Michael Joseph Jackson[1] (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the
King of Pop, or by his initials
MJ,
[2] Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by
Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in
popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the
Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of
The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.
In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in
popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "
Beat It", "
Billie Jean", and "
Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel
MTV to fame. With videos such as "
Black or White" and "
Scream" he continued to be highly visible on MTV in the 1990s, and also began to forge a reputation as a touring artist. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the
robot and the
moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous
hip hop,
post-disco,
contemporary R&B, pop and rock artists.
Jackson's 1982 album
Thriller is the
best-selling album of all time. His other records, including
Off the Wall (1979),
Bad (1987),
Dangerous (1991), and
HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other
achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13
Grammy Awards (as well as the
Grammy Legend Award and the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26
American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s"); 13
number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the
Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won
hundreds of awards, which made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.
[3]He was also one of the world's most prominent humanitarians and philanthropists; personally, and through his
Heal the World Foundation, he donated more than $300 million in charity, and holds the
Guinness World Record for having supported the most charities out of any pop star.
[4][5]
Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing
appearance,
personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In 1993, he was
accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was
tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series titled
This Is It, Jackson
died of acute
propofol and
benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The
Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and
his personal physician was convicted of
involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his
public memorial service on live television. In March 2010,
Sony Music Entertainment signed the largest music contract to date with Jackson's estate, a $250 million deal to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.
[6]
