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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson
Disclaimer: I didn't delete all those damn annoying numbers! LOL
Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958) is an American musician and entertainer. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of eleven as a member of The Jackson 5. Jackson began a solo career in 1972; he became a pop icon and was named the "King of Pop" in subsequent years. Five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling pop records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).
Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music in the late 1970s as the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the concept of music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively young channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" kept Jackson a staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.
Jackson has donated and raised several hundred million dollars for beneficial causes through his Dangerous World Tour, charity singles and support of thirty-nine charities. However, other aspects of his personal life have generated significant controversies, his plastic surgery, lightening skin tone due to vitiligo and eccentric behavior have damaged his public image. He was accused of child molestation in 1993, although the matter was settled out of court. Jackson then married twice and fathered three children; all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and later acquitted of further molestation allegations and several other charges. He has been the subject of long-term financial difficulties and health concerns.
Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. His awards include multiple Guinness World Records, including one for Thriller as the world's best-selling album, thirteen Grammy Awards, thirteen number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist after the creation of the Billboard Hot 100—and the sale of over 750 million units worldwide. Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, has made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.
Contents
1 Biography
1.1 1958–1975: Early life and The Jackson 5
1.2 1976–1981: The Jacksons and Off the Wall
1.3 1982–1986: Thriller, Motown 25, Victory Tour and We Are the World
1.4 1987–1990: Tabloid stories, Bad and first solo world tour
1.5 1991–1994: Dangerous, charity, accusations and marriage
1.6 1995–1999: HIStory, charity, second marriage and fatherhood
1.7 2001–2002: Invincible, charity, label dispute and third child
1.8 2003–2006: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson
1.9 2008–present: Thriller 25, King of Pop and forthcoming album
1.10 Physical appearance and health concerns
1.11 Finances
2 Legacy, influence and artistry
2.1 Music videos
2.2 Themes and genres
3 Studio albums
Biography
1958–1975: Early life and The Jackson 5
Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana (an industrial suburb of Chicago, Illinois) to a working-class family on August 29, 1958. The son of Joseph "Joe" Walter and Katherine Esther (née Scruse), he was the fifth of six brothers and the seventh of nine children. His brothers and sisters were Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Randy, Janet, La Toya and Rebbie. Joseph Jackson was a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band known as The Falcons with his brother Luther. Joseph physically and mentally abused Jackson in his youth through incessant rehearsals, whippings and depreciative names such as "big nose". Joseph exorcised his musical career frustrations by exploiting his musically-gifted children, especially Jackson, by forcing them to perform in seedy bars and strip joints from Indiana to Ohio. Jackson's abuse as a child continues to affect him emotionally today. Katherine, a Jehovah's Witness, raised their children in that faith.
Jackson showed musical talent early in his life, performing in front of his classmates and other audience members during a Christmas recital at the age of five. In 1964, Jackson and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers, a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine, as backup playing congas and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5. The band toured the Chicago area and the Midwestern states extensively from 1965 to 1967. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit", where the band often opened for stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Jackson.
The group recorded a number of songs for the local record label Steeltown in 1967 and signed with the national Motown Records label in 1968. Rolling Stone magazine described the young Jackson as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts", noting that after Jackson began to dance and sing with his brothers, "he quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer". Even though Jackson 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".
The fledgling group set a record when their first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There") charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. During the Jackson 5's early years, Motown's public relations team lowered Jackson's age from eleven to nine to make him appear cuter and more accessible to the mainstream audience. Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben. 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". The group's sales began declining in 1973, they chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top five disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.
1976–1981: The Jacksons and Off the Wall
Main article: Off the Wall (album)
The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in 1976, first joining the Philadelphia International Records division and then Epic Records. Motown Records subsequently sued the group for breach of contract; as a result of the legal proceedings, which were further complicated by the fact that Jermaine Jackson was married to Motown president Berry Gordy's daughter, the band lost the rights to use the Jackson 5 name and logo. Jermaine left the group, choosing to stay at Motown; the group was renamed to The Jacksons, featuring youngest brother Randy in lieu of Jermaine.
The group's career continued after the name change, they toured internationally and released six more albums between 1976 and 1984. Jermaine re-joined in 1983, making The Jacksons a sextet. From 1976 to 1984, Jackson was the lead songwriter of the group, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It". In 1978, he starred as Scarecrow in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz with former label mate Diana Ross playing Dorothy. The musical scores were arranged by Quincy Jones, who established a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce the singer's solo album, Off the Wall.
Jones and Jackson jointly produced the album, the lyrics and music were variously composed by Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney among others. Issued in 1979, Off the Wall was the first album in music history to generate four US top-ten hits, including the number-ones "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You". Off the Wall reached number three on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified for seven million shipments in the US. The album eventually sold over fifteen million copies worldwide. 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.
In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts; these included 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"). He also won two Billboard Awards later that month for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album. On February 27, 1980, Jackson won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Rolling Stone ranked Off the Wall number 68 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers listed it at number 80 of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. In 2008, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
1982–1986: Thriller, Motown 25, Victory Tour and We Are the World
Main articles: Thriller (album), Motown 25, Victory Tour, and We Are the World
In November 1982, the storybook for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released, which included Jackson's song "Someone In the Dark"; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children. A few weeks later Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller; it 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 the first of three albums to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles, as well as the only album to be the best-seller in the US for two years (1983–1984). Thriller was certified for twenty-seven million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US. and has sold 3.7 million copies in the UK. The album reached Diamond or Multi-Platinum status in many other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain. Thriller was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Though sales figures vary with different sources, the album is cited as selling between forty-five million and over one hundred million copies worldwide. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Thriller sold sixty-five million copies as of 2007. The album also became the first in history to spawn seven top ten Billboard Hot 100 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller".
On March 25, 1983, Jackson performed "Billie Jean" live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. Debuting his signature move — the moonwalk — his performances during the event led many to perceive 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 is often compared to Elvis Presley and the The Beatles appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. The New York Times said, "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".
Jackson suffered a setback on January 27, 1984. Filming a Pepsi Cola commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire, he suffered second degree burns to his scalp. The incident happening in front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, it was the subject of heavy media scrutiny and elicited an outpouring of sympathy. PepsiCo settled a lawsuit out of court and Jackson gave his $1.5 million settlement to the Michael Jackson Burn Centre.
Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan at left, and first lady Nancy Reagan at right, 1984On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award presented by President Ronald Reagan. 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. Thriller put black music on US radio for the first time in years, paving the way for other acts such as Prince.
Jackson won eight awards during the 1984 Grammys (in 2008, Thriller was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame). Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons and beginning on July 6, 1984, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. He donated his five million dollar share from the Victory Tour to charity. On March 7, 1985, the charity single "We Are the World" was released worldwide to aid people in Africa and the US. 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 was seen as a humanitarian.
Thriller was an enormous hit, making 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." TIME magazine argued that "the fallout from Thriller has given the business its best years since the heady days of 1978."
1987–1990: Tabloid stories, Bad and first solo world tour
Main articles: Captain EO, Bad (album), and Bad World Tour
In 1986, Jackson starred in the George Lucas-produced, Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly eleven years, while Walt Disney World screened the film in its Epcot theme park from 1986 to 1994.Stories of Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to stall the human process of aging, as well as allegations that Jackson attempted to purchase the bones of the Elephant Man, began surfacing in tabloids. These stories inspired the nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson acquired the following year. He would eventually come to despise that moniker.
In 1987, Jackson released Bad; his third album from the Epic Records label and the final album with producer Quincy Jones. Jackson initially wanted to make the album thirty tracks long, but Jones cut this down to eleven. With the industry expecting another monster hit, the release was heavily anticipated, as it was Jackson's first album in five years. Bad had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a significant commercial success. In the US 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 twenty-nine million copies worldwide, shipped eight million units in the US and sold 3.6 million copies in the UK. At the 1993 Grammy Awards, the album was acknowledged as the second best-selling album of all time, but it has since been overtaken.
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 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour. The tour lasted sixteen months, as Jackson performed 123 concerts to 4.5 million fans.
This period saw Jackson experience high levels of stardom, previously known to Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra. This success led Jackson 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." In 1990, the White House presented the singer with its own special "Artist of the Decade" award, in recognition of Jackson's musical influence in the 1980s. Jackson was awarded by President George H. W. Bush, who commended Jackson for acquiring a "tremendous following" among other achievements. From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund and all profits from his 1988 hit single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.
1991–1994: Dangerous, charity, accusations and marriage
Main articles: Dangerous (album) and Dangerous World Tour
In November 1991, Jackson issued the Dangerous album, which had seven million shipments in the US, sold two million copies in the UK and sold twenty-seven million copies worldwide; registering sales figures slightly lower to those of Bad. It became one of the most successful new jack swing albums of all time. Dangerous featured hits, including "Black or White", "Remember the Time", "In the Closet", "Give In To Me", "Heal the World" and "Will You Be There". The album was highly anticipated, as highlighted by an incident at the Los Angeles International Airport, where a group of armed robbers stole 30,000 copies of the new album before its official release. Dangerous was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number 115 of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time.
The albums biggest hit in the US was "Black or White", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for seven weeks, with similar performances around the world. The second single released from Dangerous was "Remember The Time", which spent eight weeks in the top five in the US peaking 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 suffered an injury in rehearsals. 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. In the UK, as well as other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album. In the UK, it sold 450,000 copies alone and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.
Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992, in reference to 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. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease. All profits from the Dangerous World Tour went to his foundation, raising many millions of dollars in relief.
Later that year, Jackson made a high-profile visit to Africa, in which he visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt. His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable reception of more than 100,000 people in "spiritual bedlam", some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael". In his trip to the Ivory Coast, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief. 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. 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. Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
In the late 1980s, Jackson befriended Ryan White, a child suffering from AIDS. White made headlines around the world, fighting against legal and social prejudices towards HIV/AIDS victims. Jackson, who was sympathetic to the cause, drew public attention to the disease, something that was still controversial at the time. When White died in at the age of eighteen in 1990, Jackson attended the funeral. In 1993, Jackson publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clintons Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research. He dedicated the song "Gone Too Soon" to White.
In 1993, it was revealed that Jackson allowed children to sleep over at his Neverland ranch, a fact which came under much media and public scrutiny when child molestation allegations were brought against him. Jordan Chandler, the son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler, represented by civil lawyer Larry Feldman, accused Jackson of molestation. On December 22, Jackson responded to the allegations via satellite from his Neverland ranch and stated that he was "totally innocent of any wrongdoing". In January of 1994, Jackson settled the issue out of court for an undisclosed sum, reported to be $20 million, Chandler refused to testify.
Later that year, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. They first met in 1974, during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993. They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Lisa Marie for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and his addiction to drugs. Lisa Marie explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it." In one phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional. Shortly afterwards, she tried to persuade Jackson to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover — he subsequently did both.
Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie, over the telephone, towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?". The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active". They divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.
1995–1999: HIStory, charity, second marriage and fatherhood
Main articles: HIStory, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, and HIStory World Tour
In June 1995, Jackson released HIStory: Past, Present And Future — Book I, resulting in one Grammy Award for "Best Video of the Year". It debuted at number one on the charts, has been certified for seven million shipments in the US and sold 1.5 million copies in the UK. It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with eighteen million copies (thirty-six million units) sold worldwide. To promote the album, Jackson embarked on the successful HIStory World Tour, 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 the album 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". "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".
"Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995, where it sold sold one million copies, making it his most successful single in Britain. Jackson showed a shift in his concerns to environmental issues, with the music video for "Earth Song" ending with a message asking for donations for his "Heal the World Foundation". Slash appeared at Jackson's MTV Music Video Awards 1995 performance during "Black or White", played a solo and played along to the opening of "Billie Jean".
At the 1996 BRIT awards, Jackson was given a special "Artist of a Generation" award. At the ceremony he performed his single "Earth Song", making a symbolic Christ-like pose while surrounded by children. That led intoxicated Jarvis Cocker, of the band Pulp, to mount the stage in protest of the performance. Cocker was subsequently questioned by the police on suspicion of causing injury towards three of the children in Jackson's performance, although no criminal proceedings followed.
On November 13 of that year, 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 Michael Katherine Jackson. They first met in the early 1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with Vitiligo. Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to. The couple divorced in 1999, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson.
In 1997, Jackson released an album of new material titled Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. It contained re-mixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. The record sold six million copies worldwide, becoming a best-selling remix album. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track. In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number twenty-four. Of the new songs in the album, two were released globally: the title track and "Ghosts".
Throughout June of 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization Warchild and raised approximately one million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala. Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boys II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.
2001–2002: Invincible, charity, label dispute and third child
Main article: Invincible (Michael Jackson album)
In October 2001, the album Invincible was issued, debuting at number one in thirteen countries and going on to sell approximately ten million copies worldwide; this included a double platinum certification in the US. The album spawned three singles: "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies". The sales for Invincible were low compared to his previous releases, due in part to the lack of a supporting world tour and because only one music video was released to promote the album. While most reviewers felt that the album was one of Jackson's least impressive, negative reviewers often discussed the singer's perceived eccentric image rather than the music.
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; the contract was on the verge of expiration in terms of supplying the label with albums of new material for release through Epic Records/SME. As a result, 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, using them merely for his own personal gain. He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger". Jackson and Sony have continue to work together artistically and financially on multiple projects.
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 featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, The Jacksons, Slash among other artists. 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.
Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as Blanket) was born in 2002. The mother's identity has not been released by Jackson, but he has said it was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells. In November of that year, Jackson brought his new born son onto the balcony of his hotel room. Holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face, Jackson briefly extending the baby over the railing of the balcony, causing widespread criticism.
2003–2006: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson
Main articles: Living with Michael Jackson, Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson, Visionary: The Video Singles, and People v. Jackson
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. In the US it peaked at number thirteen being certified platinum by the RIAA and sold 1.5 million copies in the UK.
Fans supporting JacksonOn 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 charges regarded the same boy, Gavin Arvizo, under fourteen at the time of the alleged crime. Earlier that year, a Granada Television documentary featuring Jackson showed him holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Arvizo, who would later accuse him of child molestation. Jackson denied these allegations, saying that the sleep overs 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."
The People v. Jackson trial began in Santa Maria, California on January 31, 2005, and lasted until the end of May 2005; Jackson was acquitted on all counts in June. The District Attorney of Santa Barbara County, Tom Sneddon, has led two efforts against Jackson involving child molestation. 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 media when he had only just began an investigation and had gathered limited information or evidence.
Following the trial, Jackson relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain. In September 2005, it was announced that Jackson was producing an all-star charity single — entitled "I Have This Dream" — to help raise relief funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The single has not yet been released.
Beginning in February 2006, Sony BMG released Visionary: The Video Singles to the European market: a series of twenty of his biggest hit singles of the 1980s and 1990s. Each single was issued weekly over a five-month period in Dual Disc format (DVD video on one side, CD audio on the other) and the whole group of discs was made available as a boxed set afterwards. The box set was released in the US on November 14, 2006.
Jackson with his children at Disneyland Paris in 2006Jackson's first documented public appearance since his trial was in November 2006, when he visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. He received eight awards, among them "First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 Million Dollars in a Year" and "First Entertainer to Sell More Than 100 Million Albums Outside the United States". Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100 million albums at the World Music Awards.
Following the death of James Brown, Jackson returned to the US to pay his respects. He, along with more than eight thousand people, paid tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006. In late 2006, Jackson agreed to share joint custody of his first two children with his second ex-wife.
2008–present: Thriller 25, King of Pop and forthcoming album
Main articles: Thriller 25, King of Pop (album), and Michael Jackson's forthcoming studio album
On February 11, 2008, Jackson issued Thriller 25, a 25th anniversary edition of Thriller. The album consists of two discs. Disc one contains the original nine tracks from Thriller, five remixed Thriller tracks, a song originally recorded in the Thriller era called "For All Time",and included renditions by will.i.am, Fergie, Kanye West and Akon. Disc two is a DVD which contains the three music videos from "Thriller" and Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" at Motown 25. Two singles, "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008", were released to moderate success.
Thriller 25 was a commercial success, having done particularly well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe. It reached number two in the US, number three in the UK and top ten on over thirty national charts.In the US, Thriller 25 was just 14,000 copies short of reaching the number one position, selling 166,000 copies. It was ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release, but entered the Pop Catalog chart at number one, where it stayed for ten non-consecutive weeks and had the best sales on that chart since December 1996. In twelve weeks, the album had sold 556,000 copies in the US and three million copies worldwide.
To celebrate Jackson's fiftieth birthday, on August 29, 2008, Sony BMG will release a double disk compilation album called King of Pop on the same day. It will include thirty tracks from Jackson's group and solo career, all voted for by fans. Sony will then add rare tracks, previously unreleased material and a "MegaMix" by Jason Nevins. The album will be available in two versions.
Michael Jackson has also, since 2006, been working on a new album. This, unlike Thriller 25 or the King of Pop, is a studio album and will consist of new materials. Confirmed producers and contributors include Akon, Ne-Yo and will.i.am., some of whom have contributed to the Thriller 25 album. There are no confirmed dates or name.
Physical appearance and health concerns
Vitiligo destroys the skin's pigmentationJackson's skin was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the early 1980s, his skin gradually grew paler. This change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that Jackson was bleaching his skin. However, in the early 1980s, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus, the latter of which is potentially lethal but is in remission in Jackson's case. Both conditions make Jackson sensitive to overexposure to sunlight, which can cause his lupus condition to reawaken. Jackson first spoke publicly about vitiligo in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. To treat both these conditions Jackson uses Solaquin, Retin A and Benoquin. He must also have hydroxychloroquin injected directly into his scalp regularly. Ironically, the treatments he uses for his condition further lightens his skin tone, and with the application of pancake makeup to even out his skin tone, he can appear very pale.
The structure of his face has changed as well, several surgeons have speculated that Jackson had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips and a cheekbone surgery. In 1979, Jackson had his first rhinoplasty after breaking his nose during a complex dance routine. However the surgery was not a complete success and Jackson complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who would perform his second rhinoplasty, as well as more throughout his career. Jackson had his third rhinoplasty in 1984, another in 1986 and had a cleft put in his chin. By 1990, the full extent of Jackson's surgery was unknown; those close to the singer estimated he underwent ten operations on his face up to this point. 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 a strict vegetarian diet.
Changes to his face are, in part, due to periods of significant weight loss. Jackson became slimmer in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancers body". By 1984, Jackson had dropped twenty pounds, bringing his weight to 105 pounds; the slimmest he had ever been as an adult. Witnesses reported that Jackson was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa. Following accusations of child molestation in 1993, Jackson stop eating, losing even more weight. In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack. During his 2005 trial, the singer again suffered from stress related illnesses and severe weight loss.
By the fall of 1993, Jackson was addicted to drugs. He began taking painkillers, Valium, Xanax and Ativan to deal with the stress of the allegations made against him. Jackson's health had deteriorated to the extent that he cancelled the remainder of his tour and went into rehabilitation for a few months. In January 2004, following his upcoming trial, Jackson was dependent on morphine and Demerol, which he overcame.
Finances
A number of shrewd business moves helped Jackson accrue a sizeable fortune. In 1984, he offered to pay for 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. He was persuaded not to use his own earnings, instead he made a documentary of the video's production, called "The Making of Thriller". He and John Landis convinced MTV to pay for the production of the documentary and thus the music video that went along with it. The video was successful and Jackson garnered a sizeable profit. In 1984, he purchased Northern Songs, a music catalog holding thousands of songs. The catalog includes The Beatles' back catalog and songs by Elvis Presley. Jackson outbidding Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono at a cost of $47.5 million. Jackson merged the catalog with Sony's publishing division in 1995, retained half-ownership and earned $95 million in the deal as well as the rights to even more songs.
In 1988, he purchased property near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. The property was valued at approximately $100 million in 2003. In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone. In the early 1990s, Jackson signed a renewed $65 million recording contract and sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, both of which were record-breaking deals at the time. Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997, despite his commercial peak ending several years prior. His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million, some analysts have speculated that his music catalog holdings could potentially be worth billions of dollars.
In recent years, however, it has been reported that Jackson has experienced 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. Jackson has been 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 store, or from money given to charity.
Reports of financial problems for Jackson became more frequent in 2006 after the closure of the main house on the Neverland Ranch as a cost-cutting measure. One prominent financial issue for him concerned a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings. After delayed repayments on the loan, a refinancing package in 2005 shifted the loans from Bank of America to debt specialists Fortress Investments. A new package proposed by Sony in April 2006 would have had Jackson borrow an additional $300 million and reduce the interest rate payable on the loan, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly-owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake). Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although details were not made public. In 2007 Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck amongst other. In 2008, Fortress considered a foreclosure sale of Neverland Ranch to service the loan, but ultimately sold the debt to Colony Capital LLC in May of that year.
Legacy, influence and artistry
See also: Michael Jackson filmography and Thriller (album)#Influence and legacy
Jackson's star on the Hollywood walk of fame, set in 1984Jackson's successful career has made him a part of pop culture for almost four decades. Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984, Jackson has had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world. He broke down racial barriers, transformed the music video and paved the way for modern pop music in his own country. Jackson's work, distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, pop and R&B artists. Such artists include Mariah Carey, Usher, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ciara, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown. For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence, over the younger generation; through his musical and humanitarian contributions.
Throughout his 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 and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award. 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. Jackson is also an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His awards include multiple Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone), thirteen Grammy Awards, thirteen number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sale of over 750 million units worldwide.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".In the mid-1980s, TIME described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley". He has also been described as an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius". In 1990, Vanity Fair named him the "Most popular artist in the history of show business".
Music videos:
Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers.The popularity of his videos aired on MTV, such as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean", helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map" and MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B. Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has been frequently imitated.The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Bollywood to prisons in the Philippines.
Before the success of the Thriller album, Jackson had struggled to get MTV airing because he was African American.In an effort to get Jackson on the air, CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff pressured MTV, saying, "I'm not going to give you any more videos and I'm going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play music by a black guy."This stance persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson that helped other black music artists gain recognition.When the fourteen-minute long Thriller video aired, MTV ran it twice an hour to meet demand. The short film marked an increase in scale for music videos and has been named the best music video ever by the Guinness World Records. The popularity of the video sent the album back to number one in the album chart, but Jackson's label was not in support of releasing the third music video from the album. They were already pleased with its success, so Jackson convinced MTV to fund the project.
An image of U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452 filed by Jackson describing the anti-gravity leanIn the video for "Bad", Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He would occasionally grab or touch his chest, torso and crotch. While he has described this as "choreography," it garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; TIME magazine describing it as "infamous".Jackson hired Martin Scorsese to direct the eighteen-minute music video; it sparked controversy as Jackson's physical appearance had significantly changed. The video also featured Wesley Snipes; Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameos roles in the future. For Smooth Criminal, Jackson experimented with an innovative "leaning" move in his performances, for which he was granted U.S. Patent 5,255,452.
Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson a staple on MTV into the 1990s. "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music 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. It featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violence. The offending scenes in the final half of the fourteen-minute version were edited out to prevent the video from being banned and Jackson apologized. Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos. "Remember the Time" which was an elaborate production, and became one of his longest videos at over nine minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson, along with a distinct complex dance routine.The video for "In the Closet" was Jackson's most sexually provocative piece to date. It featured supermodel Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. The video was banned in South Africa because of its imagery.
The Jackson siblings embraced in the music video for "Scream"The music video for "Scream" is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed, winning three MTV awards in 1995 and a Grammy in 1996; Guinness World Records list it as the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of seven million dollars. In the video the Jackson siblings retaliate against the media and their abusive father. Janet embraces her visibly distressed brother. "Earth Song" was accompanied by an expensive and well-received music video that was nominated for a Grammy in 1996 but lost to his earlier video "Scream". The video had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution and war. Using special effects time is reversed so that life returns, war ends and the forests re-grow. Ghosts was a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. It features many special effects and dance moves choreographed to original music, which Jackson himself authored. The music video for Ghosts is over thirty-five minutes long and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's longest music video.
Throughout his solo career, Jackson's versatility has allowed him to experiment with a number of themes and genres. As a musician, he has ranged from Motown's dance fare and ballads to techno-edged new jack swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard-rock guitar. Unlike many artists Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder, when recording he would sing from memory. Off the Wall, was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads. Prominent examples include the ballad, "She's out of My Life" and the two disco tunes "Workin' Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor".
Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful. Notable tracks include the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature" and "The Girl Is Mine", the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".With Thriller, Jackson would bring his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.This is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".
In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.The anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece.The title track "Thriller" would begin Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he would revisit in the future. In 1985, Jackson wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a central component of his life and music.
In Bad, Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana".The lead single, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" was a traditional love ballad while "Man in the Mirror", an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution improved on his earlier "We Are the World". "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder. Dangerous presents Jackson as a stark paradoxal individual.The album is more diverse than his previous Bad, as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World".The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time". The album is Jacksons first where social ills become a primary theme: "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs. Dangerous contains sexually-charged efforts like "In the Closet", a love song about desire and denial, risk and repression, solitude and connection, privacy and revelation. The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire. The second half is introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith" show Jackson finally opening up about various personal struggles and worries. In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS. The album also contained one of his first power ballads, "Give in to Me".
HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia. Its content focuses on the hardship and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels and directs much of his anger at the media. In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces. Invincible, found Jackson working heavily with production Rodney Jerkins. It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless ", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and Mix's hip hop, pop and rap in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".
Studio albums:
Motown releases
1972: Got to Be There
1972: Ben
1973: Music & Me
1975: Forever, Michael
Epic releases
1979: Off the Wall
1982: Thriller
1987: Bad
1991: Dangerous
1995: HIStory
2001: Invincible
2008: TBA
Mark Jacobson:Hey, what do you want to have on your epitaph? What do you want your legacy to be?
Leroy Barnes: I’ll tell you what I want them to say on mine. I want them to say: "Boy oh boy, he was old. Goddamn, he was old."
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