Black and white, chick and fabulous – this is all about HIM. Michael cooked his success as the most luxurious dish. How else can we characterize Michael Jackson if not referring to luxurious dainties? Ladies and gentlemen, meet the King of pop-music – Michael Jackson – and the recipe of his success called “Black Caviar with Light Champagne”. This dish granted Michael Jackson 26 American Music Awards, 40 Billboard Awards, 7 BRIT Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award, 1 MOBO Award, 13 Grammy Awards, 13 Guinness World Records, 13 MTV Awards, 10 Soul Train Awards, 14 NAACP Image Awards, 56 RIAA Awards, 2 American Video Awards, 12 World Music Awards and the title of the “King of Pop”.

Ingredients:

• great talent;
• unique style of performing;
• strict discipline;
• kind heart;
• tolerance to different people.

First we take a small boy Michael Joseph Jackson – the 7th of 9 kids in the family of Katherine Esther Scruse and Jehovah’s Witness. Though as an adult he lived in a self-made Neverland (this is how he called his Ranch near Santa Ynez, California), his childhood was nothing like a fairy tale (well maybe a scary one). Probably that’s why Michael got the Peter Pan syndrome together with success: he never “grew up” in his soul and tried to build his-very-own Neverland.

The flavor of Michael Jackson’s success wouldn’t be so luxurious if we didn’t add his father – a very strict and even cruel man who abused Michael physically and emotionally. He made Michael’s childhood terrible. However, later Michael admitted that his father’s strict discipline played a large role in his success. As some cooks say: great achievements always need spices.

Some people could think that one more spice that Jackson decided to add to his dish was… a change of skin color. The popular rumor was that he was ashamed of it and thought that he would be more popular as a white person. However, Michael always denied the opinion that it was his wish, and told that it was the influence of the rare disease – vitiligo. He always stated that he is proud of his natural skin color. Michael was usually very tolerant to people of different nationalities and races. Maybe this is one more reason why he had so many fans all over the world.

But let’s return to the recipe of Michael Jackson’s success. So we put 5 years old Michael to… kindergarten concerts where he impresses teachers and pupils with his unbelievable talent and unique style of performing. Next year we add him to “The Jackson 5” – a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine. There Michael was a backup musician playing congas and tambourine. A bit later we let him perform backup vocal and dancing and at the age of eight he assumed one of two lead vocals in the group that won a major local talent show. The band made very successful renditions of the “Motown” hits and James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good)”, led by Michael. On the next step Michael Jackon’s black caviar with light champagne is nearly done: the “Rolling Stone” magazine describes young Michael as “a prodigy” with “overwhelming musical gifts”. Now Michael has almost become the specialty of “The Jackson 5”, so he is ready to sing solo and he successfully starts his own career. Even though the popularity of the band (where he still sings) decreases, his own career makes a great leap ahead and he releases his first four solo albums (for “Motown”). Michael’s single Ben becomes his first “world-flavorous” dish that brings him the first place in charts. In combination with Quincy Jones, Michael gives the world the next successful solo album – Off the Wall. It brings Jackson on the first places in charts and gives him his Grammy.

Now we just soak the whole ambrosia in the world of show-business and have the next notable album – Thriller – that becomes the best ingredient of the dish. This album spreads the flavor of amazing commercial success – it becomes one of the most commercially successful projects of all times with nearly no promotion.

Even an awful burn of the entire face at the “oven” of music industry (while shooting commercial for “Pepsi-Cola”) couldn’t stop the star, and very soon Michael comes back to the “menu” in accompanied by Paul McCartney, Lionel Richie and other stars.

Michael Jackson released numerous successful albums and sales of his records are estimated around 750 million copies worldwide making him the world’s best selling artist in history. He also significantly participated in 40 charity organizations one of which was his own. Beside that he brought up three kids whom he loved very much. Though Michael Jackson is not with us anymore, we will always feel the flavor of his black and white dainty – black caviar with white champagne.

The Tastiest

We can talk endlessly about Michael Jackson’s songs and videos! Today I would like to remember just few amazing hits that impressed me most of all. A very chick and fabulous video Scream is considered as the most expensive music video ever made (its cost is $7 million). Maybe only Michael could make such expensive video because he used to be just like black caviar and white champagne! Another beautiful video Remember The Time is interesting not just because it is one more fabulous Michael’s work but also because Eddy Murphy, Magic Johnson and a famous model Iman played main roles there. Beside that Michael liked to use innovative special effect in his videos, and this one is not an exception. By the way, this hit was in the USA Top Five for 8 weeks! And maybe the most social video is Black Or White (Single Version) – it promotes racial harmony. This hit was number one in USA, UK and 18 other countries. Chick and fabulous, just like Michael’s style!

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