Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
Michael Jackson's unique contributions to dance and music made him a prominent figure in popular culture for over 4 decades, along with a highly publicized personal life. Michael was one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time, as an American musician and also known as the "King of Pop".
In 1964 Michael made his debut, alongside his brothers, as a lead singer and the youngest member of the Jackson 5. In 1971 Michael began a very successful solo career. In 1982 his album titled "Thriller" entered the market, to this day it remains the best-selling album of all time. Michael had additional albums such as "Off the Wall" in 1979, "Bad" in 1987, "Dangerous" in 1991 and "History" in 1995 which were among the best selling albums. Having transformed the music video industry, Michael is widely credited for this art form transformation with videos including "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller". Michael is also known as the first African American artist to gain a strong crossover following on the television network referred to as "Music Television" (MTV).
A number of physically complex dance techniques, such as the "Robot" and the "Moonwalk", Jackson popularized these stage performances with music videos. The unique musical sound, vocal style & choreograph inspired several artists across the industry, as well as tearing down several distinctive barriers that existed during this time.
Jackson was inducted into the famous "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" not once, but twice. There are not many artists who can lay claim to this unique position that Michael is accredited for. Other achievements Michael has feature several World Records in the Guinness book--including 1 for "Artist of the Century", 17 number one singles, Most Successful Entertainer of All Time, 22 American Music Awards, 13 Grammy Awards, and worldwide it is estimated sales range between 350 million and 750 million records.
Jackson was quite a humanitarian, noting the donations and funds raised which extend into the millions of dollars through 39 charities that support his crusades. Michael also had one charity of his own called "Heal the World Foundation".
For many years, Jackon's personal life has generated a lot of controversy. The changing appearance in Jackson was first noticed in the late 1970s, extending forward. Some of the changes included plastic surgery and changing his skin tones, both of which generated a lot of media publicity.
In 1993 Jackson was accused of sexual abuse to children, although no charges were brought. In 2005 he was acquitted of any further allegations. Michael was married twice, with the first marriage in 1994 and again in 1996. There were 3 children, one born to a surrogate mother.
In 2009 Michael Jackson was preparing for a concert tour, when he died at the age of 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
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