Michael Jackson

For other people named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958), often referred to as MJ and The King of Pop, is an American musician and entertainer, who debuted on the professional music scene at the age of ten as a member of the Jackson 5, and went on to become a pop icon as a solo artist. His successful career and frequently controversial and enigmatic personal life have been a part of pop culture for almost four decades.

Jackson has dominated pop music since the late 1970s, becoming the first black entertainer to amass a strong cross-over following on MTV with his revolutionary transformation of the music video as an art form and as a promotional tool. The popularity of videos aired on MTV such as "Beat It", "Black or White", "Scream" and "Billie Jean" created a tremendous synergy that helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map". BMI, The performing rights organization that represents Jackson and hundreds of other artists, stated that Jackson also popularized physically-complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, that have redefined mainstream dance and entertainment. His distinctive style, dance moves, and vocals have influenced a whole generation of hip hop, pop, and R&B artists. He has been cited as the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by Guinness World Records, and holds the record for the best-selling album ever, Thriller.

Michael Jackson has received thirteen Grammy Awards (eight on a single night in 1984) and two of his solo albums have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Jackson has charted thirteen #1 singles in the United States, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era. In November 2006, the World Music Awards announced that Jackson had sold over 750 million units worldwide and given $300 million to charity, making Jackson one of the best-selling music artists and the most charitable celebrity apart from Oprah Winfrey whose efforts on the latter front have been acknowledged with a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. However, Jackson's controversial appearance and actions have damaged his reputation in the eyes of some of the public and album sales have been in decline since the mid 1990s.

From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, where he built an amusement park and private zoo that was frequently attended by disadvantaged and terminally ill children. Rumors of sleepover parties received both negative media coverage and public attention after it was revealed that children frequently slept in his bed or bedroom. This first came to light when he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993. Michael Jackson's relationship with children was brought into the spotlight again in 2003 when the TV documentary Living with Michael Jackson was broadcast. This resulted in Jackson being tried, and later acquitted, of more child molestation allegations and several other charges in 2005. After this, Jackson went on hiatus, traveling to countries such as Bahrain, before starting work on new material in Ireland. He released an album on February 11, 2008 called Thriller 25 (a special edition of the "Thriller" album) which included some new material.

Career

Musical prodigy

Main article: The Jackson 5

Jackson showed musical talent early on performing in front of his classmates and other participants during a Christmas recital in his school at five. He joined his brothers first playing congas when they formed a group in 1964 later taking a more pivotal role within a year as a background singer and occasional dancer before ascending to the group's lead singer position at the age of eight. Rolling Stone says of his early years: "First he was a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," and notes that after Jackson joined the Jackson Family vocal group at age five, "he quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer." Even though he sang with a "child's piping voice, he danced like a grown-up hoofer and sang with the R&B/gospel inflections of Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder." During this period, the boys toured Indiana extensively, and after winning a major local talent show in 1966 with a rendition of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit," and the young kids sometimes had to open for strip tease and other adult acts in order to earn money.

File:Jackson5.jpg

Michael Jackson, bottom center, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1971

Michael took co-lead singing duties with brother Jermaine when the group's name changed from The Jackson Brothers to The Jackson 5 in 1966. The group eventually auditioned for, and signed a contract with, Motown Records in 1968. They hit stardom with their first four singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There", which charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first time ever a group had pulled off that feat. While remaining a member of the group, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There in 1971 and Ben in the following year. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice "descended ever so slightly from boy soprano to his current androgynous high tenor."

The group's sales declined after 1973 and they chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. In 1976, the group signed a new contract with CBS Records (first joining the Philadelphia International division and then Epic Records). Motown Records sued the group for breach of contract.

As a result of the legal proceedings, which were further complicated by the fact that Jermaine Jackson was married to the daughter of Motown president (Berry Gordy), the Jacksons lost the rights to use the "Jackson 5" name and logo. Jermaine left the group, choosing to stay at Motown. They changed their name to "The Jacksons", featuring youngest brother Randy in Jermaine's place, and continued their successful career, touring internationally and releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, with Jermaine eventually re-joining in 1983, making them a sextet. From 1976 to 1984, Michael was the lead songwriter of the group, writing such hits as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel", and "Can You Feel It". In 1978, Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz with former-label mate Diana Ross playing Dorothy. The songs for the musical were arranged by Quincy Jones, who established a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce his first solo album in four years.

Off the Wall

Main article: Off the Wall

Off the Wall, released in 1979, made music history becoming the first album ever to spawn four top-ten hits, including the number-one hits, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You". It reached #3 in the Billboard album charts, spending 48 consecutive weeks on the Top 20. Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson jointly produced the album, with lyrics and music by Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney, among others. The album signaled the arrival of a new Michael Jackson, one not reliant upon his brothers to further his career. Off the Wall, buoyed by its catchy dance rhythms and avoidance of the "shallow excesses...of the period's disco," eventually sold some 20 million copies worldwide. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt the album should have made a much bigger impact and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.

In January 1980, Jackson won his first awards for his solo efforts at the American Music Awards. He won "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" (for Off the Wall), "Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist" and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"). Later that month, he also won two Billboard Awards (for "Top Black Artist" and "Top Black Album"). On February 27 1980, Jackson won a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male" (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"). In 2003, the TV network VH1 named Off the Wall the thirty-sixth greatest album of all time. Rolling Stone ranked it #68 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2008, the Off the Wall album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Thriller

Michael Jackson at the White House in 1984 with then-President Ronald Reagan and his wife.

Main articles: Thriller (album), Victory Tour, We Are the World, and Captain EO

In November 1982, the storybook for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released. It included Jackson reading the story as well as one original song, "Someone in the Dark". The album later won a Grammy for "Best Album for Children". On the first day of the following month, Jackson released his second Epic album, Thriller. Thriller is the best selling album of all time, though sales figures for the album vary dramatically between different sources who have cited the album as selling anywhere between 45 million copies worldwide to 104 million copies. The BBC claim that the Guinness Book of World Records lists it as 65 million copies sold as of 2007 (note that sales of Thriller 25 will be added to American sales. ) and made Jackson's fame global. In 2007, NARM/The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked Thriller third on their "Definitive 200" albums list. The album also became the first in history to spawn seven top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit singles, including "Billie Jean", which was the first music video by a black artist to receive regular airplay on MTV, "Beat It", and the album's title track, which was accompanied by a revolutionary music video. The thirteen-minute "Thriller" video was critically acclaimed and massive airplay lead to it being packaged with the featurette Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS, where it became the best-selling music home video ever. Thriller spent 37 weeks at #1 and remained on the Billboard album chart for 122 weeks. It is currently certified 27x Platinum in the U.S.

In 1983, while performing "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever concert, Jackson debuted what can be regarded as his signature move: the moonwalk. The performance sparked a new wave of interest in Thriller, which continued to sell well throughout the year. In 1983, he started a sponsorship deal with Pepsi-Cola. As part of the deal with Pepsi-Cola, he agreed to star in a commercial. While filming the commercial in front of 3,000 fans the following year, a fireworks display behind him malfunctioned, shooting a shower of sparks on the singer’s head and setting fire to his hair. He suffered second-degree burns and later wore a hairpiece when collecting Grammys that year.

In February 1984, Jackson was nominated for twelve Grammy awards - of which he won eight - breaking the record for the most Grammy awards won in a single year. Seven were awarded for Thriller and the other for the E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial storybook. In 1984, he also won eight American Music Awards and the "Special Award of Merit" and three MTV Video Music Awards.

Thriller was a gigantic hit that made Jackson the seminal icon of American culture at the time. At the age of 25, the New York Times called him a "musical phenomenon", further commenting that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else". Time magazine explained that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978, when it had an estimated total domestic revenue of $4.1 billion." Thriller also helped to bring music from African-American artists back into mainstream radio for the first time since the mid-1970s.

Jackson also became something of a sex symbol, as he was described by Time magazine: "Undeniably sexy. Absolutely safe. Eroticism at arm's length". Additionally, Michael Jackson's rhinestone glove and Thriller jacket became iconic aspects of his outfits which American youth sported all too eagerly. As a sign of his stature at the time, Republican officials considered inviting Jackson to their national convention, in 1984, where they would renominate Reagan, but a change of plans left Ron Walker, the convention manager, stating that "We never thought we had a ghost of a chance."

After reuniting with his brothers, he helped to write and produce the Victory album. He then performed and starred in the Victory Tour, which started on July 6, 1984 and lasted for five months. That year, Jackson was invited to the White House and was thanked by President Ronald Reagan at a White House ceremony for allowing the song "Beat It" to be used in drunk driving prevention television and radio public service announcements.

Jackson continued his charity work in 1985 by co-writing with Lionel Richie the hit song "We Are the World", and singing a featured solo on the charity single. The record helped to raise money and awareness for the famine in East Africa and was one of the first instances where Jackson was seen as a humanitarian. The song also won a Grammy for "Song of the Year". "We Are the World" became one of the top five best-selling singles of all time and the best selling single of the 1980s.

Controversy began when Jackson purchased shares in ATV Music Publishing (a company which owned the publishing rights to most of the Beatles' songs), making himself the majority shareholder. This move angered close friend and songwriter Paul McCartney, who had also made a bid for the company. Ironically, it had been McCartney who advised Jackson on the merits of song ownership. Their creative co-writing ended after this event. Following this controversial business deal, tabloid stories of Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to stall the aging-process, and an allegation claiming Jackson attempted to purchase the bones of the Elephant Man inspired the pejorative sobriquet "Wacko Jacko" (wacko meaning eccentric or irrational). The name "Wacko Jacko," first used by British media, would come to be detested by Jackson.

In 1986, Jackson starred in the George Lucas-produced, Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. The film lasted 17 minutes but had costs estimated at $17 million. At the time, it was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis. In the U.S., the Disney theme parks hosted Captain EO. Disneyland featured the film in Tomorrowland from September 18, 1986 until April 7, 1997. It was also featured in Walt Disney World in Epcot from September 12, 1986 until July 6, 1994.

In 2008, the Thriller album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Bad

Main articles: Bad (album) and Bad World Tour

File:MichaelAtTheWhiteHouse.png

Michael Jackson's meeting in 1990 with George H. W. Bush

In 1987, Jackson released Bad; his third album for the Epic Records label, and the final album with producer Quincy Jones. He initially wanted to make the album 30 tracks long, but Jones cut this down to 11. According to Jones, Jackson wanted the title track to be a duet with Prince who later declined the duet. Jones said the reason given by Prince was that he thought the song would be a hit whether he was in it or not. With the industry expecting another monster hit, the release was heavily anticipated as it was Jackson's first album in five years. The album had over two million advance orders. Jackson hired film director Martin Scorsese to direct the video for the album's title track. When the 18-minute music video debuted on TV, it sparked a great deal of controversy as it became apparent that Jackson's appearance had changed dramatically.

Bad had lower sales compared to Thriller, but was still a commercial success. In the U.S., it spawned seven hit singles,five of which went to #1: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror",and "Dirty Diana". Two decades after it was released, Bad still holds the record for generating more #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts than any other album. It went on to sell over 32 million copies worldwide and the RIAA certified Bad at 8x Platinum. At the 1993 Grammy Awards, the album was acknowledged as the second best selling album of all time, but has since been overtaken. In September 1987, Jackson embarked upon his first solo world tour, the Bad World Tour, which had record-breaking attendance figures. In Japan alone, Jackson had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour. The tour lasted sixteen months with Jackson performing 123 concerts to over 4.4 million fans worldwide.

This period saw Jackson enjoy "a level of superstardom previously known only to Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Frank Sinatra." This success led to him to be dubbed the "King of Pop",. The nickname was conceived by actress and friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented Jackson with an "Artist of the Decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul." In 1990, the White House presented the singer with its own special "Artist of the Decade" award, in recognition Michael Jackson's musical influence in the 1980s. It was delivered to Jackson by President George H. W. Bush, who commended Jackson for acquiring a "tremendous following", among other achievements.

Dangerous

Main articles: Dangerous (album) and Dangerous World Tour

In November 1991, Jackson released Dangerous, which, at roughly 30 million copies worldwide, registered sales figures almost identical to those of Bad and became one of the most successful New jack swing albums of all time. Dangerous featured several hits, including "Black or White", "Remember the Time", "In the Closet", "Give In To Me", and "Heal the World". Dangerous was highly anticipated, as highlighted by an incident at the Los Angeles International Airport that witnessed a group of armed robbers stealing 30,000 copies of the new album before its official release . The album featured the first of many collaborations between Jackson and guitarist Slash (of Guns N' Roses). Slash wrote and performed the introduction to "Black or White" and played three solos on "Give in to Me". Slash also featured in the "Give in to Me" music video, performing the song on stage with Jackson in a pseudo-live performance featuring Guns N' Roses then-rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke.

The biggest hit single in the United States from the album was "Black or White", which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for seven weeks, with similar performances around the world. The single was accompanied by a controversial video, premiering as a simulcast on the Fox network, MTV, and BET, which featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violent behavior. The offending scenes in the final half of the fourteen minute version of "Black or White" were edited out to prevent the video from being banned. on November 14, 1991, the video for "Black or White" simultaneously premièred in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.

The second single released from Dangerous was "Remember The Time" which spent 8 weeks in the top 5 in U.S.. The song hit a peak at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart. In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a wheel chair saying he had an injury in rehearsals.At the ceremony, he was given three awards "Best Male Single" of the year for "Remember The Time", "Best R&B Album" for Dangerous and a Humanitarian Award for his charitable contributions to date.

In the UK, as well as other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album. In Britain, it sold 455,000 copies alone and spent five weeks at #2. It was the Christmas #2 of 1992 and because of extra seasonal sales it outsold "Black or White".

On February 10 1992, MTV kicked off its first global sweepstakes with "My Dinner with Michael". Winners from around the world attended a dinner party hosted by Michael Jackson on the set of his "In the Closet" music video. Later that year, a biopic, The Jacksons: An American Dream, debuted on ABC; it was based on the true story of the rise of The Jackson 5.

Later that year, Jackson made most high-profile international visits: a trip to Africa in which he visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt. This was the singer's second arrival on the continent, his first having occurred as a 14-year-old with the Jackson 5. His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable reception of more than 100,000 people in "spiritual bedlam", some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael". In his trip to the Ivory Coast, Jackson visited the gold-mining village of Krindjabo, populated by the Agni tribe and located near the capital of Abidjan, and was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief. He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship, and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances. Jackson finished his stay in Africa by going to Egypt and promoting the Dangerous album. In January 1993, he performed during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. It drew one of the largest viewing audiences in the history of American television. Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

HIStory

Main articles: HIStory, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, and HIStory World Tour

In June 1995, Jackson released HIStory: Past, Present And Future - Book I, which Sony spent 30 million dollars to promote. It went on to sell 18 million copies worldwide and is the largest selling multiple-disc album of all time by a solo artist.To promote the album, Jackson embarked on the successful HIStory World Tour, which was attended by more than four and a half million people. Jackson also made a promotional "teaser" music video showing him marching with thousands of military personnel as well as shipping statues of himself on boats around Europe. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a fifteen-track greatest hits album (this disc was later released as Greatest Hits - HIStory Vol. I, in 2001 selling an estimated 3 million copies). The second disc, HIStory Continues, contained fifteen new songs. Frequent collaborator Slash featured on a lengthy solo for "D.S."

The first single released from HIStory was "Scream", sung and performed with his sister Janet Jackson. The single had the best ever debut at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video for "Scream" is one of his most critically acclaimed winning three MTV awards in 1995 and a Grammy in 1996. "Scream" is currently the most expensive music video ever made. "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory and would become the first song ever to debut at #1 on the Hot 100,(beating his previous single "Scream"). It reached #1 in various international markets, including Britain. It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success.

"Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, it was accompanied by a well received expensive music video that was nominated for a grammy in 1996 but lost to his earlier video "Scream". The song topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas in 1995 and sold one million copies there, making it his most successful UK single, surpassing the success of "Billie Jean". At the 1996 BRIT Awards, Jackson was awarded as the Artist of A Generation. At the ceremony Jackson performed the track "Earth Song", dressed in white and surrounded by children and an actor portraying a rabbi. Pulp lead singer Jarvis Cocker leapt onstage and made rude gestures, and in the ensuing scuffle, several children received minor injuries. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), who ran the awards, stated that they were concerned that Cocker's actions "resulted in injury to three children who were performing with Michael Jackson". While Cocker later claimed that his "...actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing", Jackson and Sony said that they were "sickened, saddened, shocked, upset, cheated [and] angry" at Cocker's actions .

During the "HIStory World Tour", Slash joined Jackson onstage for some shows, including one in Seoul, South Korea in 1996. This was held at the Chamsil Olympic Stadium and filmed for a live broadcast and commercial release on VHS. Slash also appeared at Jackson's MTV Music Video Awards 1995 performance during "Black or White", played a solo, then played along to the opening of "Billie Jean".

In 1997, Jackson released an album of new material titled Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, with remixes of hit singles from HIStory, and five new songs; it sold six million copies worldwide and became the greatest selling remix album ever, reaching #1 in Britain. Of the new songs, three were released globally: the title track, "Ghosts" and "Is It Scary". The title track reached #1 in the UK. The singles "Ghosts" and "Is It Scary" were based on a film created by Jackson called "Ghosts". The short film, written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston, features many special effects and dance moves choreographed to original music written by Jackson. The music video for "Ghosts" is over 35 minutes long and is currently the world's longest music video. Jackson dedicated the album to Elton John, who reportedly helped him through his addiction to painkillers and tranquilizers.

Invincible

Main article: Invincible (album)

In October 2001, Invincible was released and debuted at number-one in thirteen countries. Invincible went on to sell nearly 8-10 million copies worldwide. The album spawned three singles: "You Rock My World," "Cry," and "Butterflies." Around the same time that Invincible came out, Jackson and 35 other artists recorded a charity benefit single entitled "What More Can I Give", designed to raise money for 9/11 victims, which was never released. Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was not going to renew his contract; the contract was about to expire in terms of supplying the label with albums of full-new material for release through Epic Records/SME. In 2002, all singles releases, video shootings, and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled.

Subsequently, Jackson made allegations that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African American artists and who used black artists for his own personal gain . Sony disputed these allegations, pointing out that Mottola was once married to biracial pop star Mariah Carey. The sales for this album were poor compared to his previous releases, which may be due to the lack of a supporting world tour and because only one music video was released to promote the album. While most reviewers called the album Jackson's least impressive effort yet, the reviews that were negative often discussed the singers perceived eccentric image rather than the music.

On September 7 and September 10 2001, Jackson organized a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden for his 30th year of being a solo artist. The show aired on November 13, 2001 and featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, the Jacksons, Slash, and a number of other artists. In wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C.. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.

Trial, career hiatus and reissues

Main articles: Number Ones, People v. Jackson, Post trial lawsuits against Michael Jackson, and Visionary: The Video Singles

In November 2003, Jackson and Sony Records released a compilation of his number-one hits on CD and DVD titled Number Ones. The compilation has sold over six million copies worldwide. On the album's scheduled release date, Jackson was in Las Vegas filming the video for "One More Chance" (the only new song included in the Number Ones compilation), the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department searched Jackson's home, the Neverland Ranch, and issued an arrest warrant for Jackson on new charges of child molestation. Jackson was accused of sexual abuse by Gavin Arviso, who appeared in the Living with Michael Jackson documentary earlier that year .

After being acquitted of the charges June 13, 2005 , Jackson relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, where he reportedly bought a house formerly owned by a Bahrain MP. Jackson reportedly spent his time in the Persian Gulf writing new music. In September 2005, Jackson's spokesperson Raymone Bain announced that Jackson was busy producing an all-star charity single — called "I Have This Dream" — to help raise relief funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Some of the artists initially announced by Bain as involved were never confirmed, and were omitted from later mentions of participants. After many delays, the single remains unreleased.

In February 2006, Jackson's label released Visionary: The Video Singles, a box set made up of twenty of his biggest hit singles, each of which were issued individually week by week over a five-month period. Sony released the Visionary box set in the US on November 14, 2006.

Return to public eye and 25th anniversary of Thriller

Main article: Thriller 25

Jackson's first documented public appearance since his trial was in November 2006 when he visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. There, he received eight awards, among them the "First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 Million Dollars in a Year" and the "First Entertainer to Sell More Than 100 Million Albums Outside the U.S.".

Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards. Despite tabloid rumors prior to the event, he did not perform Thriller, instead joining a choir on stage for a verse of "We Are the World". The show is broadcast to North and South America, all of Europe, the Middle East, Japan and South East Asia, all of mainland China, some other parts of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and all of Africa reaching an estimated worldwide audience of around one billion viewers, in over 160 countries.

Following the death of James Brown, more than 8000 people watched as several artists, including Jackson, paid tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006. Reverend Al Sharpton, who was close to Brown, delivered his sermon at the funeral, in which he stated that in the last conversation he had with Brown, he had said that artists like Jackson needed to continue to make positive music for all people.

In October 2007, Jackson did a photo shoot with Bruce Weber in New York City to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Thriller. The pictures were published in L'Uomo Vogue, the Italian men's version of Vogue magazine. Jackson also did a photoshoot with photographer Michael Ralston for Ebony Magazine. In the US, Jackson sold 650,000 albums and dvds in 2007, 250,000 more than Madonna.

On February 11 2008, Jackson released a 25th anniversary edition of his top-selling album Thriller called Thriller 25. It is a double disc album; disc one contains the original nine tracks from "Thriller", five remixed "Thriller" tracks, a new song called "For All Time" and a voice over by Vincent Price. Disc two is a DVD which contains the three music videos from "Thriller" and Jacksons performance of "Billie Jean" at Motown 25. The album featured artists such as will.i.am, Kanye West, and Akon with single releases along side the album.

Internationally, "The Girl Is Mine 2008" was released as a downloadable single on January 14 and on CD on January 25. In the United Kingdom the CD release was pushed back to February 4. In the United States, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" was the first single released on January 23. "The Girl Is Mine 2008" went top 5 in Japan and Mexico, top 10 on the United World Airplay Chart and the Netherlands , top 20 in Europe, Germany and France, top 30 in the UK, #76 in Canada and #93 on the World Chart. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" went top 3 in Sweden, top 5 in New Zealand, #8 in Australia, top 30 in Canada, #69 in the UK, #81 on the Billboard Hot 100, #87 on the United World Chart and #100 in Europe. On March 21, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" will see its physical release in Europe. These are Jackson's first singles since "One More Chance" in 2003.

Album track "Beat It 2008" began charting, reaching #26 in Switzerland, #31 in Denmark, #43 in Sweden, #74 in Germany and #77 in Canada as did "Billie Jean 2008", reaching #91 in Germany. Unusual for Jackson, no music videos have been released yet.

On February 3, 2008 a televised Pepsi ad featuring super model Naomi Campbell singing and dancing to "Thriller" aired during Super Bowl XLII, exposing the song to over 95 million Americans. The ad also aired at the Grammys on February 10 and marked the first time Jackson has been associated with the Pepsi label since 1993.

Forthcoming studio album

Main article: Michael Jackson's forthcoming studio album

Shortly after Thriller 25, Jackson is expected to release the new album he has been working on. There have been reports of collaborations with will.i.am, Teddy Riley, Akon, Chris Brown, and 50 Cent. Initially, it was thought that the Bahrain-based label Two Seas would release the album, but, in September 2006, it was made apparent that Jackson and Two Seas were no longer affiliated with each other. Consequently, Jackson formed The Michael Jackson Company, Inc. which will oversee both his finances and the release of his new album.

Influence

See Also: Legacy of Thriller

In the mid-1980s, Time Magazine called Jackson the biggest solo star since Elvis Presley. He has had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world while also tearing down racial barriers and paving the way for modern pop music and the concept of the modern pop star in his own country. The recording rights organization that represents Jackson, BMI, calls him a person with "planetary influence". He has also been described as an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius". Jackson holds the record as the most awarded recording artist in history. Throughout his four-decade career, he has received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Award's Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award, and the Bambi's Pop Artist of the Millennium Award. He is a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and as a solo artist in 2001) and an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power". In 1990, Vanity Fair magazine named him the "Most Popular Artist in the History of Show Business". Jackson's work has influenced and spawned a whole generation of a wide variety of artists, including Mariah Carey, Usher, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Omarion, Ne-Yo, and Chris Brown, among others.

Music videos and MTV

Further information: Michael Jackson's Music Videos

Michael Jackson is widely regarded as being the first artist to elevate music videos to a meaningful art form, setting off new trends of story-telling, mini-movies, and choreographed dance sequences that dominate the genre to this day.

Style and performance

Among the most celebrated aspects of Jackson's career have been his dance, fashion, and vocal styles, which have given rise to impersonators all over the world. In 1984, TIME magazine wrote the following on the singer's notable style: "His high-flying tenor makes him sound like the lead in some funked-up boys choir, even as the sexual dynamism irradiating from the arch of his dancing body challenges Government standards for a nuclear meltdown. His lithe frame, five-fathom eyes, long lashes might be threatening if Jackson gave, even for a second, the impression that he is obtainable".

File:Motown-25 Billie Jean.jpg

Jackson at Motown 25.

On March 25, 1983, Jackson debuted "Billie Jean" before a live audience during taping of the tribute special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Having reunited with the Jackson 5 for a medley of their hits, he remained onstage for a solo performance and as he addressed the crowd they began chanting for "Billie Jean". Dressed in a glittery black jacket, sparkling silver shirt, tight black pants cuffed high to showcase white spangled socks and black penny loafers, and a single sequined glove, Jackson signalled the start of his routine by grabbing his crouch and snapping a black fedora to his head. Half way through the performance Jackson threw his fedora into the crowd causing audience members to scream and shout. It was during this performance that Jackson also debuted a set of dance moves which included the "Moonwalk" (which was named by the media). The "moonwalk" followed by a tornado spin and then balancing up on his toes have since gone on to become Jackson's trademark dance piece, and is virtually synonymous with the song. The performance sealed his position as a dance legend up against the likes of Fred Astaire (who actually called Jackson the next day to congratulate him) and its also said to match the affect on popular culture that Elvis Presley and The Beatles had when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Ironically, the move is not featured at any point during the music video. Despite Jackson lip-syncing his song the audience rose to their feet giving an ovation and is often cited as one of the greatest life performances of all time. Upon its broadcast on May 16, over forty-seven million viewers witnessed Jackson's performance. Of the performance The New York Times stated "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing".

In the late 1980's, Jackson experimented with an innovative 'leaning' move in his music video performances for which he was granted U.S. Patent 5,255,452.

Jackson's outfits have been central components of his image. In the early 1980's he wore a sequined white glove, which has led to some dubbing him as "The Gloved One", the jackets in the "Thriller" and "Beat it" music videos, white socks (with short pants to emphasis them) and sparkly jackets. In the late 1980's to late 1990`s Jackson shifted to wearing Fedoras, military jackets, shin pads, sun glasses and plasters on his fingers(or occasionally a pair of black sparkly gloves). He continued to wear white socks with short pants. In the 2000's Jackson rarely appeares in flamboyant costumes, occasionally wearing shin pads, but usually a red shirt, black full lengh pants and sunglasses. Over time his hair went from short curly, to long curly , to long and straight.

Themes and genres

Michael Jackson's musical palette has covered everything from disco and pop to rock and R&B. Jackson's musical themes have been equally varied, featuring material on typical pop subjects like love and joy as well as more mature works on social justice and his convoluted relationship with the media. Jackson's solo career with Motown in the 1970s was largely unimaginative, dominated as it was by label-backed songwriters and producers intent on giving the young performer typical ballads and other similarly-styled melodious tracks. In his two-decade career with Epic, however, Jackson displayed extensive creativity, gradually evolving from compositions with mild, non-controversial messages to songs dealing with increasingly solemn and darker themes, a reflection of his personal struggles and his status as an international icon.

Off the Wall and Thriller showcased a Michael Jackson primarily focused on making dance hits and ballads with catchy tunes and rhythms. While this preoccupation would continue in his future work, it would also be colored by various shifts and improvisations. Even in this early material, however, Jackson displayed notable paradoxes, mixing the melodious and comfortable sounds of "Lady in My Life" with
the haunting and terrorized environments of "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", where women accused him of fathering their children and the outside world seemed strange and hostile. Bad was accused by some of not delivering the exciting lyrics evident in Thriller, being more intent on consolidating a traditional pop sound and defeating the records of Jackson's previous releases. The album left clues for future projects, however, mentioning in the tense intro to "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" that "A lot of people misunderstand me....because they don't know me at all". Bad included Jackson's first major inspirational song, "Man in the Mirror", which was praised for its message and captivating sound and also criticized as, among other things, "pure pabulum."

Jackson's work in the 1990s was characterized by more introspective material. Some have argued that the Dangerous album represented Jackson at a "near peak" in terms of musical quality and creativity and received more critical acclaim than his previous Bad album. Several things remained the same, with the title track to Dangerous ensuring another song about a "predatory lover". More and more of Jackson's music in the decade, like "Black or White", "Heal the World", "They Don't Care About Us", and "Earth Song", started addressing sociopolitical issues around the world. The music in Dangerous, described as a "a sonic machine world" with "synthetic basslines, swooshing scratched records, [and] clanking metallic noises", reflected old influences while absorbing new trends, made all the more pressing by Jackson's habit of releasing albums once every four or so years, time periods that allowed for significant development in the sound of pop music.

HIStory, arguably Jackson's most conflictive album, revealed a "furious" pop icon worn by years of superstardom, with Jon Pareles of the The New York Times writing that "It has been a long time since Michael Jackson was simply a performer. He's the main asset of his own corporation, which is a profitable subsidiary of Sony". The album featured Jackson using profanity and other controversial lyrics, which forced him to modify some of the words to "They Don't Care About Us". Edged onwards by a quasi-messianic flair, he also railed against the media in "Tabloid Junkie", singing, "With your pen you torture me/You'd crucify the Lord" and that "Just because you read it in a magazine/ Or see it on a TV screen/ Don't make it factual". HIStory mostly encompassed reflective compositions, presenting only one conventional love song, "You Are Not Alone".

Personal life

Michael Jackson's personal life has been under the spotlight for decades. His marriages, children, physical appearance, humanitarian efforts, and accusations of child molestation have all received considerable media coverage world-wide.

Childhood

Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana to a working-class family, the sixth of seven brothers and the eighth of ten children of Joseph Walter (Joe) and Katherine Esther (née Scruse) of African American descent. Katherine, a Jehovah's Witness, raised the children in that faith, while Joe, who initially started studying with the Witnesses, eventually decided not to join. Jackson's father was a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called "The Falcons" with his brother Luther. The father was a strict disciplinarian, and many of the Jackson children recall being spanked or whipped by their father for misbehaving.

Marriages and children

Michael Jackson with his children in Disneyland Paris in 2006

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, in 1994. Presley maintained during their marriage that they shared a married couple's life and were sexually active. They divorced less than two years later, although still remain friends. Jackson's second wife, Debbie Rowe, spoke about the couple's post-marriage friendship amidst "stories about Michael having an affair with his ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley", saying that: "They have a relationship, and what people don't understand is his relationship with her is separate from his relationship with me. They're friends, they're very good friends... [and] I am glad that they have a relationship together. I am glad to see them together; they have a lot in common."

On November 14, 1996, during the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married his dermatologist's nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he fathered a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince"), and a daughter, Paris Katherine Jackson. Jackson and Rowe divorced in 1999. Jackson later said that Rowe wanted him to have the children as a "gift". Both Jackson and Rowe have always maintained that his first two children were conceived naturally. Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (a.k.a. Blanket) was born in 2002

In November 2002, Jackson traveled to Berlin to accept an award for his humanitarian efforts. He was surrounded by fans outside his room at the Hotel Adlon who were chanting in approval of the singer. According to the pop star, they also called out to see his baby. In response, Jackson brought his son onto the balcony, holding him in his right arm with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face in order to protect his identity from the media. Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony. This raised concern as some perceived his actions as child endangerment, although Jackson has vehemently denied these accusations saying that he was holding the baby tightly. Jackson said that the media was wrong in their comments about him being irresponsible with his children, "I love my children," he explained. "I was holding my son tight. Why would I throw a baby off the balcony? That's the dumbest, stupidest story I ever heard."

The controversial documentary Living with Michael Jackson aired in the UK on February 3 2003 and in the US on February 6, 2003. The documentary included interviews with Jackson which included information on his private life. British journalist Martin Bashir and his film crew filmed Jackson for 18 months, also capturing his controversial behavior in Berlin. One particular part of the documentary, which stirred controversy and raised a significant level of concern, showed Jackson holding hands with a then 13-year-old cancer victim Gavin Arviso, and admitting to sharing his bedroom with him (but not in the same bed) as well as sharing his bed (non-sexually) with other children.

Jackson felt betrayed by Bashir and complained that the film gives a distorted picture. In response to the media scrutiny, two specials were aired: Michael Jackson: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See and Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies. Michael Jackson: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See which aired later in February showed uncut footage of the Living with Michael Jackson documentary. The Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies aired in April was a 2-hour special with footage of Michael Jackson's home videos and included commentary by Jackson.

Humanitarian efforts

Jackson began his charity work in 1981 with his brothers following the Triumph tour where they raised $100,000 for the Atlanta Children's Foundation. In 1984, following his burning accident with Pepsi the drinks manufacture gave Jackson a $1.5 million out of court settlement which he donated to the Michael Jackson Burn Centre set up in his Honour. In July 1984 he donated his $5million share from the Victory tour to charity. In 1985 Jackson co-wrote with Lionel Richie the hit song "We Are the World", and sung a featured solo on the charity single. The record helped to raise money and awareness for the famine in East Africa and was one of the first instances where Jackson was seen as a humanitarian. All profits from his 1988 hit single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.

From 1985–1990 Jackson had donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund. In 1992, Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" (named after his humanitarian single "Heal the World"). The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's Neverland Ranch, located outside Santa Ynez, California, to go on theme park rides which Jackson had built on the property after he purchased it in 1988. All profits from the Dangerous World Tour went to his foundation raising many millions of dollars in relief. Jacksons 1995 international #1 hit Earth Song showed a shift in his concerns to environmental issues and ends with a disclaimer asking for donations for his "Heal the World Foundation". In 1998 Jackson was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

In late 2002, Jackson's Heal the World Foundation had net assets of just US$3,542 and reported $2,585 in expenses, mostly for management fees. The foundation was suspended in California since April 2002 for supposedly failing to file annual statements required of tax-exempt organizations, according to John Barrett, spokesman for the state Franchise Tax Board. The "Heal the World Foundation spread millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease," thanks to the efforts of Michael Jackson, but the forced closure of the Foundation leaves many of these children without aid. At the World Music Awards in 2006 Beyonce announced that Jackson had given $300 million to charity.(more than any other celebrity apart from Oprah Winfrey) and that Jackson has been actively involved with 39 charity organizations around the world.

Physical appearance

File:MJcopyright free.jpg

Michael Jackson after being acquitted of child molestation charges on June 13, 2005

Jackson's skin was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in 1982 his skin gradually became paler. This change became so noticeable that it gained widespread media coverage, with some media outlets claiming that he was bleaching his skin. The structure of his face has changed as well, and several surgeons have speculated that Jackson has undergone multiple nasal surgeries as well as a forehead lift, thinned lips and cheekbone surgery.

Appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1993, Jackson addressed the rumors claiming that the change in his skin color was due to the disease vitiligo. In the interview, Jackson became emotional, saying that: "I'm a black American, I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity... I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin, it's something that I cannot help, OK? But when people make up stories that I don't want to be what I am it hurts me... It's a problem for me that I can't control." Jackson also responded to tabloid rumors about the amount of plastic surgery he had had done, insisting that he's had "Very, very little. I mean you can count on my two fingers," and furthermore said that "I've never had my cheekbones done, never had my eyes done, never had my lips done and all this stuff, they just go too far." These assertions echoed what Jackson wrote in his 1988 autobiography Moon Walk: that he only had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin. In the book, he attributed the noticeable change in the structure of his face to puberty and diet. Despite Jackson's protests, some news sources, particularly tabloid newspapers, have pointedly continued to express skepticism about his claims.

Child molestation charges

Main article: People v. Jackson

Fans protest Jackson's innocence in Amsterdam, 2004

Jackson was reported to be allowing children to sleep over at his Neverland ranch. This practice came under much media and public scrutiny, in 1993, when child molestation allegations were brought against Jackson by a child who had stayed with him on several occasions. That year, Jordan Chandler, the son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler, represented by civil lawyer Larry Feldman, accused Jackson of child sexual abuse. On December 22, Jackson responded to the allegations via satellite from his Neverland compound and claimed to be "totally innocent of any wrongdoing". On January 25 1994, Jackson settled out of court with the accuser for an undisclosed sum, reported to be US$20 million. The family dropped the charges.

I have spent my entire life helping millions of children across the world. I would never harm a child. It is unfortunate that some individuals have seen fit to come forward and make a complaint that is completely false. Years ago, I settled with certain individuals because I was concerned about my family and the media scrutiny that would have ensued if I fought the matter in court. These people wanted to exploit my concern for children by threatening to destroy what I believe in and what I do. I have been a vulnerable target for those who want money.

— Michael Jackson

On December 18 2003, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in order to commit that felony, all regarding the same boy, Gavin Arvizo, under 14 at the time of the incident. The felony complaint stated that Jackson had committed seven lewd acts and two acts of administration of an intoxicating agent to enable the former accusations. Jackson denied these allegations, saying that the sleepovers were in no way sexual in nature. Jackson's friend, Elizabeth Taylor, defended him on Larry King Live, saying that she had been there when they "were in the bed, watching television. There was nothing abnormal about it. There was no touchy-feely going on. We laughed like children, and we watched a lot of Walt Disney. There was nothing odd about it."

The People v. Jackson trial began in Santa Maria, California, on January 31, 2005, and lasted until the end of May 2005, with Jackson being acquitted on all counts in June. It was one of the largest and most documented trials in world history. About 2,200 media credentials to over 30 news organizations from around the world were issued to cover the trial, more than what was given for the trials of O. J. Simpson and Scott Peterson combined. Jackson's popularity outside the United States ensured a distinctly international crowd of reporters. On top of the media, Santa Maria was also flooded with Jackson fans, 1,200 of whom heard and celebrated the ten not guilty verdicts right outside the courthouse.

The District Attorney of Santa Barbara County in California, Tom Sneddon, has led two efforts against Jackson involving child molestation. The first incident, in 1993, resulted in no charges and the second, at the end of 2003, culminated in a trial two years later in which Jackson was acquitted on all counts. These repeated prosecutions have led to suggestions that Sneddon was motivated by a "mission" or "vendetta" against Jackson. Although Sneddon has a good track record, evidence to support Jackson's claim is quite strong, as Sneddon joked about Jackson's greatest hits album being released on the same day as his arrest, called him "Wacko Jacko" and also shouted "we got him, we finally got him" to the world media when he had at the time minimal evidence.

Finances

Music catalogs and loans

Michael Jackson purchased ownership in ATV Music Publishing in 1985, which owns the publishing rights to songs written by The Beatles and many other acts. In 1995, Jackson and Sony Music Publishing merged their two catalogues to create Sony-ATV. Jackson's 50% interest in the company (Sony Music Entertainment owns the other half) is estimated to be worth USD $500 million. Jackson also owns his own music catalogue called MiJac Publishing, which contains all of his songs and songs from Sly & the Family Stone.

Over the past 10 years, Jackson has secured two loans for USD $200 million and USD $70 million. The USD $200 million loan was secured by using Jackson's share of the Sony-ATV Catalogue as collateral. He later secured the USD $70 million loan by using his MiJac Catalogue as collateral. However, because of his declining sales, his MiJac Catalogue's value declined to under USD $100 million, therefore he was forced to use his Neverland Ranch and Hayvenhurst as added collateral to keep the loan.

In April 2005, Bank of America sold the loan to Fortress Investments. Jackson continued to miss payments on the loan, and as of December 20, 2005, Fortress had the right to foreclose on the loan, allowing Sony Music the first right to buy Jackson's share of the loan. However, Fortress extended the loan, allowing Jackson time to get money together.

In a move named by Jackson's advisors as "refinancing," it was announced on April 14, 2006 that Jackson had struck a deal with Sony and Fortress Investments. In the deal Sony may be allowed to take control of half of Jackson's 50% stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing (worth an estimated $1 billion) which Jackson co-owns. Jackson would be left with 25% of the catalogue, with the rest belonging to Sony.

In exchange, Sony negotiated with a loans company on behalf of Jackson. Jackson's $200m in loans were due in December 2005 and were secured on the catalogue. Jackson failed to pay and Bank of America sold them to Fortress Investments, a company dealing in distressed loans. However, Jackson has not as yet sold any of the remainder of his stake. The possible purchase by Sony of 25% of Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a conditional option; it is assumed the singer will try to avoid having to sell part of the catalogue of songs including material by other artists such as Bob Dylan and Destiny's Child. As another part of the deal Jackson was given a new $300 million loan, and a lower interest rate on the old loan to match the original Bank of America rate. When the loan was sold to Fortress Investments they increased the interest rate to 20%. None of the details are officially confirmed. An advisor to Jackson, however, did publicly announce he had "restructured his finances with the assistance of Sony."

Michael Jackson owes a $5 million interest payment to Fortress Trust, the publicly traded hedge fund that bought his $272 million loan from Bank of America in April 2005 (the loan has been refinanced to $325 million by Fortress). The payment is due on Oct. 31, 2007.

Neverland Ranch employees

On March 9, 2006, California state labor officials closed the singer's Neverland Ranch and fined him $69,000 for failure to provide employment insurance. The state "stop order" bars Jackson from "using any employee labor" until he secured required workers' compensation insurance. In addition to being fined $1,000 for each of his 69 workers, Jackson is liable for up to 10 days pay for those employees who now are no longer allowed to report to Neverland for work. Thirty Neverland employees have also sued Jackson for $306,000 in unpaid wages.

Soon after this payment, Jackson's spokesperson announced on March 16, 2006 that Jackson was closing his house at Neverland and had laid off some of the employees but added that reports of the closing of the entire ranch were inaccurate.

F. Marc Schaffel

On July 14 2006, the jury awarded Schaffel $900,000 of the original $3.8 million he sued Jackson for, which Schaffel later reduced to $1.6 million, and finally to $1.4 million. The jury also awarded Jackson $200,000 plus interest of the $660,000 that Jackson claimed he was owed by Schaffel.

Prescient Acquisition Group

On July 31 2006, a federal judge allowed a $48 million claim against Jackson and one of Jackson's trusts (MJ Publishing Trust) for unpaid fees and breach of contract. "Prescient Acquisition Group" claimed the singer owed fees for the company's help in refinancing his debts and claiming a larger stake in a library of Beatles songs. All parties were ordered to reappear in court in September.

Discography

Main articles: Michael Jackson album discography and Michael Jackson singles discography

U.S. number one singles (13)

• 1972: "Ben"
• 1979: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
• 1980: "Rock with You"
• 1983: "Billie Jean"
• 1983: "Beat It"
• 1983: "Say Say Say" (with Paul McCartney)
• 1987: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
• 1987: "Bad"
• 1987: "The Way You Make Me Feel"
• 1988: "Man in the Mirror"
• 1988: "Dirty Diana"
• 1991: "Black or White"
• 1995: "You Are Not Alone"

Number ones in selected countries

• Spain (26)
• Zimbabwe (10)
• France (7)
• United Kingdom (7)
• Canada (5)
• Australia (4)

Studio albums

Motown releases

• 1972: Got to Be There
• 1972: Ben
• 1973: Music & Me
• 1975: Forever, Michael
• 1984: Farewell My Summer Love

Epic releases

• 1979: Off the Wall
• 1982: Thriller
• 1987: Bad
• 1991: Dangerous
• 1995: HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I
• 1997: Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix
• 2001: Invincible

Sony BMG releases

• 2008: TBA

Filmography

Main article: Michael Jackson filmography

Notable music videos

• 1983: "Billie Jean"
• 1983: "Beat It"
• 1983: "Thriller"
• 1987: "Bad"
• 1987: "The Way You Make Me Feel"
• 1988: "Smooth Criminal"
• 1989: "Leave Me Alone"
• 1991: "Black or White"
• 1992: "Remember the Time"
• 1992: "In the Closet"
• 1995: "Scream"
• 1995: "Earth Song"
• 2001: "You Rock My World"

Films

• 1978: The Wiz
• 1986: Captain EO
• 1988: Moonwalker
• 1997: Ghosts
• 2002: Men in Black II (Cameo appearance)
• 2004: Miss Cast Away (Cameo appearance)

Television

• The Jacksons TV Show was a variety series that first aired on June 16, 1976 and last aired on March 9 1977. It starred Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Michael, Randy, Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet Jackson.
• The Simpsons, Season 3 Episode 1, "Stark Raving Dad". The episode first aired on September 19 1991. He was credited as John Jay Smith.

Video games

• Michael Jackson's Moonwalker is an arcade game that was ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis and Sega Master System and various 16-bit home computers, including the Amiga, which sported more levels and better graphics.
• Space Channel 5 for the Sega Dreamcast featured Michael Jackson in the later levels.
• Space Channel 5: Part 2, a dance game for the PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast also featured Michael Jackson in the later levels.
• Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast featuring Michael Jackson as a hidden character.
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PS2, PC, and Xbox includes two songs by Michael Jackson: "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".

See also

• Best-selling music artist
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
• List of best-selling albums worldwide
• List of best-selling remix albums worldwide
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of most expensive music videos
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of number-one hits (United States)

Further reading

• Jackson, Michael (1988). Moonwalk. Doubleday. ISBN 0-434-37042-8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Taraborrelli, J. Randy (1991). The Magic and the Madness. Headline. ISBN 1-55972-064-6. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Jackson, Michael (1992). Dancing The Dream. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-40368-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Grant, Adrian (1994, 1997, 2002 and 2005). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-432-2. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• Noonan, Damien (1994). Michael Jackson. Carlton Books. ISBN 1-85797-587-1. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Jackson, Michael (2006). My World, The Official Photobook, Vol. 1. Triumph International. ISBN 0-9768891-1-0. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• Sony's Official Michael Jackson website
• Template:MySpace
• Michael Jackson at IMDb
• MJFC - Michael Jackson Fan Club
• Michael Jackson's UK Fan Club
• Michael Jackson at All Movie Guide
• Template:Amg
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page on Michael Jackson
• Songwriters' Hall of Fame page on Michael Jackson
• Template:Dmoz
• Michael Jackson's Family Tree
• Michael Jackson discography at Discogs

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