|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Aug 28, 2021 6:52:05 GMT
Michael Jackson's performance at Motown 25 is one of the best in pop history. Those who say it's more than a song or dance are right.
The combination of music, performance, vocals, movement, clothing —everything was like a symphony. Someone once mentioned that Michael was a man ahead of his time.
And I agree with that observation, he really was a visionary artist.
All the details have been combined and organized in his mind, the talent with his innate understanding of the audience is unmatched. There's a reason people all over the world know the genius of Michael Jackson. Many years later, he is still a phenomenon. Like Michelangelo, some were born to be special.
— by John Funk, michael jackson fan
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Aug 28, 2021 17:48:31 GMT
Michael Jackson is an extraordinary man who transcends all categories.
Although he is a young singer/songwriter/dancer and actor, Michael has been a noted artist for 20 years and he was not recognized as an icon until his thriller album became the best-selling of all time. Much has been written about him since then, but the man behind the superstar image is still a mystery to the media.
Michael Jackson in the media, portrayed primarily through gossip, rumors, exaggerations and sometimes defamation, is not the Michael I've known and wrote about since he emerged from the anonymity of the steel town of Gary, Indiana, in 1970. Michael Jackson —the same Michael no one knows—is warm, sensitive, excited, perfectly aware of the secrets of life, the wonders, and magic of childhood.
— Robert E. Johnson, in an excerpt from the article "Michael Jackson, Who Nobody Knows" for Ebony Magazine.
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Sept 4, 2021 3:24:20 GMT
''In 1984, I was a 20-year-old magician from the city of Michigan, and had invented a way to make the illusion of objects float in daylight. I sent a video of my magic to Michael's manager, and days later, I was on a plane going to Los Angeles to meet my idol. We were the same age and soon became friends. After the Victory Tour,I started to create numbers of illusionism for all your shows and even at parties in your house. About the photo, we were rehearsing the levitation number for the Victory Tour.  I remember when we arrived at the first show in Kansas City, a sudden wind current hit the place just as we rehearsed that number. Michael got 'out of control' and I desperately watched an army of record executives all having simultaneous heart attacks. At that moment I thought it would be the beginning and the end of my career. But then it was just laughter and obviously, we took this 'magic' out of the show" —Franz Harary, Illusionist of the Victory Tour, 1984 |
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Sept 6, 2021 18:05:31 GMT
Marc Abbott met actor and child star Emmanuel Lewis because his mother was Emanuel's math teacher at the time. In March 1988, Emmanuel Lewis surprised his family with tickets to see Michael Jackson perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Marc recalls: "I decided to go to the movies with a group of friends and we didn't go straight home. My dad found me walking down the street and almost ran me over —'You have to get in the car now!' he said, 'because you're about to miss the biggest show on earth... get in the car logo!' At that time, Marc and his brother were big fans of Michael Jackson, their entire room was covered with posters of the King of Pop "So my brother and I couldn't believe it." Oh my God, let's go see Michael Jackson!" The Abbott family soon found themselves in the third row at the show, with some famous and familiar faces; including Janet Jackson and Cyndi Lauper in seats not far from their own. Marc recalls what he witnessed that night: "It was the most phenomenal show I've ever seen in my life. No word can explain what it was like to be there." Emmanuel Lewis said he needed to leave early, but wanted to be found at the Helmsley Hotel after the show, about nine blocks away. Emmanuel's sister was waiting for them in the lobby when they were taken to a packed celebrity party. After making their way through the crowd they meet Emmanuel Lewis. He said, "I want to introduce someone."' And we walk into a room and there's Michael Jackson! Standing there talking to Emmanuel's mother," recalls Marc Abbott. "Michael was very kind and still happy to see our family. He hugged my mother, shook my father's hand... and my brother and I were stunned in silence. Our father pokes and says, "Say something...'' The father tried to encourage Marc to tell Michael that he was an excellent singer, but Marc didn't say a word, he was silent with his equally fascinated brother, just watching Michael talk. Finally, your brother created the courage to ask Michael Jackson for an autograph. "So I had the courage and asked if I could take a picture with him. And he hugged me and my dad took some pictures. He was a very nice guy. I will always keep it in my memory.'' — 5 Things You Don't Know, Kiss FM  |
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Sept 8, 2021 2:33:51 GMT
I had the opportunity to meet the star for five minutes at the Four Seasons, New York in 2001.
Ecstasy, a mixture of honor and joy, that's what I felt when I had the privilege of meeting The King of Pop Michael Jackson!
I've always been a fan of yours, and I've seen him walking around like he's sliding over clouds, at the same time with an impressive energy and strength.
It was the most impressive five minutes of my life, when i spoke as if it were music to my ears "Oh! You're beautiful".
What a voice!!!
— by Somaia D. Pfau Tobias Granja
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Sept 10, 2021 12:12:55 GMT
''Twenty years ago, I had the privilege of watching Michael Jackson perform from the front row at Madison Square Garden in New York. He gave us these tickets. We were so close that we even had a chance to talk to him between songs.
Was that the best experience of my life?
YES.
Before you ask, he didn't give us these tickets personally for free, but he made sure they got to us for a very low price. To do this, they had to move the VIPs four rows back
At one point, between songs, he looked at us that we were and jokingly asked, "What song do you want me to sing now?" I shouted "2,000 Watts!!!" (unheard of at that moment) he looked at me, laughed and said, "No way!"
— by Marcos Cabotá, Director
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Oct 29, 2021 22:51:06 GMT
Months before his passing, Michael Jackson allowed a group of young artists from Merseyside, Liverpool, to use the song' Heal The World' to help and raise funds to set up a recovery center for children who are victims of bullying.
The James Bulger Red Balloon Center was created by Denise Fergus, mother of a two-year-old boy who was kidnapped and murdered in 1993 by two teenagers, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson.
At the time, Michael Jackson became aware of the case and sent a large basket of flowers to James Bulger's mother with a personal letter called young James from "Child of Innocence"
James' mother recalls:
"Even at the young age of two, James was a big fan of Michael Jackson and then it seemed right that we would sing the song he loved in his memory. We played Michael's song at James' funeral. I listened to Heal The World over and over again and got his permission to launch it and raise money for our foundation. I feel like the world needs healing. It is very disturbing the way the world is right now; bullying happens everywhere."
The single was released on November 2, 2009 months after Jackson's unexpected and sad passing. The new version of Heal The World not only represents James' memory but also that of his favorite pop star.
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Nov 2, 2021 16:27:25 GMT
On April 20, 1988, Michael Jackson performed in front of 18,500 fans at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, with the second of three shows of his legendary "Bad World Tour". A show that for a 15-year-old girl named Tiffany Rowe was unforgettable —a lifelong dream. In 1984, at the age of 11, Tiffany was diagnosed with a very serious condition, idiopathic aplastic anemia involving bone marrow failure: doctors had given her only three to six months to live. And so the "Make-A-Wish Foundation", humanitarian association that, every 35 minutes on average, undertakes to fulfill the wish of a child in high-risk medical conditions, knocked on his door to try to give him a gift, And do you know which dream Tiffany asked to make it come true? Meet Michael Jackson! The Make-A-Wish Foundation arranged for Tiffany to meet Michael backstage before her Rosemont show. And it wasn't just that: to his surprise, during the show a security guard handed him a note that said "Michael Jackson asks for his presence on stage." A few minutes later, Tiffany found herself on stage at the Allstate Arena dancing to "Bad" alongside the King of Pop. In the months following this incredible opportunity, the girl's clinical condition unexpectedly improved. In fact, meeting Michael Jackson really changed the course of her life. Today, Tiffany Rowe is not only here among us, but, after becoming a volunteer spokesperson for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, she is president of the Alumni Association of the National Make-A-Wish Council.  |
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Nov 3, 2021 19:07:25 GMT
''I can hear all his brilliant discography but I always come back to him. It seems to appeal to me, I can't resist, like a moth flying unconsciously into the light.
I understand that on any album it's a complete science — how to find the correct order of the tracks, but I've found that I like listening a lot more to listening to the songs on this album in random order by pressing the shuffle button.
The first three tracks (Unbreakable / Heartbreaker / Invincible), all produced with Rodney Jerkins are very energetic songs, among which there are almost no breaks and flow organically into each other with virtually no change of rhythm. Sometimes I get the feeling that this is kind of a megamix
Invincible was a revival for Michael Jackson (in five colors of covers). I would give this album the subtitle of "Irresistible" because the artist once again demonstrated his innate ability to combine joy and sadness, fear and courage, passion and hatred.
— Chris Kohler, Michael Jackson fan
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Nov 22, 2021 21:16:10 GMT
When I was a little kid back in the '80s, I liked to make records on my birthday. Not infrequently, some relative would call home asking what gift I wanted to win and I already had some disc on my list to ask for.
In January 1988, someone called and I ordered Bad from Michael Jackson. Interestingly, I ended up getting another record just like it. I do not know if I got confused and asked for the same disc for two people or if someone decided to give me as a gift without asking me before. Fact is, I kept both of them: I kept one sealed and listened to the other.
When the first one scratched or something, I'd open the second one and it's all right. Just to contextualize the moment of life that was MJ, this album was released almost 5 years after Thriller (that best-selling record in the world). There was no tour to promote Thriller, as MJ was "invited" by his parents (with great influence from his mother) to record and tour with the Jacksons brothers on the Victory tour.
Thriller's songs were played live for the first time at these shows. Later, MJ joined Lionel Richie to do "We are the world" and only then began recording Bad. As in "Off the wall" and "Thriller", again the producer was the great Quincy Jones.After the release of Bad, then there was a world tour to promote it.
There is a recording of a concert on this tour at Wembley Stadium, in VHS quality, but with indisputable quality of the performance.
The album cover is already striking: we see a bad-look MJ, dressed in a black suit full of silver accessories and... white!!! Honestly, I can't remember if the press gave too much prominence to it at the time but, for me, it didn't matter if it was black or white, as he himself would come to sing afterwards. Also because the photo could have been done with some lighting trick and such. As time proved, MJ was even in a whitening process but, at that time, I thought it was just an eccentricity, crazy artist with a lot of money with nothing to spend.
The album opens with the title track, followed by "The Way You Make Me Feel" (for those who like it, look on YouTube for an MJ duet with Britney Spears in 2001), a great start. They follow "Speed Demon", which I don't like so much and "Liberian Girl", this is a great song. The A-side is closed with the partnership with master Stevie Wonder on "Just Good Friends", which I also think average.
The B side is killer, by the way, would it be another example of the curious if the songs on side B are better than those on side A? The B-side begins with "Another Part Of Me", fantastic, followed by "Man In The Mirror", an anthem, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Dirty Diana", very good songs and closing with "Smooth criminal". There would be no better way to shut down the disc.
Only two songs were not written by MJ: "Just Good Friends" and "Man in the Mirror". The latter was written by Siedah Garrett (who does the duet on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You") in partnership with Glenn Ballard (himself, the guy who produced and composed the songs "Jagged Little Pill" with Alanis Morissette).
Even 12 years after his departure, the world still loves Michael Jackson and, even more, who was a child in the 1980s. The thriller clip in Fantastic, We AreThe World, moonwalker, monkey bubbles, neverland ranch... has a lot of references from him that persist in our imagination.
Without wanting to polemize, and already polemizing, I would say that Bad is as good or better than Thriller, but surely this is a pointless discussion. When in doubt, listen to both!
— by Fernando Nogueira
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Nov 27, 2021 16:03:01 GMT
Kathy McGrath was an intensive care room nurse at Brotman Medical Center, the hospital where Michael Jackson was admitted when hesuffered head burns during recordings of the Pepsi commercial. Kathy, being a fan of Michael Jackson, didn't expect the pop star to be one of her patients. At the time of 29 years, the nurse granted interview to People Magazine in February 1984: "He was in the prime of his career. Being your nurse was an amazing and honorable experience, because your music was the soundtrack of my life. As amazing and honorable as michael jackson was my patient, regardless of whether he was a celebrity, I automatically got into Nurse Mode. It was important that he had a private room to allow me to take care of him and his burns properly, without interruption. My job was to ensure that all my patients received immediate, first and best-quality medical care, including Michael." Michael wore a typical blue hospital gown but with one detail: The nurses made a bandage on the head that could be camouflaged with a hat. "You're going to start a newfashion here," Kathy McGrath told Michael. "He laughed.'' The nurse remembered MJ visiting Keith Perry, a 23-year-old mechanic who suffered third-degree burns on 95% of his body. Another severely burned patient with whom he maintained frequent contact was seamstress Bessie Henderson, 41. "Bessie had undergone many operations and was very depressed. When Michael started visiting her she changed her condition. Michael cared about Keith and Bessie and many others who were being treated for burns,"McGrath recalled.    |
|
|
|
Post by respect77 on Dec 20, 2021 18:09:31 GMT
My friend tells me she knows this guy who posted it on his Instagram and he's a total fraud, so it's probably not him on the photo. |
|
TonyR
The Legend Continues
Posts: 8,486 
|
Post by TonyR on Dec 20, 2021 18:21:27 GMT
My friend tells me she knows this guy who posted it on his Instagram and he's a total fraud, so it's probably not him on the photo. It's 100% not him. |
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Dec 22, 2021 13:14:33 GMT
"Michael Jackson was an expert in classical music and incorporated more than fifteen pieces in his live shows, from the great Beethoven and Bach to Carl Orff to several contemporary classical composers. Michael included opera, choirs, orchestras, symphonies, traditional folk songs, patriotic marches and fanfares in his shows and more than twenty classic works in his albums and music videos. He toured and performed for tens of millions, and at least three of those world tours included classical music.''
— by Anthony King, writer
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureCriminal7896 on Dec 24, 2021 22:37:21 GMT
|
|
