MICHAEL JACKSON!
                     He came, He saw, He Conq…..red?

As the news of his death news filtered through, the world stood still. Even in death, Michael Jackson had the world at his feet. His death came as a shock. Though every mortal man will die, it was easy to forget that this man, the King of Pop, who had the world enthralled for years with his scintillating music and iconic dance steps for decades was mortal after all and liable to die someday. Michael had a cult of followers that ‘worshipped’ him. To them he was a god and gods don’t die! But on Thursday June 29, the ‘god’ died after suffering a cardiac arrest and slipping into a coma in his Holmby Hills home in Los Angeles, California. He was 50 years old.

Michael was a global icon and legend who set music and entertainment records for most of his career. At age five, he was already the lead vocalist of the Jackson Five, a hit family music group of the 1960s which became The Jacksons in later years and which comprised him and his brothers. At that very young age, when many of his mates could hardly distinguish between a solo and a duet, or treble sound and bass, Michael Jackson was already a star, leading the family pack as lead singer and entertainer. In those early years, he put the world on notice and the pundits did not miss this one. They saw his raw talent, they knew it and predicted that not even the sky would stop him nor would the colour of his skin or his racial background curtail his rise, even at a time when these were burdens to progress and success. And as the years rolled by, he did not disappoint as he set record after record, daring other entertainers to catch him if they could. From 1971 when he went solo into the 1990s, he churned out hit tunes and set records that may take centuries to meet. His album, Thriller, thrilled the world and became the highest selling album of all times, selling over 100 million copies. His music, his dance steps, placed him above the rest. The lyrical excellence, laced with Michael’s deft and energetic foot walks and his out of the world dressing - tight pants, white socks and one gloved hand - defined him as a musical legend. No one could deny him his dues. He was a double-inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a multiple entrant into The Guinness Book of World Records appearing there as The Most Successful Entertainer of All Time with 13 Grammy Awards and 13 number one singles.  Jackson was born to rule and he did.

But he did have a challenge with his lifestyle which was regarded by some as queer. That lifestyle often brought him into conflict with those who did not care much for him. And as it is with many superstars, Michael soon got caught up in his own antics and controversies and gradually began to lose it, getting into debt following heavy but undisclosed payments to settle cases from detractors.

But not even the worst of his critics would deny that Michael Jackson was a super star whose act was hard to follow and perhaps impossible to catch.
 
And his fans continued to love him despite accusations of child molestation which he denied and defeated in court. But the allegations and the publicity they generated took a toll on his career which nosedived. They also burned a huge hole in his pocket, plunging him into debt. And he went into hibernation for years. But as darkness set in on his career and the burning flame of adoration from his fans cooled, Michael and his handlers sought to make one final push for a come-back. Perhaps that was his undoing. Weeks before the concerts were to kick off tickets had sold out, and the world waited for the thriller to thrill it again. Many of his fans, young and old dusted up their dancing shoes to join in the thrill. But fate had a different plan. The undertakers where at the door, yet no one sensed it. And at the most unlikely time, Michael took a bow and sent millions into mourning.
 
All that is left is history. What he did and did not do. Why he left while his career was still down. Michael Jackson’s life story is a classic with both negative and positive dimensions. Its lesson is also an all-time classic: keep your head even in wealth or in fame. For Michael, the thriller, we trust that even over there on the other side, you will be a thriller. Adieu!