American singer, songwriter, and dancer
The most well-known performer in the world in the early and middle 1980s was Michael Jackson, an American singer, songwriter, and dancer who was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958, and passed away in Los Angeles, California, on June 25, 2009. The youngest and most gifted of five brothers that his father, Joseph, developed into the stunning group of young stars known as the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson was raised in Gary, Indiana, in one of the most celebrated musical families of the rock period. The Jackson 5 were Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson (born as Sigmund Jackson on May 4, 1951 in Gary), Tito Jackson (born as Toriano Jackson on October 15, 1953 in Gary), Jermaine Jackson (born December 11, 1954 in Gary), and Marlon Jackson (born March 12, 1957 in Gary).
The Jackson 5
Motown Records president Berry Gordy, Jr., was impressed with the group and signed them in 1969. Sporting the loudest fashions, the largest Afros, the snappiest choreography, and a youthful, soulful exuberance, the Jackson 5 became an immediate success. They scored four consecutive number one pop hits with “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There” in 1970. With Michael topping the pop charts as a solo performer with “Ben” and reaching number two with “Rockin’ Robin,” and with the Jackson 5 producing trendsetting dance tracks such as “Dancing Machine,” the family’s string of hits for Motown lasted through 1975. As Michael matured, his voice changed, family tensions arose, and a contract standoff ensued. The group finally broke with Motown, moving to Epic Records as the Jacksons. Jermaine remained at Motown as a solo performer and was replaced by his youngest brother, Randy Jackson (in full Steven Randall Jackson; b. October 29, 1961). As a recording act, the Jacksons enjoyed consistent success through 1984, and their sister Janet Jackson embarked on her own singing career in the early 1980s; however, Michael’s solo albums took on an entirely different status at Michael Jackson.
The “King of Pop”
Overcoming all predictions, Michael Jackson’s debut solo album for Epic, Off the Wall (1979), became the best-selling album of the year, eventually selling over 20 million copies. Under the production of seasoned music industry veteran Quincy Jones, Off the Wall produced the huge worldwide hit songs “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You,” which both highlighted Michael’s upbeat approach and tapped into the current disco dance craze. After a span of three years, he reappeared and collaborated with Jones once more on the hit song “Thriller.” The tour de force, which included several guest stars, catapulted him into global superstardom.Thriller became the best-selling album in history by selling over 40 million copies and winning numerous accolades, including a record-breaking eight Grammys. It also spent almost two years at the top of the charts. “The Girl Is Mine,” an easygoing duet with Paul McCartney, was the album’s first single and peaked at number one on the rhythm-and-blues charts and number two on the pop charts in the fall of 1982. Both “Beat It,” which included a furious solo by renowned guitarist Eddie Van Halen, and the electric dance track “Billie Jean,” which served as the inspiration for Michael Jackson’s signature “moonwalk” dance, peaked at the top of the pop charts. In addition, “Beat It” contributed to the dismantling of the fictitious boundaries that separated Black and White musicians in the media at Michael Jackson’s music videos and on the radio.
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.
