The BBC has confirmed that Michael Jackson has died aged 50.
Apparently it was a cardiac arrest.
There were some stellar moments in his career:
Just this week I was listening to “ABC” and “I want you back” – when an 8 year old Jackson fronted the Jackson 5.
Or think about the moonwalk or the invention of the pop video – thriller set the pace for every video since.
Yes he was a very confused soul, yes he seemed to make some incredibly unwise decisions with his relationship with children, handling his finances, plastic surgery…. But with 50 nights at the 02 booked out, a million tickets sold in 2 hours, shows a man who was still very clearly at the top of his game. For him to die so suddenly – brings echoes not just of Princess Diana’s death but of a story Jesus told.
Reflecting on him as a super talented 8 year old boy thrust into the limelight, and on an adulthood containing both childlike innocence as well as his childlike self absorption is a very painful experience. The connections between him and Peter Pan – the boy who never grew up are numerous – not least his Neverland ranch…
If only… someone had protected him, parented him, challenged him, loved him…
.
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My personal Michael Jackson favourites
1. Billie Jean
4. ABC
5. Thriller
7. Black or White
8. Beat It
9. Blame it on the Boogie
10. Don’t Stop till you get enough
Great news – Amazon have Dangerous available for download for only £2.97 and it will play on iTunes and any other mp3 player too.
