Michael Jackson Was -- and Will Be -- the Greatest Entertainer of All Time

Who was the real Michael Jackson? We never will know. There's no sense in continuing to ask that question, because it really can't be answered.

In the aftermath of his tragic and sudden death at the age of 50, journalists, music lovers, fans and others have continued to ask that question, as if there is a singular answer that would give all of us a truer understanding of Michael Joseph Jackson.

When Jackson died, I was on vacation in Jamaica, and it was a security guard at the all-inclusive resort I was staying at who asked, "Is it true that Michael is dead?" Stunned by even the suggestion, I rushed inside to pull up CNN.com. At that time, we hadn't confirmed for ourselves that he was dead, so I called his brother Marlon.

At his home outside Atlanta, Marlon answered the phone and confirmed that his younger brother was dead.

Up until that time, the TV in my room wasn't turned on. From that point on, it wouldn't go off.

Instead of being knee-deep in the coverage, I was a viewer and was listening to all of the Jackson "insiders" and "experts" and "official biographers" and "former Jackson spokesmen and attorneys." It was clear that all of them had their own jaundiced views of the King of Pop, or Jacko, or child molester (even though he was acquitted of all charges). And it became even clearer that all of them might be helpful in sharing a tidbit here or there, but none of them truly can say they knew Michael Jackson.

The man was simply an enigma, a human being who could behave like he was a 5-year-old child and then suddenly be a modern-day version of P.T. Barnum, the greatest salesman of all time. And while some thought they were dealing with a man who never grew up, his sharp business mind would take over, and the shrewd operator would come charging out.

Now we're left to determine for ourselves which Jackson we choose to remember. Will it be the man who readily admitted he slept with children, grossing out even his ardent defenders? Will it be the man who was reportedly $400 million in debt and could spend money the way we suck in air? Or could it be the frail and fragile figure who allegedly was so dependant on prescription drugs that he was forever high? Or will it be the musical genius with the second-highest-selling album in history, who turned simple music videos into cinematic art?

Whether his critics like it or not, the Michael Jackson who will remain the enduring figure to millions across the world will be the award-winning artist who could thrill you with his amazing dancing skills and singing ability, send goose bumps up and down your skin with his elaborate stage displays, cause grown men to shriek and collapse at his concerts, and dominate awards shows with multiple wins on his way to becoming the biggest entertainer in history.

We watched him grow up before our eyes, a precocious but shy young boy from Gary, Ind., to a man who caused frenzies everywhere he traveled.

He has been compared to other mega-entertainers, such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and The Beatles.

Then he took it to another level with his leadership with "We Are the World." Do you remember when stations across the country played the song at the same time to lend their part to the humanitarian effort?

Just look at the announcement of the 50 concerts in London that he was about to embark on at the time of his death. Can you imagine 750,000 tickets selling out in less than a half-day? Even after all of the drama over the past 15 years — the numerous plastic surgeries that drastically changed his body, the trials, weird behavior and reports of outrageous spending — his fans were still there, refusing to abandon him, hoping that he still possessed the magic that defined the lives of people in the '70s, '80s and '90s and, yes, even in a new millennium.

In death, his music has soared, sending his albums to the top of the charts, and anything Michael Jackson, especially memorabilia, is as sure as platinum. Even as his family prepares to lay him to rest, we will not have heard the last of Michael Jackson. He reportedly recorded more than 100 songs that could be released over the years, and expect dozens of Michael Jackson books to hit the shelves over the next couple of years.

He may have lived a short 50 years, but in no way is this the end for Michael Joseph Jackson, and he maximized his talent during a half-century of life. He left an indelible impression on so many across the world, and we can only expect his legend to grow even larger in death than it was in life.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN contributor and the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith." Please visit his Web site at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.