| Michael Jackson |
Article Index for Michael Jackson |
Articles about Michael Jackson |
Website Links For Michael Jackson |
Information AboutMichael Jackson |
Michael Jackson is widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers and most popular recording artists in history, displaying complicated physical techniques, such as the Robot and the Moonwalk , that have redefined mainstream dance and entertainment.5 His achievements in the music industry have included a revolutionary transformation of Music Video s,6 establishing high-profile album releases and sales as a new trend for record companies to generate profits,7 dominating Pop Music during the 1980s,8 and becoming the first black entertainer to amass a strong following on MTV while leading the relatively young channel out of obscurity.9 His distinctive style, moves, and vocals have inspired, influenced, and spawned a whole generation of Hip Hop , Pop , and R&B artists. He has been symbolically named the "''Most Successful Entertainer of All Time''" by Guinness World Records .10 Jackson began his musical career at the age of seven as the lead singer of s and one of the most charitable Humanitarian s of all time, whose efforts on the latter front have been acknowledged with a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.15 From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, where he built an Amusement Park and private Zoo that was frequently attended by disadvantaged and Terminally Ill children. Rumours of Sleepover parties received negative media coverage after it was revealed that children frequently slept in his bed or bedroom. These first came to light when He Was Accused Of Child Sexual Abuse In 1993 . Michael Jackson's relationship with children was brought into the spotlight again in 2003 when the TV documentary '' Living With Michael Jackson '' aired. This resulted in Jackson being Tried, And Later Acquitted , of more child molestation allegations and several other charges in 2005. Since then, Michael Jackson has lived in countries such as Bahrain and Ireland, but has since returned to the United States. Jackson is putting the "finishing touches on his new music" to be released this year. CAREER 1958–1979: Early life and career See Also: The Jackson 5 Michael Jackson was born in Gary , Indiana to a working-class family. He was the second-youngest brother of seven and the eighth of ten children of Joseph (Joe) and Katherine Jackson . Katherine, a Jehovah's Witness , raised the children in that faith, while Joe, who initially started studying with the Witnesses, eventually decided not to join.16 Jackson's father, a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called "The Falcons" with his brother Luther, was a strict Disciplinarian . Many of the Jackson children recall being spanked or whipped by their father for misbehaving.17 Jackson showed musical talent early on and joined his brothers when they formed a group in 1964. During this period, the boys toured Indiana extensively, and after winning a major local talent show in 1966 with a rendition of The Temptations ' " My Girl ", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago , Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the " Chitlin' Circuit ," and the young kids sometimes had to open for Strip Tease rs and other adult acts in order to earn money.18 The young Jackson had taken co-lead singing duties with brother Jermaine when the group's name changed from "The Jackson Brothers" to " The Jackson 5 " in 1966. The group eventually auditioned for, and signed a contract with, Motown Records in 1968.19 They hit stardom with their first four singles, " I Want You Back ", " ABC ", " The Love You Save ", and " I'll Be There ", which charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 , the first time ever a group had pulled off that feat. As a solo artist, Jackson released a total of four studio albums with Motown, among them '' Got To Be There '' in 1971 and '' Ben '' in the following year. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise and produced successful singles such as " Got To Be There ", " Ben ", and a remake of Bobby Day 's " Rockin' Robin ". The group's sales declined after 1973 and they chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. In 1976, the group signed a new contract with CBS Records (first joining the Philadelphia International division and then Epic Records ).20 When this became apparent to Motown Records , they sued the group for breach of contract. As a result of the legal proceedings, which were complicated further by the fact that ", " This Place Hotel ", and " Can You Feel It ". In 1978, Jackson starred as the scarecrow in '' The Wiz '' with former-label mate Diana Ross playing Dorothy.22 The songs for the Musical were arranged by Quincy Jones , who established a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce his first solo album in four years. 1979–1982: ''Off the Wall'' era See Also: Off the Wall '' Off The Wall '', released in 1979, was a worldwide success story that made music history, becoming the first Album ever to spawn four top-ten hits, including the number-one hits, " Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough " and " Rock With You ". It reached #3 in the Billboard album charts, spending 48 consecutive weeks inside the Top 20.23 Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson jointly produced the album, with lyrics and music by Jackson, Heatwave 's Rod Temperton , Stevie Wonder , and Paul McCartney , among others. The album signaled the arrival of a new Michael Jackson, one not reliant upon his brothers to further his career.24 ''Off the Wall'', buoyed by its catchy dance rhythms and avoidance of the "shallow excesses...of the period's disco,"25 eventually sold some 20 million copies worldwide.26 Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt the album should have made a much bigger impact and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In January 1980, Jackson won his first awards for his solo efforts at the American Music Awards . He won "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" (for ''Off the Wall''), "Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist" and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"). Later that month, he also won two Billboard Awards (for "Top Black Artist" and "Top Black Album"). On February 27 1980 , Jackson won a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male" (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"). More than twenty-five years after its release, ''Off the Wall'' remains one of the defining moments in Jackson's music career as it began his domination as one of pop music's leading artists. In 2003, the TV Network VH1 named ''Off the Wall'' the thirty-sixth greatest album of all time.27 '' Rolling Stone '' ranked it #68 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time .28 1982–1986: ''Thriller'' era See Also: Thriller (album) We Are the World Captain EO In November 1982, the storybook for ''''. ''Thriller'' became by far the biggest selling album of all time with worldwide sales reaching over 104 million copies. MTV UK: Jacko's Back! The album also became the first in history to spawn seven top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit singles,30 including "", and the album's Title Track , which was accompanied by a revolutionary music video. The thirteen-minute " Thriller " video was critically acclaimed and massive airplay lead to it being packaged with the Featurette ''Making Michael Jackson's Thriller'' on VHS , where it became the best-selling music Home Video ever. ''Thriller'' spent 37 weeks at #1 and remained on the Billboard Album chart for 122 weeks. It was eventually certified 27x Platinum in the U.S.31 In 1983, while performing "Billie Jean" at the concert, Jackson debuted what can be regarded as his signature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|