THE LEGACY
Initial days
Jackson died on Thursday (June 25) afternoon at the UCLA Medical Center from cardiac arrest. He leaves behind a masterly legacy as a musician and as a performer. Jackson’s launch as a performer started as early as 1964 (he being just five at the time) when he joined his brothers to form the band ‘Jackson Brothers’. The band got their big break after initial struggles when they signed with ‘Motown Records’ in 1968. Michael emerged as lead singer along with brother Jermaine when the band changed to ‘The Jackson 5’.

After delivering hits like Got to Be There and a Grammy Award for the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Michael decided to go solo with the album Off the Wall in 1979, which included hits like Don't Stop Till You Get Enough and Rock with You. He won three awards at the American Music Awards, and two Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist.

Thriller
The peak of his ascent to pop icon came with the release of the album Thriller, which has now sold an all-time record of close to 109 million copies plus, worldwide. The album included great singles like Billie Jean, Beat It and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' and is the best-selling album of all time.

Thriller won multiple accolades. Time magazine summed it as a ‘restoration of confidence’ for an industry bordering on ‘the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesiser pop’. Jackson was branded 'a star of records, radio, rock video, a one-man rescue team for the music business, a songwriter who set the beat for a decade, a dancer with the fanciest feet on the street, a singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and colour too’.The New York Times called him a ‘musical phenomenon’, saying that ‘in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else.’

Motown 25, ‘The Moonwalk’ and later years
Jackson performed live for Motown’s 25th anniversary in March, 1983 and debuted his now famous and legendary dance step, ‘The Moonwalk’. It was seen by a whopping 47 million viewers during the initial airing. The New York Times wrote, ‘The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing.’

MJ was invited to the White House in May 1984 to receive an award from then President Ronald Reagan, in recognition of his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse. He won eight awards during the 1984 Grammys.

Subsequent years saw constant artificial adjustments to his appearance, eccentric associations with his chimp Bubbles and a number of unsavory allegations of child molestation. His next commercial success after Thriller was Bad, which sold around 30 million copies.

The next album was Dangerous, again a commercial success. After the release of Dangerous however, Jackson was accused by 13-year-old Jordan Chandler and his father Evan, a charge that would cast a permanent shadow on his image, even today. This episode caused him to avoid the public eye for much of the 90s. He returned to the music world in the year 2001 with the album Invincible, which sold 10 million copies.

MJ – The aura
Michael Jackson was a performer, an innovator and a genius in his field. He single-handedly blended black and white music, revolutionised pop music, and arguably made MTV the brand it was in the 80s and 90s, and the brand it is today. A generation of followers have tapped their feet and sung along to his smash hits.

Yes, he was controversial, yes, there were legalities and charges that may have overshadowed him in his later years. But more importantly, his contributions to the world of music can never be replaced, replicated or forgotten. A once-in-a-lifetime star, Jackson will and should always be remembered for his melodies rather than his maladies. This is a small tribute to him and I hope that his soul rests in peace…