Michael Jackson
BEST KNOWN FOR
Singer-songwriter Michael Jackson's award-winning career as the King of Pop transformed the face of pop music and popular culture. He died unexpectedly in 2009.
Mini Biography
Dubbed the
King of Pop, singer-song writer Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958. As a child, he was lead singer of the Jackson family's popular Motown group, The Jackson 5. Michael Jackson went on to become one of the most internationally famous award-winning solo pop sensations to date. His 2009 death stirred controversy and was ultimately ruled an accidental overdose.
American superstar Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958, and entertained audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joe Jackson, had been a guitarist but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Katherine (Scruse). Together they prodded their growing family's musical interests at home. By the early 1960s, the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964, Michael and Marlon had joined in.
A musical prodigy, Michael's singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature, and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of The Jackson 5. An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown, it was Gladys Knight (not Diana Ross) who officially brought the group to Berry Gordy's attention, and by 1969, the boys were producing back-to-back chart-busting hits as Motown artists ("I Want You Back," "ABC," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Got to Be There," etc.). As a product of the 1970s, the boys emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop/soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a group like The Temptations to a disco phenomenon.
Solo success for
Michael was inevitable, and by the 1980s, he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller" in 1982. A TV natural, he ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978), but had much better luck with elaborate music videos.
In the 1990s, the downside as an 1980s pop phenomenon began to rear itself. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his peerless celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically, and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts. Two brief marriages -- one to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley Lockwood -- were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes behind them appeared image-oriented. Despite it all, Michael Jackson's passion and artistry as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his seriously troubled adult life.
For it all to end on June 25, 2009, with his sudden death at age 50 of a drug-induced cardiac arrest, just as he was coming out of a four-year reclusive period and rehearsing for a sold-out London concert "comeback" in July, seems uncommonly cruel and tragic. Millions upon millions of dedicated fans will remember where they were "the day Michael died".
- Date of Birth :- 29 August 1958, Gary, Indiana, USA
- Date of Death :- 25 June 2009, Los Angeles, California, USA (homicide)
- Birth Name :- Michael Joseph Jackson
- Nickname :- The Gloved One , Wacko Jacko , Jacko , King Of Pop , MJ , Smelly , Applehead
- Height: - 5' 11" (1.80 m)
Spouse
- Debbie Rowe (14 November 1996 - 8 October 1999) (divorced) 2 children
- Lisa Marie Presley Lockwood (26 May 1994 - 18 January 1996) (divorced)
Early Life of Michael
Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, to an African-American working-class family. His father, Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but had put aside his musical aspirations to provide for his family as a crane operator. Believing his sons had talent, he molded them into a musical group in the early 1960s. At first, the Jackson Family performers consisted of Michael's older brothers Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie. Michael joined his siblings when he was five, and emerged as the group's lead vocalist. He showed remarkable range and depth for such a young performer, impressing audiences with his ability to convey complex emotions. Older brother Marlon also became a member of the group, which evolved into the The Jackson 5.
Behind the scenes, Joseph Jackson pushed his sons to succeed. He was also reportedly known to become violent with them. Michael and his brothers spent endless hours rehearsing and polishing up their act. At first, the Jackson 5 played local gigs and built a strong following. They recorded one single on their own, "Big Boy" with the b-side "You've Changed," but it failed to generate much interest.
The Jackson 5 moved on to working an opening act for such R&B artists as Gladys Knight and the Pips, James Brown, and Sam and Dave. Many of these performers were signed to the legendary Motown record label, and it has been reported that Gladys Knight may have been the one to tell Motown founder Berry Gordy about the Jackson 5. Impressed by the group, Gordy signed them to his label in 1968.
Relocating to Los Angeles, Michael and his brothers started work on their music and dancing with their father as their manager. They lived with Gordy and also with Supremes singer Diana Ross when they first arrived there. In August 1969, the Jackson 5 was introduced to the music industry at a special event, and later served as the opening act for the Supremes. Their first album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, hit the charts in December of that year. It's first single, "I Want You Back," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1970. More chart-topping singles quickly followed, such as "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There."
Where Are They Now
- (November 2003) Greatest hits compilation released on 17th November 2003, entitled "Michael Jackson: Number Ones", with one new song entitled "One More Chance".
- (November 2003) Arrested and charged with sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy.
- (February 2005) Trial for charges including molestation and intoxication of a minor begin. Expected to last at least 6 months.
- (June 2005) Acquitted on all charges in the child molestation and intoxication of a minor trial.
- (September 2005) Resides in Bahrain, a Muslim country that is located on the Southern part of Persian Gulf.
- (November 2006) Accepted Guinness World Record award for Greatest Album of all time, at London's Earls Court.
Death and Aftermath of Michael Jackson
Jackson would never get to experience the success of his comeback tour. On June 25, 2009, Jackson suffered cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home. He was rushed to the hospital after his heart stopped and CPR attempts failed, but he died later that morning. He was 50 years old at the time of his death.
News of
Jackson's death resulted in an outpouring of public grief and sympathy. Memorials to Jackson were erected around the world, including one at the arena where he was set to perform and another at his childhood home in Gary, Indiana. On July 12, 2009, a televised memorial was held for fans of the King of Pop at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
While 17,500 free tickets were issued to fans via lottery, more than an estimated one billion viewers watched the memorial on television and the Internet.
The Jackson family held a private funeral on September 3, 2009, for the immediate family and 200 guests at Forest Lawn Memorial park in Los Angeles. The celebrity mourners included former child star Macaulay Culkin, ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, and actress Elizabeth Taylor.
A film documenting Jackson's preparations for his final performance entitled This Is It, hit theaters in October of 2009. The film, featuring a compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson, made $23 million in its opening weekend and sky-rocketed to No. 1 at the box office. This Is It would go on to make more than $260.8 million worldwide, and become the highest grossing documentary of all time. With this final tribute, the family hoped to finally have closure on the passing of Michael Jackson.
But in February 2010, the coroner released an official report detailing the cause of Jackson's death. The results revealed that the singer died from "acute propofol intoxication." The overdose worked in combination with a lethal prescription drug cocktail—which included the pain killer Demerol, as well as lorazepam, midazolam, benzodiazepine, diazepine and ephedrine—to shut down the star's weakened heart. Jackson reportedly used the drugs, with the aid of personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, to help him sleep in the evenings.
Conrad later told police that he believed Jackson had developed a particular addiction to propofol, which Jackson referred to as his "milk." He had the drug administered by I.V. in the evenings in 50 mg dosages, and Murray was attempting to ween the pop star off the drug at the time of Jackson's death.
A police investigation revealed that Murray was not licensed to prescribe most controlled drugs in the state of California. The steps he took to save Jackson also came under scrutiny, as evidence showed that the standard of care for administering propofol was not met, and the recommended equipment for patient monitoring, precision dosing and resuscitation were not present.
As a result, Jackson's death was ruled a homicide, and Murray found himself at the center of an involuntary manslaughter investigation. The Jackson family also began pursuing measures that would have Murray's medical license revoked. The family is in continuing litigation with Murray.
Meanwhile, the Jackson family has attempted to move forward with their lives. As dictated in his will, Jackson's children were placed in the care of their grandmother, Katherine Jackson. In respect to their father's wishes, Paris, Prince Michael and Prince Michael II (also known as "Blanket") have been kept largely out of the limelight, appearing publicly only a few times in the last year.
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They stepped up to the mic in 2009 to speak to fans at their father's funeral, and again in January 2010 to accept a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for their father at the Grammys. In June 2010, it was announced that the children were headed to private school in the fall.
