Micheal jackson.. the wonder

Born Michael Joseph Jackson
August 29, 1958
Gary, Indiana , U.S.
Died June 25, 2009 (aged 50)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of
death
cardiac arrest
Other
names
Michael Joe Jackson
Net worth US $236 million (estimate as
of March 2007) [1]
Spouse(s) Lisa Marie Presley
(m. 1994–1996; divorced)
Deborah Jeanne Rowe
(m. 1996–1999; divorced)
Children Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr.
Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson
Prince Michael Jackson II
Parents Joseph Walter Jackson
Katherine Esther Scruse
Relatives Maureen Reillette Jackson
(sister)
Sigmund Esco Jackson
(brother)
Toriano Adaryll Jackson
(brother)
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson
(brother)
La Toya Yvonne Jackson
(sister)
Marlon David Jackson
(brother)
Steven Randall Jackson
(brother)
Janet Damita Jo Jackson
(sister)
Austin Brown (nephew)
Musical career
Genres Pop rock soul R&B funk
disco new jack swing
Occupations Recording artist dancer
producer actor businessman
philanthropist
Instrument
s
Vocals
Years
active
1964–2009
Labels Steeltown Motown Epic
Legacy MJJ Productions
Associated
acts
The Jackson 5
Michael Joseph Jackson [2][3] (August 29, 1958
– June 25, 2009) [4] was an American recording
artist, actor, producer, dancer, businessman,
and philanthropist. Often referred to by the
honorific nickname "The King of Pop ", [5][6] 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.
The eighth child of the Jackson family , he
debuted on the professional music scene along
with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5
in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In
the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant
figure in popular music . The music videos for
his songs, including those of "Beat It ", "Billie
Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with
breaking down racial barriers and with
transforming the medium into an art form and
promotional tool. The popularity of these videos
helped to bring the then-relatively-new
television channel MTV to fame. With videos
such as "Black or White " and "Scream", he
continued to innovate the medium throughout
the 1990s, as well as forging a reputation as a
touring solo artist. Through stage and video
performances, Jackson popularized a number of
complicated dance techniques, such as the
robot and the moonwalk , to which he gave the
name. His distinctive sound and style has
influenced numerous hip hop , post-disco ,
contemporary R&B , pop, and rock artists.
Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-
selling album of all time. His other albums,
including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987),
Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also
rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is
one of the few artists to have been inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He
was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame
as the first and only dancer from pop and rock
music. Some of his other achievements include
multiple Guinness World Records; 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, including the "Artist of the
Century" and "Artist of the 1980s"; 13
number-one singles in the United States in his
solo career, more than any other male artist in
the Hot 100 era; and the estimated sale of
over 400 million records worldwide. [7][8][9]
[Note 1] Jackson has won hundreds of awards,
making him the most-awarded recording artist
in the history of popular music. [10] In what
would have been Jackson's 52nd birthday on
August 29, 2010, he became the most
downloaded artist of all time. [11][12] Jackson
constantly traveled the world attending events
honoring his humanitarianism and the 2000
Guinness Book of Records recognized him for
supporting 39 charities. [13]
Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his
changing appearance, personal relationships ,
and behavior, generated controversy. In the
mid-1990s, he was accused of child sexual
abuse , but the case was settled out of court
for about $25 million and no formal charges
were brought. [14] In 2005, he was tried and
acquitted of further child sexual abuse
allegations and several other charges after
the jury found him not guilty on all counts.
While preparing for his comeback concert
series titled This Is It , Jackson died of acute
propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on
June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac
arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled
his death a homicide, and his personal
physician Conrad Murray was convicted of
involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death
triggered a global outpouring of grief and a
live broadcast of his public memorial service
was viewed around the world. [15]
Life and career
1958–75: Early life and The Jackson 5
Jackson's childhood home in Gary,
Indiana , showing floral tributes
after his death
Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958,
in Gary, Indiana . He was the eighth of ten
children in an African-American working-class
family who lived in a 3-room house in Gary, [16]
an industrial city near Chicago. His mother,
Katherine Esther Scruse , was a devout
Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph
Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker
who performed with an R&B band called The
Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie , La
Toya , and Janet , and five brothers: Jackie ,
Tito , Jermaine, Marlon , and Randy . [17] A sixth
brother, Brandon, who was a twin of older
brother Marlon, died shortly after birth. [18]
Jackson had a troubled relationship with his
father, Joe. [19][20] In 2003, Joe
acknowledged that he regularly whipped
Jackson as a boy. [21] Joe was also said to have
verbally abused his son, saying that he had a
"fat nose" on numerous occasions. [22] Jackson
stated that he was physically and emotionally
abused during incessant rehearsals, though he
also credited his father's strict discipline with
playing a large role in his success. [19] He first
spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an
interview with Oprah Winfrey , broadcast in
February 1993. He admitted that he had often
cried from loneliness and he would vomit at the
sight of his father. Jackson's deep
dissatisfaction with his appearance, his
nightmares and chronic sleep problems, his
tendency to remain hyper-compliant, especially
with his father, and to remain childlike
throughout his adult life, are consistent with
the effects of the maltreatment he endured as
a young child. [23]
In an interview with Martin Bashir , later
included in the 2003 broadcast of Living with
Michael Jackson , Jackson acknowledged that
his father hurt him when he was a child, but
was nonetheless a "genius", as he admitted his
father's strict discipline played a huge role in
his success. When Bashir dismissed the positive
remark and continued asking about beatings,
Jackson put his hand over his face and objected
to the questions. He recalled that Joseph sat
in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his
siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it
the right way, he would tear you up, really get
you." [24][25]
Jackson (center) as a member of
The Jackson 5 in 1972
In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson
Brothers — a band formed by brothers Jackie,
Tito, and Jermaine — as backup musicians
playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later
began performing backup vocals and dancing.
When he was eight, Jackson began sharing the
lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine,
and the group's name was changed to The
Jackson 5 . [17] The band toured the Midwest
extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently
performing at a string of black clubs known as
the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened
stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they
won a major local talent show with renditions
of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I
Feel Good) ", led by Michael. [26]
The Jackson 5 recorded several songs,
including "Big Boy", for the local record label
Steeltown in 1967, before signing with Motown
Records in 1968. [17] Rolling Stone magazine
later described the young Michael as "a
prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts,"
writing that he "quickly emerged as the main
draw and lead singer." [27] The group set a
chart record when its first four singles ("I
Want You Back ", "ABC ", "The Love You Save ",
and "I'll Be There ") peaked at number one on
the Billboard Hot 100 . [17] Between 1972 and
1975, Michael released four solo studio albums
with Motown, among them Got to Be There and
Ben , released as part of the Jackson 5
franchise, and producing successful singles
such as "Got to Be There ", "Ben ", and a remake
of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin ".
The Jackson 5 "became a cutting-edge example
of black crossover artists..... five working-
class black boys with afros and bell bottoms ,
and they really didn't have to trade any of that
stuff in order to become mainstream
stars." [28]
The group's sales began declining in 1973, and
the band members chafed under Motown's
strict refusal to allow them creative control or
input. Although they scored several top 40
hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing
Machine " and the top 20 hit "I Am Love ", the
Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975. [29]
1975–81: Move to Epic and Off the Wall
In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic
Records , a subsidiary of CBS Records [29] and
renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger
brother Randy formally joined the band around
this time, while Jermaine chose to stay with
Motown and pursue a solo career. [30] They
continued to tour internationally, releasing six
more albums between 1976 and 1984, during
which Michael was the lead songwriter, writing
hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the
Ground) ", "This Place Hotel ", and "Can You Feel
It ". [26] In 1978, he starred as the Scarecrow
in the musical, The Wiz , a box-office disaster.
It was here that he teamed up with Quincy
Jones, who was arranging the film's musical
score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next
solo album, Off the Wall . [31] In 1979, Jackson
broke his nose during a complex dance routine.
His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete
success; he complained of breathing difficulties
that would affect his career. He was referred
to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed
Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent
operations. [32]
Jones and Jackson produced the Off the Wall
album together. Songwriters for the album
included Jackson, Rod Temperton, Stevie
Wonder , and Paul McCartney. Released in
1979, it was the first solo album to generate
four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-
topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough "
and "Rock with You". [33][34] It reached
number three on the Billboard 200 and
eventually sold over 20 million copies
worldwide. [35] In 1980, Jackson won three
awards at the American Music Awards for his
solo efforts: 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". [36][37] That year, he also won
Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top
Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male
R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop
'Til You Get Enough". [33] Jackson again won at
the American Music Awards in 1981 for
Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/
R&B Male Artist. [38] Despite its commercial
success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have
made a much bigger impact, and was
determined to exceed expectations with his
next release. [39] In 1980, he secured the
highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37
percent of wholesale album profit. [40]
1982–83: Thriller and Motown 25:
Yesterday, Today, Forever
In 1982, Jackson contributed the song
"Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the
film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ; the record
won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children
in 1984. In the same year he won another
seven Grammys and eight American Music
Awards (including the Award of Merit, the
youngest artist to win it), making him the
most awarded artist in one night for both
award shows. [41][42] These awards were
thanks to the Thriller album, released in late
1982, which was 1983's best-selling album
worldwide [43][44] and became the best-selling
album of all time in the United States, [45] as
well as the best-selling album of all time
worldwide , selling an estimated 65 million
copies. [46] The album 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 have seven Billboard Hot 100 top
10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It ",
and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ". [47] Thriller
was certified for 29 million shipments by the
RIAA , giving it Double Diamond status in the
United States. The album won also another
Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non
Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for
his work. [48]
Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that
Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the
music industry at that point: approximately $2
for every album sold. He was also making
record-breaking profits from sales of his
recordings. The videocassette of the
documentary The Making of Michael Jackson's
Thriller sold over 350,000 copies in a few
months. The era saw the arrival of novelties
like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which
appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of
$12. [49] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli
writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a
leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets
to a hit movie—and started selling like a
household staple." [50] In 1985, The Making of
Michael Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for
Best Music Video, Longform. [41] In December
2009, the music video for "Thriller" was
selected for the National Film Registry by the
Library of Congress , "Thriller" is the first (and
currently only) music video ever to be
inducted. [51][52][53]
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". [49] The New York
Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music,
there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody
else". [54]
On March 25, 1983, Michael Jackson reunited
with his brothers for a legendary live
performance which was taped for a Motown 25:
Yesterday, Today, Forever television special.
The show aired on May 16, 1983, to an
audience of 47 million viewers, and featured
the Jacksons and a number of other Motown
stars. It is best remembered for Jackson's solo
performance of "Billie Jean" which gave him his
first Emmy nomination. [55] Wearing a
distinctive black sequin jacket and golf glove
decorated with rhinestones, he debuted his
signature dance move, the moonwalk , which
former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member
Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years
before. The performance almost did not happen
with Jackson originally turning down the
invitation to perform, however at Berry
Gordy's request, Jackson agreed to do the
show. Jackson's performance drew comparisons
to Elvis Presley 's and The Beatles ' appearances
on The Ed Sullivan Show . [56] Anna Kisselgoff
of The New York Times later wrote, "The
moonwalk that he made famous is an apt
metaphor for his dance style. How does he do
it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a
genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg
straight as he glides while the other bends and
seems to walk requires perfect timing." [57]
Berry Gordy said of the performance, "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." [58]