BORN: Friday, August 29, 1958 in Gary, IND

HOME-GOING: Thursday, June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA

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Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958  June 25, 2009), often dubbed the "King of Pop," was an American recording artist, widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived. With his trademark black fedora and single, sequinned glove, his unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a central part of popular culture around the world for four decades.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his achievements included multiple Guinness World Recordsincluding the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles, and the sale of over 750 million records. He was also a notable philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to the 39 charities he supported, and raising more through his own Heal the World Foundation.

Michael's Early Life

Jackson was born the seventh of nine children on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago, to an African-American family. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who peformed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters, Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.

Jackson had a difficult relationship with his father. His teased him about his nose. He was required to rehearse when he wanted to go out and play with other children. Michael credited his father's discipline for his success.

Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast on February 10, 1993. He said that he had often cried from loneliness and would sometimes throw up when he saw his father. In an interview with Martin Bashir, aired on February 3, 1993 as Living with Michael Jackson, he covered his face with his hands and began crying when talking about his childhood. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".

He showed talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates during a Christmas recital at the age of five. In 1964, he and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothersa band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaineas backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5. The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit". In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.[

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, and signed with Motown Records in 1968. Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer." The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben," and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.

Michael's Career as a King of Pop

A star since the age of 12 when The Jackson Five registered four No. 1 hits in 1970, Michael Jackson parlayed his remarkable singing and dancing talents into mega-stardom, the likes of which few entertainers have ever known. By the time he released Thriller in 1982, which quickly became the best-selling album in the history of recorded music, Jackson was the biggest pop icon in the world. tric" performer into an even more reclusive posture than usual. The son of an abusive father who drove him and his brothers mercilessly to their success, he missed out on a normal childhood, forced not only to convey the composure of an adult in his little boy's body as the front man for the popular group, but also to branch out simultaneously as a solo artist. Jackson was more than equal to the task as his stunning accomplishments attested, but what price did he pay for a lifetime in the spotlight? It was not so farfetched that his penchant for surrounding himself with children was an attempt to vicariously experience the joys of a childhood sacrificed at the altar of the recording industry. But even that was subject to intense scrutiny when he was accused of sexual abuse of a child in 1993 and in 2004; the latter resulting in a media circus trial that ended in his acquittal. Regardless of his status  either as a pop icon or alleged child molester  there was no doubt that Jackson was the subject of endless public fascination. On June 25, 2009, his position as a tragic American icon was solidified when, during rehearsals for a series of comeback concerts in the UK, he collapsed and was rushed to an area L.A. hospital, where he was pronounced dead at age 50. The announcement sent shock waves around the world, as fans mourned the one and only King of Pop.

Michael's Family Life

In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975 during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.[93] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Lisa Marie for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[90] Lisa Marie explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[96] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.[90] Shortly afterwards, she tried to persuade Jackson to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recoverhe subsequently did both.[90] Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?".[90] Presley and Jackson married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy; the parties denied they had been married for nearly two months.[97] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".[98] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image in light of prior sexual abuse allegations.[97] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.[99]

Michael's Legacy

Jackson had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world. He broke down racial barriers, transformed the art of the music video and paved the way for modern pop music in his own country. Jackson's work, distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced hip hop, pop and R&B artists, including Mariah Carey,[203] Usher,[204] Britney Spears,[203] Justin Timberlake[115] and R. Kelly.[161] For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation through his musical and humanitarian contributions.[205]

Michael Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. Throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.[26][206] He was a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. Jackson was also an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.[26] His awards include multiple Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone), 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo careermore than any other male artist in the Hot 100 eraand the sale of over 750 million records worldwide, making him the world's best selling male solo pop artist.[22][69][77][207][208][209]


Queues for a Michael Jackson concert in West Berlin in June 1988He was characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power".[153] In the mid-1980s, Time described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley".[29] By 1990, Vanity Fair had already cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the history of show business.[67] Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley called him an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius".[210] In late 2007, Jackson said the following of his work and future influence, "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever."[211]

His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million; some analysts have speculated that his music catalog holdings could be worth billions of dollars.[68][212] As one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for four decades.[77][213]

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Hi James, for once am getting here on a Friday, as am off from work for a chngae. You really nailed this one, and sure looks like you had a gorgeous day for it in Florence. I need to get back into my Florence photos from last June, still have a ton of editing and sorting to do, from the lovely cemeteries there, especially... best wishes...

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