King of Pop Life history

Date of Birth 29 August 1958, Gary, Indiana, USA Date of Death 25 June 2009, Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA  (acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication and involuntary manslaughter) Birth Name Michael Joseph Jackson Nicknames The Gloved One Wacko Jacko Jacko King Of Pop MJ Smelly Applehead Mike Mikey Height 1.75 m

Early Life At first, the Jackson Family performers consisted of Michael's older brothers, Tito, Jermaine and Jackie. Michael joined his siblings when he was 5 years old, and emerged as the group's lead vocalist. He showed remarkable range and depth for such a young performer, impressing audiences with his ability to convey complex emotions. Older brother Marlon also became a member of the group, which evolved into the Jackson 5.

Relocating to Los Angeles, Michael and his brothers started work on their music and dancing with their father as their manager. They lived with Gordy and also with Supremes singer Diana Ross when they first arrived there. In August 1969, the Jackson 5 was introduced to the music industry at a special event, and later served as the opening act for the Supremes. Their first album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, hit the charts in December of that year. It's first single, "I Want You Back," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1970. More chart-topping singles quickly followed, such as "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There."

Solo Career At the age of 13, Jackson launched a solo career in addition to his work with the Jackson 5. Jackson's most elaborate music video, however, was for the album's title track. John Landis directed the horror-tinged video, which featured complex dance scenes, special effects and a voice-over by actor Vincent Price. The "Thriller" video was an immense success, boosting sales for the already successful album. The single stayed on the charts for 80 weeks, holding the No. 1 spot for 37 weeks. In addition to its unparalleled commercial achievements, "Thriller" garnered 12 Grammy Award nominations, winning eight. Jackson's Grammy victories showcased the diverse nature of his work. For his songwriting talents, he earned a Grammy Award (best rhythm and blues song) for "Billie Jean." He also won Grammys for the singles "Thriller" (best pop vocal performance, male) and "Beat It" (best rock vocal performance, male). With co-producer Quincy Jones, Jackson shared a Grammy for album of the year. Jackson also broke numerous records as an artist. He earned several Guinness World Records titles, including achieving the longest span of U.S. Top 40 singles—from November 6, 1971, to January 1, 2011. He won a total of 13 Grammy Awards—eight of them in one night in 1984—and was the first artist to have five singles reach No. 1 from the same album (1987's Bad). He was also a double inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for both his work with the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist.

Pepsi, Bad and Neverland In 1991, Jackson released Dangerous, featuring the hit "Black or White." The video for this song included an appearance by child star Macaulay Culkin, and was directed by John Landis. In the video's final minutes, Jackson caused some controversy with his sexual gesturing and violent actions. Many were surprised to see the Peter Pan-like Jackson act in this manner. Jackson's music continued to enjoy wide-spread popularity in the upcoming years. In 1993, he performed several important events, including the halftime show at Superbowl XXVII. Jackson gave a rare television interview, which aired that February. Sitting down with Oprah Winfrey, he explained that the change in his skin tone was the result of a disease known as vitiligo. He also opened up about the abuse he suffered from his father.

Is spoofed in Eminem's music video "Just Lose It".

His favourite “ The Beatles'' song is "Come Together" - his version of the song is on "History - Past, Present and Future.".

Winner of the Brit Award for International Male in 1989. Winner of the British Phonographic Industry Award for International Solo Artist in 1988. Winner of the British Phonographic Industry Award for International Solo Artist in 1984. Was a frequent guest at the infamous "Studio 54" On 27 May 2006, Jackson accepted a Legend Award at MTV Japan's VMA Awards in Tokyo. It was his first public appearance since being found not guilty in his child molestation trial almost a year earlier. The award was honoring his influence and impact in music videos over the past 25 years.

Held his first live concert in four years at Madison Square Garden, New York, in early September 2001. He was paid £10 million for two concerts.

His 1982 album "Thriller" is the biggest selling album of all time, with confirmed sales of over 51 million, and claimed sales of over 100 million copies worldwide. His 1991 album "Dangerous" is one of the biggest selling album of all time, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide. His 1987 album "BAD" is one of the biggest selling albums of all time, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide. He was the highest earning singer of 1988-1989, with $125 million from his worldwide "BAD" album tour.

Second child, with Debbie Rowe, daughter Paris- Michael Katherine Jackson, is born. [April 1998] Wife, Debbie Rowe, gave birth to a son in Beverly Hills, named Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. [February 1997] Macaulay Culkin is godfather to his three children. Married Lisa Marie Presley in La Vega, Dominican Republic, by Judge Hugo Francisco Alvarez Perez. Witnesses present were Thomas Keough and Eve Darling (Lisa Marie's ex-brother-in-law and his wife, ex-sister-in-law). [May 1994] Son of Katherine Jackson, and Joe Jackson.

Until August 2011, he was the only artist in history to generate five #1 hits (USA) from one album with "Bad". Katy Perry has since tied this record with her album "Teenage Dream".

Had a skin disease called vitiligo.

His favorite movie as a child and teenager was Oliver! (1968).

Celebrities provided varied comments after Jackson's sudden death Celebrities provided varied comments after Jackson's sudden death. Madonna and Diana Ross released statements saying they could not stop crying. Jackson's former wife, Lisa Marie Presley, said the singer had told her he was afraid he would end up like Elvis Presley, her father. Elizabeth Taylor, a long- time friend, said she, "can't imagine life without him." Liza Minnelli told CBS, "When the autopsy comes, all hell's going to break loose, so thank God we're ­celebrating him now." Jamie Foxx, stated: "We want to celebrate this black man. He belongs to us and we shared him with everybody else.".

Following his death, U.S. President Barack Obama sent a letter of condolence to the Jackson family, and during a press conference the Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama viewed Jackson as a "spectacular performer, and a music icon". In Congress, Representatives Diane Watson and Jesse Jackson Jr. asked members to observe a moment of silence.

MTV and BET began airing his music videos, and ran two news specials, until 8 p.m. EDT the following day of his death. The news of his death spread quickly online, causing websites to crash and slow down from user overload. Both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times, two websites that were the first to confirm the news, suffered outages. His death triggered an outpouring of grief. Fans gathered outside the UCLA Medical Center, his Holmby Hills home, the Apollo Theater in New York, and at Hitsville U.S.A., the old Motown headquarters in Detroit where his career began, now the Motown Museum. Streets around the hospital were blocked off, and across America people left offices and factories to watch the breaking news on television. An Amazon spokesperson said that the website sold out of all of his CDs, and those of the Jackson 5, within minutes of the news of his death breaking

Micheal Jackson Thriller