Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

Michael Jackson was the last true music superstar. For all of the love and sales heaped upon artists as diverse as Kurt Cobain, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Garth Brooks and Eminem, none of them could match Jackson mania in the 80s. Being only a year old when Thriller was released, I can only confirm this second hand, of course, but the absolute proliferation of name, body of work, image and status is staggering. Even in the quick fix celebrity gossip pop culture world we live in, no one was bigger. His entire life is virtually one astonishing event after another: massive boy band success, solo dreams, early teenage defeat, Off the Wall comeback, Thriller explosion, Motown 25, King of Pop, fashion and dance icon, sponsorship, tabloids, commercials, music videos, hugely expensive follow-up albums, massive worldwide tours, Neverland, plastic surgery, allegations of sexual abuse, multiple marriages, fatherhood, label conflicts, baby dangling, criminal trial, financial ruin and spotlight departure. It’s only fitting that the final chapter in Michael Jackson’s life would be as shocking and newsworthy as this: dead of an apparent heart attack at the age of 50.

On Thursday, Jackson reportedly collapsed at the home he was renting in Beverly Hills. When discovered, paramedics rushed to the scene shortly after noon where he was found not breathing and slipping into a coma. CPR was performed and he was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center where his death was confirmed at 4:36 local time by the L.A. coroner. Circumstances are unclear at the moment, and LAPD detectives will investigate the case, but the current cause of death is believed to be cardiac arrest.

No matter the social suffering he has brunt in the last two decades during his decline (both by his own hand and by others), he remained beloved by a passionate fanbase across the planet. Jackson recently released Thriller 25 in 2008 to considerable commercial success. He was scheduled to perform fifty concerts starting next month until March 2010 at the O2 arena in London; every show was sold out, totaling nearly 1.2 million tickets purchased in record time. The performances would have netted the star upwards of £150 million. He was also in the middle of a long-delayed new album. Sadly, he never had a chance to ignite yet another comeback in his rollercoaster career.

Longtime friend, collaborator and producer (Thriller, Off the Wall, Bad) Quincy Jones was overwhelmed. “I’m absolutely devastated at this news,” he said. “For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”

As his celebrity status is so enormous, relating some skimpy, highlight-stabbing summary of his life would be offensive. Because of his fame and the suddenness in his departure, there are no words that can describe the event. I’m confident that initial thought and conversation will run the gamut of his life, particularly the gulf between his glory days and those that saw him shrinking from the public eye and becoming increasingly strange in both action and appearance. For a long time, Jackson has been as big a worldwide punchline as anything in the public conscious, including both of the former presidents, typically Bush’s incompetence and Clinton’s infidelity. But I suspect heartily and hopefully that the spotlight will return to his brightest days in the wake of the tragedy and that in the future, the scandals and jokes will become a footnote to the enormously talented pop star’s legacy.

Until then, we always have the music to enjoy. Below, Jackson leaves behind his child star roots and becomes an exuberant adult artist with one of his finest songs, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” Rest in Peace, Michael.