Childhood: humiliation and first glory
The boy, later recognized as the King of Pop, was born in Gary, Indiana. The boy's parents, Joseph Jackson and Catherine Wint, got married in November 1949. They were brought together by a love of music: the future father of the family was a bluesman and played the guitar, and his mother, half Indian, half mulatto, a native of the rural outback, was obsessed with country music. 
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. The 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 climbed to the leading positions on the American Billboard chart. 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 1973, the Jackson 5 became involved in a conflict with their record label, Motown Records. This did not stop Michael from releasing 4 solo albums in collaboration with the label: the debut “Got to Be There” (1972), which sold over five million copies, “Ben” (1972), “Music&Me” (1973), and finally “Forever” , Michael" (1975). 
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. The film 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
By the early 80s, Michael Jackson had already achieved phenomenal success, and ahead of his fans was new album, "Thriller". Work on it took 8 months; The album included 9 tracks, 4 of which Michael wrote himself. 
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 US 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 a 14-minute video for "Thriller" that 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 owns the rights to most of The Beatles' songs, which caused a quarrel with McCartney, who also lay claim to the 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 the video for the song “Black or White,” which topped the charts for 5 weeks.
Michael Jackson – “Black or White”, 1991
Michael Jackson in Russia
In September 1993, Jackson visited Russia for the first time. The concert took place at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium in pouring rain. After this, the Dessa company, which spent a million dollars on organizing the event, went bankrupt, and the stadium was closed for renovations.Michael Jackson in Moscow. 1996 ORT
In 1995, the double album “HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I”, a collection of greatest hits musician, which included 15 new compositions. 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
Michael Jackson released his next studio album (Invincible) only in 2001. It included 16 tracks, on which Notorious BIG (composition “Unbreakable”), Chris Tucker (“You Rock My World”) and Carlos Santana (“Whatever Happens”) worked on with Michael. 
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 set of five discs was released “ Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection "Box Set" with 13 previously unreleased songs, and in August 2008 - a collection of hits "King of Pop", dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson planned to release his eleventh studio album in 2009.
Personal life of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson has been married twice. The musician’s first wife was the daughter of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Jackson first met Lisa Marie Presley in 1975 at an MGM Grand Hotel event in Las Vegas, but at that time she was only 8 years old. 
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 ex-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 1988, Michael purchased 112 hectares of land in California, near the town of Santa Barbara. In this place, the musician, secluded from public attention, could finally be himself. He rebuilt the ranch, turning it into the dream of every child: a mansion reminiscent of a fairy-tale palace, a miniature railway, carousels, a zoo, a huge variety of colorful sculptures... He named the created amusement park “Neverland”, in honor of the book about Peter Pan, the boy who never will not become an adult. 
In 1993, the singer was accused of molesting thirteen-year-old Jordan Chandler, who was a fan of the artist and 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 had a very negative impact on 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
In 1987, after the release of the video for the title song of the album “Bad,” fans noticed changes in the idol’s face, and with each subsequent performance the singer became even paler and thinner. 
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 managed 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. The following fact played an important role here: 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
On July 7, 2009, a closed farewell ceremony took place for the idol of millions. Jackson's closest friends came to the memorial park at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. Addresses by Diana Ross, Nelson Mandela, Queen Latifah, Stevie Wonder, and the children of Martin Luther King were read. The farewell ended with a speech from Paris Jackson. Without holding back her tears, the girl said: “He was the best father, which could only be...” 
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."
Even 8 years after his death, Michael Jackson is still the most successful pop artist in the history of the music industry. The total number of albums, compilations and singles sold by the singer is one billion copies. Through his activities, the artist made an invaluable contribution to the global development of video clips, music, choreography and fashion. In addition, Michael Jackson in his youth took part in the film adaptation of the musical “Wiz”, the feature films “Miss Robinson”, “Moonwalk” and “Men in Black 2”.
Childhood
The boy was born on August 29, 1958 in the Katherine family and decided to name him Michael. The future musician was born in the town of Gary. In 2003, his father publicly admitted to the moral and physical humiliation on his part that all ten of his children, including Michael Jackson, faced. The child suffered beatings, intimidation and insults, which developed into nightmares. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael said that communicating with Joseph made him vomit and cry from a feeling of helplessness and loneliness. Despite this, the singer tried to justify his father’s cruel actions by saying that he wanted to teach his son discipline, which would help him become the best of the best.
In 1964, the brothers of the future artist created the musical group The Jackson 5. The guys performed in the genres of disco, soul and rock and roll and played the tambourine and conga. Some time later in the same year, Michael Jackson joined the group. The child had little experience performing at Christmas concerts in front of his classmates. Later, Michael tried himself as a dancer and backing vocalist.
The artist's youth
Since 1966, Jackson has toured extensively with his brothers in the Midwest. Four years later, The Jackson 5's singles topped the American Billboard Hot 100 chart. Despite the fact that Michael was the youngest in the group, it was to him that the public's attention was drawn thanks to his dance moves and manner of performance, which were unusual for that time.
While he was involved with The Jackson 5, the singer managed to release four solo albums. Michael Jackson achieved stunning results in the world of music in his youth. The ballad Ben from his second album, which he dedicated to his pet rat, topped the charts in the early 70s.
personal life, religion
The artist's amazing talent brought him hundreds of awards, including 15 Grammy statuettes. Jackson is listed in the Guinness Book of Records 25 times. The artist was on friendly terms with many celebrities, including Whitney Houston, Macaulay Culkin, Elton John and Princess Diana of Wales.
Michael was married to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie from 1994 to 1996. After the divorce, they remained good friends, as evidenced by the HIStory tour, in which a woman accompanied the singer, despite the fact that he was married to Debbie Rowe. From his second marriage, the artist has a daughter and a son - Paris and Prince.
Michael Jackson was a Jehovah's Witness in his youth. As a child, Catherine's mother encouraged him to study the Bible and attend sermons. As a sign of protest, Jackson refused to celebrate Christmas, Easter and his own birthday. The singer's brother, Jermaine, is a supporter of Islam. He often gave Michael books about his religion in the hope that faith would ease his struggle with many illnesses.
Solo career of the King of Pop
Thriller is the best-selling album in music history. The record included such hits as Billie Jean, P.Y.T., as well as the song The Girl Is Mine, which Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson worked on. The albums Bad and Dangerous became almost as successful as Thriller.
At the end of January 1984, Michael took part in the filming of a Pepsi commercial. During this process, the artist's hair caught fire from pyrotechnic devices. He received 3rd degree burns. The horrific incident became the impetus for the development of vitiligo. Michael Jackson, whose black skin color was one of his many features, began to partially turn white. But, despite the next difficulties in life, he continued to do his life’s work.
After his death, the artist's family entered into a contract with the Sony label to release ten records, the songwriter of which was Michael Jackson. The albums Michael (2010) and Xscape (2014) turned out much better than fans expected. The latest album includes the song Love Never Felt So Good, recorded in two versions: solo and in a duet with Justin Timberlake.
Scandals
Michael Jackson sparked negative comments about music videos in his youth with his explicit dance moves. After some time, the former reason for the violent scandal became a feature and an integral part of the singer’s choreography.
In 1993, Michael was accused of sexually assaulting thirteen-year-old Jordan Chandler. The situation was resolved with $22 million, which Jackson paid to the boy's family. Ten years later, the parents of thirteen-year-old Gavin Arvizo accused the artist of drugging and groping children. In 2005, the court acquitted Jackson, as it was proven that the accusers sought to quickly enrich themselves at the expense of the singer. After the artist’s death, Jordan Chandler stated that his father forced him to slander Michael for the sake of huge compensation. By the way, after the failed deception, the negligent parent committed suicide.
Appearance and plastic surgery
Michael Jackson experienced many problems with physical and mental health. The black skin color became pale due to the disease vitiligo, which was diagnosed in 1986. The illness forced the artist to hide from sunlight using multi-layered clothing, umbrellas and masks.
According to the singer's autobiography, apart from rhinoplasty and adding a dimple on his chin, he did nothing else. However, surgeons claim that Michael Jackson in his youth, before surgery, had a different shape to his forehead, lips and cheekbones. The artist’s mother asked her son to stop adjusting his appearance and believed that he was addicted to plastic surgery. Michael himself attributed the changes in facial features to weight loss, puberty and a change in hairstyle.
Grueling vegetarian diets brought Jackson's weight to 48 kg with a height of 175 cm. By the end of the 80s, the artist gained a little weight, but in 1993, due to worries about being unfairly accused of child molestation, he practically stopped eating and lost even more weight. Two years later, he was hospitalized due to a panic attack, abnormal heart rhythm, gastrointestinal inflammation, dehydration and abnormal liver and kidney function. It should be noted that none of Jackson’s doctors found any drugs in his blood.
The musician lived his last years dependent on painkillers, could not speak clearly and could barely remember the names of loved ones and the titles of his recent albums.
Singer's death and funeral
The favorite of millions died on June 25, 2009. As it was established by the investigation, death was due to an overdose of Propofol. Attempts to resuscitate Michael lasted more than an hour and were unsuccessful. A post-mortem autopsy found that Jackson had a strong heart and a normal weight for his height. The most serious problem turned out to be chronic pneumonia, although this was not the cause of death. Ze'ev Kane, a doctor at the University of California, reviewed the autopsy and said that his overall health was within normal limits.
On the eve of the artist’s death, Christopher Rogers, who was the head of a group of forensic experts, claimed that in Lately Jackson was in good health and called him a murder victim. The funeral ceremony took place on September 3, 2009 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson. Born August 29, 1958 in Gary - died June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles. American singer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actor, philanthropist, entrepreneur.
The most successful performer in the history of pop music. Known as the "King of Pop".
Winner of 15 Grammy awards and hundreds of other awards.
Listed in the Guinness Book of Records 25 times.
The number of Jackson records sold worldwide (albums, singles, compilations, etc.) is 1 billion copies.
In 2009, he was officially recognized as an American Legend and Music Icon.
Michael Jackson made significant contributions to the development of popular music, video clips, dance and fashion.
He died on June 25, 2009 as a result of an overdose of drugs, in particular propofol.
Michael Jackson. History of life and creativity
Michael Jackson was born to Joseph and Katherine in Gary, Indiana. He was the eighth of ten children.
Jackson claimed that his father repeatedly abused him mentally and physically. However, he respected his father's strict discipline, which played a large role in Jackson's success.
In one confrontation with his father, described by Michael's older brother Marlon, his father held him upside down and struck him on the back and buttocks. One night, while Michael was sleeping, his father snuck into his room through the window. He was wearing a frightening mask, screaming and roaring shrilly. Joseph explained his action by saying that he wanted to teach his children to close the window before going to bed.
Four years later, Michael admitted that he suffered from nightmares in which he was kidnapped from his bedroom.
In 2003, Joseph admitted to the BBC that he beat Michael when he was a child.
Jackson first spoke openly about the humiliation he had to endure as a child in an interview with in 1993. He said that as a child he often cried from a feeling of loneliness and vomited after communicating with his father. In another high-profile interview, "Life with Michael Jackson"(Living with Michael Jackson, 2003), while talking about childhood abuse, the singer covered his face with his hand and began to cry. Jackson recalled that Joseph would sit on a chair with a belt in his hand when he rehearsed with his brothers, and that "if you did something wrong, he would make you cry, really get you."
Jackson has been performing for his classmates at Christmas concerts since he was five years old.
In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined The Jacksons - a group formed by their brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine - as backup musicians, playing conga and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing as a backing vocalist and dancer; At the age of eight, he and Jermaine became the main vocalists and the group was renamed The Jackson 5.
The group toured extensively in the Midwest from 1966 to 1968. They often performed in a number of "black" clubs and places known as the "Chitlin" circuit, often warming up the audience for a striptease.
In 1966, they won a local talent competition, performing with Motown Records hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" with Michael as lead vocalist.
The Jacksons soon rose to the national level, and in 1970, their first four singles reached number one on the American Billboard Hot 100 chart. Gradually, Michael stood out as the frontman of a children's quintet; in fact, it was he who got the main solo parts.
He attracted attention with his unusual manner of dancing and behavior on stage, which he copied from his idols - James Brown, Jackie Wilson and others.
In 1973, the family project's success began to decline, the record company limited their financial options, and in 1976 they signed a contract with another company, as a result of which they had to change their name again to The Jacksons, as Motown took the name "Jackson 5" for themselves.
From 1976 to 1984 they released 6 more albums, traveling around the country on tour. Meanwhile, Jackson released four solo albums and a number of successful solo singles, including "Got to Be There," "Rockin' Robin" and the 1972 chart-topping "Ben" (a ballad dedicated to his pet rat).
In 1978, Michael starred with Diana Ross in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Viz" based on the fairy tale "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". On the set, he met music director Quincy Jones, who would become the producer of his most famous albums.
The first of these, Off the Wall, was released on August 10, 1979. The disco hit “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” and the slower composition “Rock With You” reached the top of the charts, and the album itself sold more than 20 million copies. Many music observers consider Off the Wall the last peak of the era of disco music.
The Thriller album went down in history as the best-selling album in the world.
Released in November 1982, Thriller gave America nine singles: "The Girl Is Mine" (No. 2, duet with), "Billie Jean" (No. 1, Grammy Award, the biggest hit of Jackson's career and one of the most sampled tracks funk music), "Beat It" (No. 1, another Grammy), "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (No. 5), "Human Nature" (No. 7), "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (No. 10), "Thriller" (No. 4), "Baby Be Mine", "The Lady in My Life".
Thriller topped the Billboard 200 for nine months (37 weeks) and remained on the chart for more than two years (122 weeks). For this album, Jackson received seven Grammy Awards (including in the category "Best Album of the Year", and the eighth Grammy was for the audio recording of the story "E.T." based on the film of the same name) and seven American Music Awards.
In 1985, the album was declared "the best-selling album of all time" by the Guinness Book of Records.
As of July 2001, the album had sold 26 million copies in the United States, making it the second best-selling album in American history behind The Eagles' The Greatest Hits (27 million). Thriller sold a record 109 million copies worldwide.
Jackson and his producers took advantage of the booming music television landscape: his groundbreaking videos became the first videos by a black artist to be in constant rotation on MTV, which was only a year old at the time of the album's release.
The eighties of the 20th century can be described as the “golden” era of Michael Jackson. On November 30, 1982, Thriller was released, which remains the best-selling album in the world to this day.
On March 25, 1983, during the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever anniversary show, which was broadcast throughout North America, during the performance of the song "Billie Jean" Michael Jackson demonstrated his famous moonwalk for the first time. This performance is included in the list of the most significant moments on American television.
Michael Jackson. Billie Jean. 1983 - first moonwalk
In February 1984, the 14-minute film “Thriller”, created by Michael Jackson and directed by John Landis, was released, which sets new standards for music video and which, together with other Jackson videos, contributes to the formation of the video music industry in the form of the newly emerged MTV channel.
May 14, 1984, at the White House, Michael receives an award from the President for his support charitable organizations, which help people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.
From July 6 to December 9, 1984, in America and Canada, the Jackson brothers held the largest “Victory Tour” for groups of that time: 55 concerts, more than 2 million spectators, more than 75 million dollars in profit. At that time, these were record-breaking world achievements. Michael donated all his income from this tour to charity - $5 million.
Also in 1984, Jackson again topped the American charts, this time with a duet with the song "Say Say Say". The next year, Michael bought up most of the shares of ATV Music Publishing, which had the rights to most of The Beatles' songs, which caused a quarrel with McCartney, who himself dreamed of buying out these shares. Michael Jackson also worked with , making several test recordings with him, said Queen guitarist Brian May, but the collaboration never took place due to the busyness of both musicians.
On March 7, 1985, the single “We Are the World” was released. The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and performed by famous US musicians. Funds raised from sales in the amount of $61,800,000 were used to help the famine in Ethiopia.
However, the 80s were marked not only by achievements and records. January 27, 1984 is a day that changed a lot in the life of Michael Jackson. Michael and his brothers starred in a Pepsi commercial. At the director's request, he lingered dangerously close to the pyrotechnic devices. His Michael's hair caught fire and he suffered 3rd degree scalp burns..
While in the hospital, Michael visited a children's burn unit, and after that, instead of receiving a multimillion-dollar settlement from Pepsi, he decided to open a children's burn center in his name with the help of Pepsi. This was the beginning of Michael's charitable activities, which he did not stop until the end of his days. At the opening of that same burn center, Michael was asked to pose in an oxygen pressure chamber for patients with extensive body burns. Michael posed lying on his back, and then turned on his side and pretended to be asleep. Thus was born the most famous myth in show business. In fact, this was the only time Michael Jackson “slept” in a pressure chamber.
Another consequence of the burn was that the stress suffered by the body provoked the development of vitiligo, a disease passed on to Michael through his mother’s side and affecting skin pigmentation. This led to the need to apply heavy makeup and avoid sunlight. Another consequence: Jackson never recovered from this injury, and the pain did not leave Michael for the rest of his life, and he was forced to start taking painkillers regularly. In addition, after the burn, Michael first became acquainted with plastic surgery, when he had damaged skin and scalp restored. After this, he decided to have surgery on his nose and chin. All this, combined with the transition to a vegetarian diet and weight loss, led to significant changes in the singer’s appearance, which was constantly fodder for discussion in the press.
In September 1986, Michael Jackson made his film debut. It was a 17 minute 3D film "Captain Io", filmed by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola specifically for screening in the Disneyland parks.
Album released on August 31, 1987 Bad. Circulation over 45 million. This is the first album in history to contain five singles that were number one on Billboard.
Michael Jackson - Bad
From September 12, 1987 to January 14, 1989, the grandiose “Bad Tour” lasted. 123 concerts in 15 countries, attended by 4.4 million spectators. The tour grossed over $125 million and was the largest in the world.
In London, a new record was set - 504 thousand spectators.
On October 29, 1988, the musical film “Moonwalk” was released, which was a success at the box office and earned $67 million, and was later released on video in the amount of 800 thousand copies (as of 1989). At the 1989 Soul Train Music Award, actress Elizabeth Taylor named Michael Jackson in her acceptance speech. “the true king of pop, rock and soul” ("the true king of pop, rock and soul music"), and unofficial title "the king of pop" stuck with Michael Jackson forever.
Due to the increased attention to his person, Jackson spent most of his time in solitude at his strictly guarded Neverland ranch. There he was visited by a few friends, including Elizabeth Taylor. Children also lived on the ranch, to whom the singer was always partial. In 1991, he wrote two singles for the animated series The Simpsons, of which he was a fan. However, due to contract restrictions, his name was not mentioned in the credits.
The album was released on November 26, 1991 Dangerous, the release of which was preceded by the premiere of a large-scale video clip for the single “Black or White” (Russian: “Black or White”). "Black or White" topped the charts for five weeks and became Jackson's biggest hit since "Billie Jean." As with the previous ones, seven singles were released from this album. In addition to "Black or White" (No. 1), they included "Remember the Time" (No. 3), "In the Closet" (No. 6) and "Will You Be There" (No. 7).
For “Remember the Time,” a video was shot with a multimillion-dollar budget and computer special effects, in which the Pharaoh of Egypt and his wife were portrayed by Eddie Murphy and a top model.
On June 16, 1995, the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I was released: the first disc contains a collection of the greatest hits, the second contains 15 new songs. It was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy. The first single was released "Scream"- a duet between the singer and his sister, Janet Jackson. The song was accompanied by a futuristic video clip, the filming of which cost over seven million dollars.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 20 million copies (7 million copies in the US). Many new songs from it were released as singles, among them the ballad about Moscow ( "Stranger in Moscow"; Jackson promised to record a song about the Russian capital when he first visited there in 1993), the composition is on environmental theme"Earth Song" (five weeks at number one in the UK) and a composition in the style of modern rhythm and blues "You Are Not Alone"(his thirteenth number one on the Billboard Hot 100), written and produced for him by R Kelly. In the video for “You Are Not Alone,” Michael appeared half-naked with his first wife, Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley.
The album was released in 1997 Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix: soundtrack to the film "Ghosts" and a collection of dance remixes of tracks from HIStory. Reviews for the disc were largely positive, and the title track topped the sales charts in many countries, including the UK. In the US, the album went virtually unnoticed and did not reach number one on the charts.
Michael Jackson came to Moscow for the first time in September 1993. His concert was organized by the Dessa company, the tour organizer was Samvel Gasparov. The concert took place on September 15 in an open area - the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Stadium in pouring rain. Shortly after the concert, the company ceased to exist due to financial problems, and the stadium was closed for renovations. During the concert, it was pouring rain, the puddles of which were removed by service personnel right during Michael Jackson's performance. In his Moscow hotel room, Jackson wrote a ballad about loneliness - Stranger in Moscow, which was included in the 1995 album History and released as a single.
Jackson's second performance in Russia took place on September 17, 1996 at the Moscow Dynamo Stadium. During the visit, Michael Jackson met with the then mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, the head of the Russian Presidential Security Service, Korzhakov, and composer.
Michael Jackson in Moscow
Jackson's next studio album was recorded only six years later, and its release was delayed several times. Sony's label was reluctant to invest millions of dollars in the lengthy process of recording and promoting the album, which ultimately led to a falling out between the singer and the recording giant. Invincible(Russian: Invincible), released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single "You Rock My World", in the video for which famous actors Marlon Brando and Chris Tucker starred. The album received mixed reviews from critics, and its sales figures were twice as modest as those of HIStory.
The song "Invincible" is dedicated to a 15-year-old Afro-Norwegian boy named Benjamin Hermansen, who was killed by a group of neo-Nazis in the city of Oslo (Norway, January 26, 2001). Omer Bhatti, a close friend of Jackson, was a good friend of Benjamin Hermansen.
To promote the album, a benefit was organized in honor of the 30th anniversary of Michael Jackson's solo career at Madison Square Garden, held in September 2001. Michael Jackson appeared on stage next to his brothers for the first time since 1984. The benefit also included performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, Tamia, 'N Sync, Slash, Aaron Carter. A world tour was also planned in support of the album, but due to the September 11 terrorist attacks, the tour was canceled. The album spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter of which did not have a music video, "Unbreakable" was intended to be released as a single, but due to various financing issues, Sony refused to release it.
In November 2003, Jackson released a collection of hits "Number Ones". The 18 tracks included in the collection included 16 previously released hits, a live performance of the song “Ben” and a new single “One More Chance”. By the end of 2004, Number Ones had sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
In 2003, Jackson had to stand trial on charges of child molestation. After a lengthy trial, the musician was acquitted. After the trial, Michael Jackson retired from journalists in Bahrain and began preparing to record a charity single in memory of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It soon became clear that not all of the invited musicians wanted to participate in the project headed by Jackson. Although the song "I Have This Dream" was recorded, it was never released as a single due to unclear circumstances.
November 16, 2004 Michael Jackson released "Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection"- 5-disc set - containing 57 tracks and 13 previously unreleased recordings, covering the period from 1969 to 2004, plus a previously unreleased 1992 live concert on DVD.
In the summer of 2008, Sony BMG launched a global campaign in which residents of more than 20 countries around the world voted for their favorite Michael Jackson songs, and thus took part in compiling a collection of hits from the “King of Pop” in their country. 122 tracks were presented to the fans. The album, which became unique in each country, included about 17-18 tracks on each disc (there were 1 or 2 in total, depending on the country).
In addition, Michael Jackson recorded his new solo album, which was planned for release in 2009. The album featured rappers Will.I.Am, Kanye West and R&B singer Akon.
In November 2008, the son of the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, at whose invitation the singer was in this country, sued Michael Jackson for failure to fulfill contractual obligations. The sheikh demanded payment of seven million dollars.
In March 2009, Michael announced that he was going to give the last series of concerts in London called "This Is It Tour". The concerts were supposed to begin on July 13, 2009 and end on March 6, 2010. When Jackson announced his return to the stage at a special press conference on March 5, 2009, it was about 10 concerts at The O2 arena, which seats 20 thousand people. However, demand for tickets was so high that 40 more performances had to be scheduled. The concert tour never took place due to the singer's death.
On the morning of June 25, 2009, Conrad Murray injected Michael Jackson with propofol. and walked away. About 2 hours later, Murray returned and saw his patient lying on the bed with wide with open eyes and mouth. The doctor tried to resuscitate the singer, but the attempts were unsuccessful. At 12:21 local Pacific time, a call to 911 was recorded. Paramedics arrived 3 minutes and 17 seconds later to find Jackson no longer breathing with his heart stopped and immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Efforts to revive Jackson continued along the way and for an hour after arriving at the University of California Medical Center at 1:14 p.m. These attempts were unsuccessful. Death was pronounced at 14:26 local time. The news of his death became public in the very first minutes after the incident. Rumors and news about the death of Michael Jackson broke network records, causing a kind of Internet “traffic jams” and a sharp increase traffic on sites such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, Twitter and Wikipedia.
On June 25-26, 2009, the artists: The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, DJ Khalil, Polow da Don, Mario Winens, Usher and Boyz II Men recorded the single Better on the Other Side, dedicated to the passing of Michael Jackson. The lyrics were written by Jason Taylor (The Game). On June 30, 2009, a video for the song was released.
On July 7, 2009, a memorial ceremony was held in Los Angeles, consisting of a family service at Freedom Hall at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, followed by a public farewell at Staples Center. Jackson's casket stood in front of the stage during the ceremony broadcast on live worldwide, which was viewed by about a billion people, but no information about the whereabouts of the body was made public.
Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson and Shaheen Jafargholi performed Jackson's songs. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson delivered eulogies, and Queen Latifah read "We Had Him," a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou.
The Rev. El Sharpton drew applause from the crowd when he told the Jackson children, “There was nothing strange about your father. It was strange what your father encountered.” Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris Katherine tearfully said, "From the moment I was born, Daddy has been the best dad you could ever imagine... I just wanted to say I love him so much!"
There were reports that Michael Jackson was secretly buried on August 8th or 9th, 2009 at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Cemetery, but later reports emerged that he would not be buried until September. Jackson's final funeral took place on Thursday, September 3, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in suburban Los Angeles.
Los Angeles authorities, meanwhile, are investigating the death of Michael Jackson. The Los Angeles coroner classified the doctors' actions as murder and did not rule out a trial against them. In November 2011, Conrad Murray was found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. He also lost his license to practice medicine.
Michael Jackson. Lethal injection
Sony signed a contract with Michael's family to release ten new Jackson albums. They will include re-releases of some old albums and collections of never-before-released songs.
The first of these albums was Michael, released in 2010. It received mixed reviews from critics, but was widely considered to be much better than expected. Four singles were released from the album, and videos were shot for each. Michael himself is involved in them in insert frames from lifetime clips.
A year later, the remix album Immortal was released, consisting of remixes of Michael's greatest hits. This album served as the soundtrack for the Cirque du Soleil show Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, which included performances based on Jackson's songs and dances. Choreographers who had previously worked with Michael during his lifetime took part in the creation of the performances.
Michael's second posthumous studio album, Xscape, was released in May 2014. This album consisted of 8 songs, and one of them, the single Love Never Felt So Good, was made in two versions: solo and duet with Justin Timberlake (a video was shot for the second version). On May 18, 2014, at the Billboard ceremony, an illusionary image of Jackson, created using Pepper's Ghost technology (although most prefer to call it a hologram for convenience), "performed" the song from the album "Slave To The Rhythm". Fan reaction has been mixed, with many believing that a body double was actually used.
Personal life of Michael Jackson:
Michael Jackson was married twice. From 1994 to 1996, he was married to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of. They first met in 1975 during one of the celebrations at the MGM Grand Hotel casino. Through a mutual friend, they met again in early 1993, and their relationship became serious. They called each other every day.
Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley
When Jackson was accused of child molestation and it became public knowledge, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional support, and Presley explained: “I believed that he had done nothing wrong and that he was innocent, I became closer to him. I wanted to save him. I felt like I could do it."
She soon persuaded him to settle the charges out of court, as well as the need for rehabilitation to restore his health.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley in the You Are Not Alone video
In October 1993, Jackson proposed to Presley over the phone: "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?" They married on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic in secret, denying it for almost two months. The wedding took place in the house of local judge Hugo Alvarez Perez in the city of Santo Domingo.
The wedding took place in the Church of St. Stanislaus in the town of Altos de Chavon. The marriage was called "semi-fictitious" because according to the laws of the Dominican Republic, no woman can remarry unless three months have passed after the divorce. And Lisa Marie in those days had just divorced her ex-husband.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley
Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later but remained friends. In 1997, Presley accompanied Michael, who was married to Debbie Rowe, on the HIStory tour.
In November 1996, following his divorce from Presley, Jackson married former nurse Debbie Rowe. The couple had two children: son Prince Michael Jackson I (born February 13, 1997) and daughter Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born April 3, 1998).
Debbie Rowe and Michael Jackson divorced in 1999.
Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe
The second son, Prince Michael Jackson II (Blanket) (born February 21, 2002), was born from a surrogate mother, whose identity is unknown. There is a scandalous story connected with this child when Michael, showing his fans on Prince Street, staggered a little and it seemed to many that Michael almost dropped him.
Jackson always tried to hide his family from the press and fans: when appearing in public with his father, the children wore masks. After Jackson's death, his mother, Katherine Jackson, took custody of the children.
In life, Michael Jackson's good friends were: Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Eddie Murphy, Mark Lester, Chris Tucker, Macaulay Culkin, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Omer Bhatti.
In addition, Michael Jackson admired the talent of Freddie Mercury and attended Queen concerts.
Was on good friendly terms with.
Discography of Michael Jackson:
1972 - Got to Be There
1972 - Ben
1973 - Music & Me
1975 - Forever, Michael
1979 - Off the Wall
1982 - Thriller
1987 - Bad
1991 - Dangerous
1995 - HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
2001 - Invincible
2010 - Michael
2014 - Xscape
Filmography of Michael Jackson:
1978 - “The Scarecrow / Wiz” (The Wiz)
1986 - “Captain EO”
1988 - “Moonwalker”
1996 - “Ghosts”
2002 - “Men in Black 2” - “Agent Em”
2004 - “Miss Robinson” (Miss Cast Away)
2009 - “That’s all” (This is it)
2011 - “Michael Jackson: The Life of a Pop Icon” (Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon).
Michael Joseph Jackson
On August 29, 1958, a boy was born into a poor and unremarkable family of African-Americans Joseph and Katherine Jackson, in the town of Gary, lost in Indiana. He was the seventh child in a family living in a small house - so small that it looked like a garage. The boy was named Michael. This is how the greatest and most mysterious artist of the late twentieth century was born - Michael Jackson.
Hundreds of biographies, books, and studies have been written about the Michael Jackson phenomenon, and not one has yet been able to capture his entire image. In this short biography we will not be able to do this. But let’s try, for those who are just entering the magical world of the artist, to write a short biographical article. Based on it, it will be easier to understand Michael Jackson’s autobiography “Moonwalk” and other books, interviews, and stories of people who were friends and worked with him for many years.
Childhood in Gary, Indiana
The town of Gary, where Michael was born, is a small community in Indiana, in the East Chicago area. 80% of the town's residents are African Americans - ordinary workers living in poor houses and working at the local steel mill. And Michael's father, Joseph Jackson, worked at that time in the foundry at this plant. After Michael, two more children were born into the family, and six boys had to sleep in a tiny bedroom on three-story beds. The family struggled to make ends meet, but thanks to Michael's mother Catherine, a devout follower of Jehovah's Witnesses, the children grew up under strict rules and the house was kept as tidy as possible. From infancy, children were taught to clean themselves and take care of themselves.
Michael's house in GaryIn addition, music was constantly playing in the house. “We sang a lot in our house, mostly blues songs that were popular at the time, like “Mustang Sally.” Katherine and I loved to sing with the children, and she also played the piano and sometimes the clarinet. I could also play some songs on my guitar, and every free minute we played R&B records by singers such as Little Richard, the Chi-lites, Chuck Berry, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Fats Domino, Joe Tex, Big Maybell, The Impressions and Major Lance,” the father of the family, Joseph, later wrote in his book. It was he, according to Michael himself, who played a decisive role in his development as an artist - despite the fact that the relationship between father and son could hardly be called harmonious.
Joseph was a man of no timidity, a tough character and great ambitions. In his youth, he had to change many occupations - he visited, among other things, the boxing ring, worked as a sleeper stacker, and picked cotton on the plantations of the South. “Someday I, too, will be at the very top, I promised myself,” Joe later wrote in his autobiography. But it’s unlikely that in his youth he could have imagined who would take him to this peak, although show business was clearly very much on his mind: the group he created with his friends, “Falcons” (“Falcons”), played all over the city, and also performed in clubs and colleges in northern Indiana and Chicago.
The first memories of Michael's childhood do not describe his temperament in infancy in much detail. Everyone only agrees that the baby was always full of unquenchable energy. His mother recalls how, at two years old, he danced wildly to the sound of the washing machine; older brother Jermaine - about how agile he was before he even learned to walk - so much so that it was impossible to change his diapers; my father said that you couldn’t take your eyes off him for a second, otherwise he would disappear, and then he would be found under the table or under the bed.
Catherine Esther Scroose-JacksonThe film "The Jacksons - The American Dream", based on the history of the creation of the Jackson 5, describes the legend of its origins. According to her, it all started when one of the eldest sons, Tito, slowly took his father's guitar to learn to play. One day, the father discovered that his son was taking his instrument without asking. Tito was punished, and punished cruelly: Joseph was not distinguished by humanity in raising children. However, at the same time, he was surprised to see that Tito had learned to play very well. According to his own version, Tito broke a string on his guitar. ““What did you do?” I asked him calmly. Tito looked at me incredulously. He thought I was going to get angry. “Well, show me what you can do,” I said. I could hardly hide my joy. And he actually knew how to play. He taught himself the blues songs that I always played on the guitar. Like me, he played by ear. I didn’t show Tito right away how proud I was of him, but a couple of days later I came home and brought him a gift: a new red guitar!” - Joe recalls.
From that moment on, the fate of the children was decided. The Falcons group gradually disappeared from the sight of its creator. Joseph created a musical group from the older boys, with whom he rehearsed day after day - for three hours or more. Michael was one of the younger brothers, he was about 5 years old when the group was created. They didn’t want to notice this little tomboy for some time: at first he just played the bongos, which, according to his father and brothers, he really liked. It is curious that even as an adult, Michael remained an excellent percussionist and also performed excellent beatboxing. But one day during a rehearsal, according to legend, Catherine’s mother heard Michael sing. “Listen to how he sings,” she told her husband. And Joe heard.
Frontman of the Jackson 5
Little MichaelEveryone who remembers little Michael unanimously says that his talent was immediately visible. In his book Moonwalk, he recounted his first performance at a school concert: he sang the song “Climb every mountain” from the musical “The Sound of Music.” “The reaction of the listeners when I finished singing shocked me. The hall burst into applause, people smiled, some stood up. The teachers were crying. I just couldn't believe my eyes. I gave them all happiness. It was such a wonderful feeling. But at the same time I was a little embarrassed: I didn’t do anything special. I just sang like I sang at home every night,” Michael recalled. Life has confirmed: “I can climb any mountain” - this is indeed his motto.
Joseph was shrewd: once convinced of how great his young son's gift was, he made Michael the frontman of the group. Thus was the beginning of Michael Jackson's artistic career. At the age of five he became one of the most gifted child artists of the twentieth century. But the same talent that made Michael the most famous artist on Earth began to limit his freedom from childhood.
From the age of five, the boy’s life was subject to a strict schedule of rehearsals and concerts. Over time, he, like his brothers, had to leave school: a teacher, Rose Fine, who traveled with the Jackson 5 group around the world, was specially hired to teach the boys. And there was simply no time left for things like communicating and playing with peers. Thus, the theme of “lost childhood” became one of the main “red lines” in the artist’s work, and indeed in the entire life of the artist.
Motown artistIn “Moonwalk” he wrote: “I used to come home from school and, as soon as I left my books, I rushed to the studio. There I sang until late at night, in fact, when it was already time for me to sleep. Across the street from the studio<...>there was a park, and I remember I looked at the guys playing there. I looked at them and marveled - I simply could not imagine such freedom, such a carefree life - and more than anything in the world I wanted to be so free that I could go out into the street and behave like them. So I also had sad moments as a child. But this happens with all children who become “stars”. Elizabeth Taylor told me she felt the same way. When you work when you're very young, the world can seem terribly unfair. Nobody forced me to be little Michael the lead singer—I chose it myself, and I loved it—but it was hard work. When we were recording for the album, for example, we'd go into the studio right after school, and sometimes I'd get a snack and sometimes I wouldn't. There just wasn't time. I returned home exhausted, at eleven, or even twelve at night, when it was already time to sleep.”
All this was complicated by the steep and cruel temperament the main mentor and then producer of the Jackson brothers, Joseph. His father's rudeness and harshness, his tendency to solve problems with a belt and shouting, influenced the boys in different ways, but Michael, a gifted child with a fine mental organization, found it especially difficult to endure. The father trained his children “excellently”; he instilled in Michael throughout his life the concept of the importance of discipline and hard work, without which no talent can be realized; however, a vulnerable child with a wild imagination needed not only a strict coach, but also a loving person. “He trained me as a showman, and under his guidance I could not make a single wrong move. But what I really wanted was for him to be a dad. I wanted a father who would show me his love,” Michael later said.
As an adult, he managed to overcome childhood and youth grievances, and Joe himself became softer over time, but nevertheless, the traumas experienced in childhood were never completely forgotten, and relations with his father remained tense until Michael’s death. In many ways, this childhood tragedy of a child artist repeated the fates of such geniuses as Paganini or Mozart, who were the same “child stars” led by strict fathers. As an adult, Michael quickly found a common language with people with a similar fate - this is how, for example, his friendship with Elizabeth Taylor and his tender affection for the “girl star” of old Hollywood, Shirley Temple, began.
Jackson 5Meanwhile, the Jackson Five gained recognition in their city and surrounding area within three or four years. Children performed wherever the opportunity presented itself - in schools, at various talent competitions, which they invariably won, in nightclubs and strip bars, where little Michael, at the age of seven or eight, became acquainted with the whole “underside” of show business. Often the group performed as an opening act for strippers, and then stayed in the hall or came home late at night - and the next day they rehearsed and performed again.
The next stage was the conquest of Chicago. Everywhere the boys found success - primarily thanks to the amazing little soloist who skillfully performed covers of songs by Motown artists - the first “black” music label in the USA, which brought to light a whole galaxy of brilliant soloists and groups in the R&B style. After some time, the group was invited to the oldest “black” musical theater in the USA - the famous New York Apollo Theater in the heart of Harlem, the cradle of such world-famous talents as Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Jackie Wilson, Nina Simone, James Brown . The demanding and capricious New York public was literally captivated: the triumph of the Jackson Five was deafening. After this, the brothers were invited to appear on television, on the David Frost show - but suddenly at the very last moment Joseph declined the invitation. The boys couldn’t believe their ears when they heard about this, but their father explained: “Motown called.”
Growing up. Motown and Epic
Jackson 5 on the cover of Life magazineThe Jackson Five were invited to audition for the famous label, and for many years this audition determined their fate. They joined the team of studio stars as equals at the very zenith of its history, when such artists as The Supremes (with Diana Ross), The Temptations, The Four Tops, singers Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson shone on stage. and young prodigy Stevie Wonder.
Young Michael's main idols were famous black stars James Brown and Jackie Wilson. Sitting behind the scenes for hours, Michael watched and watched them while his brothers rested carelessly, and learned from these masters the art of holding the attention of the public, absorbed their expression, and learned dance techniques. Michael was a master at imitating his idols, and this touched the audience, but Michael's vocal talent was not just an object of affection. The boy, who had never studied either music or vocals, sang his parts in the clearest voice, easily remembering any melody, as soon as you hummed it to him. Throughout his career, Michael Jackson remained “musically illiterate,” that is, self-taught in everything. However, ignorance of notes did not prevent him from composing music, and ignorance of vocal techniques did not prevent him from recording songs from the first take.
In the USA there are fans of Michael Jackson who are older than him. These are the ones who witnessed the resounding success of the Jackson Five. All of America fell in love with these boys. In terms of attendance at concerts, the Jackson Five broke the records of The Beatles. They were idols of young audiences, and the paparazzi began hunting for them.
Michael, 12 years old Michael's life changed greatly and forever. He became a superstar at the age of 11 and at the same time grew into the only artist in the history of music who, having matured, not only did not lose the love of the audience, but also multiplied the success of his childhood years.
In the early 1970s, thanks to the talent of the Jackson brothers and Joe's perseverance, the whole family moved to California, where the Motown label also moved. The Jacksons collaborated with Motown for several more years, but then they went their separate ways, mainly because the brothers wanted to write their own songs, which Motown did not allow them to do. Michael, at the age of 16, discussed termination of the contract with the label management. It should be noted that even at such a young age, when it came to business, Michael behaved decisively and uncompromisingly. As a result, the group moved to another label - Epic - and changed its name to The Jacksons. And little Michael, unnoticed by everyone, has grown a lot.
17 years old Describing his growing up in his autobiography, Michael recalls that it became very stressful for him. When you grow up in front of the whole country and never leave the covers of magazines, people want to see you the way they initially liked you, he said. The cute boy with an afro hairstyle, bright, playful eyes and dimples was the favorite of millions. And as it turned out, no one recognized the thin teenager with youthful acne on his face. Sometimes, in search of “little Michael,” people passed by him, and when they realized that Michael was standing next to them, they did not hide their annoyance.
Joseph also added “fuel to the fire” by pointing out to his son his huge wide nose, insisting that he got this feature from his mother. Both brothers and cousins teased Michael - no one missed the opportunity to humiliate the public's favorite. Perhaps the stress experienced in adolescence and youth was not the last factor that influenced the subsequent artificial changes in Michael’s appearance. However, these changes are explained by many other things - both the state of his health and his understanding of art as, among other things, the art of sculpting himself and his life to his liking.
Off The Wall. Thriller. Conquering the peak
Michael, 21 years old Official solo career Michael started when he was 21 years old. He refused his father's services as a manager, broke his contract with him and took control of his creative destiny into his own hands. His first solo album Off The Wall, consisting of songs in the then popular disco style, was released in 1979 and was a phenomenal success - much greater than the work of Michael and his brothers, released shortly before. This disc was recognized at that time as the most successful album by a black artist. in history. Many music critics, especially in America, still consider it the pinnacle of Michael Jackson's work.
However, Michael himself remained unsatisfied. The album received a string of awards, but did not win the music industry's most influential award, the Grammy Album of the Year Award. “I felt ignored by my colleagues, and it hurt,” Michael later recalled. “This experience lit a fire in my soul,” he wrote in his autobiography. – I was only thinking about the next album and how I would create it. I wanted him to become truly great."
And he fully realized his idea. Michael's next album is usually spoken of as the greatest achievement in the history of modern recording. Album Thriller received such success that it is virtually impossible to repeat. The best-selling album, a Guinness record holder, a peak that only one person has climbed and only once. The album won seven Grammy awards at the 1984 ceremony, including Album of the Year, and Michael's comeback was deafening.
In his cult film “Thriller” It was from this album that Michael Jackson’s triumphal march through the world of video clips began. Michael decided to invite film directors to work on his musical films. He himself didn't call his videos "video clips" - he called them "short films." And in general, he was right, because the video clip genre, neither before nor after Michael, had reached such perfection and sophistication.
In addition, Michael completely reinvented his own image. Moonwalk. Shiny glove. The famous black fedora... All these most recognizable features of Michael Jackson's appearance entered the world of popular music during this era Thriller.
Michael invested his profits from record sales of the album into a strategically important acquisition. On the advice of colleague Paul McCartney, he bought the ATV music catalog, which contained the rights to songs from many famous performers(including, ironically, songs by The Beatles themselves). Buying the catalog turned out to be a wise investment: Michael had the right to control where and how songs from the catalog were used and, throughout his later life, received royalties whenever these songs generated commercial income.
Michael is taken to the hospital with a burn.The series of successes, however, was overshadowed by an accident. In 1984, while filming a commercial for PepsiCo, a pyrotechnic explosion caused sparks to hit Michael's head and his hair caught fire. Michael's security guard, Miko Brando, put out the flames with his hands, and Michael was immediately taken to the hospital. He was left with severe burns on his skin. Several surgeries were required to restore the scalp. The procedures were long and painful. The recovery took several years and was complicated by the appearance of keloid scars, which grew and prevented normal hair growth. As Michael's nurse and future wife, Debbie Rowe, later said, he had to struggle with this problem for decades. It was from that time that Michael began to wear a black hat so often - at first it served a cosmetic function, and then became an integral part of his image.
Bad. "Crazy Jacko." Neverland
25 years after resounding success Thriller Michael plunged back into work: he gave interviews very rarely, talked little about his hobbies outside of music, and even less so about his private life. He carefully guarded his personal space. In addition, this was his PR strategy: he believed that in order to achieve success, he needed to intrigue the public and give them time to miss the “star”, and not become annoying, an eyesore on television screens and social events. He carefully created a persona that made people wonder and discuss him.
Thus, he soon became known as a strange “hermit”, leading a reclusive life in the company of his animals (Michael had a small zoo at home). Rumors spread. Michael sometimes appeared in public either in the company of singer and actress Diana Ross, sometimes accompanied by film actress Brooke Shields, sometimes with Elizabeth Taylor. But the romance could not be discerned in these appearances, and Michael began to be accused of hiding his true sexual orientation. Some said he was gay. And when people noticed that Michael had changed the shape of his nose and began wearing makeup off stage, the conviction that “something was wrong” with him only grew.
Michael with Diana Ross, American Music Awards, 1980However, many rumors were intentionally fueled by Michael and his manager Frank DiLeo. They seemed to be playing with the press and public opinion - believing that they had the situation under control. Thus, rumors that Michael “sleeps in a pressure chamber” and that he bathes only in Evian water were deliberately spread. “It’s all about rhythm and timing,” Michael once explained his audience tactics, as if talking about a real stage performance. - You need to know clearly what you are doing... It’s like a fever: people are waiting, waiting. It is very important to wait. Preserve, protect this feeling... If you remain mysterious, people’s interest will grow.”
However, the game has gone too far. “Suddenly, in an instant, all of Jackson's eccentricities, which only a few months ago had been considered intriguing or completely insignificant, began to be called strange, wonderful and wonderful,” writes Joseph Vogel in his book “The Man in the Music.” “It became difficult for the artist to withstand merciless attacks, interference in his life, annoying questions and attention.<…>He was more isolated from the world than ever. As soon as he left the house, a crowd of fans and paparazzi immediately attacked him.<…>Every aspect of the artist's life was examined under a microscope. People wanted to know everything about him. Why does he have such a high voice? Was he taking hormones? Did he have sex reassignment surgery? Is he homosexual? Is he asexual? Why does he live in solitude and a fabulous environment? Why is he obsessed with animals and children? Why does he wear masks and costumes? Is he out of touch with reality? Is he even a man?”
Already shy and isolated, Michael almost completely stopped appearing in public. In the vacuum caused by the artist's absence, gossip spread and multiplied. Soon the label “Crazy Jacko” firmly stuck to him, and streams of fabrications poured out of the floodgates of human slander. Some of the stories seemed harmless, if strange: rumors about a supposed "shrine" he built in honor of Elizabeth Taylor, about Bubbles the chimpanzee, and even that he bought the bones of the Elephant Man.
Bad-period “By 1987, to the public, Jackson the man seemed to have ceased to exist,” Vogel writes. “He transformed into the creature they tried to mold him into.” Even those to whom he seemed completely normal noticed the consequences. “One day in the studio I saw Michael sitting on the bathroom cabinet behind the control room,” recalls assistant engineer Russ Ragsdale. “He sat with his feet on the tabletop, leaning his shoulder on the mirror and was almost in a trance, like an animal in a cage.”
The public's opinion of the artist has changed so much that his new album Bad, despite very strong material, a number of hits and strong worldwide sales, was recognized by the readers of Rolling Stone magazine as the “worst album.” Later that year, during the Bad World Tour, Jackson hotel room wrote a desperate letter to the press. It said: “As the old Indian saying goes, don’t judge a man until he’s walked two moons in his moccasins. Many people don't know me, so they write things like this, most of which are not true. I often cry because it hurts... Animals attack not out of anger, but because they want to live. And the same goes for those who criticize: they want our blood, not our pain... But show mercy, because I have been bleeding for a very long time.”
Michael in his Chaplin lookIn reality, Michael spent most of his time working hard. Unprecedented success of the album Thriller set an unattainable bar for him, which the artist, nevertheless, tried to surpass with each subsequent album. He carefully studied the weekly charts, tracked new releases and trends in modern music in order to know what resonated most with the audience. He attracted the most talented producers and musicians. When preparing the albums, Michael worked on dozens of songs, the best of which were then selected for the final tracklist. And he was constantly learning.
Michael Jackson was a voracious reader and collected his own library, which over time grew to 20 thousand volumes. His collection included books on world art, history, biology and psychology. He was deeply interested in the biographies of great people of the past and drew inspiration from their destinies life lessons. He was interested in auto-training techniques and developed programs for himself to mentally target results. In addition, he not only loved movies and cartoons like any American, but seriously studied film art and admired Walt Disney and Charlie Chaplin.
Rich Gateway to Neverland During this period, Michael also purchased a new home for himself - a picturesque 2,800-acre ranch two and a half hours from Los Angeles. He named the ranch "Neverland" - in honor of the fairy-tale land from his favorite story about Peter Pan. After moving from his parents' home to Neverland, Michael refurbished the ranch to his own liking and turned it into a truly magical, fairy-tale destination for guests - especially children. “I wanted to create a place that would have everything that I missed in my childhood,” Michael said about Neverland. There appeared a zoo with exotic animals, an amusement park, a cinema, an arcade with video games and a railway with a real steam locomotive. Having established the ranch, Michael opened it to visitors. He invited friends, fans and children from surrounding schools to visit. Every few weeks, sick and needy children were bussed into the ranch so they could spend a day in “fairyland.” The rural idyll of Neverland also gave Michael solitude and a sense of harmony with nature - essential ingredients for creative inspiration.
Dangerous. Accusations and international scandal
Although the commercial success of the album Thriller Michael (like no one else to this day) could not be surpassed; all his subsequent albums invariably ended up at the top of the charts. With the release of the album Dangerous and the world tour of the same name in 1992-93, Jackson expanded the geography of his performances, including the countries of Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. This raised his already great global popularity to a previously unseen level. In Third World countries, Michael Jackson hysteria was no less than American and British. He won the title of the most famous personality in the world - even in perestroika Russia. His arrival in Moscow with the Dangerous concert in September 1993 became one of the landmark events of the era of change for Russians.
But such fame, like a snowball, “wound” more and more rumors around the artist’s reputation. It seemed that people were overwhelmed with curiosity, burning with the desire to know what he eats, what he sleeps in, who he dines with, what color his socks are, why he’s wearing a hat, why he’s white, why he’s wearing makeup on his face, why he’s wearing a bandage on his sleeve. , who is his girlfriend, why are there children around him.
Michael and Oprah, 1993 In February 1993, Michael decided to give a big one for the first time in ten years. The interview was intended to dispel rumors around the star and lift the veil of secrecy that hid his true life. The world saw a light-skinned man with a high-pitched voice, long black hair and makeup on his face, who sat in the living room of his luxurious mansion on the territory of a huge ranch with the magical name “Neverland” and answered questions that excited the public for almost an hour. Much in this interview was a revelation to the public. In particular, it was then that Michael first spoke about the fact that he suffers from a skin disease (vitiligo), as a result of which his skin loses its natural pigment and becomes light. The interview won a record high rating: The network estimated that 85 million Americans watched it live. It caused new wave interest in the artist’s work and had a positive impact on Michael’s image in the eyes of ordinary people.
Unfortunately, the effect of the interview was short-lived. In the same 1993, the madness around the name of Michael Jackson reached its “boiling point.” All the misunderstanding that accumulated around his image, all that attracted attention to Michael, all his resounding success and mega-popularity turned out to be a breeding ground for the emergence of the most terrible accusation that he himself could only imagine. In August, Evan Chandler, the father of the family with whom Michael became friends, filed a civil lawsuit accusing the artist of “inappropriate behavior” towards his minor son. The news that the King of Pop was a pedophile spread around the world in a matter of days.
It is difficult to imagine what Michael himself was going through during that period. According to his family and friends, the accusation was a terrible blow for him. After all, it was precisely what Michael considered his mission, the meaning of his life - helping children - that was distorted and turned against him. His best aspirations and most important life principles misinterpreted. When the global scandal broke, Michael was on tour. Every evening he had to go on stage in different countries and cities, not knowing how the new audience would greet him and what the thousands of people gathered for the concert actually thought of him. During a short visit to Russia, he wrote a poignant song about loneliness, “Stranger In Moscow”: “I wandered in the rain, hiding behind the mask of life, feeling like I was going crazy...” Intense stress, coupled with a grueling performance schedule, jet lag and pain from the surgery he had undergone before the start of the tour, they made themselves felt - Michael’s insomnia worsened, and he was forced to turn to painkillers and sleeping pills in order to maintain his ability to work.
By November, his condition had become critical: the remaining dates of the Dangerous tour had to be canceled, and Michael's girlfriend, Elizabeth Taylor, took him to a rehabilitation clinic in London. Michael spent about a month there, restoring his health and strength.
Was there anything rational about the accusations made against Michael? Both the singer’s fans and his ill-wishers have talked about this a lot, but it’s worth looking first at the facts. Evan Chandler, a dentist divorced from his wife and taking very little part in his son's life, was a man of great ambition and dreamed of making a career in Hollywood. When his son Jordan met superstar Michael Jackson, Evan initially responded favorably to the friendship and even tried to become friendly with Michael. However, Jordan began to spend more and more time with Michael, clearly seeing him as a father figure, and Evan, by his own admission, became jealous and felt that he was losing his son. And the boy’s mother, June, sympathized with Michael more than with her ex-husband. In the summer of 1993, Evan, allegedly having received a confession from Jordie, first approached Michael demanding money and threatening to start a public scandal. In a published private telephone conversation, Evan admits that he has conceived a plan and his goal is to get his way or ruin Michael's career. He also says his son's interests in the case are "irrelevant." This probably explains why Evan did not file a police report, as a truly angry parent would have done, but instead tried to extort financial compensation from Jackson. When Jackson refused to comply with his terms, Chandler carried out his threats and filed a civil suit.
Michael declares his innocence on TV Michael Jackson has always vigorously defended his innocence. At first, he intended to fight for his honor to the end and did not agree to make concessions. However, the scandal undermined his health and jeopardized his career. The trial threatened to drag on for several years, which would have had a detrimental effect on music sales and the artist's public image. In addition, despite the fact that the Chandlers never contacted the police, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney, on his own initiative, opened an investigation with the intention of bringing criminal charges against Michael. If he succeeded, Jackson would have to defend himself “on two fronts.” The situation was extremely stressful for Michael.
The final straw was the humiliating body search to which Michael was subjected: he, a shy man who was extremely sensitive to his public image, was forced to strip naked in the presence of investigators and doctors and his genitals were photographed to compare with the description given by the boy. Shortly after this traumatic event, Michael, succumbing to the persuasion of his advisers and the insurance company, agreed to a peace agreement with the Chandlers. “We wanted to put this horror behind us,” he later explained in a television interview. The amount his insurer paid Evan Chandler was $15 million.
Prime Time Interview, 1995 The settlement with the Chandlers in the civil suit did not affect the investigation led by the prosecutor's office - and the investigation continued for several more months. However, the police did not find any evidence or reliable evidence that would indicate Michael’s criminal behavior. The description given earlier by Jordan was not confirmed by photographs, and Jordan himself did not want to testify against Michael. Two grand juries convened on the matter ultimately declined to indict Jackson for lack of merit.
Michael was left alone, but this scandal and the monetary payment had an extremely negative impact on his reputation. PepsiCo, which sponsored his world tour, decided not to renew his contract. Many former friends suddenly disappeared from his life. And the question forever remained in the minds of the public: “If he was innocent, then why did he pay?”
HIStory. The King of Pop and the Princess of Rock. Second marriage and children
Michael himself publicly commented on these events only twice - in a statement declaring his innocence on TV and later in . However, personal experiences poured abundantly into his work: most of the new one, released in 1995, became his response to the accusations. For example, in the song “This Time Around,” Michael says to the unnamed offenders: “This time I won’t let myself be stung, although you really want to get to me!” In the song “Money” he accuses the enemy of self-interest: “You will do anything for money...”, and in the song “D.S.” openly incriminates the district attorney who began the hunt for him: “Tom Sneddon is a heartless man.”
Michael and Lisa Marie Just a few months after the scandal died down, the world was shocked by another unexpected news: Michael Jackson got married. Lisa Marie Presley, daughter and heir to the Elvis empire, told the world that she is the legal wife of the King of Pop. “I am truly in love with Michael and want to dedicate my life to him,” she said in a statement to the press.
At that moment, the general public knew nothing about the history of the relationship between Michael and Lisa Marie, so this news was received with skepticism by many. The young people were quick to accuse the marriage of being fictitious, and that its purpose was to help Michael restore his reputation after the accusations and demonstrate his heterosexuality. Over time, however, it became increasingly clear that this was not the case.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley First joint photo shoot Michael and Lisa met in 1992 through a mutual friend: Lisa wanted to invite Michael to produce her debut album. She later admitted that at the very first meeting she was fascinated by Michael: he denied the rumors about himself and turned out to be completely different from how the press portrayed him. “I forgot that he was a superstar after 20 minutes - he behaved so openly and simply with me,” she said. Michael and Lisa began to communicate often, and an affair began between them. At the time, Lisa was still married to her previous husband, Denny Keough, but this did not stop Michael from continuing his courtship or Lisa from accepting it.
Michael and Lisa Marie, February 1998 At first, the couple seemed truly happy, but the marriage lasted only a year and a half - at the beginning of 1996, Lisa Marie filed for divorce. According to her, she could not live “in the ivory tower” built around Michael. She, like any woman, wanted attention and marital understanding - Michael was used to existing in the mode of a public performance staged by himself. Ending the marriage was an impulsive decision (“a stupid move,” as Lisa Marie later called it). The couple's relationship continued for several years after the divorce. Lisa made no secret of the fact that she loved Michael for many years, and although the breakup left her with bitterness and doubts about the reciprocity of these feelings, after Michael’s death she admitted: “And he loved me as much as he knew how.”
For Michael, a serious disappointment in his marriage was that Lisa Marie did not give birth to his child. Having grown up in a large family and seeing children as a source of inspiration, Michael really wanted to become a father, but Lisa, who already had two small children from her first marriage, was in no hurry to conceive, and the marriage was ultimately childless.
Michael and Debbie A year and a half after the divorce of Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, a message appeared that Debbie Rowe, a nurse and longtime acquaintance of Michael, was expecting a child from him. Soon - in Australia during the HIStory world tour - Michael and Debbie got married. The news was met with even more criticism than Jackson's first marriage. Most people heard the name Debbie Rowe for the first time and knew nothing about her friendship with Jackson. “An unknown nurse of ordinary appearance is not a match for a world-famous superstar,” the public reasoned. The marriage was again called fictitious, and this time, it seemed, even Michael himself did not try to deny it.
Perhaps this relationship really was not built on romance, but Debbie Rowe was far from random person in Michael's life. Michael met Debbie back in the early 80s at an appointment with a dermatologist, from whom he underwent medical and cosmetic procedures to improve his skin condition. For more than ten years, Debbie helped Michael cope with vitiligo, a disease that caused his skin to lose its natural pigment, as well as the effects of a burn received on the set of a commercial. In the early 90s, when Michael underwent painful scalp surgery, Debbie lived with him for several weeks, helping him through the post-op period.
Michael with his first child, Prince MichaelMichael saw Debbie as a devoted friend, but she truly loved him and did not hide it. Noticing how Michael was worried about his failed marriage to Lisa Marie, Debbie offered her help in fulfilling his deepest dream - to become a father. And Michael gratefully accepted her offer. On February 13, 1997, Debbie gave Michael probably the most precious gift in his life - she gave birth to his son Prince, and a year later - daughter Paris.
Shortly after this, the couple filed for divorce. The children remained with Michael, and Debbie saw them only from time to time. Many condemned the couple for this decision and accused Debbie of abandoning her children. But according to her, this was the plan from the very beginning: she did not want to become a mother, but only wanted to give children to Michael, to make him happy. She bore children for him.
Michael with his three children According to Michael himself, having children radically changed his life. The children gave it a new meaning and became an inspiration and support for him. From now on, they were more important to him than anything in the world, and even music faded into the background. According to all of Michael’s acquaintances, friends and colleagues without exception, he was an exemplary parent. He himself took care of his children from infancy: he changed their diapers, did laundry, cleaned up after them, cooked for them, taught them good manners and was involved in their diversified development. He studied books on parenting and strived to become the world's best father. “My biggest dream is that one day Prince and Paris will say about me: “He was the best dad!”” Michael admitted to his friend in a private conversation published later. No matter where he traveled, no matter what projects he worked on, he always took care of the needs of his little ones and always found time for them.
In February 2002, Michael had a third child - a son, Prince Michael Jackson II. The baby received the affectionate nickname “Blanket” from his father, which stuck with him as his main name. Nothing was publicly reported about the boy’s mother (as Michael’s personal assistant later said in his memoirs, Blanket was born from a surrogate mother).
Invincible. Bashir's film. New charges and trial
Action against Sony In the fall of 2001, the long-awaited new album of Michael Jackson was released Invincible. The release was accompanied by two concerts in New York; there were rumors that Michael would tour again. However, the advertising campaign in support of the album was suddenly interrupted: the Sony Music label stopped releasing video clips and promoting the album in the media. Sony executives explained this by saying that huge amounts of money had already been invested in the album (the recording and mixing of the songs alone cost $30 million), and sales did not cover further costs. Michael, who had devoted several years of hard work to this project, was hurt and angry. He believed that Sony was sabotaging the album's promotion, and began to suspect the label's management of a conspiracy to keep him in debt and force him to sell his share of shares in the Sony/ATV catalog, a joint venture that Michael by this time owned half-and-half with Sony. Michael broke off relations with label head Tommy Mottola and began to openly oppose Sony. Many fans of the singer supported him with protests. The album ultimately failed to live up to commercial expectations, and although Michael subsequently worked with Sony on several more releases, he never forgave the label for this betrayal.
Unfortunately, this betrayal was not the last and not the most difficult in the life of Michael Jackson. In 2003, Michael made another attempt to overcome the image imposed on him by the tabloid press and find understanding among the general public. He invited British journalist Martin Bashir to make a documentary about his private life off stage. Relying on recommendations from friends, Michael trusted Bashir and agreed to give him unrestricted access to his home and his life for eight months.
Michael in Bashir's film Bashir spent almost a year with Michael. He communicated with his children, lived in Neverland, and accompanied him on his travels. However, the film that was eventually released was not at all what Michael expected. From eight months of filming, Bashir carefully selected moments to illustrate the most scandalous themes. Michael's remarks were skillfully edited to add sensationalism to the film; the most innocent scenes were provided with ambiguous voice-over comments. Michael was portrayed as an antisocial, abnormal person who had tendencies towards megalomania and paranoia and posed a threat to his own and other people's children. Relatives and friends did not recognize him in this film.
Many viewers and even celebrities criticized Bashir's film. Michael released a refutation program exposing the journalist's duplicity. However, the damage had already been done. The most terrible consequence of the film was a new attempt to accuse the artist of having an inappropriate relationship with a child. The film showed a teenager from a poor Latin American family, whom Michael helped cope with a serious cancer disease. The negative presentation of this story and Bashir's insinuations led to the fact that Michael's relationship with the boy's family deteriorated, and the boy's mother contributed to the initiation of a criminal case against Michael.
On the days of judgment. 2005, Santa Maria This time, District Attorney Tom Sneddon (who failed to indict Jackson in 1993) secured formal charges. Michael was arrested and, in front of cameras, escorted in handcuffs to the police station. His Neverland ranch was unceremoniously raided by 70 police officers. All his plans to implement new projects (including creating a designer clothing brand and producing films) were crossed out.
The investigation into the case lasted two years, after which a trial took place, which turned into a worldwide media spectacle. Reporters were not allowed into the courtroom, and they surrounded the courthouse like a flock of vultures, filming Michael's daily arrival and departure from hearings. There were fans at the courthouse who supported the artist, and haters who shouted threats at him. Michael Jackson went through this three-month public ordeal with quiet dignity. According to the stories of those close to him, these were the hardest months of his life, a period of despair, during which he drew strength only from his children, the support of fans and faith in God. On June 13, 2005, Michael was unanimously acquitted by a jury of fourteen counts.
Last years. This Is It
Although the jury found the artist not guilty, this trial itself had a strong impact on his state of mind. According to relatives, Michael became more withdrawn, stopped trusting people, and preferred to avoid appearing in public. Immediately after the trial was over, he left Neverland, saying that he could never live there again, and left the country. For the next year and a half, he and his children wandered around the world: for some time he stayed with the Prince of Bahrain, then moved to a quiet estate in Ireland. And only in December 2006 he finally found the strength to return to his homeland.
By this time his financial situation had become critical. Jackson had not released new music or performed in seven years and his career seemed to be consigned to oblivion. Without new sources of income, he lived increasingly in debt. By 2008, the size of his loans reached the value of the mortgaged property: Michael almost lost the Neverland Ranch and was on the verge of bankruptcy. The only way out of the situation was to return to the stage.
Announcement of the This Is It concerts And in January 2009, a contract was signed with one of the largest concert promoters AEG Live for 10 concerts at the O2 arena in London. The concerts were called This Is It - “That’s all.” Michael announced them as his "final bow". According to eyewitnesses, he was forced to accept this contract. It was psychologically difficult for him to return to the stage - Bashir’s film, the charges and the trial had an extremely negative impact on his image: many people by that time considered Michael Jackson crazy, or even a criminal. He didn't know how the public would receive him. However, contrary to fears, the demand for tickets turned out to be unheard of: within 24 hours of the announcement, applications were received from almost a million people. They hastened to increase the number of concerts to fifty.
The upcoming “marathon” of fifty performances and intensive preparation for it turned out to be extremely stressful for Michael. He was afraid that at the age of 50 he would not be able to withstand such a load, he was worried that he would disappoint his fans, that the show would fail. There was too much at stake. His insomnia, which usually accompanied him on tour, worsened. Michael was forced to resort to strong drugs to get enough sleep before rehearsals. His health deteriorated sharply, he lost weight - team members working on preparing the show, and even fans sounded the alarm. But it was not possible to prevent the tragedy.
On the morning of June 25, 2009, a week before flying to London and three weeks before the start of the concerts, Michael Jackson died from an overdose of an anesthetic administered to him by his attending physician. Dr Conrad Murray was subsequently found guilty of the artist's manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.
Fans see Michael off at the Apollo Theater, New York Michael Jackson's passing was an event that caused an even greater public outcry than his failed grand return to the stage. On June 25, 2009, the news of his death crashed Twitter and a number of news sites, unable to cope with the explosion of traffic that resulted from the news. Google responded to millions of searches about Michael Jackson as a cyber attack. Wikipedia has registered a record number of visitors to a single article for the entire existence of the service. The artist’s Facebook page gained 10 million subscribers in a matter of hours. The leaders of the Internet corporation America Online called the death of Michael Jackson "a significant milestone in the history of the Internet."
Many people, even those who were not ardent fans of the artist, cried when they heard about his death. Others admitted that it was difficult for them to comprehend the news: Michael Jackson had become such a bright and integral part of modernity for his generation that it was difficult for people to imagine a world without him. A wave of tributes swept across the globe: from Stockholm to Taipei, from Mexico City to Hong Kong, young people took to the streets and danced to Michael's songs. Hundreds of obituaries, memoirs and articles appeared in the press and blogs, rethinking the personality and work of the “King of Pop”. His songs, which were rarely heard on the radio in the last years of his life, returned to active rotation. The documentary “This Is It,” based on recordings of rehearsals for the canceled concerts, broke box office records and earned unanimous praise from critics. Album Invincible According to the results of a vote by Billboard readers, it was named the best album of the decade. A re-evaluation of Jackson's work began as people began to discover his lesser-known and commercially successful works.
Paris Jackson at the funeral service But, perhaps, the key event that marked the beginning of a new, eternal life for Michael Jackson was the words of his daughter Paris, spoken by her at the farewell ceremony, which was watched live by about a billion people. When Michael’s family took the stage, his 11-year-old daughter suddenly, in a fit of emotion, asked for a microphone and, barely holding back tears, uttered to the audience and to the television cameras the very words that Michael once dreamed of hearing: “From the day I was born, dad was the best.” the kind of father you could ever imagine. I love him so much...” This simple short eulogy did what Michael had not been able to achieve for many years - it seemed to instantly allow millions of people to take off the blinders from their eyes and finally see a person in the hero of the scandalous gossip column. Death, alas, took this man away, but it also freed his personality and genius from the burden of social prejudices.
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 difficult 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. Music magazine the 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. All 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 this would help 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 go to 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 called the “Off the Wall” disc 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 was 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 throughout the entire existence of the 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 the music video for 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 that the aspiring model Naomi Campbell gained worldwide recognition.
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. The 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 of the song clearly pointed to the imperfection of the political system in the United States 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 medicinal product 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 the history of 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 charities millions of young children living in lagging countries in Africa were prevented from starving to death. In total, for his creative work, he donated more than $300 million to charity, which no 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.