Michael Jackson - biography, photos, songs, personal life, albums, height, weight. Michael Jackson - biography, information, personal life

15 Grammy Awards, 13 Guinness World Records, 1 billion albums sold, 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 13 #1 hits in the US and more than 500 prestigious music and charity awards. It's not hard to guess who we're talking about. In 2009, the pop music icon, master of fiery rhythms, dance genius, composer and main musical provocateur of the 20th century left us. The one and only Michael Jackson. The music magazine site invites you to remember the brightest moments of his career.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, to Joseph Jackson and Catherine Scruse. In addition to Michael, the Jackson couple had 5 sons: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy, as well as 3 daughters: Rabbit, La Toya and Janet. The entire large family huddled in a tiny house with 3 bedrooms. Michael's father, Joseph Jackson, or simply "Joe", was a crane operator. He had a boundless love for music and was even a member of the R&B group The Falcons, however, he never managed to achieve success in this field. But the whole district had heard about his tough character and stern principles in raising children. In one of his future interviews, Michael openly admits that his father brutally beat him for the slightest offense, believing that thereby he was helping him grow up “disciplined.” In addition, the failed musician always tried to morally suppress his children, especially Michael. “My father always said that I had a huge, ugly nose, which made me feel like a freak,” Michael recalled in his 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. “And one night he climbed into my brothers and I’s bedroom with a scary mask on his face. So he wanted to teach us to close the windows before going to bed. For the next three years, I woke up from nightmares in which I was kidnapped from my own bed ... "

In 1964, Michael joined the Jackson Brothers group, founded by the head of the family. Soon the group renamed The Jackson 5, and the main vocal parts began to fall on 8-year-old Michael more and more often. It was then that the first success came to the group. The team became more and more popular thanks to the unique vocals of Jackson Jr.

In just a few years, from a provincial band performing at city festivals, The Jackson turned into superstars with more than 100 million albums sold and fame in all countries from the USA to Japan. The band’s most famous song is still the canonical “I’ll Be There”.

Michael's first solo work was the album “Off the Wall,” produced by 27-time Grammy Award winner Quincy Jones. One of the most beautiful compositions of this multi-platinum record was “She’s Out Of My Life”. In support of this single, a simple but very touching music video was shot, which won the hearts of a million American girls.

Many music critics They called the disc “Off the Wall” a beautiful end to the disco era. More aggressive music began to come into fashion. This trend did not bypass Michael. He spent more than 2 and a half years in the studio with the producer of his first record. The result of their collaboration was the album “Thriller”, the lead single of which was the song “The Girl Is Mine”. The composition became the first collaboration between two legends - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.

A few months later, Jackson presented to the public his second single, the song “Billie Jean”. Interesting fact: the future world hit was initially rejected by Quincy Jones as “not good enough.” However, Michael’s musical instincts did not fail him, and he persuaded the short-sighted producer to give the song a chance.

As a result, the song became one of the most successful singles not only in the career of the King of Pop, but also throughout its existence music industry. The composition took first place in several major music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles Chart. The next single, “Beat It,” was officially released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1983. The subsequent music video became the first in a series of “mini-movie clips from Michael Jackson.” And of course, the song easily topped the aforementioned Billboard Hot 100.

The single of the same name was the perfect ending to the “Thriller” era. The extended version of the album’s video is approaching 115 million views on the popular video hosting site YouTube.

Without exaggeration, this clip can be called “historical.” The legendary choreography of this video gave rise to a phenomenon called “zombie-dance” (zombie dance), and the images invented by Michael remain relevant as before, being reflected in the work of many contemporary artists.

In 1985, Michael became one of the authors of the charity single “We Are the World”, the purpose of which is to attract public attention to the problem of poverty in Africa. Such world stars as Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and, of course, Michael himself took part in the recording of the composition.

The success of the single exceeded all expectations. Four Grammy awards, including for “Best Song of the Year.” “We Are The World” went to number one in more than ten countries and sold over 20 million copies, making it one of the best-selling singles in music history. All money from the sale of the song was sent to help starving children in African countries.

Michael's next big success was the album “Bad”. As many as five singles from this long play managed to take first place on the Billboard Hot 100, which is still an absolute record among male performers. But first things first. The first big hit of the album was the song “Bad”.

Many then expressed the opinion that this song became a kind of response to gossip and Michael’s many ill-wishers. And this version sounds quite convincing, given the interest with which the topic of “Jackson’s changing skin color” was discussed in the press that year.

The album “Bad” amazed with its diversity. Incendiary dance hits here quite successfully coexisted with lyrical compositions. One of the most expressive songs on the entire album turned out to be “Man In the Mirror”.

Song after song, Michael became more and more daring and independent. He experimented with genres and, as it turned out, very successfully. His rock experiment “Dirty Diana” instantly won the top lines of the world music charts.

Jackson never stopped improving his dancing skills. And after the release of the music video for the track “Smooth Criminal”, millions of people were convinced that Michael had no equal in dance.

The success of the album was phenomenal. Diamond status in the USA and platinum in all European countries secured “Bad” the title of one of the most successful records in the world.

In 1988, Michael’s autobiography, the book “Moonwalk,” was published, which reveals previously unknown and sometimes shocking details of the star’s childhood and youth. The memoir became a global bestseller in less than a year, selling 250,000 copies.

Spiteful critics argued that after such a successful album, Michael was unlikely to record anything as talented. But Jackson, breaking all stereotypes, again released a brilliant album. The “Dangerous” album still has a cult status, backed by 50 million copies sold. The album was foreshadowed by a track called “Black Or White”. The star guest of the music video for this composition was the charming boy from the movie “Home Alone” Makalay Culkin. “Black Or White” is considered an unspoken anthem of tolerance and equality.

IN music video On Jackson's next hit, the song “Remember the Time,” the role of the emperor was played by the famous comedian Eddie Murphy. To date, this video has more than 33 million views on YouTube.

One of the main hits of the album is the composition “In the Closet”. It was after the video for this song global recognition received by aspiring model Naomi Campbell.

The album is not complete without dance action scenes. The track “Jam” became the main hit of the summer of 1992, conquering the dance floors of America and Europe.

The composition “Heal the World”, the sixth single of the record, became a kind of solo remake of the song “We Are the World”. The lyrics of the song again reminded people of world problems: wars, famine and AIDS.

In 1993, Michael found himself at the center of a disgusting scandal - he was accused of child molestation. The parents of a certain Jordan Chandler contacted the police with a statement alleging that Jackson had sexually harassed a 13-year-old boy. Such monstrous accusations seriously damaged the artist’s health. The result of the case was a settlement agreement under which Michael paid the Chandler family $22 million. In 2009, 16 years after the proceedings, the same Jordan Chandler admitted in an interview that he slandered the singer under pressure from his father, who later committed suicide. Trial, troubled personal life and public censure could not but affect Jackson’s work. In June 1995, he released perhaps his most emotional and intense album, “HIStory”.

The album's lead single was a duet between Michael and his sister Janet, a song called “Scream,” the music video for which became the most expensive in history. Its creation cost the singer approximately $7 million.

The album's second single, “You Are Not Alone,” set a world record, debuting straight from number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Years later, music critics would call it "one of the most inspiring songs of all time."

In November 1995, one of the most important and most important songs in Jackson’s career, the composition “Earth Song,” was released. The song once again raised pressing issues: deforestation, air pollution, extermination of rare species of animals.

Another highly social single was the song “They Don’t Care About Us.” It really can be called scandalous, because the lyrics clearly pointed to imperfection political system in the USA and the rest of the world. As a result, more than 80 million views on YouTube.

The final, sixth single was the song “Stranger In Moscow”.

In 1997, the remix album “Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix” was released, the title single of which was the song of the same name. In the music video for “Blood On the Dance Floor,” Jackson showed off his consistently great dance skills.

Michael's last work was the album “Invincible”. “You Rock the World” was chosen as the first single of the new product.

Unfortunately, despite the success of the album, Jackson quickly curtailed the promotional campaign, limiting himself to three singles. The most favorite song for fans was “Whatever Happens”. The guitar parts in this song were performed by Carlos Santana himself.

Since 2002, Michael disappeared from television screens for the first time. Some close associates claimed that during this time period he recorded more than a hundred songs for his grand comeback. In the spring of 2009, the first rehearsals for the “This Is It” tour began, which promised to become the most ambitious event in the history of music.

But the dreams of millions of fans were not destined to come true. On June 25, 2009, Michael's heart stopped forever. The official cause of death of the legend was a lethal dose of a drug called propofol. Internet media (in particular Twitter) were the first to notify fans of the death of their idol. The news became a nightmare for many millions of fans of Jackson's work. His death was the biggest shock to the public since the September 11 attacks. Many famous artists decided to honor the artist’s memory, but perhaps the troupe of the world famous Cirque du Soleil did it best. In memory of Michael, a whole tour appeared called “ Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour.”

Michael Jackson is the greatest artist in human history. His incredible achievements will forever remain an unattainable bar for all his followers. Of course, his contribution to the development of modern pop music is simply invaluable! He has become an idol for most mainstream artists of our time, such as Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. It is impossible to express in words the emotions that cover you while listening to timeless hits. His dance moves became the basis of modern choreography. And is it possible to tell a story? modern dance without mentioning Michael's signature moonwalk?! All this makes Michael a unique artist, who has never been, is not, and never will be equal. But this is only part of his merits - albeit a significant one, but still a part.

First of all, he was a man with a huge heart. His charitable foundations prevented millions of young children living in lagging African countries from starving to death. In total, for your creative activity he has donated more than $300 million to charity, more than any other person on the planet can boast of. But any amount, no matter how large, becomes insignificant against the background of how selflessly Jackson lived his life, devoting himself entirely to maintaining world peace.

They say that great people do not live long because they invest all their strength and emotions into creativity. Well, it really is. Michael lived a short but incredibly productive life. Of course, his good name will be remembered for a very, very long time, because such people are not born every day. Michael Jackson's contemporaries should be infinitely happy that they lived at the same time as the legend.

Rest in peace, King. Everlasting memory.

During his lifetime, Michael Jackson won at least 15 Grammy awards, and the number of musician's albums sold is approximately 1 billion copies. After his sudden death in 2009, Michael Jackson was recognized as an American Legend and called a Music Icon. Let's remember how the great musician began his journey, whose creations will forever remain in the hearts of millions.

Michael Jackson's childhood and youth

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, becoming the eighth of ten children in his family. Michael's parents - Katherine and Joseph Jackson - were musicians and enthusiastic performers, each in their own direction. My mother played the clarinet and piano, my father played the blues on the guitar. Michael Jackson's childhood was spent in difficult emotional conditions. Michael's father Joseph adhered to strict discipline in raising children, which often made him cruel. He achieved obedience with the help of a belt and completely inhumane life lessons. So, one night Joseph snuck into the children's bedroom through the window, uttering wild roars and screams. Thus, he wanted to instill in his children the habit of always closing the window at night. Michael Jackson later admitted that, as a little boy, he often suffered from bouts of vomiting after communicating with his father. However, at the same time, he admitted that strict upbringing in the future helped him achieve significant success in life.

Michael Jackson's first steps on the path to world fame

Michael Jackson began performing in Christmas concerts at the age of five. Later, in 1964, he joined the family band “The Jacksons” and began touring extensively with his brothers. In 1970, the group achieved significant creative success and received public recognition. By this time, Michael Jackson had become a key figure in the musical group, performing the most popular solo songs, and also attracting attention with his unusual style of dancing. In 1973, The Jacksons lost their popularity due to heavy financial conditions contract with a record company. As a result, by 1976 the group ceased mutual cooperation with it and entered into a new contract with another company. From this moment on, the group continues its creative activities under the name “Jackson 5”. Over the next eight years, the musical group will release 6 albums. At the same time, Michael Jackson begins his solo career, releasing 4 personal albums and several successful singles.

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In 1978, Michael Jackson starred for the first time in the film musical “The Wiz” together with Diana Ross, based on the fairy tale “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Filming in this film gives him an acquaintance with director Quincy Jones, who later produces the most famous music albums Michael Jackson. One of them is the famous “Off the Wall”, recognized as the pinnacle of the disco music era.

Biography, life story of Michael Jackson

Preface

Michael Jackson became a star at an age when most children are still learning the art of tying their shoelaces. After thirty years, he has achieved amazing commercial and creative heights - the most successful album in history, music videos on all television channels and universal recognition of his musical genius. In many ways, however, the King of Pop was a victim of his own success. Professionally speaking, the multimillion-dollar sales of Jackson's latest albums looked unconvincing compared to the impressive achievements of his early career. In everyday life, it seems that Jackson was haunted by his childhood, which did not really exist, and an insatiable thirst for entertainment.

Childhood

Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958. He became the seventh child in a family of ten children. Michael's childhood was not cloudless. His father, who tried to appear in public as an exemplary family man and caring parent, was a real tyrant at home. He repeatedly abused his children, causing them both physical and emotional pain. Moreover, Michael’s mother Catherine did not interfere in any way with the actions of her cruel husband. Michael remembers very strongly one terrible incident that happened when he was still very young. One night, Joseph, hiding his face under a scary mask, climbed through the window into his son’s room and suddenly began screaming with all his might. After this nightmare, Michael could not sleep normally for many years. There were many similar situations - Joseph Jackson was a real monster.

Jackson entered show business at the age of five, when his father Joseph organized the family ensemble “Jackson 5,” which, in addition to Michael, included his four older brothers. At first, Joseph included Michael in the group as an exotic element, but it soon became clear that the baby had outstanding musical abilities. The young talent brought the group from the ranks of local celebrities to their first serious contract. Between 1969 and 1971 the group released six hit singles, including the famous songs "I Want You Back" and "ABC". Throughout the '70s, the group remained a hit-making machine.

CONTINUED BELOW

In 1970, the competing company MGM launched a response project - the five white Osmond brothers, but most importantly - at the same time began to promote the youngest of them, 13-year-old Donny Osmond, as a solo artist. Motown rightly believed that not answering this challenge meant losing a huge market, and the choice predictably fell on Michael. So a double burden fell on him: from now on he wrote almost simultaneously both as a member of the group and alone. In the mid-70s x, however, the popularity of the Jackson 5 fell, and the brothers left the Motown company, moving to Eric, which was more peace-loving in terms of demands. The name of the group, however, remained with Motown, and Jermaine Jackson, who married the daughter of Gordy, and he was replaced by his older brother Randy. The group began to be called simply The Jacksons and started singing disco.

It should be noted that Michael was to some extent glad to get rid of the constant presence of his older brothers, because the family atmosphere in the team was not at all the same family atmosphere that was portrayed in public. Envious brothers called Michael “nosy” (isn’t that why he later dealt most with his nose?), but his father simply addressed him as “freak.” He was a young man of an extremely modest and shy disposition, most of all, in his own words, He didn’t like “showing off,” and therefore such treatment could not help but cause him mental trauma.

By the way, Joseph Jackson had a decisive vote on all issues. Simply put, he was a tyrannical person, although honest in his own way: he subsequently did not take a single cent of the money that was owed to his children for their entire long musical career.

Youth

Growing up, Jackson was no longer satisfied with the popularity of the group and soon, with the help of the Motown studio, he made his first independent recordings. When in 1971 his first single composition, “I”ll Be There, entered the charts at number 4, it became clear that a new superstar was appearing on the musical horizon. Continuing to work with his brothers, Jackson made several more recordings that became hits - Rockin' Robin and Ben" and released his first album. In 1976, he and the Jackson 5 signed a contract with Epic Studios.

In the late '70s, Jackson made a brief foray into film, starring in an African-American version of the old film The Wizard of Oz. The film did not work out, but Jackson met the legendary producer Quincy Jones.

Success

Jones and Jackson worked together on the singer's next album, Off the Wall (1979), an album that catapulted the singer from child stardom to adult superstardom. IN short terms it sold 10 million copies. Critics greeted the album enthusiastically, noting, first of all, the harmonious combination of soul and rock styles. Known for his skepticism, critic David Marsh even declared Off the Wall a masterpiece of modern recording). It seemed impossible that an artist could outdo himself, but he did just that, releasing the small album Thriller in 1982, which became the most successful of his career and set new standards in terms of sales. It sold over 40 million copies upon release and received seven Grammy awards. Seven of the nine tracks from it made it into the top ten of different charts. An exceptional number of people worked on the record and accompanying products, Eddie Van Halen, among others, recorded guitar parts on it, sang a duet with Michael, and the video for the title song was shot by John Landis - almost 20 years later, this video was recognized as the best video of all time. history of pop music. And the video about the making of the Thriller video became another bestseller.

As already mentioned, this album sold more than 40 million copies, a record that has never been surpassed. His collaboration with Jones brought Jackson 8 Grammy awards and unanimous critical acclaim. The top ten included a record number of songs for a single album (6), ranging from a duet with The Girl Is Mine in November 1982 to the single Thriller in February 1984. Jackson supported the popularity of this album with video clips.

In 1983, at a ceremony dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Motown, Jackson performed the song Billie Jean and for the first time showed in public his “moonwalk” - a dance move that has never been equal in popularity in the history of dance. Then it was just a collapse: competitions were held all over the world to see who could best portray Jackson, that is, moonwalk; in films, jokes about the “moonwalk” were equal in frequency to jokes about driving a car. In the same 1983, Jackson signed a huge contract with Pepsi-Cola; the next year, tickets to the concerts of his tour cost absolutely unheard-of sums, and the demand for them was indicated by astronomical figures. They talked about him only in superlatives, everything he touched turned to gold: such was the heyday of the reign of the King of Pop.

The newly created MTV network provided constant broadcasting of Michael's videos. The dance-musical compositions Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller not only captivated audiences, but earned praise even from such notorious detractors as Fred Estair and Gene Kelly. Jackson reached his professional zenith in the summer of 1984, when he reunited with his brothers for a joint tour called "Victory Tour".

Metamorphoses of appearance

In the mid-80s, Michael Jackson began to surprise the public more and more. True, this time not with amazing music, but with his appearance. Born dark-skinned, Michael gradually began to lighten. Many journalists were sure that Michael's whitening skin was the result of numerous operations that he did deliberately. The artist himself insisted that he suffers from a rare genetic disease, which manifests itself in impaired skin pigmentation.

Over time, not only the singer’s skin color changed, but also his face - his lips and nose became thinner, his cheekbones became sharper, and his forehead became higher. Jackson himself said that he only went under the surgeon’s knife a couple of times in order to slightly correct his nose and make it more attractive. The remaining changes are the result of a vegetarian lifestyle, Jackson assured. For several years after this, Michael’s doctors began to “surrender” him - one by one they publicly talked about what part of Michael’s body they had to operate on.

Decline in popularity

Although Jackson's next albums Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991) sold millions of copies and topped the charts, the excitement had already begun to subside. Only the incredible was expected from him, so when five years after Thriller he recorded Bad, many were disappointed: music seemed dry and forced to them. He did not deserve such an attitude: his music was the same, perhaps a little less ballad-oriented and more rigidly structured. However, it is impossible to be a king for a long time in a democratic society: any attempts at undivided domination will meet with unconscious resistance. This concerns not only power, but also ideology and tastes. Jackson fell victim to this sad pattern: after some time, the trend took shape in concrete actions. It all started with the fact that, against the backdrop of growing political correctness, voices were heard that Michael despises his race and strives to be like a white man.

A wave of viewer interest returned after Jackson announced his intention to release a video for the song Black and White from the album Dangerous. The press wrote a lot about it, the public was looking forward to it. But as a result, the last shots of Jackson smashing a car with a hammer in a riot again turned viewers away from the singer. The lyrical composition It Don`t Matter If You`re Black or White caused some irony, since after plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures he began to resemble a Caucasian. The delight of the audience subsided not only because of the singer’s frequently changing appearance. If the public also accepted the forgivable eccentricity of the artist’s appearance and behavior, then his quirks (keeping a coffin in the house or erecting an altar in honor) and passions (he could only be seen surrounded by children) began to cause unpleasant conversations.

In 1993, Jackson gave an extensive interview to Oprah Winfrey. The singer told a huge audience about his change in appearance (he cited defects in skin pigmentation and only two plastic surgeries), his personal life (he called him his girlfriend) and his fabulous life (he compared it to the life of Peter Pan) at the Neverland Ranch in the amusement park in surrounding Los Angeles. The interview provided some insight into Jackson's life, but only partly.

The first big scandal

At the end of 1993, Michael again attracted close public attention. A thirteen-year-old boy accused Jackson of sexual assault during his sleepover at Neverland. This accusation, categorically denied by the singer, struck Jackson, who had always been proud of his attitude towards children. The singer interrupted his tour, lost an advertising contract with Pepsi and caused irreparable damage to his reputation. Jackson for 20 ml. dollars agreed with the boy's family. In 1994, the case was closed.

Personal life

Michael Jackson's personal life took a dramatic turn in May 1994, when he married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter, in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Some saw this step as an attempt to patch up their reputation, others saw this as a union of two outstanding musical families touching. Soon Jackson released the double album HIStory (1995), where he included old ones along with new compositions. The album evoked different opinions - enthusiastic recognition of the old songs and very restrained assessments of the new ones. By Jackson standards, the album sold poorly, despite reaching the top ten. The press campaign included an interview with ABC News, where Jackson and Presley insisted that they had a real marriage and were actively in love with each other. Ardent love passed by, the union barely lasted 18 months.

However, another marriage was on the cards. In November 1996, Jackson announced that his girlfriend Deborah Rowe (his dermatologist's assistant) was expecting his child. The couple denied numerous accusations that Jackson was simply using Deborah to carry his child. As proof of their love, they got married shortly after the pregnancy was made public. The wedding took place in Australia. Three months later, Rowe gave birth to Prince Michael Jackson I. A year later, the couple had another child, this time a girl. The baby was named Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. In 1999 (just three years after their wedding), Deborah and Michael divorced.

In February 2002, Michael had another son, Prince Michael Jackson II. He was carried in her womb by a surrogate mother, whose name was never made public.

Attempts to return to former glory

The record, in light of all of the above, is called quite provocatively - Invincible, that is, “Invincible”, was released in October 2001. Its difficulty was that thanks to it, Jackson, if he could win, would only win part of what he had, while he could lose everything. An exceptional amount of money and labor was invested in it; far from the cheapest stars were invited to play on it - from Missy Eliot to Missy Eliot. And what happened in the lead-up to its release? anniversary concerts, difficult to describe in words. Choirs, orchestras, tickets at astronomical prices - a feast during the plague and that’s all. Again, there was a sea of ​​vulgarity and bad taste: huge amounts of money were invested in the project, and nothing worthwhile ever comes out of such a quantity.

If we were not talking about Jackson, this very recording, paradoxically, could have been predicted to be one hundred percent success - primarily because the king, no matter how he was treated, had style. And this style is its own, and not the replicated nonsense that boy bands, teen-pop queens and other dance and entertainment audiences indulge in. In addition, at that time the situation was much more favorable to such music than five years earlier: old forms came back into fashion, people listened to disco again, modified electropop was played again. And such a clear example of these genres, which this disc demonstrated, could not help but attract attention.

Sunset

The last six years of Michael Jackson's life were filled with endless lawsuits (the singer was accused of child molestation, failure to fulfill the terms of contracts, and so on) and attempts to give this world at least a little more music from the king himself.

Death

On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson was in his home. At about two o'clock in the afternoon his personal doctor, Conrad Murray, came to see him. The doctor gave the patient an injection of propofol (a sleeping pill) and left. Two hours later, Conrad returned to find Michael lying completely motionless. At first, the doctor tried to independently bring the patient back to life, but after a couple of minutes he realized that his attempts were clearly not enough. He called an ambulance. Doctors who arrived to help immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They picked up Jackson's lifeless body and took him to Medical Center University of California. For an hour, experienced doctors tried their best to revive the King of Pop, but they failed. Death has won.

Funeral

Investigation

After the sudden death of Michael Jackson, Los Angeles authorities began a thorough investigation into the details of his death. Many have come to believe that Conrad Murray unintentionally killed the singer by overdosing him on the drug. In the fall of 2011, Conrad was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.

Awards and prizes

Throughout his dizzying career, Michael Jackson was awarded almost four hundred prestigious awards in the field of music.

The legendary American singer Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana (USA). He was the seventh of nine children of the Jackson family.

At the age of five, Michael became a member of the Jackson 5 family group and soon took the place of lead vocalist.

In 1968, the Jackson 5 signed a contract with Motown Records and recorded such hits as “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I'll Be There.”

The singer finally secured his status as the first star in world show business - his composition Black Or White became a number one hit on both sides of the ocean.

In September 1993, Michael Jackson gave a concert in Moscow, at the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Stadium.

Jackson released the double album HIStory, which combined a disc of 15 new songs with a disc of his biggest hits. The album sold 7 million copies in the US (15 million worldwide).

In 1996, Jackson's second performance in Russia took place at Moscow's Dynamo Stadium.

In 1997, an album of dance remixes of tracks from HIStory - Blood on the Dancefloor - appeared in stores.

The album Invincible, released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single You rock my world, which featured legendary actor Marlon Brando in the video. That same year, Michael recorded the song What More Can I Give, the proceeds of which went to charity.

In the same year, the singer’s last live concert performance took place with the anniversary program Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary.

In 2003, Michael Jackson's greatest hits album, Number Ones, was released. The only original composition on this disc is One More Chance was at the top of the Billboard chart for three weeks.

In 2004, Jackson released the commemorative edition of Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection, a five-disc collection that included his biggest hits, demos, and an additional DVD of live footage from the Dangerous tour.

In August 2008, Michael Jackson released an original studio album entitled King of Pop. The collection consisted of compositions based on poems by the great Scottish poet of the 18th century, Robert Burns.

Jackson's album Thriller 25, released in February 2008 to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the legendary Thriller album, was a great success. The new collection includes nine original compositions from the old album, as well as remixes and a new song For All Time.

The disc came out on top in the charts in eight European countries, reached number two in the American charts and number three in the British charts. 166 thousand copies of this disc were sold in the USA.

The singer and his family lived in his own residence in Las Vegas.

The cause of death of the King of Pop was an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.

A memorial ceremony for Michael Jackson took place at the Staples sports and entertainment complex in Los Angeles.

He was buried at Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery near Los Angeles.

An American court sentenced Michael Jackson's former personal physician, Conrad Murray, to four years in prison for manslaughter. According to investigators, Murray gave the musician an excessive dose of the drug propofol, which, in interaction with other drugs, including sedatives, caused the singer’s death.

During Michael Jackson's creative career, the cumulative circulation of his albums amounted to 750 million copies worldwide. Jackson's Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, and four other albums (Off the Wall, Bad, Dangerous and HIStory) are among the best-selling albums in the world.

Michael Jackson has won more than 350 music awards, including 15 Grammy awards (14 awards for his solo career and one award as part of the Jackson 5).

Jackson is one of the few musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (as part of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist).

Michael Jackson was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful artist of all time. Jackson's album Thriller was also included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling album of all time.

During his life, Michael Jackson experienced many plastic surgery, some of which he had to do due to a rare genetic skin disease - vitiligo (characterized by the development of white spots). Jackson's skin began to lighten in the 1980s. The singer denied that he deliberately wants to change his skin color.

Jackson's health was undermined not only by frequent illnesses and operations. Michael Jackson stood trial twice on charges of molesting young boys, in 1993 and 2003. The first case was closed due to insufficient evidence. 16 years after the scandal erupted, upon learning of the death of Michael Jackson, the person involved in the first case, Jordan Chandler, admitted that all his public accusations were groundless.

As a result of the second trial, Jackson was completely acquitted.

Michael Jackson was also repeatedly sued by his business partners.

Michael Jackson has been married twice. The first time was on Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. The marriage did not last long, from 1994 to 1996, but the stars remained friends. In 1996, Michael Jackson married former nurse Debbie Rowe. During three years of marriage, they had two children: a son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Sr. (born in 1997) and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born in 1998). Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (born in 2002), was born through a surrogate mother.

Releases released after the singer's death continue to be popular with his fans. According to Media Traffic, the top seller in the music industry in 2009 was the singer's collection of singles, This Is It; in 2011, the studio album Michael topped the sales charts. Michael Jackson's second posthumous album Xcape became the best-selling album of 2014.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Childhood: humiliation and first glory

19-year-old Katherine quickly realized that family life was not as rosy as in her fantasies. Joseph showed himself to be his true self, turning out to be an unsociable and even cruel person.

When Michael was born in 1958, the Jackson family already had seven children. A disciplinarian, Joseph's approach to raising children was harsh: he humiliated his children both mentally and physically. The singer's brother Marlon said that his father let his hands go for the slightest offense. In an effort to teach the children order, at night he put on a scary mask, sneaked under the windows of the nursery and roared in different ways (Michael later admitted that he was constantly tormented by nightmares as a child). Mom forced her sons to study the Bible and took them to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Only in 1993, Michael Jackson told Oprah Winfrey in the studio that in those years he constantly cried and felt lonely, he was literally sick of communicating with his father.

In 1964, the brothers created the group “The Jacksons”. The original lineup consisted of the elders Tito, Jeremy and Jackie, with Michael and Marlon serving as backup musicians, playing tambourine and conga. Later, Michael took the place of backing vocalist and also accompanied each performance with dancing. The strict father watched the band's rehearsals with a belt in his hands and used the leather weapon if he didn't like something.

In 1966, it was decided to rename the group “Jackson 5” (“Jackson Five”), and Michael became the lead singer. Young musicians won a city talent competition with the song “I Got You (I Feel Good)”, after which they went on tour throughout the Midwest, which lasted until 1968. Michael and his brothers performed in black strip clubs, warming up the audience before the start of the show.

In 1970, the group of Jackson brothers reached the national level - their first singles rose to the leading positions American chart Billboard. Even then, Michael attracted the attention of the public with eccentric dances, which he copied from Jackie Wilson and James Brown.

The Jackson 5 on American Bandstand, 1970

The beginning of a solo career

In 1976, the Jacksons signed a contract with CBS Records, after which they had to return the name “The Jacksons” - Motown retained the rights to “The Jackson Five”.

Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz Musical

In 1978, Michael Jackson took part in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” along with Diana Ross. Set brought him together with music director Quincy Jones, who took the talented singer, who played the role of the Scarecrow, under his wing.

The first fruits of cooperation made themselves felt in 1979, when Michael Jackson presented the public with his fifth solo album, “Off the Wall” (translated into Russian as “Alien to Conventions”). Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder b. helped the musician with the recording of the album. Four singles from the record reached number one on the Billboard Hot chart: "Don't Stop "Til You Get Enough", "Rock with You", "She's Out of My Life" and "Off the Wall". The album sold 20 million copies.

King of pop music

The record was released in November 1982, and in just a year received the status of the best-selling album in history, maintaining it for several decades. In the USA alone, fans of the black singer sold out 26 million copies, and in the world this figure exceeded 109 million. The album topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and remained on the list for two years.

The album became a breakthrough in music and, moreover, broke the latest racial stereotypes in the pop industry: three Michael Jackson videos (“Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”) were included in MTV rotation, and the musician was invited to the White House to meet with Ronald Reagan.

Michael Jackson demonstrates the moonwalk for the first time

In 1983, at the 25th anniversary of Motown Records, Michael Jackson debuted his famous moonwalk while performing "Billie Jean" and also premiered the 14-minute video for "Thriller," which set new standards for music videos.

Michael Jackson - "Thriller" full video

In 1984, Michael's work was again at the top of the charts. This time the single “Say Say Say”, recorded together with Paul McCartney, was included there. The following year, Jackson bought a controlling stake in ATV Music Publishing, which owned the rights to most of The songs The Beatles, which caused a quarrel with McCartney, who also lay claim to securities.

In March 1985, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie recorded the song "We Are the World". All sales proceeds, exceeding $61 million, were donated to help starving children in Africa.

Michael Jackson's seventh studio album (Bad, 1987) did not repeat the phenomenal success of the previous record, but still stayed on the first line of the Billboard 200 for 6 weeks, sold 29 million copies and gave the world several hits, including the composition " I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Dirty Diana", "Smooth Criminal" and "Man in the Mirror".

Immediately after the album's release, Michael Jackson embarked on his first international solo tour, the Bad Tour, visiting 15 countries with 123 concerts over the next three years. Jackson turned every performance into a brilliant show: he demonstrated crazy dance steps and interacted with the audience. During one of the London concerts, he entered the Guinness Book of Records - a record half a million spectators came to the performance.

In 1989, Elizabeth Taylor called Michael Jackson "the true king of pop, rock and soul" during the Soul Train Music Awards. Fans shortened her phrase - “King of Pop”, and this nickname stuck with Michael forever.

In 1991, Michael pleased fans with new material by releasing his eighth solo album, Dangerous. The release was preceded by the premiere of a video for the song “Black or White,” which topped the charts for 5 weeks.

Michael Jackson – “Black or White”, 1991

Michael Jackson in Russia

Michael Jackson in Moscow. 1996 ORT

In 1995, the double album “HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I”, a collection of the musician’s best hits, which included 15 new compositions, went on sale. Among them was the sad ballad “Stranger in Moscow”. When fans asked why the song turned out to be so sad, did he really not like it in Moscow, Michael replied that the audience at the Moscow concert was almost the most welcoming in his memory, but at that moment he was constrained by a feeling of “all-consuming loneliness and cold.”

The second time the king of pop visited Moscow was in September 1996 - he gave a concert at the Dynamo stadium and met with Yuri Luzhkov and Igor Krutoy.

Further career

The musician dedicated the album to the tragic events in Oslo - on January 26, 2001, 16-year-old Afro-Norwegian Benjamin Hermansen was killed by neo-Nazis. A close friend of the deceased, Omer Bhatti, was also a good friend of Michael Jackson, so the musician took the death of the teenager especially hard.

After the album's release, Michael Jackson organized a performance at Madison Square Garden to mark the 30th anniversary of his solo career. For the first time since 1984, he appeared on stage with the former Jackson Five, and also sang with Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, N'Sync and Usher.

In 2003, Michael released the hits collection “Number Ones,” which included several previously unreleased compositions, including a brand new track, “One More Chance.”

At this time, Michael was accused of child molestation, and although the musician was acquitted, due to the uproar in the press, many celebrities refused to collaborate with Jackson to record a charity song in memory of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The song “I Have This Dream” was eventually recorded, but never went on sale.

In 2004, a five-disc set “Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection" Box Set” with 13 previously unreleased songs was released, and in August 2008, a collection of hits “King of Pop” was released, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson planned to release his eleventh studio album in 2009.

Personal life of Michael Jackson

The next meeting took place in 1993. After that, they started chatting and quickly became best friends; Lisa supported him during a period when it seemed that everyone had turned their backs on Jackson. One day he asked a girl on the phone: “If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?” Six months later, they secretly got married in the Dominican Republic. In 1996, their marriage broke up, but the former spouses remained friends.

Michael had a very hard time with the divorce, which caused his illness [vitiligo] to worsen. During a visit to his personal dermatologist Arnold Klein, he met his assistant, Debbie Rowe. They started talking, and Debbie asked Michael what saddened him the most about the current situation. The musician replied that he deeply regretted that he never had children together with Lisa. Then the woman suggested that Jackson carry his child so that he could experience the happiness of fatherhood.

Michael happily agreed. The woman gave birth to two children - a son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson, and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. In 1999, Debbie considered her mission accomplished and filed for divorce, giving up all parental rights.

In 2002, Michael Jackson gave birth to his second son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II. The musician kept the name of the surrogate mother who carried the child a secret.

Michael Jackson with his son on a hotel balcony in Berlin

During the artist's tour in Berlin, one journalist managed to shoot a video of Michael Jackson standing on a hotel balcony and holding his youngest son in his hand. The press made a real scandal out of the video, accusing the singer of careless treatment of a child. After this incident, the artist began to be wary of representatives of the press and hide all details from his personal life, and if the Jacksons appeared in public together, the children’s faces were hidden by masks.

Accusations of pedophilia

In 1993, the singer was accused of molesting thirteen-year-old Jordan Chandler, who was a fan of the artist and a frequent guest at Neverland Ranch. The son admitted to his father, Evan Chandler, that during visits Jackson forced the boy to touch his genitals. During the investigation, Michael even had to demonstrate his “dignity” so that the jury could compare the boy’s descriptions with reality.

As a result, a settlement was concluded: the Chandlers withdrew the lawsuit, and Michael paid the family compensation in the amount of $22 million. In 2003, Michael Jackson again appeared in court on charges of a similar crime. The new “victim” turned out to be thirteen-year-old Gavin Arvizo, who told the press that Michael got him drunk and masturbated with him.

Authorities searched Jackson's estate and arrested the singer, but released him on bail a day later. During the investigation, the artist claimed that the Arvizo family decided to repeat the example of the Chandlers and was engaged in vile extortion. The litigation lasted two years, and in the end Michael Jackson was completely acquitted. Unfortunately, the very fact of being accused of pedophilia is very in a negative way affected the singer’s reputation and career.

In 2005, Michael Jackson left Neverland Ranch for good, moving to a mansion in Holmby Hills.

After the singer's death in 2009, Jordan Chandler admitted that all the words about molestation were lies from beginning to end, and said that his father forced him to tell the truth. In November of that year, the elder Chandler shot himself.

Plastic surgery and Michael Jackson's illness

The media paid too much attention to the artist’s emaciated appearance: journalists made the most unexpected hypotheses about why Michael Jackson bleached his skin and changed the contours of his face, even going so far as to accuse him of dysmorphophobia - hatred of his own body.

In the early 90s, Michael put an end to the gossip by admitting that in 1986 he was diagnosed with two rare diseases - vitiligo and lupus. And if vitiligo only affected the pigmentation of the skin, which became covered with light spots due to the disease (hence Michael’s deathly white complexion - this is a thick layer of makeup that hid the difference between healthy and affected areas of the skin), then lupus, a dangerous autoimmune disease that damages the connective tissue tissue, led to the hollowing of the cheekbones and general deformation of the face. In addition, the powerful medications prescribed to Michael by the doctor during a relapse of lupus led to the musician’s addiction to painkillers.

As for the number of plastic surgeries performed by Michael Jackson, experts who closely followed the artist’s gradual transformation came to the conclusion that there were multiple surgical interventions. According to them, he operated on his nose several times, changed the shape of his lips, reshaped his cheeks and eyelids, and also made a dimple on his chin. Michael’s mother confirmed that her son, in her opinion, was addicted to plastic surgery. The artist himself stated that he only had rhinoplasty twice. Doctors failed to revive Michael Jackson

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the way to the University of California Medical Center and at the center itself did not help - Michael Jackson's death was pronounced at 14:26. The news of Michael Jackson's death spread throughout the world within minutes.

The police immediately began investigating the incident. The singer's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, was the first to be interviewed. He said that he found a lifeless Jackson in bed, but was able to discern a pulse and tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him, and when he realized that all attempts to revive the singer were unsuccessful, he called an ambulance. Here important role The following fact played a role - Michael rented a mansion, so Conrad did not know the exact address. While he was figuring out the coordinates, a whole half hour passed, which turned out to be fatal for Jackson.

This was Conrad Murray's version, but coroners continued their investigation. It turned out that one of the producers of the Emmy Award, Ken Ehrlich, saw the singer the day before his death - and he seemed very energetic and perky.

An autopsy showed that the singer was in an extreme stage of exhaustion - with a height of 178 centimeters, his weight was only 51 kilograms. They didn’t find a single hint of food in the stomach, but they did find a fair amount of painkillers. On August 24, the forensic examination established the true cause of Michael’s death - an overdose of the anesthetic propofol administered intravenously. Michael Jackson's death certificate listed the cause of death as "murder."

In November 2011, Murray was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 4 years in prison.

Funeral

In December 2010, the world heard Michael Jackson's first posthumous album. The record, called “Michael,” consisted of 10 tracks recorded with the participation of Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent and Taryll Jackson. The release of the album divided the singer’s fans into two camps: some believed that publishing songs deliberately hidden by the author “in the table” was blasphemy, having a strictly commercial purpose. Others, on the contrary, were glad that even after death the idol continued to delight fans with new creations. Many celebrities, including Michael's brother Randy Jackson, described the album as "raw" and "unfinished."