Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American musician, dancer, and entertainer. Referred to as the
King of Pop,
he is the most commercially successful and one of the most influential
entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music, dance, and
fashion,
along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular culture for over four decades.
Alongside his brothers, he made his debut in 1964 as lead singer and youngest member of
The Jackson 5, and later began a successful solo career in 1971. His 1982 album
Thriller remains the
best-selling album of all time, with
Off the Wall (1979),
Bad (1987),
Dangerous (1991), and
HIStory (1995) also among the world's best selling albums. He is widely credited with having transformed the
music video from a promotional tool into an art form with videos for his songs such as "
Billie Jean", "
Beat It" and "
Thriller" making him the first
African American artist to amass a strong
crossover following on
MTV.
With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number
of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the
robot and the
moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound, vocal style and choreography has inspired numerous
pop,
rock,
R&B and
hip hop artists and is credited with breaking down cultural, racial, and generational barriers.
One of the few artists to have been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice,
his other achievements feature multiple
Guinness World Records—including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—15
Grammy Awards (including the "Living Legend Award" and the "Lifetime Achievement Award"), 26
American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including one for "Artist of the Century")—more than any artist—, 17
number one singles in the US(including the four as a member of the Jackson 5), and estimated sales
between 350 million and 750 million records worldwide making him one of
the
best selling artists in history.
He was also a notable
philanthropist and
humanitarian who donated and raised over 300 million dollars through support of 39 charities and his own
Heal the World Foundation.
Jackson's
personal relationships and life generated controversy for years. His
changing appearancewas noticed from the late 1970s onwards, with changes to his nose and
to the color of his skin drawing media publicity. He was accused of
child sexual abuse in 1993 though no charges were brought, and in 2005 he was
tried and acquitted of further allegations. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and brought up three children, one born to a
surrogate mother. While preparing for the
This Is It concert tour in 2009, Jackson
died at the age of 50 after suffering from
cardiac arrest. He reportedly had been administered drugs such as
propofol and
lorazepam, and his death was ruled a
homicideby the Los Angeles County coroner. His death triggered an outpouring of
grief from around the world with his globally live broadcast
memorial service attracting an audience of up to one billion people.
