I saw the Jackson Five on the Flip Wilson television show in the 70’s and they inspired me.
Why? Because the little kid named Michael Jackson sang like a grown-up and it altered my thinking that up until that point, believed only adults could sing professionally. So if Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson could be famous singers so could I. It was a believable pursuit. Today the bar gets higher and higher due in part to shows like American Idol, America’s Top Model and So You Think You Can Dance. Do shows like these encourage the youth of today or wound their self esteem? The answer is, how the adults in their lives help them process the information. Parents of young athletes who encourage their little future hockey or baseball stars to watch professional sports and learn from their heroes help to shape a “can do” attitude. Why is it that parents of singers, and musicians are more likely to say “unless you are amazing you will never make it in the music or entertainment business” ? Dreams do come true and no matter what you believe, it is detrimental to any child to limit their belief in any way.
This post is not a rant so let me get back to the inspiration of my new song. I heard Marlon Jackson quote his brother Michael’s words and the phrase cought my attention. I quickly wrote it down and and within 30 minutes I had the sketch of a new song done. All Access Members can hear the demo on the demo page.