Wonders Never Cease

The Henry Louis Gates Jr. scandal has been on my mind (and apparently everyone else's) this week but I'm saving that for next week's post. This week I want to talk about Michael Jackson one last time.

While going over various websites, reading the news that interests me as usual, I found a video clip of an awesome, legendary, and rare performance. I will set the stage for you. James Brown is performing a concert in 1983. In James Brown fashion he invites Michael Jackson, in the crowd (with the regular people, no less), to come up on stage and sing a bit. After doing what was asked of him, Michael whispers in James's ear (inaudibly to the audience and camera) and James brings out...Prince!!! In the "While I'm on the Subject" post I talk about the first albums my sister and I ever bought and how these Prince and MJ were major forces in our lives. Obviously I almost lost my mind when I viewed it for the first time (of many though, trust me).

Now, I'm not even going to add the details because I want you to watch the clip, but I was awed as I watched the events unfold. And I couldn't help but wonder "why am I seeing this for the first time?" I asked around and none of my friends or family remembering seeing anything like it either. But I am so pleased the video surfaced and I can't think of a better way to remember Michael and James. My sister would kill me for even imagining it, but when Prince passes, (because we all surely will) if I am still alive at that point and my memory is still strong, I will remember this video. It was the quintessential Michael, Prince, and James Brown performance and such a great display of who they were and appeared to be to us, their audience.

Each musician had different talents and were amazingly focused on the quality of their product. I remember hearing about how James Brown earned the title of "hardest working man in showbiz" and it was given to him in part because he could never maintain any weight during his concert tours. He had to eat A LOT during the day when he toured because he burned so many calories on stage that he would start becoming malnourished. Additionally, he would sweat so profusely during his performances that he would literally be dehydrated! It has become common knowledge that Prince recorded quadruple what is available and used various other names to contribute, in major ways, to other acts. And Michael had patents, PATENTS, for tricks he used in his shows in order to make them truly magical for the attendees.

Career-wise they were at different points in 1983. Michael was enjoying the fruits of his labor and was a crossover SUCCESS. He had released Thriller the year before. Prince was really still an upstart in a lot ways, though he had been performing for years. He had just become popular in the mainstream with 1982's 1999. And of course James Brown was a legend, but a star whose light was fading with the new generation.

Both Prince and Michael Jackson always cited JB as one of their main influence, musically and as an entertainer. It was beautiful to see him invite them on stage and share his limelight gracefully. It was also beautiful to see the respect and love, both obvious, they felt for him. It was a really uplifting video in all ways and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Should something go wrong with the embed, the link to the video is also here.