Gone too soon, Michael.
When asked to write a tribute for Michael Jackson, I was both delighted and dumbfounded. I have so much to tell, but I find myself unworthy to write about a legend like MJ.
Hence, I’ll let him, his music and his compatriots testify to it instead. Everyone has so much to say. Let’s just remember him as the musician, the singer, the dancer, and all the perfection that he is on stage, Michael Jackson. This, I believe, is what he wanted to show the world.
The Dancer
“I keep on dancing… and dancing… and dancing. Until there is only… the dance.” – MJ
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UDTxu6IGWw]
(If you have limited time to spare, watch the last 5 minutes.)
The Singer
“Like Judy Garland of the 1930s, Michael sounded simultaneously old and young, naive and wise, shy and bold, a crosscurrent of youth and aged energies…he possessed all the qualities of the greatest singers-smoldering passion, personalized phrasing, unique enunciation, a singular sense of harmony, an exquisite sensitivity… Flexiblity was his forte, yet Michael always remained Michael, hopeful, funky, tasteful, intense beyond reason.” ”
Gone Too Soon.
How does he use a note lasting 10 secs to show the fragility of life? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0mcxmCGetI]
Ben.
A love song for a rat.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msqfQpoFTYk]
The Musician
It wasn’t JUST talents alone. He worked hard. From a fanboy to an idol of millions.
“Well, I look over in the wings, and there’s this little kid gawking at me. Just gawking. I shoo him away…Next show, the kid’s back, still gawking. Now I’m pissed. I tell him to get lost. After the show…here he comes again. Nervy kid. Shy but nervy. Says he’s Michael Jackson and did I see him and his brothers’ opening act? No. Never heard of ‘em. Also says he’s sorry for disturbing me but he loves my singing and wants to know how I got the audience so worked up…I share a few secrets of the trade. Well, this kid’s listening like I’m giving out the combination for the vault at Fort Knox. You can hear the wheel’s turning inside his head.”
- Etta James, four-time Grammy winner
Have you read the credits for his songs?
At a time before music could be made electronically. Just two samples from his numerous songs.
Smooth Criminal
Written and composed by Michael J. Jackson
Rhythm arrangement by MJ
Vocal arrangement by MJ
Solo and background vocals by MJ
Clap by MJ
The Way You Make Me Feel
Written and composed by Michael J. Jackson
Rhythm arrangement by MJ
Vocal arrangement by MJ
Solo and background vocals by MJ
Finger snaps by MJ
You get the picture. Even the claps and finger snaps are by him. Yeah, even his fingers are musical.
The Perfection
Every move. Every step. Every flick of his hands. Every sound. Polished. Perfect timing. No mistake made. Let Michael speak for himself on the stage which is truly where he belongs.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w105XxxaRMQ]
There are just so much that we want to know about Michael. I thought Spielberg puts it well why sometimes, things are better left untouched.
“It must be hard for Michael to know how much the world wants to know him, to be like him, to consume him. He’s wisely created his own world in which to preserve the most honest parts of his identity. Those are the parts we love the most.” – Steven Spielberg
P.S.
Michael, you taught me to dance. Because of you, I brushed my teeth without moving my hand just so I can perfect the head-jerk sideways. Because of you, I wore socks at home and tried to moonwalk. I might be myopic today because of you too, from watching your concert on VHS tape on loop every day (starting from the very next day I watched you “live” at the age of 8.)
Thank you for being part of my childhood, my adolescence, and my teenage years. And now, you live on in the stage etched in my memory.
“Born to amuse, to inspire to delight.
Here one day, gone one night.”
Joy
P.P.S There is something about David that reminds me of Michael. The childlike tenor of his voice? The natural talent? The innocence?
