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Those of you who have not heard of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, would have at least heard of some of the music artistes, who cite him as an influence. Jackson is known for his vocal exclamations, hiccups, use of pauses, expert use of vibrato, and growls.  An acquaintance spoke fondly of the time when Michael Jackson rocked Malaysia, specifically Stadium Merdeka, in October 1996, as part of his HIStory World Tour. Safe to say, Michael Jackson enjoyed his stay, bringing two nights of shows, during which he had also gone to a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur.

As Michael Jackson built his career in the pre-streaming years, his music will resonate with Gen X and Y, while the later cohort of the Gen Z (2009-2012) would have heard the news that he died, but perhaps, never really gotten into much of his music while he was still around and alive. Fortunately for those who wish to relive the magic of Michael Jackson, there’s now audio/video-streaming, allowing you to play, pause, replay to your heart’s content.

However, because that’s all only one particular angle, and nobody can really tell what exactly happened or what led to the passing of the King of Pop, “83 Minutes” is the closest you can get to understanding the King of Pop, beyond his shiny costumes and accessories and impactful performances on stage and in (short) films.

Like the King of Pop, I also liked Peter Pan. Man, as a child, I was hooked to the Peter Pan ride that was available at Disneyland, I went on it thrice!  So, it’s only apt that the authors of this book chose to open each book chapter with quotes from the Scottish author, who created the fictional, free-spirited character. Carefully selected, these quotes are meant to reflect the overall tone and message of every chapter.

It’s an arduous task writing in retrospect, especially when it comes to writing about an iconic figure who continues to impact pop music and culture today, but both Matt Richards and Mark Langthorne have successfully made me re-read the book twice, although I was slightly turned off by the lack of commas at certain points, and lengthy sentences at other spots.

When dealing with something as dark as death, it’s not always easy to write on the subject. Naturally, if this is your first time getting your hands on such a raw, definitive account on the passing of a celebrity, there will surely be tears. Perhaps, also anger and frustration about how Michael Jackson, whose nature as a performer and entertainer, who came from a difficult background meant that he’d to sacrifice experiencing a normal childhood, such as having school, recess, term break, and playing outside like many other kids for healthy development.

Unfortunately, Jackson was surrounded mostly by sneaky people who were just after his fortune. In “83 Minutes”, these people are discussed quite extensively.

Jackson’s demons also started consuming him, especially after a particular commercial (sponsorship performance) culminated with him landing in hospital. It’s difficult to see someone singing about being the “Man in the Mirror” and how to “Heal the World” in such a light, but most of all, you’ve to admit that he’s human. Despite being a popular entertainer, dancer and songwriter who helped break barriers with his work, he had a host of issues to deal with. By the time he found a way out of his financial troubles, his life continued to spiral downwards, as there was little effort to control his over-reliance on (otherwise heavily regulated) prescription medication, after which tragedy struck. His most trusted person, who had also been giving medical care to Jackson’s own children for some years, took his role for granted. Notably, the questions raised by Richards and Langthorne are all valid, making it a well-thought out read.

If you’ve been following the case beyond the pages of this book, the doctor in question did not alleviate the situation – in fact, he had released his own version of “This is It” (2016 memoir), riding on the name of the comeback tour his patient was meant to be part of that would have seen him tour London, after over a decade of not touring on a massive scale.

Jackson may have said that he wanted his doctor to tell his version of events. However, would Jackson truly be happy about it?

Because of the nature of the subject discussed, there’s a variety of terminology involved. Besides those to do with the music and the healthcare world, there’s also legal jargon and finance speak, making it almost holistic, as different angles are considered.

Michael Jackson was born to the now-deceased Joseph Jackson (passed away in 2018; his second marriage), whose less successful past led him to catapult his children to dominate the stage by being in the music industry, and Katherine Jackson, who was also musically inclined. The younger Jackson had a total of nine other siblings, one of which was a twin who died shortly after birth. To date, his older brother Tito died in 2024. Throughout Jackson’s life, he had two marriages.