July 9th, 2009
Who’s Bad…More Like, Who’s Opportunistic And Reprehensible
We all know it’s just a matter of time before all the vultures swoop in to pick the corpse of Michael Jackson for whatever financial meat they can come away with, following all the media face-time they’ve already gotten over the past two weeks on the back of Jacko’s death. Everyone’s expecting old man Jackson to cash in, as well as the multitude of hangers-on who have books to write or tales/photos to sell to the tabloids and the mainstream media (which have become more or less indistinguishable at this point).
Actually, it’s already starting: Jacko’s been in the ground what, less than 48 hours, and already North Carolina’s Who’s Bad — claimed in a press release I just received as “widely acknowledged as the world’s ultimate tribute to Michael Jackson” (I’d never, ever heard of them until 10 minutes ago) — say they’re ready to fill the “void left in the music business” by Jackson’s death. Ugh. Here is the appalling “we’re really trying to generate publicity and cash in on Michael Jackson’s passing, but we’re trying to make it look like we’re merely honoring his legacy” press release in its cringe-inducing entirety:
WHO’S BAD CARRY ON THE LEGACY OF MICHAEL JACKSON’S MUSIC FOR NEXT GENERATION IN ULTIMATE HOMAGE
Veteran tribute band discover that record-breaking album and download sales prove there’s a tremendous thirst to hear superstar’s musicNEW YORK, July 9, 2009—The untimely passing of Michael Jackson on the eve of his 50-date return to the live stage this month at London’s O2 Arena with his “This Is It” tour has left a void in the music business, as millions of fans turn to his work to deal with their grief. Jackson had three of the Top 5 selling albums of the week, six in the Top 30, every Top 10 album on the catalog chart (including one by the Jackson 5), 800k in total album sales and almost 3 million downloads since his death. There is clearly a thirst to hear The King of Pop’s music that North Carolina-based Who’s Bad, widely acknowledged as the world’s ultimate tribute to Michael Jackson, is prepared to satisfy.
“We are here to keep the King of Pop alive,” says the band’s founder Vamsi Tadepalli. “This is all about honoring and celebrating the man’s music with his fans. With Michael Jackson gone, Who’s Bad is, right now, the closest thing to hearing and seeing him perform. We only seek to keep those memories alive.”
Founded six years ago by Tadepalli in Chapel Hill, NC, to recreate the music, choreography and legendary showmanship of Michael Jackson, from his days in the Jackson 5 through Off the Wall and Thriller to Invincible, Who’s Bad have maintained a hectic touring schedule of between 120-150 concerts a year to sold-out audiences, including clubs, summer festivals and corporate shows. The six-piece outfit, which also includes Tadepalli and remarkable front man/lead singer Joseph Bell, along with world-class musicians Darion Alexander, Ray McCall, Nyk Baglio and Patrick Cross, has obviously found itself in even more increased demand since Jackson’s death.“Michael Jackson’s music meant so much to all of us,” says Tadepalli, “This is just our way of trying to show our appreciation and to pass these great songs on to those fans who weren’t lucky enough to see him perform live.”
The group celebrates the individual songs of Jackson as well as some of his memorable live performances, incorporating the original choreography wherever possible along the way.
“We want you to have the feeling you had hearing ‘Billie Jean,’ ‘Thriller,’ ‘Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough’ and ‘Off the Wall’ for the first time,” adds Tadepalli. “We are sharing that love of Michael Jackson with fellow fans, trying to celebrate his life at the same time we mourn his death. We didn’t just start this group yesterday. We’ve been going strong for six years now. We’re all about honoring the music and keeping its spirit alive.”
The group hasn’t abandoned Michael through the tough times, either, mounting a Neverland Victory Tour last year to celebrate the superstar avoiding foreclosure on his longtime Santa Ynez, CA, estate, which has become a destination for thousands of mourning fans, making the pilgrimage to pay their respects to the King of Pop.
