The Story of an Icon: Michael Jackson Essay

Michael Jackson was an American singer whose label in this generation is "the king of pop." He was born on August 29th of 1958, and he passed away on June 15th of 2009 (Fast 259). In the beginning, Michael Jackson had no fans at all, but he still believed in himself. Then, after a lot of practice on his singing, he became the best pop singer in the history of pop. In his time on planet Earth, he recorded more than 200 songs and won the affection of millions of fans. His efforts and energy resulted in him doing everything. Differently, this is what made him the greatest pop star of all time.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Michael Jackson was born in India into an African American family. Michael's dad was a guitarist, but he put down his music aspirations to provide for his family as a crane operator. When Michael was five years old, he joined his brothers in a band as the group's vocalist (Faust). They started performing a lot but never recorded a song. When his brother Marlon joined the group, it evolved into the Jackson 5. I think Michael Jackson stood out the most because he was unique and made music in a different way than his four other brothers did. Michael earned his pop star label by making songs that others could not and by adding unique dance routines to his musical performances.

Michael inspired people to change their own lives and the world around them, themselves and the world. His mix of dance moves, glitzy style, and choreography created a path to success for himself and all of his people. It is as if he was placed on this Earth so that he can make music. The song I like the most is "Thriller" because of the music video and because I love spooky stuff. Michael's voice really stands out in this specific song, and the visuals are incredible.

"His difference as a performer is what made people around the globe flock to him from the time he was a little boy, what eventually gave him the biggest-selling record of all time (Thriller), what made us call him a genius; "in the world of pop music,"(Faust 259)

One of my least favorite songs is "Dirty Diana" because of the weird title and lyrics aren't that great either. Michael Jackson was so popular because he did everything his way. How many pop stars have their way of dancing, their way of walking, their way of breaking their neck, or their way of leaning forward and backward? He's the only one that comes to mind! His music style and his voice were unforgettable. He was very private, even though people wanted to know about him very few people had the detailed reality of his life. He was always in the media, but yet no one could get close to him. He was a very generous person with a kind nature outside of the music industry and did many favors for people around the world, and supported many charities for the youth. If there were more people around the world like Michael Jackson, the world would be a better place.

Who was Michael Jackson off stage? Despite years and years of media research, the answer to this question is still not clear. As Michael Jackson got older, he made changes to his face as a result of going through puberty. He got his first nose job because of an injury that occurred. It seems though he liked what he saw after his face was done, so he kept going back routinely to try to get all his flaws out of the way until he hit perfection because of his racial background, the media made a big deal because of the number of nose jobs he had done. However, contrary to popular beliefs this was the reason behind his frequent visits to his plastic surgeon. Michael Jackson was a lot more than just a singer and a few plastic surgeries (Warwick). He left behind an unforgettable image that people will remember forever. Jackson was born from a poor class family in Gary, Indiana. In 1967 his father, Joseph, had five of his sons sign a contract with Steelton Records and that is when his successful journey of singing officially started. The title of the Jackson 5's first hit song was called Big Boy. In the song, he says "he is now a "big boy" and doesn't need to believe in fairy tales anymore" (Warwick) because his life had turned into one. Michael Jackson left the band in middle 1980's because he got a better offer for becoming a solo artist and so after he left the band then became known as "The Jacksons."

After Michael left the band, he became more successful doing his shows and building his audience. It is insane how music can change the path of your life and in this case. It most definitely filled up his 10,000 hours of service. I remember, Michael was selling the glove he wears on his right hand for a couple of thousands of dollars. Some people go out of their way to buy it when there are some people in this world struggling to survive. This is why Michael Jackson was a great person and donated so much to children and held charities (Fast). Other people, make money and are selfish with the money, other people such as Michael and Oprah Winfrey, give money to those in need and manage to buy themselves nice things as well. I will never forget the time I went to Las Vegas with my family for Christmas one year in Christmas, and we were looking for furniture in this really luxurious store.

Inside this store, there were two stories. The first story was for all the regular customers, and the upstairs was only for the famous people. My family and I were deciding on whether to buy this really nice clock set, and it happened to be upstairs where only the famous guest where allowed. My father had talked to the manager, and they agreed on letting us take the elevator upstairs (Campbell). We ran into Michael Jackson but only saw him from the back. He was wearing a red fur coat. Now you are thinking how did you know it was Michael Jackson? Well, later the next day when we went walking around in the Venetian hotel, we can get across the same furniture store, and they had a tape running on their television showing Michael Jackson in the same store. That is when we found out it was him. I'm so glad I got to see him in person. All good things come to an end at some point, Michael Jackson passed away on June 25th, 2009. Michael passed away from a heart attack. He overdosed because he was under a great deal of stress. So many great artists with 10,000 hours of service completed that have all passed away due to drugs, and the saddest part is that there is nothing anyone can do to help them in that moment/ Life is too short to sit around and waste time when you can live it up as Michael did. If Michael can start from a band of 5 people and make it this big, imagine what anyone else is capable of doing if they put forth the effort (Faust). I, myself, love to sing and used to when I was younger. Then when high school hit and I got the car, I got busier with other life events. Now that I am older I don't mind going back to it. Michael Jackson is an inspiration and has inspired me in so many ways. For example, I want to start a clothing line really soon and how I want to go back to singing. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to be the next Selena Gomez, but I will start from baby steps, and I will make my way up just like Michael Jackson did.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I will never forget where I was when I heard Michael Jackson passed away. He will always be the king of pop, no matter what new artist comes out. My mother and I still listen to Michael Jackson until this day (Campbell). In my opinion, Michael Jackson is a king, and his voice is unique. Many people talk negatively about him because of the number of surgeries he went through. It does not matter what background you come from on the outside when the music and harmony is good on the inside. To me, each artist is different in his/her way.

In Gladwell's book Outliers, he writes that people must put in 10,000 hours of hard work in order to perfect a skill. He argues that Bill Gates was a success because he had been coding since he was a child. There are no shortcuts to success; you need to work hard and earn it. Ever wonder why some people just seem to be more successful at certain activities than others? Outliers seek to discover what gives certain people an edge to success while others seem to be left behind. Gladwell looks at athletes, lawyers, significant players in the computer business, and even pilots to determine what these people have in common. Gladwell writes that the essential elements to success are opportunities. Some people such as Bill Gates had the opportunity as teenagers to access computers freely and with high frequency at a time when many others were unable to do so. Therefore, the time in which he was born as well as the ability to practice and perfect his skills may have led to his success. Michael Jackson's success is a clear example of Gladwell's claim that 10,000 hours of work is required for success (Gladwell 14). For example, when doctors get their degrees, they earn the name "doctor." They need to go through years of school to be able to get called "doctor." Similarly, Michael Jackson earned the label "The King of Pop" through his many hours of work (). He started putting in work at just the age of 5 by being in a band with 4 of his brothers and eventually got offered a solo job and look where it took him in life. He was one of the most talented artists of all time which brought him incredible wealth and power.

Works Cited

Campbell, Lisa D. Michael Jackson: The king of pop. Branden Publishing Company, 1993.

Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The story of success. Hachette UK, 2008.

Fast, Susan. "Difference That Exceeded Understanding: Remembering Michael Jackson (1958-2009)." Popular Music & Society, vol. 33, no. 2, May 2010, pp. 259-266. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/03007761003640574.

Faust, Jeremy Samuel. ""When You Have to Say 'I Do'": Orientalism in Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl"." Popular Music & Society, vol. 35, no. 2, May 2012, pp. 223-240. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/03007766.2011.618051.

Khan, Amir. "Michael Jackson's Ressentiment : Billie Jean and Smooth Criminal in Conversation with Fred Astaire." Popular Music & Society, vol. 35, no. 2, May 2012, pp. 187-201. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/03007766.2011.616307.

Warwick, Jacqueline. ""You Can't Win, Child, but You Can't Get out of the Game": Michael Jackson's Transition from Child Star to Superstar." Popular Music & Society, vol. 35, no. 2, May 2012, pp. 241-259. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/03007766.2011.618052.