Moonwalk, Michael Jackson's only autobiography, almost never made it to the printing press. After the book was done, the King of Pop had mixed feelings about revealing personal details about himself. After you've read the book, you would understand why.
The 283 page book contains many details about the late king some of which are a bit surprising. Joe Jackson is often portrayed negatively in the press, however in the book you'd be shocked to read how much involved he was in shaping his kids to become performers. Not only was Joe talented, he was also very dedicated and very business savvy. If you keep reading, it becomes very obvious that Michael became the consummate performer he was because of his father's training and there is no doubt that Joe also passed down his business skills. Michael's mother, Katherine, on the other hand is consistently described as a sweet, loving and dedicated mother. Nothing remotely bad about her was written in the book.
Besides his parents, Michael also wrote about his brothers a lot, especially when they were together as a group. First they were known as the Jackson 5, then they became The Jacksons. They worked together and played together mostly because of the strict schedule they had. Their antics ranged from innocent pranks like propping a bucket of water on the door of their hotel room and peeking through a hole to watch naked women. Most of these pranks, according to Michael, was a form of entertainment as they were stuck in their hotels most of the time for their own safety.
Work-wise, Michael described a lot about the time when he was the lead singer and when he became a solo artist. Through his work, he met many musical legends like Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, James Brown, Liza Minelli and many more. Most of these people were more than just people in the business, they also developed a strong bond with Michael, especially Diana Ross, Berry Gordy and Quincy Jones. So many famous people were mentioned in his book, you'd even be surprised that some of these people were also fans of Michael's music and dance moves, including a legendary dancer/entertainer to whom the book was dedicated to.
Throughout the book, Michael is described as a musical genius. His talent was innate. He talked to Berry Gordy about leaving Motown when he was just a teenager. He figured out dance moves. He knew music videos would make his songs stay in the charts and so much more. However, Michael described his genius and success humbly.
In the book, as expected, Michael also stressed on how working since he was a child affected his childhood. But probably the saddest part was how Michael mentioned that he never did drugs. He mentioned how aware he was of the dangers of drug abuse and he wanted to steer clear from a destructive path. Of course we all know in the end, his tragic demise was due to a drug addiction.
There a many, many details about the king in the book but do not expect to read about Lisa Marie, Debbie Rowe or his three children. This book is a re-issue, released after his death. In the book however, there are many pictures of the king, most are personal. And if you take off the sleeve, you'd notice Michael's signature on the cover, something he insisted on having as a gift to his fans. The book ends with a poignant statement written by Areheart, the ghost writter of Moonwalk which reads, "I have never met anyone like him, and I doubt I ever will."
- Reviewed by Haryati Abd Gafur
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