Ever stopped to think what price fame, and is it worth the sweat and toil no matter what it takes? The question is certainly worth mulling over, because there is a great deal to consider before embarking on what is bound to be an incredible but extremely lonely journey. Let’s start with the prerequisite of a hefty adrenalin rush if you are truly hell-bent on becoming a megastar. Just as essential is the need to have a glowing résumé that will indicate a surfeit of determination and an unabashed acceptance that you are indeed a natural-born talent. Without doubt, Michael Jackson totally personified this imperious criteria.
The youngest of seven gifted siblings, Michael Joseph was every inch the consummate contender even when he was a child. That urge, that sense of commitment, was clearly in place right up until the capstone of his career in the 1990’s. That though, is where the worm turned. Approaching his fifth decade on the planet and never enjoying the best of health, the man’s personal problems began to sneak up on him. For any mercilessly-pursued entertainer, the ability to handle success and remain in charge of your senses gets harder by the day. That’s when the uppers and the downers come into play, brother’s little helpers that briefly stem the tide of uncertainty and neurosis.
The realization that he’d become a brand rather than an artist must have pushed Michael Jackson over the edge. For such a once proud performer, the act of promoting a type of a soda he wouldn’t even go near clearly prostituted his principles. The subsequent Pepsi campaign did of course help shore up his faltering finances, but sadly the man didn’t live long enough to see his bank account go back into the black. For someone so admired for his supple stage moves, it was surely impossible for him to come to terms with the fact that his once abundant flow of sap-rising stamina would be decimated by the onset of age.
Imagine therefore, Michael’s nagging conscience saying did I do the right thing all those years ago when I set out to become a global phenomenon? Maybe if I’d chosen to pursue a humdrum existence I might never have become reclusive. I might never have gotten into debt and maybe I would have even been around a whole lot longer? We will never know.
