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For other people named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).
Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958), often referred to as The King of Pop[1] or MJ,[2] is an American musician and entertainer. The seventh child of the Jackson family, Jackson debuted on the professional music scene at the age of eleven as a member of the Jackson 5 and went on to become a pop icon as a solo artist. His successful career and controversial, enigmatic personal life have been a part of pop culture for almost four decades.[3] Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music in the late 1970s, becoming the first black entertainer to amass a strong cross-over following on MTV. He transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances.[3] The popularity of videos aired on MTV such as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" helped to put the relatively-young channel "on the map",[4] while videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson a dominant staple on MTV into the 1990s. Jackson popularized physically-complicated dance techniques such as the robot and the moonwalk, along with a distinctive musical sound and vocal style that have influenced a generation of hip hop, pop, and R&B artists.

In 2006 Jackson received eight Guinness World Records, which included "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", and best-selling album ever for Thriller.[5]

Jackson has received thirteen Grammy Awards[6] (eight on a single night in 1984), and two of his solo albums have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Jackson has charted thirteen number one singles in the United States, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era.[7] In November 2006, the World Music Awards announced that Jackson had sold 750 million units worldwide[8] and has given several hundred million dollars to charity. However, Jackson's controversial appearance and actions have damaged his reputation amongst some of the public, and album sales have declined since the mid-1990s.[9]

From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, where he built an amusement park and private zoo that was often attended by disadvantaged and terminally ill children. Rumors of sleepover parties received both negative media coverage and public attention after it was revealed that children had slept in his bed or on the floor in his bedroom. This first came to light when Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993. Jackson's relationship with children was brought into the spotlight again in 2003 when the TV documentary Living with Michael Jackson was broadcast. This became a catalyst for Jackson being tried, and later acquitted, of more child molestation allegations and several other charges in 2005. After this, Jackson traveled to a number of countries that included Bahrain, before starting work on new material in Ireland. In early 2008, he issued Thriller 25, a special edition of the "Thriller" album; it was a commercial success, selling more than 1.6 million copies worldwide in nine weeks.

Career

Early years

See also: The Jackson 5

Jackson showed musical talent early in his life, performing in front of his classmates and other participants during a Christmas recital in his school at five. After his brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine formed the Jackson Brothers in 1964, Michael and Marlon Jackson became a part of their background band playing congas and tambourine respectively. Jackson later took a pivotal role as a background singer and occasional dancer before ascending to the group's lead singer position alongside Jermaine at the age of eight shortly after the group changed their name to the Jackson 5. After recording singles for the local Steeltown Records label in 1967, the group eventually auditioned for, and signed a contract with, Motown Records in 1968.[3][10] Rolling Stone says of his early years: "First he was a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," and notes that after Jackson began to dance and sing with his brothers, "he quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[10] Even though he sang with a "child's piping voice, he danced like a grown-up hoofer and sang with the R&B/gospel inflections of Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder."[10] During this period, the boys toured Indiana extensively, and after winning a major local talent show in 1966 with a rendition of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Jackson. They then began playing professional gigs in Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern United States. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit," and the young kids sometimes had to open for striptease and other adult acts in order to earn money.[11]

They found fame with their first four singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There", which charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the first time ever a group had pulled off that feat.[11] While remaining a member of the group,[12] Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There in 1971 and Ben in the following year. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice "descended ever so slightly from boy soprano to his current androgynous high tenor."[10] The group's sales declined after 1973 and they chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. In 1976, the group signed a new contract with CBS Records, first joining the Philadelphia International division and then Epic Records,[13] while Motown Records subsequently sued the group for breach of contract.[14]

As a result of the legal proceedings, which were further complicated by the fact that Jermaine Jackson was married to the daughter of Motown president Berry Gordy, the Jacksons lost the rights to use the "Jackson 5" name and logo.[15] Jermaine left the group, choosing to stay at Motown,[16] and so the group changed their name to "The Jacksons", featuring youngest brother Randy in Jermaine's place. Their successful career continued, touring internationally and releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, with Jermaine eventually re-joining in 1983, making them a sextet. From 1976 to 1984, Michael was the lead songwriter of the group,[17] writing such hits as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel", and "Can You Feel It". In 1978, Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz with former-label mate Diana Ross playing Dorothy.[18] The songs for the musical were arranged by Quincy Jones, who established a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album.

Off the Wall

Main article: Off the Wall (Michael Jackson album)

Off the Wall, issued in 1979, made music history by becoming the first album ever to spawn four top-ten hits, including the number-one hits, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[12] It reached number three in the Billboard album charts, spending forty-eight consecutive weeks on the top twenty and went 7x Platinum in the United States.[19] Quincy Jones and Jackson jointly produced the album, with lyrics and music by Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney, among others, eventually sold some twenty million copies worldwide.[20] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt the album should have made a much bigger impact and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[21]

In January 1980, Jackson won his first awards for his solo efforts at the American Music Awards. He won "Favorite Soul/R&B Album", "Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist" and "Favorite Soul/R&B Single" (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[12] Later that month, he also won two Billboard Awards for "Top Black Artist" and "Top Black Album".[12] On February 27 1980 Jackson won a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male", also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[12] In 2003, the TV network VH1 named Off the Wall the thirty-sixth greatest album of all time.[22] Rolling Stone ranked it #68 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[23] and in 2008, Off the Wall was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[24]

Thriller

Main article: Thriller (album)
See also: Victory Tour and We Are the World

Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end In November 1982, the storybook for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released and included the Jacksons grammy winning song, "Someone in the Dark", which latter featured on the 2001 re-issue and won a Grammy for "Best Album for Children".[25] A few weeks later, Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller. Thriller is one of only three albums to remain in the top ten of the Billboard 200 for a full year, spending eighty consecutive weeks there and thirty-seven of those weeks at number one. It was also the first of three albums to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles, and the only album to be the best-seller of two years (1983–1984), in the United States. Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America,[26] giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US.[27]

In addition, the album has achieved Diamond or Multi-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand (selling 165,000 copies),[28] Spain, the UK and a number of other countries.[27] Still popular today, Thriller sells an estimated one hundred and thirty thousand copies in the USA per year, reaching number two in the US Catalog charts in February 2003 and number thirty-nine in the UK in March 2007.[22] Though sales figures vary with different sources, the album is cited as selling between forty-five and one hundred million copies worldwide.[29][30] According to the BBC, the Guinness Book of World Records, lists Thriller as selling sixty-five million copies as of 2007.[31]

The album also became the first in history to spawn seven top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit singles,[32] including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and the album's title track, all of which were accompanied by music videos. "Billie Jean"'s video was the first music video by a black artist to receive regular airplay on MTV,[33] The thirteen-minute "Thriller" video was critically acclaimed and massive airplay. It was packaged with the featurette Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS, where it became the best-selling music home video ever.[32]

On March 25, 1983 Jackson performed "Billie Jean" live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. Debuting his signature move – the moonwalk – Jackson's performances during the event caused many to view him as one of the greatest dancers of all time. The performance was extraordinarily popular, with over forty-seven million views of the first televised airing. His performance was often compared to Elvis Presley and the The Beatles appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show.[34] On January 27, 1984 Jackson began filming two Pepsi Cola commercials in front of a simulated live audience at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. As Jackson descended a podium, fireworks set his hair alight, he was taken out of the building on a stretcher in front of the public and photographers. The accident was the lead story on most international television and newspaper reporters with Jackson received sympathy from the public, celebrities and even President Ronald Reagan.[35]

On May 14, 1984 Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award. The event, notable because an African American met a Republican President at the White House in the 1980s was seen as a positive move forward in social views towards race.[36] Jackson was one of the first African Americans on a Rolling Stone cover and was one of the first to have a replica doll made of him. Thriller put black music on US radio for the first time in years, paving the way for other acts like Prince.[37]

Jackson won eight awards during the 1984 Grammys (in 2008, the Thriller album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame).[24] It was the highest-rated Grammys telecast in history (although it has since slipped into second place). The subsequent week saw Thriller have its second-best week sales figures ever in America.[38] Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the Jacksons' "Victory Tour", which began on July 6, 1984 showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans.[39] On March 7, 1985 the charity single song "We Are the World" was released worldwide to aid people in Africa and the United States. Written primarily by Jackson, with help from Lionel Richie, it became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly twenty million copies sold and millions of dollars raised for charity. It was the first instance where Jackson became seen as a humanitarian.[40]

Thriller was an enormous hit that made Jackson the seminal icon of American culture at the time. At the age of twenty-five, the New York Times called him a "musical phenomenon", further commenting that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[41] Time magazine explained that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978."[42]

Tabloid stories of Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to stall the aging-process and an allegation claiming Jackson attempted to purchase the bones of the Elephant Man appeared. These inspired the pejorative sobriquet "Wacko Jacko," a name that Jackson came to despise.[43]

In 1986, Jackson starred in the George Lucas-produced, Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. At the time, it was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis and was hosted in the Disneyland theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in Tomorrowland from September 18, 1986 until April 7, 1997, while Walt Disney World in Epcot from September 12, 1986 until July 6, 1994.

Bad

Main articles: Captain EO, Bad (album), and Bad World Tour
Michael Jackson in 1988

In 1987, Jackson released Bad; his third album for the Epic Records label, and the final album with producer Quincy Jones.[32] He initially wanted to make the album thirty tracks long, but Jones cut this down to eleven. According to Jones, Jackson wanted the title track to be a duet with Prince, but Prince later declined the duet.[44] Jones said the reason given by Prince was that he thought the song would be a hit whether he was in it or not.[45] With the industry expecting another monster hit, the release was heavily anticipated as it was Jackson's first album in five years.[46] Jackson hired film director Martin Scorsese to direct the video for the album's title track.[47]

Bad had lower sales compared to Thriller, but was still a significant commercial success. In the United States, it spawned seven hit singles, five of which went to number one: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror",and "Dirty Diana". Two decades after it was released, Bad still holds the record for generating more number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts than any other album. It went on to sell over thirty-two million copies worldwide, the RIAA certified Bad at 8x Platinum and had over two million advance orders.[46][48][49] At the 1993 Grammy Awards, the album was acknowledged as the second best-selling album of all time, but has since been overtaken.[50]

In September 1987, Jackson embarked upon his first solo world tour, the Bad World Tour, which had record-breaking attendance figures. In Japan alone, Jackson had fourteen sellouts and drew five hundred and seventy thousand people, nearly tripling the previous record of two hundred thousand in a single tour.[51] The tour lasted sixteen months with Jackson performing 123 concerts to four and a half million fans worldwide.[52]

This period saw Jackson enjoy "a level of superstardom previously known only to Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Frank Sinatra."[53] This success led to him to be dubbed the "King of Pop", a nickname conceived by actress and friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented Jackson with an "Artist of the Decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[54] In 1990, the White House presented the singer with its own special "Artist of the Decade" award, in recognition Michael Jackson's musical influence in the 1980s. It was delivered to Jackson by President George H. W. Bush, who commended Jackson for acquiring a "tremendous following", among other achievements.[55]

Dangerous

Main articles: Dangerous (album) and Dangerous World Tour

In November 1991, Jackson issued Dangerous, which went 7x Platinum in the United States and sold thirty million copies worldwide,[56] registering sales figures almost identical to those of Bad. It became one of the most successful New jack swing albums of all time. Dangerous featured several hits, including "Black or White", "Remember the Time", "In the Closet", "Give In To Me", and "Heal the World". Dangerous was highly anticipated, as highlighted by an incident at the Los Angeles International Airport that witnessed a group of armed robbers stealing thirty thousand copies of the new album before its official release.[57]

The biggest hit single in the United States from the album was "Black or White", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for seven weeks,[58] with similar performances around the world. The single was accompanied by a controversial video, which, on November 14, 1991 simultaneously premiered in twenty-seven countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.[59] It also aired on the Fox network, MTV, and BET and featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violent behavior. The offending scenes in the final half of the fourteen-minute version of "Black or White" were edited out to prevent the video from being banned.[60]

The second single released from Dangerous was "Remember The Time," which spent eight weeks in the top five in the United States and hit a peak at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a wheel chair saying he had an injury in rehearsals.[61] At the ceremony, he was given three awards: "Best Male Single" of the year for "Remember The Time", "Best R&B Album" for Dangerous, and a Humanitarian Award for his charitable contributions to date.[62] In the United Kingom, as well as other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album. In Britain, it sold 450,000 copies alone and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[22]

Later that year, Jackson made most high-profile international visits: a trip to Africa in which he visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[63] This was Jackson's second arrival on the continent, his first having occurred when fourteen with the Jackson 5.[63] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable reception of more than one hundred thousand people in "spiritual bedlam", some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael".[63] In his trip to the Ivory Coast, Jackson visited the gold-mining village of Krindjabo, populated by the Agni tribe and located near the capital of Abidjan, and was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.[63] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship, and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.[63] Jackson finished his stay in Africa by going to Egypt and promoting the Dangerous album. In January 1993, he performed during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. It drew one of the largest viewing audiences in the history of American television.[64] Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.[65]

HIStory

Main articles: HIStory, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, HIStory World Tour, and BRIT awards

In June 1995, Jackson released HIStory: Past, Present And Future - Book I,[65] which won one Grammy Award and was nominated for four more, including "Album Of The Year".[66] It debuted at number one on the charts[3] and has, to this date, sold fifteen million copies (thirty million units) worldwide,[67] while being certified 7x Platinum in the United States.[68] To promote the album, Jackson embarked on the successful HIStory World Tour,[65] which was attended by more than 4.5 million people. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a fifteen-track greatest hits album and was later released as Greatest Hits - HIStory Vol. I, in 2001. The second disc, HIStory Continues, contained fifteen new songs.

The first single released from HIStory was "Scream", sung and performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals".[69] The music video for "Scream" is one of his most critically acclaimed, winning three MTV awards in 1995 and a Grammy in 1996[65] and is currently the most expensive music video ever made.[70] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory and would become the first song ever to debut at number one on the Hot 100,[71] beating his previous single "Scream", reaching number one in various international markets, including Britain. It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[69]

"Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, accompanied by an expensive but well-received music video that was nominated for a Grammy in 1996 but lost to his earlier video "Scream".[72] The song topped the United Kingdom singles chart for six weeks over Christmas in 1995 and sold one million copies there, making it his most successful single there. [22] Slash appeared at Jackson's MTV Music Video Awards 1995 performance during "Black or White", played a solo, then played along to the opening of "Billie Jean"[73] and at the 1996 BRIT Awards, Jackson was awarded as the Artist of A Generation.[22]

In 1997, Jackson released an album of new material titled Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, with remixes of hit singles from HIStory, and five new songs;[65] it sold six million copies worldwide and became the greatest selling remix album ever. It reached number one in the United Kingdom, as did the title track.[74] Of the new songs in the album, three were released globally: the title track, "Ghosts," and "Is It Scary". The singles "Ghosts" and "Is It Scary" were based on a film created by Jackson called "Ghosts".[75] The short film, written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston, features many special effects and dance moves choreographed to original music written by Jackson.[76] The music video for "Ghosts" is over thirty-five minutes long and is currently the world's longest music video.[77]

Invincible

Main article: Invincible (Michael Jackson album)

In October 2001, Invincible was issued,[78] debuted at number-one in thirteen countries,[64] and went on to sell nearly eight million copies worldwide.[79] The album spawned three singles: "You Rock My World," "Cry," and "Butterflies." Around the same time that Invincible came out, Jackson and thirty-five other artists recorded a charity benefit single entitled "What More Can I Give", designed to raise money for 9/11 victims; however, it was never released. Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was not going to renew his contract;[80] the contract was about to expire in terms of supplying the label with albums of full-new material for release through Epic Records/SME. In 2002, all singles releases, video shootings, and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled.

Subsequently, Jackson made allegations that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African American artists[80] and used black artists for his own personal gain.[80] Jackson stated that Mottola had called Jackson's colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[81] Mariah Carey seemed nonchalant about Jackson's claims when asked about them by Larry King on Larry King Live.[82] The sales for Invincible were low compared to his previous releases, which may be due to the lack of a supporting world tour and because only one music video was released to promote the album. While most reviewers called the album Jackson's least impressive effort,[83][84] the reviews that were negative often discussed the singer's perceived eccentric image rather than the music.[85]

On September 7 and September 10, 2001 Jackson organized a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden for his thirtieth year of being a solo artist. The show aired on November 13, 2001 and featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, the Jacksons, Slash, and a number of other artists.[78]

Reissues and return to public eye

Main articles: Number Ones and Visionary: The Video Singles

In November 2003, Jackson and Sony Records put out a compilation of his number-one hits on CD and DVD titled Number Ones, which sold over six million copies worldwide.[86] In 2005 Jackson relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, where he reportedly bought a house formerly owned by a Bahrain MP.[87] In September 2005, Jackson's spokesperson Raymone Bain announced that Jackson was busy producing an all-star charity single – titled "I Have This Dream" – to help raise relief funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. In February 2006, Jackson's label released Visionary: The Video Singles, a box set made up of twenty of his biggest hit singles, each of which were issued individually week by week over a five-month period[88] and was released in the United States on November 14, 2006.[89]

Jackson's first documented public appearance since his trial was in November 2006 when he visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. There, he received eight awards, among them the "First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 Million Dollars in a Year" and the "First Entertainer to Sell More Than 100 Million Albums Outside the United Statues".[90] Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006 for selling over 100 million albums at the World Music Awards. Despite tabloid rumors prior to the event,[91] he did not perform Thriller, instead joining a choir on stage for a verse of "We Are the World".

Following the death of James Brown, more than eight thousand people watched as several artists, including Jackson, paid tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006.[92] Reverend Al Sharpton, who was close to Brown, delivered his sermon at the funeral, in which he stated that in the last conversation he had with Brown, he had said that artists like Jackson needed to continue to make positive music for all people.[92]

25th anniversary of Thriller and return to music

Main articles: Thriller 25 and Michael Jackson's forthcoming studio album

On February 3, 2008 a televised SoBe Life Water (a subsidiary of PepsiCo) ad aired during Super Bowl XLII featuring super model Naomi Campbell dancing with the SoBe geckos to "Thriller", exposing the song to over ninety-five million Americans.[93] On February 11 2008, Jackson issued a 25th anniversary edition of his top-selling album Thriller called Thriller 25. It is a double disc album; disc one contains the original nine tracks from "Thriller", five remixed "Thriller" tracks, a new song called "For All Time", a voice over by Vincent Price and featured will.i.am, Fergie, Kanye West, and Akon, with single releases alongside the album.[94] Disc two is a DVD which contains the three music videos from "Thriller" and Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" at Motown 25. Internationally, "The Girl Is Mine 2008" was released as a single, while in the United States, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" was the first single. "The Girl Is Mine 2008" reached number two in Japan, three in Mexico, six in the Netherlands, and top twenty positions in the major European markets.[95][96][97] "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" reached number three in Sweden, four in New Zealand, eight in Australia, ten in France and thirty-two in Canada, but had disappointing sales in America.[98][99][100]

Thriller 25 was a commercial success, having done particularly well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries, Europe and the United World Chart. It peaked at number two in the United States, number three in the United Kingdom and reached the top ten in over thirty national charts. Thriller 25 spent three weeks at number one in France,[101] two weeks at number one on the "United World Chart", Argentina and Belgium. It has been certified Gold in eleven countries, including the United Kingdom. In Poland, the album was certified gold, reaching number six on the chart on its release day, and is Jackson's highest charting album in Norway.[102] In France, Thriller 25 received a 2x Gold certification, and in Poland it was certified platinum.[103][104]

In the United States, Thriller 25 was the second best-selling album of its release week, selling one hundred and sixty six thousand copies, just fourteen thousand short of reaching the number one position. It was ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release but entered the Pop Catalog Charts at number one, where it stayed for eight non-consecutive weeks and had the best sales on that chart since December 1996.[105][106][107] This was Jackson's best launch since Invincible in 2001, with 500,000 copies in the US[108] and 1.6 million copies sold in nine weeks.[109] Shortly after Thriller 25, Jackson is expected to release the new album he has been working on. There have been reports of collaborations with will.i.am,[110] Teddy Riley,[111] Akon,[110] and Chris Brown.[110]

Influence

See Also:Michael Jackson's Music Videos and Legacy of Thriller
Jackson's star on the Hollywood walk of fame, set in 1984

In the mid-1980s, Time Magazine called Jackson "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley".[42] Jackson had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world, tearing down racial barriers and paving the way for modern pop music in his own country. He has been described as an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius".[112] Throughout his four-decade career, he received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Award's Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award,[22] and the Bambi's Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.[113] He is a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001)[53] and an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[114] He is characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power".[3] In 1990, Vanity Fair magazine named him the "Most popular artist in the history of show business".[115] Jackson's work has influenced and spawned a whole generation of a wide variety of artists, including Mariah Carey,[10] Usher,[116] Britney Spears,[10] Justin Timberlake,[117] Ne-Yo,[118] and Chris Brown,[119] among others.

Style and performance

Among the most celebrated aspects of Jackson's career have been his dance, which have given rise to impersonators all over the world. In 1984, Time magazine commented on Jackson's notable style:

His high-flying tenor makes him sound like the lead in some funked-up boys choir, even as the sexual dynamism irradiating from the arch of his dancing body challenges Government standards for a nuclear meltdown. His lithe frame, five-fathom eyes, long lashes might be threatening if Jackson gave, even for a second, the impression that he is obtainable.[42]

On March 25, 1983, Jackson debuted "Billie Jean" before a live audience during taping of the tribute special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Having reunited with the Jackson 5 for a medley of their hits, he remained on stage for a solo performance and as he addressed the crowd they began chanting for "Billie Jean". Dressed in a glittery black jacket, sparkling silver shirt, tight black pants cuffed high to showcase white spangled socks and black penny loafers, and a single sequined glove, Jackson signalled the start of his routine by grabbing his crotch and snapping a black fedora to his head. Halfway through the performance Jackson threw his fedora into the crowd causing audience members to scream and shout. It was during this performance that Jackson also debuted a set of dance moves, including the "Moonwalk" (which was named by the media). The "moonwalk" followed by a tornado spin and then balancing up on his toes have since gone on to become Jackson's trademark dance piece, and is virtually synonymous with the song. The performance sealed his position as a dance legend up against the likes of Fred Astaire, who actually called Jackson the next day to congratulate him, and it is also said to match the affect on popular culture that Elvis Presley and The Beatles had when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Ironically, the move is not featured at any point during the music video. Despite Jackson lip-syncing his song the audience rose to their feet giving an ovation and is often cited as one of the greatest live performances of all time. Upon its broadcast on May 16, over forty-seven million viewers witnessed Jackson's performance. Of the performance The New York Times stated "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".[120] In the late 1980s, Jackson experimented with an innovative 'leaning' move in his music video performances for which he was granted U.S. Patent 5,255,452.[121]

Jackson's later dancing, however, particuarly during the years 1987-1997, has been criticised as overly sexual or even violent, [122] such as the ending of the video for "Black or White" which portrays Jackson demolishing a car while performing a number of highly-sexualized dance moves. Jackson has also been known to grab or touch his chest, torso, and crotch, both in live performances as well as in music videos such as "Bad" and "In The Closet". While he has described this as "choreography," it has garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics, with TIME magazine describing it as "infamous".[123]

Themes and genres

Jackson's earlier material, such as Off the Wall and Thriller, focused almost exclusively on producing catchy melodies and rhythms characteristics of pop hits. This preoccupation with musical accessibility would continue throughout his future work, even as the material became colored with various shifts and improvisations. Despite the light pop flavor of Jackson's early material, it already displayed foreshadowings of the contradictory thematic elements that would come to characterize his later work. For example, Thriller transitioned seamlessly from the melodious and comfortable sounds of "Lady in My Life", to the haunting and terrorized environments of "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", where women accused Jackson of fathering their children and the outside world seemed strange and hostile.[124]

Some critics felt that Bad was focused too much on consolidating a traditional pop sound with the intention of breaking the records set by Jackson's previous albums, and that as a result the lyrics suffered in comparison to the excitement of his earlier work.[124] The album did, however, leaves clues for the themes of isolation that would be explored in future projects, such as the phrase "A lot of people misunderstand me....because they don't know me at all" in the tense intro to "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".[124] Bad also included Jackson's first major inspirational song, "Man in the Mirror". The song and its accompanying video were praised for their message and captivating sound and imagery, despiting being criticized by some as "pure pabulum."[124]

Jackson's work in the 1990s was characterized by more introspective material. Some have argued that the Dangerous album represented Jackson at a "near peak" in terms of musical quality and creativity[125] and received more critical acclaim than his previous Bad album.[126] While Jackson continued to explore some of the themes of his previous work, such as the "predatory lover" motif which was continued on the title track to Dangerous[127], more and more of his music in this decade started addressing sociopolitical issues around the world, such as "Black or White", "Heal the World", "They Don't Care About Us", and "Earth Song". The music in Dangerous, described as a "a sonic machine world" with "synthetic basslines, swooshing scratched records, [and] clanking metallic noises", reflected old influences while absorbing new trends. This ability to incorporate new developments in the sound of pop music was made all the more pressing by the long intervals between Jackson's albums.[127]

HIStory, arguably Jackson's most conflictive album, revealed a "furious" pop icon worn by years of superstardom,[41] with Jon Pareles of the The New York Times writing, "It has been a long time since Michael Jackson was simply a performer. He's the main asset of his own corporation, which is a profitable subsidiary of Sony".[41] The album featured Jackson using profanity and other controversial lyrics, which forced him to modify some of the words to "They Don't Care About Us". Edged onwards by a quasi-messianic flair, he also railed against the media in "Tabloid Junkie", singing, "With your pen you torture me/You'd crucify the Lord" and that "Just because you read it in a magazine/ Or see it on a TV screen/ Don't make it factual".[41] HIStory mostly encompassed reflective compositions, presenting only one conventional love song, "You Are Not Alone".[41]

Personal life

Childhood

Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana to a working-class family, the sixth of seven brothers and the eighth of ten children of Joseph Walter (Joe) and Katherine Esther (née Scruse). Katherine, a Jehovah's Witness, raised the children in that faith. Jackson's father was a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called "The Falcons" with his brother Luther. The father was a strict disciplinarian, and many of the Jackson children recall being spanked or whipped by their father for misbehaving.[128] During the Jackson 5's early years, Motown's public relations team shortened Jackson's age from eleven to nine to make him appear cuter and accessible to the mainstream audience.[129]

Marriages and children

Jackson with his children at Disneyland Paris

In 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, the marriage was, in Presley's words, a married couple's life that was sexually active.[130] They divorced less than two years later and remain friends.[131]

On November 13, 1996 during the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married his dermatologist's nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he fathered a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince"), and a daughter, Paris Katherine Jackson.[132] Jackson and Rowe divorced in 1999.[133] Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as Blanket) was born in 2002.[134]

In November 2002, a media frenzy arose around a picture of Jackson holding his baby outside an hotel window. He was surrounded by fans outside his room at the Hotel Adlon who were chanting in support of the singer, who were called out to see his new born son. In response, Jackson brought his son onto the balcony, holding him in his right arm with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face in order to protect his identity from the media. Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony. In late 2006 Jackson agreed to share joint custody of his children with his ex-wife.[135]

Humanitarian efforts

Jackson was first viewed as a humanitarian in 1984, following his burning accident with Pepsi when the cola manufacturer gave Jackson one and a half million dollars, an out of court settlement that he donated to the Michael Jackson Burn Centre.[136] In July 1984 he donated his five million dollar share from the Victory tour to charity.[137] In 1985 Jackson co-wrote with Lionel Richie the hit song "We Are the World", and sung a featured solo on the charity single. The record helped to raise money and awareness for the famine in East Africa, and was one of the first instances where Jackson was seen as a humanitarian.

From 1985–1990 Jackson had donated five $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund[138] and all profits from his 1988 hit single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[139] In 1992, Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation," named after his humanitarian single "Heal the World". The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's Neverland Ranch, located outside Santa Ynez, California, to go on theme park rides which Jackson had built on the property after he purchased it in 1988. It also spread millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease.[140] All profits from the Dangerous World Tour went to his foundation raising many millions of dollars in relief. Jacksons 1995 international number one hit Earth Song showed a shift in his concerns to environmental issues and ends with a message asking for donations for his "Heal the World Foundation".

In wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001 and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[141]

In late 2002, Jackson's Heal the World Foundation had net assets of just three $3,500 and reported $2,500 in expenses, mostly for management fees. The foundation was suspended in California since April 2002 for failing to file annual statements required of tax-exempt organizations, according to John Barrett, spokesman for the state Franchise Tax Board.[142] Jackson has donated and raised several hundred million dollars to good causes through his world tour and supported thirty-nine charities.[143][144]

Physical appearance

Jackson's skin was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the early 1980s his skin gradually became paler. This change became noticeable and gained widespread media coverage, with some media outlets claiming that he was bleaching his skin. The structure of his face has changed as well, and several surgeons have speculated that Jackson has undergone multiple nasal surgeries as well as a forehead lift, thinned lips and cheekbone surgery.[145]

Jackson wrote in his 1988 autobiography Moon Walk: that he only had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin. In the book, he attributed the change in the structure of his face to puberty and strict vegetarian diet.[146] While some suggest that it is in part due to periods of significant weight loss between 1987-1993 and 2003-2005.[147] In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson attributed his skin colour change to the disease vitiligo. Despite Jackson's reasoning, tabloid newspapers, have continued to express skepticism about his statements.[148]

Jackson's outfits have been central components of his image. In the early 1980s he wore a sequined white glove, the jackets in the "Thriller" and "Beat it" music videos, white socks (with short pants to emphasize them) and other sparkling jackets. In the late 1980s to late 1990s Jackson shifted to wearing fedoras, military jackets, shin pads, sunglasses and plasters on his fingers (or occasionally a pair of black sparkling gloves). He continued to wear white socks with short pants. In the 2000s Jackson rarely appears in flamboyant costumes, occasionally wearing shin pads, but usually a red shirt, black full-length pants and sunglasses. Over time his hair went from short and curly to long and curly and then to long and straight.

Child molestation charges

Main article: People v. Jackson
Fans supporting Jackson

Jackson was reported to have often allowed children to sleepover at his Neverland ranch, a fact which came under much media and public scrutiny in 1993, when child molestation allegations were brought against him by a child who had stayed with him on several occasions. Also that year, Jordan Chandler, the son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler, represented by civil lawyer Larry Feldman, accused Jackson of child sexual abuse. On December 22, Jackson responded to the allegations via satellite from his Neverland compound and claimed to be "totally innocent of any wrongdoing". On January 25 1994, Jackson settled out of court with the accuser for an undisclosed sum, reported to be twenty million dollars and the family dropped the charges.[149]

On December 18 2003, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in order to commit that felony, all regarding the same boy, Gavin Arvizo, under fourteen at the time of the incident. The felony complaint stated that Jackson had committed seven lewd acts and two acts of administration of an intoxicating agent to enable the former accusations. Jackson denied these allegations, saying that the sleepovers were in no way sexual in nature. Jackson's friend, Elizabeth Taylor, defended him on Larry King Live, saying that she had been there when they "were in the bed, watching television. There was nothing abnormal about it. There was no touchy-feely going on. We laughed like children, and we watched a lot of Walt Disney. There was nothing odd about it."[150]

The People v. Jackson trial began in Santa Maria, California, on January 31, 2005, and lasted until the end of May 2005, with Jackson being acquitted on all counts in June. The District Attorney of Santa Barbara County in California, Tom Sneddon, has led two efforts against Jackson involving child molestation.[151] The first incident, in 1993, resulted in no charges and the second, at the end of 2003, culminated in a trial two years later in which Jackson was found not guilty. These prosecutions have led to complaints that Sneddon was motivated by a "vendetta" against Jackson. Evidence to support these claims include Sneddon joking about Jackson's greatest hits album being released on the same day as his arrest, calling Jackson "Wacko Jacko," and shouting "we got him, we finally got him" to the world media when he had at the time only just began an investigation and had limited information or evidence.[152]

Finances

A number of savvy business moves early in his career helped Jackson accrue a sizeable fortune. In 1984 Jackson paid for and created the Thriller music video using his own money, as his label felt the album had already been a success and that a third video was therefore unnecessary. The video was hugely successful and Jackson made a sizeable profit.[153] In 1985, he purchased The Beatles back catalog as well as the copyrights to thousands of other songs for $47.5 million.[154] In 1988, he purchased property near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch, at a cost $17 million. The property is now valued at approximately $100 million. In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.[155] [156] The early 1990s saw Jackson sign a renewed $65 million recording contract and sold the rights to his Dangerous world tour for $20 million, both of which were record-breaking deals at the time.[155][157] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997 even though his commercial peak had ended several years prior.[155] His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts, and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million,[155] while some analysts have speculated that the music catalog he purchased in 1985 could potentially be worth billions of dollars.[158]

However, in recent years it has been reported that Jackson has come under financial difficulties. In 1993, he settled a child-molestation lawsuit for an undisclosed sum, estimated to be between $15 million and $25 million. The negative publicity surrounding the settlement impacted his future earnings as well.[155] Jackson has observed in public spending large amounts of money in an apparently frivolous manner, such as in 2003 when he spent $6 million in a single shop.[155]

In 2005, Sony negotiated with a loans company on behalf of Jackson as his $200 million in loans were due in December 2005 so were secured on the music catalogue he purchased in 1985. Jackson failed to pay and Bank of America sold them to Fortress Investments, a company dealing in distressed loans. However, Jackson has not as yet sold any of the remainder of his stake. The possible purchase by Sony of twenty-five percent of Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a conditional option; it is assumed Jackson will try to avoid having to sell part of the catalog of songs, including material by other artists such as Bob Dylan and Destiny's Child. As another part of the deal Jackson was given a new $300 million loan, and a lower interest rate on the old loan to match the original Bank of America rate. When the loan was sold to Fortress Investments they increased the interest rate to twenty percent.[159] An advisor to Jackson, however, did publicly announce he had "restructured his finances with the assistance of Sony."[160]

Michael Jackson owes a five million interest payment to Fortress Trust, the publicly traded hedge fund that bought his two hundred and seventy million dollar loan from Bank of America in April 2005. The loan has been refinanced to $325 milion by Fortress. The payment was due on October 31, 2007.[161] Soon after this payment, Jackson's spokesperson announced on March 16, 2006 that Jackson was closing his house at Neverland and had laid off some of the employees but added that reports of the closing of the entire ranch were inaccurate.[162] Rumours of possible bankruptcy have been around for a decade but have not materialised.[154]

Discography

Main articles: Michael Jackson album discography and Michael Jackson singles discography

Filmography

Main article: Michael Jackson filmography

See also

Notes

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  2. ^ Johnson, Peter (2005-06-13). "Media go into MJ Overdrive". usatoday.com. Retrieved 2007-08-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e Huey, Steve. "Michael Jackson - Biography". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
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  6. ^ "Grammy Winners Search". Grammy's official website. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
  7. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 611
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  15. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 138
  16. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 139–142
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  21. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 188
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  35. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 279–286
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  134. ^ "Jackson Interview with Ed Bradley on 60 minutes". CBS Corp. 2003-12-28. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  135. ^ "Jackson child custody battle ends". BBC. 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2008-04-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  136. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 287
  137. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 320
  138. ^ "Blacks who give back". findarticles.com/Ebony. March 1990. Retrieved 2008-04-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  139. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 382
  140. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 453–454
  141. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 614
  142. ^ "Jackson's foundation now virtually defunct". MSNBC. March 25 2004. Retrieved 2006-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  143. ^ "The King of Our Times". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 2007-01-07. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  144. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 453–454
  145. ^ "Surgeon: Michael Jackson A 'Nasal Cripple'". ABC News. February 8 2003. Retrieved 2006-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  146. ^ Jackson, p.143–144
  147. ^ Jackson, p.143–144
  148. ^ "Daddy Jacko Looks Like Mummy Wacko," New York Daily News, December 18, 2007
  149. ^ "1993: Michael Jackson accused of child abuse". BBC Corp. February 8, 2003. Retrieved 2006-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  150. ^ "Elizabeth Taylor defends Michael on Larry King Live". Cable News Network. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
  151. ^ "Who Is Tom Sneddon?". CBS Corp. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  152. ^ "Why Is The DA In The Michael Jackson Case Smiling?". MTV Networks. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
  153. ^ "Michael Jackson's Monster Smash". telegraph. 2007-11-25. Retrieved 2008-04-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  154. ^ a b "Bad Fortunes". guardian. 2005-06-15. Retrieved 2008-04-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  155. ^ a b c d e f Gundersen, Edna (2007-02-19). "For Jackson, scandal could spell financial ruin". usatoday. Retrieved 2003-11-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  156. ^ "Jackson receives his World Records". Yahoo! News. November 14 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  157. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 452
  158. ^ "Witness: Jacko Lived Way Above Means". Fox. 2005-05-03. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  159. ^ "Michael Jackson Bailout Said to Be Close". The New York Times. April 13 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  160. ^ "Jackson strikes deal over loans". BBC News. April 14 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  161. ^ "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Plans". Fox News. October 17 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  162. ^ "Jackson Closes Neverland House". CBS Corp. March 17 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

References

  • Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden. ISBN 082831957X.
  • Abdelnour, Mark (2004). Buying & Selling Music, Instruments, and Music Collectibles on Ebay. Thomson Course Technology. ISBN 159200504. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  • Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Terra Alta, WV: Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4.
  • Warner, Jay (2006). On this Day in Black Music History. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard. p. 329. ISBN 0634066935.
  • Guinness World Records (2005). Guinness World Records 2006. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-02-4.
  • Jackson, Michael (1988). Moonwalk. Doubleday. ISBN 0-434-37042-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |Page= ignored (|page= suggested) (help)

Further reading

  • Jackson, Michael (1988). Moonwalk. Doubleday. ISBN 0-434-37042-8.
  • Jackson, Michael (1992). Dancing The Dream. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-40368-2.
  • Grant, Adrian (1994, 1997, 2002 and 2005). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-432-2. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  • Noonan, Damien (1994). Michael Jackson. Carlton Books. ISBN 1-85797-587-1. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  • Jackson, Michael (2006). My World, The Official Photobook, Vol. 1. Triumph International. ISBN 0-9768891-1-0.
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