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The task of assessing Michael Jackson's artistic legacy was assigned to Lester Holt on NBC, to Bill Weir on ABC and to Michelle Miller (no link) on CBS.
Given that the pop star's career spanned decades, genres and disciplines, it is no surprise that they emphasized different aspects of his virtuosity. CBS' Miller focused on dance: "His voice may have launched his career," she argued "but it was his moves that made him a legend." She traced his influences back to James Brown and Bob Fosse and saw them live on in Justin Timberlake, Usher and Beyonce.
ABC's Weir chose Jackson's breakthrough medium: "With a childhood falsetto dropping with grown-up soul, he grew up on televsion but it was music television that sent his adult career soaring. MTV did not feature many black artists until Beat It proved too popular to ignore."
NBC's Holt traced Jackson's musical stylings. His disco CD Off the Wall established Jackson "as a hit making solo artist. His style no longer just soul, he was bridging music's unspoken racial divide…Thriller boasted seven #1 records and made Michael Jackson the undisputed King of Pop."
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