Michael Jackson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Michael Jackson |
Jackson during a June 2, 1988 performance in Vienna, Austria |
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Michael Joseph Jackson[1][not in citation given (See discussion.)] |
| Also known as |
Michael Joe Jackson |
| Born |
August 29, 1958
Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died |
June 25, 2009 (aged 50)
Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
Pop, rock, soul, R&B, funk, disco, new jack swing |
| Occupations |
Musician, singer-songwriter, arranger, dancer, entertainer, choreographer, music producer, actor, businessman, philantropist |
| Instruments |
Vocals |
| Years active |
1964–2009 |
| Labels |
Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions |
| Associated acts |
The Jackson 5, The Jacksons |
Michael Joseph Jackson[1] (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American
singer-songwriter,
entertainer,
dancer,
arranger,
music producer,
choreographer,
actor,
businessman,
musician, and
philanthropist. Often referred to as the "
King of Pop", or by his initials
MJ,
[2] Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by
Guinness World Records. His contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in
popular culture for over four decades.
The eighth child of the
Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of
The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in
popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "
Beat It," "
Billie Jean," and "
Thriller,"
were credited with breaking down racial barriers and transforming the
medium into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these
videos helped to bring the then relatively new television channel
MTV to fame. With videos such as "
Black or White" and "
Scream"
he continued to innovate the medium throughout the 1990s, as well as
forging a reputation as a touring solo artist. Through stage and video
performances, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance
techniques, such as the
robot, and the
moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous
hip hop,
post-disco,
contemporary R&B,
pop, and
rock artists.
Jackson's 1982 album
Thriller is the
best-selling album of all time. His other records, including
Off the Wall (1979),
Bad (1987),
Dangerous (1991), and
HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first
and only dancer from pop and rock music. Some of his other
achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13
Grammy Awards as well as the
Grammy Legend Award and the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; 26
American Music Awards, more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s"; 13
number-one singles in the United States in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the
Hot 100 era; and the estimated sale of over 400 million records worldwide.
[3][4][5][Note 1] Jackson won
hundreds of awards, which made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.
[6] In what would have been Jackson's 52nd birthday on 29 August 2010, he became the most downloaded artist of all time.
[7][8]
Jackson constantly traveled the world attending events honoring his
humanitarianism and the 2000 Guinness Book of Records recognized him for
supporting 39 charities.
[9]
Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing
appearance,
personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In the mid-1990s, he was
accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court for about $25 million and $2 million and no formal charges were brought.
[10] In 2005, he was
tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts.
While preparing for his concert series titled
This Is It, Jackson
died of acute
propofol and
benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The
Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and
his personal physician was
convicted of
involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief and a live broadcast of the
public memorial service viewed around the world.
[11] In March 2010,
Sony Music Entertainment
and Jackson's estate signed the largest music contract ever, with a
$250 million deal to retain distribution rights to his recordings until
2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following
his death.
[12]
