Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson made his public debut at age six as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, a group formed by his father, Joe Jackson. Michael and his brothers initially performed as the Jackson Brothers before the group adopted the Jackson 5 name. They toured the American Midwest and performed at venues including Harlem's Apollo Theater, where they won an amateur-night competition in 1967.

The Jackson 5 signed with Motown after being brought to the label by Bobby Taylor. Diana Ross introduced the group to a wider public, and their first four Motown singles, "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There," reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson also released four solo albums with Motown, including Got to Be There and Ben.

The Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975, signed with Epic Records, and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Randy Jackson joined the group, while Jermaine Jackson remained with Motown. Michael became the group's principal songwriter during this period and wrote songs including "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)," "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It."

Jackson played the Scarecrow in The Wiz, a 1978 musical film directed by Sidney Lumet and featuring Diana Ross. The film brought him into contact with Quincy Jones, who later produced three of Jackson's solo albums. Jackson's Off the Wall, released in 1979, established him as an adult solo performer and produced four United States top-ten singles, including "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You."

Jackson's 1982 album Thriller became the best-selling album in history and remained in the top ten of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It produced seven top-ten singles, including the number-one hits "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." Its extended title-track video, directed by John Landis, helped transform the music video into a major form of visual storytelling and performance.

Jackson reunited with his brothers on the 1983 television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. His performance of "Billie Jean" introduced his signature moonwalk to a large television audience, after Jeffrey Daniel had taught him the move. At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, Jackson won eight awards, setting a record for the most wins by an artist in a single night at that time.

During the filming of a Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles in 1984, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire and caused second-degree burns to his scalp. He later donated the settlement from the incident to a medical center, which named a burn center in his honor.

Jackson co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" with Lionel Richie. The song brought together prominent performers to raise aid for people facing poverty in the United States and Africa, and it won four Grammy Awards in 1985, including Song of the Year for Jackson and Richie.

Jackson also collaborated with Paul McCartney during the early 1980s. He later acquired the ATV Music Publishing catalog, which included publishing rights to much of the Beatles' material. The purchase made Jackson a major figure in music publishing as well as recording and performance.

Jackson released Dangerous in 1991, with Teddy Riley serving as a co-producer. The album's first single, "Black or White," topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks, while "Remember the Time" reached number three. Jackson supported the album with the Dangerous World Tour, which ran from 1992 to 1993 and attracted more than 3.5 million people outside the United States.

In 1992, Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation. It brought disadvantaged children to his ranch and supported children affected by war, poverty, and disease. He also performed at benefit events, visited sick children in hospitals, and used songs such as "Heal the World" and "Gone Too Soon" to promote humanitarian causes.

Jackson performed at the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in 1993, where he sang "Jam," "Billie Jean," "Black or White," and "Heal the World." The performance became the first Super Bowl halftime show to attract a larger television audience than the game itself.

Jackson released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1995. Its new material included "Scream," a duet with Janet Jackson, and "You Are Not Alone," which became the first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album addressed media scrutiny, isolation, social injustice, and Jackson's experiences during the controversies of the preceding years.

Jackson was married to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996. He married Debbie Rowe in 1996, and they had two children, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince, and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. They divorced in 2000. Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, known as Blanket, was born in 2002 through a surrogate arrangement.

The HIStory World Tour ran from 1996 to 1997 and became Jackson's most-attended tour. In 1997, he released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which combined remixes of songs from HIStory with five new tracks.

The documentary Living with Michael Jackson, filmed by Martin Bashir, aired in 2003 and generated controversy over Jackson's discussion of his relationships with children and sleeping arrangements. Later that year, Santa Barbara authorities charged Jackson with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of furnishing intoxicating substances to a minor. Jackson denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

The trial began in January 2005 and continued until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts. The trial affected his health, and he became increasingly reclusive afterward.

Jackson spent part of his later life in Bahrain, Ireland, and Las Vegas while continuing to work on new music. In 2008, he released Thriller 25, a commemorative edition of Thriller that included new remixes. In March 2009, he announced the This Is It concert residency in London, but he died before the shows began.

Jackson died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, at age 50. His death was caused by cardiac arrest resulting from a propofol overdose. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson was entombed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, in September 2009.

His posthumous work included the rehearsal documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It, the albums Michael and Xscape, the concert productions Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour and Michael Jackson: One, and the Broadway musical MJ. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, received 13 Grammy Awards, and was recognized for reshaping music videos, popularizing the moonwalk, and influencing music, dance, fashion, and global popular culture.