Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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That Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers of all time was already undeniable, but after seeing “This Is It,” he will forever be cemented into the rare group of entertainers who are simply part of another stratosphere.

But that's not the most significant thing viewers are learning from this incredible movie. What is most apparent is that it was Jackson’s commitment to greatness and his acceptance of genius that allowed the singer/songwriter/entertainer/icon to remain famous and beloved for over 40 years.
 
It is a loss beyond human measure that Jackson, who died on June 25, just months before his 51st birthday, was taken from the world before he had the chance to perform the 50 shows in London from which the rehearsals for “This Is It” are drawn. Watching the show in its raw, incomplete form is still far more compelling than many current artists’ fully realized shows. But what remains after the last note had been sung, Jackson fades from the screen and the credits have rolled is the insight into his preparation and craftsmanship, as well as the recognition that so few have that same dedication.

Thin, with his face ruined by multiple plastic surgeries, his color light years away from the chocolate-coated child he once was, Jackson’s authentic spirit still resided within the cosmetically altered man. In “This Is It,” he presents a much stronger, more confident side than the world may have seen before as he directs his dancers, band, choreographer and guitar player with both humility and - as he himself says - “Love, L-O-V-E.” One of the most compelling moments in the movie is the scene where he is working with a live-action and film sequence that requires him to detect a cue while he’s looking away from the person who would signal him. When he’s asked how he will know when the cue comes, he says dismissively, “I’ll feel it. I’ll feel it.” And you can believe that after a lifetime of performing, singing, writing, dancing and interacting with audiences, he’ll do just that.

Despite our invasive, YouTubed, blog-happy world, most of us are not able to see the actual work that goes into crafting a show or creating a musical performance. As someone who has worked in the music business for almost two decades, I have been fortunate enough to have had that opportunity many times. I have been in recording studios, rehearsal studios, behind the scenes and backstage at many an award show and live concert. I’ve always marveled at the way things come together painstakingly, piece by piece. The nuances of a recording or live performance before it is shaped into the finished product are endlessly fascinating. As you see in “This Is It,” when Jackson directs his bandleader on a tempo for one of his hits, telling him to “let it simmer,” it is proof that the most subtle adjustments that can make a huge difference. What those who buy the records, attend the concerts and even read the blogs see is the finished product, with all those adjustments already made.

Even though TV shows, blog posts and magazine articles promise fans a look “behind the scenes,” most of the time, those scenarios are controlled and directed by the artist and the record label. Truthfully, given his attention to detail, if Jackson was still alive, “This Is It” would have probably never been made - or certainly not in the same way. What fans generally see - and what many artists want them to see - is the glamour, not the time spent in grimy rehearsal studios or cold, empty arenas working out the details as Jackson, his dancers, his vocal coaches, his choreographers, his bandleaders, his wardrobe designers and staff do in the film.

And that’s the problem. We are now so focused on the end result that the process is often overlooked or considered unimportant. There are artists who take shortcuts in their preparation because of pressures to make money on tour or release an album before it's ready. Of course, there are those who naturally work faster than others, but for others, chart position, fame, money, fashion and fabulousness is much more significant than the creation of art or the development of craft. Artistry has been supplanted by those who work harder on their image and red carpet appearances than they do on their creative gifts.

Kenny Ortega, the choreographer who helped put together what would have been Jackson’s London shows, told a story on “Oprah” that illustrates Jackson’s devotion to craft. As we now know, Jackson had insomnia, and when Ortega asked him why he couldn’t rest, he said Jackson told him, “If I sleep, God will give my ideas to Prince.” It is that kind of commitment that set Jackson apart from the rest.

Certainly, as maligned as his father is now because of the pressures he put on his then-young children, it can’t be denied that Joe Jackson also, albeit harshly, forced the best out of them. Michael’s brilliance clearly outshined that of his siblings from a young age, although they all had their respective gifts. Joe Jackson’s tactics may not have been the best, but he did insist that his kids work and practice their music, as opposed to just selling them on their looks and charm. It’s no accident that the Jacksons ended up at Motown, with Berry Gordy espousing a similar work ethic for his roster of artists. It is the absolute dedication to their gifts that fathers like Richard Williams (Venus and Serena’s father) and Matthew Knowles (Beyonce’s dad) insisted on - and why their children can claim success today.

Even as he chafed under his father’s heavy hand, Michael Jackson accepted the role he was meant to play in life. It is why, years later, he was able to achieve on a level that transcended others. While he was clearly born with talent, so are many, many others who don’t have the dedication and discipline necessary to see those talents to fruition. Now, with reality TV and street lit and other areas of entertainment where people can “succeed” despite little or no training and very little artistic merit, the emphasis is more on success defined by material terms. No matter how untrained you are, if you can make money, you’re viewed as talented. And don’t get me wrong; relentless self-promotion and branding and marketing are talents. But they are not art.

It may be why the ancient Olympic tradition remains so compelling. You simply cannot fake the work it takes to run faster, jump longer, skate or ski further or hit a winning goal. It takes practice, something that basketball player Allen Iverson once famously derided, but, with maturity, would grow to value. It is why “American Idol” and skill-based reality shows are so alluring – they show you the value of hard work and preparation, as opposed to publicity and marketing. It is why Sarah Palin’s vice-presidential bid ultimately failed and why Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State – the difference between cunning and true intellectual rigor.

As Michael Jackson shows us one final time, success cannot be measured solely by material terms. He was certainly wealthy, famous and celebrated globally; yet, it’s obvious that cost him in terms of his relationships, his self-esteem and his ease with the world off the stages where he was truly most comfortable. In his last witnessed moments, he shows us - one final time - that a relentless pursuit of perfection is what a true artist aspires to. As Jackson himself referenced, the highest goal is to respect your audience and bring them your best work. That, in essence, is the real “L-O-V-E” between artist and audience. And, as we see through Jackson’s swan song to us, he understood and lived by that ideal.