Michael Jackson: Troubled Genius

John Mayer asked an interesting question today on Twitter: In the case of "troubled genius," which comes first, the trouble or the genius?

He was referring, of course, to Michael Jackson, but he could have been talking about countless other celebrities, from Judy Garland to Elvis Presley to Janis Joplin.

While it will be many weeks until the final results of Michael’s autopsy reveal whether prescription drugs played a part in his death yesterday at the age of 50, Liza Minnelli (who was a close friend of Michael’s) voiced the thoughts of many on the Early Show. “I'm sure when the autopsy comes, all hell's going to break loose," she said. "So thank God we're celebrating him now."

And while I spent today watching video after video on MTV Jams, celebrating the legendary talent that was Michael Jackson’s legacy, it was hard not to think about the darker side of fame.

They say that the brightest stars burn out the quickest. But in the world of entertainment, those who are the brightest and shiniest often end up victims of the dark hangers-on who, like vampires, feed on their talent and suck them dry.

John Mayer alluded to the dark side on Twitter today when he mentioned blues guitarist Robert Johnson, who according to legend sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the ability to sing and play guitar like no one else on earth.

But I believe the devil in Michael Jackson’s life was the specter of a lost childhood—and the ripple effects played a significant role in the rest of his life. We’ve all heard about the abuse that Michael suffered at the hands of his father, Joe. Michael lamented the loss of his innocence and the chance to be a carefree kid in the song “Childhood.”

“No one understands me / They view it as such strange eccentricities / Cause I keep kidding around / Like a child, but pardon me,” Michael wrote. “People say I'm not okay/ Cause I love such elementary things / It's been my fate to compensate / for the childhood / I've never known.”

He sought to make up for those lost years in the company of children, and that led to allegations of child abuse. He paid a multimillion-dollar settlement in 1993 to a 13-year-old boy he allegedly abused (charges were never filed).

The damage was done. Michael turned to prescription drugs like Valium and Xanax to deal with the pressure of the allegations.

When asked about his relationships with children in an interview with journalist Martin Bashir in 2003, Michael said he sometimes slept on the floor while giving the children his bed, which he said was “not sexual, we’re going to sleep. I tuck them in...it’s very charming, it’s very sweet.”

"Why can't you share your bed?” he asked. “That's the most loving thing to do, to share your bed with someone.”

The interview opened the door to another investigation; this time it went to trial. Michael was found not guilty, but people seem to forget that.

Deepak Chopra described his friend as “pure” and “childlike” but the tabloids called him Wacko Jacko.

Sure, it was hard to look at Michael’s changing face over the years and not notice his lighter skin color and diminishing nose, but is what he did any different to countless other celebrities who had plastic surgery?

Lisa Marie Presley, who was married to Michael for two years, said today that Michael had told her he was afraid he’d end up like her father.

Like the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the King of Pop found himself isolated by his talent. Elvis resorted to booking out whole cinemas in order to go to the movies. But Michael didn’t.

His friend Gotham Chopra (son of Deepak) wrote today, “Michael was always envious when I told him about my adventures with my friends. More than a few times, he'd get dressed up—donning some sort of quasi-disguise—preparing to go with me, only to back down at the last minute or be held back by his security who would shake their heads and plainly say no to his misguided ambitions. Instead, he'd pour himself a tall glass of orange juice and settle in for the night to watch an old movie on TV.”

While TMZ talks about injections of Demerol, lawyer Brian Oxman speaks to anyone with a microphone about “enablers,” and people who hadn’t seen Michael Jackson in 15 years tell CNN that his death has left a hole in their heart, I am still trying to Moonwalk in my living room and hoping that up in heaven Michael Jackson is teaching everyone the steps to "Thriller" and smiling.