Michael Joseph Jackson (1958-2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer known as “The King of Pop”. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century.
Early Life and Michael Jackson casino online Family
Born in Gary, Indiana, to a working-class family, Michael Jackson was the eighth of ten children. His father, Joseph Walter Jackson, was a steelworker who also played music with his sons on their local show. Michael’s mother, Katherine Esther Jackson, was a homemaker who raised him with values of faith and hard work.
Growing up in Gary’s African American community had a profound impact on Jackson’s early life and artistic development. He often watched black entertainers like Sam Cooke, James Brown, and Jackie Wilson perform at the local theater and was heavily influenced by their music and dance styles.
Education
Jackson attended West Lakes Elementary School in Indiana but soon began his professional career as a member of The Jackson 5, performing with his four older brothers. He studied ballet under choreographer Alvin Cash when he joined The Jackson 5 in 1962. After winning several talent shows and opening for major acts like Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross, Michael’s family moved to Los Angeles.
Career Overview
Jackson launched a solo career after leaving The Jackson 5 in the early 1970s. He released his breakthrough album “Off the Wall” (1979) with hit singles including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”, “Rock with You”, and “She’s Out of My Life”. His second major commercial success came later that decade, with the release of “Thriller” in 1982.
This iconic record became the best-selling album ever at the time. It sold over 65 million copies worldwide, generating seven top-10 singles: “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”, and “Thriller”. Jackson’s music videos for “Thriller”, “Bad”, and other songs from his albums helped to establish him as a visual artist.
Throughout the 1980s, Jackson experimented with different musical styles. He collaborated on soundtracks like “The Wiz” (1978) and released two albums in that decade: “Off the Wall’s sequel,” Victory (1984), and the experimental “Bad” (1987). The latter sold over 45 million copies worldwide.
His album releases continued to soar, such as “Black or White” from the Bad Tour video. Later he had the “Dangerous” tour, an almost all-new show that was based on what his choreographer Vincent Paterson considered Jackson’s favorite songs and experiences.
Jackson released two more albums: History (1995) and Invincible (2001), but both received relatively less commercial success compared to earlier records. The ‘Thriller 25’ edition in 2013 of the classic album also performed well on some charts, proving his influence remains strong today.
Public Impact
Jackson’s work had far-reaching impacts beyond music itself. His visual style for “Thriller” is credited with revolutionizing music videos and raising them as art forms equal to film.
Criticism against Jackson escalated in 1993 when the documentary “Living with Michael Jackson”, created by Martin Bashir, aired on ABC, depicting the singer’s lifestyle at Neverland Ranch.
Accusations of child molestation had started around this time. In January 2003, he was arrested and charged with seven counts of child abuse in Santa Barbara County. The trial began that July and ended when Jackson reached a plea bargain agreement that involved performing community service but resulted in him never being convicted.
Aftermath
Jackson continued making music until his sudden death on June 25, 2009.
Personal Life and Philanthropy
As for personal matters, an incident during the early 1990s regarding his alleged marriage to Lisa Marie Presley (daughter of Elvis Presley) has been reported as well. In addition to this situation there have been rumors about whether or not he truly loved children.
Michael’s philanthropic work was remarkable throughout his life; many are aware that Michael had built Neverland, an incredible $50 million theme park in Santa Barbara County.
This is just a fraction of the knowledge we should know about one of music history’s biggest legends.