. He was on the surface the most uncomplicated of all boys -- beautiful , emotional , untouchable , ours . Michael has bruised my heart many times -- his antics and the accusations , his seeming desire not to be , at least physically , who he 'd been . Which is who I am . But as his funeral is prepared , I , like the Jackson brothers sang with optimistic melancholy in 1976 , think about the good times . There is no moonwalk down memory lane about Michael . The legends mix in with the rumors mix in with the ice-cold facts of 1960s black working-class Gary , Indiana . That mixes in with girls fainting at the sight of him when he was barely a teenager ; which mixes with the many sold-out tours , and with Michael collaborating with Quincy Jones on 1979 's `` Off the Wall '' and 1982 's `` Thriller . '' There is the alleged abuse inflicted on Jackson and his brothers by his father , Joe , along with the strong love and late rivalry with his superstar sister , Janet . There is the magic and melodrama
Editor 's note : Danyel Smith is the chief content officer of Vibe Media Group and the editor-in-chief of Vibe . Danyel Smith says Michael Jackson sacrificed himself in the name of his art . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It falls to me to prepare a statement on behalf of Vibe magazine when someone is promoted , when there is trouble , or when something major happens in the world of pop . It occasionally falls to me to write an obituary or a tribute when an entertainer dies . It 's a part of my job . One has to do it quickly , and I 've never been prepared . Yet I 've been prepping for this one my whole life . Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 . The sorrow at his passing is palpable , and wet , and illogical -- in my 20 years of being a critic and an editor , I 've never met him . But this is a death in the family . I 've known Jackson 's work since I was 5 years old and was given The Jackson 5 's `` ABC '' as a gift