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Goodbye Michael.
Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, aged 50. The specific cause of death is yet to be determined. Before his death, Jackson had announced a 50 date sell-out 'This is it' comeback tour, in London England. Sadly, his last words on stage were eerily prophetic...
Listen.
It was a shock to most of us, but to those who were close to him, it was expected.
He was the living definition of the candle burning at both ends, his life was a life of extremes...extreme work ethic, extreme success, extreme scandal, extremely loved.
I watched as Kenny Rogers, a dear friend of Michael, broke up on CNN over the news...
Listen.
A true testament to Michael...he influenced us all...hey, I still have the thin red leather tie, silver jacket and mirrored sunglasses in my closet from 1982!
He was the seventh of nine children in the Jackson family, made his professional music debut at the age of 11 and never looked back...his accomplishments were truly impressive...
- He was one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame twice, he's had multiple Guiness World Records, including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"
-13 Grammy's
13 number one singles in his solo career-more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 music format.
- He's sold 750 million records worldwide.
- Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career made him a part of a part of pop culture for almost four decades.
-His 'Thriller' album was the highest grossing album of all time.
...and we can thank Michael for his vision...in the early 80's, music videos were little more than promotional tools used to showcase new music, until Michael did 'Thriller', 'Beat it' and 'Billie Jean', transporting the genre into less of a vehilce and more of an art form.
He single handidly saved the music industry in the 80's...a time when they were suffering one of the worst recessions ever, he came out with 'Thriller'...which was also the first release of an album on CD...groundbreaking stuff.
Sure, there's controversy, yes there are legal woes, massive debt, lawsuits, divorce and now the question of his kids and their future...but let's focus, just for today, on all the great things that he accomplished in his far too short a time with us.
Here now is a tribute to one of the greatest musical icons of all time.
A Tribute to Michael Jackson.
