I think this guy was extremely talented. His skills went much deeper than his stage and video presence. In that arena (songwriting, dancing, choreography, and the foresight of the use of music videos that actually tell a story) he is head and shoulders above any of his contemporaries—putting him on the same level as Lenon and McCartney. In terms of postwar artists, Gershwin comes to mind as a peer.
That said, he was one weird dude.
Loved his music. Couldn’t watch him.
As i grew older, I he became a cartoon to me. His pre-1990 stuff is still rated highly on my iPod. And I am a peer of his.
That said, it is going to get really wild when his family and debt holders go head to head. Hot damn!
I’ve heard people I respect say how talented he was, so I take their word. I just don’t like modern music, so I don’t get it, but I will accept the word of people who know more in this area than I do which is really about everyone. But he was too creepy for me to even give him a chance.