In Memorium: 5 Years On - The Death Of Michael Jackson

On June 25th, many millions of devoted fans will be aware of what is the 5th anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson. Some will mourn their loss, others will celebrate the amazing gift that he had been given and his undying love for every human on the planet. He was a person who did not judge, but was undoubtedly judged his whole life in return. He was a person who kept fighting until he could hold on no longer. He was a person who made a life with what he gave others rather than what he recieved in return.

Born on August 29th, 1958, Jackson was one of 9 children living in a house the same size of a large garage. You could take two steps and you were in the back garden. At the age of 5, his family began to see his musical potential and he became part of the group (as well as another brother, Marlon)  made of his older brothers Jackie, Jermaine and Tito called The Jackson Brothers. An early incarnation of this group would later become the famed group the Jackson 5.

The Jacksons family home in Gary, Indiana. Here you can see all of the tributes left after Michael's death.

Michael was inspired by many people, one of the most important being James Brown, who he  had watched since being a child. He watched his moves and charisma intensely, learning as much as he could to incorporate it into his next performance.

One of Jackson's biggest musical inspiration, James Brown.

The Jackson 5 enjoyed many years of success at the label Motown, securing their first hit in January 1970 when Michael was just 12 years old. They even managed to gain 4 no1's in a row, the first group to do this at the time, never mind the fact that this group was made up of a bunch of kids.

 The Jackson 5 in the early days (from left to right - top) Tito, Jackie, Jermaine (bottom) Marlon and Michael.

However, by 1975 most of the Jacksons opted out of recording  for Motown due to a lack of creative control and royalties. Their father and manager, Joe Jackson, managed to get them a lucrative record contract with Epic Records (where Michael would stay for many years into his own solo career). They also changed their name to The Jacksons as Motown had rights over their name and Randy joined the group because Jermaine had decided to stay at Motown.

The Jacksons later years (from left to right) Marlon, Tito, Michael, Jackie and Randy.

In the years following, Michael had huge solo success with a huge string of no1 albums including Off The Wall, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and the world's best selling album of all time, Thriller. Thriller was to be an album that surpassed everyones expectations, seemingly except for Michael's, He vowed that he would "show them" after Off The Wall received one Grammy. He was right. For Thriller he won a record 8 Grammys.

Michael During the "Off The Wall period"

Michael during the "Thriller" period

However, this isn't to say that such a successful career brought him the happiness he had been searching for his whole life. He repeated several times that he often found his fame brought him a sheer sense of loneliness and misunderstanding from others. It also isn't to say that a number of controversies wouldn't follow him and ultimately destroy his reputation for good. One of the biggest confusions about Michael was his changing skin colour, due to a skin disorder called Vitilgo which caused him much pain and embarrassment. By the time Bad was released in 1987, He was white.

Who's Bad? Michael in 1987

Michael in full swing during his Dangerous tour (1992-93)

Many thought of Michael Jackson for many years as a bit of an oddball. Tabloids released many untrue stories about him, even labelling him "Wacko Jacko". However, these seemingly harmless stories turned very gruesome. In the early 90s, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a young boy named Jordan Chandler and his father Evan. Michael denied all these charges explicitly and this began the downfall of both his career and his personal life, becoming addicted to prescription painkillers.

Michael in 2002

When the allegations came back to haunt him in the early 2000s, his life was destroyed. Yet more criminal trials came in 2005 from another accuser and he was found not guilty on all charges.

On June 25th, 2009, Jackson died of a cardiac arrest, just before embarking on a much awaited list of 50 concert dates at the O2 arena in London.

Michael will always be remember by many as a caring, loving person, regardless of what many think. He had a gift that no one else will ever be able to replicate. He has inspired by the greats, and he has inspired many people himself.

Michael's biggest personal inspiration, his children.

Thank you for teaching me that its OK to be who I am. Thank you for inspiring me to get where I am today. Thank you for helping me through some of the most difficult times in my life. Thank you for giving me happiness on more occasions than I care to remember. Thank you for making me a better person.

Thank you, Michael Joseph Jackson x

"Thats so gay"

Let's think about it. It's not really, is it? If I had a pound for the amount of times I heard this in the school corridors, this time next year I'd be a millionaire! (Badum tss!)

 
But seriously, it is ridiculous how much ignorance and prejudice I hear everyday almost as soon as I walk out if the front door! If this is how it is for the LGBTQ community today, I am so glad I wasn't around to see what society may have been like 20 years ago! 

"That's soooo gay" says the young boy and his gang in  hallway. They are harassing another young boy who is the same age as them, is interested in all of the same things as his peers, in fact there is only one difference that he has from everyone else who he spends practically everyday if his life with and will be doing for the next 4 years. He's gay.

 
 Now, you'd think in today's society that wouldn't be happening, but IT STILL IS. The next time you see someone you know who's LGBTQ, say hi, maybe even engage in conversation. What harm is it going to do anyone? Let's speak hypothetically. When you see that young boy, and he looks like he could do with someone to talk to, jump in there! It might just brighten up his day! 

And whatever you do, don't treat someone extra special just because of their sexual orientation or gender composition. You might think you are being nice, but to the person on the recieving end, it could sound really pretentious, ignorant it even prejudiced. It can make someone feel so alienated when all they want to do is feel accepted by their peers.

  
So the bottom line of this post is to never judge someone on the grounds of their LGBTQ status. I know what it's like to be feel alienated, and it's the worst feeling in the world, believe me.