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Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) , also commonly known by his initials MJ, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and dancer dubbed the King of Pop and one of the greatest entertainers of all time. His song Bad was featured in Despicable Me 3 as a heist song for Balthazar Bratt. It is also on the soundtrack.
Life and Musical career[]
Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana at 7:33 p.m. on August 29, 1958, the 8th child of 10 to Joe and Katherine Jackson. His mother was a Jehovah's Witness and his father, a former boxer turned steelworker, played guitar as a sideline. With aspirations of musical stardom, Joe guided his sons into a musical act around 1962. At the time, it was just the three oldest sons: Tito, Jackie, and Jermaine but Michael joined them in 1964 along with his brother Marlon, and soon dominated the group. Years later they signed with the Motown Records label where they achieved great fame, Michael also began his solo career with his album Got to Be There. In 1976 they moved to the Epic Records label to have more creative freedom.
In August 1979, the artist released his debut studio album for Epic Records, Off the Wall, which definitively established Michael Jackson as a force of his own. Working with producer Quincy Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton, Michael consciously attempted to appeal to multiple audiences with Off the Wall, turning the album into a dazzling showcase of all his different sounds and abilities. The album, featuring two number-one hits ("Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You"), became a hit that peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, sold millions of copies, and racked up awards, but lost the big prize for Album of the Year at the Grammys, leaving Michael with the nagging impression that he needed to move into the pop mainstream with greater force.
Michael reunited with producer Quincy Jones and songwriter Temperton to create the sequel to Off the Wall, creating a record that deliberately hit all of the mainstream hits. Paul McCartney was brought in to underscore Michael's leanings toward soft rock, Eddie Van Halen pushed Michael toward metallic hard rock, and the rest of the album slid from disco to pop to soul in an effortless display of his range. "The Girl Is Mine," was the first single from Thriller—Michael played it safe by releasing the McCartney duet as the album's title track—but the second single, "Billie Jean," forged ahead into unmentionable new territory. "Billie Jean" was wildly successful, topping the charts in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. Part of its success is undoubtedly due to its striking music video, the first to break MTV's color barrier; after Michael, the network began airing more black artists. Part of the single's success was due to its sensational performance on Motown's 25th anniversary special (Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever) in 1983, a performance that aired on March 25th 1983 in which Michael performed his signature moonwalk dance and announced himself to the world as a mature talent. "Beat It," accompanied by a short film, became an equally huge hit on MTV and helped propel Thriller into the stratosphere. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "Human Nature" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" kept "Thriller" at number one, and its final single was an extravaganza, with Michael letting director John Landis turn the song into a musical horror short. By the time the album concluded its two-year run on the charts, it had racked up 37 weeks at number one and sold 29 million copies, becoming the best-selling album in history.
Although "Thriller" was hugely successful, Michael worked hard. He re-teamed with Paul McCartney, singing "Say Say Say" for McCartney's 1983 album "Pipes of Peace," and reunited with the Jacksons for 1984's "Victory," promoting the album with an international tour. Prior to its release, Michael suffered a serious accident while filming a Pepsi commercial designed to accompany the tour. During filming, pyrotechnics burned Michael's head, sending him to the hospital with second-degree burns to his scalp; while he recovered, he was given painkillers for the first time. Following the aftermath, Jackson began wearing hair extensions — and wigs — to cover and conceal his burns. In December, during the final show of the Victory Tour, Michael announced that he was leaving the Jacksons.
Michael received praise for his philanthropic work, especially his collaboration with Lionel Richie on the 1985 charity single "We Are the World", however wild stories began to circulate in the media. More bad press accompanied his acquisition of the Lennon and McCartney back catalogue of compositions in 1985, a move that broke his partnership with Paul McCartney. Michael also desired to become a movie star, working with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the film Captain EO, which was shown only in Disney's IMAX theatres beginning in 1986. After its completion, he began work on the successor to Thriller.
Due to vitiligo (a skin disease that Jackson had to deal with for years), Michael's skin slowly began to pale over time, despite previously only leaving patches. Also, due to the surgeries he underwent over the years (as a result of breathing problems and dissatisfaction with his appearance), all of this led to the media echoing Jackson's changes in appearance, continuously mocking him, creating different speculations and conspiracy theories about him for many years. Working once again with Quincy Jones, Michael refined the "Thriller" template for 1987's Bad. The first single was "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," a duet with then-unknown Siedah Garrett, and a slew of hits followed: "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana," songs that all reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1987 and 1988, with "Another Part of Me" just missing a Top Ten hit and "Smooth Criminal" peaking at number seven. "Bad" not only dominated the charts in other countries, but its singles reached the Top Ten internationally with some regularity, helped in part by a world tour: the Bad World Tour, the first solo tour of Michael's career, broke records all over the world and, in its wake, Michael's friend Elizabeth Taylor dubbed Michael "The King of Pop", a nickname that was something of a riposte to Elvis Presley's "King of Rock & Roll" moniker. After the tour concluded, Michael returned to his new home: a ranch in Santa Ynez that he purchased in March 1988 and renamed Neverland Ranch.
Jackson began work on his next release in June 1989. He set to work on his next album, Decade, later retitled Dangerous. He renewed his contract with Sony - which Epic bought out - in 1991. This time, he decided to part ways with Quincy Jones, choosing to work with a variety of collaborators, chief among them Teddy Riley, who introduced Jackson to the new jack swing genre, a musical genre in which Teddy Riley is known as a pioneer. "Black or White", the first video from the album, caused some controversy, helping to generate press, initial sales, and sent the single to number one. "Remember the Time" and "In the Closet" also entered the Billboard Top Ten in early 1992, but subsequent singles "Jam" and "Heal the World" stalled at #20, while "Who Is It" peaked at #14. "Dangerous" became what is considered Jackson's most exciting release. In June 1992, the King of Pop would launch his second solo world tour, the “Dangerous World Tour.” The concerts helped him earn $253.23 million in just one year.
On January 31, 1993, Jackson performed at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show, marking an important moment in the history of not only the artist, but Super Bowl halftime shows in general. The performance was watched by 133.4 million people, making it one of the most-watched events in American history.
Michael’s skin turned completely pale, which only caused more false rumors to spread about the artist. The public began accusing him of being racist and of supposedly being white on purpose. He spoke out against the allegations in February 1993 during the television special Michael Jackson Talks... to Oprah, revealing to the public for the first time that he had been battling vitiligo for many years.
In August, Michael became the target of child sexual abuse allegations by Evan Chandler, Jordan Chandler's father, who had been visiting Neverland Ranch frequently for months. The allegations took a toll on Jackson's mental health, leading to his addiction to painkillers. This caused the singer's physical health to deteriorate, and he was eventually forced to cancel the concert tour on November 11, as he became physically and emotionally drained.[1] Michael headed off to a drug rehabilitation program. He was also forced to deal with multiple lawsuits during that year, such as one filed by the Chandler family and ones regarding alleged "plagiarism" in "The Girl is Mine" and "Dangerous".[2][3] The latter were eventually won by Jackson, though Chandler's case still lingered.
By this time, Jackson had also converted to Christianity and celebrated his first Christmas in 1993 (as depicted in Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies).
In January 1994, Jackson finally settled the Evan Chandler case, as not only was his physical health in too poor a condition to endure a lengthy trial, but he also did not want the lawsuit to interfere with his career. He later regretted this decision.[4] This had a lasting effect on Jackson's career, even to this day. He was now the subject of mixed opinions from the general public. In addition, several companies backed out of deals with Michael, including those that collaborated with him for years, such as Pepsi.
In May 1994, Michael married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. The relationship between the two became very public, and they appeared together on multiple occasions for months. In 1995, Jackson resumed his career with "History: Past, Present and Future, Book I", a two-disc album divided into a hits album and an album of new material. Preceded by a double A-sided single containing the ballad "Childhood" and "Scream", a duet with his sister Janet Jackson, the album underperformed compared to its predecessors but still spawned major hits, highlighted by "You Are Not Alone", the first single to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "They Don't Care About Us" and "Stranger in Moscow" underperformed in the United States but were Top Ten singles in the United Kingdom, and History also performed well in other global international markets, helped in part by the lengthy world tour that accompanied it.
In 1996, Jackson and Presley divorced, and their marriage lasted only 19 months. Following the separation, Michael married his nurse, Debbie Rowe, who would soon become the mother of his children: Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. Meanwhile, in May, the King of Pop would embark on the History World Tour, his third and final concert tour, which would end just over a year later. It became the highest-grossing solo tour of the 1990s and the most attended concert tour by a solo artist. At the same time, Michael released "Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix", a remix album that topped the UK charts but only reached #24 in the US.
Over the next two years, Michael raised his children and performed at charity events, beginning work on a musical comeback then planned for 1999 but ultimately delayed. Conflicts also arose between Jackson and Sony Music regarding management and rights to his songs. This would continue into the new millennium with the label attempting to sabotage the King of Pop. In April 2000, Jackson and Rowe divorced, giving full custody rights to Prince and Paris to the artist. The following year, Michael was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist (the Jackson 5 had been inducted previously) and staged two large concerts as a 30th Anniversary Special in September to kick off the promotional campaign for his new album, Invincible. Produced largely by Rodney Jerkins, Invincible was reminiscent of Off the Wall with its single "You Rock My World", which peaked at number ten prior to the album's release in October. "Invincible" entered the charts at number one in the United States and the United Kingdom, but failed to stay there and never spawned another hit single. Michael also refused to go on tour to promote "Invincible", which only aggravated the conflict between him and his label.
In February 2002, Jackson had a third son, Prince Michael Jackson II (at the time nicknamed "Blanket", who later changed his name to "Bigi"). In July, Sony abruptly cut off promotion of Invincible. Furious, the artist began protesting against the company and its CEO, Tommy Mottola, whom he accused of racism, calling him "the devil". Jackson decided to leave Sony Music while owning half of its publishing, stating that he only "owes" them one more release. Just one day after Michael's public statement about the protest, he signed his final will, leaving his estate to a family trust and naming his mother (Diana Ross in case the former was incapacitated or deceased) as legal guardian of his three children and beneficiary of the trust.[5]
In February 2003, the allegations against Jackson resurfaced. This time, they revolved around Gavin Arvizo, a boy who was seen near the artist in the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, released earlier that month. On November 18, Sony released Michael's first single-disc collection of highlights, Number Ones. The compilation included a new single, "One More Chance," a previously unreleased song from Invincible. That same day, Jackson was in Las Vegas shooting a music video for his new song. However, production had to be halted due to the police raiding Neverland Ranch. Michael was arrested on November 20. After finally being released, the singer faced court again in April 2004, but pleaded not guilty on April 30. However, the King of Pop still had to deal with the allegations, as a year later he would have to face trial on the 14 charges against him. The case would be called "People v. Jackson" and would begin on January 31, 2005 and would last for 4 months and 2 weeks. Throughout the process, Michael's mental and physical health began to visibly decline. At one point, he experienced severe back pain, lung pain, and even began coughing up blood.[6] On June 13, 2005, Michael Jackson was acquitted of all charges, and was ultimately found not guilty.
Following the most harrowing time of his life, Jackson became isolated, developed trust issues, and displayed signs of paranoia, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder-like behavior.[7] Michael also began to have financial problems. The artist reportedly faced a series of lawsuits and was deeply in debt, owing around $400 to $500 million.[8]
Following the trial, Jackson closed the Neverland Ranch to save money and never returned. Instead, he wandered around looking for new places to live. For eleven months, he and his children moved to Bahrain, an island country in Western Asia, thanks to Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, with whom the artist struck up a close friendship after winning the trial. In May 2006, Jackson traveled to Ireland to work on new music with a member of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am, and never returned.[9]
As Michael made more public appearances following the trial, the media also began to spread that the singer was only a shadow of his former self, especially after giving a very limited performance of "We Are the World" at the 2006 World Music Awards.[10] In December he would return to the United States and move to Las Vegas, where he resided for the next two years.
In 2007, Jackson continued to quietly make new music and attend award shows. In September, he participated in his final photo shoot for L'Uomo Vogue and Ebony magazines. To kick off 2008, Michael released his first major release since 2001, "Thriller 25", a 25th anniversary reissue of the best-selling album of all time. The record featured modernized remakes of Jackson's classic hits, for which he enlisted the help of will.i.am, Akon, and Ye (then known as Kanye West). In the summer, talks began with a music entertainment presenter, AEG Live, about a new concert tour. In the meantime, Jackson had also hired a private doctor, Conrad Murray, who had previously treated Paris. From December onwards, Michael and his family moved into a rented mansion in Los Angeles.
On March 5, 2009, it was announced that a ten-show residency, titled This Is It, would take place in London at the O2 Arena. This was later changed to fifty shows, now spanning from July 2009 to March 2010. During that time, Michael had suffered from insomnia, reportedly being unable to sleep for sixty days. The artist's doctor administered him a dose of the anesthetic Propofol, a drug that supposedly helps in such situations. During rehearsals in June, Jackson's workers would begin to notice changes in the way Michael looked and acted. He would even begin to skip rehearsals.
In the midst of preparations, Murray had stopped giving Michael propofol out of fear of the artist's potential addiction. Jackson became much more energetic and was reportedly in good shape. Unfortunately, as the doctor gave in to Jackson's constant requests after the latter had difficulty sleeping, Michael was given a lethal dose of the drug. Within minutes, the entertainer collapsed at his home on the afternoon of June 25, 2009. After being rushed to UCLA Medical Center, Michael Jackson was pronounced dead of cardiac arrest at the age of 50. A lengthy inquest later ruled his death a homicide by prescription drug use; Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. A televised memorial service was held at the Staples Center on July 7, where Jackson's family and friends bid farewell to the singer. His private burial took place on September 3, and Michael Jackson was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale.
Legacy[]
When the artist's death shook the world, the general public suddenly had a new view about Michael. Many began to pay tribute to him and show him more respect than in previous years, seemingly having changed their minds about the singer now that he is gone.
In July 2009, Jackson's public memorial service was televised, with 2.5 billion viewers worldwide. Meanwhile, the Michael Jackson Estate was created. The legal entity to this day still owns the rights to everything related to Michael Jackson, such as albums, singles, films, merchandise, sales, streaming, etc. It wasn't long until posthumous releases hit the stores as well. A film documenting the 2009 concert rehearsals was released as Michael Jackson's This Is It, along with a soundtrack compilation. The film holds the status of the highest-grossing documentary film ever at the global box office and the second highest-grossing concert film ever.[11] [12]
In 2010, the album Michael was released, a controversial collection of outtakes, most of them from Invincible. In 2012, the 25th anniversary of Bad 25 brought with it an expanded reissue of the 1987 album. That same year, a longtime friend of Jackson's, Wade Robson, began plotting against the artist and accused him of child sexual abuse in 2013, despite his loyalty to Jackson over the years.
In May 2014, Epic released "Xscape," a posthumous record comprised of old demos reworked by L.A. Reid and Timbaland. Preceded by the single "Love Never Felt So Good," a Top Ten electronic duet with Justin Timberlake, "Xscape" was certified gold. In August of the same year, after Robson's allegations became public, James Safechuck spoke out and filed a lawsuit over alleged similar experiences of his own.
In 2016, "Off the Wall" received a deluxe reissue accompanied by a documentary directed by Spike Lee. Jackson's son Prince founded the Heal Los Angeles Foundation, dedicated to his father and his philanthropy, which has been active ever since. That same year, Sony purchased half of the publishing company from the Michael Jackson Estate, which had belonged to the artist himself for decades.[13] In 2017, the compilation album Scream was released, which revolved around Halloween. That year, it was also announced that the two accusers would create a mockumentary against Jackson, titled Leaving Neverland, directed by Dan Reed. In 2018, Michael's daughter Paris launched her music career with a musical duo, The Soundflowers, but later went solo and has been doing so ever since.
The film was released in January 2019, and in it Robson and Safechuck detailed their alleged traumatic experiences. Its release, despite receiving mixed reviews from the general public, once again had an effect on Michael Jackson's legacy, as the artist received a massive backlash and the media once again turned its back on him. Fans organized protests and new documentaries not only against "Leaving Neverland", but also against previous allegations, such as "Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth" or "Square One: Michael Jackson". The Jackson Estate also sued HBO for violating a non-disparagement clause in a 1992 contract. The legal entity eventually won the case. Robson and Safechuck also went to court with their lawsuits, although they were dismissed because it was decided that there was no real evidence for their allegations.
A 40th anniversary double-CD reissue of Thriller was announced on May 16, 2022, featuring both the original album and a bonus disc containing outtakes from the original recording sessions, and was released on November 18, 2022. In January 2023, work began on a major biopic, Michael, starring the artist's nephew Jaafar Jackson. The film is currently in post-production and is set to be released in theaters on October 3, 2025.
Michael's second son, Bigi, who like his father is obsessed with film and movies, wrote and directed his first Amazon Prime Video exclusive film, "Rochelles." On February 9, 2024, half of the singer's recorded masters and publishing catalog was acquired by Sony Music for $600 million.[14]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- There are 2 minions with the same name Michael (Despicable Me promotional images) and Michael (Minions: The Rise of Gru)
References[]
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/la-me-jacksontimeline-jackson-cancels-world-tour-story.html
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_Is_Mine#Plagiarism_lawsuits
- ↑ https://blogs.law.gwu.edu/mcir/case/crystal-cartier-v-michael-jackson/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20121005003658/http://articles.cnn.com/2004-09-17/justice/jackson.hearing_1_attorney-thomas-mesereau-child-molestation-false-imprisonment-and-extortion?_s=PM:LAW
- ↑ https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/19395-michael-jacksons-will
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6kg2CCschI
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-xpm-2013-may-20-la-me-ln-michael-jackson-paranoid-anxious-obsessive-director-says-20130520-story.html
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/michael-jackson-died-deeply-in-debt-268276/
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/15/michael-jackson-will-i-am
- ↑ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/jackson-comeback-gig-a-flop-143582/
- ↑ https://x.com/theswiftsociety/status/1744233692053053883?s=46
- ↑ https://collider.com/highest-grossing-documentaries-ranked/#39-michael-jackson-39-s-this-is-it-39-2009
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sony-michael-jackson-estate-sony-atv-music-publishing-deal-7256367/
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/business/business-news/michael-jackson-estate-sells-music-rights-sony-valuation-1235604155/