Michael Jackson, In Memoriam

I never was a fun of Michael Jackson, even if I like many of his songs. But no matter you like him or his music, no one can denies his major role in the development of the modern music.

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his début to the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1969, and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop"[2] in subsequent years, his 1982 album Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time[3] and four other solo studio albums are also among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into an art form—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. 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 and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists. While Jackson was a member of Generation Jones [4][5], his influence impacted multiple generations.

Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearance and behavior, generated significant controversy, damaging his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer had experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era and the sale of 750 million records worldwide.[6] Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades. Jackson died on June 25, 2009, aged 50.[7] The specific cause of death has yet to be determined.[2] Before his death, Jackson had announced a 50 date sell-out This Is It comeback tour, in London, England.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock-N-Roll Gold Rush. Algora Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 0875862071.
  2. ^ a b Ryan, Joal (2009-06-25). "Michael Jackson, Pop's Thrilling King, Dead at 50". E! Online.
  3. ^ a b "Music Icon Quincy Jones Kicks-Off New Series in Tribune Newspapers". PR Newswire. January 16, 2009.
  4. ^ [4]
  5. ^ [5]
  6. ^ Eisinger, Amy (2009-03-04), "Britney Spears isn't the only pop star primed for a comeback: Get ready for Michael Jackson", Daily News,
  7. ^ Matthew Moore (2009-06-26) Michael Jackson, King of Pop, dies of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles Telegraph. Retrieved on 2009-06-27.
  8. ^ "Michael Jackson delays some shows until '10". CNN. 2009-05-20.

References

  • Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden. ISBN 082831957X. 
  • Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour. Branden. ISBN 0828320039. 
  • George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.
  • Guinness World Records (2003). Guinness World Records 2004. Guinness. ISBN 1892051206. 
  • Guinness World Records (2005). Guinness World Records 2006. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-02-4. 
  • Jackson, Michael (1988). Moon Walk. Doubleday. ISBN 0385247125. 
  • Lewis, Jel (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: The Big Picture : the Music! the Man! the Legend! the Interviews!. Amber Books Publishing. ISBN 0-974977-90-X. 
  • Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Terra Alta, WV: Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4. 

Further reading

  • Dineen, Catherine (1993). Michael Jackson: In His Own Words. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0711932166. 
  • Grant, Adrian (1994, 1997, 2002 and 2005). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-432-2. 
  • Jackson, Michael (1988). Moonwalk. Doubleday. pp. 143–144. ISBN 0-434-37042-8. 
  • Jackson, Michael (1992). Dancing the Dream. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-40368-2. 
  • Jackson, Michael (2006). My World, The Official Photobook, Vol. 1. Triumph International. ISBN 0-9768891-1-0. 
  • Jones, Bob (2005). Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask. Select Books Inc. ISBN 1590790723. 
  • Noonan, Damien (1994) (Audio book). Michael Jackson. Carlton Books. ISBN 1-85797-587-1. 

Links

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

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