Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley are Eerily Similar

Well, I'm diverting slightly from hard news to look at the recent death of Michael Jackson.

It was a rough week for Hollywood. Not only did Transformers bomb out at the box office, but Ed McMahon, Farrah Faucet, and Michael Jackson all died in the same week.

For the past few days, there have been vigils across the nation and the world.
I don't think there is an entertainer-past, present, future-who will be so well loved for his talent than Michael Jackson...except for maybe Elvis Presley.

Which brings me to the point. Both Presley and Jackson shared similar lives.
Both were loved by fans all over, both created some of the best music of their generation, both revolutionized the music industry and sound of it, and both were superb entertainers.

Elvis, the King of Rock n Roll, revolutionized the music world by being a white boy that played "black music," and mixing that with rock, country, folk, gospel, R&B, and stamping his signature on "rockabilly."

Jackson, the King of Pop, again changed everything by playing music that transcended race, combining R&B, soul, funk, disco, rock and making his own sound (originally helped by Quincy Jones).

Both were showman, wowing audiences with their dancing and stage presence, and were also seen as "risque" for their time (Elvis' gyration and Jackson's crouch grab).

Both also were known for their off the stage antics as well, both being huge estates (Presley's Graceland and Jackson's Neverland Ranch). Presley was also seen as a "danger to National Security" as hard as that is to believe, while Jackson's previous 10 years were marred with accusations and payouts for child molestation charges.

Both also went through massive physical changes. Presley had an obscene weight gain which killed him, and Jackson had a multitude of plastic surgery, and also changed races. Both were almost unrecognizable at their ends as compared to when they began.

It goes without saying both were Kings.

Both also died young. Presley was 42, Jackson was 50...robbing the world of what would've been at least 20 years of musical genius each.

Presley's career spanned from 1956-1977, and Jackson started in 1968, but really didn't take off until 1982 to 2009, which created a lineage of music royalty if you will.

It isn't a question of who is better. Both were the tops in their business, and both played different styles of music.

Without Elvis, there probably wouldn't have been the popularity of Jackson, and without music like blues (America's true form of music along with jazz) there probably wouldn't have been an Elvis.

The saddest part is, both died well before their times, leaving us wondering what other boundary each could've broken in their later years.

What may be equally depressing is how Jackson's career ended in controversy.The allegations of child molestation overshadowed his talent, pure and simple, and called many detractors (and rightfully so), but it couldn't take away the fact that his music touched so many people around the world

Regardless of one's stance on Jackson's legal issues though, I can't help but feel sorry for the late singer.

As a child, he was beaten and abused by an overbearing stage parent, and that played a major role in his development and thought process. He was also told he was ugly, which contributed to the massive plastic surgery work.

Truly, the world lost a music giant for the second time. The only question is, who now takes the throne as "King" in the music industry?

If you ask me, there is no one.