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Michael Jackson: Before He Was King
Photographer Todd Gray worked with Michael Jackson for several years before Michael requested that he become his personal photographer, a relationship that would encompass Michael's performances with the Jacksons through the release of his smash solo albums Off the Wall and Thriller . This collection of unseen, intimate, and joyful pictures of Michael taken over a span of 10 years reveal him at home, with his family and fans, in career-making live performances, and on the "Beat It" video shoot. A young black man not much older than Jackson at the time they met, Gray brings unique insights to his time with the singer, contributing stories and context to the images, presenting a rare, intimate portrait of Michael at a creative peak as he grew from a brilliantly talented young man into a pop icon.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 14, 2011
A wonderful collection of unique and rare photos, as well as insightful and reflective essays and commentary about a young Michael Jackson during the 1970s and early '80s.
Photographer Todd Gray was lucky enough to obtain a the unique perspective of Michael's personal/requested photographer during a critical growth period in the artist's life. He was able to witness first hand how Michael acted, interacted, or retreated from the chaos, people, and choices that surrounded and overwhelmed him on a daily basis. Gray was also fortunate to develop a repertoire with Michael that allowed the two to play around and explore the artistry of photography, some of the results of which can be found in "Before He Was King."
One of the comments that rang insightful to me was Gray's evaluation that Michael was always surrounded by imagery, always striving to create the perfect, most affecting image of himself and his work, always plagued by the duty of crafting and controlling the imagery of himself as an artist and a human. I believe he was intrigued and driven by the artistry of composition and the possibilities of photography, and as Gray points out, he was fascinated by the style of classic 1930s Hollywood photographs, but also aware of the business of publicity/image control/identity management. He was brilliant that way (among many other ways).
For the most part, aside from a couple-page introduction and a few revealing blurbs placed somewhat randomly throughout the images, Gray lets the photos speak for themselves. He does, however, include captions at the back of the book that tell the when and where behind each of the photos, as well as some interesting background stories that played out as he was interacting with the Jacksons and planning/taking the photos. I found this feature VERY beneficial, as it added a depth and insight into specific photos, almost, in some cases as if you, the reader, were there at the moment the photo was snapped.
After reading this book, I am slightly saddened and perplexed by Michael's habit, as Gray himself mentions, of purging his painstakingly developed collection of skilled employees after each momentous success. As his manager,. Frank Dileo, and lawyer/financial consultant, John Branca periodically fell prey to, Gray also became a casualty of this cyclical purging in the early 1980s. It leaves one to wonder what amazing images could Gray and Michael captured/created had the photographer been retained, or brought back into the carefully groomed stable of wonderfully talented artists and business people Michael carefully selected to surround himself with, especially during those early years.
Photographer Todd Gray was lucky enough to obtain a the unique perspective of Michael's personal/requested photographer during a critical growth period in the artist's life. He was able to witness first hand how Michael acted, interacted, or retreated from the chaos, people, and choices that surrounded and overwhelmed him on a daily basis. Gray was also fortunate to develop a repertoire with Michael that allowed the two to play around and explore the artistry of photography, some of the results of which can be found in "Before He Was King."
One of the comments that rang insightful to me was Gray's evaluation that Michael was always surrounded by imagery, always striving to create the perfect, most affecting image of himself and his work, always plagued by the duty of crafting and controlling the imagery of himself as an artist and a human. I believe he was intrigued and driven by the artistry of composition and the possibilities of photography, and as Gray points out, he was fascinated by the style of classic 1930s Hollywood photographs, but also aware of the business of publicity/image control/identity management. He was brilliant that way (among many other ways).
For the most part, aside from a couple-page introduction and a few revealing blurbs placed somewhat randomly throughout the images, Gray lets the photos speak for themselves. He does, however, include captions at the back of the book that tell the when and where behind each of the photos, as well as some interesting background stories that played out as he was interacting with the Jacksons and planning/taking the photos. I found this feature VERY beneficial, as it added a depth and insight into specific photos, almost, in some cases as if you, the reader, were there at the moment the photo was snapped.
After reading this book, I am slightly saddened and perplexed by Michael's habit, as Gray himself mentions, of purging his painstakingly developed collection of skilled employees after each momentous success. As his manager,. Frank Dileo, and lawyer/financial consultant, John Branca periodically fell prey to, Gray also became a casualty of this cyclical purging in the early 1980s. It leaves one to wonder what amazing images could Gray and Michael captured/created had the photographer been retained, or brought back into the carefully groomed stable of wonderfully talented artists and business people Michael carefully selected to surround himself with, especially during those early years.
September 4, 2011
What a great collection of photographs of Michael Jackson before Thriller (though a couple were from Beat It). Some photos are very intimate.
It is clear that you can see how different he was. Before becoming FAMOUS (Thriller famous) he was very personal with different people. Of course in later years, not so much with the public in general.
Very nice collection. Very nice book to have for those who are Michael Jackson fans.
It is clear that you can see how different he was. Before becoming FAMOUS (Thriller famous) he was very personal with different people. Of course in later years, not so much with the public in general.
Very nice collection. Very nice book to have for those who are Michael Jackson fans.
March 10, 2010
Beautiful collection of photos prior to Michael Jackson's assent to his status as "King of Pop." I really appreciate that this is not just a collection of random pictures but that the photographer provies anecdotes and the thought processes behind the shoot.
January 4, 2010
Nice collection of photographs of Michael Jackson before he hit it big. Book is short but sweet.
May 17, 2013
Nice photography of rare old photos
December 21, 2023
King of music
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2011
Beautiful pictures. Just wish that some of them weren't full pages cut off in the middle by the book binding.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews