celerating mj's life

[blugiant]

Re: celerating mj's life

January 22, 2000: During Christmas last year a violent storm ravaged the park of the Chateau de Versailles and destroyed 10,000 trees in the park. The estimated cost for rebuilding the park is around $20 million. Some celebrities are supporting the restoration of the park. French officials are reporting that Michael Jackson is one of them. He was one of the first people to donate money to this cause.

October 28, 2000:Michael painted a plate to be auctioned for the "Carousel of Hope Ball" benefiting childhood diabetes research.

March 6, 2001: Michael donated a black hat, a birthday phone-call and a jacket worn at the Monaco Music Awards in 2000 to the Movie Action for Children auction, an event being given by UNICEF with all proceeds will going to UNICEF's efforts to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Africa.

March 26, 2001: Michael handed out books to young people at a Newark, NJ theater. The event, which helped to launch the Michael Jackson International Book Club, part of his new Heal the Kids charity, aims to promote childhood reading and encourage parents to return to reading bedtime stories.

September 15, 2002: Michael donated 16 exclusively autographed items consisting of CD's, videos and 2 cotton napkins to aid in the support of the victims of a severe flood in Germany. These items were auctioned off for charity and managed to raise 3935 Euro (US$ 3,814).

October 12, 2002: Michael Jackson invited more than 200 Team Vandenberg members, who recently returned from overseas deployments, and their families to his Neverland Ranch. This was to show his appreciation for the sacrifices the military in his community make.

November 19-29, 2002: Michael donated an autographed teddy bear dressed in his likeness to Siegfried & Roy's celebrity teddy bear auction. This auction benefits Opportunity Village which is a non-profit organization based in Las Vegas (USA) that enhances the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. Michael's autographed teddy bear raised $5,000 for the charity.

November 21, 2002: Michael donated a jacket to the The Bambi Charity Event in Berlin which raised $16,000.

April 25, 2002: Michael Jackson performed at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the Apollo Theater in Harlem helping to raise nearly $3 million dollars towards voter registration.

June 2003: The Wolf family, who experienced serious damages to their belongings during the flood in Saxony, Germany last August, was invited to Berlin by Michael Jackson when he was at the Bambi Awards. On that occasion Michael invited them to Neverland. In June, they spent three days at Neverland, meeting Michael and his children.


Charity Awards

May 14, 1984: At a ceremony in the White House President Reagan presents Michael an award for special efforts; he is honored for his participation in a national ad campaign against drunk driving.

January 1989: The "Say Yes To A Youngsters Future" program honors Michael in recognition of his efforts to encourage children to natural sciences and award him with the "National Urban Coalition Artist/Humanitarian Of The Year Award".

March 1989: At the Universal Amphitheater in Universal City, California, Michael receives the Black Radio Special Award for his humanitarian efforts.

September 22, 1989: The Capital Children's Museum awards Michael with the Best Of Washington 1989 Humanitarian Award in recognition of his efforts to raise money for the museum, and for his never-ending support of children.

February 3, 1990: From Japan Michael receives a Role Model Award.

April 5, 1990: During a ceremony, where Michael is awarded as "Entertainer Of The Decade", Michael meets President George Bush, who honors him with the "Point Of Light" award. Michael receives this award for his philanthropic activities. President Bush explains Michael's humanitarian commitments to the press.

September 14, 1990: The Council of the American Scouts honors Michael with the first "Good Scout Humanitarian Award". Michael receives this award for his humanitarian activities by supporting the Make A Wish Foundation, the Prince's Trust, the United Negro College Fund and Childhelp USA.

October 23, 1990: Michael Jackson and Elton John will be the first recipients of the award in memory of Ryan White, which will be handed over in 1991.

May 1, 1992: President George Bush presents Michael with the "Point of Light" award for his continuing support of deprived children. During his stay, Michael visits little Raynal Pope, who had been injured very badly by dogs.

June 3, 1992: The organization "One To One", who is caring for better living conditions of young people, honors Michael with an award for his commitment to deprived youngsters.

July 1993: The American Friends of Hebrew University honors Michael with the Scopus Award 1993.

August 1993: The Jack The Rapper Awards are presented and Michael is honored with the "Our Children, Our Hope Of Tomorrow" award.

November 17, 1993: Michael rejects the Scopus Award. He was nominated for this award, which was planned to be given him on January 29th, 1994.

April 12, 1994: On occasion of the 2nd Children's Choice Award ceremony at Cit Center in New York, Michael is presented with the "Caring For Kids" award. This award is to honor celebrities, who take time for young people. 100,000 children and young people from 8 to 18 years old gave Michael their vote of confidence. The Children's Choice Awards are sponsored by Body Sculpt, a charity organization, that offers drug-prevention programs for young people.

November 2, 1995: Michael receives the award "Diamont of Africa".

March, 30, 1996: The Ark Trust-Foundation, who wants to draw the attention of the public eye on animal's problems, presents the 10th Genesis Award. Michael is presented with the 1995 Doris Day Award. He gets this award for the "Earth Song" video, which draws attention to the plight of the animals.

May 1, 1999: At the Bollywood awards in New York, Michael is presented with an award for his humanitarian activities. The award is signed: "Though he comes from the young American tradition, Michael is the embodiment of an old indian soul. His actions are an expression of the philosophy of Weda, which asked to work for the people - not for one's own interests."

Organizations

The Millennium-Issue of the "Guinness Book Of Records" names Michael as the Pop Star who supports the most charity organizations. The following projects are supported by Michael Jackson:

AIDS Project L.A.
American Cancer Society
Angel Food
Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles
BMI Foundation
Brotherhood Crusade
Brothman Burn Center
Camp Ronald McDonald
Childhelp U.S.A.
Children's Institute International
Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund
Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation
Congressional Black Caucus
Dakar Foundation
Dreamstreet Kids
Dreams Come True Charity
Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation
Heal The World Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Love Match
Make A Wish Foundation
Minority Aids Project
Motown Museum
NAACP
National Rainbow Coalition
Rotary Club of Australia
Society of Singers
Starlight Foundation
The Carter Center's Atlanta Project
The Sickle Cell Research Foundation
Transafrica
United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund Ladder's of Hope
Volunteers of America
Watts Summer Festival
Wish Granting
YMCA - 28th Street/Crenshaw
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America

This is the oldest mentoring organization serving youth in the USA.
BBBSA has provided one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteers and children at risk since 1904. BBBSA currently serves over 100,000 children and youth in more than 500 agencies throughout all of the United States.

BMI Foundation

From jazz to musical theater, from music education for gifted youngsters to support for the work of accomplished concert music composers, the BMI Foundation seeks out the best and most promising of today's and tomorrow's musical creators and offers a platform of support that fosters their growth and ensures the continuation of the heritage of American musical ingenuity for generations to come.

Childhelp USA

Childhelp USA is dedicated to meeting the physical, emotional, educational, und spiritual needs of abused and neglected children focusing efforts and resources upon treatment, prevention.

Children's Institute International

This is a private, non-profit organization specializing in the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect.
Over the past 90 years, CII has evolved from a shelter for single mothers and their babies to an internationally recognized model of comprehensive care and assistance for at-risk children and their families.
CII assistance includes child and family assessment supported by 24-hour emergency residential shelter care, family treatment services, therapeutic day care, child health clinic, long-term foster family care, and substance abuse treatment and prevention services.

Make A Wish Foundation fulfills the favorite wish of any child between the age of 2 ½ and 18 who has a diagnosed life-threatening illness.

Camp Ronald McDonald

Camp for children with cancer.

[Blackstar*]

Re: celerating mj's life

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[rudemonk]

Re: celerating mj's life

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CaanTapBawlSkell</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
btw i still dont think mj was proud of his blackness....how would u explain the bleaching thing?


anyways continue </div></div>

he didn't &quot;bleach&quot; per se, he depigmented, which is something some people choose to do when afflicted with vitiligo.

there are plenty of pics of him showing the effects of vitiligo so nobody should be in doubt. However, Lisa Marie Presley did not have vitiligo.

[rudemonk]

Re: celerating mj's life

from the other thread:
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[Blackstar*]

Re: celerating mj's life

<span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">Michael Jackson Remains A Global Phenomenon</span></span>
July 02, 2009 08:00 PM ET

Michael Jackson went from being Gary, Ind.'s most talented kid to one of the most recognizable human beings on the planet. And while his worldwide album sales were astounding, that wasn't the sole reason for his fame. his ascendancy went far beyond the cash register - he inspired dance moves, dictated fashion trends and raised awareness for social causes around the globe.


<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">BRAZIL</span>

Less than a day after Michael Jackson's death, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, announced that the city would erect a statue of the singer in Dona Marta, a favela that was once notorious for drug dealing and is now a model for social development. The change was spurred partly by Jackson's 1996 visit to film the video for &quot;They Don't Care About Us.&quot;

Jackson shot two videos for &quot;They Don't Care About Us,&quot; the fourth single from &quot;HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I&quot;: one in a prison and another in Dona Marta and Salvador da Bahia, a colonial Brazilian city known for its Afro-Brazilian culture and music.

When Jackson came to Brazil to shoot the video, directed by Spike Lee, Rio's local government became concerned that the singer would show the world an unflattering picture of poverty. At the time, Brazilians, like people the world over, saw Jackson as an idol. He'd been to the country twice before, once with the Jackson 5 in the '70s and again in 1993, when he played two concerts in São Paulo to 100,000 people each night.

At the time, the concert promoter Dodi Sirena recalls a &quot;sensitive&quot; artist who asked for an amusement park to be reserved for his use, then invited children from the poorest public schools. &quot;He displayed great concern for everything in the country, with poverty, with street children,&quot; Sirena says.

In that context, Jackson's choice of locale for his video made sense. &quot;The video is about the people no one cares about,&quot; says Claudia Silva, press liaison for Rio's office of tourism.

When Jackson shot the video in Rio, Silva was a journalist for the daily newspaper O Globo, but Lee and his staff had banned journalists from the shoot because Dona Marta drug dealers didn't want the attention. But Silva found a family that let her spend the night at their home and saw the favela residents washing the streets to prepare for Jackson's arrival. &quot;The people were so proud,&quot; Silva says. &quot;That was the best thing for me. People got up early to clean the area, they prepared for him, they took out the trash.&quot;

Jackson arrived by helicopter but walked the streets of Dona Marta shaking hands and distributing candy. &quot;People were very surprised in the end, because they were expecting an extraterrestrial guy,&quot; Silva says. &quot;And he was - it sounds strange to say this - a normal guy.&quot;

Jackson shot scenes in Salvador, alongside throngs of people, accompanied by the Afro-Brazilian cultural group Olodum. In the video, he can be seen dancing to the beat of hundreds of Olodum's drummers and with cheering fans who reach out to touch him - and at one point burst through security and push him to the floor.

&quot;This process to make Dona Marta better started with Michael Jackson,&quot; Silva says. &quot;Now it's a safe favela. There are no drug dealers anymore, and there's a massive social project. But all the attention started with Michael Jackson.&quot; --Leila Cobo



<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">SOUTH AFRICA</span>

&quot;Growing up as a young black kid in a township, you either dreamed of being a freedom fighter or being Michael Jackson. It was as simple as that.&quot;

So recalls the leading South African R&amp;B artist Loyiso Bala, whose five South African Music Awards are a testament to the fact that he chose to follow the King of Pop.

The 29-year-old likens Jackson's impact on his family - which includes his high-profile musician brothers Zwai and Phelo - to that of former President Nelson Mandela.

&quot;The whole family would drop what they were doing and watch, mesmerized whenever Michael or [Mandela] came on,&quot; he says of life in his Kwa-Nobuhle township home, located outside the Eastern Cape town of Uitenhage.

Lupi Ngcayisa, a DJ on Metro FM, South Africa's biggest national urban commercial station, says Jackson's &quot;rich lyrics changed the complexion of black radio.&quot;

&quot;He forced black families to debate issues surrounding individualism and race, so his cultural impact here extended beyond simply the music,&quot; he says.

That impact was most visible in 1997 when the HIStory tour came to the country for a five-date run that ended Oct. 15 at Durban's King's Park Stadium, the performer's final full-scale concert in support of a studio album. The shows are still the largest the country has ever seen, attracting 230,000 people, according to Attie Van Wyk, CEO of the presenting promoter, Cape Town-based Big Concerts.

Equally notable for a country just three years into post-apartheid democracy was the audience mix. &quot;Black and white, young and old, Michael drew a huge crossover audience that we still don't see often at shows,&quot; tour publicist Penny Stein says.

Duncan Gibbon, now strategic marketing director at Sony Music Entertainment South Africa, who worked Jackson's catalog as far back as the apartheid era, says Jackson sold more than 2 million albums in South Africa. More importantly, he says Jackson's music was a unifying point for a deeply divided society.

&quot;South African radio was very racially segmented in the years before 1994,&quot; he says. &quot;But Michael proved to be the one artist whose music was played on white pop stations and black R&amp;B stations. It doesn't sound like much now, but it was a very potent thing when you think back to how apartheid attempted to keep everything about black and white society separate.&quot; --Diane Coetzer



<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">CHINA</span>

After 30 years of vilifying everything American, Beijing re-established diplomatic relations with Washington, D.C., Jan. 1, 1979, the same year Jackson released &quot;Off the Wall.&quot; At the time, most of China was still clad in drab blue Mao suits, state-controlled radio was almost devoid of Western pop music and record companies had little distribution. But Jackson's music soon took root--with a vengeance.

Beijing-based musician Kaiser Kuo says that the only time he felt physically threatened during the volatile spring of 1989 was because of Jackson's popularity.

On June 3, 1989 -- just as pro-democracy students reached what would prove a fatal deadlock with the government in Tiananmen Square -- Kuo's heavy rock band Tang Dynasty was playing a show in Jilin Province, unaware it had been billed as &quot;Michael Jackson's backup band.&quot; Realizing they'd been scammed, the audience &quot;went nuts and burned down the ticket booth,&quot; Kuo says. &quot;Jackson was just that popular.&quot;

For many in China, reflecting on Jackson means dredging up memories of that era of dashed hopes. Blogger Hong Huang lived much of her childhood in the '70s and '80s in the United States, where her father was a Chinese diplomat. &quot;Back then, I thought nobody in China could be listening to Michael Jackson,&quot; she says. Yet Hong hosted three evenings of her late-night TV talk show &quot;Straight Talk&quot; about Jackson's death while the Chinese Internet lit up with discussion of his life and music. The top video-sharing Web site Youku.com has dozens of posts of Chinese youths moonwalking to his songs in black loafers, white socks and high-water pants.

Jackson's sales in Asia have been strong despite rampant piracy, according to Adam Tsuei, president of Sony Music Entertainment Greater China. Sony says that since 1994 it has sold about 1.2 million Jackson albums in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Jackson never visited mainland China, but Sony says it has sold about 300,000 albums there since 2002, although censorship has prevented the release of his entire catalog.

There had been unconfirmed reports that AEG Live planned to bring Jackson to China after his sold-out London dates. Instead, Shanghai warehouse manager Jin Hailiang says the 150 regular members of the local Jackson fan club he helps manage will host a party Aug. 29, Jackson's birthday.

&quot;His music is so important because it's about love,&quot; he says, &quot;and it makes us feel free to dance.&quot; --Jonathan Landreth



<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">INDIA</span>

For many people in India -- a market where international repertoire accounts for just 5% of physical music sales -- Michael Jackson is Western pop.

Alone among Western artists, his popularity isn't confined to English-speaking urban Indians. Among the country's rural youth his celebrity competes with Bollywood stars for one reason: his trademark dance moves.

&quot;Anybody who dances well is compared with Michael Jackson,&quot; says Nikhil Gangavane, who founded India's official, 13,000-member Jackson fan club. &quot;The moonwalk made Michael reach from the classes to the masses in India.&quot;

The way Bollywood appropriated Jackson's moves and style connected with Indian fans. &quot;Actors, established choreographers, aspiring composers, kids in dance shows - everybody borrowed ideas,&quot; says British-born hip-hop star Hard Kaur, now a Bollywood star.

Indian actors, from Javed Jaffrey to Hrithik Roshan, say they were inspired by Jackson's dancing. And the southern Indian movie industry still uses Jackson-esque routines, thanks to the influence of dancers and choreographers like Prabhu Deva, known as &quot;India's Michael Jackson&quot; for his lightning-fast moves.

Jackson's recorded-music sales are also significant. Arjun Sankalia, associate director of Sony Music Entertainment India, says the 25th-anniversary edition of &quot;Thriller&quot; sold 15,000 copies. The album's initial release sold more than 100,000, according to Suresh Thomas, former branch manager of the southern region for CBS India -a joint venture between India's Tata Group and CBS America. &quot;Bad,&quot; which had an inlay card translated into regional languages, sold 200,000. None of the totals include the millions of pirated versions that have been sold.

Jackson proved his popularity on the subcontinent with the one show he performed in India -- Nov. 1, 1996, at Mumbai's Andheri Sports Complex. A 70,000-seat sellout, it was organized by Shiv Sena political party leader Raj Thackeray to raise funds to provide jobs for young people in the state of Maharashtra -- and boost the party's popularity among young urban voters.

Jackson arrived at Mumbai airport Oct. 30 and was greeted by actress Sonali Bendre, who put the traditional Hindu &quot;tilak&quot; mark on his forehead. A motorcade escorted him to the concert, and he stepped out of the car several times during the journey to wave at the thousands of fans lining the streets between the airport and his hotel lobby.

Fans still remember. &quot;Go to any village, any corner in India and you'll find everyone is familiar with the name Michael Jackson,&quot; Kaur says. &quot;There is no musician who can replace MJ.&quot; --Ahir Bhairab Borthakur



<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">JAPAN</span>

There's big in Japan, and there's Michael Jackson.

Fans ranging from teenagers to 50-somethings -- many dressed in Jackson's trademark outfits - staged an impromptu candlelit memorial June 27 in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park. While some showed off dance moves and sang songs, others wept openly and prayed at makeshift altars.

&quot;It's funny,&quot; one attendee said. &quot;The gathering at [Harlem's] Apollo Theater was like a celebration of his life, but Japanese people go straight into mourning.&quot;

Jackson won over Japan like few Western stars before or since. Famous in the country since the release of &quot;Off the Wall,&quot; he became even bigger in 1987, when he started his &quot;Bad&quot; world tour at the Tokyo Dome. He sold out 14 shows, drawing about 450,000 fans and taking in an estimated 5 billion yen ($52 million). Hundreds of screaming girls greeted his arrival at Tokyo's Narita Airport, which was covered by 1,000 journalists; another 300 covered the arrival of Bubbles, Jackson's chimp, who came on a separate flight.

&quot;No other performer had Michael Jackson's star power in Japan,&quot; says Archie Meguro, senior VP of Sony Music Japan International. &quot;He was so loved for his talent, his music, his dance and his gentle soul.&quot;

Sony reports career album sales of at least 4.9 million for Jackson in Japan, making him one of the top-selling international artists. &quot;Thriller&quot; alone sold 2.5 million copies. But his impact went beyond sales. His 1987 tour helped reshape J-pop's choreography, as performers tried to appropriate his moves.

The news of his death caused such a stir in Japanese society that three cabinet ministers took the unusual step of commenting on his passing.

Sales of Jackson's catalog have spiked, and six of his albums made SoundScan Japan's Top 200 Albums chart. By the morning of June 27, Tower Records' seven-story flagship store in Shibuya had three displays of his albums and DVDs. Jackson had attended an event there in 1996, presided over by then-Tower Records Japan president Keith Cahoon. &quot;The fan club members who attended were mostly young girls who shrieked 'Michael!' in incredibly loud and high-pitched voices,&quot; he recalls, &quot;and Michael replied in a soft voice that was nearly as high.&quot;

&quot;Michael is the biggest entertainment influence on the Japanese people after the Beatles,&quot; says Ken Ohtake, president of Sony Music Publishing Japan. &quot;He will always remain in the hearts of the Japanese people as an extraordinary and unparalleled artist.&quot; --Rob Schwartz



Find this article at:

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/michael-jackson-remains-a-global-phenomenon-1003990447.story

© 2008 Nielsen Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

[Morpheous]

Re: celerating mj's life

interesting thread. Keep it flowing

[Blackstar*]

Re: celerating mj's life

From the Miss Black America Pageant in Madison Square Garden, New York City, 22 August 1969. Michael had probably not yet turned 11. The Jackson Five's first TV appearance, where they performed this Isley Brothers funk classic.

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[Blackstar*]

Re: celebrating mj's talent as a vocalist

In many ways, we might think of Jackson's &quot;Don't Stop Till You Get Enough&quot; as a secular expression of &quot;getting happy.&quot; In this song, we can hear aspects of expressionism. Jackson's voice imitates percussion instruments like the quica and the kalimba, and he alters his voice to create his own 'female' chorus, all to construct a building energy and persuasive power to get the listener to similarly push the limits of desire to 'get enough.' At the same time, we might think about the cut and paste aspects of the production itself as similar to Bornstein's transgender writing aesthetic. Consider Jackson's description of his production process in his memoir Moonwalk:

Don't Stop Till You Get Enough <span style="font-style: italic">had a spoken intro over bass, partly to build up tension and surprise people with the swirling strings and percussion. It was also unusual because of my vocal arrangement. On that cut I sing in overdubs as a kind of a group. I wrote myself a high part, one that my solo voice couldn't carry on its own, to fit in with the music I was hearing in my head, so I let the arrangement take over from the signing. Q's fade at the end was amazing, with guitars chopping like kalimbas, the African thumb pianos. That song meant a lot to me because it was the first song I wrote as a whole.</span>

In his description we see that Jackson conceives of his voice as a collaborative or adaptive tool, making the other performers and instruments stretch from their natural or past abilities. He combines the deep resonance of the bass with his own mumbles and trembling whispers at the beginning—vulnerability and threat all at once to create drama and mystery, exploding into the &quot;whoo&quot; and the swirl of strings. He overdubs his voice to become a group with himself, a collaboration with selves, at the same time making the self 'other,' heightening the already feminine aspects of his voice. He stretches his own range by fitting his voice into or in between the strains of the instruments. And in response, the other voices and sounds around him are affected, adapting and becoming something new so that the guitar moves from melody to percussion, from swirl to chopping, from rock to African kalimba, moving diasporically from present to past and back again.

More...

[Blackstar*]

Re: celebrating mj's talent as a vocalist

First and last, however, he was a great singer. When the Jackson 5 burst on to the music scene at the beginning of the 1970s, Jackson was barely out of short trousers and his singing on I Want You Back, ABC and The Love You Save, their first hits, was that of a hyperactive juvenile lead. Listening to I'll Be There, a quiet ballad that gave them their fourth hit, however, it was possible to detect the signs of something extraordinary.

His careful phrasing, and in particular his terminal vibrato, showed a maturity extraordinary for a boy barely into his teenage years.

This was around the time they came to London for the first time, on a promotional visit including a showcase gig for selected media people at the old Talk of the Town night club in Leicester Square. No more than a couple of dozen of us were in attendance. Soul music was not fashionable, and the Jackson 5 were thought of as a transient novelty act. I sat next to the late John Peel, and we shared looks of amazement as the group went through the fully choreographed routines of a Motown act, providing a platform on which Jackson demonstrated every ounce of the gifts and the potential that would make him, by the end of the decade, the biggest attraction in the world of showbusiness, the star of stage shows of previously unimaginable lavishness.

And that was the world in which he clearly situated himself. He loved the world of glitter and divas, of Judy Garland and Diana Ross. He was the pop star of the era of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, or ET and Star Wars, futuristic in style yet terminally sentimental in content.

For all the superficial allure of that world, however, underneath he was a musician of great creativity and acute instincts. His singing on such albums as Off the Wall and Thriller, some of the 20th century's biggest selling and best loved records, comprised a textbook of vocal technique and character, from the breathy and fragile to the driving and committed.

Jackson's high voice linked him to the great tradition of falsetto singing which came out of gospel music and led to such immediate predecessors as Smokey Robinson and Curtis Mayfield. But Jackson went beyond idiom, leaving the emotional immediacy of soul music far behind as, in collaboration with the great arranger and producer Quincy Jones, he created a music beyond restrictions of generation and ethnicity.

More...