| The World Mourns the Loss of a Music Legend part3 |
 |
| Music |
| Written by |
| DATE_FORMAT_LC2 |
|
The world of music will never be the same. Part 3 In the last decade of his life, Jackson became increasingly dependent on prescription medications for pain as well as medications to help him cope with the trauma of childhood abuse and later the molestation charges in which Jackson was subjected to a lengthy strip search that friends say he never recovered from. His behavior became increasingly strange over the years, leading to a variety of claims from mental illness to severe drug abuse. Many who knew Jackson and were close to him blame the mass media for his demise. The media preyed on Jackson relentlessly in the most negative way. One of the most glaring examples of this was the documentary called “Living with Michael Jackson”. In this film, reporter Martin Bashir, seemed on the surface to be kind and to want to tell Jackson’s story, however when the film was released, it was clear that exactly the opposite was the case. In addition to this, those around him who were responsible for taking care of a variety of tasks were really just out for themselves.  Michael Jackson In regards to the divorce from Michael, and in response to her loss Lisa Marie Presley said; “I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him.” At the time of his death, Michael was preparing for a 50 concert series at London’s O2 Arena. He was rehearsing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which coincidentally is also the location of the Jackson memorial service. Tickets to the memorial were given out by lottery with over 1 million fans registering for the lottery. The investigation into his death is ongoing as of the writing of this article. The public memorial service was held on July 7, 2009 and it was a star studded event. The service was opened with the reading of letters from President Obama as well as Nelson Mandela. Performers at the services included Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer, and Usher, who was particularly emotional during his performance. Speakers included Queen Latifah, Berry Gordy, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Al Sharpton, Brooke Shields, Martin Luther King III and his sister, Bernice, Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Smokey Robinson, and Kenny Ortega. All of the pallbearers for Michaels gold casket that was heavily adorned with deep red roses were his brothers, and fellow entertainers, and all were adorned with the famous sequined glove and the sunglasses. During the service, several speakers gave moving tributes to the King of Pop; “He loved everybody, especially his fans.”
– Berry Gordy, Founder, Motown Records Upon proclaiming that Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer that ever lived, Berry Gordy received a standing ovation from the tens of thousands in attendance. “This is a moment that I wish I didn’t see come.” “As much as we need Michael with us, God must have needed him far more.” – Stevie Wonder (In addressing Michael’s 3 children) “There was nothing strange about your daddy; it was strange what he had to deal with” – Al Sharpton “Innocent until proven otherwise” –Texas Congresswoman, Sheila Jackson Lee “Maybe now they’ll leave you alone, Michael. – Marlon Jackson When speaking of the time she spent with Michael, Brooke Shields was particularly emotional, telling of how the media dubbed them as the odd couple, though, she says, there was nothing odd about them. Immediately after her speech, Jermaine Jackson performed Michael’s favorite song, “Smile” from the movie The Modern Times, written by Charlie Chaplin. During Congresswoman Lee’s speech, she informed the family that a bill had been introduced in the house, Congressional Bill 600, which honors Michael Jackson as an iconic performer as well as a great humanitarian, for all of the charity work that he did. Michael was a very humble person. He was never told I love you, that he didn’t respond with I love you too and god bless you. One of the most touching performances was that of Shaheen Jafargholi. This young boy became a finalist on the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent” singing Michael Jackson’s songs, and Jackson himself was so impressed that he invited the boy to perform with him in London during his tour. The Jackson Family invited Shaheen to perform in the show and pay his respects. The memorial service was closed with “Heal the World”, a song which was always a favorite of Jackson’s to perform. Every entertainer who performed during the service as well as Jackson’s siblings and children, joined in on stage. During this time, those viewing the satellite broadcast in London were holding hands and those in Harlem were waving their arms and singing together.  Michael Jackson At the end of the service, The Jackson Family, thanked the fans for coming and offered some final goodbyes to Michael. The most moving of all was the goodbye offered by his daughter, Paris-Michael. In her own tearful words, she told the world that her dad was the best dad ever, told him she loved him and then collapsed into the arms of Michael’s sister, Janet. After the service, Fox News personality Greta Van Susteren speculated that perhaps the media needs to “dial it back” when it comes to the criticism and cruelty that it levels at celebrities and remember that they are people too. Michael Jackson was an amazing performer, artist, humanitarian and father. He was an innovator who changed the way that society related to black entertainers. He changed the way that people thought of music videos, with several of his videos being well over 10 minutes long, in an age where hardly any were over 4. He was an amazing dancer, and holds a US Patent on his famous anti-gravity lean. We’ll leave you with a final thought, in Michael’s own words. He belongs to the angels in heaven now. Rest in peace, Michael. “There is nothing that can’t be done if we raise our voice as one”
– Michael Jackson 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 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. – Michael Jackson, “Will You Be There”, Dangerous 1991  Bookmark us: 
|
| LAST_UPDATED2 |