Michael Jackson Biography

(One of the Most Significant Cultural Figures of the 20th Century Popularly Known as the 'King of Pop')

Birthday: August 29, 1958 (Virgo)

Born In: Gary, Indiana, United States

“When they say the sky is the limit, to me that's really true”, these lines by Michael Jackson beautifully suffice his life and his love for music. A music aficionado and enthusiast, Jackson changed the way people looked at music and created a never-ending craze with his chartbusters and best-sellers. He gave pop and rock their life and blood and wrote chapters in the history of music that would long live for centuries to come. A music propeller in the truest sense, it was his outstanding gift and prodigious talent that made him a sensation globally. His countless awards and honorific titles, such as ‘King of Pop’ and ‘Artist of the Decade, Generation, Century and Millennium’ are a glaring testimony to his enthralling musical career. His supremely endowed music won the hearts of millions worldwide, making him a global figure in popular culture for almost four decades. While his distinctive sound and style have been of great influence to numerous hip-hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop, and rock artists, it was his angelic dance style that continues to be one of the popular styles of dance. He was the man behind today’s popular dance styles, moonwalk, and Robot, both of which bear the name MJ style. It was for his relentless contribution to music, dance, and fashion that he was named ‘the most successful entertainer of all time’.

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Quick Facts

Nick Name: Wacko Jacko, The Gloved One

Also Known As: Michael Joseph Jackson

Died At Age: 50

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Debbie Rowe (m. 1996; div. 1999), Lisa Marie Presley (m. 1994; div. 1996)

father: Joseph Jackson

mother: Katherine Jackson

siblings: Brandon Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Randy Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, Tito Jackson

children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., Paris Jackson, Prince Michael Jackson II

Born Country: United States

African American Singers Pop Singers

Height: 5'9" (175 cm), 5'9" Males

Died on: June 25, 2009

place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States

Personality: ISFP

Cause of Death: Drug Overdose

City: Gary, Indiana

U.S. State: Indiana

Founder/Co-Founder: Heal the World Foundation

  • 1

    What was Michael Jackson's most iconic dance move?

    The moonwalk, which he popularized during a performance of "Billie Jean" on the TV special "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" in 1983.

  • 2

    What was the significance of Michael Jackson's album "Thriller?"

    "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time, with over 66 million copies sold worldwide, and it revolutionized the music industry with its groundbreaking music videos.

  • 3

    What was Michael Jackson's impact on pop culture?

    Michael Jackson was known for breaking racial barriers in the music industry, influencing countless artists with his innovative music videos and dance moves, and setting the standard for pop music excellence.

  • 4

    What was Michael Jackson's involvement in humanitarian work?

    Michael Jackson was a prominent philanthropist who supported numerous charitable causes, including children's charities, HIV/AIDS research, and disaster relief efforts around the world.

  • 5

    What challenges did Michael Jackson face during his career?

    Michael Jackson faced intense media scrutiny, allegations of child molestation, health issues, and financial troubles, which often overshadowed his musical accomplishments.

Childhood & Early Life

Born in an African-American working-class family, he was eighth of the ten children of the couple Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson and Katherine Esther Scruse. While his father worked as a steel mill worker, his mother was a sincere Jehovah's Witness.

From a very young age, he was a music lover. Initially starting as a backup musician, he soon found his way as a lead singer in the family band, the Jackson 5.

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Career

The Jackson 5 started touring the Midwest, extensively performing at black clubs. In 1967, they released their first single, ‘Big Boy’ with a Steeltown record label but the same failed to interest the audience.

In 1968, they signed a contract with Motown Records, which required them to relocate to Los Angeles. The following year, they came up with their first album, ‘Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5’. Their first single, ‘I Want You Back’ was a chartbuster and was followed by bestsellers ‘ABC’, ‘The Love You Save’, and ‘I'll Be There’, each of which peaked at No 1 on Billboard Hot 100.

In addition to the band, he launched his solo career as well - his first-ever solo single being ‘Got to Be There’. The song met with runaway success and established his reputation as a solo artist.

The Jackson 5 band withdrew its association with Motown Records in 1975. The same year, they tied up with Epic Records under a new name ‘the Jacksons’.

From 1976 to 1984, the band toured internationally and released six new albums. He became a leading songwriter for the group, writing numerous hits one after the other.

Meanwhile, he launched his solo album in association with Quincy Jones, ‘Off the Wall’ in 1979. The album was a tremendous hit and the first ever to generate four U.S. top 10 hits. It peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

The desire to make a bigger impact than what ‘Off the Wall’ made, led to the 1982 release of the album ‘Thriller’. A grand blockbuster, the album broke all records to become the best-selling album of all time worldwide. It topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of 200 for 80 weeks at a stretch. The album sold 65 million copies and achieved Double Diamond status in the US.

In 1983, he reunited with his brothers for a live performance. It was there that he showed his signature dance style, the moonwalk, which became an epic. Magic was created on stage as he sang the chartbuster ‘Billie Jean’ whilst performing the moonwalk.

In 1985, along with Lionel Riche, he co-wrote ‘We Are the World’, originally a charity single which became the best-selling single of all time, selling about 30 million copies.

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A follow-up to ‘Thriller’ came in 1987 when he released the album, ‘Bad’. Though the album was unable to replicate the runaway success of ‘Thriller’, it nevertheless was a convincing chartbuster. Seven of its singles peaked at No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold about 45 million copies worldwide.

In 1988, the exemplary pop star released his autobiography titled Moonwalk. The book duplicated the success of his music albums by selling about 200,000 copies and making it to the New York Times best-seller list.

By now, he had achieved an iconic status. Right from his music albums to his autobiography to his cosmetic surgeries, everything made big news. One such news was his buying a 2,700-acre property, which he named Neverland, near Santa Ynez California.

The year 1991 witnessed the release of his eighth album, ‘Dangerous’. Much like its predecessors, ‘Dangerous’ became the best-selling album of the year worldwide, with its singles, ‘Black or White’, ‘Remember the Time’ and ‘Heal the World’ topping the charts.

He founded the ‘Heal the World’ foundation in 1992, and the same year, he released his second literary offering, ‘Dancing the Dream’, which gained commercial success but lacked critical acclaim.

In 1993, he performed at several significant events, including Super Bowl XXVII. The same year, he was charged with molestation but since there was no proof to support the allegation, the charges were withdrawn.

He came up with the album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1995. Barring the single, ‘Scream’, which he sang with his sister, Janet Jackson, the album received a lukewarm response.

In October 2001, he released the album, Invincible. This was his last full-length album. Though the album gained decent success, it was his eccentric and disoriented behavior that caught the headlines.

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Major Works

His eight albums have made whooping sales of 1 billion units worldwide and earned him $750 million in his lifetime, with five of his albums gaining the world’s best-selling records. ‘Thriller’ has been the biggest-selling album with reported sales of 65 million units.

Awards & Achievements

He received numerous awards including 31 Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy Awards, Grammy Legend Award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, and 18 World Music Awards.

He was inducted into the Hollywood Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Dance Hall of Fame.

Family, Personal Life & Legacy

He married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was with Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, in 1994, but this union did not last long and the two divorced in 1996.

He married his long-time friend Deborah Jeanne Rowe, a dermatology nurse, in 1997. The couple was blessed with two children, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. The two separated in 1999. He had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, from a surrogate mother through artificial insemination.

The King of Pop passed away unexpectedly following a cardiac arrest due to a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose on June 25, 2009. The medicines were given to him by his personal physician, Conrad Murray, to help him sleep better. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. However, he was released in October 2013 after serving close to 2 years behind bars.

A televised memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. While 17,500 free tickets were issued to fans via lottery, an estimated 1 billion viewers watched the memorial on TV or online.

Memorials were constructed and statues were unveiled all over the globe in the aftermath of his death. The Lunar Republic Society renamed a crater on the moon, Michael Joseph Jackson, in his honor.

Facts About Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson owned a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles, who would often accompany him on tour and even appear in music videos.

He once tried to buy the bones of the Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, but was ultimately outbid by someone else.

Michael Jackson patented a special shoe to help him perform his signature dance move, the anti-gravity lean.

He held a record-breaking seven Guinness World Records, including Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.

Michael Jackson anonymously donated millions of dollars to various charities throughout his life, showing his commitment to philanthropy.

Awards

MTV Movie & TV Awards
1994 Best Movie Song Free Willy (1993)
People's Choice Awards
1984 Favorite All-Around Male Entertainer Winner
Grammy Awards
2010 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
1996 Best Music Video, Short Form Michael Jackson Feat. Janet Jackson: Scream (1995)
1994 Grammy Legend Award Winner
1993 Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Winner
1990 Best Music Video, Short Form Michael Jackson: Leave Me Alone (1989)
1988 Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical Winner
1986 Song of the Year Winner
1985 Best Video Album The Making of 'Thriller' (1983)
1985 Best Video Album Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
1984 Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male Winner
1984 Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical Winner
1984 Producer of the Year, Non-Classical Winner
1984 Best Rhythm & Blues Song Winner
1984 Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male Winner
1984 Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male Winner
1984 Album of the Year Winner
1984 Record of the Year Winner
1984 Best Recording for Children E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
1980 Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male Winner
MTV Video Music Awards
1995 Best Dance Video Michael Jackson Feat. Janet Jackson: Scream (1995)
1984 Best Overall Performance in a Video Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
1984 Best Choreography in a Video Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
1984 Viewer's Choice Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
Recommended Lists:

See the events in life of Michael Jackson in Chronological Order

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- Michael Jackson Biography
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URL
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