Michael Jackson-A Tribute

In our darkest hour, in my deepest despair, will you still care? Will you be there?
In my trials, and my tribulations, through our doubts, and frustrations
In my violence, in my turbulence, through my fear, and my confessions (Contd.)

(Contd.) In my anguish and my pain, through my joy and my sorrow
In the promise of another tomorrow, I'll never let you part
For you're always in my heart.

(Will You Be There―OST Free Willy; MTV Movie Award for Best Movie Song―1994)

Michael Jackson, popularly known as the King of Pop, passed away on June 25, 2009 in LA. He was just 50 at the time of his death, and was actively planning a comeback concert comprising 50 stage performances at the O2 Arena in the UK.

Sources close to Jackson reported that he was energetic and looking forward to these concerts―that were also supposed to revive his financial situation. The news of the superstar's death sparked worldwide interest, and even resulted in clogging of the WWW, a first time occurrence.

Indeed, searches for Jackson's death and related articles led to a cyberspace traffic jam, highlighting the popularity of the famous singer. Social networking sites were clogged with users logging on to mourn the death of the King of Pop.

Since his early days, Jackson was into music, performing as early as the tender age of 10. The talent in him saw him join the Jackson 5, a musical group formed by his brothers. His success there was the stepping stone to worldwide fame.

Thanks to hits like Beat It, Thriller, Black or White, Dangerous, In The Closet, We Are The World, and many, many more, Michael Jackson was, and still is, a household name. Jackson single-handedly revolutionized the dance scene in the late 70s, the 80s, and the early 90s with his signature style of dancing.

His most famous dance step, the moonwalk, is imitated till today by the dancers across the globe. His passion for music and dance saw him spend millions of dollars on perfecting a song or a video before release.

This passion, in turn, was the key to the success of many video broadcasting TV channels that shot to fame, thanks to Jackson's videos. MTV, in particular, emerged as the premier channel among many others that sprang up around that time.

Mourners gathered in huge numbers to pay tribute to his greatness. Though marred with a lot of controversy, the life of Michael Jackson inspired many people across the globe to get into dancing and music.

Indeed, so great was his impact on the music world, that comments such as "Michael, I dance because of you!" were common tributes during his life, and also after his death. Besides music, the King of Pop also supported various charities. Through his music―special charity singles performed―he was able to raise millions of dollars for charity.

At last count, Jackson was supporting 39 different charities. The death of the King of Pop has left a huge void in the music industry, one that will never be filled.

The accolade of being the Most Famous Musician of All Time is probably justified by the various awards and records that Jackson's music achieved. The same popularity that made him a household name helped him sell over 750 million albums worldwide, the third highest of all time.

Truly the King of Pop, there will never be another Michael Jackson. Ever. Here is a summary of the achievements and interesting facts in the life of this great entertainer!

◆ Jackson has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice! Very few other artists have managed this incredible feat. He also has multiple entries in the Guinness Book of World Records, the most notable entry being the one for 'The Most Successful Entertainer of All Time'.

◆ He won 13 Grammy Awards, and had an unbelievable 13 solo number one singles in his career, second to only Elvis Presley. Jackson also has album sales of over 750 million records worldwide, making him the 3rd highest popstar in terms of album sales. Only The Beatles and Elvis Presley have more.

◆ The Guinness Book of World Records estimate Jackson's 1982 album 'Thriller' to be the biggest selling album, with over 65 million copies sold.
◆ Of the 13 Grammy Awards that Michael won, an astounding 10 were for solo performances; the rest were shared with Quincy Jones, Janet Jackson, and artists who contributed to the 'We are the World' track.

◆ Michael Jackson, in the media limelight for nearly 4 decades of his life, was known by various nick names. The more famous of these were The Gloved One, Wacko Jacko, Jacko, The King of Pop, and MJ.
◆ With Jackson's Billie Jean Video, MTV became the first video broadcasting channel to air a video of a black artist.

◆ The Hollywood Walk of Fame features two stars of MJ, one at 1541 Vine Street and the other at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard.
◆ The record for the most Grammy Awards won in a single year― eight―is shared by MJ, Carlos Santana, and Norah Jones.

◆ In the music video of 'Smooth Criminal', Jacko appeared to defy gravity by leaning far forward. In reality, he designed a shoe that allowed one to lean so far forward that it appeared to be defying gravity. MJ owned the patent for this invention.

The list could go on and on. The records, the information, the awards, and the controversies made Jackson a favorite of the media. For nearly four decades of his life, he was in the public eye, and during those four decades, he never stopped entertaining audiences worldwide.

In a farewell to this great entertainer, a tribute concert has been arranged in LA on the 7th of July, 2009. Rumored to be the biggest public send-off in recent times, the concert will be aired to almost 3 billion people worldwide.

The concert, scheduled to take place at the Staples Center in LA, will see more than a million people arriving in the city hoping to get a ticket. Attendees rumored to attend include some of the biggest names in music, theater, and cinema, including Elizabeth Taylor, MJ's close friend.

Other close friends who he interacted with―like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Brooke Shields―will also be present at the memorial. Also rumored to attend are Barry Manilow, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Eddie Murphy, Sir Paul McCartney, and David Bowie.

Icons such as Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Mariah Carey, and John Meyer will be among the stars performing to bid Michael goodbye.

Shaheen Jafargholi, a 12 year-old Welsh-Iranian singer from Swansea, who impressed Jackson with his rendition of 'Who's Lovin' You' is also invited to perform at the memorial. The President of the United Stated―Barack Obama is also on the invitee list and is rumored to make an appearance.

The singer is rumored to be buried right before this ceremony at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park. A £15,000 gold-plated coffin will be used to bury his mortal remains. His tomb will be surrounded by greats such as Humphrey Bogart, Walt Disney, and Clark Gable.

So great was his influence on the masses, that the mayor of LA, fearing a huge crowd, has urged people to watch the ceremony at home on television.

One of the greatest performers of all time, Michael Jackson is all set to get a fitting tribute to his outstanding life. A life of achievement, generosity, and greatness. It saddens me to say that a legend is no more.

RIP Michael. You were, and still are, loved by more than you ever knew!