michael joseph jackson biography

Biography Online

Michael Jackson Biography

Despite achieving his goal to be a music performer, Michael’s childhood was far from happy. He was regularly beaten and threatened by his authoritarian father. This legacy of abuse left Michael scarred throughout his adult life.

Solo Career Michael Jackson

His second solo album, Thriller , launched Michael Jackson into a position as the most famous pop singer in the world. With little commercial advertising and promotion, Thriller rose to number one on album sales and remained at the number one spot for a total of 37 weeks. It gained one of many Guinness World Records for Michael Jackson, attaining 110 million global sales and 29 million sales in the US. Thriller included number one hits such as Beat It, Billie Jean .

Michael Jackson with the Reagans

In March 1983, Michael Jackson performed live on Motown 25, ‘Yesterday, today, forever’, – a TV special. He performed his distinctive and memorable dance move – the Moonwalk. In the dance routine, he effortlessly moves backwards with seemingly keeping one leg perfectly straight. His performance made him a global icon of not just music, but dance. Michael Jackson pioneered the importance of music video in promoting a pop artist. This iconic performance has been compared to the famous Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

By the late 80s, there was an increasing number of stories speculating on Jackson’s personal life, health and physical appearance. Michael Jackson underwent numerous operations of plastic surgery to fix his nose and add a dimple in his chin. During the 1980s, his skin started to lighten; this was due to a rare skin pigment disease, but it didn’t stop a wave of speculative press stories that he was bleaching his skin colour. The press covered a range of speculative stories about Michael Jackson, including imaginary stories Michael had invented himself (such as sleeping in an oxygen tent to avoid the ageing process)

“I’ve been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old, and as Charles Dickens would say, “It’s been the best of times, the worst of times.” But I would not change my career… While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.”

—Michael Jackson

The press attention made Michael increasingly reclusive, spending much of his time in his ‘Never Land’ ranch.

Speaking on the Oprah Winfrey show, Jackson addressed the issue of skin colour change:

“OK, number one. There, as I know of, there is no such thing as skin bleaching…I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin, it’s something that I cannot help, OK? But, when people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me…it’s a problem for me, I can’t control it.”

He married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994; it lasted two years though they remained friendly after the divorce. In 1996, he married Deborah Rowe in Sydney. Together they had two children. They divorced in 1999 and Rowe gave full custody of children to Jackson.

Allegations of child abuse were first raised in the 1980s and re-appeared in the 1990s. This led to the trial of The People v Jackson on 31 Jan 2005, in Sante Maria, California. After five months of high publicity, Jackson was acquitted. Though the experience left him physically weak and emotionally stressed. He departed America for the Persian Gulf Island of Bahrain.

“The minute I started breaking the all-time record in record sales—I broke Elvis’s records, I broke Beatles records—the minute it became the all-time best-selling album in the history of the Guinness Book of World Records, overnight they called me a freak. They called me a homosexual. They called me a child molester. They said I bleached my skin. They made everything to turn the public against me.”

– Remarks at National Action Network headquarters (9 July 2002)

Towards the end of his life, he was increasingly plagued by money troubles and ill health. He increasingly became dependent on a variety of drugs, which was said to have contributed to his ill health and premature death. Despite concerns over finance, he is said to have made career earnings of $500m and had assets in Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalogue worth over $300m alone.

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe”

– M. Jackson Quoted by CNN June 2009.

Michael Jackson died on 25 June 2009, at a rented mansion in the district of Los Angeles.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Michael Jackson”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net , 28th Jul 2010. Updated 11th February 2018.

Charity Work of Michael Jackson

• Michael Jackson supported many charities. This included a burns charity in Culver City, California. This followed an incident where Michael Jackson was burnt in filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984.
• He also supported HIV / AIDS charities at a time when it was still unfashionable.
• In 1984, he received an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities which help overcome alcohol and drug abuse.
• From his 1984, Victory Tour he donated all funds (around $8million to charity)
• In 1985, he also co-wrote the charity single “We are the World” with Lionel Richie. It sold over 30 million copies, and the proceeds were sent to the poor in the US and Africa.
• He continued his charity work to the end of his life supporting charity concerts such as Aid for victims of Kosovo war.

The Essential Michael Jackson

The Essential Michael Jackson at Amazon

The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson

The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson at Amazon

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Culture History

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson (1958-2009) was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer who was widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He was known for his contributions to music, especially in the pop genre, with iconic songs like “Thriller,” “Billie Jean,” and “Beat It.” Jackson’s innovative dance moves, including the moonwalk, and his groundbreaking music videos had a significant impact on the music industry and popular culture.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children born to Joseph Walter “Joe” Jackson and Katherine Esther Scruse. Growing up in a working-class family in a modest two-bedroom house, Michael’s early years were marked by both the challenges of poverty and the harmonious sounds of music.

Joseph Jackson, a former boxer and steelworker, recognized the musical talents of his children early on. With a dream of forming a family band, he nurtured their talents with discipline and determination. The family home was filled with the sounds of Motown, R&B, and gospel music, influencing Michael’s musical tastes and aspirations.

From an early age, Michael exhibited an extraordinary talent for singing and dancing. His natural abilities caught the attention of family and friends, who marveled at his vocal range and charismatic stage presence. Encouraged by his parents and older siblings, Michael’s passion for music blossomed, setting the stage for his future stardom.

At the tender age of five, Michael joined his siblings in forming a musical group that would later become known as the Jackson 5. The group initially consisted of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, with their father, Joseph, serving as their manager. Under his strict guidance, the Jackson 5 began honing their skills, practicing tirelessly in their small home.

In 1966, the Jackson 5 won a talent contest at Gary’s Theodore Roosevelt High School, marking their first taste of success. The victory boosted their confidence and determination to pursue a career in music. Recognizing their potential, Joseph Jackson began booking gigs for the group at local venues, talent shows, and clubs, exposing them to broader audiences.

The turning point came in 1968 when the Jackson 5 caught the attention of Bobby Taylor of the Vancouvers during a performance at Chicago’s Regal Theater. Impressed by their talent, Taylor arranged an audition with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. The audition led to a recording contract with Motown in 1969, catapulting the Jackson 5 into the national spotlight.

Under the Motown label, the Jackson 5 released their debut album, “Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5,” in 1969. The album’s first single, “I Want You Back,” topped the charts, introducing Michael Jackson to the world as a prodigious talent. The group’s subsequent singles—”ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There”—all achieved chart-topping success, solidifying their status as Motown’s newest sensation.

As the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5, Michael’s youthful exuberance, soulful voice, and dynamic stage presence captivated audiences worldwide. His infectious energy and distinctive voice drew comparisons to legendary artists like James Brown and Stevie Wonder. With each performance, Michael’s star continued to rise, earning him acclaim as one of the most promising talents of his generation.

Despite the group’s success, Michael Jackson’s solo aspirations began to emerge in the early 1970s. In 1971, he released his first solo album, “Got to Be There,” featuring the chart-topping single of the same name. The album showcased Michael’s versatility as a solo artist, blending pop, soul, and R&B influences. His smooth vocals and emotive delivery demonstrated maturity beyond his years, hinting at the global superstar he would become.

Throughout his early years, Michael Jackson’s dedication to his craft remained unwavering. He spent countless hours rehearsing, recording, and perfecting his performances, driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence. His commitment to music, combined with his natural talent and charisma, set him apart from his peers, earning him admiration and respect from industry veterans and fans alike.

As the 1970s progressed, the Jackson 5’s popularity waned, prompting Michael to focus on his solo career. In 1978, he starred as the Scarecrow in the film adaptation of “The Wiz,” alongside Diana Ross. The experience exposed Michael to new audiences and expanded his artistic horizons, paving the way for future collaborations and opportunities.

By the end of the decade, Michael Jackson’s transition from child prodigy to adult superstar was underway. In 1979, he collaborated with legendary producer Quincy Jones on his breakthrough solo album, “Off the Wall.” The album showcased Michael’s maturity as an artist, featuring hits like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You.” The album’s success solidified Michael’s status as a solo superstar, setting the stage for his groundbreaking achievements in the 1980s.

Rise to Fame

Michael Jackson’s rise to fame is a tale of unparalleled talent, relentless determination, and groundbreaking innovation. From his early days with the Jackson 5 to his transformation into the King of Pop, Michael’s ascent to superstardom was meteoric, reshaping the landscape of popular music and culture.

By the early 1980s, Michael Jackson had already achieved considerable success as the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5. However, it was his solo career that propelled him to unprecedented heights. In 1982, he released “Thriller,” an album that would become the best-selling album of all time and solidify his status as a global icon.

Produced by Quincy Jones, “Thriller” was a groundbreaking masterpiece that transcended musical boundaries. The album’s fusion of pop, rock, funk, and R&B captivated audiences worldwide, appealing to a diverse fan base. Hits like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and the title track “Thriller” dominated the charts, earning critical acclaim and commercial success.

Central to the album’s success were Michael’s innovative music videos, which revolutionized the music industry. Directed by John Landis, the 14-minute “Thriller” video became an instant sensation, blending horror, dance, and storytelling into a cinematic experience. Michael’s iconic red jacket, white socks, and signature dance moves, including the Moonwalk, became cultural phenomena, sparking worldwide interest and acclaim.

Beyond the music, Michael Jackson’s rise to fame was fueled by his charismatic persona and larger-than-life stage presence. His electrifying performances, characterized by elaborate choreography, dazzling costumes, and innovative staging, captivated audiences worldwide. Michael’s ability to connect with fans transcended language and cultural barriers, making him a global ambassador for music and dance.

As “Thriller” continued to dominate the charts, Michael Jackson’s fame reached unprecedented levels. He embarked on the “Victory Tour” with the Jacksons in 1984, performing to sold-out stadiums across the United States. The tour’s success further solidified Michael’s status as the King of Pop, drawing comparisons to legendary artists like Elvis Presley and The Beatles.

In addition to his musical achievements, Michael Jackson’s influence extended to fashion, dance, and popular culture. His signature style, characterized by sequined jackets, fedoras, and a single sequined glove, set fashion trends worldwide. His innovative dance moves, including the Moonwalk and the Robot, became cultural touchstones, inspiring generations of performers and fans alike.

Despite his immense success, Michael Jackson faced intense scrutiny and media attention throughout his rise to fame. His changing appearance, numerous plastic surgeries, and skin bleaching fueled speculation and controversy. Amidst the fame and accolades, Michael grappled with personal challenges and controversies that often overshadowed his musical achievements.

In 1993, Michael Jackson faced allegations of child sexual abuse, which garnered widespread media coverage and scrutiny. The accusations and subsequent legal battles tarnished his reputation and impacted his career. Although he settled the civil lawsuit out of court, the allegations continued to haunt him, casting a shadow over his legacy.

Despite the controversies, Michael Jackson continued to produce music and perform on a global stage. His 1995 album, “HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I,” debuted at number one on the charts. However, the allegations and negative publicity took a toll on his career, leading to a decline in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 2009, Michael Jackson announced a comeback tour titled “This Is It,” scheduled to begin in London. The series of concerts aimed to revive his career and reaffirm his status as the King of Pop. Tragically, on June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson passed away at the age of 50 due to acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. His sudden death shocked the world, leaving fans and the music industry mourning the loss of a legend.

Musical Achievements

Michael Jackson’s musical achievements are a testament to his unparalleled talent, innovation, and influence on popular culture. Throughout his illustrious career, he shattered records, set new standards, and redefined the boundaries of contemporary music, leaving an indelible impact on generations of artists and fans worldwide.

One of Michael Jackson’s most significant musical achievements is his seminal album, “Thriller,” released in 1982. Produced by Quincy Jones, “Thriller” became the best-selling album of all time, with over 66 million copies sold worldwide. The album’s fusion of pop, rock, funk, and R&B captivated audiences and critics alike, earning critical acclaim and numerous accolades.

“Thriller” spawned seven hit singles, including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and the title track “Thriller,” each of which topped the charts and became iconic anthems of the 1980s. Michael’s innovative music videos, particularly the 14-minute “Thriller” video, revolutionized the music industry, setting new standards for creativity, storytelling, and production value.

Beyond “Thriller,” Michael Jackson’s musical achievements are vast and varied, encompassing multiple genres, styles, and collaborations. His 1979 album, “Off the Wall,” produced hit singles like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You,” showcasing Michael’s versatility as a vocalist and performer. The album’s success established him as a solo superstar and set the stage for future accomplishments.

In 1987, Michael Jackson released “Bad,” another critically acclaimed album that showcased his evolving musical style and artistic vision. The album produced five number-one singles, including “Bad,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and “Man in the Mirror,” solidifying Michael’s status as a dominant force in popular music.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Michael Jackson’s musical achievements continued to resonate with audiences worldwide. His collaborations with artists like Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and Janet Jackson produced chart-topping hits and showcased his versatility as a performer. Songs like “Say Say Say,” “Ebony and Ivory,” and “Scream” highlighted Michael’s ability to transcend genres and collaborate with some of music’s most iconic artists.

In addition to his solo career, Michael Jackson’s contributions to music extended to his work with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. As the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5, Michael’s soulful voice and dynamic stage presence propelled the group to international stardom. Hits like “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” and “The Love You Save” established the Jackson 5 as Motown’s youngest sensation and set the stage for Michael’s solo career.

Beyond his studio recordings, Michael Jackson’s musical achievements are evident in his live performances and concerts. His electrifying stage presence, elaborate choreography, and innovative staging captivated audiences in sold-out stadiums and arenas worldwide. The “Victory Tour” with the Jacksons in 1984, the “Bad World Tour” in 1987-1989, and the “Dangerous World Tour” in 1992-1993 showcased Michael’s ability to connect with fans and deliver unforgettable performances.

Despite the controversies and challenges he faced throughout his career, Michael Jackson’s musical achievements continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. His influence on popular culture, fashion, dance, and music remains unparalleled, inspiring generations of artists across genres and cultures.

Personal Life

Michael Jackson’s personal life was a complex tapestry marked by extraordinary talent, fame, controversy, and intense scrutiny. Behind the glitz and glamour of his public persona lay a life filled with personal challenges, controversies, and struggles that often overshadowed his musical achievements.

Born into a large working-class family in Gary, Indiana, Michael Jackson’s early life was shaped by his upbringing in a strict household. His father, Joseph Jackson, a former boxer and steelworker, played a pivotal role in shaping the Jackson 5’s career, instilling discipline and ambition in his children. However, reports of Joseph’s strict parenting methods and allegations of physical abuse cast a shadow over Michael’s formative years.

As the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5, Michael’s childhood was anything but ordinary. From an early age, he faced the pressures of fame, touring, and performing to sold-out crowds worldwide. While his talent and charisma captivated audiences, the relentless demands of stardom took a toll on his personal life and well-being.

Throughout his life, Michael Jackson’s personal relationships were a subject of intense media scrutiny and speculation. His marriages to Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 and Debbie Rowe in 1996 garnered widespread media attention, fueling rumors and controversy. Despite their public appearances together, both marriages ended in divorce, further complicating Michael’s personal life and public image.

Perhaps the most significant controversy surrounding Michael Jackson’s personal life involved allegations of child sexual abuse. In 1993, he faced accusations from a 13-year-old boy, leading to a highly publicized criminal investigation and legal battle. The allegations and subsequent media coverage tarnished Michael’s reputation, leading to a public relations crisis that impacted his career and personal life.

Although Michael Jackson maintained his innocence and settled the civil lawsuit out of court, the allegations continued to haunt him throughout his life. The negative publicity and scrutiny surrounding the case cast a shadow over his legacy, overshadowing his musical achievements and contributing to his declining popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Beyond the controversies, Michael Jackson’s personal life was marked by a series of health issues, rumors, and speculation about his changing appearance. His numerous plastic surgeries, skin bleaching, and physical transformations fueled tabloid headlines and public debate about his mental and physical well-being. Despite his denials and explanations, Michael’s changing appearance became a focal point of media attention, further complicating his personal life and public image.

In addition to his health issues and controversies, Michael Jackson’s personal life was shaped by his philanthropy, humanitarian efforts, and commitment to social causes. Throughout his career, he supported numerous charities, foundations, and organizations dedicated to children’s welfare, humanitarian relief, and social justice. His contributions to organizations like the United Negro College Fund, Heal the World Foundation, and Make-A-Wish Foundation showcased his commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Despite his personal challenges and controversies, Michael Jackson’s personal life was also marked by moments of resilience, creativity, and artistic expression. His dedication to music, dance, and performance transcended the controversies and challenges he faced, allowing him to connect with audiences worldwide through his artistry and talent.

Philanthropy

Michael Jackson’s philanthropic efforts reflect a side of the iconic entertainer that often remained overshadowed by his musical achievements and personal controversies. Throughout his illustrious career, Jackson demonstrated a deep commitment to philanthropy, humanitarian causes, and charitable initiatives, making a lasting impact on communities and individuals around the world.

One of Michael Jackson’s most notable philanthropic endeavors was the establishment of the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. Inspired by his global hit song “Heal the World,” the foundation aimed to improve the lives of children and promote world peace through humanitarian initiatives. Michael’s vision for the foundation was rooted in his belief that individuals and organizations could make a positive difference by addressing social, economic, and health challenges facing children worldwide.

Through the Heal the World Foundation, Michael Jackson supported a wide range of charitable programs, initiatives, and organizations dedicated to children’s welfare, education, and health. The foundation’s projects included providing humanitarian aid to impoverished communities, supporting children’s hospitals, orphanages, and schools, and advocating for children’s rights and social justice. Michael’s hands-on involvement and financial contributions to the foundation showcased his dedication to making a tangible impact on the lives of children in need.

In addition to the Heal the World Foundation, Michael Jackson supported numerous charitable organizations, foundations, and initiatives throughout his career. His philanthropic efforts extended to organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and the United Negro College Fund, among others. Through his financial contributions, fundraising efforts, and public endorsements, Michael helped raise awareness and resources for causes close to his heart.

Beyond his financial contributions, Michael Jackson’s philanthropy was evident in his support for humanitarian relief efforts and disaster response initiatives. In response to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and global emergencies, he mobilized support, raised funds, and collaborated with organizations to provide aid, assistance, and relief to affected communities and individuals. His commitment to humanitarian relief efforts showcased his compassion, empathy, and dedication to alleviating suffering and promoting healing on a global scale.

Throughout his life, Michael Jackson’s philanthropy extended to individual acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion. He frequently visited children’s hospitals, orphanages, and schools, spending time with patients, students, and families facing adversity. His interactions, encouragement, and support provided comfort, inspiration, and hope to individuals and communities experiencing hardship, adversity, and challenges.

Despite the controversies and challenges he faced, Michael Jackson’s philanthropic legacy continues to resonate with fans, supporters, and beneficiaries worldwide. His dedication to making a positive difference, promoting social justice, and empowering individuals and communities reflects his belief in the power of kindness, compassion, and generosity to transform lives and create lasting change.

Death and Legacy

Michael Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009, marked the untimely end of a legendary career that spanned decades and reshaped the landscape of popular music and culture. His passing sent shockwaves around the world, leaving fans, friends, family, and the music industry mourning the loss of a once-in-a-lifetime talent and cultural icon.

The circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson’s death were shrouded in controversy, speculation, and legal ramifications. The official cause of death was acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication, leading to cardiac arrest. Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering the fatal dose of medication, further complicating the narrative surrounding Jackson’s death.

In the wake of his passing, Michael Jackson’s legacy became the focus of widespread media coverage, public tributes, and retrospective analyses of his impact on music, dance, fashion, and popular culture. Fans around the world mourned the loss of the King of Pop, gathering at memorial sites, organizing tribute concerts, and celebrating his life through his music, dance, and artistry.

Despite the controversies and challenges he faced throughout his life, Michael Jackson’s legacy endures as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. His contributions to music, dance, and popular culture continue to resonate with audiences worldwide, inspiring generations of artists, performers, and fans across genres and cultures.

Central to Michael Jackson’s legacy is his groundbreaking musical achievements, including the best-selling album of all time, “Thriller.” Produced by Quincy Jones and released in 1982, “Thriller” remains a cultural phenomenon, with its iconic tracks, innovative music videos, and groundbreaking production setting new standards for creativity, storytelling, and artistry in popular music.

In addition to “Thriller,” Michael Jackson’s legacy is defined by his versatility as a vocalist, songwriter, dancer, and performer. His catalog of hits, including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Man in the Mirror,” and “Smooth Criminal,” showcases his ability to transcend genres, styles, and eras, earning him acclaim as one of the most influential artists in music history.

Beyond his musical achievements, Michael Jackson’s legacy extends to his impact on dance, fashion, and popular culture. His signature dance moves, including the Moonwalk, the Robot, and the Thriller dance, became cultural touchstones, inspiring generations of dancers, choreographers, and performers worldwide. His distinctive style, characterized by sequined jackets, fedoras, and a single sequined glove, set fashion trends and influenced designers, stylists, and fashion enthusiasts across the globe.

Despite the controversies surrounding his personal life, Michael Jackson’s philanthropic efforts and humanitarian initiatives are an integral part of his legacy. Through his Heal the World Foundation, support for charitable organizations, and individual acts of kindness, he demonstrated a commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of children, families, and communities in need.

In the years following his death, Michael Jackson’s legacy has faced scrutiny, reassessment, and renewed appreciation. Documentaries, biographies, and retrospectives have explored his life, career, and impact on music and popular culture, offering new insights, perspectives, and interpretations of his legacy.

Despite the complexities of his life and career, Michael Jackson’s enduring legacy as the King of Pop, a cultural icon, and a musical genius remains intact. His influence on music, dance, fashion, and popular culture continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, inspiring future generations of artists, performers, and fans to embrace his creativity, innovation, and passion for entertainment.

Controversies and Allegations

Michael Jackson’s life was riddled with controversies and allegations that often overshadowed his musical accomplishments and contributions to popular culture. From accusations of child sexual abuse to concerns about his physical appearance and lifestyle choices, Jackson’s personal life was frequently the subject of intense media scrutiny, public speculation, and legal battles.

One of the most significant controversies surrounding Michael Jackson was the series of allegations of child sexual abuse that emerged in the early 1990s. In 1993, he was accused of sexually molesting a 13-year-old boy, leading to a highly publicized criminal investigation and legal battle. The allegations and subsequent media coverage cast a shadow over Jackson’s reputation, career, and personal life, sparking a public relations crisis that impacted his image and legacy.

During the criminal investigation and trial, Michael Jackson vehemently denied the allegations, maintaining his innocence and portraying himself as a victim of extortion and character assassination. Despite his denials, the case garnered widespread media attention, public scrutiny, and speculation about his behavior, relationships, and lifestyle.

In 1994, Michael Jackson settled a civil lawsuit with the accuser’s family for a reported sum of $23 million, leading to further controversy, criticism, and debate about his innocence, guilt, and motivations. Although the settlement did not involve an admission of wrongdoing, it fueled skepticism, skepticism, and skepticism about Jackson’s conduct and character.

Following the 1993 allegations, Michael Jackson’s personal life continued to be plagued by controversies, rumors, and speculation about his relationships with children, associates, and employees. His decision to share his bed with children at his Neverland Ranch, establish close friendships with young boys, and maintain relationships with families who accused him of misconduct raised questions, concerns, and suspicions about his intentions, behavior, and boundaries.

In 2003, Michael Jackson faced another round of allegations of child sexual abuse, leading to a second criminal investigation and trial. The case, which garnered global media attention, public scrutiny, and legal battles, further tarnished Jackson’s reputation, image, and legacy. Despite the intense scrutiny and pressure, Jackson maintained his innocence, portraying himself as a victim of false accusations, media bias, and public misunderstanding.

In 2005, Michael Jackson was acquitted of all charges in the high-profile trial, vindicating his claims of innocence and highlighting the complexities, uncertainties, and controversies surrounding the allegations, investigations, and legal battles. Despite his acquittal, the case left a lasting impact on Jackson’s career, reputation, and public perception, contributing to his declining popularity, financial challenges, and personal struggles in the years leading up to his death.

Beyond the allegations of child sexual abuse, Michael Jackson’s personal life was marked by controversies, concerns, and speculation about his physical appearance, health, and lifestyle choices. His changing appearance, rumored plastic surgeries, skin bleaching, and physical transformations fueled tabloid headlines, public debate, and speculation about his mental and physical well-being.

In addition to his health concerns and lifestyle choices, Michael Jackson’s personal life was characterized by eccentric behavior, unconventional relationships, and a secluded lifestyle that contributed to public curiosity, fascination, and scrutiny. His decisions to shield his children from the public eye, surround himself with a close-knit circle of advisors, and maintain a private, secluded lifestyle at Neverland Ranch further fueled speculation, rumors, and controversy about his intentions, motivations, and behavior.

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Lasted Stories

Michael Jackson

• Born August 29 , 1958 · Gary, Indiana, USA
• Died June 25 , 2009 · Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication and involuntary manslaughter)
• Birth name Michael Joseph Jackson
• The Gloved One
• Wacko Jacko
• King Of Pop
• Smelly - called this by Quincy Jones because " Michael wouldn't say ‘funky.’ He’d say ‘smelly jelly.’"
• Height 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
• Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, and entertained audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joe Jackson (no relation to Joe Jackson , also a musician), had been a guitarist, but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Michael's mother Katherine Jackson (née Katherine Esther Scruse). Together, they prodded their growing family's musical interests at home. By the early 1960s, the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964, Michael and Marlon had joined in. A musical prodigy, Michael's singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature, and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of the Jackson 5 . An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown , it was Gladys Knight (not Diana Ross ) who officially brought the group to Berry Gordy 's attention, and by 1969, the boys were producing back-to-back chart-busting hits as Motown artists ("I Want You Back," "ABC," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Got to Be There," etc.). As a product of the 1970s, the boys emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop / soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a group like The Temptations to a disco phenomenon. Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 1980s, he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller" in 1982. A TV natural, he ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978) , but had much better luck with elaborate music videos. In the 1990s, the downside as an 1980s pop phenomenon began to rear itself. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his peerless celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically, and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts. Two brief marriages -- one to Elvis Presley 's daughter Lisa Marie Presley -- were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes behind them appeared image-oriented. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. His passion and artistry as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman were unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his troubled adult life. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]
• Spouses Debbie Rowe (November 15, 1996 - April 2000) (divorced, 2 children) Lisa Marie Presley (May 26, 1994 - August 20, 1996) (divorced)
• Children Prince Michael Jackson Bigi Jackson Paris Jackson
• Parents Joe Jackson Katherine Jackson
• Relatives Jackie Jackson (Sibling) Tito Jackson (Sibling) Jermaine Jackson (Sibling) Marlon Jackson (Sibling) Randy Jackson (Sibling) Brandon Jackson (Sibling) La Toya Jackson (Sibling) Janet Jackson (Sibling) Rebbie Jackson (Sibling) Yashi Brown (Niece or Nephew) Austin Brown (Niece or Nephew) Siggy Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Jermaine Jackson II (Niece or Nephew) Jaafar Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Marlon Jackson Jr. (Niece or Nephew) Billie Bodega (Niece or Nephew) Brittany Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Taj Jackson (Niece or Nephew) TJ Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Jermajesty Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Donte Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Genevieve Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Taryll Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Eissa Al Mana (Niece or Nephew) Autumn Joy Jackson (Niece or Nephew) Stacee Brown (Niece or Nephew) Brandi Jackson (Niece or Nephew)
• The Moonwalk
• Single sequined white glove
• He always wore white socks with black shoes
• Often wore a black hat and a jacket with a ribbon around one sleeve
• Lyrics reflecting his social concerns and hopes for a better world
• At his peak, Jackson was reportedly worth around $1 Billion.
• He claimed to have given $300 million to charity, more than any other celebrity apart from Oprah Winfrey .
• His 1982 album "Thriller" is the biggest selling album of all time, with confirmed sales of over 51 million, and claimed sales of over 100 million copies worldwide. His 1987 album "BAD" is one of the biggest selling albums of all time, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide. His 1991 album "Dangerous" is one of the biggest selling albums of all time, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide.
• He was the first artist to generate seven top ten hits (USA) on one album with "Thriller".
• Following the week of his death, his album sales collectively spiked over 2000%.
• I can't think of a better way to spread the message of world peace than by working with the NFL and being part of Super Bowl XXVII.
• I don't like pop music.
• I'll always be Peter Pan in my heart.
• People think they know me, but they don't. Not really. Actually, I am one of the loneliest people on this earth. I cry sometimes, because it hurts. It does. To be honest, I guess you could say that it hurts to be me.
• "Just because you read it in a magazine or see it on a TV screen doesn't make it factual. To buy it is to feed it." - about tabloid magazines.

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• World Biography

Michael Jackson Biography

Born: August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana African American entertainer, singer, and songwriter

Aperformer since the age of five, Michael Jackson is one of the most popular singers in history. His 1983 album, Thriller, sold forty million copies, making it the biggest seller of all time. Through his record albums and music videos he created an image imitated by his millions of fans.

Career planned in advance

Michael Joe Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958, the fifth of Joe and Katherine Jackson's nine children. The house was always filled with music. Jackson's mother taught the children folk and religious songs, to which they sang along. Jackson's father, who worked at a steel plant, had always dreamed of becoming a successful musician. When this failed to happen, he decided to do whatever it took to make successes of his children. He tried to control his children's careers even after they were adults. The struggle for the control of the musical fortunes of the Jackson family was a constant source of conflict.

The Jackson boys soon formed a family band that became a success at amateur shows and talent contests throughout the Midwest. From the age of five Michael's amazing talent showed itself. His dancing and stage presence caused him to become the focus of the group. His older brother, Jackie, told Gerri Hershey in Rolling Stone, "It was sort of frightening. He was so young. I don't know where he got it. He just knew. "

Discovered by Motown

The Jacksons' fame and popularity soon began to spread. While performing at the Apollo Theater in New York City's Harlem neighborhood in 1968, Motown recording artist Gladys Knight (1944–) and pianist Billy Taylor discovered them. Later that year singer Diana Ross (1944–) became associated with the boys during a "Soul Weekend" in Gary. With Ross's support, the Jacksons signed a contract with Motown Records. Berry Gordy (1929–), the famous head of Motown, took control of the Jacksons' careers.

By 1970 the group, known as the Jackson Five, was topping the charts and riding a wave of popularity with such hits as "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There," each of which sold over one million copies. The group also appeared on several televised specials, and a Jackson Five cartoon series was created. Gordy quickly recognized Michael's appeal and released albums featuring him alone. These solo albums sold as well as those of the Jackson Five. The group managed to survive Michael's voice change and a bitter break with Motown Records in 1976, but as the Jackson family they continued to fight with each other and with their own father.

Unbelievable success

While working on The Wiz, Jackson met producer Quincy Jones (1933–). They worked together on Jackson's 1979 album Off the Wall, which sold ten million copies and earned critical praise. In 1982 Jackson and Jones again joined forces on the Thriller album. Thriller fully established Jackson as a solo performer, and his hit songs from the album—"Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller"—made him the major pop star of the early 1980s. The success of Thriller (with forty million copies sold, it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time) and the videos of its songs also helped Jackson break the color barrier imposed by radio stations and the powerful music video channel MTV. By 1983 Jackson was the single most popular entertainer in America.

In 1985 Jackson reunited with Quincy Jones for USA for Africa's "We Are the World," which raised funds for the poor in Africa. Jackson's next two albums, Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991), were not as hugely successful as Thriller, but Jackson remained in the spotlight throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. In 1992 he founded "Heal the World" to aid children and the environment. In 1993 he was presented with the "Living Legend Award" at the Grammy Awards ceremony and with the Humanitarian (one who promotes human welfare) of the Year trophy at the Soul Train awards.

Rocked by scandal

Despite Jackson's popularity and good works, he became the subject of a major scandal (action that damages one's reputation). In 1993 a thirteen-year-old boy accused Jackson of sexually abusing him at the star's home. Jackson settled the case out of court while insisting he was innocent. The scandal cost Jackson his endorsement (paid public support of a company's products) contract with Pepsi and a film deal. His sexual preference was called into question, and his public image was severely damaged.

In 1995 Jackson was criticized following the release of his new album HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I. One of the songs on the album, "They Don't Care About Us," seemed to contain anti-Semitic (showing hatred toward Jewish people) lyrics (words). To avoid further criticism, Jackson changed the lyrics. He also wrote a letter of apology to Rabbi Marvin Hier, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, who had protested the lyrics.

Marriage and fatherhood

In 1994 Jackson shocked the world when he married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the late (deceased) rock legend Elvis Presley (1935–1977). Many felt that the marriage was an attempt to improve his public image. In August 1996 Jackson and Presley divorced. In November 1996 Jackson announced that he was to be a father. The child's mother was Debbie Rowe, a long-time friend of Jackson. They married later that month in Sydney, Australia. On February 13, 1997, their son, Prince Michael Jackson, Jr., was born in Los Angeles, California. The couple's second child, daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, was born in 1998. Rowe filed for divorce from Jackson in October 1999.

Jackson and his brothers were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1997. Later that year another album, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, containing new versions of songs from HIStory along with five new songs, was released. The album received good reviews, and the world continued to be fascinated by the talent and career of Michael Jackson.

In 2000 Jackson's promoter sued him for $21.2 million for backing out of two planned concerts the previous New Year's Eve. In 2001 Jackson, while delivering a lecture at Oxford University in England to promote his Heal the Kids charity, described his unhappy childhood and proposed a "bill of rights" for children that would provide for the right to an education "without having to dodge bullets." Later that year Jackson was again elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this time as a solo performer. Jackson also released a new album, Invincible, in October 2001.

For More Information

Grant, Adrian. Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. New York: Omnibus Press, 1994.

Graves, Karen Marie. Michael Jackson. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2001.

Jackson, Michael. Moonwalk. New York: Doubleday, 1988.

Marsh, Dave. Trapped: Michael Jackson and the Crossover Dream. New York: Bantam, 1985.

Nicholson, Lois. Michael Jackson. New York: Chelsea House, 1994.

Wallner, Rosemary. Michael Jackson: Music's Living Legend. Edina, MN: Abdo & Daughters, 1991.

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Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and one of the most influential and iconic pop music entertainers of all time. He was nicknamed the “King of Pop” by his close and long-time friend Elizabeth Taylor, a title that stuck after striking a chord with fans.      

Born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, Michael Jackson was the eighth of ten children (one died shortly after birth) to Joseph (Joe) and Katherine Jackson. His father worked as a crane operator in a steel mill and his mother at a Sears department store. Music was a source of escape from their daily life and both parents were musical themselves. Joe played guitar in a local R&B group, which rehearsed in the family’s tiny house at 2300 Jackson Street (coincidentally named after the U.S. president). His mother sang and played clarinet and piano. Joe’s band rehearsals, combined with their lively stream of music in the home, had a big impact on the Jackson children from an early age.   

All eight of Michael Jackson’s siblings — Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy and Janet — made marks in the music industry. However, Michael’s talent was evident from a very young age and with his father’s encouragement, Michael started his career at the age of five. He joined his brothers’ musical group in the 1960s, which became The Jackson 5. 

Once Michael joined as lead singer and performer of The Jackson 5, they were on the fast track to fame and fortune. Michael’s voice, combined with his signature dance moves, entertained and thrilled audiences. His earliest musical influence was James Brown, known for his mesmerizing dance moves on stage. Brown personally taught Jackson how to drop the microphone and then catch it before it hit the stage. Michael also adopted the dance moves and dramatic postures of Sammy Davis Jr. and Jackie Wilson. Jackson admired the choreographic innovations of Gene Kelly and how Smokey Robinson wrote and produced his own material. 

The success of The Jackson 5, later renamed The Jacksons, drove Michael to be an illustrious artist. He started his solo artist career in 1971, but it wasn’t until 1979 when he teamed up with Quincy Jones to record his solo album “Off the Wall” that he earned entry into the level of influential R&B singer/songwriters. Now, “Off the Wall” is one of the greatest albums of all time and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. Its release was the first time an album by a solo artist had ever struck four hits in the top 10 Billboard Hot 100 charts. The single “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” landed Michael his first Grammy Award for best male R&B vocal performance. The black-and-white style featured on the cover of “Off the Wall” helped brand his image that would lead to global fame. Michael used this same style for his breakthrough music videos, including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Billie Jean,” and would later tap the iconic style for the entirety of his solo career.       

Reunited with Quincy Jones for his follow-up 1982 album, “Thriller,” Michael wanted to create the biggest selling pop album ever. Ever since he was young, he studied composition and was inspired to create “Thriller” like Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite, where every song was a massive hit. He fulfilled his dream as “Thriller” launched him into superstardom. He won eight Grammy Awards for “Thriller,” including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is the all-time best-selling album worldwide and was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

Michael Jackson is equally known for his innovative dance moves. One of Jackson's most iconic dance moves was performed on March 25, 1983 for Motown 25 where he first unveiled the "moonwalk" during the performance of “Billie Jean.” He learned it from Jeffrey Daniel who pioneered the dance move known previously as the backslide. It would be five years later, during the making of the music video “Smooth Criminal,” where a dance routine that paid homage to Fred Astaire in the 1953 film, The Band Wagon, highlighted his inventive spirit.  

For his live performances, Jackson wanted to create an anti-gravity illusion of leaning from the ankle at a 45-degree angle while keeping his body straight. Audiences were wowed by the “anti-gravity lean” dance move that is physically impossible, but made possible through his shoes. The shoes were designed with ankle supports and cutouts in the heels, that were temporarily attached to pegs rising from the stage at the appropriate moment. The effect was a seemingly impossible forward lean. The shoes were  patented  by Michael Jackson and his co-inventors on October 26, 1993. 

Michael married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, but they divorced in 1996. He then married Debbie Rowe with whom he had two children, Michael Joseph Jackson II (known as Prince Jackson) and Paris Jackson. They divorced in 1999 and Michael fathered a third child in 2002 known as Blanket Jackson. Michael’s groundbreaking creativity and stardom was shadowed by a controversial personal life. Jackson died of cardiac arrest at his home on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50. 

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Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Known as the "King of Pop" , he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century . During his four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres. Through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated street dance moves such as the moonwalk , which he named, as well as the robot .

Life and career

Early life and the jackson 5 (1958–1975), move to epic and off the wall (1975–1981), thriller and motown 25: yesterday, today, forever (1982–1983), pepsi incident and other commercial activities (1984–1985), increased tabloid speculation (1986–1987).

• Bad, autobiography, and Neverland (1987–1990)

Dangerous and public social work (1991–1993)

First child sexual abuse accusations and first marriage (1993–1995).

• HIStory, second marriage, fatherhood and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1995–1997)

Label dispute and Invincible (1997–2002)

• Documentary, Number Ones, second child abuse allegations and acquittal (2002–2005)

Final years, financial problems, Thriller 25 and This Is It (2005–2009)

• Memorial service

Criminal investigation and prosecution of Conrad Murray

Posthumous sales, posthumous releases and productions, posthumous child sexual abuse allegations, philanthropy and humanitarian work, vocal style, musicianship, themes and genres, music videos and choreography, honors and awards.

• Discography

Filmography

Print sources, further reading, external links.

The eighth child of the Jackson family , Jackson made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records . He became a solo star with his 1979 album Off the Wall . His music videos , including those for " Beat It ", " Billie Jean ", and " Thriller " from his 1982 album Thriller , are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. He helped propel the success of MTV and continued to innovate with the videos for his subsequent albums: Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995), and Invincible (2001). Thriller became the best-selling album of all time , while Bad was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles. [nb 1]

From the late 1980s, Jackson became a figure of controversy and speculation due to his changing appearance , relationships , behavior, and lifestyle. In 1993, he was accused of sexually abusing the child of a family friend. The lawsuit was settled out of civil court; Jackson was not indicted due to lack of evidence. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. The FBI found no evidence of criminal conduct by Jackson in either case. In 2009, while he was preparing for a series of comeback concerts, This Is It , Jackson died from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician, Conrad Murray , who was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter for his involvement in Jackson's death. His death triggered reactions around the world, creating unprecedented surges of internet traffic and a spike in sales of his music. Jackson's televised memorial service , held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was estimated to have been viewed by more than 2.5   billion people.

Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales estimated around 500   million records worldwide. [nb 2] He had 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles ( fourth highest of any artist in the Hot 100 era ) and was the first artist to have a top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades. His honors include 15 Grammy Awards , six Brit Awards , a Golden Globe Award , and 39 Guinness World Records , including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time". Jackson's inductions include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame , the Songwriters Hall of Fame , the Dance Hall of Fame (making him the only recording artist to be inducted) and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame .

Michael Joseph Jackson [9] [10] was born in Gary, Indiana , on August 29, 1958. [11] [12] He was the eighth of ten children in the Jackson family , a working-class African-American family living in a two-bedroom house on Jackson Street. [13] [14] His mother, Katherine Esther Jackson ( née Scruse), played clarinet and piano, had aspired to be a country-and-western performer, and worked part-time at Sears . [15] She was a Jehovah's Witness . [16] His father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson , a former boxer, was a crane operator at US Steel and played guitar with a local rhythm and blues band, the Falcons, to supplement the family's income. [17] [18] Joe's great-grandfather, July "Jack" Gale, was a US Army scout ; family lore held that he was also a Native American medicine man . [19] Michael grew up with three sisters ( Rebbie , La Toya , and Janet ) and five brothers ( Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , Marlon , and Randy ). [17] A sixth brother, Marlon's twin Brandon, died shortly after birth. [20]

In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by their father which included Jackie, Tito and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine . [21] [22] Michael said his father told him he had a "fat nose", [23] and physically and emotionally abused him during rehearsals. He recalled that Joe often sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, ready to punish any mistakes. [16] [24] Joe acknowledged that he regularly whipped Michael. [25] Katherine said that although whipping came to be considered abuse, it was a common way to discipline children when Michael was growing up. [26] [27] Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon denied that their father was abusive and said that the whippings, which had a deeper impact on Michael because he was younger, kept them disciplined and out of trouble. [28] Michael said that during his youth he was lonely and isolated. [29]

Later in 1965, Michael began sharing lead vocals with Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to the Jackson 5 . [30] In 1965, the group won a talent show; Michael performed the dance to Robert Parker 's 1965 song " Barefootin' " and sang the Temptations ' " My Girl ". [31] From 1966 to 1968, the Jacksons 5 toured the Midwest ; they frequently played at a string of black clubs known as the Chitlin' Circuit as the opening act for artists such as Sam & Dave , the O'Jays , Gladys Knight and Etta James . The Jackson 5 also performed at clubs and cocktail lounges, where striptease shows were featured, and at local auditoriums and high school dances. [32] [33] In August 1967, while touring the East Coast , they won a weekly amateur night concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem . [34]

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs for a Gary record label, Steeltown Records ; their first single, " Big Boy ", was released in 1968. [36] Bobby Taylor of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers brought the Jackson 5 to Motown after they opened for Taylor at Chicago's Regal Theater in 1968. Taylor produced some of their early Motown recordings, including a version of " Who's Lovin' You ". [37] After signing with Motown, the Jackson family relocated to Los Angeles. [38] In 1969, Motown executives decided Diana Ross should introduce the Jackson 5 to the public — partly to bolster her career in television — sending off what was considered Motown's last product of its "production line". [39] The Jackson 5 made their first television appearance in 1969 in the Miss Black America pageant, performing a cover of " It's Your Thing ". [40] Rolling Stone later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts" who "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer". [41]

In January 1970, " I Want You Back " became the first Jackson 5 song to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 ; it stayed there for four weeks. Three more singles with Motown topped the chart: " ABC ", " The Love You Save ", and " I'll Be There ". [42] In May 1971, the Jackson family moved into a large house at Hayvenhurst , a 2-acre (0.81   ha) estate in Encino, California . [43] During this period, Michael developed from a child performer into a teen idol . [44] Between 1972 and 1975, he released four solo studio albums with Motown: Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Music & Me (1973) and Forever, Michael (1975). [45] " Got to Be There " and " Ben ", the title tracks from his first two solo albums, sold well as singles, as did a cover of Bobby Day 's " Rockin' Robin ". [46]

Michael maintained ties to the Jackson 5. [45] The Jackson 5 were later described as "a cutting-edge example of black crossover artists ". [47] They were frustrated by Motown's refusal to allow them creative input. [48] Jackson's performance of their top five single " Dancing Machine " on Soul Train popularized the robot dance . [49]

The Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975, signing with Epic Records and renaming themselves the Jacksons. [50] Their younger brother Randy joined the band around this time; Jermaine stayed with Motown and pursued a solo career. [51] The Jacksons continued to tour internationally, and released six more albums between 1976 and 1984. Michael, the group's main songwriter during this time, wrote songs such as " Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) " (1978), " This Place Hotel " (1980), and " Can You Feel It " (1980). [52]

In 1977, Jackson moved to New York City to star as the Scarecrow in The Wiz , a musical film directed by Sidney Lumet , alongside Diana Ross , Nipsey Russell , and Ted Ross. [53] The film was a box-office failure. [54] Its score was arranged by Quincy Jones , [55] who later produced three of Jackson's solo albums. [56] During his time in New York, Jackson frequented the Studio 54 nightclub, where he heard early hip hop ; this influenced his beatboxing on future tracks such as " Working Day and Night ". [57] In 1978, Jackson broke his nose during a dance routine. A rhinoplasty led to breathing difficulties that later affected his career. He was referred to Steven Hoefflin , who performed Jackson's operations. [58]

Jackson's fifth solo album, Off the Wall (1979), established him as a solo performer and helped him move from the bubblegum pop of his youth to more complex sounds. [44] It produced four top 10 entries in the US: " Off the Wall ", " She's Out of My Life ", and the chart-topping singles " Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough " and " Rock with You ". [59] The album reached number three on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 20   million copies worldwide. [60] In 1980, Jackson won three American Music Awards for his solo work: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". [61] [62] He also won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for 1979 with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". [63] In 1981, Jackson was the American Music Awards winner for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist. [64] Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. [65] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit. [66]

Jackson recorded with Queen 's lead singer Freddie Mercury from 1981 to 1983, recording demos of " State of Shock ", "Victory" and " There Must Be More to Life Than This ". The recordings were intended for an album of duets but, according to Queen's manager Jim Beach , the relationship soured when Jackson brought a llama into the recording studio, [68] and Jackson was upset by Mercury's drug use. [69] "There Must Be More to Life Than This" was released in 2014. [70] Jackson went on to record "State of Shock" with Mick Jagger for the Jacksons' album Victory (1984). [71]

In 1982, Jackson contributed "Someone in the Dark" to the audiobook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial . Jackson's sixth album, Thriller , was released in late 1982. It was the bestselling album worldwide in 1983, [72] [73] and became the bestselling album of all time in the US [74] and the best-selling album of all time worldwide , selling an estimated 70 million copies. [75] [76] It topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to produce seven Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles, including " Billie Jean ", " Beat It ", and " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ". [77]

On March 25, 1983, Jackson reunited with his brothers for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever , an NBC television special. The show aired on May 16 to an estimated audience of 47 million , and featured the Jacksons and other Motown stars. [78] Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean" earned him his first Emmy Award nomination. [79] Wearing a glove decorated with rhinestones , [80] he debuted his moonwalk dance , which Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years earlier, and it became his signature dance in his repertoire. [81] Jackson had originally turned down the invitation to the show, believing he had been doing too much television. But at the request of Motown founder Berry Gordy , he performed in exchange for an opportunity to do a solo performance. [82] Rolling Stone reporter Mikal Gilmore called the performance "extraordinary". [44] Jackson's performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley 's and the Beatles ' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show . [83] Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times praised the perfect timing and technique involved in the dance. [84] Gordy described being "mesmerized" by the performance. [85]

At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards , Thriller won eight awards, and Jackson won an award for the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook. Winning eight Grammys in one ceremony is a record he holds with the band Santana . [63] Jackson and Quincy Jones won the award for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical). Thriller won Album of the Year (with Jackson as the album's artist and Jones as its co-producer), and the single won Best Pop Vocal Performance (Male) award for Jackson. "Beat It" won Record of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance (Male). "Billie Jean" won two Grammy awards: Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance (Male), with Jackson as songwriter and singer respectively. [63]

Thriller won the Grammy for Best Engineered Recording (Non Classical), acknowledging Bruce Swedien for his work on the album. [86] At the 11th Annual American Music Awards , Jackson won another eight awards and became the youngest artist to win the Award of Merit. [87] He also won Favorite Male Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock Artist. "Beat It" won Favorite Soul/R&B Video, Favorite Pop/Rock Video and Favorite Pop/Rock Single. The album won Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Pop/Rock Album. [87] [88] Thriller ' s sales doubled after the release of an extended music video, Michael Jackson's Thriller , which sees Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies. [89] [90]

The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture. [90] Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point, with about $2 for every album sold ( equivalent to $6 in 2023 ), and was making record-breaking profits. Dolls modeled after Jackson appeared in stores in May 1984 for $12 each. [91] In the same year, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller , a documentary about the music video, won a Grammy for Best Music Video (Longform). [63] Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too." [91] The New York Times wrote "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else". [92]

On May 14, 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave Jackson an award recognizing his support of alcohol and drug abuse charities, [93] and in recognition of his support for the Ad Council 's and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 's Drunk Driving Prevention campaign. Jackson allowed the campaign to use "Beat It" for its public service announcements. [94]

In November 1983, Jackson and his brothers partnered with PepsiCo in a $5   million promotional deal that broke records for a celebrity endorsement (equivalent to $ 15.3   million in 2023 ). The first Pepsi campaign, which ran in the US from 1983 to 1984 and launched its "New Generation" theme, included tour sponsorship, public relations events, and in-store displays. Jackson helped to create the advertisement, and suggested using his song "Billie Jean", with revised lyrics, as its jingle . [95]

On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi commercial overseen by Phil Dusenberry , [96] a BBDO ad agency executive, and Alan Pottasch , Pepsi's Worldwide Creative Director, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During a simulated concert before a full house of fans, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire, causing second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars and had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter. [97]

Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated the $1.5   million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California ; its now-closed Michael Jackson Burn Center was named in his honor. [98] [99] Jackson signed a second agreement with Pepsi in the late 1980s for $10   million. The second campaign covered 20 countries and provided financial support for Jackson's Bad album and 1987–88 world tour. Jackson had endorsements and advertising deals with other companies, such as LA Gear , Suzuki , and Sony , but none were as significant as his deals with Pepsi. [95]

The Victory Tour of 1984 headlined the Jacksons and showcased Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. It was the last tour he did with his brothers. [100] Following controversy over the concert's ticket sales , Jackson donated his share of the proceeds, an estimated $3 to 5 million , to charity. [101] During the last concert of the Victory Tour at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Jackson announced his split from the Jacksons during "Shake Your Body". [102]

With Lionel Richie , Jackson co-wrote the charity single " We Are the World " (1985), which raised money for the poor in the US and Africa. [103] [104] It earned $63   million (equivalent to $ 178   million in 2023 ), [104] and became one of the best-selling singles of all time , with 20   million copies sold. [105] It won four Grammy Awards in 1985, including Song of the Year for Jackson and Richie. [103] Jackson, Jones, and the promoter Ken Kragen received special awards for their roles in the song's creation. [103] [106] [107] [108]

Jackson collaborated with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s, and learned that McCartney was making $40   million a year from owning the rights to other artists' songs. [104] By 1983, Jackson had begun buying publishing rights to others' songs, but he was careful with his acquisitions, only bidding on a few of the dozens that were offered to him. Jackson's early acquisitions of music catalogs and song copyrights such as the Sly Stone collection included "Everyday People" (1968), Len Barry 's " 1-2-3 " (1965), and Dion DiMucci 's " The Wanderer " (1961) and " Runaround Sue " (1961).

In 1984, Robert Holmes à Court announced he was selling the ATV Music Publishing catalog comprising the publishing rights to nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the Beatles' material. [109] In 1981, McCartney had been offered the catalog for £20   million ($40   million). [104] [110] Jackson submitted a bid of $46   million on November 20, 1984. [109] When Jackson and McCartney were unable to make a joint purchase, McCartney did not want to be the sole owner of the Beatles' songs, and did not pursue an offer on his own. [111] [110] Jackson's agents were unable to come to a deal, and in May 1985 left talks after having spent more than $1   million and four months of due diligence work on the negotiations. [109]

In June 1985, Jackson and Branca learned that Charles Koppelman 's and Marty Bandier 's The Entertainment Company had made a tentative offer to buy ATV Music for $50   million; in early August, Holmes à Court contacted Jackson and talks resumed. Jackson's increased bid of $47.5   million (equivalent to $ 135   million in 2023 ) was accepted because he could close the deal more quickly, having already completed due diligence. [109] Jackson agreed to visit Holmes à Court in Australia, where he would appear on the Channel Seven Perth Telethon . [112] His purchase of ATV Music was finalized on August 10, 1985. [104] [109]

Jackson's skin had been medium-brown during his youth, but from the mid-1980s gradually grew paler. The change drew widespread media coverage, including speculation that he had been bleaching his skin . [113] [114] [115] His dermatologist, Arnold Klein , said he observed in 1983 that Jackson had vitiligo , [116] a condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment. He also identified discoid lupus erythematosus in Jackson. He diagnosed Jackson with lupus that year, [116] and with vitiligo in 1986. [117] Vitiligo's drastic effects on the body can cause psychological distress. Jackson used fair-colored makeup, [118] and possibly skin-bleaching prescription creams, [119] to cover up the uneven blotches of color caused by the illness. The creams would depigment the blotches, and, with the application of makeup, he could appear very pale. [120] Jackson said he had not purposely bleached his skin and could not control his vitiligo, adding, "When people make up stories that I don't want to be who I am, it hurts me." [121] He became friends with Klein and Klein's assistant, Debbie Rowe . Rowe later became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his first two children. [122]

In his 1988 autobiography and a 1993 interview, Jackson said he had had two rhinoplasty surgeries and a cleft chin surgery but no more than that. He said he lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet to achieve a dancer's body. [123] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy, and speculated he was suffering from anorexia nervosa . Periods of weight loss became a recurring problem later in his life. [124] After his death, Jackson's mother said that he first turned to cosmetic procedures to remedy his vitiligo, because he did not want to look like a "spotted cow". She said he had received more than the two cosmetic surgeries he claimed and speculated that he had become addicted to them. [125]

In 1986, it was reported that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow aging. He denied the story, [126] although it was alleged that Jackson leaked an image of him sleeping in a glass chamber (according to Jackson, this was a promotional shot from an upcoming space opera featuring himself ) to The National Enquirer . [127] It was also reported that Jackson took female hormone shots to keep his voice high and facial hair wispy, proposed to Elizabeth Taylor and possibly had a shrine of her, and had cosmetic surgery on his eyes. Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo denied all of them, except for Jackson having a chamber. DiLeo added "I don't know if he sleeps in it. I'm not for it. But Michael thinks it's something that's probably healthy for him. He's a bit of a health fanatic." [128]

When Jackson took his pet chimpanzee Bubbles to tour in Japan, the media portrayed Jackson as an aspiring Disney cartoon character who befriended animals. [129] It was also reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "Elephant Man"). [130] In June 1987, the Chicago Tribune reported Jackson's publicist bidding $1   million for the skeleton to the London Hospital Medical College on his behalf. The college maintained the skeleton was not for sale. DiLeo said Jackson had an "absorbing interest" in Merrick, "purely based on his awareness of the ethical, medical and historical significance." [131]

In September 1986, using the oxygen chamber story, the British tabloid The Sun branded Jackson "Wacko Jacko", a name Jackson came to despise. [10] [132] The Atlantic noted that the name "Jacko" has racist connotations, as it originates from Jacko Macacco , a monkey used in monkey-baiting matches at the Westminster Pit in the early 1820s, and "Jacko" was used in Cockney slang to refer to monkeys in general. [133]

Jackson worked with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute $30   million 3D film Captain EO , which ran from 1986 at Disneyland and Epcot , and later at Tokyo Disneyland and Euro Disneyland . [134] After having been removed in the late 1990s, it returned to the theme park for several years after Jackson's death. [135] In 1987, Ebony reported that Jackson had disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses. [136] Katherine Jackson said this might have been because some Witnesses strongly opposed the Thriller video, [137] which Michael denounced in a Witness publication in 1984. [138] In 2001, Jackson told an interviewer he was still a Jehovah's Witness. [139]

Bad , autobiography, and Neverland (1987–1990)

Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated, with the industry expecting another major success. [140] It became the first album to produce five US number-one singles: " I Just Can't Stop Loving You ", " Bad ", " The Way You Make Me Feel ", " Man in the Mirror ", and " Dirty Diana ". Another song, " Smooth Criminal ", peaked at number seven. [59] Bad won the 1988 Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Music Video , Short Form for " Leave Me Alone ". [63] [86] Jackson won an Award of Achievement at the American Music Awards in 1989 after Bad generated five number-one singles, became the first album to top the charts in 25 countries and the bestselling album worldwide in 1987 and 1988. [141] [142] By 2012, it had sold between 30 and 45   million copies worldwide. [143] [144]

The Bad World Tour ran from September 12, 1987, to January 14, 1989. [145] In Japan, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record for a single tour. [146] The 504,000 people who attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium set a new Guinness World Record . [147]

In 1988, Jackson released his autobiography, Moonwalk , with input from Stephen Davis and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis . [148] It sold 200,000 copies, [149] and reached the top of the New York Times bestsellers list. [150] Jackson discussed his childhood, the Jackson 5, and the abuse from his father. [151] He attributed his changing facial appearance to three plastic surgeries, puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hairstyle, and stage lighting. [152] [123] In June, Jackson was honored with the Grand Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris by the then Mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac during his stay in the city as part of the Bad World Tour . [153] [154] In October, Jackson released a film, Moonwalker , which featured live footage and short films starring Jackson and Joe Pesci . In the US it was released direct-to-video and became the bestselling video cassette in the country. [155] [156] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it as eight times Platinum in the US. [157]

In March 1988, Jackson purchased 2,700 acres (11   km 2 ) of land near Santa Ynez, California , to build a new home, Neverland Ranch , at a cost of $17   million (equivalent to $ 44   million in 2023 ). [158] He installed a Ferris wheel , a carousel , a movie theater and a zoo. [158] [159] [160] A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. [159] Shortly afterwards, he appeared in the first Western television advertisement in the Soviet Union . [161]

Jackson became known as the " King of Pop ", a nickname that Jackson's publicists embraced. [24] [162] [163] When Elizabeth Taylor presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, she called him "the true king of pop, rock and soul." [164] President George H. W. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade". [165] From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $455,000 to the United Negro College Fund , [166] and all profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity. [167] His rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr. 's 60th birthday celebration won Jackson a second Emmy nomination. [79] Jackson was the bestselling artist of the 1980s. [168]

In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65   million (equivalent to $ 145   million in 2023 ), a record-breaking deal , [169] beating Neil Diamond 's renewal contract with Columbia Records . [170] In 1991, he released his eighth album, Dangerous , co-produced with Teddy Riley . [171] It was certified eight times platinum in the US, and by 2018 had sold 32   million copies worldwide. [172] [173] In the US, the first single, " Black or White ", was the album's highest-charting song; it was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and achieved similar chart performances worldwide. [174] The second single, " Remember the Time " peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. [175] At the end of 1992, Dangerous was the bestselling album of the year worldwide and "Black or White" the bestselling single of the year worldwide at the Billboard Music Awards . [168] In 1993, he performed "Remember the Time" at the Soul Train Music Awards in a chair, saying he twisted his ankle during dance rehearsals. [176] In the UK, " Heal the World " made No. 2 on the charts in 1992. [177]

Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. The charity brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to use the theme park rides, and sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. That July, Jackson published his second book, Dancing the Dream , a collection of poetry. The Dangerous World Tour ran between June 1992 and November 1993 and grossed $100 million (equivalent to $ 210   million in 2023 ); Jackson performed for 3.5   million people in 70 concerts, all of which were outside the US. [179] Part of the proceeds went to Heal the World Foundation. [180] Jackson sold the broadcast rights of the tour to HBO for $20   million, a record-breaking deal that still stands. [181]

Following the death of HIV/AIDS spokesperson and friend Ryan White , Jackson pleaded with the Clinton administration at Bill Clinton's inaugural gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research [182] [183] and performed " Gone Too Soon ", a song dedicated to White, and "Heal the World" at the gala. [184] Jackson visited Africa in early 1992; on his first stop in Gabon he was greeted by more than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read "Welcome Home Michael", [185] and was awarded an Officer of the National Order of Merit from President Omar Bongo . [186] [187] During his trip to Ivory Coast, Jackson drew larger crowds than Pope John Paul II on his previous visits. [188] He was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief in the Ivorian village of Krindjabo , where he thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed documents formalizing his kingship, and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances. [185]

In January 1993, Jackson performed at the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in Pasadena, California. The NFL sought a big-name artist to keep ratings high during halftime following dwindling audience figures. [189] [190] It was the first Super Bowl whose half-time performance drew greater audience figures than the game. Jackson played " Jam ", "Billie Jean", "Black or White", and "Heal the World". Dangerous rose 90 places in the US albums chart after the performance. [113]

Jackson gave a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey on February 10, 1993. He spoke of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood, and said that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, and stated for the first time that he had vitiligo. After the interview, Dangerous re-entered the US albums chart in the top 10, more than a year after its release. [24] [113] The interview itself became the most-watched television interview in United States history to date.

In January 1993, Jackson won three American Music Awards : Favorite Pop/Rock Album ( Dangerous ), Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Remember the Time"), and was the first to win the International Artist Award of Excellence. [191] [192] In February, he won the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. [63] He attended the award ceremony with Brooke Shields . [193] Dangerous was nominated for Best Vocal Performance (for "Black or White"), Best R&B Vocal Performance ("Jam") and Best R&B Song ("Jam"), and Bruce Swedien and Teddy Riley won the Grammy for Best Engineered – Non Classical. [86]

In August 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy, Jordan Chandler, and his father, Evan Chandler. [194] Jordan said he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex . [195] While Jordan's mother initially told police that she did not believe Jackson had molested him, her position wavered a few days later. [196] [197] Evan was recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, which Jackson used to argue that he was the victim of a jealous father trying to extort money. [197] Jackson's older sister La Toya accused him of being a pedophile; [198] she later retracted this, saying she had been forced into it by her abusive husband. [199]

Police raided Jackson's home in August and found two legal large-format art books featuring young boys playing, running and swimming in various states of undress. [200] Jackson denied knowing of the books' content and claimed if they were there someone had to send them to him and he did not open them. [201] Jordan Chandler gave police a description of Jackson's genitals. A strip search was made, and the jurors felt the description was not a match. [202] [203] [204] In January 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for a reported total sum of $23 million. [205] The police never pressed criminal charges. [206] Citing a lack of evidence without Jordan's testimony, the state closed its investigation on September 22, 1994. [207]

Jackson had been taking painkillers for his reconstructive scalp surgeries, administered due to the Pepsi commercial accident in 1984, and became dependent on them to cope with the stress of the sexual abuse allegations. [208] On November 12, 1993, Jackson canceled the remainder of the Dangerous World Tour due to health problems, stress from the allegations and painkiller addiction. He thanked his close friend Elizabeth Taylor for support, encouragement and counsel. The end of the tour concluded his sponsorship deal with Pepsi. [209]

In late 1993, Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie Presley , the daughter of Elvis Presley, over the phone. [210] They married in La Vega, Dominican Republic , in May 1994 by civil judge Hugo Francisco Álvarez Pérez. [211] The tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a publicity stunt to deflect away from Jackson's sexual abuse allegations and jump-start Presley's career as a singer. [212] [211] Their marriage ended little more than a year later, and they separated in December 1995. [213] Presley cited "irreconcilable differences" when filing for divorce the next month and only sought to reclaim her maiden name as her settlement. [212] [214] After the divorce, Judge Pérez said, "They lasted longer than I thought they would. I gave them a year. They lasted a year and a half." [211] Presley later said she and Jackson had attempted to reconcile intermittently for four years following their divorce, and that she had traveled the world to be with him. [215]

Jackson composed music for the Sega Genesis video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994), but left the project around the time the sexual abuse allegations surfaced and went uncredited. [216] [217] The Sega Technical Institute director Roger Hector and the Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima said that Jackson's involvement was terminated and his music reworked following the allegations. [218] [219] However, Jackson's musical director Brad Buxer and other members of Jackson's team said Jackson went uncredited because he was unhappy with how the Genesis replicated his music. [220]

HIStory , second marriage, fatherhood and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1995–1997)

In June 1995, Jackson released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I . The first disc, HIStory Begins , is a greatest hits album (reissued in 2001 as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I ). The second disc, HIStory Continues , contains 13 original songs and two cover versions. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for eight million shipments in the US. [221] It is the bestselling multi-disc album of all time, with 20   million copies (40   million units) sold worldwide. [174] [222] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year . [63] The New York Times reviewed it as "the testimony of a musician whose self-pity now equals his talent". [223]

The first single from HIStory was " Scream / Childhood ". "Scream", a duet with Jackson's youngest sister Janet, protests the media's treatment of Jackson during the 1993 child abuse allegations against him. The single reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, [175] and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". [63] The second single, " You Are Not Alone ", holds the Guinness world record for the first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [224] It received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance" in 1995. [63]

In 1995 the Anti-Defamation League and other groups complained that "Jew me, sue me, everybody do me/ Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me", the original lyrics of " They Don't Care About Us ", were antisemitic . Jackson released a revised version of the song. [225]

In late 1995, Jackson was admitted to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance, caused by a stress-related panic attack . [226] In November, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's music publishing division, creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing . He retained ownership of half the company, earning $95   million up front (equivalent to $ 190   million in 2023 ) as well as the rights to more songs . [227] [228]

" Earth Song " was the third single released from HIStory , and topped the UK Singles Chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995. [177] It became the 87th-bestselling single in the UK. [229] At the 1996 Brit Awards , Jackson's performance of "Earth Song" was disrupted by Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker , who was protesting what Cocker saw as Jackson's "Christ-like" persona. Jackson said the stage invasion was "disgusting and cowardly". [230] [231]

In 1996, Jackson won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form, for "Scream" and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. [63] [232] In July 1996, Jackson performed for Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah 's fiftieth birthday at Jerudong Park Amphitheater , which was specifically built for that birthday concert. [233] Jackson was reportedly paid $17   million (equivalent to $ 33   million in 2023 ). [234] Jackson promoted HIStory with the HIStory World Tour , from September 7, 1996, to October 15, 1997. He performed 82 concerts in five continents, 35 countries and 58 cities to over 4.5   million fans, his most attended tour. It grossed $165 million . [145] During the tour, in Sydney, Australia, Jackson married Debbie Rowe , a dermatology assistant, who was six months pregnant with his first child. [235]

Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (commonly known as Prince) was born on February 13, 1997. His sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born on April 3, 1998. [236] Jackson and Rowe divorced in 2000, Rowe conceded custody of the children, with an $8   million settlement (equivalent to $ 14.6   million in 2023 ). [237] In 2004, after the second child abuse allegations against Jackson , she returned to court to reclaim custody. The suit was settled in 2006. [238]

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix , which contained remixes of singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies, making it the best-selling remix album . It reached number one in the UK, as did the single " Blood on the Dance Floor ". [239] In the US, the album reached number 24 and was certified platinum. [172]

From October 1997 to September 2001, Jackson worked on his tenth solo album, Invincible , which cost $30 million to record, making it the most expensive album of all time. [240] In June 1999, Jackson joined Luciano Pavarotti for a War Child benefit concert in Modena, Italy . The show raised a million dollars for refugees of the Kosovo War , and additional funds for the children of Guatemala . [241] Later that month, Jackson organized a series of " Michael Jackson & Friends " benefit concerts in Germany and Korea . Other artists involved included Slash , The Scorpions , Boyz II Men , Luther Vandross , Mariah Carey , A. R. Rahman , Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana , Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund , the Red Cross and UNESCO . [242] In 1999, Jackson was presented with the "Outstanding Humanitarian Award" at Bollywood Movie Awards in New York City where he noted Mahatma Gandhi to have been an inspiration for him. [243] [244] From August 1999 to 2000, he lived in New York City at 4 East 74th Street . [245] At the turn of the century, Jackson won an American Music Award as Artist of the 1980s. [246] In 2000, Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other entertainer. [247]

In September 2001, two concerts were held at Madison Square Garden to mark Jackson's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson performed with his brothers for the first time since 1984. The show also featured Mýa , Usher , Whitney Houston , Destiny's Child , Monica , Liza Minnelli and Slash. The first show was marred by technical lapses, and the crowd booed a speech by Marlon Brando . [248] Almost 30   million people watched the television broadcast of the shows in November. [249] After the September 11 attacks (in which Jackson narrowly avoided death by oversleeping and missing a scheduled meeting at the World Trade Center [250] ), Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on October 21, 2001. Jackson performed " What More Can I Give " as the finale. [251]

The release of Invincible was preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment. Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him in the early 2000s, after which he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and keep the profits, but clauses in the contract set the revert date years into the future. Jackson sought an early exit from his contract. [252] Invincible was released on October 30, 2001. It was Jackson's first full-length album in six years, and the last album of original material he released in his lifetime. [252] It debuted at number one in 13 countries, and went on to sell eight   million copies worldwide, receiving double-platinum certification in the US. [172] [253] [254]

On January 9, 2002, Jackson won his 22nd American Music Award for Artist of the Century. [255] [256] Later that year, an anonymous surrogate mother gave birth to his third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket" [nb 3] ), who had been conceived by artificial insemination . [257] On November 20, Jackson briefly held Blanket over the railing of his Berlin hotel room, four stories above ground level, prompting widespread criticism in the media. Jackson apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake". [258] On January 22, promoter Marcel Avram filed a breach of contract complaint against Jackson for failing to perform two planned 1999 concerts. [259] In March, a Santa Maria jury ordered Jackson to pay Avram $5.3   million. [260] [261] On December 18, 2003, Jackson's attorneys dropped all appeals on the verdict and settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount. [262]

On April 24, 2002, Jackson performed at Apollo Theater . The concert was a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and former President Bill Clinton. [263] The money collected would be used to encourage citizens to vote. It raised $2.5   million. [264] The concert was called Michael Jackson: Live at the Apollo and was one of Jackson's final on-stage performances. [265]

In July 2002, Jackson called Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola "a racist, and very, very, very devilish," and someone who exploits black artists for his own gain, at Al Sharpton 's National Action Network in Harlem. The accusation prompted Sharpton to form a coalition investigating whether Mottola exploited black artists. [266] Jackson charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger ". [267] Responding to those attacks, Sony issued a statement calling them "ludicrous, spiteful, and hurtful" and defended Mottola as someone who had championed Jackson's career for many years. [266] Sony ultimately refused to renew Jackson's contract and claimed that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the US for Invincible . [240]

Documentary, Number Ones , second child abuse allegations and acquittal (2002–2005)

Beginning in May 2002, a documentary film crew led by Martin Bashir followed Jackson for several months. [258] The documentary, broadcast in February 2003 as Living with Michael Jackson , showed Jackson holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with a twelve-year-old boy. [23] [268] He said that he saw nothing wrong with having sleepovers with minors and sharing his bed and bedroom with various people, which aroused controversy. He insisted that the sleepovers were not sexual and that his words had been misunderstood. [269] [270]

In October 2003, Jackson received the Key to the City of Las Vegas from Mayor Oscar Goodman . [271] On November 18, 2003, Sony released Number Ones , a greatest hits compilation . It was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, and ten times platinum in the UK, for shipments of at least 3   million units. [172] [272]

On December 18, 2003, Santa Barbara authorities charged Jackson with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of intoxicating a minor with alcoholic drinks . [273] Jackson denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. [274] The People v. Jackson trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California , and lasted until the end of May. Jackson found the experience stressful and it affected his health. If convicted, he would have faced up to twenty years in prison. [275] On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts. [276] FBI files on Jackson , released in 2009, revealed the FBI's role in the 2005 trial and the 1993 allegations, and showed that the FBI found no evidence of criminal conduct on Jackson's behalf. [277] [278]

After the trial, Jackson became reclusive. [279] In June 2005, he moved to Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah . [280] In early 2006, it was announced that Jackson had signed a contract with a Bahrain startup, Two Seas Records. Nothing came of the deal, and the Two Seas CEO, Guy Holmes , later said it was never finalized. [281] [282] Holmes also found that Jackson was on the verge of bankruptcy and was involved in 47 ongoing lawsuits. [280] By September 2006, Jackson was no longer affiliated with Two Seas. [282]

In April 2006, Jackson agreed to use a piece of his ATV catalog stake, then worth about $1   billion, as collateral against his $270   million worth of loans from Bank of America . Bank of America had sold the loans to Fortress Investments , an investment company that buys distressed loans, the year before. As part of the agreement, Fortress Investments provided Jackson a new loan of $300   million with reduced interest payments (equivalent to $ 450   million in 2023 ). Sony Music would have the option to buy half of his stake, or about 25% of the catalog, at a set price. Jackson's financial managers had urged him to shed part of his stake to avoid bankruptcy. [228] [283] The main house at Neverland Ranch was closed as a cost-cutting measure, while Jackson lived in Bahrain at the hospitality of Abdullah. [284] At least thirty of Jackson's employees had not been paid on time and were owed $306,000 in back wages. Jackson was ordered to pay $100,000 in penalties. [228] Jackson never returned to Neverland after his acquittal. [285]

In mid-2006, Jackson moved to Grouse Lodge , a residential recording studio near Rosemount, County Westmeath , Ireland. There, he began work on a new album with the American producers will.i.am and Rodney Jenkins . [286] That November, Jackson invited an Access Hollywood camera crew into the studio in Westmeath. [174] On November 15, Jackson briefly joined in on a performance of "We Are the World" at the World Music Awards in London, his last public performance, and accepted the Diamond Award for sales of 100 million records. [174] [287] He returned to the US in December, settling in Las Vegas. That month, he attended James Brown 's funeral in Augusta, Georgia , where he gave a eulogy calling Brown his greatest inspiration. [288]

In 2007, Jackson and Sony bought another music publishing company, Famous Music LLC, formerly owned by Viacom . The deal gave Jackson the rights to songs by Eminem and Beck , among others. [289] [290] In a brief interview, Jackson said he had no regrets about his career despite his problems and "deliberate attempts to hurt [him]". [291] That March, Jackson visited a US Army post in Japan, Camp Zama , to greet more than 3,000 troops and their families. [292] [293] As of September, Jackson was still working on his next album, which he never completed. [294]

In 2008, for the 25th anniversary of Thriller , Jackson and Sony released Thriller 25 , with two remixes released as singles: " The Girl Is Mine 2008 " and " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 ". [295] For Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of greatest hits albums, King of Pop , with different tracklists for different regions. [296] That July, Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson had used as collateral for his loans. Fortress sold Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. [297] [298] In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. The deal earned him $35 million . [299] In 2009, Jackson arranged to sell a collection of his memorabilia of more than 1,000 items through Julien's Auction House , but canceled the auction in April. [300]

In March 2009, amid speculation about his finances and health, Jackson announced a series of comeback concerts, This Is It , at a press conference at the O2 Arena . [301] The shows were to be his first major concerts since the HIStory World Tour in 1997. Jackson suggested he would retire after the shows. The initial plan was for ten concerts in London, followed by shows in Paris, New York City and Mumbai. Randy Phillips, the president and chief executive of AEG Live , predicted the first ten dates would earn Jackson £50   million. [302]

The London residency was increased to fifty dates after record-breaking ticket sales; more than one million were sold in less than two hours. [303] The concerts were to run from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. Jackson moved to Los Angeles, where he rehearsed in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of the choreographer Kenny Ortega , whom he had worked with during his previous tours. Rehearsals took place at the Forum and the Staples Center owned by AEG. [304] By this point, Jackson's debt had grown to almost $500 million. By the time of his death, he was three or four months behind payments of his home in San Fernando Valley. [305] [306] The Independent reported that Jackson planned a string of further ventures designed to recoup his debts, including a world tour, a new album, films, a museum and a casino. [301]

On June 25, 2009, less than three weeks before his concert residency was due to begin in London, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died from cardiac arrest, caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose. [307] [308] Conrad Murray , his personal physician, had given Jackson various medications to help him sleep at his rented mansion in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles . Paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22   pm Pacific time (19:22 UTC) and arrived three minutes later. [309] [310] Jackson was not breathing and CPR was performed. [311] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center , and for more than an hour after Jackson's arrival there, but were unsuccessful, [312] [313] and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26   pm Pacific time (21:26 UTC). [314] [315]

Murray had administered propofol , lorazepam , and midazolam ; [316] his death was caused by a propofol overdose. [308] [313] News of his death spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload, [317] and it put unprecedented strain [318] on many services and websites including Google , [319] AOL Instant Messenger , [318] Twitter and Wikipedia. [319] Overall, web traffic rose by between 11% and 20%. [320] [321] MTV and BET aired marathons of Jackson's music videos, [322] and Jackson specials aired on television stations around the world. [323] MTV briefly returned to its original music video format, [11] and they aired hours of Jackson's music videos, with live news specials featuring reactions from MTV personalities and other celebrities. [324]

Jackson's memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty . Over 1.6   million fans applied for tickets to the memorial; the 8,750 recipients were drawn at random, and each received two tickets. [325] The memorial service was one of the most watched events in streaming history, [326] with an estimated US audience of 31.1   million [327] and a worldwide audience of an estimated 2.5 to 3 billion. [328] [329]

Mariah Carey , Stevie Wonder , Lionel Richie , Jennifer Hudson , and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the memorial, and Smokey Robinson and Queen Latifah gave eulogies. [330] Al Sharpton received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's children: "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway." [331] Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris Katherine , speaking publicly for the first time, wept as she addressed the crowd. [332] [333] Lucious Smith provided a closing prayer. [334] On September 3, 2009, the body of Jackson was entombed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California . [335]

In August 2009, the Los Angeles County Coroner ruled that Jackson's death was a homicide . [336] [337] Law enforcement officials charged Murray with involuntary manslaughter on February 8, 2010. [338] In late 2011, he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter [339] and held without bail to await sentencing. [340] Murray was sentenced to four years in prison. [341]

At the 2009 American Music Awards , Jackson won four posthumous awards, including two for his compilation album Number Ones , bringing his total American Music Awards to 26. [342] [343] In the year after his death, more than 16.1   million copies of Jackson's albums were sold in the US alone, and 35   million copies were sold worldwide, more than any other artist in 2009. [344] [345] He became the first artist to sell one million music downloads in a week, with 2.6   million song downloads. Thriller , Number Ones and The Essential Michael Jackson became the first catalog albums to outsell any new album. [346] Jackson also became the first artist to have four of the top-20 bestselling albums in a single year in the US. [347]

Following the surge in sales, in March 2010, Sony Music signed a $250   million deal (equivalent to $ 350   million in 2023 ) with the Jackson estate to extend their distribution rights to Jackson's back catalog until at least 2017; it had been due to expire in 2015. It was the most expensive music contract for a single artist in history. [348] [349] They agreed to release ten albums of previously unreleased material and new collections of released work. [348] [350] The deal was extended in 2017. [351] That July, a Los Angeles court awarded Quincy Jones $9.4   million of disputed royalty payments for Off the Wall , Thriller , and Bad . [56] In July 2018, Sony/ATV bought the estate's stake in EMI for $287.5   million. [352]

In 2014, Jackson became the first artist to have a top-ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades. [353] The following year, Thriller became the first album to be certified for 30   million shipments by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [7] A year later, it was certified 33× platinum after Soundscan added streams and audio downloads to album certifications. [354] [nb 4]

In February 2024, Sony Music acquired half of Jackson's publishing rights and recording masters for an estimated $600   million. The deal includes assets from Jackson's Mijac publishing catalog, but excludes royalties from several Jackson-related productions, including the MJ Broadway musical and the Michael biopic. The deal is possibly the largest transaction ever for a single musician's work. [356] [357]

Jackson's posthumous releases and productions are administered by the estate of Michael Jackson , which owns Jackson's trademarks and rights to his name, image and likeness. [358] The first posthumous Jackson song, " This Is It ", co-written in the 1980s with Paul Anka , was released in October 2009. The surviving Jackson brothers reunited to record backing vocals. [359] It was followed by a documentary film about the rehearsals for the canceled This Is It tour, Michael Jackson's This Is It , [360] and a compilation album . [361] Despite a limited two-week engagement, the film became the highest-grossing documentary or concert film ever, with earnings of more than $260 million worldwide. [362] Jackson's estate received 90% of the profits. [363] In late 2010, Sony released the first posthumous album, Michael , and the promotional single " Breaking News ". The Jackson collaborator will.i.am expressed disgust, saying that Jackson would not have approved the release. [364]

The video game developer Ubisoft released a music game featuring Jackson for the 2010 holiday season, Michael Jackson: The Experience . It was among the first games to use Kinect and PlayStation Move , the motion-detecting camera systems for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 . [365] In April 2011, Mohamed Al-Fayed , the chairman of Fulham Football Club , unveiled a statue of Jackson outside the club stadium, Craven Cottage . [366] It was moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester in May 2014, [367] and removed from display in March 2019 following renewed sexual assault allegations. [368]

In October 2011, the theater company Cirque du Soleil launched Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour , a $57-million production, [369] in Montreal, with a permanent show resident in Las Vegas. [370] A larger and more theatrical Cirque show, Michael Jackson: One , designed for residency at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, opened on May 23, 2013, in a renovated theater. [371] [372]

In 2012, in an attempt to end a family dispute, Jackson's brother Jermaine retracted his signature on a public letter criticizing executors of Jackson's estate and his mother's advisors over the legitimacy of his brother's will. [373] T.J. Jackson, the son of Tito Jackson, was given co-guardianship of Michael Jackson's children after false reports of Katherine Jackson going missing. [374] Xscape , an album of unreleased material, was released on May 13, 2014. [375] The lead single, a duet between Jackson and Justin Timberlake , " Love Never Felt So Good ", reached number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making Jackson the first artist to have a top-10 single on the chart in five different decades. [376]

Later in 2014, Queen released a duet recorded with Jackson in the 1980s. [70] A compilation album, Scream , was released on September 29, 2017. [377] A jukebox musical , MJ the Musical , premiered on Broadway in 2022. [378] Myles Frost won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Jackson. [379] On November 18, 2022, a 40th-anniversary edition reissue of Thriller was released. [380] [381]

A biographical film based on Jackson's life, Michael , was due to enter production through Lionsgate in 2023, but it was put on hold amid the SAG-AFTRA strike . [382] It will be directed by Antoine Fuqua , produced by Graham King and written by John Logan . [383] Jackson will be played by Jaafar Jackson , son of Jackson's brother Jermaine. Deadline Hollywood reported that the film "will not shy away from the controversies of Jackson's life". [384]

In 2013, choreographer Wade Robson filed a lawsuit alleging that Jackson had sexually abused him for seven years, beginning when he was seven years old (1989–1996). [385] In 2014, a case was filed by James Safechuck, alleging sexual abuse over a four-year period from the age of ten (1988–1992). [386] [387] [388] Both had testified in Jackson's defense during the 1993 allegations; Robson did so again in 2005. [389] [390] In 2015, Robson's case against Jackson's estate was dismissed as it had been filed too late. Safechuck's claim was also time-barred. [391]

In 2017, it was ruled that Jackson's corporations could not be held accountable for his alleged past actions. [392] [393] The rulings were appealed. On October 20, 2020, Safechuck's lawsuit against Jackson's corporations was again dismissed. The judge ruled that there was no evidence that Safechuck had had a relationship with Jackson's corporation, nor was it proven that there was a special relationship between the two. [394] [395] [396] [397] On April 26, 2021, Robson's case was dismissed because of a lack of supporting evidence that the defendants exercised control over Jackson. [398]

Robson and Safechuck described their allegations against Jackson in graphic detail in the documentary Leaving Neverland , released in March 2019. [399] Radio stations in New Zealand, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands removed Jackson's music from their playlists. [400] [401] [402] Jackson's family condemned the film as a "public lynching", [403] and the Jackson estate released a statement calling the film a "tabloid character assassination [Jackson] endured in life, and now in death". [404] Close associates of Jackson, such as Corey Feldman , Aaron Carter , Brett Barnes, and Macaulay Culkin , said that Jackson had not molested them. [405] [406] [407]

Documentaries such as Square One: Michael Jackson , Neverland Firsthand: Investigating the Michael Jackson Documentary and Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth , presented information countering the claims suggested by Leaving Neverland . [408] [409] [410] Jackson's album sales increased following the documentary screenings. [411] Billboard senior editor Gail Mitchell said she and a colleague interviewed about thirty music executives who believed Jackson's legacy could withstand the controversy. [412] In late 2019, some New Zealand and Canadian radio stations re-added Jackson's music to their playlists, citing "positive listener survey results". [413] [414]

On February 21, 2019, the Jackson estate sued HBO for breaching a non-disparagement clause from a 1992 contract. The suit sought to compel HBO to participate in a non-confidential arbitration that could result in $100   million or more in damages awarded to the estate. [415] HBO said they did not breach a contract and filed an anti- SLAPP motion against the estate. In September 2019, Judge George H. Wu denied HBO's motion to dismiss the case, allowing the Jackson estate to arbitrate. [416] HBO appealed, but in December 2020 the appeals court affirmed Wu's ruling. [417]

In 2020, a state law passed in California which granted plaintiffs in child sex abuse cases an additional period to file lawsuits. In October 2020 and again in April 2021, the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc. employees were not legally obligated to protect the two men from Jackson. In August 2023, California's Second District Court of Appeal overturned the ruling, and the case was approved to move forward to trial court . [418]

Jackson has been referred to as the " King of Pop " for having transformed the art of music videos and paving the way for modern pop music. For much of Jackson's career, he had an unparalleled worldwide influence over the younger generation. [419] His influence extended beyond the music industry; he impacted dance, led fashion trends, and raised awareness for global affairs. [420] Jackson's music and videos fostered racial diversity in MTV's roster and steered its focus from rock to pop music and R&B, shaping the channel into a form that proved enduring. [44]

In songs such as " Man in the Mirror ", " Black or White ", " Heal the World ", " Earth Song " and " They Don't Care About Us ", Jackson's music emphasized racial integration and environmentalism and protested injustice. [421] [422] He is recognized as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time by Guinness World Records . [423] [424] Jackson has also appeared on Rolling Stone ' s lists of the Greatest Singers of All Time. [425] [426] He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, [427] and his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. [428] [429] [430]

Trying to trace Michael Jackson's influence on the pop stars that followed him is like trying to trace the influence of oxygen and gravity. So vast, far-reaching and was his impact—particularly in the wake of Thriller ' s colossal and heretofore unmatched commercial success—that there weren't a whole lot of artists who weren't trying to mimic some of the Jackson formula. —   J. Edward Keyes of Rolling Stone [431]

Danyel Smith , chief content officer of Vibe Media Group and the editor-in-chief of Vibe , described Jackson as "the greatest star". [432] Steve Huey of AllMusic called him "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the skills to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power". [10] BET said Jackson was "quite simply the greatest entertainer of all time" whose "sound, style, movement and legacy continues to inspire artists of all genres". [433]

In 1984, Time pop critic Jay Cocks wrote that "Jackson is the biggest thing since the Beatles. He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever." He described Jackson as a "star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style, and color too." [91] In 2003, The Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley described Jackson as "extremely important" and a "genius". [434] At Jackson's memorial service on July 7, 2009, Motown founder Berry Gordy called Jackson "the greatest entertainer that ever lived". [435] [436] In a June 28, 2009 Baltimore Sun article, Jill Rosen wrote that Jackson's legacy influenced fields including sound, dance, fashion, music videos and celebrity. [437]

Pop critic Robert Christgau wrote that Jackson's work from the 1970s to the early 1990s showed "immense originality, adaptability, and ambition" with "genius beats, hooks, arrangements, and vocals (though not lyrics)", music that "will stand forever as a reproach to the puritanical notion that pop music is slick or shallow and that's the end of it". During the 1990s, as Jackson lost control of his "troubling life", his music suffered and began to shape "an arc not merely of promise fulfilled and outlived, but of something approaching tragedy: a phenomenally ebullient child star tops himself like none before, only to transmute audibly into a lost weirdo". [438] In the 2000s, Christgau wrote: "Jackson's obsession with fame, his grotesque life magnified by his grotesque wealth, are such an offense to rock aesthetes that the fact that he's a great musician is now often forgotten". [439]

Jackson is regarded as a prolific philanthropist and humanitarian. [440] [441] [442] [443] Jackson's early charitable work has been described by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as having "paved the way for the current surge in celebrity philanthropy", [444] and by the Los Angeles Times as having "set the standard for generosity for other entertainers". [440]

By some estimates, he donated over $500   million, not accounting for inflation, to various charities over the course of his life. [440] In 1992, Jackson established his Heal the World Foundation , to which he donated several million dollars in revenue from his Dangerous World Tour . [445]

Jackson's philanthropic activities went beyond just monetary donations. He also performed at benefit concerts , some of which he arranged. He gifted tickets for his regular concert performances to groups that assist underprivileged children. He visited sick children in hospitals around the world. He opened his own home for visits by underprivileged or sick children and provided special facilities and nurses if the children needed that level of care.

Jackson donated valuable, personal and professional paraphernalia for numerous charity auctions. He received various awards and accolades for his philanthropic work, including two bestowed by presidents of the United States . The vast breadth of Jackson's philanthropic work has earned recognition in the Guinness World Records . [440] [446] [447]

Jackson was influenced by musicians including James Brown , Little Richard , Jackie Wilson , Diana Ross , Fred Astaire , Sammy Davis Jr ., Gene Kelly , [448] and David Ruffin . [449] Little Richard had a substantial influence on Jackson, [450] but Brown was his greatest inspiration; he later said that as a small child, his mother would wake him whenever Brown appeared on television. Jackson described being "mesmerized". [451]

Jackson's vocal technique was influenced by Diana Ross; his use of the oooh interjection from a young age was something Ross had used on many of her songs with the Supremes . [452] She was a mother figure to him, and he often watched her rehearse. [453] He said he had learned a lot from watching how she moved and sang, and that she had encouraged him to have confidence in himself. [454]

Choreographer David Winters , who met Jackson while choreographing the 1971 Diana Ross TV special Diana! , said that Jackson watched the musical West Side Story almost every week, and it was his favorite film; he paid tribute to it in "Beat It" and the "Bad" video. [455] [456] [457]

Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed. Between 1971 and 1975, his voice descended from boy soprano to lyric tenor . [458] He was known for his vocal range. [425] With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder, and wrote that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly." [459] By the time of 1982's Thriller , Rolling Stone wrote that Jackson was singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness". [460]

The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous . The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone". When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals. [461] Of Invincible , Rolling Stone wrote that, at 43, Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies". [462] Joseph Vogel notes Jackson's ability to use non-verbal sounds to express emotion. [463] Neil McCormick wrote that Jackson's unorthodox singing style "was original and utterly distinctive". [464]

Jackson had no formal music training and could not read or write music notation . He is credited for playing guitar, keyboard, and drums, but was not proficient in them. [465] When composing, he recorded ideas by beatboxing and imitating instruments vocally. [465] Describing the process, he said: "I'll just sing the bass part into the tape recorder. I'll take that bass lick and put the chords of the melody over the bass lick and that's what inspires the melody." The engineer Robert Hoffman recalled that after Jackson came in with a song he had written overnight, Jackson sang every note of every chord to a guitar player. Hoffman also remembered Jackson singing string arrangements part by part into a cassette recorder. [465]

Jackson danced from a young age as part of the Jackson 5, [466] and incorporated dance extensively in his performances and music videos. [466] According to Sanjoy Roy of The Guardian , Jackson would "flick and retract his limbs like switchblades, or snap out of a tornado spin into a perfectly poised toe-stand". [466] The moonwalk , taught to him by Jeffrey Daniel , [81] was Jackson's signature dance move and one of the most famous of the 20th century. [467] Jackson is credited for coining the name "moonwalk"; the move was previously known as the "backslide". [468] [469] His other moves included the robot , [49] crotch grab, and the "anti-gravity" lean of the "Smooth Criminal" video. [466]

Jackson explored genres including pop, [10] [470] soul , [10] [159] rhythm and blues , [470] funk , [471] rock, [470] [471] disco , [472] post-disco , [471] dance-pop [473] and new jack swing . [10] Steve Huey of AllMusic wrote that Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall ; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful. [10] Its tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", " Human Nature ", and " The Girl Is Mine ", [474] [460] [475] the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", [474] [460] and the disco set " Baby Be Mine " and " P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) ". [475]

With Off the Wall , Jackson's "vocabulary of grunts, squeals, hiccups, moans, and asides" vividly showed his maturation into an adult, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981). The album's title track suggested to the critic a parallel between Jackson and Stevie Wonder 's "oddball" music personas: "Since childhood his main contact with the real world has been on stage and in bed." [476] With Thriller , Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. [460] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". [474] In "Billie Jean", Jackson depicts an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered her child, [10] and in "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. [460] "Beat It" decried gang violence in a homage to West Side Story , and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. [10] [41] He observed that " Thriller " began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural , a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona. [10]

In Bad , Jackson's concept of the predatory lover is seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana". [477] The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, and "Man in the Mirror" is a ballad of confession and resolution. " Smooth Criminal " is an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder. [140] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a paradoxical person. [478] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time". It was the first Jackson album in which social ills became a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs. Dangerous contains sexually charged songs such as " In the Closet ". The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire. The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as " Will You Be There ", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith". [461] In the ballad " Gone Too Soon ", Jackson gives tribute to Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS. [479]

HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia. [480] In the new jack swing-funk rock tracks "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", and the R&B ballad " You Are Not Alone ", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs his anger at the media. [481] In the introspective ballad " Stranger in Moscow ", Jackson laments his "fall from grace"; "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are operatic pop songs. [480] [481] In " D.S. ", Jackson attacks lawyer Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. , who had prosecuted him in both child sexual abuse cases; he describes Sneddon as a white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". [482] Invincible includes urban soul tracks such as " Cry " and "The Lost Children", ballads such as " Speechless ", "Break of Dawn", and "Butterflies", and mixes hip hop, pop, and R&B in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible". [483] [484]

Jackson released " Thriller ", a 14-minute music video directed by John Landis , in 1983. [485] The zombie -themed video "defined music videos and broke racial barriers" on MTV , which had launched two years earlier. [44] Before Thriller , Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American. [486] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", which led to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, and helped other black music artists gain recognition. [487] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped the relatively new channel's viewing figures, and MTV's focus shifted toward pop and R&B. [487] [488] His performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever changed the scope of live stage shows, making it acceptable for artists to lip-sync to music video on stage. [489] The choreography in Thriller has been copied in Indian films and prisons in the Philippines . [490] Thriller marked an increase in scale for music videos, and was named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records . [224]

In "Bad"'s 19-minute video—directed by Martin Scorsese —Jackson used sexual imagery and choreography, and touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Winfrey in the 1993 interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he said it was spontaneously compelled by the music. Time magazine described the "Bad" video as "infamous". It featured Wesley Snipes ; Jackson's later videos often featured famous cameo roles. [491] [492] For the "Smooth Criminal" video, Jackson experimented with leaning forward at a 45 degree angle, beyond the performer's center of gravity. To accomplish this live, Jackson and designers developed a special shoe to lock the performer's feet to the stage, allowing them to lean forward. They were granted U.S. patent 5,255,452 for the device. [493] The video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, but in 1989 was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards [494] and won a Golden Lion Award for its special effects. It won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form . [63]

He received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1988; in 2001 the award was renamed in his honor. [495] The "Black or White" video simultaneously premiered on November 14, 1991, in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500   million people, the largest audience ever for a music video at the time. [174] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin , Peggy Lipton , and George Wendt . It helped introduce morphing to music videos. [496] It was controversial for scenes in which Jackson rubs his crotch, vandalizes cars, and throws a garbage can through a storefront. He apologized and removed the final scene of the video. [163]

"In the Closet" featured Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. [497] "Remember the Time" was set in ancient Egypt , and featured Eddie Murphy , Iman , and Magic Johnson . [498] The video for "Scream", directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, gained a record 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations, and won "Best Dance Video", "Best Choreography", and "Best Art Direction". [499] The song and its video are Jackson's response to being accused of child molestation in 1993. [500] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form. It has been reported as the most expensive music video ever made , at $7   million; [501] Romanek has contradicted this. [502] The "Earth Song" video was nominated for the 1997 Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form. [503]

Michael Jackson's Ghosts , a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston , premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival . At over 38 minutes long, it held the Guinness world record for the longest music video until 2013, when it was eclipsed by the video for the Pharrell Williams song " Happy ". [504] The 2001 video for " You Rock My World " lasts over 13 minutes, was directed by Paul Hunter , and features Chris Tucker and Marlon Brando . [505] It won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video in 2002. [506]

In December 2009, the Library of Congress selected "Thriller" as the only music video to be preserved in the National Film Registry , as a work of "enduring importance to American culture". [507] [508] Huey wrote that Jackson transformed the music video into an artform and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameos, while breaking down racial barriers. [10]

Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history, [509] with sales estimated around 500 million records worldwide. [510] [Note 2] He had 13 number-one singles in the US in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era. [511] He was invited and honored by a president of the United States at the White House three times. In 1984, he was honored with a "Presidential Public Safety Commendation" award by Ronald Reagan for his humanitarian endeavors. [512] In 1990, he was honored as the "Artist of the Decade" by George H. W. Bush . [513] In 1992, he was honored as a "Point of Light Ambassador" by Bush for inviting disadvantaged children to his Neverland Ranch . [514]

Jackson won hundreds of awards , making him one of the most-awarded artists in popular music. [515] His awards include 39 Guinness World Records, including the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time, [423] [424] 13 Grammy Awards , [516] as well as the Grammy Legend Award [517] and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award , [518] and 26 American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Century and Artist of the 1980s. [246] He also received the World Music Awards ' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award. [519] Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 as a member of the Jacksons, and in 1984 as a solo artist. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1997 and 1999, [520] respectively, and again as a solo artist in 2001. [521] In 2002, he was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame . [522] In 2010, he was the first recording artist to be inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame , [523] and in 2014, he was posthumously inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame . [524] In 2021, he was among the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame . [525]

In 1988, Fisk University honored him with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. [526] In 1992, he was invested as a titular king of Sanwi , a traditional kingdom located in the south-east of Ivory Coast . [527] In July 2009, the Lunar Republic Society named a crater on the Moon after Jackson. [528] In August, for what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday, Google dedicated their Google Doodle to him. [529] In 2012, the extinct hermit crab Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni was named in his honor. [530] In 2014, the British Council of Cultural Relations deemed Jackson's life one of the 80 most important cultural moments of the 20th century. [531] World Vitiligo Day has been celebrated on June 25, the anniversary of Jackson's death, to raise awareness of the auto-immune disorder that Jackson suffered from. [532]

In 1989, Jackson's annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts were estimated at $125   million. [224] Forbes placed Jackson's annual income at $35   million in 1996 and $20   million in 1997. [533] Estimates of Jackson's net worth during his life range from negative $285   million to positive $350   million for 2002, 2003 and 2007. [534] [535] Forbes reported in August 2018 that Jackson's total career pretax earnings in life and death were $4.2   billion. [536] [537] Sales of his recordings through Sony's music unit earned him an estimated $300   million in royalties. He may have earned another $400   million from concerts, music publishing (including his share of the Beatles catalog), endorsements, merchandising and music videos. [538]

In 2013, the executors of Jackson's estate filed a petition in the United States Tax Court as a result of a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over US federal estate taxes . [539] The executors claim that it was worth about $7   million, the IRS that it was worth over $1.1   billion. In February 2014, the IRS reported that Jackson's estate owed $702   million; $505   million in taxes, and $197   million in penalties. [540] A trial was held from February 6 to 24, 2017. [541] In 2021, the Tax Court issued a ruling in favor of the estate, ruling that the estate's total combined value of the estate was $111.5 million and that the value of Jackson's name and likeness was $4 million (not the $61 million estimated by the IRS's outside expert witness). [542]

In 2016, Forbes estimated annual gross earnings by the Jackson Estate at $825   million, the largest ever recorded for a celebrity, mostly due to the sale of the Sony/ATV catalog. [543] In 2018, the figure was $400   million. [544] It was the eighth year since his death that Jackson's annual earnings were reported to be over $100   million, thus bringing Jackson's postmortem total to $2.4   billion. [545] Forbes has consistently recognized Jackson as one of the top-earning dead celebrities since his death, and placed him at the top spot from 2013 to 2023. [546] [547]

• Got to Be There (1972)
• Music & Me (1973)
• Forever, Michael (1975)
• Off the Wall (1979)
• Thriller (1982)
• Dangerous (1991)
• HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)
• Invincible (2001)
• The Wiz (1978)
• Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983)
• Captain EO (1986)
• Moonwalker (1988)
• Michael Jackson's Ghosts (1997)
• Men in Black II (2002)
• Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls (2004)
• Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009)
• Bad 25 (2012)
• Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)
• Thriller 40 (2023)
• Bad World Tour (1987–1989)
• Dangerous World Tour (1992–1993)
• HIStory World Tour (1996–1997)
• MJ & Friends (1999)
• List of dancers
• ↑ " I Just Can't Stop Loving You ", " Bad ", " The Way You Make Me Feel ", " Man in the Mirror ", and " Dirty Diana "
• ↑ In 2006, Raymone Bain , Jackson's publicist at that time, claimed that Michael Jackson had sold over 750 million units. [1] [2] Since 2006, several sources such as Billboard or Reuters claimed that Michael Jackson had sold around 750 million records; [3] [4] while others such as MTV or CBS News claimed that his sales were over 750 million albums. [5] [6] In 2009, The Wall Street Journal disputed the 750 million figure (if it referred to albums, instead of units). [2] Later, in 2015, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) stated that Michael Jackson had sold 1   billion records worldwide. [7] [8]
• ↑ Blanket changed his name to "Bigi" in 2015.
• ↑ In 2018, its US sales record was overtaken by the Eagles ' album Greatest Hits 1971–75 , with 38× platinum. [355]

Related Research Articles

" Billie Jean " is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 3, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Jackson. "Billie Jean" blends post-disco, R&B, funk, and dance-pop. The lyrics describe a woman, Billie Jean, who claims that the narrator is the father of her newborn son, which he denies. Jackson said the lyrics were based on groupies' claims about his older brothers when he toured with them as the Jackson 5.

Thriller is the sixth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released on November 29, 1982, by Epic Records. It was produced by Quincy Jones, who had previously worked with Jackson on his 1979 album Off the Wall and who would later produce his 1987 album Bad . Jackson wanted to create an album where "every song was a killer". With the ongoing backlash against disco music at the time, he moved in a new musical direction, resulting in a mix of pop, post-disco, rock, funk, synth-pop, and R&B sounds. Thriller foreshadows the contradictory themes of Jackson's personal life, as he began using a motif of paranoia and darker themes. Paul McCartney appears on "The Girl Is Mine", the first credited appearance of a featured artist on a Michael Jackson album. Recording took place from April to November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a budget of $750,000.

Bad is the seventh studio album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987, by Epic Records. Written and recorded between 1985 and 1987, Bad was Jackson's third and final collaboration with the producer Quincy Jones. Jackson co-produced and composed all but two tracks, and adopted an edgier image and sound, departing from his signature groove-based style and falsetto. Bad incorporates pop, rock, funk, R&B, dance, soul, and hard rock styles, and incorporated new recording technology, including digital synthesizers. The lyrical themes include media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self-improvement, and world peace. The album features appearances from Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder.

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I is a double album containing the first non-Motown greatest hits album and ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995. It was Jackson's fifth album released through Epic Records, and the first on his label MJJ Productions. It comprises two discs: HIStory Begins , a greatest hits compilation, and HIStory Continues , comprising new material written and produced by Jackson and collaborators. The album includes appearances by Janet Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, Slash, and the Notorious B.I.G. The genres span R&B, pop, and hip hop with elements of hard rock and funk rock. The themes include environmental awareness, isolation, greed, suicide, injustice, and Jackson's conflicts with the media.

" Scream " is a song by American singers and siblings Michael and Janet Jackson. It was released as the lead single off Michael Jackson's ninth album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I . It was released as a double A-side with "Childhood", a solo song by Michael. The single was released on May 29, 1995.

American singer Michael Jackson (1958–2009) released ten studio albums, five soundtrack albums, thirty-five compilation albums, ten video albums and seven remix albums. Since his death, two albums of unreleased tracks have been posthumously released. Jackson made his debut in 1964 at the age of five with The Jackson 5, who were prominent performers during the 1970s. Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history with over 500 million records sold worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Jackson has sold 89 million certified albums in the United States.

Bubbles is a chimpanzee once kept as a pet by the American singer Michael Jackson, who bought him from a Texas research facility in the 1980s. Bubbles frequently traveled with Jackson, drawing attention in the media. In 1987, during the Bad world tour , Bubbles and Jackson drank tea with the mayor of Osaka, Japan.

The Thriller jacket is the red jacket worn by Michael Jackson in the music video for his 1983 hit "Thriller". Designed by Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the candy-apple-red jacket featured black stripes and raised shoulders forming an inverted triangle. The jacket became the "hottest outerwear fad of the mid-1980s" and was widely emulated. Because counterfeit copies of the jacket could sell at over $500, in 1984 Jackson filed a lawsuit in New York City to prevent unauthorized copies of the jacket and his other merchandise.

American singer Michael Jackson (1958–2009) debuted on the professional music scene at age five as a member of the American family music group The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still part of the group. Jackson promoted seven of his solo albums with music videos or, as he would refer to them, "short films". Some of them drew criticism for their violent and sexual elements while others were lauded by critics and awarded Guinness World Records for their length, success, and cost.

" Beat It " is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Jackson. Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album. Jackson later said: "I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song... and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students." It includes a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen.

" D.S. " is a song by Michael Jackson, released on his 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I . It is a rock song that conveys themes such as bitterness, mistrust and corruption within law enforcement. It was written, composed and produced by Jackson and includes an instrumental accompaniment and guitar solo by Slash.

Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, and the first produced by Quincy Jones, whom he met while working on the 1978 film The Wiz . Several critics observed that Off the Wall was crafted from disco, pop, funk, R&B, soft rock and Broadway ballads. Its lyrical themes include escapism, liberation, loneliness, hedonism and romance. The album features songwriting contributions from Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Rod Temperton, Tom Bahler, and David Foster, alongside three tracks penned by Jackson himself.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an audiobook and soundtrack companion album for the 1982 film directed by Steven Spielberg. Composed by John Williams, the album was narrated by recording artist Michael Jackson, produced by composer Quincy Jones and distributed by MCA Records. The audiobook was produced by John Williams and Michael Jackson working with Rod Temperton, Freddy DeMann, and Bruce Swedien.

On June 25, 2009, the American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 50. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said that he found Jackson in his bedroom at his North Carolwood Drive home in the Holmby Hills area of the city not breathing and with a weak pulse; he administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to no avail, and security called 9-1-1 at 12:21 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (UTC–7). Paramedics treated Jackson at the scene, but he was pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood at 2:26 p.m.

The personal relationships of Michael Jackson have been the subject of public and media attention for several decades. He was introduced to the topic of sexual activity at the age of nine while a member of the Jackson 5. He and his brothers would perform at strip clubs, sharing the bill with female strippers and drag queens, and the sexual adventures of his brothers with groupies further affected Jackson's early life. The entertainer said his first real girlfriend was the child actress Tatum O'Neal, when he was a teenager in the 1970s; he called her "my first love – after Diana Ross." The pair eventually "cooled off" and Jackson entered into a romance with model Brooke Shields in 1981. Although the relationship was platonic, Shields said there were times he had asked her to marry him, but as he grew older he started to change physically and became more asexual towards her.

Leaving Neverland is a 2019 documentary film directed and produced by Dan Reed. It focuses on two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused as children by the American singer Michael Jackson. Their allegations are the subject of a recent legal ruling, Safechuck v. MJJ Productions , clearing the way for a trial of their long-running claims.

Entertainer Michael Jackson is regarded as a prolific philanthropist and humanitarian. Jackson's early charitable work has been described by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as having "paved the way for the current surge in celebrity philanthropy", and by the Los Angeles Times as having "set the standard for generosity for other entertainers". By some estimates, he donated over $500 million to charity over the course of his life, at one time being recognized in Guinness World Records for the breadth of his philanthropic work. The actual amount of donations made by Michael may be even higher, but the exact amount is not known since Jackson often gave anonymously and without fanfare. In addition to supporting a substantial number of charities established by others, in 1992 Jackson established the Heal the World Foundation, to which he donated several million dollars in revenue from his Dangerous World Tour.

Fans of American singer Michael Jackson are known as Moonwalkers .

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• 1 2 Mansour 2005 , p.   403: 'The Robot was a mimelike dance, popularized by The Jackson 5 and their Top Ten hit "Dancing Machine"'
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• 1 2 Herrera, Monica (July 3, 2009). "Michael Jackson, Pepsi Made Marketing History" . Billboard . Archived from the original on October 11, 2019 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
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• ↑ Shivaprasad, Sindhu (August 30, 2016). "Reliving the icon who defined music history: The eternal moonwalker, King of Pop – Michael Jackson" . Big News Network (Press release). Archived from the original on November 7, 2021 . Retrieved December 1, 2021 .
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• 1 2 3 4 5 Hilburn, Robert (September 22, 1985). "The long and winding road" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 7, 2017 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• 1 2 "Paul McCartney refused an offer to buy the ATV Catalog for £20 million ($40 million)" . Mjjinfo.blogspot.fr . November 13, 2010. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
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• 1 2 3 Campbell 1995 , pp.   14–16.
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• ↑ Beaumont, Mark (November 30, 2001). "Michael Jackson: Invincible" . NME . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Dobuzinskis, Alex (December 30, 2009). "Jackson "Thriller" film picked for U.S. registry" . Reuters (Press release) . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ "Michael Jackson, "Billie Jean," directed by Steve Barron, produced by Simon Fields & Paul Flattery". Blender . October 2005.
• 1 2 Gundersen, Edna (August 25, 2005). "Music videos changing places" . USA Today . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Robinson, Bryan (February 23, 2005). "Why Are Michael Jackson's Fans So Devoted?" . ABC News . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Inglis 2006 , pp.   119, 127: "That Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip-synced made no difference to the audience."
• ↑ "Philippine jailhouse rocks to Thriller" . BBC News. July 26, 2007 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Taraborrelli 2009 , pp.   370–373.
• ↑ Corliss, Richard (September 6, 1993). "Michael Jackson: Who's Bad?" . Time . Retrieved April 23, 2008 .
• ↑ Campbell 1993 , p.   273.
• ↑ Anderson, Kyle (June 26, 2009). "Michael Jackson's Video Vanguard Award, in MJ's Top MTV Moments" . MTV News . Retrieved April 14, 2019 .
• ↑ Campbell 1993 , p.   303.
• ↑ "Michael Jackson Co-Directs Music Film, 'In the Closet' " . Jet . April 27, 1992. p.   56.
• ↑ Campbell 1993 , pp.   313–314.
• ↑ Boepple 1995 , p.   52.
• ↑ Bark, Ed (June 26, 1995). "Michael Jackson Interview Raises Questions, Answers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . p.   06E.
• ↑ McIntyre, Hugh (August 24, 2014). "The 5 Most Expensive Music Videos of All Time" . Forbes . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
• ↑ Gottlieb, Steven (August 28, 2014). " "Scream" Gets Named Most Expensive Video Ever; Director Mark Romanek Disagrees" . VideoStatic . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
• ↑ Kot, Greg (January 8, 1997). "Pumpkins a Smash Hit with 7 Grammy Nominations" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved April 14, 2019 .
• ↑ "Longest music video" . Guinness World Records . November 21, 2013 . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
• ↑ Montgomery, James (June 26, 2009). "Michael Jackson's Video Co-Stars: From Eddie Murphy to Marlon Brando" . MTV . Retrieved March 22, 2010 .
• ↑ "NAACP Image Award Spotlight Black' Achievements" . Jet . Vol.   101, no.   13. March 18, 2002. p.   36. ISSN   0021-5996 .
• ↑ "Zorro, Nemo, Muppets & More: Wide Variety Tapped for 2009 Film Registry" . Library of Congress . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (December 30, 2009). " 'Thriller' Video Added to U.S. Film Registry" . The New York Times . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Hinckley, David (June 25, 2014). "Michael Jackson remembered 5 years later: How the Daily News covered the tragic story of icon's death" . New York Daily News . Retrieved September 9, 2015 .
• ↑ Wyman, Bill (January 4, 2013). "Did "Thriller" Really Sell a Hundred Million Copies" . The New Yorker . Retrieved March 19, 2024 .
• ↑ "Hot 100 Anniversary: Most No. 1s by Artist" . Billboard . August 6, 2008 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ "Remarks at a White House Ceremony Marking Progress Made in the Campaign Against Drunk Driving" . Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum . University of Texas at Austin . May 14, 1984. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011 . Retrieved May 28, 2020 .
• ↑ George 2004 , pp.   44–45.
• ↑ Campbell 1993 , p.   321.
• ↑ Lewis, Monica (June 14, 2007). "20 People Who Changed Black Music: Michael Jackson, the Child Star-Turned-Adult Enigma" . The Miami Herald . Retrieved March 16, 2013 .
• ↑ Collett-White, Mike (March 11, 2009). "Michael Jackson to add concerts after sellout" . Reuters . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ "Grammy Legend Award" . Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ "Lifetime Achievement Award" . Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ "Michael Jackson and Halle Berry Pick Up Bambi Awards in Berlin" . Hello! . November 22, 2002 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ "The Vocal Group Hall of Fame: Album Categories 1999 Inductee" . The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017.
• ↑ Masley, Ed (March 28, 2019). "Stevie Nicks is about to join these 22 men as a two-time Rock and Rock Hall of Fame inductee" . The Arizona Republic . Retrieved April 7, 2019 .
• ↑ Sanneh, Kelefa (June 15, 2002). "Hall of Fame Inducts Songwriters" . The New York Times . Retrieved April 11, 2019 .
• ↑ Keiser, Tom (August 15, 2010). "Photos: Michael Jackson induction ceremony" . The News-Times . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Yarborough, Chuck (August 19, 2014). "R&B Music Hall of Fame sets big weekend to induct sophomore class featuring Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Norm N. Nite and more" . The Plain Dealer . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Ruggieri, Melissa (May 5, 2021). "Black Music Walk of Fame to honor James Brown, OutKast, Usher and others in Atlanta" . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved October 22, 2021 .
• ↑ "Doctorates of Rock" . Rolling Stone . July 19, 2011 . Retrieved April 12, 2019 .
• ↑ "Sanwi kingdom mourns passing of a prince" . France 24 . June 29, 2009 . Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
• ↑ Leach, Ben (July 9, 2009). "Moon crater named after Michael Jackson" . The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on January 10, 2022 . Retrieved June 26, 2016 .
• ↑ Chivers, Tom (September 28, 2009). "Google's Doodles: 10 of the best including UFOs and Google" . The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on January 10, 2022 . Retrieved June 26, 2016 .
• ↑ Kent State University (January 19, 2012). "Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni: Fossil hermit crab named after Michael Jackson" . Phys.org . Retrieved August 4, 2022 .
• ↑ "80 Moments That Shaped the World" (PDF) . British Council . 2014 . Retrieved November 26, 2017 .
• ↑ Harris, John E. (June 24, 2014). "Speaking of Vitiligo..." Vitiligo Clinic & Research Center . Retrieved November 24, 2019 .
• ↑ Gundersen, Edna (November 24, 2003). "For Jackson, scandal could spell financial ruin" . USA Today . Retrieved March 14, 2010 .
• ↑ Deutsch, Linda (May 4, 2005). "Forensic accountant tells court Jackson is in financial straits" . The San Diego Union-Tribune . Archived from the original on March 26, 2017 . Retrieved March 25, 2017 .
• ↑ Pulley, Brett (November 21, 2003). "Michael Jackson's Ups And Downs" . Forbes . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (August 29, 2018). "Michael Jackson at 60: The King of Pop by the Numbers" . Forbes . Retrieved November 14, 2018 .
• ↑ "Stress killed MJ, says ex-publicist" . The Times of India . June 27, 2009 . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ O'Brien, Timothy L (May 14, 2006). "What Happened to the Fortune Michael Jackson Made?" . The New York Times . p.   1 . Retrieved March 16, 2013 .
• ↑ "Estate of Michael J. Jackson, Deceased, John G. Branca, Co-Executor and John McClain, Co-Executor" . August 19, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018 . Retrieved August 19, 2016 .
• ↑ Gottlieb, Jeff (February 7, 2014). "Michael Jackson estate embroiled in tax fight with IRS" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
• ↑ "United States Tax Court: Washington, DC 20217" . February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016 . Retrieved August 8, 2016 .
• ↑ Sisario, Ben (May 3, 2021). "Michael Jackson's Estate Is Winner in Tax Judge's Ruling" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on December 28, 2021 . Retrieved November 11, 2021 .
• ↑ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (October 14, 2016). "Michael Jackson's Earnings: $825 Million In 2016" . Forbes . Retrieved December 11, 2016 .
• ↑ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley; Robehmed, Natalie (October 31, 2017). "The Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities of 2018" . Forbes . Retrieved October 31, 2018 .
• ↑ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (October 30, 2019). "The Real Reason Behind Michael Jackson's Earnings Drop" . Forbes . Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
• ↑ Freeman, Abigail. "The Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities 2021" . Forbes . Retrieved October 17, 2022 .
• ↑ "The Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities of 2023" . Forbes .
• Boepple, Leanne (1995). "Scream: Space Odyssey, Jackson-Style. (video production; Michael and Janet Jackson video)". TCI: Theatre Crafts International . 29 . Theatre Crafts International. ISSN   1063-9497 .
• Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . Fireside . ISBN   978-0-7432-0169-8 .
• Bronson, Fred (2003). Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits (3rd   ed.). Billboard Books. ISBN   978-0-8230-7738-0 .
• Campbell, Lisa D (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop . Branden. ISBN   978-0-8283-1957-7 .
• Campbell, Lisa D (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour . Branden. ISBN   978-0-8283-2003-0 .
• Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J" . Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields . ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved February 27, 2019 .
• DeMello, Margo (2012). Faces Around the World: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face . ABC-CLIO . ISBN   978-1-59884-618-8 .
• George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection (booklet). Sony BMG .
• Inglis, Ian (2006). Performance and Popular Music: History, Place and Time . Ashgate Publishing . ISBN   978-0-7546-4057-8 .
• Jackson, Michael (2009) [First published 1988]. Moonwalk . Random House. ISBN   978-0-307-71698-9 .
• Knopper, Steve (2016). MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson . Scribner . ISBN   978-1-4767-3037-0 .
• Lewis Jones, Jel D. (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: The Big Picture: the Music! the Man! the Legend! the Interviews: an Anthology . Amber Books Publishing. ISBN   978-0-9749779-0-4 .
• Mansour, David (2005). From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century . Andrews McMeel Publishing . ISBN   0-7407-5118-2 .
• Palmer, Robert (1995). Rock & Roll: An Unruly History . Harmony Books . ISBN   978-0-517-70050-1 .
• Parameswaran, Radhika (2011). "E-Race-ing Color: Gender and Transnational Visual Economies of Beauty in India" . In Sarma Hegde, Radha (ed.). Circuits of Visibility: Gender and Transnational Media Cultures . NYU Press . ISBN   978-0-8147-9060-1 .
• Ramage, John D.; Bean, John C.; Johnson, June (2001). Writing arguments: a rhetoric with readings . Allyn and Bacon. ISBN   978-0-205-31745-5 .
• Rojek, Chris (2007). Cultural Studies . Polity . ISBN   978-0-7456-3683-2 .
• Tannenbaum, Rob; Marks, Craig (2011). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution . Penguin Books . ISBN   978-1-101-52641-5 .
• Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2009). Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958–2009 . Grand Central Publishing, 2009. ISBN   978-0-446-56474-8 .
• Vogel, Joseph (2012). Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson . New York: Sterling . ISBN   978-1-4027-7938-1 .
• Young, Julie (Fall 2009). "A Hoosier Thriller: Gary, Indiana's Michael Jackson" . Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History . 21 (4). Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014 . Retrieved April 14, 2014 .
• Hidalgo, Susan; Weiner, Robert G. (2010). "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin': MJ in the Scholarly Literature: A Selected Bibliographic Guide" (PDF) . The Journal of Pan African Studies . 3 (7).
• How Michael Jackson Changed Dance History – biography.com
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Michael Joseph “Prince” Jackson Jr.

Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., nicknamed Prince, is the first child of the late pop star Michael Jackson.

Who Is Prince Jackson?

Quick facts, father’s death and wrongful death lawsuit, foray into entertainment.

1997-present

Prince Jackson Today: Attends Michael Jackson Tribute Show with Brother Bigi

On August 29, Prince Jackson and his brother, Bigi , made a rare public appearance together for the Michael Jackson ONE show at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. As part of the event—which fell on what would have been their late father Michael Jackson ’s 65 th birthday—the brothers hosted a Q&A session. Although Prince is close with Bigi, he’s more commonly seen with their sister, Paris .

Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known by his nickname Prince, is the first child of pop star Michael Jackson . His biological mother is Debbie Rowe , the former wife of Jackson. Rowe signed over custody of Prince and his sister, Paris Michael Katherine , after Rowe and Jackson divorced in 1999.

FULL NAME: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. BORN: February 13, 1997 BIRTHPLACE: Los Angeles, California PARENTS: Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aquarius

Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. was born on February 13, 1997, in Los Angeles. Nicknamed Prince, he is the first child of the late pop singer Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe . Following their 1999 divorce, Rowe signed over custody of Prince and his sister, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson . Prince and Paris’ youngest sibling is Prince Michael “Bigi” Jackson , who was born to an unknown surrogate.

Although Rowe is certain to be Prince’s biological mother, who his biological father is has come in to question. Despite the public curiosity, Prince doesn’t understand why the subject is an issue. “Every time someone asks me that, I ask, ‘What’s the point? What difference does it make?’ Specifically to someone who’s not involved in my life. How does that affect your life? It doesn’t change mine,” he told Rolling Stone in 2017.

Prince’s pop star father suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, and died shortly thereafter, at the age of 50. Prince was 12 years old at the time of Michael’s death. His grandmother Katherine Jackson became the legal guardian of Prince and his siblings.

In February 2010, an official coroner’s report on Michael’s cause of death was released, revealing that the singer had died from acute propofol intoxication. Aided by his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray , Michael had used this drug and others to help him sleep at night. After a police investigation revealed that Murray wasn’t licensed to prescribe most controlled drugs in California, his actions while caring for Michael Jackson were further scrutinized. Michael’s death was ruled a homicide, of which Murray was found guilty on November 7, 2011, receiving a four-year prison sentence.

Believing that A.E.G. Live—the entertainment company that promoted Michael’s planned comeback series, This Is It, in 2009—had failed to effectively protect the singer while he was under Murray’s care, the Jackson family decided to take legal action against the company. Katherine officially filed a wrongful death lawsuit against A.E.G. with Prince, Paris, and Bigi. The trial began in April 2013. Lawyers sought up to $1.5 billion, an estimation of what Michael could have earned over the months since his death if he had still been alive, on the family’s behalf.

In October 2013, a jury determined that A.E.G. wasn’t responsible for Michael’s death. “Although Michael Jackson’s death was a terrible tragedy, it was not a tragedy of A.E.G. Live’s making,” A.E.G.’s lawyer Marvin S. Putnam said.

For most of his childhood, Prince stayed out of the public spotlight, like his siblings. He appeared publicly only a few times, including at the 2010 Grammy Awards, accepting a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for their father.

However, in 2013, Prince made his first foray into being a media personality. He served as a guest correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and has expressed an interest in getting more involved in show business: “I’m looking to become well-rounded as a producer, director, screenwriter, and actor.”

In June 2023, he posted a selfie on Instagram from an apparent production meeting for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic. “@gkfilms got me Workin Day N Night,” Prince captioned the photo, referring to the production company working on the film. Although the co-executors of the late pop star’s estate are involved in the movie, specifics about Prince’s contributions haven’t been released.

Prince has also said that “music is a big part of my life.” “It shaped who I am because of my family, but I’ve always wanted to go into production. My dad would ask me what I wanted to do, and my answer was always producing and directing,” he told The Los Angeles Times in 2016.

For a time, he also maintained a YouTube channel, where he would post motorcycle riding videos, though it’s been dormant since May 2021.

Prince graduated from the prestigious Buckley School, in Sherman Oaks, California, in May 2015. Four years later, he graduated cum laude honors from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

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Entertainism

A Short Biography of the King of Pop Michael Jackson

Polarizing, controversial, but legendary, the King of Pop Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers ever, and completely redefined pop culture. This biography showcases the moments and events that truly changed his life. Read on to know more in this Entertainism post.

Did You Know?

Michael Jackson has won 15 Grammy awards, including the Legend and the Lifetime Achievement Awards, and 26 American Music Awards. He also had 13 #1 singles in the US. The first two are still-intact records, while the latter is a record for male artists. Jackson is the most awarded musician in history, with more than 200 awards. He also holds the record of having supported 39 charities, with the Guinness Book of Records recognizing his extensive humanitarian work in 2000.

A child prodigy, Jackson, or MJ, as he is more commonly known, continued his progress into adulthood, going on to become a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most iconic dancers in living history. His songs are the stuff of legends, and his various dance moves are ingrained into pop culture. He is also known for his humanitarian efforts, but is, conversely, equally infamous for the various scandals in his life.

Let’s take a deeper look into this legend’s life.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 , in Gary, Indiana. The 8th of 10 children, Michael had his first tryst with music as a singer in the Jackson family band, Jackson 5, in 1964, at the tender age of five. Jackson 5 played at local nightclubs and also participated in competitions. Despite his young age, he soon carved a niche for himself as a singer and dancer of exceptional ability. Jackson 5 ruled the charts in the late ’60s and the early ’70s. After signing a contract with Motown, Jackson 5 had to shift their base to California. This was followed by chart busters like ‘I Want You Back,’, ‘Dancing Machine’, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I’ll Be There’ in 1970. Jackson 5 remained with Motown till 1975, while Jackson’s solo career started in 1972. In 1976, Jackson 5, now re-branded as the Jacksons, switched to Epic Records.

Jackson’s childhood was difficult, and had a heavy influence on his life. His father was a very strict disciplinarian, and though Michael later attributed his success to the strict singing practice conducted by his father, it also had a demoralizing effect on the budding entertainer’s mindset. He suffered from various psychological issues, including chronic and persistent sleep problems, due to his childhood.

Solo Career

Collaboration with quincy jones.

Michael first met his future producer, Quincy Jones, on the sets of The Wiz , a musical version of The WIzard of Oz starring an all-African American cast. Despite his later success as a musician, Jackson was an actor in this film; he played Scarecrow.

Jones was influential in Jackson’s most famous release, Thriller , in 1982. This record-busting album is reputed to have sold more than 60 million copies, though certified sales only indicate about 42.4 million. It is the highest-selling album in music history, and established Michael as the King of Pop, a moniker that has now very much become his own. 7 singles from the album reached the top 10 in the Billboard Top 100 chart, which is a joint record. The music video of ‘Billie Jean’ is among the most watched music videos of all time, and received regular airtime, consolidating the reputation of the nascent MTV in the process. It was also one of the very first music videos by a black artist to receive such consistent airtime, and one of the first to become equally popular across the racial divide. His success, aided by the furious efforts of CBS Music directors to get MTV to broadcast a black artist’s song, paved the way for future African American artists to receive as much airtime as white artists.

Quincy Jones first collaborated with Michael in 1979 on the album Off the Wall , a legendary production in its own right. Selling more than 20 million copies, it is also one of the best-selling albums of all time. With the success of Off the Wall , Jackson was able to secure the highest royalty rate in the music world: a whopping 37% of the album’s profits, which later equated to almost USD 2 for each copy!

Five years after Thriller , Jackson released his final album with Jones, Bad , in 1987. It was hugely popular, reputedly selling more than 30 million copies. Though it didn’t outsell Thriller , it bested it in one important aspect: five singles from Bad reached the top spot in the Billboard Top 100, which was the first time this feat had been achieved by a single album. It also became the first album to reach the top spot in 25 countries. The Bad world tour, held from September 1988-January 1989, broke multiple records of attendance in various countries; the 570,000-strong people that watched him in Japan were almost three times the previous record in the country, and his seven sellout shows in Wembley Stadium London, totaling a crowd of 504,000 people, broke a Guinness World Record. In total, he performed 123 shows on this world tour, reaching out to 4.4 million people in the process.

One of the most famous images in the world, and the one most associated with Michael Jackson, is the fantastic ‘moonwalk’. It was first performed by him in public on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever , a 1983 TV special commemorating the 25 th year of the popular music production company, Motown Records.

Michael at first declined the invitation, due to his reluctance to rejoin his brothers for a mini-reunion of the Jacksons, but was persuaded by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, on the condition that Michael be allotted a solo slot in addition to the group gig.

According to some, Jackson only practiced the moonwalk once at his home before brandishing it on air. The iconic movement, where the performer appears to slide backwards while apparently walking forward, was not created by Jackson, but spread like wildfire after it was popularized by one of the premier artists of the time. It was performed during the song ‘Billie Jean’, and became a staple in Jackson’s subsequent live performances. This performance rocketed Jackson onto new heights of fame. In the words of Berry Gordy himself,

From the first beat of Billie Jean, I was mesmerized, and when he did his iconic moonwalk, I was shocked, it was magic, Michael Jackson went into orbit, and never came down.

In 1985, Jackson co-wrote We Are The World with Lionel Richie, for humanitarian purposes primarily in Africa. The song became one of the bestselling singles of all time.

Jackson didn’t relent his pursuit of musical innovation and success, with his album Dangerous selling more than 20 million certified copies. The album contained one of Jackson’s most famous songs, Black or White . This album was notable as the first Jackson album to feature a rapper, as well as one of the pioneering works in the new jack swing genre.

The Dangerous world tour, starting in June 1992 and ending 17 months later in November 1993, drew 3.5 million listeners in 70 concerts. HBO bagged the broadcast rights of the world tour for USD 20 million―a still-intact record.

In January 1993, Jackson also performed at the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. His performance, where he sang four songs, was the first halftime show to have more viewers than the match in progress!

HIStory: Past, Present and Future , released in 1995, went straight to the number one slot in several countries. It contained a compilation of MJ’s hit singles, and also featured the lavishly made science-fiction video ‘Scream’. The second single, ‘You Are Not Alone’, surpassed the success of ‘Scream’ by becoming the first ever song to debut at the top spot in the Billboard Top 100. ‘Earth Song’, the third single released from this album, reached the top position and became MJ’s most successful single in the UK. ‘Earth Song’ gave a strong message to the viewers, as it addressed issues related to the environment and poverty. This album was reissued in 2001 as Greatest Hits: HIStory Volume I along with a second installment, HIStory Continues , and became the best-selling double album in history, with more than 20 million copies sold. The HIStory world tour, conducted between September 1996 and October 1997, included 82 concerts for a total audience of 4.5 million.

By Jackson’s astronomical standards, his only original album in the 2000s, Invincible , was not extremely popular. Having said that, it still managed to sell 13 million copies, in spite of being released at a time of a general slump in the music industry, without an accompanying world tour, and with very little promotion.

Solo Discography

Got to Be There (1972) Ben (1972) Music & Me (1973) Forever, Michael (1975) Off the Wall (1979) Thriller (1982) Bad (1987) Dangerous (1991) HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995) Invincible (2001)

Controversies

Due to his fame, Michael Jackson’s life was always under the microscope. His complicated personality and various long-standing psychological issues meant that he was never far from a controversy. He faced multiple child sexual abuse allegations, as well as general rumors about his mental health. His close association with his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, in particular, spawned worldwide mocking and parody.

Despite his success and influential role as a black musician, Jackson faced widespread rumors that he had repeatedly bleached his skin in order to achieve a lighter complexion―an action that was criticized roundly. He stated that he had vitiligo, an idiopathic condition that brings about a lighter skin, but can also be caused due to chemical bleaching of the skin.

He also underwent two rhinoplasty operations in order to make his nose successively thinner. One of the procedures did not pan out as hoped, and he suffered from breathing issues as a result.

Around the time of the release of Thriller , Jackson suffered from anorexia nervosa, and lost a considerable amount of weight in order to gain a “dancer’s body”.

Child Sexual Abuse Allegations

Michael faced allegations of child sexual abuse twice in his life. The first time was in 1993, when 13-year-old Jordan Chandler accused him of sexual abuse at Michael’s estate, Neverland. Despite conflicting evidence and doubts over Jordan’s father’s intentions in pursuing the case (there was some evidence which hinted that the boy’s father was primarily interested in blackmailing Jackson, rather than fighting for justice for his son), the case was settled out of court by Michael’s insurance company, without having notified him.

Following the depiction of certain encounters in Martin Bashir’s controversial documentary Living with Michael Jackson , Jackson was arrested on charges of child molestation. He was acquitted on all counts on June 13, 2005, and subsequently relocated to Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdulla, son of the King of Bahrain. Jackson, asserting his innocence, later claimed that Bashir had deliberately portrayed him in a negative light.

Despite the absence of a conviction in either of the cases, Jackson’s reputation has been considerably tarnished by these allegations.

Marriages and Children

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of ‘The King’ Elvis Presley, in 1994. Their acquaintance went back to 1975, but they got close after the renewal of their friendship due to Michael’s ongoing struggles with the child abuse allegations. Presley, who believed steadfastly in Michael’s innocence, married him secretly in 1994.

The marriage, claimed by tabloids to have been a publicity stunt (in spite of the initial secrecy about it) to help Michael’s image as a good-natured family man, lasted less than two years, though Presley later stated that they had reconnected and broken up several times in the next few years.

Jackson married Deborah Rowe, his dermatologist’s nurse, in 1996, during the early stages of the HIStory world tour. She was about six months pregnant at the time, and gave birth to Jackson’s first child, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., on February 13, 1997. Their second child, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, was born on April 3, 1998. Jackson and Rowe divorced in 1999, with Jackson getting full custody of their children.

Jackson had a third child from a surrogate mother on February 21, 2002. He was named Prince Michael Jackson II. He became the center of a controversy in his early days, when Jackson held him aloft in his room’s balcony in the Adlon Hotel in Berlin, in order to allow the gathered public to see him better. The baby dangled beyond the railing, an action which invited widespread criticism for Michael, who later apologized profusely.

This great entertainer died a controversial and mysterious death on his bed in a rented mansion in Los Angeles, on June 25, 2009. The news of his death caused a huge upsurge in internet usage, causing several prominent websites, including Google, Wikipedia, and Twitter, to crash due to user overload.

His death was mysterious, with suspicions of homicide, a drug-induced accidental death or suicide, or some malice on the part of his personal physician, who prescribed his daily medication. The physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and completed a two-year sentence in 2013.

Michael Jackson’s contribution to the world of pop and dance are irreplaceable and irrevocable. This legend’s music has a strong hold on all the music lovers over the globe. It is, therefore, not a surprise that we have his records playing in clubs even today, and wannabes still trying to perfect the moonwalk.

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Michael Joseph Jackson (1958 - 2009)

Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. He was known as the "King of Pop" and is widely regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. [1]

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29th, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the son of Joseph Walter Jackson (1928-2018) and Katherine Scruse . [2] [3] He grew up with five brothers and three sisters, all of whom became singers and entertainers. [3]

The oldest five Jackson brothers first gained a following as the pop band The Jackson 5 , with youngest brother Randy later replacing Jermaine . Their first hit was "I Want You Back" in 1969. Michael began a solo career in 1971 and became one of the most successful artists of all time, earning the moniker "The King of Pop", best known for his album "Thriller", which was certified platinum 28 times. Some of his accomplishments include: [3] [4]

• Sold more than 750 million albums
• 8 platinum or multi-platinum albums
• 13 number one singles
• 13 Grammy Awards
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, among other Halls of Fame
• American Music Awards' Artist of the Century

He later faced accusations of child molestation (although he was never convicted) and speculation about plastic surgery and an expensive, eccentric lifestyle. [3]

Michael married twice. He first married Lisa Marie Presley , the daughter of Elvis Presley, on May 26th, 1994 in La Vega in the Dominican Republic. They divorced in 1996. [5] Michael's second wife was Debbie Rowe . They had two children. Michael also had a third child via a surrogate mother. [3]

Michael died on June 25th, 2009 in Los Angeles at the age of 50. [3] [2] He was interred in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. [6] His death was later ruled a homicide, and his doctor was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his role in using an anesthetic in "a reckless, obscene manner," to help Michael sleep, which led to his death. [7]

• ↑ Wikipedia: Michael Jackson
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch ( https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQMF-F2D  : accessed 12 Jan 2023), Michael Joseph Jackson, 25 Jun 2009; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Brooks Barns, "A Star Idolized and Haunted, Michael Jackson Dies at 50," The New York Times, 25 Jun 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/arts/music/26jackson.html ; archived at the Wayback Machine .
• ↑ Eric Ditzian, "Michael Jackson's Groundbreaking Career, By The Numbers," MTV, 26 Jun 2009, https://www.mtv.com/news/0ths0k/michael-jacksons-groundbreaking-career-by-the-numbers  : accessed 12 Jan 2023.
• ↑ Matthew McCann Fenton, "Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley wed," Entertainment Weekly, updated 30 May 2001, https://ew.com/article/2001/05/30/michael-jackson-and-lisa-marie-presley-wed/  : accessed 13 Jan 2023.
• ↑ Find a Grave, database and images ( https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38746353/michael-jackson : accessed 12 January 2023), memorial page for Michael Jackson (29 Aug 1958–25 Jun 2009), Find A Grave: Memorial #38746353 , citing Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.
• ↑ Alan Duke, "Conrad Murray sentenced to four years behind bars," CNN, 30 Nov 2011, https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/29/justice/california-conrad-murray-sentencing/index.html  : accessed 13 Jan 2023.
• IMDb - Michael Jackson
• Artist's website
• Discography of Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson Biography

Michael Jackson, the legendary King of Pop, revolutionized the music industry with his extraordinary talent and passion for music. His chart-topping hits and mesmerizing performances captivated audiences worldwide, earning him numerous accolades and the title of the most successful entertainer of all time. Not only did he redefine pop and rock music, but he also left an indelible mark on dance, introducing iconic styles like the moonwalk and the Robot. With his angelic voice and unparalleled dance moves, Michael Jackson will forever be remembered as a global icon in popular culture.

Quick Facts

• Nick Name: Wacko Jacko, The Gloved One
• Also Known As: Michael Joseph Jackson
• Died At Age: 50
• Spouse/Ex-: Debbie Rowe (m. 1996; div. 1999), Lisa Marie Presley (m. 1994; div. 1996)
• Father: Joseph Jackson
• Mother: Katherine Jackson
• Siblings: Brandon Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Randy Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, Tito Jackson
• Children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., Paris Jackson, Prince Michael Jackson II
• Born Country: United States
• Quotes By Michael Jackson
• African American Singers
• Height: 5’9″ (175 cm), 5’9″ Males
• Died on: June 25, 2009
• Place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States
• Personality: ISFP
• Cause of Death: Drug Overdose
• City: Gary, Indiana
• U.S. State: Indiana, African-American From Indiana
• Founder/Co-Founder: Heal the World Foundation

Childhood & Early Life

Michael Jackson was born in an African-American working-class family. He was the eighth of ten children of Joseph Walter “Joe” Jackson and Katherine Esther Scruse. His father worked as a steel mill worker, while his mother was a sincere Jehovah’s Witness. From a very young age, he was a music lover and started as a backup musician before becoming the lead singer of the family band, the Jackson 5.

The Jackson 5 started touring the Midwest and released their first single, ‘Big Boy’, in 1967. However, it failed to interest the audience. In 1968, they signed a contract with Motown Records and released their first album, ‘Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5’, in the following year. Their first single, ‘I Want You Back’, became a chartbuster and was followed by other bestsellers like ‘ABC’, ‘The Love You Save’, and ‘I’ll Be There’.

In addition to his work with the band, Michael Jackson also launched his solo career. His first solo single, ‘Got to Be There’, was a success and established his reputation as a solo artist. The Jackson 5 band withdrew its association with Motown Records in 1975 and signed with Epic Records under a new name, ‘the Jacksons’. From 1976 to 1984, the band toured internationally and released six new albums. Michael Jackson became a leading songwriter for the group, writing numerous hits.

Meanwhile, he also released his solo album ‘Off the Wall’ in 1979, in association with Quincy Jones. The album was a tremendous hit and generated four U.S. top 10 hits. His desire to make a bigger impact led to the release of the album ‘Thriller’ in 1982. It became the best-selling album of all time worldwide, selling 65 million copies and achieving Double Diamond status in the US.

In 1983, he reunited with his brothers for a live performance and showcased his signature dance style, the moonwalk, while singing ‘Billie Jean’. In 1985, he co-wrote ‘We Are the World’, which became the best-selling single of all time. He continued to release successful albums like ‘Bad’ in 1987 and ‘Dangerous’ in 1991.

Major Works

Michael Jackson’s eight albums have sold a total of 1 billion units worldwide and earned him $750 million in his lifetime. Five of his albums are among the world’s best-selling records. ‘Thriller’ is the biggest-selling album of all time, with reported sales of 65 million units.

Awards & Achievements

Michael Jackson received numerous awards, including 31 Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy Awards, Grammy Legend Award, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, and 18 World Music Awards. He was inducted into the Hollywood Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Dance Hall of Fame.

Family, Personal Life & Legacy

Michael Jackson married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was with Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, in 1994, but they divorced in 1996. He then married his long-time friend Deborah Jeanne Rowe, a dermatology nurse, in 1997. They had two children together, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, before separating in 1999. He also had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, from a surrogate mother through artificial insemination.

Michael Jackson passed away unexpectedly on June 25, 2009, following a cardiac arrest due to a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011. A televised memorial was held in his honor, and memorials and statues were constructed all over the world.

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Michael Jackson, the King of Pop Essay (Biography)

Michael Joseph Jackson is the most popular person in the world of music. Being called the King of Popular music, Michael Jackson not only was popular, he managed to contribute to the development of the pop music, he was a person who directed all other singers in his trend.

The life and career of Michael Jackson was not that easy as it may seem as to achieve such success Michael Jackson had to work hard which in combination with his constant plastic operations and stressful working schedule influenced his health. Here were a lot of different situations and events in the life of this person which sharpened his career, however, the release of his first solo album “Thriller” and accusation in child sexual abuse may be selected as the most effected ones.

To begin with, it should be stated that the whole professional life of Michael Jackson may be divided into several periods, early life of Michael Jackson as a part of The Jackson 5 team (1958–1981), solo career which started with the release of the Thriller (1982–83), business career started with Pepsi contract (1984–85), appearance and Bad (1986–90), Dangerous (1991–93), child sexual abuse (1993–2005) and This Is It (2006–09).

These are the most general and the most important periods of Michael Jackson’s life. It is important to notice that being the most general categorization, the time periods mentioned above comprise too many other events which deserve mentioning. Dwelling upon the biography of Michael Jackson, he time periods mentioned above are going to be discussed in detail with a special notice of the events that shaped the musician’s career.

The early life of Michael Jackson as a part of The Jackson 5 team started with the family music project where Michael Jackson performed the role of a singer and dancer. The team comprised five brothers whose performances were held in different places and for various occasions. Being a part of this team, Michael Jackson got many useful acquaintances and when he tried his solo career, he was noticed.

His first attempts to present his music as a separate singer were met with success. Many well known producers were ready to work with Michael Jackson. Feeling he problems in the success of the team performances, Michael Jackson makes a decision to start a solo career. The encouraging event which supported such opinion was the receiving of the Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984 for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Michael Jackson composed.

The solo career which started with the release of the Thriller was considered as the breaking point in Michael Jackson’s professional work. Being ranked as the top album, many singles were put at the top positions of the best music charts. The Thriller album is the starting point for the music of Michael Jackson and his great success.

“The Girl Is Mine”, “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, “Human Nature”, “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”, “Thriller”, “Baby Be Mine”, and “The Lady in My Life” were nine singles which are still remembered. This album made Michael Jackson a famous person all over the world, as well as one of the richest ones who managed to sell millions of albums within the shortest period of time. This is the time when Michael Jackson became the King.

Michael Jackson’s business career started with Pepsi contract, still the first attempt cannot be called successful. However, a singer continued the business career. It is possible to notice the chnage4s in the appearance of Michael Jackson. Being a colored boy, the appearance of a singer became to change in 1980s.

Some people support those changes, other consider them as inappropriate. This very period in life of a legend is connected with the release of the studio album Bad which was not that important as the Thriller , but was also successful. The release of the album Dangerous was another stage in Jackson’s life. This album was as successful as the previous one.

The next stages in the life of Michael Jackson were not so successful as the previous ones. Being accused in child sexual abuse twice, Michael Jackson close himself in one of his houses. He remained there for some time without having a desire to communicate with the press (Glaister 8). Working under the new album, Michael Jackson wanted to be useful to others, he tried to organize a concert in support to those who suffered from tornado.

However, many singers and bands refused to take part in that performance. It was a very difficult period in the life of a singer (King 3). Those people who were with Michael refused from him, he could not create new acquaintances as the news about his sexual interest was delivered all over the world.

In 2009 a singer decided to ignore dissatisfaction and to give several concerts. Unexpectedly, the demand on the tickets was so great that the concert organizers had to increase the number of the concerts (Mcshane 1). But everything was canceled because of the singer death. This Is It performance was released in a form of a movie about the King of Pop music.

Works Cited

Glaister, Dan. “Michael Jackson sexually abused boy at Neverland ranch, court told.” The Guardian 2005, 8. Print.

King, Deborah “Michael Jackson and Sexual Abuse.” Psychology Today 2009, 3. Print.

Mcshane, Larry. “Sex abuse charges plagued, tarnished Michael Jackson’s career.” Daily News 2009, 1. Print.

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All About Michael Jackson's Mom, Katherine Jackson

Michael Jackson's mom Katherine has continued remembering him since his death in 2009

Jacqueline Weiss is a contributing writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work has previously appeared in Food & Wine, Insider and Apartment Therapy.

Justin Sullivan/Getty

Katherine Jackson is a mother to 10 children with her late husband Joe Jackson , including musicians Michael Jackson , Janet Jackson and members of The Jackson 5.

In his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk , Michael opened up about how his mom made him and each of his siblings feel special. According to the late singer, Katherine paid careful attention to their interests and found ways to encourage their ambitions.

"Every child thinks their mother is the greatest mother in the world, but we Jacksons never lost that feeling," he wrote. "Because of Katherine's gentleness, warmth and attention, I can't imagine what it's like to grow up without a mother's love."

Michael continued, “The lessons she taught us were invaluable. Kindness, love, and consideration for other people headed her list.”

Soon after the “Bad” singer died on June 25, 2009, of acute propofol intoxication, his mother was granted custody of his three children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (known as Prince), Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II (previously known as Blanket, now Bigi).

“Out of all the people in Michael’s life, I think Michael adored his children more than anything else. And they adored him,” Katherine told Dateline in 2010.

So who is Michael Jackson’s mother? Here’s everything to know about Katherine Jackson, from her early life to raising musical superstars.

She grew up in Indiana

Katherine was born as Kattie B. Screws on May 4, 1930, in Clayton, Alabama, to parents Prince Albert and Martha Screws. As a child, she contracted polio, leading her to walk with a limp for the rest of her life.

When she was 4, her father changed his last name from Screws to Scruse, and his daughter was renamed Katherine Esther Scruse. Her family moved to East Chicago, Indiana, where she attended Washington High School and was a member of the school band.

She met Joe in 1947

Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

Katherine met Joseph “Joe” Jackson, her future husband and a fellow resident of East Chicago, Indiana, at a party, according to The New York Times . He reportedly filed for an annulment from his first marriage, and the pair began to date, tying the knot on Nov. 5, 1949.

After getting married, they bought a small house in Gary, Indiana, at 2300 Jackson Street, about 15 minutes from East Chicago. Though the couple stayed married until Joe died in 2018, their union had its ups and downs.

She filed for divorce in March 1973 but dismissed the filing. During their marriage, Joe reportedly had a 25-year-long affair with a woman named Cheryl Terrell and she gave birth to their daughter, Joh’Vonnie Jackson, in August 1974.

A handful of years later, Katherine filed for divorce again in 1982 but rescinded the papers.

Despite rumors of being estranged through the later years of their marriage, Katherine and Joe remained married until his death on June 27, 2018, due to terminal pancreatic cancer .

“We want to thank you all for the support you have shown us as we grieve for the patriarch of our family. We mourn the loss of our father and celebrate the life of a man who sacrificed so much to give us the life and success we have today. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this time,” the family said in a joint statement.

She is a mother of 10

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Katherine and Joe had three daughters and seven sons together between 1950 and 1966.

A year after they wed, Katherine gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Maureen Reillette “Rebbie,” on May 29, 1950. The couple's first son, Sigmund Esco “Jackie,” was then born on May 4, 1951. Katherine and Joe expanded their family again with the addition of another son, Toriano Adaryll “Tito," who arrived on Oct. 15, 1953.

Not too long after, the pair celebrated the birth of their son Jermaine La Jaune on Dec. 11, 1954, and less than two years later, their daughter LaToya Yvonne joined the family on May 29, 1956.

Twins Marlon David and Brandon David arrived two months premature on March 12, 1957, though Brandon sadly died shortly after he was born. The following year, on Aug. 29, Michael Joseph was born.

Steven Randall “Randy” arrived on Oct. 29, 1961, and is the only brother in the family not to be a founding member of The Jackson 5. Katherine and Joe’s tenth child is daughter Janet Damita Jo , born on May 16, 1966.

Joe was known to be stern with his children , which some of them have publicly discussed, including LaToya in her 1991 memoir and Michael in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey .

In a rare sit-down interview with Winfrey in 2010 after Michael’s death, Joe answered questions about how he disciplined their children. Though he didn't agree with the word "beat," he said that he "whipped" them.

"You might as well admit it, that's the way Black people raised their children," Katherine said to her husband before adding, "He used a strap."

When asked if he regretted his past actions, Joe said, “I don’t. It kept them out of jail and kept them right.”

She encouraged Michael's love of singing

Aaron Lambert-Pool/Getty

While Joe was determined to have their family’s talent recognized, Michael said it was Katherine’s own talent that inspired him to keep striving for success. Although she didn't get to sing and play instruments for an audience because of a past health condition, Michael wanted to carry on that dream for her.

“My mother knew her polio was not a curse but a test that God gave her to triumph over, and she instilled in me a love of Him that I will always have,” he wrote in his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk . “She taught me that my talent for singing and dancing was as much God’s work as a beautiful sunset or storm that left snow for children to play in.”

Michael also recounted a brief conversation he had with Ed Sullivan when The Jackson 5 performed on the late-night show in 1970. According to the late performer, the host told him, “Never forget where your talent came from, that your talent is a gift from God.”

Though a young Michael appreciated his words, Katherine had shared a similar sentiment with him all his life. “I was grateful for his kindness, but I could have told him that my mother had never let me forget," he added.

In his book, the “Billie Jean” vocalist also revealed that it was his mom who convinced Joe to let him join the band as a backup singer and bongo player.

She is an author

Katherine’s autobiography, My Family, the Jacksons , was released in January 1990 and was co-written by Richard Wiseman.

The book details Katherine's life, what it was like raising her family and her account of witnessing The Jackson 5's rise to fame. The matriarch also delves into stories about Michael's successful solo career, Janet following in her siblings' musical footsteps and much more.

Her second book, Never Can Say Goodbye: The Katherine Jackson Story , is a coffee table book filled with photos and personal memories of Michael and her children, released in 2010.

“It brought back a lot of memories and then it brought back a lot of tears, but all in all, I had fun writing it,” she told Dateline of the project.

She is a grandmother and great-grandmother

Lester Cohen/WireImage

Between her nine children who lived to adulthood, Katherine has 26 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, with many of them following the family business of joining the music and entertainment industries.

Of her many grandkids, the most famous are Michael’s three children: Prince , Paris and Bigi .

Following the Thriller singer’s death in 2009 , a settlement was reached between Katherine and Debbie Rowe , the mother of Prince and Paris, regarding their care. She was granted custody of her grandchildren as their permanent guardian, with Rowe receiving visitation rights and continued spousal support.

A few years later, Katherine was suspended as the kids' guardian when she went to Arizona on her own without notice and her family reported her as missing in 2012. Shortly after, she was located and reinstated as a co-guardian with her son Tito, per The Hollywood Reporter .

The mother and son looked over Prince, Paris and Bigi's well-being until Katherine resigned as co-guardian for Bigi in 2017. By that point, Michael's youngest child was 15 years old and Tito was named Bigi's sole guardian.

Earlier that year, he thanked his grandma and uncle for always looking out for him and his siblings, calling Katherine "incredible," per ABC News .

She is in an estate dispute with her grandson Bigi

Kevin Winter/Getty ; Ethan Miller/Getty

In March 2024, Katherine’s grandson Bigi took her to court, asking Michael’s estate not to fund her ongoing legal battle against the executors. According to court filings obtained by PEOPLE , Katherine is involved in a disagreement over a “recent transaction,” the details of which haven’t been disclosed to the public.

Although Katherine and Bigi both initially opposed the estate’s proposed transaction — which appears to be the estimated $600 million catalog sale of Michael’s work to Sony — a judge ruled that the deal could proceed last year. Bigi and his siblings accepted the court’s decision, but Katherine filed for an appeal.

Now, Bigi argues that her request to have the estate pay her legal bills for the appeal would be “unfair.”

"It is readily apparent that a reversal on appeal would be an extreme longshot,” lawyers wrote on his behalf. “Given those odds, Bigi decided not to waste his resources to participate in an appeal. Nonetheless, Katherine has decided to appeal this court’s ruling. That decision is not for the benefit of the heirs.”