prog_MichaelHistory

I want to end 2012 with some attitude, and who better to lead the way than the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

I found an incredible, full HD video of Michael Jackson’s HIStory World Tour in Helsinki, Finland 1997. When these shows were going on, I was 8 years old growing up in suburban Washington state, completely unaware of his music. The HIStory tour was the third and last solo concert tour for Michael Jackson (In 2009, the This Is It tour, which would have been his 4th world tour, was cut short when Michael passed away on June 25th). It stopped in 58 cities, 35 countries and 5 continents. In total, this tour produced 82 concerts and wowed a jaw-droppings 4.5 million fans. At the time, it was the largest concert tour ever by a solo artist, in terms of attendance, bringing in $165 million dollars.

But high revenue is not the point of Michael Jackson’s tour, his music or his aesthetic as an artist. There is an attention to detail, a goal of perfection and a deep sense of soul in his song construction, concert production, style and music videos that elevates Michael to a superhuman level. Going way back to his time with The Jackson 5, Michael was trained from childhood as a performer and entertainer. From 1971 on, he started his solo career. Throughout the 80’s, music videos for “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” were idolized; not only for breaking down racial barriers at the time, but for their ability to turn music videos into a true art form.

Dance moves such as the robot and the moonwalk were brought to life through Michael Jackson. The world admires and draws influence from his dance techniques, which are presented with effortless flow and precision. The most epic example of this to me, came from his 1995 performance at the MTV Awards. In Michael’s words during the show, “Some of us like to play it safe, and take each day as it comes. Some of us like to take that crazy walk on the wild side. So for those of us who like living dangerously, this ones for you.”.

See you in 2013. 

– Jimi Jaxon

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