Like many, I'm heartbroken that Jackson left this world so young. Just days before Jackson died, I watched my nephew moon walking at my sister's 25th wedding anniversary, where three generations of us danced all night to Jackson's hits.
The news of his death made me reach out to my nephew's father, well-known jazz bassist Marcus Miller, who called Jackson his early inspiration and "the defining voice of the '70s."
The basic contradiction of Michael Jackson was that we loved his artistic genius, but we couldn't process his self-mutilation and his bizarre lifestyle.
Via e-mail, Miller said: "I don't think I can remember one person who wasn't amazed by Michael's artistry. Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, some of the greatest artists in the world, all told me how in awe of him they were. If that weren't enough, MJ singlehandedly revolutionized music videos."
Remembering the demise of the early Jackson, with his adorable Afro, pre-weirdness, Marcus added, "Michael Jackson was obviously dealing with demons created by a childhood that none of us can ever imagine or understand."
Apparently, those demons haunted him throughout his adulthood. The world watched as his personal life spun out of control. The sad truth is, the people who surrounded him and should have protected him from further self-harm were instead complicit with his addictions to spending sprees and drugs.
Close friend Deepak Chopra says he warned Jackson several years ago about abusing prescription drugs. Chopra, an internist and renowned integrative healer, has penned numerous books on health, meditation and physics. He says prescription-drug abuse is common in Hollywood, and that celebrities often run from one doctor to another until they get their "fix."
