From multiple lawsuits and rising debts to rumours of plastic surgery and various illnesses, numerous column inches were dedicated to unsavoury revelations about pop star Michael Jackson during the final decade of his life. But following his death on June 25th 2009 of a heart attack, the media have been almost universal in celebrating his achievements.
Born the seventh of nine children to Joseph and Katherine Jackson on August 29th 1958, Jackson began his musical career with his four brothers in the Jackson Five, who had hits in the late 60s with I Want You Back and ABC. However, it was as a solo artist that Jackson was to become a global superstar, peaking in the mid-80s withThriller, an ground breaking album that sold more than 109m copies worldwide and is still the biggest selling album ever.
Michael Jackson's Achievements
Jackson won eight Grammys in 1984, the most won by a single artist, and soon became the most honoured musician in history worldwide. His accomplishments were not just musical, his Thriller video was groundbreaking in its production, delivery and marketing and not only revolutionised the way music videos were viewed, but it became the model on which other artists from then on made their own.
Although Jackson's subsequent albums would never replicate the success of Thriller, they were still selling better than other artists' of his time;1987's Bad sold over 30m and Dangerous in 1991 shifted 32m copies worldwide.
Along with his music, Jackson's world tours were also legendary. He sold out stadiums from Japan to Gabon, performed to huge numbers (over 4.4m for the Bad world tour alone) and became the highest grossing tours ever and earned him one of many mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records. His multiple entries would have him eventually noted as the most successful entertainer of the 20th century.
Michael Jackson's Persona
Jackson was as dynamic a musician as he was a personality. From his trademark attire of white socks, black ankle length trousers and black loafers and his single studded white glove to his signature moonwalk, he created a brand that had never been seen or equalled. His voice, moves, clothing and style were instantly recognisable, inimitable and completely original.
"How may pop stars have their own way of pointing, their own way of walking, their own way of moving their neck or their own way of leaning forwards?" ("Blessed With an Almost Superhuman Aura, he was his own Unique Creation", The Guardian, June 27, 2009)
Jackson was the first global super brand that could sell equally successfully in Afghanistan and Mauritius. His music transcended barriers and his appeal was universal. He was also his own unique creation in terms of his looks: he'd invented his own racial demographic- a Black man who had wiped away any distinguishing features to attest to that fact and who had become, to all intents and purposes, white.
The Tabloid Headlines
However, the sensational reports surrounding his personal life grew stranger and stranger. There were rumours that he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and that he'd built a zoo filled with exotic animals in his Never Never Land Ranch- his purpose built, Peter-Pan style home complete with Ferris wheel. Every week seemed to bring a new report of Jackson's odd lifestyle and spending sprees, but these turned ugly following the claims of child abuse levelled against him on two separate occasions.
These changed Jackson's profile in the media from an eccentric genius to a dangerous paedophile, and such damage to his public image was far-reaching. However, his ever-present and ever-loyal legion of fans stood by him and he was finally acquitted of both charges, but though there was no one worthy enough to claim his crown as King of Pop, he would never regain it himself due to an unfavourable public perception and a dip in creativity.
By the end of the 90s, Jackson was better known for sensational headlines than for his music. The younger generation would be forgiven for thinking he was merely a has-been pop star with freakish looks - Wacko Jacko as one tabloid called him - and be unaware of the huge debt modern music owes him.
The Media's Praise of Jackson after his Death
But following Jackson's death, the media were unanimous in their praise of the star. From CNN to BBC, they all breathlessly reeled off his record-breaking record sales, global reach, dynamism on stage and pioneering contribution to music.
"As a solo performer, Mr. Jackson ushered in the age of pop as a global product - not to mention an age of spectacle and pop culture celebrity. He became more character than singer: his sequined glove, his whitened face, his moonwalk dance move became embedded in the cultural firmament." ("A Star Idolized and Haunted, Michael Jackson Dies at 50", The New York Times, June 25, 2009)
Although his accomplishments elicited nothing less, still the media forgot their past vilification of him to concentrate on the good, not the bad or the ugly. "Newscasters mostly observed the rule of decorum in such matters: speak only good of the dead... [and] there was much good, much brilliance, to speak of. Hail to the King of Pop; rest in peace." ("Michael Jackson: The Death of Peter Pan", Time Magazine, June 26, 2009)
As with other notable icons of our time like Elvis Priestley and Judy Garland, Jackson's controversies and addictions may have filled the press during his lifetime, but in death and in the years to follow, his music, his scintillating performances and the records he broke will be what is remembered.
Kimberly Ward - Since completing a Journalism degree at City University, London, Kimberly has written extensively online and on print for The Independent ...
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