Michael Jackson
1990s
Born
Michael Joseph JacksonAugust 29, 1958(1958-08-29)
Gary,
Indiana,
U.S.Died
June 25, 2009 (aged 50)
Los Angeles,
California, U.S.
Occupation
Singer-
songwriter,
producer,
dancer,
choreographer,
actor,
businessmanYears active
1964–2009
Net worth
$236 million (2007)
[1]Spouse(s)
Lisa Marie Presley (1994–1996)
Debbie Rowe (1996–1999)
Children
Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (b. 1997)Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (b. 1998)Prince Michael Jackson II (b. 2002)
Parents
Joseph Jackson (father)
Katherine Jackson (mother)
Website
michaeljackson.comMichael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), dubbed the "
King of Pop", was an American
musician and one of the most
commercially successful entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in
popular culture for four decades.
He started a solo career in 1971, having made his debut in 1964 as a member of
The Jackson 5. His 1982 album
Thriller remains the
best-selling album of all time, with four others —
Off the Wall (1979),
Bad (1987),
Dangerous (1991), and
HIStory (1995) — among the best selling. He popularized several physically complicated dance moves, such as the
robot and the
moonwalk. He is widely credited with having transformed the
music video from a promotional tool into an art form, with videos such as "
Billie Jean", "
Beat It" and
Thriller making him the first
African American to amass a strong
crossover following on
MTV.
A double-inductee into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his other achievements feature multiple
Guinness World Records — including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" — 13
Grammy Awards, 13
number one singles, and estimated sales of over 750 million records. He was also a notable
philanthropist and
humanitarian who donated millions of dollars to a record 39 charities, plus what he raised by way of his own
Heal the World Foundation.
Jackson's personal life generated significant controversy. His
changing appearance was noticed from the early 1980s, with changes to the shape of his nose and to the color of his skin drawing media publicity. He was accused in 1993 of
child sexual abuse, although no charges were brought. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and brought up three children, one of them born to a
surrogate mother. In 2005, he was
tried and acquitted of child molestation allegations. Jackson
died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009, in
Los Angeles,
California after suffering from
cardiac arrest.
Life and career
1958–75: Early life and The Jackson 5
Jackson was born the seventh of nine children on August 29, 1958 in
Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of
Chicago, to an
African American family. His mother,
Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout
Jehovah's Witness, and his father,
Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters,
Rebbie,
La Toya, and
Janet, and five brothers,
Jackie,
Tito,
Jermaine,
Marlon, and
Randy.
[2]Jackson had a difficult relationship with his father. He stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, whippings, and name-calling, though he credited his father's discipline for his success.
[3] In one altercation recalled by Marlon, Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks".
[4] Joseph would also trip or push the boys into walls. One night while Jackson was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window, wearing a fright mask and screaming. He said he wanted to teach the children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Jackson said he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his room.
[4] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he had whipped Jackson as a child.
[5]Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with
Oprah Winfrey broadcast on February 10, 1993. He said that he had often cried from loneliness and would sometimes throw up when he saw his father. In an interview with
Martin Bashir, aired on February 3, 2003 as
Living with Michael Jackson, he covered his face with his hands and began crying when talking about his childhood abuse. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".
[6][7]He showed talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates during a Christmas recital at the age of five. In 1964, he and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers — a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine — as backup musicians playing
congas and
tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group's name was changed to
The Jackson 5.
[2] The band toured
the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "
chitlin' circuit", where they often opened
stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of
Motown hits and
James Brown's "
I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.
[8]The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "
Big Boy", for the local record label
Steeltown in 1967, and signed with
Motown Records in 1968.
[2] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."
[9] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("
I Want You Back", "
ABC", "
The Love You Save," and "
I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the
Billboard Hot 100.
[2] During The Jackson 5's early years, Motown's public relations team claimed that Jackson was nine years old, two years younger than he was, to make him appear cuter and more accessible.
[10]Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them
Got to Be There and
Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "
Got to Be There", "
Ben," and a remake of
Bobby Day's "
Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5
disco single "
Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "
I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.
[11] 
.jpg){kind=link}
