He knows that any publicity, even the bad kind, is better than being ignored.
I think that being ignored would be very painful to him after the "thrill ride" he has been on for the past 20 or so years.
I think his greatest fear must be someone saying "Michael who?"
If I were a performer I would want to retire while at the "top of my game" and not drag on through years of decline that the public witnesses. It's like poker...knowing when to quit is half the game.
I agree, but can you think of any performer or politician besides Grace Slick who has actually done that?
So9