Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on the 29th August 1958, in Gary, Indiana, USA. He was a recording artist, an entertainer, a businessman and a humanitarian. Michael was the first black artist to find fame on MTV; he broke boundaries both for his race and for music video as an art form.

Michael showed his musical talent early in his life by performing at schools and at Christmas events. At the age of five Michael and his other brother Marlon joined the Jackson brothers as back-up musicians in their band. They played musical instruments for the group. Michael played a conga drum and his brother played a tambourine. At the age of eight he began performing backup vocals and spicing up the music with his dance moves. At that point Michael was already taking on a lead position in the group. The name of the band was changed to "The Jackson 5". The group played in local clubs and bars in Gary, Indiana. As their talent grew, they performed in night clubs in New York and Philadelphia. During their tour they won a local talent competition at older brother Jackie's school. They also met famous people like Glady's Knight and pianist Billy Taylor at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The audience was always blown away by Michael's dance moves. At the age of 13 Michael was already a superstar.  He went solo and his first hit was released at the age of fourteen. In 1982 he released "Thriller" and the album still remains the world's best selling album. Those who have big brothers will remember that after "Thriller" was released everybody became a break dancer, trying to imitate Michael's moves. More than 100 million copies were sold worldwide. In 1984 the album scooped a record eight Grammys. He then released another four solo studio albums which are among the world's best-selling records.

Michael was born an African–American male. He had a lonely sad childhood. He revealed that information to the public when he was interviewed by Oprah on her show. He claimed that he was physically and emotionally abused by his father from a young age. His father gave him a nickname "Big Nose". It is rumoured that this is what drove Michael to plastic surgery.  He wanted his nose to be lifted up so that it wouldn't look big any more. He suffered from the skin disease vitiligo, which destroyed his pigmentation. He became addicted to plastic surgery so every part of his face was changed.

Michael married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 and divorced her after 19 months because Lisa refused to bear him a child. After the release of his fifth solo album "HIStory", he organized a two year tour promoting his album. During his tour he met Debbie Rowe, a nurse that was treating him for his skin pigment disorder. They later got married and they had their first child Prince Michael in 1997, followed by a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine, in 1998.

Michael was accused of sexual abuse by a 13 year old boy. Jordan Chandler accused Michael of molestation but the star claimed that he was innocent. The accusations drained Michael financially, he paid about R70 million in an out-of-court settlement. The stress became too much for Michael and he began taking painkillers (Valium and Ativan) to help him cope with chronic pain. He became addicted to the drugs. The stress was so bad that he stopped eating and he lost too much weight and he was often dizzy. His health deteriorated to the extent that he had to cancel the Dangerous World Tour. 

Interesting facts about Michael Jackson

Michael bought a 1 093 ha estate in California and he named it Neverland Ranch. In the same year he published his autobiography, "Moonwalk".  He was also a dedicated charity worker. In 1992 Michael founded the charity "Heal the World Foundation". The charity organization brought underprivileged children to the ranch to enjoy theme park rides that he had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the world to vulnerable children. On the Dangerous World Tour he performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts. All the profit from the concert went to the "Heal the foundation" charity.

Recently, Michael was found unconscious and not breathing in his rented mansion in Los Angeles. After being treated by paramedics, he was transferred to hospital.  All attempts to bring the star back to life were unsuccessful. They confirmed that he was been in cardiac arrest. Michael was declared dead on the 25th June 2009.

His memorial service was held at on the 7th of July 2009.  About 20,000 people congregated inside the Staples Center for a spiritual ceremony, watched by millions more around the world. The Rev. Al Sharpton testified that Michael created a comfort level, where people that who felt they were separate became connected through his music. His brother Marlon said that "we will never understand what he endured ... being judged, ridiculed". Whatever may be said about his personal life, Michael Jackson was indeed the greatest entertainer that ever lived.  There will never be another Michael Jackson. May his soul rest in peace. Cited: Yahoo music, 2009.

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