The first career I pursued as a young man was radio newscaster. After two years of Junior College, I attended Broadcasting School for a year and secured my first real job as the newsman for KBPI in downtown Denver. I emphasize downtown because the transmitter was so weak that unless you lived near downtown, chances of getting the signal were slim.
The programming at KBPI was “soul music.” Don’t be confused; the term “soul” did not mean that it was religious programming. The station played artists like James Brown, known as the “Godfather of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, and other black singers. In fact, the morning disc jockey, “Funky Frank,” and I were the only two white guys at the station.
My job was to report the news, which meant everything from gathering, writing, editing, researching, and reading. The task was made more difficult by the fact that the station had no access to any news sources, but every twenty minutes throughout the day, I was expected to have a fresh news report. I gathered news by recording other radio stations. I would rewrite their stories and use their sound bites. I spent many hours with a razor blade and scotch tape, splicing tape so I could work a quote from the President or local politician into my news stories.
The reason I am remembering this experience from 1969 to 1970, is because one of the musical artists played on that radio station was a group of singing brothers. They were known as the Jackson 5 and they featured the youngest of the boys, a precocious preteen named Michael. It soon became apparent that there was no need for a musical group; the little boy sensation would make it on his own.
Today, forty years later, it seems like the whole world has stopped down for the funeral of Michael Jackson.
To say that Michael Jackson was a successful entertainer is like saying it is hot during the summer in Texas. He is often referred to as “The King of Pop.” Other than Elvis Presley, who was simply called “The King,” I don’t know of any other entertainer who has captured so much public attention.
It is tempting to say that the reason Jackson was so popular is because we all watched him grow up. However, it is probably more correct to say that he never did really grow up. Although his body aged, at least not all of the parts had been surgically replaced or enhanced, it seems that his mind was stuck at age nine or ten. He lived in a place called, “Neverland,” complete with its own carnival rides, petting zoo, and circus attractions. It was a place designed by a ten-year-old with all the money he could ever want.
Listening to him speak and justify his excesses, it always felt like you were listening to a child with his hand in the cookie jar. He saw nothing wrong with an adult man sharing his bed with a young boy, or with spending extravagant amounts of money for furniture and home decorations he did not need. We were all perplexed when he made his children cover their heads in public and when he dangled his infant son over a hotel balcony railing. It seems like his ever-changing face was on the cover of celebrity magazines every time we bought groceries.
Since Jackson’s death a week ago, I have watched a couple of television specials about his life. I admit that he lived with and through some situations that almost make his bizarre behavior understandable. I honestly do not know what kind of person I would be if my father had been as demanding and unforgiving or the public was so adoring and worshipping.
The memorial service required a coliseum with overflow crowds gathered outside watching the service on large television screens. A Hall of Fame of musicians performed and spoke, with most of the focus on the positive things about Jackson’s life. The things we say about a person who has just died are amazing. Jackson was credited with many things, like getting a black man elected President and Magic Johnson being able to sell basketball jerseys. Speaking to his children, Al Sharpton said, “There was nothing strange about your daddy. What was strange was what he had to deal with.”
Although you hate to disagree with another person’s eulogy, I must remind Al Sharpton that there were quite a few strange things about Michael Jackson. He wore a veil over his face, he wore only one glove, he changed noses like most of us change cell phones, and he refused to allow his children to be seen in public. Although he obviously dealt with many strange things, he did not always do so in a healthy manner.
Back in 1970 as I prepared newscasts to the sounds of soul music in the background, I had no idea that the young boy leading his brothers in song, would become the man whose death would impact the world. In spite of his weirdness, his influence on the world transcends what any of us could have imagined. The amazing power of one life!
Every funeral I witness causes me to think about my own life and the impact I will leave on the world. God has given me a life, certainly not as musically gifted as Michael Jackson, but hopefully not as weird either. That life has great value if I will invest it wisely. In fact, that is our greatest stewardship – the opportunity to use that life to add value to others.
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