He was a canny performer. He knew where the camera was, how to accentuate the move, draw attention to himself. He learned at an early age how to give a performance that was unforgettable, and from his days fronting the Jackson 5 to the preparations for his final tour (memorialized in the fabulous This is It) he did (and then hid) the hard work it took to give that performance.
But today, on Michael Jackson’s 60th birthday, let’s celebrate his amazing musical talents: the source from which all his other skills flowed. In particular, I want to take a minute to awe in his a cappella demo recordings. This remarkable musician heard it all, and was able to put it down with clarity and style.