Bad and Dangerous to some, King of Pop, Michael Jackson is one of the greatest singers and dancers since the ’80s who has redefined the pop culture. He never imagined he would be America’s Pop icon when he made his first music video. He had the entire world dancing to his tunes when he crooned ‘Rock With You.’ His exceptional dancing style had people craving to emulate him. This musical prodigy made history over the years to come. And he still inspires millions.
This Michael Jackson biography takes a peek into his musical journey and life ridden with controversies.
King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. MJ, as he is fondly known began a musical career at the tender age of 5. He started a phenomenon with his music and dance techniques. Today, although plagued with controversies, MJ still reigns despite the numerous setbacks in his career. Let us take a trip into the life of one of the greatest entertainers in the music industry today.
Childhood Days:
The 7th of the 9 children -Sigmund "Jackie", Toriano "Tito", Jermaine, Marlon, Steven "Randy"and sisters Rebbie, Janet and La-Toya Jackson; Michael had his first tryst with music as a lead singer of the Jackson 5 in 1964. The Jackson 5 played at local nightclubs and also participated in competitions. Despite his young age, he soon carved a niche for himself as a singer and dancer of exceptional ability. The Jackson 5 ruled the charts in the late ’60s and the early ’70s. After signing a contract for Motown, the Jackson 5 had to shift their base to California. This was followed by chartbusters like ‘I Want You Back,’, ‘Dancing Machine’, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I'll Be There’ in 1970. The Jackson 5 remained with Motown till 1976.
Michael first met Quincy Jones in 1977 when he starred in the hit musical ‘The Wiz’. Michael played Scarecrow and this film also had Diana Ross in the lead. Quincy Jones became Michael’s long time friend and was also the producer of this soundtrack album.
Michael’s first taste to success:
The album ‘Off The Wall’ achieved a stupendous response from people all over the world in the year 1979. This was the first album to spawn a record breaking four No1 singles in the US. Michael Jackson had arrived! ‘Rock With You’ and ‘Don’t’ Stop Till You Get Enough’ clung to the number 1 spots. This album also saw Michael bagging his first award at the American Music Awards and also the Billboard Awards.
‘Thriller’ moments:
Dancing around with a bunch of ghouls and mummies, Michael Jackson became a musical phenomenon with his chartbusting track ‘Thriller’. He wooed the PYT against an eerie backdrop. This was Michael’s second epic album, ‘Thriller’ (1982) and it saw stupendous success (37 weeks at the number 1 slot). The video inspired many more remakes along the way. It also produced 7 hit singles. ‘Billie Jean’ received regular airplays and also became the first music video by a black artist to bag these slots. Michael’s signature moonwalk had the ladies swooning over him and propelled loads of youngsters to practice it for hours. Michael has always included brilliant choreography and lavish effects into all his music videos. This boosted the popularity of all his tracks to a new high. ‘Beat It’ was also a part of this multi-platinum selling album and became a smash hit with its excellent choreography which included a duel between two gangs cleverly showcased through some brilliant choreography.
Jackson reunited with his brothers to produce the album ‘Victory’. 1984 saw the last concert of the Victory tour and this was the time when Michael decided to go solo.
Michael also featured in the Grammy Award winning music video ‘We Are The World’ and also wrote the lyrics for it along with Lionel Richie. This record was used also for a lot charity work especially for the famine in East Africa.
Who’s Bad:
This much-awaited third solo album in 1987 also saw Michael going off on his first solo world tour. With this album, Michael was named as the ‘Artist of the Decade’ (Owing to the success of 3 albums). Compared to Thriller, this album ranked a little low in terms of sales but nevertheless it was still a stupendous success. Selling over 32 million copies worldwide and including seven hit singles, this was the time when Michael also had his controversial moments. It was rumored, Michael had ‘lightened’ his skin and this resulted in the public protesting against his act. His soulful rendition of ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’ climbed the Billboard Hot 100 charts. ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ showcased Michael in pursuit of actress Tatiana Thumbtzen and reached the top slot in its 10th week. The video also features Jackson’s sister La Toya Jackson.
Dangerous Times:
Michael signed the largest ever recording contract in 1991 with Sony Music. This was his fourth solo album titled ‘Dangerous’. Dangerous did not really perform to the high standards set by Michael himself, with regards to all his previous hits. This album included one of the biggest hit singles ‘Black or White’. The video had to be initially edited as it originally featured offending scenes that created a debate. The final video had Michael walking through visual collages of fire. The collective theme of the song showed the merging of different cultures.
‘Remember The Time’ was the second single released from this album. This video had stunning visuals involving complex dance steps (which was now a patent of all Michael videos) and also had special appearances by supermodel Iman, Eddie Murphy and Magic Johnson. Set against an ancient Egyptian backdrop, it also had the first on-screen lip lock between Michael Jackson and Iman.
Naomi Campbell stared in the video ‘In The Closet’ which was also a part of this album. The song written by Michael and Teddy Riley spoke about keeping relations a secret between Michael and the woman. Rumors were rife about the gist of this video being concocted, to silence people questioning Michael’s sexuality.
‘Heal The World’ also released from the same album and addressed social issues. It featured the children and their sufferings and was one of the few videos of MJ that did not actually include him.
This was the time when Slash (lead guitarist of the rock group Guns N’ Roses) joined hands with Michael and starred in the smash hit video ‘Give In To Me’. Slash’s cool attitude and Michael’s moves were also combined for the ‘Dangerous World Tour’.
In the year 1994, Jackson created shocking news by marrying Lisa Marie Presley (Daughter of Elvis Presley) in a secret ceremony. The media again speculated whether this marriage was only a method to put an end to the rumors that questioned his sexuality.
Michael creates History:
History-Past, Present and Future went straight to the number one slot in several countries worldwide in June 1995. It contains compilations of MJ’s hit singles and also features the lavishly made science fiction inspired video ‘Scream’. Scream had singer and sister Janet Jackson in a duet with Michael and this video won a Grammy Award for the ‘Best Short-Form Music Video’ and also an MTV Award for Best Choreography in 1995.
The second release ‘You Are Not Alone’ surpassed the success created by ‘Scream’. ‘Earth Song’, the third single released from this album reached the top position and became the most successful single in the U.K. The ‘Earth Song’ gave a strong message to the viewers as it addressed issues related to the environment and poverty.
‘They Don’t Care About Us’ created controversy due to its lyrics and the King of Pop, was compelled to alter the lyrics and the content of the video. Despite the initial hiccups, it debuted to number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996.
The year 1996 also witnessed the marriage of Michael Jackson with Deborah Jeanne Rowe (his Dermatologist’s nurse).
History repeats itself:
The album ‘Blood is on the dance floor-History in the Mix’ was released in 1997. This album had compilations of his hit singles from the ‘History’ album. ‘Blood On The Dance Floor’ went straight to the top position in the UK. This red-hot video had a sultry dance sequence to its credit.
Michael Is Truly Invincible:
‘Invincible’ sold nearly 8 million copies all over the world with its release in October 2001. It included the big hit, ‘You Rock my World’. But it was rumored this album was did not get the promotion it deserved and there was also a rift with the music company on this regard. ‘
Upholding Number One Position:
November 2003 saw the release of a compilation of Michael’s number one hits titled ‘Number Ones’. But the year 2003 was also problematic for this Pop Star, which saw him facing charges of child molestation and sexual abuse.
Presently it is rumored that the King of Pop is working on a new album, which may also include major contributions from artistes Akon, Chris Brown, 50 Cent, Ted Riley etc.
Controversies Galore:
Controversies never seem to elude Michael throughout his career. Michael was charged with child abuse, molestation and even his action to change his skin color raised quite a few eyebrows. Tabloids reported colorful and vivid stories and it is a known fact that Michael Jackson still remains media’s favorite star as far as controversies go! ‘Living with Michael Jackson’ was the first documentary broadcasted by ABC network. Michael claimed this documentary to have misrepresented the ‘truth’ completely. Jackson was reportedly rumored to be known as an androgynous person and he faced yet another blemish on his successful career when a 13 year old teenager accused Jackson of sexual abuse during his stay at Neverland (Michael’s sprawling ranch and park) This created a sensation and a furore in the music industry. Despite the numerous allegations, settlements and acquittals all over the years, Michael’s personal life still remains a mystery to his fans and people worldwide.
Michael Jackson’s contribution to the world of pop and dance are irreplaceable and irrevocable. This Pop Legend has had a strong foothold on all the music lovers over the globe. It is therefore not a surprise we have his chartbusters playing in all the leading discs even today and Michael Jackson wannabes are still trying to perfect the Moonwalk.
