evalmaster said:
That I have to give you but a lot of it had to do with the fact that there were not a lot of hot "black" acts in pop music at that time. It was a good time for an artist who was creative and worked that angle. Despite all of his vagaries in behavior no one can say that Micheal Jackson lacked talent. But I still maintain that he was not so out of the ordinary as to overall put him higher than Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. After all they broke the color barrier on the MTV of that time, American Bandstand. As well as Diana Ross who was also part of the MoTown Stable of Stars.
Over time going back to Billie Holiday, The Mills Brothers, then Louis Armstrong and Nat king Cole there have always been a few that had gained acceptance universally and IMHO many were greater in talent and innovation, yet none got the adulation that is being heaped on Jackson. Maybe it is sour grapes on my part but it is my sincere belief nonetheless.