One week before the news of Michael Jackson's death came, I had just watched a movie called 'La Vie En Rose' (roughly translated as 'Life is Bliss'), a film that displays the life and death of Edith Piaf, a magnificently gifted French vocalist who struggled all through her life, from childhood to her lonely, painful and slow death on a small farm in the countryside of France. After watching the film I was almost in tears realizing how much joy this 'song bird' gave to the world and yet the world did not take care of her the way her talent and voice had taken care of the world's spirit. Hearing a week later that Michael Jackson had died, perhaps not as 'alone' as Edith yet still alone, was deafening. One could argue that Michael was indeed alone in his solitude amongst the myriad of people all trying to make a living off of him and in the end this attributed to his demise, for where were his friends and family when he needed comfort, and support for his pain, both physical and mental? Perhaps they were there, but Michael could not hear them.
Like Edith, Michael was and still is the worlds 'songbird'. In his interviews, lyrics, melodies and his dance, he always reached for something higher that exists within ourselves. He tried to point humanity in a compassionate direction, despite what people believed of the controversy that surrounded his later years.
His father Joseph Jackson, appearing to show no remorse or sense of loss whatsoever since his son's death is a testament to the truth that Michael told in his interviews over a decade ago where he described his desolate childhood, and the sickness that followed him his whole life whenever his father was near. Maybe Michael would not have been so innovative and driven had his father not been such a tyrant within the family atmosphere, but Michael turned his pain into a art, into hope, into more pain in his life... and through that process he touched the heart of the entire world.
I imagine more people in the world have been touched by Michael Jackson's art than have been touched by Jesus, or Mohammed, or the Torah. Michael touched everyone with his music and one need to look no further than the song "Man In The Mirror", to understand what and who Michael Jackson was, or at the very least who he longed to be and how he wished the world to be.
We put our song birds in a cage, we ask them to sing, we show them off and parade them around, give them awards, and then we feed them with fan mail, cynicism, critiques, condescending headlines, and when they die of starvation of the soul... like Edit Piaf and Michael, the world sits back in shock and marvel at how much of an empty space they left behind, when all the while we could have fed them with friendship, listened to their pain and help lift them instead of trying to bring them down, and possibly allowed them to flourish outside of the cage, instead of crumble within.
I was not alive during Edith's era, but was touched by her story. Michael Jackson on the other hand was a part of my life since childhood. I was 9 years old singing the song 'Ben' having no idea what or who the song was about. I can't tell you how many times me and my friends have tried to moonwalk, or how we were moved by the lyrics, melodies, the dance moves, but most importantly the 'voice'! He sang from his heart it always appeared... even when reduced to tears in 'She's Out Of My Life', some would laugh and snicker at him breaking in to tears on the recording when he was alive... perhaps now it is us who will cry when listening to this song.
Michael Jackson was not the only voice out there, but he was the world's voice... in the music world, the spiritual world, and in the political world as well, through many decades and generations... for it is obvious now after his death he has united people from every country, from every religion and every background... this cannot be said of politicians or religious leaders, the United Nations... no one but Mr. Jackson has done this.
In the generations to come many will not believe that a gifted soul like this had ever existed in reality, for the world will never see one such as him again. I wish the media and us, the lover's of his art, would have let him know this before his passing. Yes, he sold out 50 shows in London in 3 hours, and this indeed is a form of love and appreciation... but did we hear his lyrics and the intention of his most insightful songs? And if we did, did we heed their call?
Michael was a messenger and like all the messengers before him, their 'message' was clear, and for our gratitude we often persecute them. Joan of Arc, JFK, Gandhi, MLK, Jesus... all were saying the same thing and were extinguished because of it. Michael used different tools then the aforementioned, he sang and he danced, he spoke of how selfish and silly the world is in interviews, he used the tools of modern man and media to try and affect change, even while contorting himself to escape his own self, his past.
Maybe some day the world will listen to this 'message' that is brought to us over and over again through different souls, different faces and different methods... and then we can possibly share the burden that people like Michael Jackson seem to feel the need to carry on their own and get crushed beneath it's weight.
Thank you for the music, Mr. Michael Jackson... and for having the courage to perform like a lion and yet speak as a child. May you have a safe journey home.