Home » Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

by Abbey
Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson (born August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, U.S.—died June 25, 2009, Los Angeles, California) was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer who was the most popular entertainer in the world in the early and mid-1980s. Reared in Gary, Indiana, in one of the most acclaimed musical families of the rock era, Michael Jackson was the youngest and most talented of five brothers whom his father, Joseph, shaped into a dazzling group of child stars known as the Jackson 5. In addition to Michael, the members of the Jackson 5 were Jackie Jackson (byname of Sigmund Jackson; b. May 4, 1951, Gary), Tito Jackson (byname of Toriano Jackson; b. October 15, 1953, Gary), Jermaine Jackson (b. December 11, 1954, Gary), and Marlon Jackson (b. March 12, 1957, Gary).Michael Jackson

The Jackson 5

Motown Records president Berry Gordy, Jr., was impressed with the group and signed them in 1969. Sporting the loudest fashions, the largest Afros, the snappiest choreography, and a youthful, soulful exuberance, the Jackson 5 became an immediate success. They scored four consecutive number one pop hits with “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There” in 1970. With Michael topping the pop charts as a solo performer with “Ben” and reaching number two with “Rockin’ Robin,” and with the Jackson 5 producing trendsetting dance tracks such as “Dancing Machine,” the family’s string of hits for Motown lasted through 1975. As Michael matured, his voice changed, family tensions arose, and a contract standoff ensued. The group finally broke with Motown, moving to Epic Records as the Jacksons. Jermaine remained at Motown as a solo performer and was replaced by his youngest brother, Randy Jackson (in full Steven Randall Jackson; b. October 29, 1961). As a recording act, the Jacksons enjoyed consistent success through 1984, and their sister Janet Jackson embarked on her own singing career in the early 1980s; however, Michael’s solo albums took on an entirely different status. Michael Jackson

The “King of Pop”

Off the Wall (1979), Jackson’s debut solo album for Epic, shattered all records and became the year’s best-selling album (selling over 20 million copies). Produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, Off the Wall produced the huge worldwide hits “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You,” which both benefited from the current disco dance craze and highlighted Michael’s upbeat approach. Three years later, he made a comeback with his second joint project with Jones, “Thriller,” a blockbuster tour de force that brought him to the attention of millions of people worldwide.Thriller achieved a great deal: it became the best-selling album in history by selling over 40 million copies, breaking records with eight Grammys, and staying on the charts for over two years. In the fall of 1982, the album’s lead single, “The Girl Is Mine,” a carefree duet with Paul McCartney, peaked at number one on the rhythm-and-blues charts and number two on the pop charts. Pop charts were topped by the thrilling dance track “Billie Jean,” which served as the inspiration for Michael Jackson’s signature “moonwalk” dance, and “Beat It,” which included a wild guitar solo by renowned musician Eddie Van Halen. Additionally, “Beat It” assisted in dismantling the fictitious walls that separated Black and White musicians on the radio and in the newly popular television format of music videos. Michael Jackson

By 1984 Jackson was renowned worldwide as the “King of Pop.” His much anticipated Victory reunion tour with his brothers was one of the most popular concert events of 1984. In 1985 Jackson and Lionel Richie cowrote “We Are the World,” the signature single for USA for Africa, an all-star project aimed at famine relief. Further solo albums—Bad (1987), which produced five chart-topping hits (among them the title song and “Man in the Mirror”), and Dangerous (1991), much of which was produced by New Jack Swing sensation Teddy Riley—solidified Jackson’s dominance of pop music. In 2001 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the Jackson 5 were inducted in 1997. Michael Jackson

Child molestation accusations, financial difficulties, and death

Jackson’s strange, reclusive way of living became more and more contentious in the early 1990s. When a 13-year-old boy he had been friends with accused him of child molestation in 1993, his reputation was severely tarnished; the civil suit was settled out of court. Jackson wed Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley’s daughter, in secret in 1994, but their union lasted for less than two years. Jackson soon after got remarried, and although this marriage also ended in divorce, it did produce kids. Even though he continued to be a global celebrity, his reputation in the US was never fully restored, and it took a further hit in November 2003 after he was taken into custody and accused of child abuse. Actor Macaulay Cuklin was called to testify in Jackson’s defense during the ensuing trial. Cuklin had met Jackson when he was nine years old and the two had become friends. Culkin claimed that their shared experiences of dealing with celebrity at an early age and having controlling fathers caused them to become close. Culkin insisted that he had never had any improper interactions with Jackson. In 2005, following a 14-week trial that turned into a kind of media circus, Jackson was found not guilty. Michael Jackson

In the wake of these events, Jackson suffered a financial collapse that resulted in the sale of many of his considerable assets, including, ultimately, his lavish Neverland ranch. He was preparing for a series of high-profile concerts he hoped would spark a comeback when he died suddenly of cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009—prompting a widespread outpouring of grief from his fans that culminated in a memorial celebration of his life and legacy on July 7 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, featuring tributes by friends and luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy, Jr., Brooke Shields, and Al Sharpton. In August 2009 the coroner ruled Jackson’s death a homicide; the cause was a lethal combination of sedatives and propofol, an anesthetic. In November 2011 Jackson’s personal physician was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Michael Jackson

The documentary film This Is It, which drew from more than 100 hours of footage compiled during rehearsals for Jackson’s scheduled 50-concert comeback engagement in London, premiered in October 2009. Also in 2009 Jackson’s 14-minute music video “Thriller” (1983), directed by John Landis, was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress—the first music video to be so honoured. Later documentaries included Leaving Neverland (2019), which centres on two men who allege that Jackson sexually abused them when they were children.

You may also like