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
The quartet intrigued Motown Records president Berry Gordy, Jr., who signed them in 1969. The Jackson 5 were instantly successful because they had the biggest Afros, the loudest costumes, the fastest choreography, and a youthful, soulful energy. In 1970, they had four straight number one pop hits: “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There.” The Jackson family’s run of hits for Motown continued into 1975, with Michael topping the pop charts as a solo performer with “Ben” and reaching number two with “Rockin’ Robin,” and the Jackson 5 releasing dance singles like “Dancing Machine.” Michael’s voice changed as he grew older, family strife surfaced, and a contract stalemate resulted. After ultimately splitting from Motown, the Jacksons signed with Epic Records. While Jermaine Jackson continued to sing solo at Motown, his younger brother Randy Jackson (full name Steven Randall Jackson; born October 29, 1961) took over. The Jacksons were a successful musical act from 1982 to 1984, and their sister Janet Jackson started her own singing career in the early 1980s. But Michael Jackson’s solo records had a completely different reputation.
The “King of Pop”
Off the Wall (1979), Jackson’s debut solo album for Epic, shattered all records and became the year’s best-selling album (selling over 20 million copies). Produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, Off the Wall produced the huge worldwide hits “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You,” which both benefited from the current disco dance craze and highlighted Michael’s upbeat approach. Three years later, he made a comeback with his second joint project with Jones, “Thriller,” a blockbuster tour de force that brought him to the attention of millions of people worldwide.Thriller achieved a great deal: it became the best-selling album in history by selling over 40 million copies, breaking records with eight Grammys, and staying on the charts for over two years. In the fall of 1982, the album’s lead single, “The Girl Is Mine,” a carefree duet with Paul McCartney, peaked at number one on the rhythm-and-blues charts and number two on the pop charts. Pop charts were topped by the thrilling dance track “Billie Jean,” which served as the inspiration for Michael Jackson’s signature “moonwalk” dance, and “Beat It,” which included a wild guitar solo by renowned musician Eddie Van Halen. Furthermore, “Beat It” contributed to the dismantling of the fictitious walls that separated Black and White musicians on the radio and in the newly popular television format of music videos 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 eccentric, secluded lifestyle grew increasingly controversial in the early 1990s. His reputation was seriously damaged in 1993 when he was accused of child molestation by a 13-year-old boy he had befriended; a civil suit was settled out of court. In 1994 Jackson secretly married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, but their marriage lasted less than two years. Shortly thereafter Jackson married again, this marriage producing children, though it too ended in divorce. While he remained an international celebrity, his image in the United States was slow to recover, and it suffered even more in November 2003 when he was arrested and charged with child molestation. Called to testify in Jackson’s defense during the trial that ensued was actor Macaulay Cuklin, who had met and become friends with Jackson when he was nine years old and Jackson was an adult. Culkin said they bonded over their common experiences of having to deal with fame at a young age and having overbearing fathers. Culkin maintained that he had never experienced anything inappropriate with Jackson. After a 14-week trial that became something of a media circus, Jackson was acquitted in 2005 at Michael Jackson.
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.