Posted by
"Happy" Jake Greene on Friday, June 26, 2009 7:32:48 AM
August 16, 1977. On that day, Elvis Presley died, suddenly, at the age of 42. Elvis was, quite possibly, the most famous entertainer, perhaps the most famous human being in the world at the time. Even people who didn’t follow rock ‘n’ roll music at least knew who he was. He’d been performing for more than 2 decades, since he was 18, and his popularity was immediate and lasting. His distinctive baritone voice and signature dance moves brought him both acclaim and criticism from many corners, and his music essentially defined a genre. The Rock ‘n’ Roll sound of the 50s and 60s was greatly influenced by Elvis’s music and performance style. He lived in his massive “Graceland” estate, which was modeled to his liking. He was an icon of his age and was called, among other things, the “King of Rock.”
Elvis had his critics, though. His hip-thrusting dances were called “obscene,” a reasonable critique given the social mores of the time. His fame and fortune led him to a more and more erratic personality, and he experimented with drugs of various sorts to go along with his increasingly hedonistic lifestyle. He gained a reputation as a womanizer. He divorced his wife (who had cheated on him) and had relationships with a number of women afterward. His health declined noticeably in the last few years of his life, much to the concern of his entourage. His death was accompanied by great mourning from his legions of fans, but his legacy lives on and his music has continued no entertain millions even now, 30 years later.
June 25, 2009. On that day, Michael Jackson died, suddenly, at the age of 50. Jackson was, quite possibly, the most famous entertainer, perhaps the most famous human being in the world at the time. Even people who didn’t follow popular music at least knew who he was. He’d been performing for more than 3 decades, since he was 11, and his popularity was immediate and lasting. His distinctive high-tenor voice and signature dance moves brought him both acclaim and criticism from many corners, and his music essentially defined a genre. The Pop sound of the 80s and 90s was greatly influenced by Jackson’s music and performance style. He lived in his massive “Neverland” ranch, which was modeled to his liking. He was an icon of his age and was called, among other things, the “King of Pop.”
Jackson had his critics, though. His high voice made him sound weak and effeminate. He radically changed his appearance early in his solo career, suddenly morphing from a reasonably good-looking black man to someone who appeared to be a white woman. His fame and fortune led him to a more and more erratic personality, and he experimented with drugs of various sorts and continued to have cosmetic surgery, literally cutting off his nose to spite his face. He gained an unfortunate reputation as a child molester, whether deserved or not. He married twice, the first time to Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’s daughter. His mental and physical health declined noticeably in the last few years of his life, much to the concern of his entourage. His death was accompanied by great mourning from his legions of fans, but his legacy will live on, and his music will continue to entertain for many years to come.
I can honestly say that I do not count myself among the legions of either Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson fans. Neither man’s music is on my iPod. That’s not to say that I believe either man to have been untalented. On the contrary, both were very good singers and entertainers as attested by their lasting popularity, even well beyond the primes of their careers. I don’t dislike their music; it’s just not something I go out of my way to hear. Of course, I’m not here to act as a music critic, but to write about the loss of a cultural icon.
Michael Jackson’s and Elvis Presley’s lives have some very interesting parallels, which you should have noticed above. An immediate rise to world-wide fame. Staying power reserved only for the greats in entertainment. The famous mansions in which they lived. The drugs, the health problems, and the changes in appearance. The unflattering sexual reputations. The entourages of handlers. The eccentricity of their later lives. The suddenness of their deaths. The deserved appellations of “King” of their genre.
Fame has killed any number of entertainers, whether immediately by drugs or suicide, or longer term by the abuse through which they put their bodies. It seems that neither Jackson nor Elvis escaped the Grim Reaper’s diamond-encrusted scythe. We are right to mourn their loss and pray for their souls.
The King is dead, long live the King.