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This Is It - Michael Jackson, one of the greatest artists of all time
Michael Jackson's This Is It (Offizielles Film Cover)
Who doesn't know him? The "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, who—with a black hat in front of his face and a white glitter glove in his crotch—performed the legendary moonwalk in front of a screaming audience. One of the greatest artists of all time, he took the pop genre to a new level with his music. In This Is It, the camera accompanies the King of Pop during the intense rehearsals for his planned farewell tour, which the artist was only able to partially perform due to his sudden death. Previously unreleased footage shows an emaciated, but nevertheless meticulous Michael Jackson, who was still slaving away until two days before his death.
Table of Contents
The early years of the King of Pop
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in the U.S. state of Indiana, the eighth of a total of ten children. His father, Joseph Jackson, was a man who had a clear mission—namely the musical promotion of his children. Michael was driven to excel at a young age and took part in all the talent contests his father entered him in. At a later date, Michael described the relationship with his own father as highly problematic. Through the drill and the partly physical and psychological assaults, his father had robbed him of his entire childhood.
Über den Künstler
| Name: Michael Joseph Jackson |
| Geburtsdatum: 29. August 1958, Indiana |
| Sterbedatum: Juni 2009, Los Angeles |
| Ehepartner: Deborah Jeanne Rowe (verh. 1996 - 2000), Lisa Marie Presley (verh. 1994 - 1996) |
From the lead singer of the Jackson 5 to the King of Pop
In 1964, Michael stood alongside his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlona on stage as the lead singer of the band "The Jackson Five"—which his father had created—and thrilled thousands of fans with hits like "ABC." Seven years later, at the tender age of 13, Michael began his solo career. Abandoning his siblings had previously never even occurred to him. Until 1984, he remained a loyal member of "The Jackson Five." In 1982 his first own album "Thriller" was released - an album for the ages, which was sold an incredible 70 million copies, and is still considered the best-selling album. The singles of his album were accompanied by elaborate video productions that took fans on a spectacular visual journey.
Making of "This Is It"
On March 5, 2009, Michael Jackson went public with the announcement that it was time for him to turn his back on the stage. But fans would still have the opportunity to experience him live on stage for the very last time in London's O2 Arena before he would retire from the music industry. In the concert series This Is It, consisting of ten performances, he wanted to say goodbye once and for all. This announcement triggered such an enormous demand for tickets that 40 additional dates were added to the concert series. From July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010, the King of Pop would perform a full 50 times at London's O2 Arena. On June 25, 2009, however, shocking news went around the world: the King of Pop died of poisoning by the anesthetic propofol. Three weeks after This Is It began, all further performances were cancelled. (Note: "This Is It" is both the name of the farewell tour and the title of the documentary).
The preparations for Michael Jackson's last concert series "This Is It"
The film This is it documents the King of Pop's rehearsals for his upcoming concert series This Is It, which he was unable to attend due to his untimely death. The video material used for the documentary spans a shooting period of four years. It gives viewers a multi-faceted view of Michael Jackson's glittering—but exhausting—world. Director Kenny Ortega has succeeded in creating an unforgettable documentary that makes the King of Pop's wish to share his life with his fans come true. Leg-breaking, months-long rehearsals, excitement, tension, and boundless ideas—people from all over the world should be able to share in the preparations for a concert series on this scale. In This Is It, touching but also merciless moments are captured on camera that characterize the rigors of show business. The documentary gives an insight into the world behind the scenes, where the entire crew always gives its best to properly implement the King of Pop's ideas.
But that's not all: There are also spectacular 3D sequences that were originally supposed to be part of the concert series and have now been made available to the viewers of the film. It is worth mentioning that the recordings were originally intended for Michael Jackson's private use. Unfortunately, due to his unexpected death, it was no longer possible for him to view the video material he had collected over the years. But he would have been even happier if he had known that viewers from all over the world now have the opportunity to experience the King of Pop up close during his preparations for his last concert series.
More about music documentaries
If the documentary This Is It captivated you as much as it did me, you should definitely check out the Books & Movies section of the mukken Blog. There you will find more exciting documentaries about singers like Jennifer Lopez, who worked just as hard for her big performance at the Superbowl Halftime Show. But that was by no means all. If you are also a musician, you can exchange ideas with other musicians in our mukken Network. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and make new contacts with like-minded people now!
Originally published on April 21, 2023, updated on April 21, 2023
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