Headline, Feb28, 2013

'''THRILLE​R : THE 14 MINUTE GENIUS OF

HORROR SPOOF'''

More than any other artist in the world, Jackson ushered in the heyday of the music video. demonstrating its promotional power, raising the bar creatively, and paving the way for greater acceptance of ''Black Musicians''  on MTV.

Having transformed a fun but marginal song into heroic and historic video, Michael Jackson rode ''Thriller'' to the top. The video sent the album sales into the stratosphere. with Epic shipping a million copies a week; by the end of 1984, the album had sold 33 million copies in the US. Since then, Thriller has remained unchallenged as the No 1 album of all time.

Jackson grew accustomed to shattering records, collecting spoils and statuettes. On February 28, 1984, he dressed like American Royalty in a spangled military jacket to escort Brooke Shields to the Grammy Awards, where he picked up an unprecedented eight trophies for thrillers. By this time he was a fabulously wealthy man, thanks to the industry's highest royalty rate, more than $2 per record.

Thriller had profound consequences on Jackson's life and subsequent career: it was both a source of his greatest pride, and his curse. Like most entertainers, he was happiest during the heady days of the upward trajectory, and hated the downward journey; his story became uniquely tragic because he viewed everything that came afterwards as a failure and the satisfaction of his private life were not sufficient to compensate.

''Michael didn't see Thriller as a phenomenon. He saw it as a stepping stone to even greater things. We were ecstatic when his next album BAD shot past the 20 million mark. Michael was clearly disappointed,'' said a near associate. ''To me what happened with Michael is he felt like he needed to top himself,'' said a co-star

For Actress Ola Ray, the Thriller scene with Michael Jackson, as he scampered around her was a defining experience: ''That walk with Michael, when he was singing and dancing around me, I felt like I was the most blessed girl in the world. I felt so in love that night. You can see it my eyes. You can see it for sure.''

That of course is very true. But what is even more so, is that the whole world was soon to fall in love. With one and only: Michael Jackson.

This post is lovingly and most respectfully dedicated to the //Royal Family of Japan//.and the Great Students, nay, Samurai. 

Good Night & God Bless!

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless