remember The Time
Iman. Eddie Murphy. Magic Johnson. Michael Jackson. Fatima Robinson choreography.
4+4 = Michael ATE.
Scream
Michael and Janet on a song together. Michael and Janet dancing in a video together.
That’s it. That’s “Scream.”
Smooth Criminal
The lean, baby. The lean. “Annie, are you OK?”
We miss you, Michael Jackson. Your legacy lives on.
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