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
After being pleased by the trio, Motown Records CEO Berry Gordy, Jr. signed them in 1969. The Jackson 5 shot to fame right away thanks to their youthful, soulful exuberance, largest Afros, snappiest dance, and loudest clothes. In 1970, “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There” were their four consecutive number one pop songs. The Jackson 5 produced dance singles like “Dancing Machine,” and Michael topped the pop charts as a solo performer with “Ben” and peaked at number two with “Rockin’ Robin.” The Jackson family’s run of hits for Motown continued until 1975. As Michael grew older, his voice altered, there was friction in the family, and there was a contract impasse. At last, the quartet parted ways with Motown and became the Jacksons, signing with Epic Records. Randy Jackson, the younger brother of Jermaine Jackson (full name Steven Randall Jackson; born October 29, 1961), took over as Motown’s solo artist. Although their sister Janet Jackson began her own singing career in the early 1980s, the Jacksons experienced continuous success as a recording act through 1984. But Michael Jackson’s solo albums had a completely different reputation.
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. 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 at Michael Jackson.
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 strange, reclusive way of living became more and more contentious in the early 1990s. When a 13-year-old boy he had been friends with accused him of child molestation in 1993, his reputation was severely tarnished; the civil suit was settled out of court. Jackson wed Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley’s daughter, in secret in 1994, but their union lasted for less than two years. Jackson soon after got remarried, and although this marriage also ended in divorce, it did produce kids. Even though he continued to be a global celebrity, his reputation in the US was never fully restored, and it took a further hit in November 2003 after he was taken into custody and accused of child abuse. Actor Macaulay Cuklin was called to testify in Jackson’s defense during the ensuing trial. Cuklin had met Jackson when he was nine years old and the two had become friends. Culkin claimed that their shared experiences of dealing with celebrity at an early age and having controlling fathers caused them to become close. Culkin insisted that he had never had any improper interactions with Jackson. In 2005, Michael Jackson was found not guilty following a 14-week trial that turned into a sort of media circus.
In the wake of these events, Jackson suffered a financial collapse that resulted in the sale of many of his considerable assets, including, ultimately, his lavish Neverland ranch. He was preparing for a series of high-profile concerts he hoped would spark a comeback when he died suddenly of cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009—prompting a widespread outpouring of grief from his fans that culminated in a memorial celebration of his life and legacy on July 7 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, featuring tributes by friends and luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy, Jr., Brooke Shields, and Al Sharpton. In August 2009 the coroner ruled Jackson’s death a homicide; the cause was a lethal combination of sedatives and propofol, an anesthetic. In November 2011 Jackson’s personal physician was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
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 at Michael Jackson.
