Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958. He is an American
musician, entertainer, and businessman. Michael is the seventh child of the
Jackson family. He started singing professionally at the age of 11, as a
member of the Jackson 5, and he started a solo career in 1971 while he was
still a member of the group. He is referred to as the "King of Pop." Five of his
solo albums have become the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979),
Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory(1995).
In the early 1980s, Michael Jackson became known as the world's most
popular musician, and he was the first African-American entertainer to have
videos played on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such
as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller— which transformed music videos into
art—helped make MTV, which was a new channel at the time, the most-
watched channel on cable TV. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream"
kept Jackson popular on MTV into the 1990s. With stage performances and
music videos, Jackson developed a number of complicated dance techniques,
such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal
style influenced numerous hip hop, pop, and R&B artists.
Jackson has donated and raised millions of dollars for important causes
through his Dangerous World Tour, charity singles, and support of 39 charities.
However, his personal life—including his changing appearance and
unpredictable behavior—started controversy, which damaged his public
image. He was accused of child sex abuse in 1993, but the criminal
investigation was closed due to lack of evidence, and Jackson was not
charged. He then got married twice and had three children. He has had health
problems since the early 1990s, and there have been reports that he is
bankrupt since the late 1990s. In 2005, Jackson went to court for more sexual
abuse, and several other charges.
Michael Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame twice. His other achievements include being listed in the
Guinness World Records—including one for Thriller as the world's best-selling
album—for 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles—more than any other
male artist—and the sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson's
highly-publicized personal life and successful career have made him a part of
popular culture for almost 40 years. In recent years, he has been called the
world's most famous man.
MICHAEL JACKSON