Michael Jackson's Influence

Michael Jackson passed away today. This is a very sad moment. My condolences to his family and to all those who mourn. RIP Michael Jackson.

So . . .

It's easy to ignore someone's affect on you if you have not directly been in contact with them. But you would really be surprised at how close we are in this world. Whether it be a song you hear on the radio, a book you read, or a movie you watch, there is often a connection between you and someone else, especially if they are world renown.

And so, in honor of Michael Jackson, here are some connections for those who think he did not have an impact on them. Regardless or what you think of his personal life Michael Jackson was a great musical artist. He paved the way for many artists of today and dramatically changed the way we watch music videos and listen to songs, among other things. Labelled as the "King of Pop" I think he has by far reached all genres and managed to reach pockets of the world that some of us would not have ever fathomed.

This website lists a ton of MJ songs that have been covered by other artists

http://www.hypeful.com/2008/09/04/the-big-5-0-150-cover-songs-of-madonna-michael-jackson-prince/

Here's a snipet:

Mika - “I Want You Back”
KT Tunstall - “I Want You Back”
Lightspeed Champion - “Thriller”
Ian Brown - “Thriller”
Petra Haden - “Thriller”
Ananda - “Thriller”
Fall Out Boy - “Beat It”
Amy Winehouse and Charlotte Church - “Beat It”
Señor Coconut And His Orchestra - “Beat It”
James Morrison - “Man In The Mirror”
Robert Randolph and the Family Band - “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”
Jazztronik - “Rock With You”
John Legend and Stephen Colbert - “The Girl is Mine”
David Cook - “Billie Jean”
Glenn Case - “Human Nature”
Chenard Walcker - “Remember the Time”
Sam Miller & Andy Smith - “Dancing Machine”
Kris Moyse - “Blame It On The Boogie”
The Moons - “I’ll Be There”
Transformer Di Roboter - “Stranger In Moscow”


And for the dance world, the choreographers who worked on MJs videos have gained world recognition.

Michael Peters, who choreographed "Thriller" also directed music videso for Lionel Riche, Diana Ross, and Billy Joel.

Fatima Robinson did the choreography for "Remember the Time" and "Black and White" has worked in movies "Save the Last Dance"; "Shall we Dance", and with VH1, and the 2009 Academy Awards.

Farah Khan, a famous Bollywood actress began doing choreography after watching "Thriller." She has gone on to do the choreography for Monsoon Wedding, Bombay Dreams and other movies.

He's been featured in various magazines: Rolling Stone, People, Ebony, Jet, Italian Vogue, Life, and many others.

MJ will remain a legend, like Elvis, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Cher, and many more to come. Let's all remember not to disregard their influence on the things we now enjoy.

~RIP MJ~