Thoughts on Michael Jackson

Posted by Don Zeigler on June 28, 2009

I am a musical creature of the 1970s and not the 1980s. I went through my teens during the era of what’s now called “classic rock” – bands like Aerosmith, Kiss, Queen and Journey were in their heyday. I remember when “Off The Wall” came out but never had any interest in listening to it, although on the few occasions when I actually tuned into a top-40 radio station, the title track seemed to always be playing.

So no, I was not a Michael Jackson fan per se. In this light, it’s worth noting that when I first saw the Thriller video, I was as impressed as any hardcore Jackson fan. It was slick, well produced and years ahead of anything else in that genre. Don’t forget this was long before MTV made music videos a part of our culture, and most of them at this time were not very memorable on a technical or musical basis.

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t quite understand all the fuss at the time over Michael Jackson himself. The one-glove bit was ludicrous. He could sure dance and sing, but the ever-present sunglasses, carefully curled hair and outlandish clothes made me snicker on more than one occasion.

By the time “Bad” was released, Jackson was already a joke to many. His music had become overshadowed by his odd behavior, plastic surgeries, accusations of child abuse and everything else. Jackson gradually deteriorated into just another sad case of too much fame being gifted to someone who wasn’t equipped to deal with it.

And yet, the news of his death a few days ago gave me pause. I’d forgotten, as had millions of others, how important he was to the way the music industry had evolved and changed; how incredible a performer he’d been; how much skill and craft could be found in his music.

The debate rages on about how his personal life must or should be reconciled with his artistic one. Some feel that the two cannot be judged separately; that his artistic legacy is forever tarnished or ruined by the things he did and/or was accused of doing. But can we honestly criticize Michael Jackson’s actions without considering how his own suffered abuse no doubt shaped his later life and reported actions?

I’m not sure, yet I don’t want to free him from all blame for his actions, either. Can we negate the influence he had on generations for his music, when in fact many classical artists universally revered today in academic circles would be condemned by the public for their personal behavior if it were revealed in the tabloids the way Jackson’s was?

These questions are not raised to negate the severity of issues of child and sexual abuse, should they ever be concretely proven in Michael Jackson’s case. I only mention them because he’s left a very complex and not at all neat and clean legacy behind.

It will only be in decades or even centuries that we are able to state who were truly the legendary and influential artists and creators of our time. Will Michael Jackson be on the short list? I think he will. His personal life and behavior should, in the long run, be irrelevant to his importance and impact on the world of music.