The list of performers who have tackled this assignment is staggering. It reads like a musical Hall Of Fame roll call and his name will forever be at the top of the list. End of story.
Many stars such as Prince, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen have since tried to pull it off, but have fallen woefully short in comparison to the kid from Gary, Ind. who showed the entire free world that January day in 1993 that he could take the vastness of the Super Bowl and turn it into an intimate setting for the 102,000 in attendance.
Decked out in his signature jacket laced with what was reported to be real gold and his aviator shades, Michael Jackson was James Brown, Tina Turner and Little Richard all combined and he did it all without even breaking a sweat on that hot California day.
In what was a blowout of a game, his halftime performance exceeded anything I had ever seen in terms of televised entertainment and left me wondering why they even played the second half after he blew us all away with dancing that would have made both Gene Kelly and Sammy Davis Jr. turn green with envy.
Sure, I had listened to his records and seen the videos but this was dramatically different, and it still remains vivid in my memory today. I mean forget the 750-member drill team that accompanied him, as he did not even need them, as he filled the entire stadium with so much energy that many in attendance that day would say the stadium was moving.
So it was only natural from a sport perspective to think of that grand performance when I had learned this iconic entertainer had passed away at such a young age. He defined what it took to play a stadium gig that day and I still wonder if I will ever see anything as dynamic again in my life. It really did not matter if you were a fan or not, as he was bigger than the game itself, much to the chagrin of the NFL. He captivated a world wide audience in what was no doubt the greatest seven minutes of entertainment that I am certain I will ever view in my life.
As we continue to dwell on his life it is easy to forget this heralded performance, as after all, he packed them in all over the globe anytime he appeared in concert. But for my money, January 21, 1993 will always be in my mind, the day Michael Jackson told the NFL it was all right to play a game around his concert, and not the other way around. Michael gave us Motown, Soul, R&B, Disco and world class dancing that day.
Who needs a football game when you have all of that?
Danny Bridges, who still digs early Jackson Five recordings, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or Bridgeshd@aol.com.
