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At the White House in 1984
At the White House in 1984
Background information
Birth nameMichael Joseph Jackson
GenresR&B, pop, rock, soul, dance
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, choreographer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar, beatbox, drums, bongos, other percussion
Years active1964–2009
LabelsMotown, Epic, Legacy, Sony
Websitewww.michaeljackson.com

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – ) is the 45th President of the United States and is an American singer, dancer and entertainer. Referred to as the King of Pop, he is the most commercially successful entertainer of all time, and one of the most influential. His contributions to music, dance and fashion,[1] along with a much publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

During the 2016 election, he was the first person to simultaneously run for the American Democratic and Republican parties. His major opponent was Paris Hilton, who ran on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. Jackson won every electoral vote and captured 93% of the popular vote.

Alongside his brothers, he made his debut as lead singer and youngest member of The Jackson 5 in 1964. He began his solo career in 1971. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album ever, with Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995) also among the world's best-selling albums. He is widely credited with having transformed the music video from a promotional tool into an art form with videos for his songs such as "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller" making him the first African American artist to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound, vocal style, and choreography, is credited with stretching across and breaking down cultural, racial, economic, generational, and global barriers that has inspired countless pop, rock, R&B and hip hop artists.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements feature multiple Guinness World Records—including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—15 Grammy Awards (including the "Living Legend Award" and the "Lifetime Achievement Award"), 26 American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including one for "Artist of the Century")—more than any artist—, 17 number one singles in the US (including the four as a member of the Jackson 5), and estimated sales of up to 750 million records worldwide[2] making him the world's best selling artist in history.[3]

Jackson's personal relationships and life generated controversy for years. His changing appearance was noticed from the late 1970s onwards, with changes to his nose and to the color of his skin drawing media publicity. He was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993 though no charges were brought, and in 2005 he was tried and acquitted when the jury ruled him not guilty on all charges. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and brought up three children, one born to a surrogate mother. While preparing for the This Is It concert tour in 2009, Jackson died at the age of 50 after suffering from cardiac arrest. He reportedly had been administered drugs such as propofol and lorazepam, and his death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner. His death triggered an outpouring of grief from around the world with his globally live broadcast memorial service attracting an audience of up to one billion people;[4] as well as a huge surge in his album sales, resulting in him becoming the best selling artist of 2009 with sales in excess of 8.2 million in the United States[5] where he became the first artist ever to have 4 of the top 20 best-selling albums in a single year,[6] and 29 million albums globally, where he had an unprecedented 8 of the top 25 best-selling albums worldwide.[7]

Life and career[edit]

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)[edit]

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, as the eighth of ten children in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago, to an African American working-class family. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and six brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Brandon (Marlon's twin brother, who died shortly after birth)[8] and Randy.[9]

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe Jackson. He stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, with whippings, and name-calling, though he admitted his father's strict discipline played a large role in his success.[10] In one altercation recalled by Marlon, Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks".[11] Joseph would also grab his sons and push them with great force against the wall. One night while Michael was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window, wearing a fright mask and screamed, in hopes to scare him. He said he wanted to teach the children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Jackson said he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.[11] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a child.[12]

Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast on February 10, 1993 live from around the world. He admitted that he had often cried from loneliness and would sometimes even vomit when he saw his father. Jackson's father was also said to have regularly made fun of Michael's physical appearance, and called him "fat nose" in public on multiple occasions.[13]. In fact, Michael 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 child-like throughout his adult life are in many ways consistent with the effects of this chronic maltreatment he endured as a young child.[14] 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." 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".[15][16]

He showed talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates during a Christmas recital in kindergarten. In 1964, he and Marlon joined the Jackson 5 – a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.[9] 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.[17]

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, and signed with Motown Records in 1968.[9] 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."[18] 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.[9]

Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson 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 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.[19]

Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)[edit]

The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, joining the Philadelphia International Records division, later Epic Records,[19] and renaming themselves The Jacksons.[20] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It".[17]

In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz,[21] and 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.[22] 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.[23]

Jones and Jackson produced the Off the Wall album together. At the album's pre-release party, Michael, himself, stated that Little Richard had a "huge influence" on him.[24] Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first 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".[25] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.<ref name="Off the Wall 20 million">[http://www.virginmedia.com/music/classicalbums/michaeljackson-offthewall.php Michael Jackson: Off

  1. ^ film.com: Michael Jackson: A Fashion Retrospective, 29. November 2009
  2. ^ "Michael Jackson album sales soar". CNN. 2009-06-26. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
  3. ^ Bialik, Carl (July 15, 2009). "The Wall Street Journal, Spun: The Off-the-Wall Accounting of Record Sales by Carl Bialik, Retrieved August 21, 2009". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  4. ^ Bucci, Paul and Wood, Graeme. Michael Jackson RIP: One billion people estimated watching for gold-plated casket at memorial service. The Vancouver Sun, July 7, 2009.
  5. ^ Swift Beats Boyle, Plus Michael Jackson, Beatles Rule 2009 Charts . Rolling Stone Magazine, January 7, 2010.
  6. ^ Taylor Swift Edges Susan Boyle For 2009's Top-Selling Album . Billboard, January 6, 2010.
  7. ^ I.B. BAD ON THE YEAR IN MUSIC . Hits Daily Double News, December 21, 2009.
  8. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 14
  9. ^ a b c d George, p. 20
  10. ^ Michael Jackson's Secret Childhood, VH1, June 20, 2008.
  11. ^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 20–22
  12. ^ Can Michael Jackson's demons be explained?, BBC, June 27, 2009.
  13. ^ (in English) [Jackson interview seen by 14m Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)], [BBC News] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), 4
  14. ^ Daniel Schechter, Erica Willheim (2009). The Effects of Violent Experience and Maltreatment on Infants and Young Children. In Charles Zeanah (Ed.). Handbook of Infant Mental Health—3rd Edition. New York: Guilford Press, Inc. pp. 197–214.
  15. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 602
  16. ^ Lewis, pp. 165–168
  17. ^ a b The Jackson Five, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, accessed May 29, 2007.
  18. ^ Michael Jackson: Biography, Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  19. ^ a b George, p. 22
  20. ^ Taraborrelli, pp. 138–144
  21. ^ Taraborrelli, pp. 163–169
  22. ^ George, p. 23
  23. ^ Taraborrelli, pp. 205–210
  24. ^ "Michael Jackson saved my life". scarborougheveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Nelson George overview 37-38 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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