Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s personality was defined by a stark contrast between his quiet, vulnerable offstage demeanor and his electrifying, fiercely driven persona as an entertainer. He was characterized by deep empathy, a childlike wonder, relentless perfectionism, and a constant desire to escape into a world of fantasy. Core Personality Traits Painfully Shy yet Fiercely Driven: In private, Jackson was soft-spoken, sensitive, and notoriously shy. However, once he stepped on stage, he transformed into a dominant, magnetic, and completely commanding force. Relentless Perfectionist: He possessed an obsessive, "insane" work ethic. He was deeply involved in every granular detail of his music, choreography, and short films, constantly pushing himself to surpass his own benchmarks. Deeply Empathetic & Charitable: His sensitive nature translated into immense compassion. He held the Guinness World Record for supporting the most charitable organizations, frequently visiting children's hospitals and championing humanitarian causes. Childlike & Playful: Having lost his early years to a demanding schedule and strict upbringing, he retained a youthful, innocent worldview. He loved Disney, had a passion for pranks, and found profound joy in playfulness. Escapist & Visionary: He famously referred to himself as a "fantasy fanatic". He built his life around a magical, whimsical aesthetic—most notably his Neverland Ranch—which allowed him to cultivate a safe haven away from the harsh realities of public life. For a closer look at how his complex and highly criticized childhood shaped his identity and drove his legendary perfectionism

1958-1964: Early life

Michael Joseph Jackson was born as the eighth child of Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958, at 7:33 PM. His mother, a Jehovah's Witness, played clarinet, cello, and piano, and had aspirations as a country-and-western performer. She also worked part-time at Sears. His father, a former boxer, worked as a crane operator at US Steel, and was also a guitarist for local rhythm and blues band the Falcons. Jackson grew up with three sisters (Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet) and five brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy). A sixth brother, Marlon's twin Brandon, died shortly after his birth.

1964-1973: Beginnings & The Jackson 5 Around 1962, Joe was harboring aspirations of musical stardom, so he shepherded his sons into a band, named the "Jackson Brothers". At that point, it was just Tito, Jackie, and Jermaine, but eventually, Jackson and his older brother, Marlon, joined them in 1964, as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson said his father physically and emotionally abused him during rehearsals; he recalled Joe often sitting in a chair with a belt in his hand, prepared to punish any mistakes made. Joe acknowledged that he regularly whipped Jackson, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon, however, denied that their father was abusive and said that the whippings, which had a deeper impact on Jackson because he was younger, kept them disciplined and out of trouble. Jackson also said that during he was lonely and isolated in his youth days.

In 1965, Jackson began sharing lead vocals with Jermaine, and around the same time, the group name was changed to The Jackson 5. The group won a talent show in the same year; Jackson performed the dance to Robert Parker's 1965 song "Barefootin'" and sang the Temptations' "My Girl". From 1966 to 1968, The Jackson 5 toured the Midwest, frequently playing 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. In August 1967, while touring the East Coast, they won a weekly amateur night concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Returning to Gary, The Jackson 5 released a pair of singles for the local imprint Steeltown Records in 1968 - "Big Boy" and "We Don't Have to Be Over 21 ( To Fall in Love)" - but their big break arrived when they opened for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicago's Regal Theater. Impressed, Taylor (who produced some of The Jackson's early Motown recordings, including a cover of "Who's Lovin' You") brought them to the attention of Berry Gordy, who signed the group to his record label, Motown, in March 1969, and then sent them out to Los Angeles, where he helped mastermind their national launch.

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". The Jackson 5 made their first television appearance in 1969 in the Miss Black America pageant, performing a cover of "It's Your Thing". Rolling Stone later described the young Jackson as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts" who "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer".

"I Want You Back," a song written and produced the newly formed group, The Corporation, was released in October 1969 when Jackson was just 11 years old. By January 1970, "I Want You Back", breezed to number one on both the pop and R&B charts, and the Jackson 5 became a sensation, crossing over from R&B to AM pop radio with ease. It also became the first Jackson 5 song to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; it stayed there for four weeks. Three more hits followed - "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There", all of which, topped the charts. Motown also decided to make Michael a solo act. His first solo single, "Got to Be There," arrived at the end of 1971, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100, and then a cover of Bobby Day's chestnut "Rockin' Robin" peaked at two in early 1972. Later that year, "Ben," the title theme ballad to an exploitation movie about a pet rat, earned Jackson his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (although he would lose).

1974-1977: Leaving Motown

Not long afterward, the careers of both Jackson and The Jackson 5 slowed. The brothers were victims of shifting tastes and adolescence. They were also frustrated by Motown's refusal to allow them creative input.

In 1974, the last Motown single would arrive - "Dancing Machine," a single that brought the group in line with the disco explosion, with a performance on Soul Train introducing the now-popular robot dance, which Jackson would perform.

In 1975, The Jackson 5 announced they they'd be leaving Motown, due to a lack of freedom and creative input. They officially left the label in earlyu 1976, signing with Epic Records shortly after. The band also changed their name to The Jacksons, with Jermaine staying with Motown due to two reasons: he wanted to pursue a solo career, and had married Gordy's daughter Hazel. As a result, Randy, the youngest brother, took his place. Gamble & Huff produced the first two albums by The Jacksons: the self-titled album (1976) and Goin' Places (1977).

In 1977, Jackson moved to New York City to star as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, a musical film directed by Sidney Lumet, which was a box-office failure. During his time in New York, Jackson frequently visited the Studio 54 nightclub, where he heard early hip hop; this influenced his beatboxing on future tracks such as "Workin' Day and Night". Working on the soundtrack - a record highlighted by his duet with Diana Ross on "Ease on Down the Road" - he met famed producer Quincy Jones, who had helped produce multiple hits in the 1950s and '60s. The pair decided to work on Jackson's next solo endeavor.

1978-1980: Off the Wall

In 1978, Destiny, the third album by The Jacksons, was released, with Jackson emerging as the group's creative director. One of the hits from the album, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", was written by Jackson and his younger brother Randy. In 1979, Jackson cut his afro, and switched to the now-iconic curls. During a show with The Jacksons, he broke his nose while performing, due to which he had to undergo his first rhinoplasty procedure.

In August, Jackson released his first studio album under Epic, Off the Wall, which definitively established him as a force of his own. Collaborating with Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton, Jackson consciously attempted to appeal to multiple audiences with Off the Wall, turning the album into a dazzling showcase of all his different sounds and skills. Anchored by a pair of number one hits - the incandescent "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You" - the record turned into a smash, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200, and evenutally selling 20 million copies. The album did rake in awards, but lost the grand prize of Album of the Year at the Grammys, leaving Jackson with the lingering impression that he needed to cross over into the pop mainstream with greater force.[9] Also in August, Jackson wanted to be the biggest and wealthiest star in show business, so he hired John Branca to be his manager. In 1980, Jackson worked with his brothers on the fourth studio album by The Jacksons - Triumph, which had three hit singles ("Lovely One," "This Place Hotel," "Can You Feel It"). The album's title seemed to allude to Jackson's solo success, certainly benefitting from his heightened stardom.

1981-1984: Thriller After Triumph, Jackson reunited with Jones and Temperton to create Off the Wall's sequel, a record that deliberately hit every mark in the musical mainstream. In 1981, Jackson and Jones began working on multiple songs for the future album at Hayvenhurst, creating songs like "Billie Jean". In the same year, Jackson was featured alongside James Ingram on Jones' song "The Dude", from the latter's album of the same name. On April 14, 1982, the album, named Thriller, started production at Westlake Recording Studios. During these sessions, some artists were brought in as features: Paul McCartney was brought in to sing with Jackson in "The Girl Is Mine", and Eddie Van Halen was brought in to record a solo for "Beat It". Vincent Price was also brought in to record a spoken piece, written by Temperton, for the title track.[19] Around the same time, Jackson recorded "Someone in the Dark", for the soundtrack album, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which was intended for the science fiction film of the same name. Production continued until November 8, and 28 days later, Thriller was officially released. The album become a instant sucess, topping the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks, going in the top 10 of said chart for 80 consecutive weeks, and helping Jackson tranform into a dominant force in the global pop scene. It also eventually became the best-selling US album of all time, and the best-selling album in history worldwide, selling an estimated 70 million copies. Thriller produced seven singles, all of them going on to become top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and two of them peaking at #1.

The first single from Thriller was "The Girl Is Mine". It made the impression that the album didn't suggest its adventure, though this was just Jackson playing it safe by releasing the McCartney duet. The second single on the other hand, "Billie Jean", forged ahead into new, unnamable territory. It was a absolute sucess, topping the charts in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. It was also one of the two songs that was #1 in the Billboard Hot 100. Some of its success can undoubtedly be credited to its striking music video, the first to break the fledgling MTV's then-unspoken racial barrier. Following "Billie Jean" was "Beat It", the other song that went #1 in the Billboard Hot 100. It was accompanied by an equally cinematic video, turned into an equally huge smash on MTV and helped push Thriller into the stratosphere. The next three singles: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin''" "Human Nature" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", kept Thriller at number one with its last single, the title track, being a huge sucess also, mostly due to the short film, Michael Jackson's Thriller.

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 among other Motown stars. Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean" is where he debuted his signature moonwalk dance, which Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years earlier. Jackson had originally turned down the invitation to the show, believing he had been doing too much television. However, Gordy insisted that Jackson should perform, in exchange for an opportunity to do a solo performance. Evenutally, Jackson gave in at Gordy's request. His performance was heavily praised, with Gordy specifically being "mesmerized" by the performance.

At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, Jackson received the most award nominations in a single night, with 12 (later tied by Babyface). He evenutally won 8 of them, breaking the record for most wins in a single night (later tied by Santana). Thriller received the most album nominations, with 13, and won 8 awards. Jackson won seven awards related to the album. At the 11th Annual American Music Awards, Jackson won another eight awards and became the youngest artist to win the Award of Merit. On December 2, 1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller was released, helping Thriller double it's sales.

In November 1983, Jackson and his brothers partnered with PepsiCo in a $5 million promotional deal that broke records for a celebrity endorsement. 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 "Billie Jean", with revised lyrics, as its jingle

On January 27, 1984, Jackson and his brothers filmed a Pepsi commercial, overseen by Phil Dusenberry and Alan Pottasch, 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. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated the $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California.

Jackson toured with his brothers later in the same year, with the Victory Tour. Multiple of Jackson's songs were included in the setlist, and was heard by two million Americans. It was the last tour he did with his brothers. However, the Victory Tour was shrouded by controversies, particularly the ticket sales for the concert. After said particular controversy, Jackson donated his share of the proceeds, an estimated $3 to 5 million, to charity. During the last concert of the Victory Tour at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Jackson announced during the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" performance, that he'd leave The Jacksons.

1985-1988: Bad Jackson earned accolades for his philanthropic work, especially his collaboration with Lionel Richie on the 1985 charity single "We Are the World," but along with these positive notes, wild stories began to circulate in the tabloids. Some further bad press accompanied his acquisition of the Lennon and McCartney songwriting catalog in 1985, a move that severed his partnership with Paul McCartney. Michael also flirted with becoming a movie star, working with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 3D film Captain EO, shown only at Disney's IMAX theaters starting in 1986. Once this appeared, he started work on the task of following up Thriller.

Due to vitiligo universalis - a skin condition Jackson dealt with for years - Michael's skin began to slowly pale overtime, despite it previously leaving spots only. Additionally, surgeries he underwent through the years (in result of breathing issues and unsatisfaction with his appearance) led media to pick up on Jackson's changing looks, continuously mocking him, making up different speculations and conspiracy theories about him for years to come.

Once again working with Jones, Jackson refined the Thriller template for 1987's Bad. Like Thriller, the first single was an adult contemporary number - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," a duet with then unknown Siedah Garrett - before it cranked out hits: "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror," and "Dirty Diana" all reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1987-1988, with "Another Part of Me" just missing the Top Ten and "Smooth Criminal" peaking at seven. Bad didn't dominate the charts in other countries but its singles reached the Top Ten internationally with some regularity, aided in part with a globe-spanning tour - the first solo tour of Jackson's career. The Bad World Tour broke records across the globe and in its wake, Jackson's friend Elizabeth Taylor dubbed Jackson "The King of Pop," a nickname that was something of a retort to Elvis Presley being known as "The King of Rock & Roll." Once the tour wrapped up, Jackson returned to his new home - a Santa Ynez ranch that he purchased in March 1988 and renamed Neverland. At the time, Jackson had also abandoned the Church of Jehovah's Witness, and didn't follow any one religion afterward, although he still stayed very spiritual.

1989-1993: Dangerous

In June 1989, Jackson began works on his next album, Decade, later re-titled into Dangerous. He renewed his deal with Sony - the corporation that purchased Epic/CBS - in 1991. Michael decided to part ways with Quincy Jones, choosing to work with a variety of different collaborators, chief among them Teddy Riley, who helped usher Michael into the realm of new jack swing, a music genre Riley himself is known as a pioneer of. "Black or White," the album's first video, caused some controversy, which helped generate initial press and sales and sent the single to number one. "Remember the Time" and "In the Closet" also made it into the Billboard Top Ten in early 1992, but subsequent singles "Jam" and "Heal the World" stalled in the low 20s, while "Who Is It" made it to 14. Dangerous became what's considered Jackson's most exciting release. In June 1992, the King of Pop would launch his second solo world tour, Dangerous World Tour. The concerts helped him gain $253.23 million in barely a year. On January 31, 1993 Jackson performed at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California for the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show. The show was watched by 133.4 million people, making it one of the most watched events in America's history.

As vitiligo patches further spread through his body, Michael became completely pale, which prompted tabloids to spread more false rumors on him. The public's view on Jackson changed overtime, as many accused him of racism, and supposedly making himself look pale on purpose. He spoke out against the claims in February 1993 during the Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah television special, revealing to the public for the first time, that for many years he's been struggling with Vitiligo.

In August, Michael became a target of child sexual abuse accusations from Evan Chandler, the father of Jordan Chandler who would often visit the Neverland Ranch throughout the months prior. The allegations deeply affected Jackson's mental health, and with it his physical health as well, further worsening his addiction to pain killers. Michael was eventually forced to cancel the ongoing concert tour on November 11, as he was left physically and emotionally exhausted. Soon after, he headed towards a drug rehabilitation program. Jackson had to deal with multiple lawsuits during that year as well, such as one filed by the Chandler family for "emotional distress due to negligence", and those regarding supposed "plagiarism" in "The Girl Is Mine" and "Dangerous". The latter were eventually won by Jackson, although the Chandlers case still persisted.

1994-1997: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I

In January 1994, Jackson settled out of court for the Chandler case. He later stated he regretted this decision. The accusations left a long-lasting effect on Jackson's career, even to this day. He was now a subject of mixed opinions from the general public, and multiple companies backed out of deals with Michael, including those who collaborated with him for years e.g. Pepsi.

In May, Michael married Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie. They became very public with their relationship, making multiple appearances together through the upcoming months. In 1995, Jackson revived his career with HIStory: Past, Present & Future, Book I, a double-disc set divided into an album of hits and an album of new material. Preceded by a double-A-sided single containing the ballad "Childhood" and "Scream", a duet with his sister Janet, the album underperformed compared to its predecessors but still generated big hits, highlighted by "You Are Not Alone," the first single to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The subsequent singles "They Don't Care About Us" and "Stranger in Moscow" underperformed in the U.S. but were Top Ten singles in the U.K., and HIStory also did well in other global international markets.

By 1996, Jackson and Presley had divorced, and their marriage lasted only 19 months. Following the separation, Michael married his nurse, Debbie Rowe who soon gave birth to his children: Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. In May, the King of Pop embarked on his third and final concert tour, the HIStory World Tour, which finished a little over a year later. It became the highest grossing solo tour of 1990s, and the most attended concert tour by a solo artist. In February 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix; a remix album that topped the U.K. charts but only reached 24 in the U.S.

1997-2002: Invincible

Over the next couple of years, Michael continued raising his children, and performed at charitable events, while also working on a musical comeback. A conflict between him and Sony Music arose as well. concerning management and rights to his music. In April 2000, Jackson and Rowe divorced, and the artist was given full custody rights of Prince and Paris. The following year, Michael was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo act (the Jackson 5 had previously been inducted) and staged two major 30th Anniversary Celebration concerts in September to kick off the promo campaign for his new album, Invincible. Produced in large part by Rodney Jerkins, Invincible consciously evoked Off the Wall with its single "You Rock My World," which reached ten prior to the album's October release. Invincible entered the charts at number one in the U.S. and U.K., but it didn't have staying power and never generated another hit single. Michael also decided not to tour for Invincible, which only added to the conflict between him and the record label.

In February 2002, Jackson had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (first dubbed "Blanket", later changed to "Bigi"). In July, Sony abruptly cut the promotion for Invincible. Furious, Michael began protesting against the company and its CEO, Tommy Mottola, who he accused of racism, and claimed to be "devilish" in a public statement. Jackson decided to leave Sony Music while owning half of their publishing, stating he only "owes" them one more release. Only a day later, he signed his last will, leaving his estate to a family trust, and naming his mother (Diana Ross if the former was incapacitated or died) the legal guardian of his three children and beneficiary of the trust.

2003-2005: People v. Jackson

In February 2003, Jackson's image was further hurt after holding hands with the 13 year old Gavin Arvizo in a televised documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson, released earlier that month. They were investigated shortly after, but it was decided any claims were unfounded. On November 18, Sony released the first-ever single-disc collection of Michael's peak, Number Ones. The compilation featured a new single, "One More Chance". On the same day, Jackson was shooting a music video for it in Las Vegas. The production had to be stopped as the Neverland Ranch was raided by the police, and Michael was arrested on November 20. A month later, he was charged on multiple counts, and was set to face court in April 2004.

After being released, Jackson released a statement saying he was mistreated by the police, although the California attorney general's office denied his claims. He pleaded not guilty in court on April 30, but still had to face a trial regarding all fourteen charges against him. It began on January 31, 2005 and lasted for 4 months and 2 weeks. Through the process, Michael's mental and physical health began to visibly worsen, and at one point, he experienced severe back pain, lung pain, and began coughing blood. On June 13, 2005 Michael Jackson was acquitted of all charges, as it was decided he was ultimately found not guilty.

2005-2008: Post-trial

After fully regaining his freedom, Jackson became isolated and developed trust issues, showing signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive disorder-like behavior. He also began to struggle financially, as Jackson still faced multiple lawsuits and was deeply in debt, owing around $400-500 million.

Jackson closed the Neverland Ranch to save up money, and never returned to it. Instead, on June 29, 2005, he and his children moved to Bahrain in West Asia for eleven months. In May 2006, Jackson left Bahrain for Ireland, and began working on new music with the Black Eyed Peas member, will.i.am.[35] This led to a lawsuit from Bahrain's prince, Sheikh Abdullah to pay legal fees, which was settled out of court.

Shortly after leaving Bahrain, Jackson began to make more public appearances at award ceremonies. Notably, on November 16, 2006, he was presented with the Diamond Award by Beyoncé, followed by a short performance of "We Are the World" at the 18th Annual World Music Awards, which reviews claimed to have been underwhelming.[36] In December 2006, Jackson returned to the United States and moved to Las Vegas, where he lived for the next two years.

In 2007, Jackson continued quietly working on new music, and made a couple appearances at award ceremonies. In September 2007, he infamously participated in his final photoshoot for L'Uomo Vogue and Ebony magazines. In February 2008, Jackson revealed his first major release since 2001, the 25th anniversary reissue of Thriller. It featured contemporized mixes of the album tracks, produced by will.i.am, Akon and Ye (then known as Kanye West). To cover his debts, Jackson began talks with music entertainment presenter, AEG Live about performing on stage again. In December, Jackson and his children moved to a rented mansion in Los Angeles.

2009: This Is It & death

On March 5, 2009, Jackson made a public announcement of a concert residency, titled This Is It, which would take place at the O2 Arena in London in July 2009-March 2010.

Main article: MJ11 Shortly before the rehearsals began, Jackson continued works on a new album with record producer Neff-U, Brad Buxer, and sound engineer Michael Prince. He was keen on releasing singles periodically and then compiling them into a new record. The production for most of the considered tracks was never completed, and no track listing was made.

Jackson suffered from insomnia, and reportedly had troubles with sleep for sixty days. He was being treated by Dr. Conrad Murray (who had previously treated Jackson's daughter Paris), who would administer him a dose of the anesthetic propofol each night. In the midst of the preparations for This Is It, Jackson's co-workers began to raise concerns regarding the way he looked, acted, and missed a lot of rehearsals. Murray stopped administering him propofol out of worry for Jackson, but had eventually gave in to his continuous requests after struggling to sleep. On the afternoon of June 25, 2009, he accidentally gave Jackson a lethal dose of the drug. In the following minutes, he collapsed at home. After Murray failed to perform CPR on Jackson, he was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center. Michael Jackson was pronounced dead of a cardiac arrest at the age of 50.

An extensive investigation later named his death a homicide due to prescription drugs; Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. On July 7, a televised memorial service was held at the Staples Center, where Jackson's family and friends said their goodbyes. His private burial took place on September 3, 2009, and Michael Jackson was laid to rest at Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery.

2009: Public reaction & Michael Jackson's This Is It Despite their declining respect for him in past years due to the sexual abuse accusations, the public mourned Jackson's death and gave multiple tributes. On July 1, 2009, the Michael Jackson Estate was launched, co-executed by John Branca and John McClain. On October 26, 2009, a documentary film concerning the concert rehearsals, Michael Jackson's This Is It was released accompannied by a soundtrack album. The film holds the status of the highest grossing documentary film ever at the global box office and the second highest grossing concert movie in history.

2010-2015: Posthumous albums

Main article: Michael (album)/Eddie Cascio and James Porte tracks In December 2010, Epic Records released Jackson's first posthumous album, Michael, which featured a collection of contemporized outtakes from his final years. The record was surrounded by controversies regarding the authenticity of vocals featured on three of the album tracks written by Eddie Cascio and James Porte. The speculations later led to a lawsuit against the Michael Jackson Estate and Sony Music in 2014, which culminated in June 2022 with the removal of said songs from streaming services and any future re-releases of the album.[40]

In September 2012, an expanded 25th anniversary reissue of Bad was released. In the following year, Wade Robson filed a lawsuit against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures regarding supposed child sexual abuse accusations, despite having previously defended Jackson in 2005, and his overall loyalty for him over the years.

In May 2014, Epic Records released Jackson's second and final posthumous album, Xscape. The record consists of demos recorded by Jackson at different points of his life, contemporized by L.A. Reid and Timbaland. It was preceeded by the duet with Justin Timberlake "Love Never Felt So Good", which charted within the top ten in eighteen countries. In August 2014, following Robson's accusations, James Safechuck spoke up regarding supposed similar experiences of his, and joined Robson in court.

2016-2021: Leaving Neverland In February 2016, Epic Records released a deluxe reissue of Off the Wall, highlighted by an accompanying documentary directed by Spike Lee. Jackson's son, Prince launched the Heal Los Angeles Foundation, dedicated to his father and his philanthropy, which has stayed active ever since. In March 2016, Sony Music purchased half of their publishing back from Jackson's estate, previously owned by him for three decades. In September 2017, a loosely Halloween-themed compilation album Scream was released. Shortly after, it was announced Robson and Safechuck would release a documentary film against Jackson, titled Leaving Neverland, and directed by Dan Reed. The court dismissed their lawsuits for being "past the statute of limitations". In 2018, Jackson's daughter, Paris and Gabriel Glenn formed a music duo The Soundflowers, which soon dissolved and she began her solo music career.

Leaving Neverland was released by HBO in January 2019, and presented Robson and Safechuck detailing their alleged abuse. Its release, despite gaining mixed reviews from the general public, had a major effect on Jackson's legacy, as he received major media backlash. Jackson's organized protests, and created new documentaries against Leaving Neverland and the previous allegations, notably Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth or Square One: Michael Jackson (created with Jackson's newphew Taj). Jackson's estate filed a lawsuit against HBO for breaching a non-disparagement clause from a 1992 contract, which they won. In 2020, Safechuck went to court with the lawsuit, but was again dismissed. On April 26, 2021, Robson's lawsuit against Jackson's companies was again dismissed by the court.

2022-present: Michael

In May 2022, a 40th-anniversary double-CD reissue of Thriller was announced, and released in November. Similarly to Bad 25, it comprised of the original album, and a bonus disc containing outtakes from the original recording sessions. In January 2023, proper works began on a biographical film, Michael, starring Jackson's nephew, Jaafar. In August 2023, judges from another California appeals court disagreed with the judges who ruled in Jackson's favour two years prior, and allowed the case to move forward to a jury trial, set to take place in 2026.

Jackson's second son, Bigi wrote and directed his first film, Rochelles, released exclusively by Amazon Prime in February 2024. On February 9, 2024, half of Jackson's publishing and recorded masters catalog was purchased by Sony Music for $600 million. On February 20, 2025 an official sequel to Leaving Neverland, titled Surviving Michael Jackson was announced to be aired by UK's Channel 4 on March 18. Due to the lack of HBO's input following the earlier lawsuit, the documentary saw much less recognition from the general public and media, and did not perform as well as its predecessor. A third film was also confirmed to be released in the near future, focusing on the aforementioned, upcoming trial.

Main article: Michael (film) On April 24, 2026, Michael was released in theaters worldwide. The film details Jackson's experiences with his family and fame during the Thriller era. It received mixed reviews from movie critics, but acclaim from the audiences and fans. Shortly after its release, a sequel was confirmed to be in the works.

Main article: Philanthropy of Michael Jackson Michael Jackson is widely recognized as a prolific philanthropist and humanitarian. His early charitable efforts were acknowledged by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, which credited him with paving the way for modern celebrity philanthropy, while the Los Angeles Times noted that he set a new standard for generosity among entertainers.

Throughout his lifetime, Jackson is estimated to have donated over $500 million to various charitable causes, excluding inflation adjustments. In 1992, he founded the Heal the World Foundation, contributing several million dollars from his Dangerous World Tour to support global humanitarian efforts.

His philanthropy extended far beyond financial contributions. Jackson frequently performed at benefit concerts, some of which he organized himself. He donated concert tickets to underprivileged children, visited pediatric hospitals worldwide, and welcomed disadvantaged and ill children into his home, providing specialized care when necessary. Additionally, he contributed personal and professional memorabilia to charity auctions, further supporting various causes.

In recognition of his extensive humanitarian work, Jackson received numerous awards, including two honors from U.S. presidents. His philanthropic achievements are also acknowledged in the Guinness World Records, cementing his legacy as one of the most charitable figures in entertainment history.

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Michael Jackson Michael has been inducted 12 times into various music halls of fame, more than any other act. He is one of sixteen artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Other achievements include 13 Guinness World Records (more than any other artist and including the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time); 13 Grammy Awards, as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; 26 American Music Awards, more than any other artist and including recognition as Artist of the Century; 17 number-one singles in the United States (including 4 as a member of the Jackson 5) and over 780,000,000 record sales globally.

Main article: List of Michael Jackson records and achievements Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with over 110 million copies sold worldwide. Four of his other albums—Off the Wall, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (the best-selling double album by a solo artist)—also rank among the world's best-sellers, making him the artist with the most best-selling albums. Additionally, his 1997 remix album, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, holds the record as the best-selling remix album of all time.

Jackson is widely credited with transforming the music video from a simple promotional tool into a groundbreaking art form. His innovative videos for Billie Jean, Beat It, and Thriller redefined visual storytelling in music, with Thriller being recognized as the greatest music video of all time. It remains the only music video inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, ensuring its preservation for future generations.

As the first African American artist to achieve widespread crossover success on MTV, Jackson played a pivotal role in shaping the network's influence and the rise of cable television. His iconic dance moves, including the robot and the moonwalk, set new standards for performance artistry. His distinctive vocal style, musical innovation, and choreography continue to transcend generational, racial, and cultural boundaries. A scientific study also reported that Jackson's median fundamental frequency was 130 Hz, confirming the natural register of his speaking voice.

Main article: Cultural impact of Michael Jackson Michael is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th and 21st century and one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time. His achievements helped to complete the desegregation of popular music in the United States and introduced an era of multiculturalism and integration that future generations of artists followed. His influence extended to inspiring fashion trends and raising awareness for social causes around the world.

In the early 1980s, Michael became a dominant figure in popular culture and the first African-American entertainer to have a strong crossover fan base on music television. 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. The popularity of these videos helped bring the television channel MTV to fame. Michael's success at this time was credited with rescuing the music industry from its late-1970s recession, and revolutionizing it by initiating a marketing focus on blockbuster albums and video presentation.

Through his videos and live performances, Michael popularized street dances, particularly his signature move the moonwalk, and attracted a cult of impersonators throughout the world. With an aesthetic borrowed from the musical film tradition, the Thriller videos created a subindustry of choreographers as other pop artists sought to produce sophisticated dance-oriented promotional films.

In the 1980s, Michael's personal idiosyncrasies and changing appearance became the source of fascination for the tabloid media, a phenomenon furthered by the child abuse accusations leveled against him in 1993. These eccentricities and controversies inspired a wealth of pictures and other artworks exploring his public image, which were presented in the 2018 exhibition Michael Jackson: On the Wall at London's National Portrait Gallery.

Michael influenced a wide range of subjects, from celebrity studies to visual culture to gender and sexuality studies, and many more including ones not directly related to his profession. According to a study published in The Journal of Pan African Studies in 2010, his influence extended to academia, with references to the singer in literature concerning mass communications, psychology, medicine, engineering and chemistry.

Main article: 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)

Main article: Filmography The Wiz (Scarecrow, 1978) Captain EO (Captain EO, 1986) Moonwalker (Himself, 1988) Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls (Agent MJ, 2004)

Main article: Tours Bad World Tour (1987-1989) Dangerous World Tour (1992-1993) HIStory World Tour (1996-1997)

When Jackson died, he was 5’9 (175.3 cm). According to Harrison Funk, who was Jackson's photographer for many decades, "he didn’t overtly identify as one particular gender", but that "he became a strong man" in the sense of his image changing after becoming a father. For many years, Jackson continuously bashed the usage of the "Wacko Jacko" nickname the tabloids gave him. The nickname apparently has racist origins, and derives from Cockney slang for "monkey". Jackson famously commented on the nickname in the 1997 interview with Barbara Walters, saying "I'm not a Jacko! I'm Jackson. Wacko Jacko - where'd that come from? Some English tabloid. I have a heart and feelings, I feel that when you do it to me. It's not nice. Don't do it. I'm not a Wacko." According to Jackson's personal chef, he loved Mexican food. According to Paris, and the aforementioned chef, Jackson despised his own birthday, and hated "anybody acknowledging his birthday, wishing him a happy birthday, celebrating it, nothing like that". She also recalled, that he kept his birthday date a secret from his children, so they don't throw him a surprise birthday party. It's also important to acknowledge, that Jackson did organize birthday parties; including the 45th birthday party in 2003 where Jackson invited an impersonator, named Navi, to perform. In a 1999 interview with TV Guide, Jackson stated he wanted to "match Joe's [his father's] record" and have ten kids (including still born brother Brandon). Jackson strongly protected his children from paparazzi, often having them wear various masks to cover their faces when in public. Jackson owned multiple pets throughout his life, including a chimpanzee Bubbles, llamas Louie and Lola, and even an elephant called Gypsy, which was a gift from Elizabeth Taylor.

Louie was infamously brought into the recording studio multiple times, once even annoying Freddie Mercury, telling his manager, Jim Beach, "Miami, dear, can you get over here? You've got to get me out of here, I'm recording with a llama".Jackson also owned other exotic animals throughout his life, keeping such at the Neverland Ranch. These included alligators, which infamously had died in a fire at a zoo in Oklahoma on March 26, 2015. The tragedy was later explored in the 2020 Tiger King Netflix documentary series about the zoo's controversial owner, Joe Exotic, although excluding any mentions of the animals once being owned by Jackson. Jackson's favorite fictional character was Peter Pan, who he famously sympathized with, and had used imagery of a couple times. Jackson cited James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles (especially John Lennon), and Little Richard among his biggest inspirations.Jackson once recreated a scene from Chaplin's movie, The Kid, for a photoshoot shown on the artwork for the scrapped "Smile" single, a cover of a song by the actor. Jackson's signature ad-libs scattered throughout his songs, such as "Hee-hee", "Aow" or "Shamone" actually originate from other artists, e.g. "hee-hee" from his cousin, Stevie Wonder and "Shamone" from Mavis Staples, lead singer of the family band "The Staple Singers".The Moonwalk was also borrowed from other artists, originally being titled "The Buzz" or "The Backslide". Jackso nonly added his touches to it and popularized it. According to his autobiography Moonwalk, Jackson also learned the dance move only one night before performing for Motown 25. To this day, Jackson, is the youngest singer to top the Hot 100 chart, with "I Want You Back". Jackson holds the record for the most best-selling albums globally.He also has earned 39 Guinness World Records in total.

Jackson was very against making his unfinished work available to the public, as he always intended to provide the best quality content he could. His thoughts seem to have been disregarded by his estate however, which has now released four projects that include demos and other unreleased material. When in the recording booth, Jackson would often dance like he's performing on stage. Jackson was a big fan of movies and filmmaking. This fascination can be seen throughout short films like Michael Jackson's Thriller or Michael Jackson's Ghosts. It has been said, that Jackson wanted to delve into filmmaking after finishing the This Is It tour.Jacksonmade multiple cameos, or even starred in some movies. In 1978, Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in an adaptation of The Wiz musical. In 2002 he had a small cameo in Men in Black II, starring as Agent M. Finally, in 2004 Michael starred in a low-budget comedy movie, Miss Castaway & the Island Girls as Agent MJ. Jackson studied martial arts and had a black belt in karate. Jackson loved to draw. Some of his art was later featured in booklets attached to his albums, and according to art therapists, a lot of his drawings illustrated anxiety, depression and insecurity. Jackson was an art collector, from paintings to sculptures. Some of the artwork he made himself is worth $900 million. Jackson loved books and reading, finding it to be his escape, inspiration for music and his own personal philosophy. Some of Jackson's driving licenses can be found online; one originating from 1989 and another from 2005.

In 1992, during n the Dangerous World Tour, he was crowned "King Sani", a king of a village on the Ivory Coast, Africa. He was given the name "Michael Jackson Amalaman Anoh". He remained the king of the Ivory Coast 'til his passing in June 2009. The chief, Nana Amon N’Djafolk IV, requested for Jackson's body to be buried in the village, although it wasn't approved. However, a two-day ceremony was held in his memory, having over a thousand villagers attending. Jackson was planned to attend a meeting at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (only a day after the 30th Anniversary Celebration shows finished), just as the terrorist attacks happened, but ended up oversleeping. This was also recreated in the infamous 2004 Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story biopic. In his final years, Jackson was obsessed with Bobby Brown's hit single, "My Prerogative", and his guards (Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard) stated he'd often play the song on repeat. Looking into its themes, it was clear that it was a song Jackson could easily relate to. He was also considering recording a cover of the track, but he never got to do it. During his stay in Bahrain, rumors arose concerning Jackson having converted to Islam, although this was completely untrue, and Jackson stayed a Christian up until his death. Over the course of his career, Jackson met with over a thousand celebrities from across the world. On June 25, 2009 at approximately 3:15 pm, multiple online websites, including Google itself, crashed due to the amount of people searching for the news of Jackson's passing.On the day following Jackson's death, due to a glitch, Google's results would show the day of his passing was August 30, 2007. 2.4 billion people watched Jackson's televised memorial. 9 years after Jackson's death, his father Joe was buried at the same cemetery on July 2, 2018.

Even posthumously, Jackson is still in 100 most streamed artists on Spotify, having peaked at 36 with over 55,000,000 listeners in 2024 and at 21 with over 67.6 million on November 2025. In 2009, the Luna Society International named a moon crater after Jackson; "Michael Joseph Jackson". Multiple different wax statues of Jacksonare featured at Madame Tussauds museums. The 1984 incident while filming an advert for Pepsi was only hours after the exact mid-point of Jackson's lifetime.The medical center which treated his burns was re-named to "Michael Jackson Burn Center". Besides the upcoming Michael movie, multiple biopics were made based on Jackson's life. Most notable releases include the infamous Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story (starring Flex Alexander) and Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland (starring Navi). The former was released during Jackson's lifetime, who criticized it for "in no way shape or form representing who they [the Jackson family] are as a family".