Motown Legend: Michael Jackson 1958-2009
Episode 54
Episode date - June 26, 2009
Despite all of the eccentricities, flat-out weirdness and even the horrific allegations, I always felt a certain connection with Michael Jackson. We were born within a few weeks of one another, and the experience of seeing someone my own age, at 11, doing what Michael could do had left an indelible impression on me that never really faded away.
His talent was so enormous that it trumped ‘undeniable’ and jumped with no resistance into the category of ‘unbelievable.’ Michael Jackson was the artist that made the dissolution of the Beatles slightly easier for me to bear, because here was a kid, an American kid like me, who seemed ready to lead us toward a bold new frontier of creativity and performance. By the 80’s, he made good on that potential, and turned his huge success as a singles artists with his brothers, into phenomenal album success as a solo artist, while literally defining the potential for the video medium.
It is a terribly sad coincidence that Heidy and I had just returned from Detroit the day before, where we visited the Motown Museum, which is housed at the location of the original Motown Recording studios. There, we saw plenty of Jackson 5 memorabilia, including Michaels jeweled glove.
In this show we pay tribute to a man that the Guinness Book of World Records referred to as “The Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.”
Songs include;
1) Can You Feel It?
With the Jackson 5
2) I Want You Back
3) ABC
4) The Love You Save
5) I’ll Be There
6) Never Can Say Goodbye
Early solo sides
7) Got to Be There
8) Ben
Later solo sides
9) Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
10) Rock With You
11) Billie Jean
12) Thriller
13) Beat It
With the Jackson's
14) Shake Your Body Down to the Ground