The biography of Michael Jackson tells the story of legendary musician and the most successful pop project in the history of music. More than 1 billion copies of the singer's songs have been sold worldwide. His work created new canons of pop music that remain relevant even today. The artist is credited with the first bright show programs at concerts. The life story of Michael Jackson tells about success, domestic violence and the personality traits of the musician.
Achievements and awards
The acclaimed King of Pop was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a feat only a few artists have achieved. The first time this happened during Michael’s performances as part of the Jackson 5 group, the second time - as a solo artist. Other significant events include:
- entering the Guinness Book of Records (25 times);
- winning a Grammy Award (15 times);
- awarding the title of “The most successful artist of all time”;
- release of the album Thriller (1982), which to this day is the best-selling album of all time music industry.
The singer was awarded the award “For Outstanding Contribution to world culture" Michael has invested several hundred million dollars in charity. He also noted the organization of his own foundation, Heal the World.
Childhood and adolescence
The singer's date of birth was August 29, 1958, he was the seventh child of nine. Wikipedia contains data that the future musician’s childhood and youth took place in small town Gary (Indiana) to Catherine and Joseph Jackson.
Childhood years left a heavy psychological imprint, as the performer’s autobiography tells. Michael himself stated this as an adult, mentioning moral oppression and beatings from his father. One night, dad, wearing a scary mask and screaming wildly, climbed into Jackson’s room through the window, which greatly frightened him. After a child's fright for many years I had nightmares about being kidnapped from my bedroom. So the father wanted to teach the children to close the windows at night.
During an interview in 2003, Joseph Jackson for the first time admitted the fact of beatings and moral pressure on children. The cruel upbringing instilled iron discipline in the singer and had a positive effect on his career, but in return the performer’s psyche was crippled for life.
Appearance on stage
Joseph created the group The Jackson 5, which included his five sons. It was this group that paved the way for Michael on stage. Despite her small age, the future star attracted a lot of attention. The audience loved the unique style of performance combined with choreographic tricks.
The group was a success and toured extensively throughout the Midwest from 1966-1968. The recording studio Motown Records drew attention to this, offering the team a contract in 1969. It was then that the artists released their sensational songs, and Michael began to be called the Black Prince.
Local successes gave way to national ones in 1970. Several of the group's works occupied leading positions on the American Billboard Hot 100 chart. Success since 1973 musical group began to fall. This led to the signing of a contract with another company, and the name of the group also had to be changed to The Jacksons. The new team was organized by Jackson's brothers - Jack, Tito and Jermaine. Album releases and touring continued until 1984.
First solo releases
Although The Jackson 5 had disagreements with Motown Records, the Black Prince continued to collaborate with the label. This led to the recording of four solo albums:
- Got to Be There (1972) sold over 5 million times;
- Ben (1972) sold 5 million copies;
- Music&Me (1973) - 2 million copies sold;
- Forever, Michael (1975) - 1.5 million copies sold.
The singer's solo discography began with these releases. A fateful event occurred in 1978. The artist played the Scarecrow in the film adaptation of the musical “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. On the set, he met director Queens Johnson, who played an important role in the development of Jackson's career.
The result of collaboration with Queens ended with the release of his fifth solo album, Off the Wall (1979). His singles were ranked number one on the Billboard Hot chart. The album's total sales amounted to 20 million copies.
The peak of the artist's career
By the early 80s, Jackson had achieved phenomenal success. The Thriller album, which had been in preparation for almost a year, helped strengthen its position in the industry.
Thriller is the best-selling album in history. Its release dates back to 1982, the total number of copies sold reached 135 million. It was at number one on the Billboard 200 for 37 weeks. The album later lost its top spot, but remained on the chart for another two years. The artist also released a small interesting film Thriller. At that time, he revolutionized ideas about the visualization of compositions.
The record revolutionized not only music. She finally dispelled racial stereotypes. For the first time, videos by a black singer were broadcast on MTV. Later, the artist was invited to the White House, where he met with Ronald Reagan.
Jackson became the inventor of the legendary “moonwalk.” He first introduced it in 1983. These years were marked by his first international solo tour, the Bad Tour. Over three years, the artist gave 123 performances in 15 countries. The London concert was included in the Guinness Book of Records. It was visited by 1.5 million people.
Activities in the 2000s
Since the beginning of the 2000s, the musician has been much less active. The most significant events of this period:
- The album Invincible, released in 2001, broke a creative pause that lasted six years. The release was dedicated to the tragic death of a 16-year-old Afro-Norwegian at the hands of neo-Nazis in Oslo.
- Having released the album, the singer held a concert at the Madison Square Garden stadium in honor of the 30th anniversary of his solo career. The event was also remembered for the first appearance of The Jackson 5 since 1984.
- From 2003 to 2004, collections of hits and previously unreleased compositions were released. August 2008 was remembered for the album King of Pop. It was released in honor of the musician's 50th birthday.
The release of the eleventh solo album was interrupted by the tragic death of the artist. The album was supposed to appear in 2009.
Personal life
The personal life in the biography of Michael Jackson is full of scandals that were spread by the press. The artist received a lot of attention. Michael stopped appearing on the streets and suffered from loneliness. A negative image was actively created by the press, denigrating the musician’s personality.
Michael Jackson's first wife was Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. The couple met in 1975. Lisa supported Jackson when the press actively hounded him and many turned away from him. Despite the breakup of the marriage in 1996, ex-couple maintained friendly relations.
The divorce brought difficult experiences for Michael, which caused his vitiligo disease to worsen. While visiting dermatologist Arnold Klein, the artist met Debbie Rowe, a physician's assistant and former nurse. In the future they had a daughter and a son.
During the conversation, Debbie asked what bothered Michael the most. He talked about his desire to have children. Then the young woman offered to carry babies for the artist so that he could realize his dream of becoming a father.
This proposal pleased Jackson, and he agreed. Debbie became the mother of Prince Michael Joseph and Paris-Michael Katherine Johnson, the son and daughter of the artist. Considering her mission complete, in 1999 Debbie divorced the musician and renounced her parental rights.
Jackson 2002 brought his second son, he was named Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II. The name of the surrogate mother was not released.
After a series of scandals invented by the press, the musician chose to remove the children from the public. They even wore special masks when they appeared next to their father in public.
False accusations of pedophilia
As a child, Michael suffered because he could not play with his peers. All free time Rehearsals and work in the studio were busy. Because of this, as an adult, the musician loved spending time with children.
He appreciated their sincerity and the fact that they didn’t need anything from him. In addition to multimillion-dollar investments to help children in need, Jackson in 1988 bought 112 hectares of land near Santa Barbara (California). A large-scale project to create a real fairy-tale palace was implemented on this site. There were attractions, railways, a zoo, carousels and much more.. The territory was named Neverland in honor of Peter Pan, the boy who would never grow up.
Was invented at the ranch entertainment program. Attention was also paid to children with disabilities. Looking through the recordings, you can notice the joy and happiness on the faces of the children and the performer himself.
The first accusation of pedophilia appeared in 1993. Jordan Chandler claimed that the musician regularly forced him to touch his genitals. During the investigation, the artist was forced to demonstrate his genital organ so that the investigation could compare it with the boy’s testimony.
The outcome of the proceedings was the conclusion of a settlement deal, under which Michael had to pay $22 million. The second accusation came in 2003 from Gavin Arvizo. He went to the press with allegations that the artist got him drunk, after which they masturbated together. Michael considered this case to be the same extortion as in the case of the first accusation. The court completely acquitted the singer.
When Michael died, Jordan Chandler admitted that he had deliberately slandered the artist. His father forced him to do this. A little later, unable to bear the feeling of guilt, Chandler Sr. committed suicide.
Illness and plastic surgery
After 1987, the press and fans of the artist began to notice changes in his appearance. The singer's skin took on a pale tint, his physique became thinner.
The artist received many accusations of hating his body - dysmorphophobia. The press claimed that Jackson deliberately changed his skin color through surgery and makeup. The musician reacted painfully to these statements. According to him, he was proud of his nationality and the fact that he was black.
The reason for the skin lightening became known later. It turned out that the singer suffered from vitiligo. His disease began to manifest itself during the period of his divorce from his first wife, and then became chronic. With vitiligo, the skin becomes covered with light spots. Because of this, Michael's appearance was disfigured, and the disease progressed. Jackson had to wear light makeup to look good in public. According to the artist, he didn’t even look at his reflection in the mirror in the morning.
Vitiligo was accompanied by lupus. It led to facial deformation, affecting the cheekbones and connective tissues. Experts stated that the singer had a large number of plastic surgeries. These conclusions were confirmed by Michael’s mother; she feared for his passion for plastic surgery.
The artist insisted that he performed rhinoplasty only twice. He added that he did not understand such increased attention to this issue. Many people in those days used such services, but the press did not actively discuss them, no matter how many operations they performed.
Jackson's death
California Emergency Services received a call at 12:21 pm on June 25, 2009. A man with a confused voice called an ambulance to Holmby Hills (the property where Jackson lived). A group of doctors promptly arrived on call in just 3 minutes 17 seconds. But this was not enough - doctors found Michael’s body in a motionless state, his pulse could not be felt.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation measures were carried out on the way to and in the medical center. The death of the King of Pop was finally confirmed at 14:26. This news appeared in the media a couple of minutes later.
During the police investigation, the singer's doctor, Conrad Murray, was first questioned. He claimed to have found Jackson unconscious and with a weak pulse. All attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation were unsuccessful. After this, the doctor called an ambulance. Conrad carried out resuscitation so actively that in a panic he broke several of the artist’s ribs.
One of the main accusations against Conrad was the late call to the ambulance. To this the doctor replied that he did not know the exact address of the estate where Michael lived. It took him half an hour to find out the coordinates. This version of Conrad turned out to be unconvincing to prosecutors.
The testimony of Ken Ehrlich, the producer, also played against Murray. Shortly before Michael's death, he saw him in an energetic state.
An autopsy revealed that Michael was severely malnourished. His weight was only 51 kg with a height of 178 cm. Examination of the stomach showed the absence of food, but the presence of the anesthetic propofol. The concentration of the drug was exceeded, which led to an overdose. In addition, the anesthetic was administered intravenously. Experts called the cause of death murder.
November 2011 was remembered for the end of the investigation. Conrad was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Funerals and posthumous albums
The farewell ceremony for the King of Pop was closed. It took place on July 7, 2009. IN memorial park Forest Lawn Cemetery (Los Angeles) was attended by the artist’s inner circle. The farewell to the musician was completed with a final speech from his daughter. The girl said: “He was the best dad anyone could have.”
Michael's first posthumous album was released in 2010. Opinions about this work were divided. Many people considered such a release a necessity. Fans were happy that even after the singer’s death they could enjoy his works. But some listeners and critics had a different opinion. They considered the release of the album to be blasphemy and a manifestation of commercialism. The main reason lay in the insufficient quality and incompleteness of the material.
The release date for Xscape's last posthumous album was 2014. He received a warmer welcome. It included 8 songs, one of which was the song Love Never Felt So Good. She was added to the list greatest hits performer.
Michael Jackson brought dramatic changes to pop music. His style gave rise to many modern trends, which continue to develop to this day. The musician became one of the first who began filming full-fledged videos and putting on a real show at concerts. Michael's contribution to the development of music is valued to this day.
Michael Jackson is a legendary performer who has remained at the top for decades musical Olympus, born on August 29, 1958 in the small town of Gary (Indiana, USA).
Childhood
The parents of the future star also devoted their entire lives to music, but did not achieve the same recognition as their son. However, Michael's father, a black blues performer, was popular among local residents. But his mother, who had Indian blood in her veins, preferred country style. Moreover, she not only sang beautifully, but also danced excellently.
As a child
Young Katherine fell in love with Joseph Jackson without looking back and married him at a very young age - she was barely 19 years old. But the popular bluesman at home turned out to be completely different from what she was used to seeing on stage. In addition, he was a fierce opponent of abortion, so Catherine was almost always pregnant.
Michael was the eighth born. By this time, a strict “education system” had already clearly emerged in the Jackson family, where Joseph was an unquestioned authority and could single-handedly execute and pardon. Physical punishment was often used, but more often the father publicly humiliated the children morally, believing that in this way he strengthened their spirit.
Unable to resist the barbaric educational methods of her husband, who often amused himself by scaring children at night, Catherine found an outlet in the church. She began to regularly attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and forced the children to also study the Bible according to their traditions.
When Michael turned six, Joseph had the lucky idea to create musical ensemble from your own children. Moreover, most of them had pronounced artistic abilities and enjoyed playing the musical instruments, of which there were several in the house.
But then the game ended, and the tough drill began. Waving the belt, the father forced them to rehearse until they were completely exhausted. At first, only the elders were unlucky. But a couple of years later, Michael and his brother Marlon were also included in the main lineup of the team, which was now called “Jaksons 5”.
His duties included dancing, backing vocals and playing the tambourine. And since 1966, Michael has already been a soloist in the group.
Start of a career
The pop star considers the first tour that their family ensemble went on after winning a regional talent competition to be the beginning of her career. About two years passed on the road, and for Michael it was an excellent school for survival and working on stages of various levels.
Participation in the concert tour brought them some fame, but the money received for it was not enough for such a crowd, and especially for their father. Then the boys adapted to working part-time in strip clubs as opening acts. Their task was to excite and excite the audience before the start of the main show, and the boys did a great job with it.
Already in 1970, the Jackson group was known to everyone in the Southwest of the United States, and some of their songs began to sound in prestigious charts. By this time, Michael became very interested in dancing and came up with the very style that millions of his fans around the world later began to copy.
In the meantime, he remained an eccentric, talented black boy, completely different from those who were already on the stage.
Solo career
The brothers were lucky - they managed to sign a contract with one of the leading American recording studios. But their father's obnoxious character and greed cost them their careers. Already in 1973, a loud scandal broke out, which resulted in the severance of relations between the Jackson team and the producers.
Only 14-year-old Michael did not suffer, but rather benefited from this conflict. Realizing that the boy had all the makings of a star and his own style of performance, the owners of the Motown studio entered into an individual contract with him and over the course of several years released as many as four solo albums of the young singer.
In 1978, already a famous performer, 20-year-old Michael appeared on the screens for the first time. The young artist got the role of the Scarecrow, which he performed with endless charm. While working, he met music producer Quincy Jones, who offered him cooperation and patronage.
In this creative tandem the fifth is born solo album Jackson with the strange title “Off the Wall”. The title song from it and three more compositions, with the recording of which Paul McCartney helped the young Jackson, burst onto the top positions of music billboards and brought resounding success to the singer. The album sold 20 million copies.
Music King
In the early 80s, everyone knew Jackson. His songs were heard in every home, and millions of fans eagerly awaited the release of his new album. And in 1984, he pleased the audience with the presentation of his new creation, for which he wrote several songs himself.
The circulation of this album with the intriguing title “Thriller” exceeded 100 million worldwide and became one of the best-selling albums in the history of pop music.
For the first time in US history, a black singer not only stayed at the top of the charts for several years and appeared on national television, but was also received by the President himself in the White House. And in the video for this super-successful album, Jackson walked for the first time with his famous “Moonwalk,” which the whole world is still a fan of.
In 1984, having earned millions from his songs, Jackson became a co-owner of the recording studio with which he worked, and even later, he bought a controlling stake. This led to a serious disagreement with Paul McCartney, who was actively involved in promoting the singer and also counted on high profits.
Since 1985, the singer has been involved in charity work. His first major act of goodwill was the $61 million he earned from “We are the World,” a duet he recorded with friend Lionel Richie, to help poor children in Africa. Subsequently, the singer regularly transferred large sums to help black children.
In 1987, Jackson released his seventh album and went on a world tour. Countless crowds of fans gathered at each concert. It would seem that there was nowhere to go, but the musician’s popularity still continued to grow.
And in 1993 he came to Russia for the first time, where he gave solo concert in Luzhniki. Second and last time Jackson visited Moscow in 1996, where then-mayor Luzhkov attended a concert at Dynamo Stadium and met the singer personally.
Until the early 2000s, the singer remained the recognized king of pop music. Until a loud scandal broke out over him. The singer was accused of molesting children. Although no evidence of this could be found subsequently, this had a rather bad effect on the artist’s career.
He was just preparing to release a song dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, in the recording of which other world stars were supposed to participate, but they refused to cooperate with him.
In 2008, a year before his death, the singer released his tenth anniversary album “King of Pop”. And the one that he planned to present to the public in 2009 never reached the viewer. On June 25, 2009, the talented singer died prematurely due to a drug overdose.
He was buried on September 3, 2009 in the suburbs of Los Angeles, on famous cemetery Forest Lawn, where fans now constantly come to honor the memory of their favorite singer.
Personal life
Jackson was married twice. His first wife was the daughter of the famous musician Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie. He met her for the first time in 1975, when he was 17 and little Lisa was only 8. But in 1993, they met again in London, during which they somehow immediately became close.
With Lisa Marie Presley
Less than a year later, the couple got married in a small church in the Dominican Republic. Moreover, Jackson proposed to his beloved over the phone. But they both quickly became disillusioned with the marriage. Due to Michael's frequent travels, Lisa hardly saw him.
He was a real star, and she wanted peace and a cozy home. Two years later they divorced, maintaining a lifelong friendship.
With Debbie Rowe
The legendary American singer Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana (USA). He was the seventh of nine children of the Jackson family.
At the age of five, Michael became a member of the Jackson Five family group and soon took the place of lead vocalist.
In 1968, the Jackson Five signed a contract with Motown Records and recorded such hits as I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save and I'll Be There. In the mid-1970s, the Jackson Five's popularity began to decline, and their solo career Michaela began to gain momentum.
In 1977, Michael Jackson made his debut in the musical film The Wiz, which began his long-term collaboration with the famous producer and composer Quincy Jones. Together with him, Michael released the solo album Off the Wall in 1979. The disc took the top lines of the US and UK charts, and for the song Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Jackson received his first Grammy statuette.
In 1982, the singer released his second album, Thriller. The album became one of the most commercially successful in the history of pop music, selling 70 million copies worldwide. The Thriller disc brought Michael seven Grammy awards.
A video clip was shot for the main song of the album of the same name, which is believed to have marked the beginning of the active development of the music video.
In 1983, at the Motown 25 years show, Michael Jackson walked for the first time with his famous “moonwalk”.
In 1987, the singer released the album Bad. All singles from this record reached the top of the charts. The album sold 29 million copies.
In the same year, Jackson's autobiography, Moonwalker, was published.
In 1991, Michael Jackson signed a major contract with Sony Music and released his solo album, Dangerous.
The singer finally secured his status as the first star in world show business - his composition Black Or White became a number one hit on both sides of the ocean.
In September 1993, Michael Jackson gave a concert in Moscow, at the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Stadium.
In 1995, Jackson released the double album HIStory, which combined a disc of 15 new songs with a disc of his biggest hits. The album sold 7 million copies in the US (15 million worldwide).
In 1996, Jackson's second performance in Russia took place at Moscow's Dynamo Stadium.
In 1997, an album of dance remixes of tracks from HIStory - Blood on the Dancefloor - appeared in stores.
The album Invincible, released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single You rock my world, which featured legendary actor Marlon Brando in the video. That same year, Michael recorded the song What More Can I Give, the proceeds of which went to charity.
In 2003, Michael Jackson's greatest hits album, Number Ones, was released. The only original composition on this disc, One More Chance, occupied the top line of the Billboard chart for three weeks.
In 2004, Jackson released a commemorative edition Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection - a five-disc collection that included his biggest hits, demos and an additional DVD of live footage from the Dangerous tour.
In August 2008, Michael Jackson released an original studio album entitled King of Pop. The collection consisted of compositions based on poems by the great Scottish poet of the 18th century, Robert Burns.
Jackson's album Thriller 25, released in February 2008 to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the legendary Thriller album, was a great success. IN new collection included nine original compositions from the old album, as well as remixes and new song For All Time.
The disc reached number one on eight charts. European countries, reached number two in the American and third in the British charts. It was sold in the USA.
As a forensic examination established, the King of Pop suffered an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.
On July 7, 2009, she performed with Michael Jackson at the Staples sports and entertainment complex in Los Angeles.
Michael Jackson was married twice. The first time was on Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. The marriage did not last long, from 1994 to 1996, but the stars remained friends. In 1996, Michael Jackson married former nurse Debbie Rowe. During three years of marriage, they had two children: a son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Sr. (1997) and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (1998). Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (2002), was born through a surrogate mother.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Michael Joseph Jackson is an American singer and dancer who began his career performing in the family group “The Jacksons.” Since 1972, he devoted himself to a solo career, quickly achieving unsurpassed success. His sixth studio album, Thriller, remained the best-selling album in history for more than 30 years, and the name Michael Jackson became a pop music legend.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
By the beginning of the 80s, Michael Jackson had already achieved phenomenal success, and a new album, “Thriller,” was waiting for fans. 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 the 14-minute video for "Thriller," which set new standards for music videos.
Michael Jackson - "Thriller" full video
In 1984, Michael's work was again at the top of the charts. This time the single “Say Say Say”, recorded together with Paul McCartney, was included there. The following year, Jackson bought a controlling stake in ATV Music Publishing, which 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 the musician’s best hits, which included 15 new compositions, went on sale. Among them was the sad ballad “Stranger in Moscow”. When fans asked why the song turned out to be so sad, did he really not like it in Moscow, Michael replied that the audience at the Moscow concert was almost the most welcoming in his memory, but at that moment he was constrained by a feeling of “all-consuming loneliness and cold.”
The second time the king of pop visited Moscow was in September 1996 - he gave a concert at the Dynamo stadium and met with Yuri Luzhkov and Igor Krutoy.
Further career
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 five-disc set “Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection" Box Set” with 13 previously unreleased songs was released, and in August 2008, a collection of hits “King of Pop” was released, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson planned to release his eleventh studio album in 2009.
Personal life of Michael Jackson
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 began to communicate 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 in his hand youngest son. 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.
Allegations 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 every child's dream: a mansion reminiscent of a fairytale 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, a boy who will never grow up. 
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 as far as accusing 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.
Death
On June 25, 2009, at 12:21 p.m. local time, the California emergency services received a call. A confused voice called an ambulance to the Holmby Hills estate - the property of Michael Jackson. Medics arrived at the scene 3 minutes 17 seconds later and found the motionless body of the King of Pop with a barely palpable pulse. 
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."
On July 29, 2009, Conrad Murray admitted that he himself injected Michael Jackson with propofol shortly before his death, followed by giving him several pills with a sedative effect - in lately the singer suffered from insomnia and pain due to the consequences of plastic surgery and problems with the spine, so he needed anesthesia and sleeping pills.
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 he could have…”. 
On September 3, 2009, 70 days after his death, Michael Jackson was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Michael Jackson's funeral
Posthumous albums by Michael Jackson
As it turned out after the opening of Michael Jackson's will, the singer's children inherited the rights to two hundred of his archival compositions. The real estate and financial assets were transferred to the Jackson Family Trust under the direction of Katherine Jackson. It is noteworthy that Joseph Jackson was not mentioned in the artist’s last will, nor was the mother of Michael’s older children. 
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."
7 sad stories from the life of Michael Jackson
The album “Xscape”, released in 2014, which included only 8 tracks, received warmer reviews. The song “Love Never Felt So Good” was especially loved by listeners, who noted that the track was comparable to the best hits from “Thriller” or “Off the Wall.”
The legendary American singer Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana (USA). He was the seventh of nine children of the Jackson family.
At the age of five, Michael became a member of the Jackson 5 family group and soon took the place of lead vocalist.
In 1968, the Jackson 5 signed a contract with Motown Records and recorded such hits as “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I'll Be There.”
The singer finally secured his status as the first star in world show business - his composition Black Or White became a number one hit on both sides of the ocean.
In September 1993, Michael Jackson gave a concert in Moscow, at the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Stadium.
Jackson released the double album HIStory, which combined a disc of 15 new songs with a disc of his biggest hits. The album sold 7 million copies in the US (15 million worldwide).
In 1996, Jackson's second performance in Russia took place at Moscow's Dynamo Stadium.
In 1997, an album of dance remixes of tracks from HIStory - Blood on the Dancefloor - appeared in stores.
The album Invincible, released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single You rock my world, which featured legendary actor Marlon Brando in the video. That same year, Michael recorded the song What More Can I Give, the proceeds of which went to charity.
In the same year, the singer’s last live concert performance took place with the anniversary program Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary.
In 2003, Michael Jackson's greatest hits album, Number Ones, was released. The only original composition on this disc - One More Chance - occupied the top line of the Billboard chart for three weeks.
In 2004, Jackson released the commemorative edition of Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection, a five-disc collection that included his biggest hits, demos, and an additional DVD of live footage from the Dangerous tour.
In August 2008, Michael Jackson released an original studio album entitled King of Pop. The collection consisted of compositions based on poems by the great Scottish poet of the 18th century, Robert Burns.
Jackson's album Thriller 25, released in February 2008 to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the legendary Thriller album, was a great success. The new collection includes nine original compositions from the old album, as well as remixes and a new song For All Time.
The disc came out on top in the charts in eight European countries, reached number two in the American charts and number three in the British charts. 166 thousand copies of this disc were sold in the USA.
The singer and his family lived in his own residence in Las Vegas.
The cause of death of the King of Pop was an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.
A memorial ceremony for Michael Jackson took place at the Staples sports and entertainment complex in Los Angeles.
He was buried at Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery near Los Angeles.
An American court sentenced Michael Jackson's former personal physician, Conrad Murray, to four years in prison for manslaughter. According to investigators, Murray gave the musician an excessive dose of the drug propofol, which, in interaction with other drugs, including sedatives, caused the singer’s death.
During Michael Jackson's creative career, the cumulative circulation of his albums amounted to 750 million copies worldwide. Jackson's Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, and four other albums (Off the Wall, Bad, Dangerous and HIStory) are among the best-selling albums in the world.
Michael Jackson has won more than 350 music awards, including 15 Grammy awards (14 awards for his solo career and one award as part of the Jackson 5).
Jackson is one of the few musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (as part of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist).
Michael Jackson was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful artist of all times. Jackson's album Thriller was also included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling album of all time.
During his life, Michael Jackson underwent many plastic surgeries, some of which he had to undergo due to a rare genetic skin disease - vitiligo (characterized by the development of spots white). Jackson's skin began to lighten in the 1980s. The singer denied that he deliberately wants to change his skin color.
Jackson's health was undermined not only by frequent illnesses and operations. Michael Jackson stood trial twice on charges of molesting young boys, in 1993 and 2003. The first case was closed due to insufficient evidence. 16 years after the scandal erupted, upon learning of the death of Michael Jackson, the person involved in the first case, Jordan Chandler, admitted that all his public accusations were groundless.
As a result of the second trial, Jackson was completely acquitted.
Michael Jackson was also repeatedly sued by his business partners.
Michael Jackson has been married twice. The first time was on Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. The marriage did not last long, from 1994 to 1996, but the stars remained friends. In 1996, Michael Jackson married former nurse Debbie Rowe. During three years of marriage, they had two children: a son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Sr. (born in 1997) and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born in 1998). Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (born in 2002), was born through a surrogate mother.
Releases released after the singer's death continue to be popular with his fans. According to Media Traffic, the top seller in the music industry in 2009 was the singer's collection of singles, This Is It; in 2011, the studio album Michael topped the sales charts. Michael Jackson's second posthumous album Xcape became the best-selling album of 2014.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources