When our teacher asked us to choose an icon to present in class, I chose Michael Jackson.
To me, Michael Jackson has always represented one of the biggest American stars and one of the most important American Icons.
When I started to like him, I was 9 years old, and my love for him has never stopped since then. But why is he an Icon? Why do people love him so much? Fred Astaire once said: ‘I didn’t want to leave this world without knowing who my descendant was. Thank you Michael’
Michael Jackson has always known what people wanted to see, hear and feel. When talking about his album Thriller, he had in mind sounds that he would himself love to listen to. He knew how to make people thrill. What is so impressive with Michael Jackson is this talent of transforming things into a Michael Jackson thing. He uses old things and rearranges them to have them live through him in a new way. He did not invent the Moonwalk but he worked the step so hard that in the end, when you think about the Moonwalk, you think Michael Jackson. It is the same for Thriller and Beat it. When watching the videos, you do not think of The American Werewolf in London nor of West Side Story.
When you see him dancing, you clearly see the influence of Fred Astaire, Charlie Chaplin and James Brown. And still, his steps seem to have belonged to him for ever.
Like Martin Luther King and Mohammed Ali, Michael Jackson has changed the image of the Black people. He has succeeded in improving their positions in the American Society. Before Thriller, the music channel MTV did not want to diffuse the video clips of Black singers. Everything changed with the success of one of the longest video clips in the world, Thriller.
People talk about his style as being a new approach to music, new sounds, new rhythm, new ways of performing.
Not only is his talent revolutionary but so is his way of being dressed. His style is so unique and it has been an inspiration for many other artists like Rihanna, The Black Eyes Peas and even Justin Bieber. Michael Jackson would not be Michael Jackson without his sparkling jacket, white socks, his gulf glove, his hat, his black shoes and his arm band.
He is also associated with his famous ranch in Santa Monica, Neverland and also with charities such as US for Africa and Heal the World.
Cyndelle SCHIERER
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