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MJ: 1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show

So in 1993 a few hundred lucky kids in the Los Angeles area got a once in a lifetime experience…perform in the Super Bowl Halftime Show with Michael Jackson!  Now, just to give you a little background on me, I was the BIGGEST MJ fan I knew!  My cousins and I would play Thriller about 500 times a day and re-inact the video.  We all had the Michael Jackson doll (mine had on the Beat It outfit with one shinny silver glove).  When MJ caught on fire, I cried!  So needless to say this was huge for me!

We practiced for weeks, never with Michael of course (I was one of the kids on the field in black and white with the black and white board; left side, in one of the first 3 rows, on the very end closest to the end zone), so I knew I was going to be excited when he came out!  Our coaches and the choreographers kept telling us that when MJ comes out, we have to remember that we are part of the performance and that we have to control our emotions.  I was like, come on now, “I’m a dancer, a performer, I’m not going to be like these other people at his concerts passing out and acting all crazy”.

Performance begins, POP, out the top of one jumbo-tron, “aww, nope that’s not him, must be an impersonator”, I thought.  Then again, POP, out of the second jumbo-tron, “what do they think I’m stupid, that’s so not him”, I said.  Then, big explosion, and POP, out comes MJ in the center of the stage!  I LOST MY MIND!  Commence the screaming, pulling my hair, threw down my board, darted for the stage, and yes, peed on myself just a little!  Our coaches were on the sidelines yelling at us to get into position, but we all had lost it!  We finally pulled ourselves together, but that was the most exhilarating experience in my life!

Being that I never got to see him in concert, I am so glad I had the opportunity to participate in this show.  It’s definitely one of the coolest things that I have done in my life!

RIP MJ

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Gone Too Soon

I remember the first time I saw Thriller in its entirety. I was glued to the television, paying close attention to every detail. I loved Michael Jackson. I would watch his large dance sequences and mimic the moves in my head until I knew them by heart because I was too shy to practice them. When I was 11, my mother told my brother and I that she won a contest and we would be visiting Neverland Ranch. I all but passed out. That place is a child’s dream land. It’s like a carnival, zoo, go cart track, movie theater and arcade rolled into one. It wasn’t as flashy as you would think Michael’s lifestyle would be. The best part was, everything was free and unlimited. I didn’t get to see him, unfortunately, and I cried when it was time to go but that was one day I will never forget for as long as I live.

Another day I will never forget is the day of his passing. It started off as a bad one long before I learned of Michael’s cardiac arrest. I was at work when the news hit. My concentration was shot and I ended up leaving work early. I couldn’t believe it. I always figured Michael Jackson would pass away in my lifetime but… I wasn’t ready yet. I wasn’t ready for him to leave us. I wanted him to be around because I felt like we still needed someone like him. My selfish thoughts wouldn’t allow me to see that he was in a better place, free from all the scrutiny, pain and disappointment. I also did not think about all he’s left with us in terms of music, performance, and spirit all of which can be seen in many of our music and performing artists today.

His influence is like no other. Never again will we have such an influential and inspirational performer such as Michael Jackson. Never again will anyone be able to touch the lives and hearts of millions the way the he did. As long as I am alive, his memory will not be forgotten.

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MJ: Dancing Machine

This song has always been amazing, but a little video research unearths how many times Michael Jackson had to perform it, and how many different ways he could break it down. Check it out:

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MJ: Commercials

Any epic celebrity will be asked to endorse a product or two, and Michael Jackson being the biggest star on Earth had his fair share. Here are a few:

Suzuki:

LA Gear:

Esonic TV:

And of course, Pepsi:

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MJ: Rare Interviews

After Michael jackson became a solo artist, there was a 14-year period where he entered into reclusivity and did not do interviews. The footage from interviews before that time period are rarely shown. Here are a few:

Soulbeat Network (1979)

Sylvia Chase with The Jacksons (1980):

On the set of “Beat It”:

Entertainment Tonight (1983)

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MJ: Off The Wall

When MJ passed, I dealt with my grief by watching as much live video of him as possible, and I came across some gems. Check out this live performance of “Off The Wall”.

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How I became BAD!

May 16th 1983, I was 4 going on 5. I was at home watching an awards show with my mom. Now although I was already aware of Michael Jackson’s music, because my mom used to tell how I would hear some of his songs on the radio and sing them, it wasn’t until I saw his performance on that show when it truly hit me, this guy is awesome! Fast forward to 1987, when I got my 1st MJ tape (yes tape as in cassette), the album Bad. I knew every single song off that album, which probably why, biased speaking, that is my favorite of all his albums. Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel, and who could forget Liberian Girl, come on now son!! That same year, I remember standing in a long line in December at Disneyland, to see Captain EO. It was like only 10 minutes long, but still definitely the most amazing experience ever at the time. After that, anything MJ did musically, I was all ears. The man just had a gift and a work ethic that is still unmatched by any other artist to this day. And even though I became a huge HIP HOP junkie and may not have purchased albums after BAD, I was still down with his sound. Actually, one of my all time favorite MJ songs, songs period, is Butterflies off his 2001 LP, Invincible. So as I stated, I’m still down with you MJ. I know you still moonwalkin’ in heaven, got all the angels passing out at your shows. I know I am BAD because of you. RIP

Mr.CEO

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MJ TV Tribute Guide

via EW.com:

BET: The BET Awards (June 27, 8-11:00 p.m.) Queen Latifah hosts the 10th annual Awards from Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. Along with performances from T.I., Kanye West, Usher, T-Pain, Alicia Keys, and Eminem, a Michael Jackson tribute has been added to the lineup.

TV Guide Network: Gone Too Soon (Friday, June 25, 9-11:00 p.m.) Ian Halperin, New York Times’ No. 1 bestselling author of Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, spent five years researching Jackson and declared in December 2008 that the King of Pop had only six months to live. He was only off by one day. Halperin directs this documentary about the factors that he believes contributed to Jackson’s untimely death.

CBS: The Early Show (Friday, June 25, 7-9:00 a.m.) The entire 8 a.m. hour, billed as “The King of Pop: One Year Later,” will see Harry Smith, Maggie Rodriguez, Julie Chen & Co. hosting a special tribute performance by James Morrison in London. Also on hand will be guests Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, and Smokey Robinson, who will share what Michael Jackson’s music has meant to them.

Animal Planet: Michael Jackson and Bubbles: The Untold Story (Thursday, June 24, 8-9:00 p.m., 11 p.m.-12:00 a.m.) For those who’ve absolutely exhausted all other aspects of Jackson’s life and career, this one-hour special, about MJ’s primate compadre, was probably inevitable, right?

CNN: Michael Jackson—The Final Days (Friday, June 25, 8-9 p.m.) CNN’s Don Lemon talks with Jermaine and Tito Jackson about their brother’s death and drug abuse. Also on hand is Jackson crony Dr. Deepak Chopra and famed choreographer Travis Payne, who shares details about working with Michael Jackson on preparations for his “This is It!” tour.

FUSE: Michael Jackson: The Inside Story (Friday, June 25, 8-9:30 p.m.) The bigger the celebrity, the more outlandish the conspiracy theories surrounding his or her death. This new doc examines claims (including those from Joe and La Toya Jackson) that Michael was murdered.

MTV: Michael Jackson’s Top 10 Video Countdown (Friday June 25, 5-6:30 p.m., Saturday June 26, 8-9:30 a.m.) MTV determines MJ’s Top 10 videos based on the number of views each has received on MTV.com. The special features running text commentary, Jackson’s VMA performances, and rare interviews he granted MTV.

MTV: Michael Jackson’s Influence on Music (Friday June 25, 6:30-7:30 p.m.) A compilation of videos featuring top music artists discussing Michael Jackson’s influence on their work.

OTHER LISTINGS:

ABC
20/20: Michael Jackson (Friday, June 25, 9-11 p.m.)

BET
BET Awards 2009 encore (Thursday, June 24, 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m.) Last year’s awards, which aired just days after Michael Jackson’s death, where host Jamie Foxx performed his own incredibly awkward Moonwalk.

Michael Jackson: Life of a Superstar (Friday, June 25, 1-2 p.m.)

Inside the Michael Jackson Mansion: Never Can Say Goodbye (Friday, June 25, 2-3 p.m.)

106 & Park (Friday, June 25th,  6-8 p.m.) The 106 gang devotes their “Freestyle Friday” to counting down Michael Jackson’s greatest videos.

Michael Jackson History: The King of Pop (Friday June 25, 8-10 p.m.)

FUSE
Michael Jackson: A Tribute (Friday, June 25, 9:30-10:30 p.m.)

MTV
Michael Jackson’s Music Videos (Saturday, June 26, 6-8 a.m.)

NBC
Dateline NBC (Friday, June 25, 9-11 p.m.) The first hour of Dateline will include Michael Jackson coverage.

QVC
Michael Jackson Music and Memories (Friday, June 25, 11 p.m.-12 a.m.)

TV Guide Network
Michael Jackson: His Family Dynasty (Friday, June 25, 7-8 p.m.)

Hollywood 411: Michael Jackson (Friday, June 25, 8-9 p.m.)

TV One
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration (Friday, June 25, 8-10 p.m.; Saturday June 26, 12-2 a.m.)

Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story (Friday, June 25, 10 p.m.-12 a.m.; Saturday, June 26, 2-4 a.m.)

VH1
The Jacksons: An American Dream (Friday June 25, 12-5 p.m.)

Famous Crime Scene: Michael Jackson (Friday June 25, 11:30 p.m.-12 a.m.)

VH1 Classics
Famous Crime Scene: Michael Jackson (Friday, June 25, 9-9:30 a.m.; 4:30-5 p.m.)

The Jacksons: An American Dream (Friday, June 25, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; 6 p.m.-11 p.m.)

Michael Jackson Video Retrospective (Friday June 25, 2:30-4:30 p.m.)

VH1 Classic All Time Top 10 (Friday June 25, 5-6 p.m.; 11 p.m.-12 a.m.)