Tribute to Michael at the MTV Awards

"Sometimes you have to lose something to appreciate it." That was the line Madonna said on stage in praise of Michael. At today’s ceremony this morning (Tehran time), more than two months after Michael Jackson’s death, MTV paid tribute to the artist it owes a debt to. The Black artist who broke through MTV’s racial limitations and made it possible for Black artists before and after him to hang their medals on the wall of music honors. The host of the ceremony and the winners of this year’s awards each honored Michael on stage. Brand, a British comedian, said: "Tonight belongs to the great Michael Jackson." The ceremony began with a remembrance of Michael. Madonna delivered a powerful speech honoring Michael. Dressed entirely in black, she spoke into the microphone about her relationship with the King of Pop. Since she was a teenager, Michael had been her idol. And how, when both of them were at the peak of their careers, a friendly relationship formed between them, and then distance grew. She called the King of Pop one of the most outstanding talents in history and expressed regret about the negative controversies that never left Michael’s last years.

"He didn’t just make you want to dance—he made you feel like you could fly." "He was unique, so pure and authentic, and so rare—and no one will ever be like him again. He was the king." After praising Michael, Madonna turned to the dark side and said that when Michael needed help, no one was there beside him. The full text of her speech is as follows: "Michael Jackson was born in August 1958. So was I. He grew up in the Midwest region of America. So did I. Michael Jackson had eight brothers and sisters. So did I. Michael Jackson became a superstar when he was six years old, and he was probably the most lovable kid in the world. When I was six, my mother died. I think what happened to him (Michael) was worse. I never had a mother, but he didn’t have childhood. And when you don’t have something, you think about it all the time. I spent my whole childhood looking for a mother; sometimes I succeeded. But how can you recreate your childhood when your entire life is under the microscope of the whole world? There’s no doubt that Michael Jackson was one of the greatest talents in human history. At eight years old, he was so mature and grown-up that his singing made you feel he was a seasoned man—and he would squeeze your heart with his words. He had the elegance of Fred Astaire’s movements and threw punches like Muhammad Ali. His music had an unsolvable layer of magic that didn’t just make you want to dance—it transferred to you the feeling of being able to fly, gave you the courage to dream, and to become exactly what you want to be. Because that’s what heroes do. And Michael Jackson was a hero. I can’t say we were good friends. But in 1991 I wanted to know him better. I asked him to go out for dinner. I said, ‘My treat—I drive. Just you and me.’ He agreed and came to my house without his bodyguards. We went to a restaurant in my car. It was dark outside, but he still had sunglasses on. I told him, ‘Michael, I think I’m talking to a limousine. Do you think you can take your glasses off so I can see your eyes?’ He paused for a moment, then threw his glasses out of the car window and looked at me with a smile and a wink, saying, ‘Now you can see me. Is this better?’ In that moment, I could see both his vulnerability and his charm at once. All through dinner, I tried to get him to eat french fries, wine, dessert, and to swear—things he never allowed himself to do. After that, we went together to my house to watch a movie, and we sat on the couch like two kids. In the middle of the film, he held my hand. It seemed like he was looking for a friend more than a romantic partner, and I was happy to fulfill his wish. In that moment, he wasn’t a superstar—he was a human being. We went out together a few more times, and then for reasons, our relationship ended. They then chased after him, and negative stories about him were made one after another. I felt his pain. I know what it feels like to walk down the street and feel like the world is moving against you. I know what it feels like to feel helpless and unable to defend yourself, because the roar of the crowd is so loud that you know your voice will never reach anywhere. But I had my childhood. I was allowed to make mistakes and find my way away from the glaring eyes of people. When I heard the news of Michael’s death, I was in London. My tour was just beginning, and a week later Michael was performing in the same hall. The only thing that crossed my mind in that moment was that I had left him alone. We had left him. And we allowed this magnificent creature’s light—one that lit the world with fire—to disappear quietly through the cracks. When he wanted to build a family for himself and return to his profession, we were all busy judging him. Most of us turned our backs on him. In an attempt to revive his memories, I went online and watched old clips of him dancing and singing. I thought to myself, ‘My God, he was unique—he was pure and authentic. He was rare. And no one will ever come like him again.’ He was a king. But he was also a human being. And it’s a shame that we’re all human, and sometimes we have to lose things in order to truly appreciate them. I want to end this speech with a positive note and say that my four- and nine-year-old sons think about Michael Jackson all the time. In my house, there’s plenty of Moonwalk dancing and cat-cratching. And it seems our new generation has just discovered his genius, and he has returned to life through them. Wherever Michael is, he smiles because of this. Yes, yes, Michael Jackson was a human being—but he was also a king. Long live the king.’" To watch Madonna’s speech video on YouTube, click.

After that, with the dancers coming on stage—dressed to look like the King of Pop—the music performance in memory of Michael Jackson began. They performed Michael’s famous dances while, behind them, Michael’s videos were played on a large television screen. Along with Michael’s famous songs, Thriller, Bad, and Smooth Criminal, they shook the stage.

Janet Jackson came on stage to perform her solo song together with Michael. A group of the best famous dancers—Travis Payne, Chris Judd, and Wade Robson—accompanied her in performing Scream. After it ended, she sent a kiss to the sky. While Janet was dancing on stage, the Scream video was shown behind her.

At the end of the awards ceremony, the This Is It movie teaser was displayed on the big screen on stage. This film was made using more than 100 hours of footage recorded from Michael’s rehearsals for the This Is It concerts in London.

Michael received his first MoonMan statue at the first MTV Music Video Awards ceremony on September 14, 1984, for the magnificent Thriller video. In fact, you could say that Michael did work with Thriller that made up for the lack of an award that would have been given for this video. The Thriller album in 1982 saved the music industry, which was heading toward collapse. The album reconciled people with music stores. One of the videos from this album, titled Billie Jean, was so powerful that it shattered the racial barrier of MTV’s 24-hour music video broadcast network. Before that, Black music didn’t have the right to be played on this channel. The Thriller video also introduced the world to something called a music video. Since then, MTV gained credibility again, and Michael made it so that the network’s name would be proudly recorded in the coordinates of the media world. Source: eMJey / MTV