NAME: Michael Jackson
OCCUPATION: Dancer, Songwriter, Music Producer, Singer
BIRTH DATE: August 29, 1958
DEATH DATE: June 25, 2009
PLACE OF BIRTH: Gary, Indiana
PLACE OF DEATH: Los Angeles, California
Dubbed the "King of Pop," singer-songwriter Michael Jackson was born in
Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958. As a child, he performed as the lead
singer of the Jackson family's popular Motown group,the Jackson 5.
Jackson went on to become one of the most internationally famous
award-winning solo pop sensations to date. Jackson's 2009 death stirred
controversy and was ultimately ruled a homicide. Dr. Conrad Murray, who
had been caring for the pop star at the time of his death, was convicted
of involuntary manslaughter on November 7, 2011, later receiving a
four-year prison sentence.
Early Life
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on 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 5 years old, 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 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."
Solo Career
At the age of 13, Jackson launched a solo career in addition to his work
with the Jackson 5. He made the charts in 1971 with "Got to Be There"
from the album of the same name.
His 1972 album, Ben, featured the eponymous ballad about a rat. The song became Jackson's first solo No. 1 single.
For several years, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 maintained a busy tour and recording schedule,
under the supervision of Berry Gordy and his Motown staff. Gordy wrote
many of the songs recorded by the group and by Michael Jackson as a solo
artist. The group became so popular that they even had their own
self-titled cartoon show, which ran from 1971 to 1973.
Despite Jackson's individual achievements and the group's great success,
there was trouble between the Jacksons and their record company.
Tensions mounted between Gordy and Joseph Jackson over the management of
his children's careers, and their level of participation in making
their music. The Jacksons wanted more control over their recordings,
which led to most of the Jacksons breaking ties with Motown in 1975.
Jermaine Jackson remained with the label and continued to pursue a solo
career, having previously released several albums—none of which had
matched the success of his younger brother Michael.
Now calling themselves the Jacksons, the group signed a new recording
deal with Epic Records. With 1978's Destiny, Michael Jackson and his
brothers (which by now included younger brother Randy) emerged as
talented songwriters, penning all of the record's tracks. Working with
producer Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson wowed the music world with his
next solo album, 1979's Off the Wall. It featured an infectious blend of
pop and funk with such hit tracks as the Grammy Award-winning "Don't
Stop 'til You Get Enough," "Rock with You," and the title track. He also
found success with the ballad "She's Out of My Life."
The overwhelmingly positive response to Michael's latest solo album also
helped buoy the Jacksons' career as well. Triumph (1980) sold more than
1 million copies, and the brothers went on an extensive tour to support
the recording. Jackson, however, began to branch out on his own more.
Teaming up with rock legend Paul McCartney, Jackson sang on their 1982
duet, "The Girl Is Mine," which nearly reached the top of the pop
charts.
The song also appeared on his next solo album, Thriller (1982), which
generated seven Top 10 hits and became the best-selling album in
history. On a television special honoring Motown, Jackson performed
"Billie Jean"—eventually a No. 1 hit—and debuted his soon-to-be-famous
dance move called "The Moonwalk." Jackson, a veteran performer by this
time, created this step himself and choreographed the dance sequences
for the video of his other No. 1 hit, "Beat It."
Jackson's most elaborate music video, however, was for the album's title
track. John Landis directed the horror-tinged video, which featured
complex dance scenes, special effects and a voice-over by actor Vincent
Price. The "Thriller" video was an immense success, boosting sales for
the already successful album. The single stayed on the charts for 80
weeks, holding the No. 1 spot for 37 weeks. In addition to its
unparalleled commercial achievements, "Thriller" garnered 12 Grammy
Award nominations, winning eight.
Tragic Death
Sadly, Michael Jackson would never get to experience the anticipated
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, and died later that morning. He
was 50 years old.
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,
an estimated 1 billion viewers watched the memorial on TV or online.
The Jackson family held a private funeral on September 3, 2009, at the
Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, for Michael Jackson's
immediate family members and 200 guests. Celebrity mourners included
former child star Macaulay Culkin; Jackson's ex-wife, Lisa Marie
Presley; and actress Elizabeth Taylor.
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, Michael Joseph Jr. and Prince Michael II have been kept
largely out of the limelight, appearing publicly only a few times in the
last year. 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 of
that year, it was announced that the children would be heading to
private school in the fall.
A film documenting Jackson's preparations for his final performance,
entitled This Is It, was released in October 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
million worldwide. With the success of this final tribute, the Jackson
family hoped to finally have closure on the death of their beloved
Michael.
According to the report, the singer had died from acute propofol
intoxication. The overdose had reportedly 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. Aided by his personal
physician,
