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ID: 100000090

Jackson Michael Joseph

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  • Date of birth: 29.08.1958
  • Date of death: 25.06.2009 (aged 50)
  • Place of birth: Gary, Indiana, US
  • Burial place: Los Angeles, California, US
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Honor the memory

"King of Pop"

Epitaph

The eighth child of the Jackson family, Michael made his public debut in 1964 at age six, as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). After signing with Motown in 1968, the band achieved worldwide success with him as its lead singer. Jackson achieved solo stardom with the release of his fifth album Off the Wall (1979). He followed it up with Thriller (1982), the best-selling album of all time, which propelled him to the forefront of pop culture and revolutionized the music video medium with the videos for its title track along with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean". Jackson furthered his position as a global superstar with Bad (1987), the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". He continued success in the 1990s with Dangerous (1991), his most sonically diverse album. HIStory (1995) produced "You Are Not Alone", the first song to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as the protest songs "Earth Song" and "They Don't Care About Us".

From the late 1980s, Jackson became a figure of controversy and speculation due to his changing appearance, relationships, behavior, and lifestyle. He was accused of sexually abusing the child of a family friend in 1993. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and all other charges. While preparing for a series of comeback concerts, This Is It, he died in 2009 from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician Conrad Murray, who was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered reactions around the world, creating unprecedented surges of internet traffic and a spike in sales of his music. His televised memorial service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was estimated to have been viewed by more than 2.5 billion people.

Jackson is the best-selling solo music artist of all time, with estimated sales of over 500 million records worldwide.[nb 1] He had 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles (the fourth-highest in Hot 100 history) and is the first artist to have a top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades. Jackson's inductions include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice), the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame (making him the only recording artist to be inducted). As one of the most-awarded artists in popular music, he received 13 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Legend Award, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Century and Artist of the 1980s, six Brit Awards, three presidential honors including Artist of the Decade, the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award, and 12 World Music Awards including the Millennium Award, among other awards. In 1992, Jackson founded Heal the World Foundation, donating an estimated $500 million to charity throughout his lifetime. In 2024, half of his music catalogue sold to Sony for $600 million, the largest music acquisition for a single artist in history.

Early life and the Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Joseph Jackson[3][4] was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958.[5][6] He was the eighth of ten children in the Jackson family, a working-class African-American family living in a two-bedroom house on Jackson Street.[7][8] His mother, Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse), played clarinet and piano, had aspired to be a country-and-western performer, and worked part-time at Sears.[9] She was a Jehovah's Witness.[10] His father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a former boxer, was a crane operator at US Steel and played guitar with a local rhythm and blues band, the Falcons, to supplement the family's income.[11][12] Joe's great-grandfather, July "Jack" Gale, was a US Army scout; family lore held that he was also a Native American medicine man.[13] Michael grew up with three sisters (Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet) and five brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy).[11] A sixth brother, Marlon's twin Brandon, died shortly after birth.[14]

In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by their father which included Jackie, Tito and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine.[15][16] Michael said his father told him he had a "fat nose",[17] and physically and emotionally abused him during rehearsals. He recalled that Joe often sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, ready to punish any mistakes.[10][18] Joe acknowledged that he regularly whipped Michael.[19] Katherine said that although whipping came to be considered abuse, it was a common way to discipline children when Michael was growing up.[20][21] Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon denied that their father was abusive and said that the whippings, which had a deeper impact on Michael because he was younger, kept them disciplined and out of trouble.[22] Michael said that during his youth he was lonely and isolated.[23]

Later in 1965, Michael began sharing lead vocals with Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to the Jackson 5.[24] In 1965, the group won a talent show; Michael performed the dance to Robert Parker's 1965 song "Barefootin'" and sang the Temptations' "My Girl".[25] From 1966 to 1968, the Jacksons 5 toured the Midwest; they frequently played at a string of black clubs known as the Chitlin' Circuit as the opening act for artists such as Sam & Dave, the O'Jays, Gladys Knight and Etta James. The Jackson 5 also performed at clubs and cocktail lounges, where striptease shows were featured, and at local auditoriums and high school dances.[26][27] In August 1967, while touring the East Coast, they won a weekly amateur night concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs for a Gary record label, Steeltown Records; their first single, "Big Boy", was released in 1968.[30] Bobby Taylor of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers brought the Jackson 5 to Motown after they opened for Taylor at Chicago's Regal Theater in 1968. Taylor produced some of their early Motown recordings, including a version of "Who's Lovin' You".[31] After signing with Motown, the Jackson family relocated to Los Angeles.[32] In 1969, Motown executives decided Diana Ross should introduce the Jackson 5 to the public — partly to bolster her career in television — sending off what was considered Motown's last product of its "production line".[33] The Jackson 5 made their first television appearance in 1969 in the Miss Black America pageant, performing a cover of "It's Your Thing".[34] Rolling Stone later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts" who "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer".[35]

In January 1970, "I Want You Back" became the first Jackson 5 song to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; it stayed there for four weeks. Three more singles with Motown topped the chart: "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There".[36] In May 1971, the Jackson family moved into a large house at Hayvenhurst, a 2-acre (0.81 ha) estate in Encino, California.[37] During this period, Michael developed from a child performer into a teen idol.[38] Between 1972 and 1975, he released four solo studio albums with Motown: Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Music & Me (1973) and Forever, Michael (1975).[39] "Got to Be There" and "Ben", the title tracks from his first two solo albums, sold well as singles, as did a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin".[40]

Michael maintained ties to the Jackson 5.[39] The Jackson 5 were later described as "a cutting-edge example of black crossover artists".[41] They were frustrated by Motown's refusal to allow them creative input.[42] Jackson's performance of their top five single "Dancing Machine" on Soul Train popularized the robot dance.[43][44]

Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)

The Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975, signing with Epic Records and renaming themselves the Jacksons.[45] Their younger brother Randy joined the band around this time; Jermaine stayed with Motown and pursued a solo career.[46] The Jacksons continued to tour internationally, and released six more albums between 1976 and 1984. Michael, the group's main songwriter during this time, wrote songs such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1978), "This Place Hotel" (1980), and "Can You Feel It" (1980).[47]

In 1977, Jackson moved to New York City to star as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, a musical film directed by Sidney Lumet, alongside Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross.[48] The film was a box-office failure.[49] Its score was arranged by Quincy Jones,[50] who later produced three of Jackson's solo albums.[51] During his time in New York, Jackson frequented the Studio 54 nightclub, where he heard early hip hop; this influenced his beatboxing on future tracks such as "Working Day and Night".[52] In 1978, Jackson felt unsatisfied with his nose, and decided to have a rhinoplasty.[53] He was referred to Steven Hoefflin, who performed his operations.[54]

Jackson's fifth solo album and first album as an adult, Off the Wall (1979), established him as a solo performer and helped him move from the bubblegum pop of his youth to more complex sounds.[38] It produced four top 10 entries in the US: "Off the Wall", "She's Out of My Life", and the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[55] The album reached number three on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[56] In 1980, Jackson won three American Music Awards for his solo work: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[57][58] He also won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for 1979 with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[59] In 1981, Jackson was the American Music Awards winner for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist.[60]

Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[61] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

Thriller and Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (1982–1983)

Jackson recorded with Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury from 1981 to 1983, recording demos of "State of Shock", "Victory" and "There Must Be More to Life Than This". The recordings were intended for an album of duets but, according to Queen's manager Jim Beach, the relationship soured when Jackson brought a llama into the recording studio,[63] and Jackson was upset by Mercury's drug use.[64] "There Must Be More to Life Than This" was released in 2014.[65] Jackson went on to record "State of Shock" with Mick Jagger for the Jacksons' album Victory (1984).[66]

In 1982, Jackson contributed "Someone in the Dark" to the audiobook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Jackson's sixth album, Thriller, was released in late 1982. It was the bestselling album worldwide in 1983,[67][68] and became the bestselling album of all time in the US[69] and the bestselling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 70 million copies.[70][71] It topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to produce seven Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[72]

On March 25, 1983, Jackson reunited with his brothers for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, an NBC television special. The show aired on May 16 to an estimated audience of 47 million, and featured the Jacksons and other Motown stars.[73] Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean" earned him his first Emmy Award nomination.[74] Wearing a glove decorated with rhinestones,[75] he debuted his moonwalk dance, which Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years earlier, and it became his signature dance in his repertoire.[76] Jackson had originally turned down the invitation to the show, believing he had been doing too much television. But at the request of Motown founder Berry Gordy, he performed in exchange for an opportunity to do a solo performance.[77] Rolling Stone reporter Mikal Gilmore called the performance "extraordinary".[38] Jackson's performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[78] Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times praised the perfect timing and technique involved in the dance.[79] Gordy described being "mesmerized" by the performance.[80] British Vogue called Jackson "a fashion pioneer [...] who gave new meaning to moonwalking, immortalised solitary, [and] sparkly gloves".[81]

At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, Thriller won eight awards, and Jackson won an award for the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook. Winning eight Grammys in one ceremony is a record he holds with the band Santana.[59] Jackson and Quincy Jones won the award for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical). Thriller won Album of the Year (with Jackson as the album's artist and Jones as its co-producer), and the single won Best Pop Vocal Performance (Male) award for Jackson. "Beat It" won Record of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance (Male). "Billie Jean" won two Grammy awards: Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance (Male), with Jackson as songwriter and singer respectively.[59]

Thriller won the Grammy for Best Engineered Recording (Non Classical), acknowledging Bruce Swedien for his work on the album.[82] At the 11th Annual American Music Awards, Jackson won another eight awards and became the youngest artist to win the Award of Merit.[83] He also won Favorite Male Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock Artist. "Beat It" won Favorite Soul/R&B Video, Favorite Pop/Rock Video and Favorite Pop/Rock Single. The album won Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Pop/Rock Album.[83][84] Thriller's sales doubled after the release of an extended music video, Michael Jackson's Thriller, which sees Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies.[85][86]

The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture.[86] Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point, with about $2 for every album sold (equivalent to $6 in 2024), and was making record-breaking profits. Dolls modeled after Jackson appeared in stores in May 1984 for $12 each.[87] In the same year, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, a documentary about the music video, won a Grammy for Best Music Video (Longform).[59] Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too."[87] The New York Times wrote "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[88]

Pepsi incident, "We Are the World" and other commercial activities (1984–1985)

In November 1983, Jackson and his brothers partnered with PepsiCo in a $5 million promotional deal that broke records for a celebrity endorsement (equivalent to $15.8 million in 2024). The first Pepsi campaign, which ran in the US from 1983 to 1984 and launched its "New Generation" theme, included tour sponsorship, public relations events, and in-store displays. Jackson helped to create the advertisement, and suggested using his song "Billie Jean", with revised lyrics, as its jingle.[89]

On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi commercial overseen by Phil Dusenberry,[90] a BBDO ad agency executive, and Alan Pottasch, Pepsi's Worldwide Creative Director, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During a simulated concert before a full house of fans, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire, causing second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars and had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.[91] Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated the $1.5 million (equivalent to $4.5 million in 2024) settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California; its now-closed Michael Jackson Burn Center was named in his honor.[92][93] Jackson signed a second agreement with Pepsi in the late 1980s for $10 million (equivalent to $27.7 million in 2024). The second campaign covered 20 countries and provided financial support for Jackson's Bad album and 1987–1988 world tour. Jackson had endorsements and advertising deals with other companies, such as LA Gear, Suzuki, and Sony, but none were as significant as his deals with Pepsi.[89]

The Victory Tour of 1984 headlined the Jacksons and showcased Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. It was the last tour he did with his brothers.[94] Following controversy over the concert's ticket sales, Jackson donated his share of the proceeds, an estimated $3 to 5 million, to charity.[95] During the last concert of the Victory Tour at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Jackson announced his split from the Jacksons during "Shake Your Body".[96]

With Lionel Richie, Jackson co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" (1985), which raised money for the poor in the US and Africa.[97][98] It earned $63 million (equivalent to $184 million in 2024),[98] and became one of the bestselling singles of all time, with 20 million copies sold.[99] It won four Grammy Awards in 1985, including Song of the Year for Jackson and Richie.[97] Jackson, Jones, and the promoter Ken Kragen received special awards for their roles in the song's creation.[97][100][101][102]

Jackson collaborated with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s, and learned that McCartney was making $40 million a year from owning the rights to other artists' songs.[98] By 1983, Jackson had begun buying publishing rights to others' songs, but he was careful with his acquisitions, only bidding on a few of the dozens that were offered to him. Jackson's early acquisitions of music catalogs and song copyrights such as the Sly Stone collection included "Everyday People" (1968), Len Barry's "1-2-3" (1965), and Dion DiMucci's "The Wanderer" (1961) and "Runaround Sue" (1961). In 1984, Robert Holmes à Court announced he was selling the ATV Music Publishing catalog comprising the publishing rights to nearly 4,000 songs, including most of the Beatles' material.[103] In 1981, McCartney had been offered the catalog for £20 million ($40 million) (equivalent to $138 million in 2024).[98][104] Jackson submitted a bid of $46 million (equivalent to $139 million in 2024) on November 20, 1984.[103] When Jackson and McCartney were unable to make a joint purchase, McCartney did not want to be the sole owner of the Beatles' songs, and did not pursue an offer on his own.[105][104] Jackson's agents were unable to come to a deal, and in May 1985 left talks after having spent more than $1 million and four months of due diligence work on the negotiations.[103]

In June 1985, Jackson and Branca learned that Charles Koppelman's and Marty Bandier's The Entertainment Company had made a tentative offer to buy ATV Music for $50 million; in early August, Holmes à Court contacted Jackson and talks resumed. Jackson's increased bid of $47.5 million (equivalent to $139 million in 2024) was accepted because he could close the deal more quickly, having already completed due diligence.[103] Jackson agreed to visit Holmes à Court in Australia, where he would appear on the Channel Seven Perth Telethon.[106] His purchase of ATV Music was finalized on August 10, 1985.[98][103]

Increased tabloid speculation (1986–1987)

Jackson's skin had been medium-brown during his youth, but from the mid-1980s gradually grew paler. The change drew widespread media coverage, including speculation that he had been bleaching his skin.[107][108][109] His dermatologist, Arnold Klein, said he observed in 1983 that Jackson had vitiligo,[110] a condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment. He also identified discoid lupus erythematosus in Jackson. He diagnosed Jackson with lupus that year,[110] and with vitiligo in 1986.[111] Vitiligo's drastic effects on the body can cause psychological distress. Jackson used fair-colored makeup,[112] and possibly skin-bleaching prescription creams,[113] to cover up the uneven blotches of color caused by the illness. The creams would depigment the blotches, and, with the application of makeup, he could appear very pale.[114] Jackson said he had not purposely bleached his skin and could not control his vitiligo, adding, "When people make up stories that I don't want to be who I am, it hurts me."[115] He became friends with Klein and Klein's assistant, Debbie Rowe. Rowe later became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his first two children.[116]

In his 1988 autobiography and a 1993 interview, Jackson said he had had two rhinoplasty surgeries and a cleft chin surgery but no more than that. He said he lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet to achieve a dancer's body.[117] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy, and speculated he was suffering from anorexia nervosa. Periods of weight loss became a recurring problem later in his life.[118] After his death, Jackson's mother said that he first turned to cosmetic procedures to remedy his vitiligo, because he did not want to look like a "spotted cow". She said he had received more than the two cosmetic surgeries he claimed and speculated that he had become addicted to them.[119]

In 1986, it was reported that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow aging. He denied the story,[120] although it was alleged that Jackson leaked an image of him sleeping in a glass chamber (according to Jackson, this was a promotional shot from an upcoming space opera featuring himself) to The National Enquirer.[121] It was also reported that Jackson took female hormone shots to keep his voice high and facial hair wispy, proposed to Elizabeth Taylor and possibly had a shrine of her, and had cosmetic surgery on his eyes. Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo denied all of them, except for Jackson having a chamber. DiLeo added "I don't know if he sleeps in it. I'm not for it. But Michael thinks it's something that's probably healthy for him. He's a bit of a health fanatic."[122]

When Jackson took his pet chimpanzee Bubbles to tour in Japan, the media portrayed Jackson as an aspiring Disney cartoon character who befriended animals.[123] It was also reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "Elephant Man").[124] In June 1987, the Chicago Tribune reported Jackson's publicist bidding $1 million for the skeleton to the London Hospital Medical College on his behalf. The college maintained the skeleton was not for sale. DiLeo said Jackson had an "absorbing interest" in Merrick, "purely based on his awareness of the ethical, medical and historical significance".[125]

In September 1986, using the oxygen chamber story, the British tabloid The Sun branded Jackson "Wacko Jacko", a name Jackson came to despise.[4][126] The Atlantic noted that the name "Jacko" has racist connotations, as it originates from Jacko Macacco, a monkey used in monkey-baiting matches at the Westminster Pit in the early 1820s, and "Jacko" was used in Cockney slang to refer to monkeys in general.[127]

Jackson worked with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute $30 million 3D film Captain EO, which ran from 1986 at Disneyland and Epcot, and later at Tokyo Disneyland and Euro Disneyland.[128] After having been removed in the late 1990s, it returned to the theme park for several years after Jackson's death.[129] In 1987, Ebony reported that Jackson had disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses.[130] Katherine Jackson said this might have been because some Witnesses strongly opposed the Thriller video,[131] which Michael denounced in a Witness publication in 1984.[132] In 2001, Jackson told an interviewer he was still a Jehovah's Witness.[133]

Bad, autobiography, and Neverland (1987–1990)

Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated, with the industry expecting another major success.[134] It became the first album to produce five US number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". Another song, "Smooth Criminal", peaked at number seven.[55] Bad won the 1988 Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone".[59][82] Jackson won an Award of Achievement at the American Music Awards in 1989 after Bad generated five number-one singles, became the first album to top the charts in 25 countries and the bestselling album worldwide in 1987 and 1988.[135][136] Bad cemented Jackson's status as a dominant music force[137] and has sold over 35 million copies worldwide.[138][139][140]

The Bad World Tour ran from September 12, 1987, to January 27, 1989.[141] In Japan, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record for a single tour.[142] The 504,000 people who attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium set a new Guinness World Record.[143]

In 1988, Jackson released his autobiography, Moonwalk, with input from Stephen Davis and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.[144] It sold 200,000 copies,[145] and reached the top of The New York Times bestsellers list.[146] Jackson discussed his childhood, the Jackson 5, and the abuse from his father.[147] He attributed his changing facial appearance to three plastic surgeries, puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hairstyle, and stage lighting.[148][117] In June, Jackson was honored with the Grand Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris by the then Mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac during his stay in the city as part of the Bad World Tour.[149][150] On July 20, he became the first commoner in history to enter London's Guildhall through the building's Royal Entrance.[151] In October, Jackson released a film, Moonwalker, which featured live footage and short films starring Jackson and Joe Pesci. In the US it was released direct-to-video and became the bestselling video cassette in the country.[152][153] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it as eight times Platinum in the US.[154]

In March 1988, Jackson purchased 2,700 acres (11 km2) of land near Santa Ynez, California, to build a new home, Neverland Ranch, at a cost of $17 million (equivalent to $45 million in 2024).[155] He installed a Ferris wheel, a carousel, a movie theater and a zoo.[155][156][157] A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds.[156] Shortly afterwards, he appeared in the first Western television advertisement in the Soviet Union.[158]

Jackson became known as the "King of Pop", a nickname that Jackson's publicists embraced.[18][159][160] When Elizabeth Taylor presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, she called him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[161] President George H. W. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade".[162] At the 38th BMI Awards in 1990, Jackson was the first person to be honored with an award named after its recipient.[163] From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $455,000 to the United Negro College Fund,[164] and all profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[165] His rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration won Jackson a second Emmy nomination.[74] Jackson was the bestselling artist of the 1980s.[166]

  • Early life and the Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

    Michael Joseph Jackson[3][4] was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958.[5][6] He was the eighth of ten children in the Jackson family, a working-class African-American family living in a two-bedroom house on Jackson Street.[7][8] His mother, Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse), played clarinet and piano, had aspired to be a country-and-western performer, and worked part-time at Sears.[9] She was a Jehovah's Witness.[10] His father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a former boxer, was a crane operator at US Steel and played guitar with a local rhythm and blues band, the Falcons, to supplement the family's income.[11][12] Joe's great-grandfather, July "Jack" Gale, was a US Army scout; family lore held that he was also a Native American medicine man.[13] Michael grew up with three sisters (Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet) and five brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy).[11] A sixth brother, Marlon's twin Brandon, died shortly after birth.[14]

    In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by their father which included Jackie, Tito and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine.[15][16] Michael said his father told him he had a "fat nose",[17] and physically and emotionally abused him during rehearsals. He recalled that Joe often sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, ready to punish any mistakes.[10][18] Joe acknowledged that he regularly whipped Michael.[19] Katherine said that although whipping came to be considered abuse, it was a common way to discipline children when Michael was growing up.[20][21] Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon denied that their father was abusive and said that the whippings, which had a deeper impact on Michael because he was younger, kept them disciplined and out of trouble.[22] Michael said that during his youth he was lonely and isolated.[23]

    Later in 1965, Michael began sharing lead vocals with Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to the Jackson 5.[24] In 1965, the group won a talent show; Michael performed the dance to Robert Parker's 1965 song "Barefootin'" and sang the Temptations' "My Girl".[25] From 1966 to 1968, the Jacksons 5 toured the Midwest; they frequently played at a string of black clubs known as the Chitlin' Circuit as the opening act for artists such as Sam & Dave, the O'Jays, Gladys Knight and Etta James. The Jackson 5 also performed at clubs and cocktail lounges, where striptease shows were featured, and at local auditoriums and high school dances.[26][27] In August 1967, while touring the East Coast, they won a weekly amateur night concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.[28]

  • Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)

    The Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975, signing with Epic Records and renaming themselves the Jacksons.[45] Their younger brother Randy joined the band around this time; Jermaine stayed with Motown and pursued a solo career.[46] The Jacksons continued to tour internationally, and released six more albums between 1976 and 1984. Michael, the group's main songwriter during this time, wrote songs such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1978), "This Place Hotel" (1980), and "Can You Feel It" (1980).[47]

    In 1977, Jackson moved to New York City to star as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, a musical film directed by Sidney Lumet, alongside Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross.[48] The film was a box-office failure.[49] Its score was arranged by Quincy Jones,[50] who later produced three of Jackson's solo albums.[51] During his time in New York, Jackson frequented the Studio 54 nightclub, where he heard early hip hop; this influenced his beatboxing on future tracks such as "Working Day and Night".[52] In 1978, Jackson felt unsatisfied with his nose, and decided to have a rhinoplasty.[53] He was referred to Steven Hoefflin, who performed his operations.[54]

    Jackson's fifth solo album and first album as an adult, Off the Wall (1979), established him as a solo performer and helped him move from the bubblegum pop of his youth to more complex sounds.[38] It produced four top 10 entries in the US: "Off the Wall", "She's Out of My Life", and the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[55] The album reached number three on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[56] In 1980, Jackson won three American Music Awards for his solo work: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[57][58] He also won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for 1979 with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[59] In 1981, Jackson was the American Music Awards winner for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist.[60]

    Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[61] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

  • Thriller and Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (1982–1983)

    Jackson recorded with Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury from 1981 to 1983, recording demos of "State of Shock", "Victory" and "There Must Be More to Life Than This". The recordings were intended for an album of duets but, according to Queen's manager Jim Beach, the relationship soured when Jackson brought a llama into the recording studio,[63] and Jackson was upset by Mercury's drug use.[64] "There Must Be More to Life Than This" was released in 2014.[65] Jackson went on to record "State of Shock" with Mick Jagger for the Jacksons' album Victory (1984).[66]

    In 1982, Jackson contributed "Someone in the Dark" to the audiobook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Jackson's sixth album, Thriller, was released in late 1982. It was the bestselling album worldwide in 1983,[67][68] and became the bestselling album of all time in the US[69] and the bestselling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 70 million copies.[70][71] It topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to produce seven Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".

    On March 25, 1983, Jackson reunited with his brothers for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, an NBC television special. The show aired on May 16 to an estimated audience of 47 million, and featured the Jacksons and other Motown stars.[73] Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean" earned him his first Emmy Award nomination.[74] Wearing a glove decorated with rhinestones,[75] he debuted his moonwalk dance, which Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years earlier, and it became his signature dance in his repertoire.[76] Jackson had originally turned down the invitation to the show, believing he had been doing too much television. But at the request of Motown founder Berry Gordy, he performed in exchange for an opportunity to do a solo performance.[77] Rolling Stone reporter Mikal Gilmore called the performance "extraordinary".[38] Jackson's performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[78] Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times praised the perfect timing and technique involved in the dance.[79] Gordy described being "mesmerized" by the performance.[80] British Vogue called Jackson "a fashion pioneer [...] who gave new meaning to moonwalking, immortalised solitary, [and] sparkly gloves".[81]

    At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, Thriller won eight awards, and Jackson won an award for the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook. Winning eight Grammys in one ceremony is a record he holds with the band Santana.[59] Jackson and Quincy Jones won the award for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical). Thriller won Album of the Year (with Jackson as the album's artist and Jones as its co-producer), and the single won Best Pop Vocal Performance (Male) award for Jackson. "Beat It" won Record of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance (Male). "Billie Jean" won two Grammy awards: Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance (Male), with Jackson as songwriter and singer respectively.[59]

    Thriller won the Grammy for Best Engineered Recording (Non Classical), acknowledging Bruce Swedien for his work on the album.[82] At the 11th Annual American Music Awards, Jackson won another eight awards and became the youngest artist to win the Award of Merit.[83] He also won Favorite Male Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock Artist. "Beat It" won Favorite Soul/R&B Video, Favorite Pop/Rock Video and Favorite Pop/Rock Single. The album won Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Pop/Rock Album.[83][84] Thriller's sales doubled after the release of an extended music video, Michael Jackson's Thriller, which sees Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies.[85][86]

    The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture.[86] Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point, with about $2 for every album sold (equivalent to $6 in 2024), and was making record-breaking profits. Dolls modeled after Jackson appeared in stores in May 1984 for $12 each.[87] In the same year, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, a documentary about the music video, won a Grammy for Best Music Video (Longform).[59] Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too."[87] The New York Times wrote "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[88]

  • Pepsi incident, "We Are the World" and other commercial activities (1984–1985)

    In November 1983, Jackson and his brothers partnered with PepsiCo in a $5 million promotional deal that broke records for a celebrity endorsement (equivalent to $15.8 million in 2024). The first Pepsi campaign, which ran in the US from 1983 to 1984 and launched its "New Generation" theme, included tour sponsorship, public relations events, and in-store displays. Jackson helped to create the advertisement, and suggested using his song "Billie Jean", with revised lyrics, as its jingle.[89]

    On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi commercial overseen by Phil Dusenberry,[90] a BBDO ad agency executive, and Alan Pottasch, Pepsi's Worldwide Creative Director, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During a simulated concert before a full house of fans, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire, causing second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars and had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.[91] Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated the $1.5 million (equivalent to $4.5 million in 2024) settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California; its now-closed Michael Jackson Burn Center was named in his honor.[92][93] Jackson signed a second agreement with Pepsi in the late 1980s for $10 million (equivalent to $27.7 million in 2024). The second campaign covered 20 countries and provided financial support for Jackson's Bad album and 1987–1988 world tour. Jackson had endorsements and advertising deals with other companies, such as LA Gear, Suzuki, and Sony, but none were as significant as his deals with Pepsi.[89]

    The Victory Tour of 1984 headlined the Jacksons and showcased Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. It was the last tour he did with his brothers.[94] Following controversy over the concert's ticket sales, Jackson donated his share of the proceeds, an estimated $3 to 5 million, to charity.[95] During the last concert of the Victory Tour at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Jackson announced his split from the Jacksons during "Shake Your Body".[96]

    With Lionel Richie, Jackson co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" (1985), which raised money for the poor in the US and Africa.[97][98] It earned $63 million (equivalent to $184 million in 2024),[98] and became one of the bestselling singles of all time, with 20 million copies sold.[99] It won four Grammy Awards in 1985, including Song of the Year for Jackson and Richie.[97] Jackson, Jones, and the promoter Ken Kragen received special awards for their roles in the song's creation.[97][100][101][102]

  • Increased tabloid speculation (1986–1987)

    Jackson's skin had been medium-brown during his youth, but from the mid-1980s gradually grew paler. The change drew widespread media coverage, including speculation that he had been bleaching his skin.[107][108][109] His dermatologist, Arnold Klein, said he observed in 1983 that Jackson had vitiligo,[110] a condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment. He also identified discoid lupus erythematosus in Jackson. He diagnosed Jackson with lupus that year,[110] and with vitiligo in 1986.[111] Vitiligo's drastic effects on the body can cause psychological distress. Jackson used fair-colored makeup,[112] and possibly skin-bleaching prescription creams,[113] to cover up the uneven blotches of color caused by the illness. The creams would depigment the blotches, and, with the application of makeup, he could appear very pale.[114] Jackson said he had not purposely bleached his skin and could not control his vitiligo, adding, "When people make up stories that I don't want to be who I am, it hurts me."[115] He became friends with Klein and Klein's assistant, Debbie Rowe. Rowe later became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his first two children.[116]

    In his 1988 autobiography and a 1993 interview, Jackson said he had had two rhinoplasty surgeries and a cleft chin surgery but no more than that. He said he lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet to achieve a dancer's body.[117] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy, and speculated he was suffering from anorexia nervosa. Periods of weight loss became a recurring problem later in his life.[118] After his death, Jackson's mother said that he first turned to cosmetic procedures to remedy his vitiligo, because he did not want to look like a "spotted cow". She said he had received more than the two cosmetic surgeries he claimed and speculated that he had become addicted to them.[119]

    In 1986, it was reported that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow aging. He denied the story,[120] although it was alleged that Jackson leaked an image of him sleeping in a glass chamber (according to Jackson, this was a promotional shot from an upcoming space opera featuring himself) to The National Enquirer.[121] It was also reported that Jackson took female hormone shots to keep his voice high and facial hair wispy, proposed to Elizabeth Taylor and possibly had a shrine of her, and had cosmetic surgery on his eyes. Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo denied all of them, except for Jackson having a chamber. DiLeo added "I don't know if he sleeps in it. I'm not for it. But Michael thinks it's something that's probably healthy for him. He's a bit of a health fanatic."[122]

    When Jackson took his pet chimpanzee Bubbles to tour in Japan, the media portrayed Jackson as an aspiring Disney cartoon character who befriended animals.[123] It was also reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "Elephant Man").[124] In June 1987, the Chicago Tribune reported Jackson's publicist bidding $1 million for the skeleton to the London Hospital Medical College on his behalf. The college maintained the skeleton was not for sale. DiLeo said Jackson had an "absorbing interest" in Merrick, "purely based on his awareness of the ethical, medical and historical significance".[125]

    In September 1986, using the oxygen chamber story, the British tabloid The Sun branded Jackson "Wacko Jacko", a name Jackson came to despise.[4][126] The Atlantic noted that the name "Jacko" has racist connotations, as it originates from Jacko Macacco, a monkey used in monkey-baiting matches at the Westminster Pit in the early 1820s, and "Jacko" was used in Cockney slang to refer to monkeys in general.[127]

    Jackson worked with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute $30 million 3D film Captain EO, which ran from 1986 at Disneyland and Epcot, and later at Tokyo Disneyland and Euro Disneyland.[128] After having been removed in the late 1990s, it returned to the theme park for several years after Jackson's death.[129] In 1987, Ebony reported that Jackson had disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses.[130] Katherine Jackson said this might have been because some Witnesses strongly opposed the Thriller video,[131] which Michael denounced in a Witness publication in 1984.[132] In 2001, Jackson told an interviewer he was still a Jehovah's Witness.[133]

  • Bad, autobiography, and Neverland (1987–1990)

    Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated, with the industry expecting another major success.[134] It became the first album to produce five US number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". Another song, "Smooth Criminal", peaked at number seven.[55] Bad won the 1988 Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone".[59][82] Jackson won an Award of Achievement at the American Music Awards in 1989 after Bad generated five number-one singles, became the first album to top the charts in 25 countries and the bestselling album worldwide in 1987 and 1988.[135][136] Bad cemented Jackson's status as a dominant music force[137] and has sold over 35 million copies worldwide.[138][139][140]

    In 1988, Jackson released his autobiography, Moonwalk, with input from Stephen Davis and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.[144] It sold 200,000 copies,[145] and reached the top of The New York Times bestsellers list.[146] Jackson discussed his childhood, the Jackson 5, and the abuse from his father.[147] He attributed his changing facial appearance to three plastic surgeries, puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hairstyle, and stage lighting.[148][117] In June, Jackson was honored with the Grand Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris by the then Mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac during his stay in the city as part of the Bad World Tour.[149][150] On July 20, he became the first commoner in history to enter London's Guildhall through the building's Royal Entrance.[151] In October, Jackson released a film, Moonwalker, which featured live footage and short films starring Jackson and Joe Pesci. In the US it was released direct-to-video and became the bestselling video cassette in the country.[152][153] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it as eight times Platinum in the US.[154]

    In March 1988, Jackson purchased 2,700 acres (11 km2) of land near Santa Ynez, California, to build a new home, Neverland Ranch, at a cost of $17 million (equivalent to $45 million in 2024).[155] He installed a Ferris wheel, a carousel, a movie theater and a zoo.[155][156][157] A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds.[156] Shortly afterwards, he appeared in the first Western television advertisement in the Soviet Union.[158]

    Jackson became known as the "King of Pop", a nickname that Jackson's publicists embraced.[18][159][160] When Elizabeth Taylor presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, she called him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[161] President George H. W. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade".[162] At the 38th BMI Awards in 1990, Jackson was the first person to be honored with an award named after its recipient.[163] From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $455,000 to the United Negro College Fund,[164] and all profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[165] His rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration won Jackson a second Emmy nomination.[74] Jackson was the bestselling artist of the 1980s.[166]

    The Bad World Tour ran from September 12, 1987, to January 27, 1989.[141] In Japan, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record for a single tour.[142] The 504,000 people who attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium set a new Guinness World Record.[143]

  • Dangerous and public social work (1991–1993)

    In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million (equivalent to $150 million in 2024), a record-breaking deal,[167] beating Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[168] In 1991, he released his eighth album, Dangerous, co-produced with Teddy Riley.[169] It was certified eight times platinum in the US, and by 2018 had sold 32 million copies worldwide.[170][171] In the US, the first single, "Black or White", was the album's highest-charting song; it was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and achieved similar chart performances worldwide.[172] The second single, "Remember the Time" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[173] At the end of 1992, Dangerous was the bestselling album of the year worldwide and "Black or White" the bestselling single of the year worldwide at the Billboard Music Awards.[166] In 1993, he performed "Remember the Time" at the Soul Train Music Awards in a chair, saying he twisted his ankle during dance rehearsals.[174] In the UK, "Heal the World" made No. 2 on the charts in 1992.[175]

    Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. The charity brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to use the theme park rides, and sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. That July, Jackson published his second book, Dancing the Dream, a collection of poetry. The Dangerous World Tour ran between June 1992 and November 1993 and grossed $100 million (equivalent to $220 million in 2024); Jackson performed for over 3.5 million people in 70 concerts, all of which were outside the US.[176][177] Part of the proceeds went to Heal the World Foundation.[178] Jackson sold the broadcast rights of the tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[179]

    Following the death of HIV/AIDS spokesperson and friend Ryan White, Jackson pleaded with the Clinton administration at Bill Clinton's inaugural gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research[180][181] and performed "Gone Too Soon", a song dedicated to White, and "Heal the World" at the gala.[182] Jackson visited Africa in early 1992; on his first stop in Gabon he was greeted by more than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read "Welcome Home Michael",[183] and was awarded an Officer of the National Order of Merit from President Omar Bongo.[184][185] During his trip to Ivory Coast, Jackson drew larger crowds than Pope John Paul II on his previous visits.[186] He was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief in the Ivorian village of Krindjabo, where he thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed documents formalizing his kingship, and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.[183]

    In January 1993, Jackson performed at the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in Pasadena, California. The NFL sought a big-name artist to keep ratings high during halftime following dwindling audience figures.[187][188] With 133.4 million viewers, it was the first Super Bowl whose halftime show drew greater audience figures than the game.[189] Jackson played "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White", and "Heal the World". Dangerous rose 90 places in the US albums chart after the performance.[107]

    Jackson gave a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey on February 10, 1993. He spoke of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood, and said that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, and stated for the first time that he had vitiligo. After the interview, Dangerous re-entered the US albums chart in the top 10, more than a year after its release.[18][107] The interview itself became the most-watched television interview in United States history to date, with more than 90 million viewers.[190]

    In January 1993, Jackson won three American Music Awards: Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Dangerous), Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Remember the Time"), and was the first to win the International Artist Award of Excellence.[191][192] In February, he won the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.[59] He attended the award ceremony with Brooke Shields.[193] Dangerous was nominated for Best Vocal Performance (for "Black or White"), Best R&B Vocal Performance ("Jam") and Best R&B Song ("Jam"), and Bruce Swedien and Teddy Riley won the Grammy for Best Engineered – Non Classical.[82]

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