Michael Jackson 💌

BIRTHNAME Michael Joseph Jackson

BORN August 29, 1958 (Gary, Indiana, U.S.)

OTHER NAMES MJ The King of Pop

OCCUPATION Singer Dancer Musician Music producer Writer Entertainer Singer-songwriter Choreographer Record producer Recording artist Poet Lyricist Composer Arranger Businessman Humanitarian Philanthropist Actor

Pop Soul R&B Dance-pop Funk Post-disco Disco Rock New jack swing

INSTRUMENTS Vocals

GENDER Male

HAIR COLOR Black

EYE COLOR Brown

SKIN COLOR Brown, later pale due to Vitiligo

PARENTS Joe Jackson (father; deceased) Katherine Jackson (mother)

SIBLINGS Rebbie Jackson (sister) Jackie Jackson (brother) Tito Jackson (brother) Jermaine Jackson (brother) La Toya Jackson (sister) Marlon Jackson (brother) Brandon Jackson (brother; deceased) Randy Jackson (brother) Janet Jackson (sister) Joh'Vonnie Jackson (half-sister)

I’ve been in the entertainment industry since I was 6 years old. As Charles Dickens says, ‘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 Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009), also commonly known by his initials MJ, was an American singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, record producer, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century as well as one of the most significant musicians of all time. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion made him a global figure in popular culture. Michael influenced artists across many music genres; through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves such as the Moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot. His music videos, including those for "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an artform and promotional tool. Outside of music, Michael was respected for his humanitarian work. Michael is the most successful musician from the Jackson family, alongside his sister Janet.

The eighth child of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, Michael 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 when Michael's younger brother Randy joined the group). Between 1972 and 1975, Michael released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown while still a member of the Jackson 5: Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Music & Me (1973) and Forever, Michael (1975). He joined Epic Records in 1975 and became a solo star with his 1979 album Off the Wall, which was a significant departure from Michael's previous work for Motown and was hailed as a major breakthrough for him. The album made Michael the first solo artist to have four singles from the same album reach the top 10 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Retrospective reviews for Off the Wall have hailed it as a landmark release of the disco era.

Michael achieved the peak of his critical success after the release of his 1982 album Thriller, which became the best-selling album of all time with sales of 70 million copies worldwide, and gave Michael an unprecedented level of cultural significance for a black American, becoming the most popular entertainer in the world in the early and mid-1980s. Thriller also set a record for the most top 10 singles from an album, after all seven of its singles reached the top 10, with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" reaching number one. Michael's 1987 album Bad, one of the most anticipated albums of its time, was also hugely successful and became the first album to produce five number-one singles. Michael continued his success with the albums Dangerous (1991) and HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995). His final studio album, Invincible (2001), was his most critically derided album, although retrospective reviews have been more positive. Outside of music, Michael was respected for his humanitarian work; he was estimated to have donated over $500 million to charity over the course of his life. He received various awards and accolades for his philanthropic work, including two bestowed by US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.

From the late 1980s, Michael 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 friendly hater. The lawsuit was settled out of civil court; Michael 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 Michael in either case. In 2009, while preparing for a series of comeback concerts, This Is It, Michael died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication after suffering cardiac arrest. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughte

Michael's death triggered reactions around the world, creating unprecedented surges of internet traffic and a spike in sales of his music. His televised memorial service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was estimated to have been viewed by more than 2.5 billion people.

The first of many posthumous Michael-related projects, Michael Jackson's This Is It, compiled from rehearsal footage of the aborted shows, was released shortly after his death. In the years following his death, Michael would see renewed critical and public popularity, though the child molestation accusations would still float around here and there in the public consciousness. This would eventually culminate in the release of the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which went into detail about two new allegations against him. It was released with renewed interest; however, it was still incredibly controversial. Some public figures and many fans heavily criticized and denounced the documentary, saying it was significantly one-sided and full of lies and factual errors. Regardless of its accuracy, Leaving Neverland prompted a second public reevaluation of Michael's life and legacy. A biopic film about his life and approved by his family, titled Michael, is set for release in 2025. He is set to be portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson (one of Jermaine's children).

Michael was estimated sales to have sold over 400 million records worldwide. He had 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era) and was the first artist to have a top-ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades. He is regarded by the RIAA as the highest-selling individual music artist of all time worldwide. Michael is the most awarded musician in history, his honors include 15 Grammy Awards, 6 Brit Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and 39 Guinness World Records, including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time". Michael'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 (the only recording artist to be inducted), and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana at 7:33 PM of August 29, 1958, the fifth son of Joseph and Katherine Jackson. His mother was a Jehovah's Witness and his father a former boxer turned steelworker who played guitar on the side. Harboring aspirations of musical stardom, Joe shepherded his sons into a musical act around 1962. At that point, it was just the three eldest children - Tito, Jackie, and Jermaine - but Michael joined them in 1964 alongside his brother Marlon, and soon dominated the group. |-| 1964-1973=

Michael became the epicenter of the Jackson 5 as they earned accolades at local talent shows and went on to play soul clubs throughout the Midwest, working their way toward the East Coast in 1967 where they won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater. Returning to Gary, the group cut a pair of singles for the local imprint Steeltown Records in 1968 - "Big Boy," "We Don't Have to Be Over 21" - but their big break arrived when they opened for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicago's Regal Theater. Impressed, Taylor brought them to the attention of Berry Gordy, Jr., who signed the group to Motown Records in March 1969 and then sent them out to Los Angeles, where he helped mastermind their national launch.

"I Want You Back," a song written and produced by Motown's new crew the Corporation, saw release in October 1969 when Michael was just 11 years old. By January 1970, "I Want You Back" rocketed 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. Two more hits followed - "ABC" and "The Love You Save" both exuberant bubblegum soul - before "I'll Be There" revealed Michael's facility with ballads. All three of these sequels went to number one and, striking while the iron was hot, Motown spun Michael off into 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).

Not long afterward, the careers of both Michael and the Jackson 5 slowed, victims of shifting tastes, adolescence, and creative battles with their label. One last hit for Motown arrived in 1974 - "Dancing Machine," a single that brought the group in line with the disco explosion - before the group departed Motown for Epic Records in 1976. With the new label came a new name, along with a slight lineup change: Jermaine stayed at Motown to pursue a solo career and younger brother Randy took his place. Following a pair of albums produced by Philly soul mainstays Gamble & Huff, Michael emerged as the group's creative director on 1978's Destiny, co-writing their 1979 smash "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" with Randy. By that point, Michael had already made a considerable solo impression by starring as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, the 1978 musical adaptation of Broadway show of the same name. Working on the soundtrack - a record highlighted by his duet with Diana Ross on "Ease on Down the Road" - he met producer Quincy Jones, a titan of jazz and pop in the '50s and '60s who had yet to score a smash in the '70s. The pair hit it off and decided to work on Michael's next solo endeavor, but first the Jackson 5 released Destiny, which raised the profile of both the band and Michael himself.

In 1979, gone was Jackson's afro, as he switched to the now-iconic curls. During a show with the Jacksons, Michael broke his nose on-stage, due to which he had to undergo his first rhinoplasty procedure.

In August, the artist released his first studio album under Epic Records, Off the Wall, which definitively established Michael Jackson as a force of his own. Collaborating with producer Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton, Michael 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 four on the Billboard 200, selling millions of copies as it raked in awards, but losing the grand prize of Album of the Year at the Grammys, leaving Michael with the lingering impression that he needed to cross over into the pop mainstream with greater force. Before he could do that, he had to complete one more Jackson 5 album: 1980s Triumph, a record with three hit singles ("Lovely One," "This Place Hotel," "Can You Feel It") whose title seemed to allude to Michael's solo success and certainly benefitted from his heightened stardom.

After Triumph, Michael reunited with producer Jones and songwriter Temperton to create the sequel to Off the Wall, crafting a record that deliberately hit every mark in the musical mainstream. Paul McCartney was brought in to underscore Michael's soft rock leanings, Eddie Van Halen pushed Michael into metallic hard rock, and the remainder of the album glided from disco to pop to soul in an effortless display of his range. "The Girl Is Mine," the first single from Thriller, didn't suggest its adventure - Michael played it safe by releasing the McCartney duet as the album's lead - but the second single, "Billie Jean," forged ahead into new, unnamable territory. "Billie Jean" was a pop explosion, topping the charts in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. Some of its success can no doubt be credited to its striking music video, the first to break the fledgling MTV's then-unspoken racial barrier; after Michael, the network began playing more Black acts. Some of the single's success is due to his sensational performance on Motown's 25th anniversary special (Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever) in 1983, a performance aired on May 16, 1983 where Michael unveiled his signature Moonwalk dance - a move that made it appear as if he was gliding backward - and announced himself to the world as a mature talent. "Beat It" accompanied by an equally cinematic video, turned into an equally huge smash on MTV and helped push Thriller into the stratosphere. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" "Human Nature" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" kept Thriller at number one and its last single was an extravaganza, with Michael letting director John Landis turn the song into a short musical horror film. By the time the album wrapped up its two-year run on the charts, it had racked up 37 weeks at number one and sold 29 million copies, becoming the biggest-selling album ever.

Even as Thriller was something of a pop perpetual motion machine, selling records of its own accord, Michael worked hard. He once again teamed with Paul McCartney, singing "Say Say Say" for McCartney's 1983 album Pipes of Peace, and he reunited with the Jacksons for 1984's Victory, supporting the album with an international tour. Prior to its launch, Michael suffered a serious accident while filming a Pepsi commercial designed to accompany the tour. During the shoot, pyrotechnics burned Michael's head, sending him to the hospital with second-degree burns to his scalp; as he recovered, he was introduced to pain killers for the first time. In the aftermath, Jackson would also begin wearing hair extensions, and eventually wigs, as to cover and hide his burns. In December, during the final show of the Victory Tour, Michael announced he'd be leaving the Jacksons.

Michael 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. |-| 1986-1989=

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, because of surgeries he underwent through the years (in result of both breathing issues and unsatisfaction with his appearance), it all ultimately led media to pick up on Jackson's changing looks, continuously mocking him, coming up with different speculations and conspiracy theories about him for many years to come.

Working once again with Quincy Jones, Michael 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 and 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 Michael Michael's career. The Bad World Tour broke records across the globe and in its wake, Michael's friend Elizabeth Taylor dubbed Michael "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, Michael returned to his new home - a Santa Ynez ranch that he purchased in March 1988 and renamed Neverland.

Michael began works on his next release in June of 1989. He set to work on his next album, Decade, later re-titled into Dangerous. He renewed his deal with Sony - the corporation that purchased Epic/CBS - in 1991. This time, he decided to part ways with Quincy Jones, choosing to work with a variety of collaborators, chief among them Teddy Riley, who helped usher Michael into the realm of new jack swing, a music genre Teddy 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, marking an important moment in history of not only the artist, but Super Bowl halftime shows in general. The performance was watched by 133.4 million people, making it one of the most watched events in America's history.

Michael's skin became completely pale, which only prompted tabloids to further spread false rumors regarding the artist. The public began accusing 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 visit the Neverland Ranch pretty often throughout the months prior. The allegations deeply affected Jackson's mental health, leading to his addiction to pain killers. These caused the singer's physical health to decline, eventually being forced to cancel the ongoing concert tour on November 11, as he was left physically and emotionally exhausted.[2] Michael then headed towards a drug rehabilitation program. He was forced to deal with multiple lawsuits during that year as well, such as one filed by the Chandler family and those regarding supposed "plagiarism" in "The Girl is Mine" and "Dangerous".[3][4] The latter were eventually won by Jackson, although the Chandlers case was still persistent.

Around the time, Jackson had also converted to Christianity, celebrating his first Christmas in 1993 (as shown in Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies).

In January 1994, Jackson finally settled out of court for the Evan Chandler case as not only was his physical health in too bad of a condition to endure a lengthy trial, but he also didn't want the lawsuit to interfere with his career. He later regretted this decision.[5] The drama had a long-lasting effect on Jackson's career, even to this day. He was now a subject of mixed opinions from the general public. Additionally, multiple companies backed out of deals with Michael, including those who collaborated with him for years e.g. Pepsi.

May 1994 saw Michael marry Lisa Marie Presley - Elvis Presley's daughter. The two became very public with their relationship, making multiple appearances together through the upcoming months. In 1995, Jackson went on to reboot 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, aided in part by the lengthy accompanying global tour.

By 1996, Jackson and Presley divorced, having their marriage last only 19 months. Following the separation, Michael married his nurse, Debbie Rowe who would soon become the mother of his children: Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. Meanwhile, in May the King of Pop would embark on HIStory World Tour - his third and final concert tour, which would finish 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.

At the same time, Michael followed HIStory with 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.

Over the next couple of years, Michael raised his children and performed at charitable events, starting to work on a musical comeback at the time planned for 1999, but ultimately delayed. Conflicts between Jackson and Sony Music also arose concerning management and rights to his songs. This would continue into the new millennium with the label trying to sabotage the King of Pop leaving them. In April 2000, Jackson and Rowe divorced, giving full custody rights of Prince and Paris to the artist. In 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 refused to tour for Invincible, which only added to the conflict between him and his label.

In February 2002, Jackson had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (at the time dubbed "Blanket"). In July, Sony abruptly cut the promotion for Invincible. Furious, the artist began protesting against the company and its CEO, Tommy Mottola, who he accused of racism, calling him "the devil". Jackson decided to leave Sony Music while owning half of their publishing, stating he only "owes" them one more release. Only a day after Michael's public statement regarding the protest, 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.[6]

In February of 2003, accusations against Jackson once again became a topic of discussion. This time, such revolved around Gavin Arvizo; a boy who was seen around the artist in the Living with Michael Jackson documentary released earlier that month. 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", previously unreleased from Invincible. On the same day, Jackson was in Las Vegas shooting a music video for the new song. However, the production had to be stopped due to the Neverland Ranch being raided by the police. Michael was arrested on November 20. After eventually being released, the singer once again faced court in April of 2004, but pleaded not guilty on April 30. The King of Pop still had to deal with the allegations however, as a year later he would have to face a trial regarding all 14 charges against him. The event would be dubbed People v. Jackson and begin on January 31, 2005 and last for 4 months and 2 weeks. Through the process, Michael's mental and physical health began to visibly worsen. At one point, he experienced severe back pain, lung pain, and even began coughing blood.[7] On June 13, 2005 Michael Jackson was acquitted of all charges, as it was decided he was ultimately found not guilty.

After what became the most soul crushing time of his life, Jackson became isolated, developing trust issues, showing signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive disorder-like behavior.[8] Michael also began to struggle financially. As reported, the artist faced a bunch of lawsuits and was deeply in debt, owing around $400-500 million.[9]

Following the trial, Jackson closed the Neverland Ranch to save up money, and never returned to it. Instead, he roamed around while looking for new places to live. For eleven months, him and his kids moved to Bahrain - an island country in West Asia - thanks to Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa who the artist formed a close friendship with after winning the trial. In May of 2006 Jackson traveled to Ireland to work on new music with a Black Eyed Peas member, will.i.am, and never came back.[10]

As Michael made more public appearances post-trial, the media also began spreading that the singer became, as headlines referred to him, a "flop", suggesting he was only a shadow of his former self, especially after giving a very limited performance of "We Are the World" at the World Music Awards in 2006.[11] In December he would return to the United States and move to Las Vegas, where he lived for the next two years.

In 2007, Jackson kept on quietly making new music and attended award shows. In September he'd infamously participate in what's now known as his last ever photoshoot for the L’Uomo Vogue and Ebony magazines. To start off 2008, Michael put out his first major release since 2001, Thriller 25 - a 25th anniversary reissue of the biggest-selling album of all time. The record featured modernized remakes of Jackson's classic hits, for which help of will.i.am, Akon and Ye was used. In Summer, talks began with a music entertainment presenter, AEG Live about a new concert tour. Meanwhile, Jackson had also hired a private medical doctor, Conrad Murray who had previously treated Paris. As of December, Michael and his family had moved to a rented mansion in Los Angeles.