Michael Jackson's Masterful Transition Into Eternity

It's hard to believe, but an entire year has passed since Michael Jackson left our world.  Since that time, his name has been been reported to have generated $1,000,000,000!  That's right ONE BILLION DOLLARS!

Hollywood trade paper Billboard estimated Jackson's earnings in the past year have hit $1 billion, including album sales generating about $383 million and revenue from the film "This Is It" hitting nearly $400 million.

"The Official Charts Company, which compiles record sales in Britain, said Jackson sold more records than any other artist in the last 12 months.

His sales of 2.77 million albums outstripped Michael Buble's 2.0 million. Including singles, Jackson's sales in Britain reached 4.31 million for the year since his death. "Man in the Mirror" topped singles sales, followed by "Billie Jean." - Michael Jackson Fans Pay Tribute to One Billion Dollar Man - ABC News

I think Michael Jackson left our world as masterfully as anyone ever has in entertainment's history.  His planned "This is It" concert and timing of coming back and rebounding so strongly in his career and all the attention it generated was masterful in its timing prior to Jackson's passing.  He had garnered much attention with his pending concert series, and left behind a wealth of rehearsal footage that became the movie.

The last time we've all witnessed such worldwide mourning over someone was Princess Di's funeral.  I personally think Jackson generated even more attention but I could be wrong.  Prior to his passing, I was unaware of how huge Michael Jackson was worldwide because the media was always downplaying his popularity as if everyone viewed him as a guilty pedophile.  The media made me think Michael Jackson was so despised he was driven out of the United States.

This video shows an upcoming superstar true talent performing on the Sonny & Cher show in the 70's.

Perhaps there were many people who hated Michael Jackson.  When you're so well known, I tend to think this is common.  People look for scapegoats for their own personal inadequacies and become jealous of all the attention and love heaped on one person, especially among women fans.

When I was a kid, I took Michael Jackson for granted because in the Motown era there were many talented singers and performers.  In fact, I practically took it for granted the day the Jackson 5 walked passed me singing ABC at my local grocery store in Baldwin Hills California in 1971.  I was too young to think it was a rare opportunity since I lived near Hollywood where celebrities were plentiful.

Over the years I came to understand the depth of Jackson's talents far exceeded them all, even Diana Ross who was at one time a huge star.  It really was the creative dancing that took Michael Jackson to new plateaus few reach.  Jackson's signature moon walk dance during his infamous Billie Jean performance at the Motown Anniversary Special in the 1980's was a huge launching pad enabling him to reach new heights.

Many of us remember Michael Jackson in our childhoods and in the early 80's for his moonwalk and Thriller album and nothing more.  If that's so, there's nothing wrong with that at all.  Those times were when his talents shined most because the music was greatly produced, the musicians top notch.  After the early 80's many of us felt the music industry began to falter and hasn't recovered since.  In a recent post, I disclosed the music industry is on the verge of collapse because most agree the quality of talent and music just isn't there anymore.  Maybe the talent is there, but it's not being captured in an appealing way to most.  It's now all corporate garbage music on a large scale.

There will never be another like Michael Jackson ever again.  Anyone who tries to reach such a high plateau as a performer, will never make it to that level ever again.  I guarantee it!  Any attempt to do so will be contrived and only perhaps a television sensation unworthy of such notoriety.   One of the reasons for this, is our culture is rapidly changing and there is no real money to promote and springboard such a superstar as was before.  Our entire world economic system is on the verge of collapse.  In the early 1980s Jackson had the support of the entire music industry machine.  In other words, Jackson was considered to be "the one" like in the Matrix movie. Jackson worked hard and was well lodged in music history prior to the second stage of his young adult career.

It's too bad and tragic Jackson had to suffer through such a horrific times when the public as focused on him for something other than his being one of the greatest entertainers ever.  Regardless, it's clear he overcame it all quite masterfully.