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Michael Joseph Jackson(born August 29, 1958), often referred to as MJ[1] and The King of Pop,[2] is an American musician and entertainer. The seventh child of the Jackson family, Michael Jackson debuted on the professional music scene at the age of ten as a member of the Jackson 5,[3] 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.[4] Jackson has dominated pop music since the late 1970s,[5] becoming the first black entertainer to amass a strong cross-over following on MTV with his revolutionary transformation of the music video as an art form and as a promotional tool.[6] The popularity of videos aired on MTV such as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" created a tremendous synergy[7] that helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"[8] and Jackson continued to be a dominant figure on MTV with videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream". Jackson also popularized physically-complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, that have redefined mainstream dance and entertainment.[9] His distinctive style, dance moves, and vocals have influenced a whole generation of hip hop, pop, and R&B artists. He has been cited as the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by Guinness World Records,[10] and holds the record for the best-selling album ever, Thriller.
Michael Jackson has received thirteen Grammy Awards[11] (eight on a single night in 1984) and two of his solo albums have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[12] Jackson has charted thirteen #1 singles in the United States, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era.[13] In November 2006, the World Music Awards announced that Jackson had sold over 750 million units worldwide[14] and given $300 million to charity,[15][16] making Jackson one of the best-selling music artists and one of the most philanthropic performers of the 20th and 21st century.[17] However, Jackson's controversial appearance and actions have damaged his reputation in the eyes of some of the public and album sales have been in decline since the mid 1990s.[18]
From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, where he built an amusement park and private zoo that was frequently 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 bedroom. This first came to light when he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993. Michael Jackson's relationship with children was brought into the spotlight again in 2003 when the TV documentary Living with Michael Jackson was broadcast. This resulted in Jackson being tried, and later acquitted, of more child molestation allegations and several other charges in 2005. After this, Jackson went on hiatus, traveling to countries such as Bahrain, before starting work on new material in Ireland. He released an album on February 11, 2008 called Thriller 25 (a special edition of the "Thriller" album), which was a commercial success selling over 1,200,000 copies worldwide in five weeks.[19][20][21][22][23]
Contents[hide]
1 Career
1.1 Musical prodigy
1.2 Off the Wall
1.3 Thriller
1.4 Bad
1.5 Dangerous
1.6 HIStory
1.7 Invincible
1.8 Trial, career hiatus, reissues and return to public eye
1.9 25th anniversary of Thriller and commerical success
1.10 Forthcoming studio album
2 Influence
2.1 Music videos and MTV
2.2 Style and performance
3 Personal life
3.1 Childhood
3.2 Marriages and children
3.3 Humanitarian efforts
3.4 Physical appearance
3.5 Child molestation charges
4 Finances
4.1 Music catalogs and loans
4.2 Neverland Ranch employees
4.3 F. Marc Schaffel
4.4 Prescient Acquisition Group
5 Discography
6 Filmography
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
//
Career
Musical prodigy
Main article: The Jackson 5
Michael Jackson, bottom center, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1971
Jackson showed musical talent early on performing in front of his classmates and other participants during a Christmas recital in his school at five. He joined his brothers first playing congas when they formed a group in 1964 later taking a more pivotal role within a year as a background singer and occasional dancer before ascending to the group's lead singer position at the age of eight. Rolling Stone says of his early years: "First he was a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," and notes that after Jackson joined the Jackson Family vocal group at age five, "he quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[24] 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."[24] 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 Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. 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 strip tease and other adult acts in order to earn money.[25]
Michael took co-lead singing duties with brother Jermaine when the group's name changed from The Jackson Brothers to The Jackson 5 in 1966. The group eventually auditioned for, and signed a contract with, Motown Records in 1968.[26] They hit stardom with their first four singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There", which charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first time ever a group had pulled off that feat.[25] While remaining a member of the group, [27]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."[28]
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).[29] Motown Records sued the group for breach of contract.[30]
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.[30] Jermaine left the group, choosing to stay at Motown.[31] They changed their name to "The Jacksons", featuring youngest brother Randy in Jermaine's place, and continued their successful career, 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,[32] 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.[33] 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 his first solo album in four years.[30]
Off the Wall
Main article: Off the Wall
Off the Wall, released in 1979, made music history 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".[27] It reached #3 in the Billboard album charts, spending 48 consecutive weeks on the Top 20.[34] Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson jointly produced the album, with lyrics and music by Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney, among others. The album signaled the arrival of a new Michael Jackson, one not reliant upon his brothers to further his career.[35] Off the Wall, buoyed by its catchy dance rhythms and avoidance of the "shallow excesses...of the period's disco,"[35] eventually sold some 20 million copies worldwide.[34] 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 January 1980, Jackson won his first awards for his solo efforts at the American Music Awards. He won "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" (for Off the Wall), "Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist" and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[27] Later that month, he also won two Billboard Awards (for "Top Black Artist" and "Top Black Album").[27] On February 27, 1980, Jackson won a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male" (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[27] In 2003, the TV network VH1 named Off the Wall the thirty-sixth greatest album of all time.[36] Rolling Stone ranked it #68 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[37] In 2008, the Off the Wall album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[12]
Thriller
Main articles: Thriller (album), Victory Tour, We Are the World, and Captain EO
In November 1982, the storybook for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released and included the Jackson song, "Someone in the Dark". The album later won a Grammy for "Best Album for Children".[38] A few weeks later, Jackson released his second Epic album, Thriller. Thriller is the best selling album of all time, with varying sales between 45 million copies worldwide[39] and 104 million copies[40][41][42][43][44] while the BBC claim that the Guinness Book of World Records lists it as 65 million copies[45] (note that sales of Thriller 25 will be added to American sales).[46][47] and made Jackson's fame global. In 2007, NARM/The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked Thriller third on their "Definitive 200" albums list.[35] The album also became the first in history to spawn seven top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit singles,[48] including "Billie Jean", which was the first music video by a black artist to receive regular airplay on MTV,[49] "Beat It", and the album's title track, which was accompanied by a revolutionary music video. The thirteen-minute "Thriller" video was critically acclaimed and massive airplay lead to it being packaged with the featurette Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS, where it became the best-selling music home video ever.[48] Thriller spent 37 weeks at #1 and remained on the Billboard album chart for 122 weeks. It is currently certified 27x Platinum in the U.S., second only to The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975).[50]
In 1983, while performing "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever concert, Jackson debuted his signature move: the moonwalk.[48] The performance sparked a new wave of interest in Thriller, which continued to sell well throughout the year. In 1983, he started a sponsorship deal with Pepsi-Cola. As part of the deal with Pepsi-Cola, he agreed to star in a commercial. While filming the commercial in front of 3,000 fans the following year, a fireworks display behind him malfunctioned, shooting a shower of sparks on the singer’s head, setting fire to his hair which caused second-degree burns.[51]
In February 1984, Jackson was nominated for twelve Grammy awards - of which he won eight[48] - breaking the record for the most Grammy awards won in a single year.[52] Seven were awarded for Thriller and the other for the E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial storybook. The following year, “The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller” took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards. In 1984, he also won eight American Music Awards and the "Special Award of Merit" and three MTV Video Music Awards.[48]
Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
excerpt from the 1982 album.Problems listening to the file? See media help.
Thriller was a gigantic hit that made Jackson the seminal icon of American culture at the time. At the age of 25, 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".[53] Time magazine explained that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978."[54] Thriller also helped to bring music from African-American artists back into mainstream radio for the first time since the mid-1970s.[54]
As a sign of his stature at the time, Republican officials considered inviting Jackson to their national convention, in 1984, where they would renominate Reagan, but a change of plans left Ron Walker, the convention manager, stating that "We never thought we had a ghost of a chance."[55]
After reuniting with his brothers, he helped to write and produce the Victory album. He then joined his brothers for the Victory Tour, which started on July 6, 1984 and lasted for five months.[48] That year, Jackson was invited to the White House and was thanked by President Ronald Reagan at a White House ceremony for allowing the song "Beat It" to be used in drunk driving prevention television and radio public service announcements.[56]
Jackson continued his charity work in 1985 by co-writing with Lionel Richie the hit song "We Are the World", and singing 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. The song also won a Grammy for "Song of the Year".[48] "We Are the World" became one of the top five best-selling singles of all time and the best selling single of the 1980s.[57]
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 began appearing. These inspired the pejorative sobriquet "Wacko Jacko" which Jackson came to hate.[58]
In 1986, Jackson starred in the George Lucas-produced, Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. The film lasted 17 minutes but had costs estimated at $17 million.[59] At the time, it was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis. In the U.S., the Disney theme parks hosted Captain EO. Disneyland featured the film in Tomorrowland from September 18, 1986 until April 7, 1997.[60] It was also featured in Walt Disney World in Epcot from September 12, 1986 until July 6, 1994.[60]
In 2008, the Thriller album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[12
Michael Jackson has received thirteen Grammy Awards[11] (eight on a single night in 1984) and two of his solo albums have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[12] Jackson has charted thirteen #1 singles in the United States, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era.[13] In November 2006, the World Music Awards announced that Jackson had sold over 750 million units worldwide[14] and given $300 million to charity,[15][16] making Jackson one of the best-selling music artists and one of the most philanthropic performers of the 20th and 21st century.[17] However, Jackson's controversial appearance and actions have damaged his reputation in the eyes of some of the public and album sales have been in decline since the mid 1990s.[18]
From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, where he built an amusement park and private zoo that was frequently 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 bedroom. This first came to light when he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993. Michael Jackson's relationship with children was brought into the spotlight again in 2003 when the TV documentary Living with Michael Jackson was broadcast. This resulted in Jackson being tried, and later acquitted, of more child molestation allegations and several other charges in 2005. After this, Jackson went on hiatus, traveling to countries such as Bahrain, before starting work on new material in Ireland. He released an album on February 11, 2008 called Thriller 25 (a special edition of the "Thriller" album), which was a commercial success selling over 1,200,000 copies worldwide in five weeks.[19][20][21][22][23]
Contents[hide]
1 Career
1.1 Musical prodigy
1.2 Off the Wall
1.3 Thriller
1.4 Bad
1.5 Dangerous
1.6 HIStory
1.7 Invincible
1.8 Trial, career hiatus, reissues and return to public eye
1.9 25th anniversary of Thriller and commerical success
1.10 Forthcoming studio album
2 Influence
2.1 Music videos and MTV
2.2 Style and performance
3 Personal life
3.1 Childhood
3.2 Marriages and children
3.3 Humanitarian efforts
3.4 Physical appearance
3.5 Child molestation charges
4 Finances
4.1 Music catalogs and loans
4.2 Neverland Ranch employees
4.3 F. Marc Schaffel
4.4 Prescient Acquisition Group
5 Discography
6 Filmography
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
//
Career
Musical prodigy
Main article: The Jackson 5
Michael Jackson, bottom center, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1971
Jackson showed musical talent early on performing in front of his classmates and other participants during a Christmas recital in his school at five. He joined his brothers first playing congas when they formed a group in 1964 later taking a more pivotal role within a year as a background singer and occasional dancer before ascending to the group's lead singer position at the age of eight. Rolling Stone says of his early years: "First he was a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," and notes that after Jackson joined the Jackson Family vocal group at age five, "he quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[24] 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."[24] 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 Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. 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 strip tease and other adult acts in order to earn money.[25]
Michael took co-lead singing duties with brother Jermaine when the group's name changed from The Jackson Brothers to The Jackson 5 in 1966. The group eventually auditioned for, and signed a contract with, Motown Records in 1968.[26] They hit stardom with their first four singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There", which charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first time ever a group had pulled off that feat.[25] While remaining a member of the group, [27]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."[28]
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).[29] Motown Records sued the group for breach of contract.[30]
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.[30] Jermaine left the group, choosing to stay at Motown.[31] They changed their name to "The Jacksons", featuring youngest brother Randy in Jermaine's place, and continued their successful career, 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,[32] 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.[33] 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 his first solo album in four years.[30]
Off the Wall
Main article: Off the Wall
Off the Wall, released in 1979, made music history 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".[27] It reached #3 in the Billboard album charts, spending 48 consecutive weeks on the Top 20.[34] Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson jointly produced the album, with lyrics and music by Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney, among others. The album signaled the arrival of a new Michael Jackson, one not reliant upon his brothers to further his career.[35] Off the Wall, buoyed by its catchy dance rhythms and avoidance of the "shallow excesses...of the period's disco,"[35] eventually sold some 20 million copies worldwide.[34] 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 January 1980, Jackson won his first awards for his solo efforts at the American Music Awards. He won "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" (for Off the Wall), "Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist" and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[27] Later that month, he also won two Billboard Awards (for "Top Black Artist" and "Top Black Album").[27] On February 27, 1980, Jackson won a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male" (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[27] In 2003, the TV network VH1 named Off the Wall the thirty-sixth greatest album of all time.[36] Rolling Stone ranked it #68 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[37] In 2008, the Off the Wall album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[12]
Thriller
Main articles: Thriller (album), Victory Tour, We Are the World, and Captain EO
In November 1982, the storybook for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released and included the Jackson song, "Someone in the Dark". The album later won a Grammy for "Best Album for Children".[38] A few weeks later, Jackson released his second Epic album, Thriller. Thriller is the best selling album of all time, with varying sales between 45 million copies worldwide[39] and 104 million copies[40][41][42][43][44] while the BBC claim that the Guinness Book of World Records lists it as 65 million copies[45] (note that sales of Thriller 25 will be added to American sales).[46][47] and made Jackson's fame global. In 2007, NARM/The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked Thriller third on their "Definitive 200" albums list.[35] The album also became the first in history to spawn seven top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit singles,[48] including "Billie Jean", which was the first music video by a black artist to receive regular airplay on MTV,[49] "Beat It", and the album's title track, which was accompanied by a revolutionary music video. The thirteen-minute "Thriller" video was critically acclaimed and massive airplay lead to it being packaged with the featurette Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS, where it became the best-selling music home video ever.[48] Thriller spent 37 weeks at #1 and remained on the Billboard album chart for 122 weeks. It is currently certified 27x Platinum in the U.S., second only to The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975).[50]
In 1983, while performing "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever concert, Jackson debuted his signature move: the moonwalk.[48] The performance sparked a new wave of interest in Thriller, which continued to sell well throughout the year. In 1983, he started a sponsorship deal with Pepsi-Cola. As part of the deal with Pepsi-Cola, he agreed to star in a commercial. While filming the commercial in front of 3,000 fans the following year, a fireworks display behind him malfunctioned, shooting a shower of sparks on the singer’s head, setting fire to his hair which caused second-degree burns.[51]
In February 1984, Jackson was nominated for twelve Grammy awards - of which he won eight[48] - breaking the record for the most Grammy awards won in a single year.[52] Seven were awarded for Thriller and the other for the E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial storybook. The following year, “The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller” took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards. In 1984, he also won eight American Music Awards and the "Special Award of Merit" and three MTV Video Music Awards.[48]
Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
excerpt from the 1982 album.Problems listening to the file? See media help.
Thriller was a gigantic hit that made Jackson the seminal icon of American culture at the time. At the age of 25, 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".[53] Time magazine explained that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978."[54] Thriller also helped to bring music from African-American artists back into mainstream radio for the first time since the mid-1970s.[54]
As a sign of his stature at the time, Republican officials considered inviting Jackson to their national convention, in 1984, where they would renominate Reagan, but a change of plans left Ron Walker, the convention manager, stating that "We never thought we had a ghost of a chance."[55]
After reuniting with his brothers, he helped to write and produce the Victory album. He then joined his brothers for the Victory Tour, which started on July 6, 1984 and lasted for five months.[48] That year, Jackson was invited to the White House and was thanked by President Ronald Reagan at a White House ceremony for allowing the song "Beat It" to be used in drunk driving prevention television and radio public service announcements.[56]
Jackson continued his charity work in 1985 by co-writing with Lionel Richie the hit song "We Are the World", and singing 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. The song also won a Grammy for "Song of the Year".[48] "We Are the World" became one of the top five best-selling singles of all time and the best selling single of the 1980s.[57]
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 began appearing. These inspired the pejorative sobriquet "Wacko Jacko" which Jackson came to hate.[58]
In 1986, Jackson starred in the George Lucas-produced, Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. The film lasted 17 minutes but had costs estimated at $17 million.[59] At the time, it was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis. In the U.S., the Disney theme parks hosted Captain EO. Disneyland featured the film in Tomorrowland from September 18, 1986 until April 7, 1997.[60] It was also featured in Walt Disney World in Epcot from September 12, 1986 until July 6, 1994.[60]
In 2008, the Thriller album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[12
