November 23, 2009

Misunderstood?

It’s interesting how people think they know each other, when they really don’t. We read papers and articles and watch the news expecting these outlets will tell us the whole story, but then you slowly find out you didn’t really know everything. Take this artist for instance. The Charlie Chaplin picture was drawn when the artist was just 9 years old. Pretty impressive, huh? This artist grew up with art of every type, and became pretty well known for it. Unfortunately he was known for both good and bad things in his life. He was praised for his contributions to art until someone pointed a finger at him and said he did something wrong, then the media vilified him without trial, ultimately turning his life’s work into nothing more than a party joke.

He spent his later years defending himself from accusations that were never proven true, or false. But it was still a struggle, and took its toll. But seeing these drawings made me realize that I never really knew this artist. He was so much more than just a performer. He didn’t just sing and dance really well, he wrote songs that continue to be famous today, and will be part of our culture forever. Here’s a short list of some of the songs he performed that you probably didn’t know he actually wrote himself:

Billie Jean
Black or White
Bad
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
Beat It
The Girl Is Mine
Remember the Time
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Wanna Be Startin’ Something
Scream

There are more. A lot more, and I’m sure you’ve figured out who the artist is by now. I guess my point is that people are more than just what other people tell you about them.

RIP Michael Jackson