# A Michael Jackson Story



## Truvianni (Apr 21, 2011)

This is a story about how only the guitar solo by Edward Van Halen was played on some radio stations from Michael Jackson’s song “Beat It” due to racial discrimination in America.

I for my part have never been much of a fan of what is commonly referred to as “pop music” or “rock music” but it was one day with time to spare that I bought a book about the hard rock group “Van Halen” that I read the following story. 

Michael Jackson recorded a song called “Beat It” which was quit a big hit back in the early 80s specially on MTV, which was relatively new at the time. It was this particular song which featured a guitar solo by Dutch born guitarist “Edward Van Halen”; who also lent his name to the band I was reading about at the time.

In the USA, rightly or wrongly; depending on one’s point of view which I will not comment on as this is not the reason I am writing this article but to mention a fact; there are radio stations which will not play any music by nonwhite artists or at least such was the case at the time of the release of the “Thriller” album. This the album on which the song “Beat It” first came out on. 

Concerning the racial issue however it was not something I found out about in this “Van Halen” book; as this I knew before hand yet what I did find out was that many of these radio stations which would not play songs by black artist actually played the song “Beat It” . This in a strange fashion however, given they would limit themselves to only playing the guitar solo which is done by Edward Van Halen; a white guitar player. 

It was also in this book that I read with regards to the “Beat It” solo which many consider to be the best part of the song; that Edward Van Halen stated that he was never paid or received any royalties from it, though his efforts are mentioned in the album’s credits. Van Halen is also said to have been asked to be in the video which would be played almost nonstop on MTV yet refused to appear, claiming he did not feel the song would be a hit which apparently it was.


----------

