Dear Editor,
For my generation and indeed, for the generations following mine, and. as a matter of fact, in a thousand years, the world will always remember, listen to, and record the music of Michael Jackson. As friends of mine would testify, I have always said that I would only pay good money for one performer in show business, and that was MJ. I have seen many performers over my years in the USA but the singing and dancing of MJ with his fantastic lighting effects, dancers, costumes and special effects placed him above all others in the history of show-biz.
Many great artists have had idiosyncrasies but that did not inhibit their genius and originality as regards their music. Beethoven, Bach, and many other great artists stood out and still are revered throughout the world, even though there were dark sides to their personalities. Their music made them universal. To the ranks of the greatest musical artists in the history of this planet, the name, Michael Jackson, must be added. All those who would like to speculate on his private life and his private affairs of parentage, his estate and who gets this and that, his so-called drug dependency etc, are barking up the wrong tree because MJ was loved by the majority of the human race from China to Chile.
But what people need to understand is that Michael Jackson represented the whole concept of social evolution in the USA; he took the dancing of the Fred Astaires and the James Browns and the singing and glitz of the Elvis Presleys of yesteryear to whole new heights to become the greatest entertainer of all time. In his lonely path to new heights, MJ broke down musical race barriers and ‘crossed’ over to white audiences and then to a truly worldwide acceptance. He became the greatest ambassador to the world for the USA because of his musical art, and in the eyes of the world, made America a place where genius could be uncovered for anyone, anyplace and anytime – especially if one discovered it in little remote Gary, Indiana where MJ was born. The social evolution which Michael Jackson was a part of and in which he played a leading role has led to great changes in the USA, but was mirrored by Jackson himself as he transformed his features to evolve into a new personality in order to shape the world of music in his own way. His changing look in no way changed the man himself; he still gave generously to 39 charities worldwide and still inhabits the records as the greatest contributor in the music world; he still loved his children and the rest of his family immensely; he still gave his most to his fans at all times; he still encouraged young musicians in their careers; he still sang songs which will live forever and his message in his songs mirrored serious social issues like his song Billy Jean which in the 1980s was against “one night stands” and unwanted pregnancies and was way ahead of its time.
Everyone who loves music has to cherish the songs MJ sang and be mesmerized by the footwork and body movements of this greatest of the great entertainers. His energy on stage was incredible and we all should understand what it took out of him physically to sing and dance with that level of intensity; it took professionalism, sheer energy born from loving fans and a disposition to make people happy the whole world over.
The golden coffin in which Michael Jackson was carried, was the one singular symbol of this great musical genius which impressed me the most at the end of his life, for it said it all. It said to me that here lay a man who was a true king in the modern sense that a kingdom is not defined by borders and compressed space, but by the love of the world and by the infinite diminsions of time and space which will lift him to heights none of us can ever imagine, Michael Jackson lives on. God bless him and keep him well.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
