The Moonwalker: Michael Jackson

“A star can never die. It just turns into a smile and melts back into the cosmic music, the dance of life,” Michael Joseph Jackson once said. Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, musician and dancer. He was one of nine children born in a working-class African American family. Michael was introduced to music by his parents at a very young age and since then his potential in singing and dancing began to emerge. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life made him a worldwide figure in popular culture for over four decades (“Biography”). Although Michael Jackson was a controversial figure, he had a massive influence on the world, through inspiring music, breathtaking performances, and generous charities; he will always be remembered as one of the most significant artists in America.

Michael Jackson’s first solo album Off The Wall was a breakthrough for Jackson and for African Americans. It had four top singles and “invented modern pop as we know it,” Rob Sheffield, a music critic. Off The Wall became the biggest-selling album by a black artist and transitioned Jackson from a former child start to a mature artist (Vogel 31). Even though it had enormous success the album was snubbed at the Grammy awards. Jackson refused to accept defeat and planned to make an album better than any before.

After years of hard work Jackson released his second album in 1983, Thriller. It wasn’t merely the best selling album by a black artist; it was the best-selling album of all time. It sold more than 45 million copies worldwide, charted #1 in every western country, and dominated the U.S charts for 37 weeks. Thriller was so great that it forced through the racial barriers dividing music and k...

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... of race in music and also made efforts to “heal” the world. His unique musical sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop, and rock artists (“Biography”).

“The incomparable Michael Jackson has made a bigger impact on music than any other artist in the history of music. He was magic. He was what we all strive to be. He will always be the king of pop... For anyone who has ever seen, felt, or heard his art, we are all honored to have been alive in this generation to experience the magic of Michael Jackson,” grieved Beyoncé, a famous American singer after hearing the about the tragic death of Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson left a remarkable impact on the world and even after his death the legacy of “the King of Pop” lives on forever. He will always walk the hall of fame, walk into people’s lives and, especially, walk the moon.