"He could have been the next great song and dance man!"---Gene Kelly

Michael Jackson died today.  He was only 50 years old.  There is no question that Michael was one of the most talented entertainers of his generation.  As the story goes he and his brothers were discovered at the Indiana State Fair by none other than the great Diana Ross.  Diana recommended the boys to her boss Berry Gordy at Motown and the rest as they say is history.  The Jackson 5, led by 10 year old lead singer Michael were an immediate sensation.  Their debut single "I Want You Back"  shot to the top of the charts in late 1969.  Over the next five years The Jackson 5 would churn out hit after hit.  Still, bigger and better things awaited Michael.  

Michael Jackson left his brothers and Motown behind in 1978 to pursue a solo career.  He signed a deal with Epic records in 1979.  His very first solo album "Off The Wall" was a huge commercial success and remained on Billboard's Hot 100 Album chart for more than 3 years!  The album also spawned a number of highly successful singles including "Rock With You", the title track "Off The Wall" and the haunting ballad "She's Out of My Life".   But Michael's masterpiece would prove to be the 1982 release "Thriller".  Produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Michael himself "Thriller" would prove to be the biggest selling album of all-time.  Current estimates are that "Thriller" has sold between 65 and 70 million copies worldwide!   Meanwhile, of the 9 tracks on this album 7 would become Top Ten hits!   

The hits would continue for a few more years for Michael before his personal life took a precipitous turn for the worse.  Most people are quite familiar with Michael's sad downfall from grace so I have no intention of rehashing those events again here.  Suffice to say that Michael Jackson would never be thought of in quite the same way again by a large segment of the American public.  I think that it is safe to say that there was a lot more great music in Michael Jackson that we will never get to hear.   Perhaps the greatest tribute I ever heard paid to Michael was by the legendary Gene Kelly who once quipped:  "He could be the next great song and dance man."  Gene Kelly should know as he practically invented the art form.  So maybe there wasn't really a market for another song and dance man as we drew close to the end of the 20th Century.  But had he stayed on the straight and narrow Michael Jackson would have become a household name to generations of Americans.  He had the ability to do just about anything he wanted to in show business.  Such a shame.     May he is rest in peace!