American singer, songwriter, and dancer
Michael Jackson (born August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, U.S.—died June 25, 2009, Los Angeles, California) was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer who was the most popular entertainer in the world in the early and mid-1980s. Reared in Gary, Indiana, in one of the most acclaimed musical families of the rock era, Michael Jackson was the youngest and most talented of five brothers whom his father, Joseph, shaped into a dazzling group of child stars known as the Jackson 5. In addition to Michael, the members of the Jackson 5 were Jackie Jackson (byname of Sigmund Jackson; b. May 4, 1951, Gary), Tito Jackson (byname of Toriano Jackson; b. October 15, 1953, Gary), Jermaine Jackson (b. December 11, 1954, Gary), and Marlon Jackson (b. March 12, 1957, Gary) at Michael Jackson.
The Jackson 5
In 1969, the quartet was signed by Motown Records CEO Berry Gordy Jr. after he was pleased. The Jackson 5 shot to fame right away thanks to their catchy, soulful exuberance, loudest costumes, biggest Afros, and fastest dance. With “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There,” they achieved four straight number one pop songs in 1970. The Jackson family’s run of hits for Motown continued until 1975, with Michael topping the pop charts as a solo performer with “Ben” and rising to number two with “Rockin’ Robin,” and the Jackson 5 releasing dance singles like “Dancing Machine.” A dispute over a contract resulted from Michael’s voice changing as he grew older and family tensions rising. The Jacksons at Michael Jackson eventually parted ways with Motown and joined Epic Records. The youngest Jackson sibling, Randy Jackson (full name Steven Randall Jackson; born October 29, 1961), took Jermaine’s place at Motown as a solo performer. Although the Jacksons were successful as a recording group from 1982 to 1984 and Janet Jackson began her own singing career in the early 1980s, Michael Jackson’s solo albums had a completely different standing.
The “King of Pop”
Jackson’s first solo effort for Epic, Off the Wall (1979), exceeded all expectations and was the best-selling album of the year (it eventually sold more than 20 million copies). Produced by industry veteran Quincy Jones, Off the Wall yielded the massive international hit singles “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You,” both of which showcased Michael’s energetic style and capitalized on the contemporary disco dance fad at Michael Jackson. Three years later he returned with another collaboration with Jones, Thriller, a tour de force that featured an array of guest stars and elevated him to worldwide superstardom. Thriller captured a slew of awards, including a record-setting eight Grammys; remained on the charts for more than two years; and sold more than 40 million copies, long holding the distinction of being the best-selling album in history. The first single on the album, “The Girl Is Mine,” an easygoing duet with Paul McCartney, went to number one on the rhythm-and-blues charts and number two on the pop charts in the fall of 1982. The follow-up single, “Billie Jean,” an electrifying dance track and the vehicle for Jackson’s trademark “moonwalk” dance, topped the pop charts, as did “Beat It,” which featured a raucous solo from famed guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Moreover, “Beat It” helped break down the artificial barriers between Black and white artists on the radio and in the emerging format of music videos on television.
By 1984 Jackson was renowned worldwide as the “King of Pop.” His much anticipated Victory reunion tour with his brothers was one of the most popular concert events of 1984. In 1985 Jackson and Lionel Richie cowrote “We Are the World,” the signature single for USA for Africa, an all-star project aimed at famine relief. Further solo albums—Bad (1987), which produced five chart-topping hits (among them the title song and “Man in the Mirror”), and Dangerous (1991), much of which was produced by New Jack Swing sensation Teddy Riley—solidified Jackson’s dominance of pop music. In 2001 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the Jackson 5 were inducted in 1997 at Michael Jackson.
Child molestation accusations, financial difficulties, and death
Jackson’s eccentric, secluded lifestyle grew increasingly controversial in the early 1990s. His reputation was seriously damaged in 1993 when he was accused of child molestation by a 13-year-old boy he had befriended; a civil suit was settled out of court. In 1994 Jackson secretly married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, but their marriage lasted less than two years. Shortly thereafter Jackson married again, this marriage producing children, though it too ended in divorce at Michael Jackson. While he remained an international celebrity, his image in the United States was slow to recover, and it suffered even more in November 2003 when he was arrested and charged with child molestation. Called to testify in Jackson’s defense during the trial that ensued was actor Macaulay Cuklin, who had met and become friends with Jackson when he was nine years old and Jackson was an adult. Culkin said they bonded over their common experiences of having to deal with fame at a young age and having overbearing fathers. Culkin maintained that he had never experienced anything inappropriate with Jackson. After a 14-week trial that became something of a media circus, Jackson was acquitted in 2005 at Michael Jackson.
Following these occurrences, Jackson experienced a financial collapse that ultimately led to the selling of many of his significant possessions, including his opulent Neverland estate. When he unexpectedly passed away on June 25, 2009, from cardiac arrest, he was getting ready for a string of high-profile performances that he hoped would lead to a comeback. This sparked an immense outpouring of grief from his fans, which culminated in a memorial celebration of his life and legacy on July 7 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, featuring tributes from friends and celebrities like Al Sharpton, Brooke Shields, Stevie Wonder, and Berry Gordy, Jr. Jackson’s death was declared a homicide by the coroner in August 2009; the lethal cocktail of anesthesia propofol and sedatives was the reason. Jackson’s personal doctor was convicted guilty of involuntary manslaughter at Michael Jackson in November 2011.
The documentary film This Is It, which drew from more than 100 hours of footage compiled during rehearsals for Jackson’s scheduled 50-concert comeback engagement in London, premiered in October 2009. Also in 2009 Jackson’s 14-minute music video “Thriller” (1983), directed by John Landis, was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress—the first music video to be so honoured. Later documentaries included Leaving Neverland (2019), which centres on two men who allege that Jackson sexually abused them when they were children.