I was seven years old when Elvis died. I remember my Mom crying as she was listening to one of his records. She did the same thing one day in December of 1980 when John Lennon was gunned down by an out of mind fan. Music is so powerful and the musicians and artists that make music have a power that is kind of scary when you think about it.
I remember watching “Motown 25″ on a May night in 1983. I was with my Mom and my older brother, Norm. We watched in amazement at the moves of Michael Jackson. His feet barely touched the floor. We knew that night that something entirely different was coming down the pipeline. As a child of MTV, I followed Michael Jackson’s career just like every other teenager living in the 1980’s.
And then the 1990’s came and Michael started to look a little weird. I was still liking the music though. But then things got very weird. It was difficult to watch. It was kinda like watching Elvis perform in the mid-1970’s when everyone knew he must’ve been abusing not only drugs, but food as well.
Someone told me this week that Michael Jackson’s father called him “big nose” when he was a kid. Then you look at the difference between his face in the 1970’s and the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s. Something tells me that Michael was looking for his father’s approval and he never received it, even after he became the biggest pop star ever. That got me thinking about how we relate to God sometimes. How often do we strive to win the Heavenly Father’s approval by our own self efforts and self reliance. I am more like Michael Jackson in that aspect. That is the screen saver of my heart. I continually forget that I already have the Father’s approval because of what Christ has done for me. His perfect life. His sacrificial death. For me. Credited to my account. The smile of the Father is on me because of Christ. I don’t believe Michael Jackson ever knew that for himself, but I could be wrong.
Say what you may about how jacked up and messed up he was. I still watch these videos through the eyes of a 13 year old kid growing up in Charlotte and I am still amazed.
And a few covers and other clips from Michael Jackson’s influence in pop culture:
