Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958), also known as the King of Pop and Wacko Jacko, is a musician and entertainer whose successful music career and controversial personal life have been at the forefront of pop culture for the last quarter-century.
Jackson began his musical career at the age of five as lead singer of The Jackson 5 and made his first solo recordings in 1971 while remaining a member of the group. He began a full-fledged solo career in 1979 and formally parted with his siblings in 1984. In his solo career, Jackson recorded and co-produced the best-selling album of all-time (Thriller with approximate worldwide sales of 60 million), received thirteen Grammy awards and charted thirteen number-one singles in the U.S. Michael Jackson has been awarded numerous honors, including the World Music Award's "Best-selling pop male artist of the Millennium" and he is a double-inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and in 2001 as a solo artist.
He has been married twice and has three children: Prince and Paris with Deborah Jeanne Rowe, and Prince Michael II (better known as "Blanket") through surrogacy.
From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, on which he built an amusement park and private zoo for the enjoyment of economically disadvantaged and terminally ill children. His frequently held sleepover parties have received widespread critical media-coverage, especially after he revealed that he sometimes slept in the same bed with several unrelated children. This led to him being accused of child sexual abuse both in 1993 and 2003. He was eventually tried and acquitted of the latter allegations in 2005.
****************************************************************
The Beginning of Jackson's Career: 1969 – 1980
Michael Jackson was born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine children, including Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, LaToya, Marlon, Randy and Janet.
Joseph organized his children into a music group called "The Jackson 5". The group played local clubs and bars, building up a following and eventually signing a contract with Motown Records in March 1969. The Jackson 5 soon became national stars with their first four singles charting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Michael also released four solo albums and charted many hit singles as part of the Jackson 5 franchise including the hits "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin".
The Jackson 5's sales declined after 1973, and the group chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow the Jacksons creative control or input. In 1976, the group signed a new contract with CBS Records (first joining the Philadelphia International division and later moving over to Epic Records). Upon learning that the Jackson 5 had signed a contract with another label, Motown sued the group for breach of contract. As a result, they lost the rights to use the "Jackson 5" name and logo and changed their named to "The Jacksons". The newly named Jacksons, featuring youngest brother Randy in Jermaine's place, continued their successful career, touring internationally, and releasing six albums between 1976 and 1984.
In 1978, Michael Jackson starred as the scarecrow in The Wiz with former-labelmate Diana Ross playing Dorothy. The musical film's songs were arranged by famed producer Quincy Jones, who established a partnership with Jackson and agreed to produce his first solo album. Off the Wall, released in 1979, was a worldwide hit, and became the first album in history to spawn four top-ten hits, including "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You". The album went on to sell 20 million copies worldwide, establishing Jackson as a musical force without his brothers. After the success of Off the Wall, Jackson began work on his second solo album with Quincy Jones.
Chart Domination and Media Controversy: 1982 – 1992
In 1982, Jackson released his Sophomore album with the Epic record label owned by Columbia Records (now Sony). The album, Thriller became the best-selling album in music history with 60 million copies sold worldwide. The album spawned seven hit singles, including "Billie Jean" (which was the first music video by an African American 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" 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 number one and remained on the Billboard album chart for 122 weeks. It was eventually certified 26x Platinum in the United States.
In 1983, whilst performing "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever concert Jackson debuted what could now be construed as his signature move - the moonwalk It was at this point that Jackson's stardom exploded. The media began paying more attention to this new, publicity-courting Jackson. Jackson used his new superstar status and wealth to reap financial rewards. In 1983 Jackson started a sponsorship deal with Pepsi-Cola, as part of the deal Jackson agreed to star in a commercial. While filming the commercial in 1984, Jackson burnt his scalp, requiring skin grafts.
Later in 1984, Jackson won eight Grammy awards. Seven were for the critically acclaimed Thriller. Jackson also won a Grammy for the E.T. Storybook that year, breaking the record for the most Grammy awards won in a single year. Reuniting with his brothers, Jackson then helped to write the Victory album and performed and starred in the successful Victory Tour.
In 1985 Jackson co-wrote the hit charity single "We Are The World". The single helped to raise money and awareness for famine in East Africa and brought Jackson his first taste of perception by the media as a humanitarian January 28, 1985: "We Are The World" is recorded. The song was written by Michael and Lionel Richie. Richie recalled to his publicist, Howard Bloom what it was like to work with Michael, another of Bloom's clients. "We worked together on the floor of Michael's bedroom," said Richie. "It was great fun until you found yourself being observed by a boa constrictor who was practically eyebell to eyeball with you.".
Controversy followed that year when Jackson purchased the majority of shares in ATV Music Publishing (Lennon's estate and McCartney also co-owned), making himself the majority shareholder. The ATV Music Publishing company owned the rights to most of The Beatles' songs. The move angered close friend and song co-writing partner Paul McCartney, who was interested in purchasing the Beatles catalog for himself and felt betrayed by Jackson's actions. Ironically, it was 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 untrue story claiming Jackson purchased the bones of the Elephant Man inspired the pejorative nickname "Wacko Jacko". The name "Wacko Jacko" would come to be detested by Jackson.
In 1987, Jackson starred in the George Lucas/Francis Ford Coppola 3-D film Captain EO. The film lasted just 17 minutes but with cost estimates between U.S. $17 million and $30 million, it was at the time the most expensive film ever produced on a per-minute basis. However this was a seemingly logical extension of Jackson's habit of starring in expensive, critically acclaimed entertainment music videos. It was commercially successful and made a great deal of money. This was to be Jackson's first appearance on the big screen.
Later on in 1987 Jackson released Bad. This was his third album for the Epic record label, and final album with producer Quincy Jones. With high expectations after the success of Thriller, Jackson had complex ideas for the album. He initially wanted to make the album 30 tracks long, Jones cut this down to 10. He also wanted the title track to be a duet with fellow pop superstar Prince, but that idea fell through after the two had creative differences over lyrical content and Prince refused the project. Prince also stated later that he thought the song would be a hit whether he was in it or not.
Bad sold 29 million copies and spawned seven hit singles While for any other artist this would be a fantastic achievement, this particular artist was Michael Jackson. Numerous critics slated the lower sales of Bad and a perceived stripping down of the epic nature of Jackson's work as part of the beginning of a decline in Jackson's career, although it should be noted that if Jackson did decline, it was from a great height. Including the number ones "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana" Bad was a huge commercial success. The album was supported by a world tour which lasted for over a year and visited 15 countries, and for which Jackson insisted on a personal Bus, Plane and Helicopter to be available to him all at the same time--not an unsual request for an artist on a hugely ambitious tour. Says Howard Bloom, who was publicist to the Jacksons, Prince, and Foghat, "Even bands like Foghat insisted on the ready availablity of private aircraft during extensive tours."
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 was apparent that Jackson's appearance had changed dramatically. Although Jackson's skin color was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, his skin had been becoming paler gradually since 1982, and had become a light brown colour. This was now so noticeable the entire press, not just tabloids took out widespread coverage on it. Jackson attributed the changing skin color to vitiligo and denied rumors that he bleached his skin. Another significant reason for the change in appearance was the use of plastic surgery. Despite a number of surgeons' claims that Jackson has undergone multiple nasal surgeries as well as a forehead lift, thinned lips and cheekbone surgery, 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, while attributing puberty and diet to the noticeable change in the structure of his face.
The success Jackson achieved during this period in his career led to him being dubbed the "King of Pop", a nickname which he continues to be referred to by his fans. There are various conflicting reports as to the origin of this nickname although according to Jackson it was conceived by actress and long-term friend Elizabeth Taylor as she presented Jackson with an "Artist of the decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul". Some members of the media refer to Jackson as the "self-proclaimed king of pop" as they claim that Jackson gave the title to himself.
In 1991, Michael Jackson released Dangerous which went on to sell 29 million copies sold worldwide. The major hit from Dangerous was "Black or White", which was accompanied by a controversial music video featuring scenes of a sexual nature, violence and racism. The video was banned on most music-television channels until the scenes of violence and sex enacted by Jackson breaking windows and simulating masturbation were edited out of the video.
On February 10th 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 music video "In the Closet."
'Healing the World', alleged Improprieties and Further Career: 1993 – 2002
Named for his hit single "Heal the World", Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992 . The charity organization brought under-privileged children to Jackson's Neverland Ranch, located outside Santa Ynez, California to go on rides and amusements Jackson had built on the property since he purchased it in 1988, they were also fed.
In January 1993 Michael Jackson performed during the halftime show at Superbowl XXVII. It drew the largest viewing audience in the history of American television.
Jackson would let children sleep-over at Neverland. This practice soon became frowned-upon when allegations of child molestation were brought against Jackson. In 1993, 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 22nd, Jackson responded to the allegations via satellite from his Neverland compound, and said that "[he was] totally innocent of any wrongdoing." On January 25 1994, Jackson settled out of court with the accuser for an undisclosed sum, reported to be $20,000,000 and was not charged.
After the allegations were settled in 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. The marriage was severely criticized by the media and lasted less than two years. Despite some comments questioning the validity of this union, Presley has always maintained that they both shared a married couple's life during their time together and were sexually active.
In 1995, Jackson released HIStory: Past, Present And Future - Book 1. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a fifteen-track greatest hits album (in 2001, HIStory Begins was re-released on its own as Greatest Hits - HIStory Vol. I and sold 3 million copies), while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained fifteen new songs. The double album has sold 18 million copies (36 million discs) to date.
On September 7, 1995 at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards Jackson and Janet Jackson won three awards for the song "Scream," from HIStory.
To promote the album, Jackson embarked on the successful HIStory World Tour. On November 14, 1996, during the Australian leg of the tour, Jackson married his dermatologist's nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he fathered a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (who publicly goes by the name "Prince"), and a daughter, Paris Katherine Jackson. Jackson and Rowe were divorced in 1999. Jackson later said that Rowe wanted him to have the children as a "gift". The paternity of Michael Jackson's children has been heavily debated by the public. Because Michael is black and Rowe is white, the children are biracial. The children do not have any resemblance to Jackson in his childhood, and their skin is a milky white. This is not always uncommon in biracial children, since the darker-skinned parent may carry recessive genes for paler skin. Michael has always maintained that his first two children were concieved naturally, although it was claimed by tabloid The Sun, that Jackson had his first child via artificial insemination with his sperm and that the second child, Paris was concieved because Jackson went to Paris to console Rowe about how he had taken her first child including all parental rights from her.
In 1997, Jackson released an album of new material coupled with remixes of hit singles from the "HIStory" album titled Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. The album's five original songs were named ("Blood On The Dance Floor", "Is It Scary?", "Ghosts", "Superfly Sister" and "Morphine"). Of the new songs, three were released globally, including the title track which reached number-one in the UK. For that period in time the album was the best selling remix album of all time, although it suffered lower than average sales compared to Jackson's standard, selling six million copies worldwide. Other single releases from the album included "Ghosts", and "Is It Scary?", which were songs based on a film Jackson created that year titled "Ghosts". The film, written by Michael Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston, features impressive special effects and dance moves choreographed to original music written by Michael Jackson. Jackson dedicated the album to Elton John, who reportedly helped him through his addiction to painkillers, notably morphine.
Jackson's latest album Invincible was released in October 2001. The album debuted at number-one in thirteen countries and has since sold eight million copies worldwide. The singles released from the album include "You Rock My World," "Cry," and "Butterflies". Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed Sony Music Entertainment head, Tommy Mottola, that he was not going to renew his contract, which was about to expire in terms of supplying the label with albums of full-new material for release through ER/SME. In 2002 all the singles releases, video shootings and promotions, concerning the Invincible album were cancelled. Due to this, Jackson made allegations about Sony not supporting its African-American artists. Jackson referred to Mottola as a "devil" and "racist" who used black artists for his own personal gain. Sony issued a statement stating that they found the allegations strange, since Mottola was once married to biracial pop star Mariah Carey. Carey seemed to be nonchalant about Jackson's claims on Larry King Live.
Berlin and Bashir: 2002 - 2003
When Jackson was awarded the 2002 BAMBI award in recognition of his musical accomplishments, he traveled to Berlin to receive the award at the annual BAMBI ceremonies held in November of that year. The award ceremony was important enough to persuade a US Judge to delay Jackson's testimony in a lawsuit regarding cancelled concert appearances.
Once in Berlin, local fans learned the whereabouts of Jackson's hotel accommodations (Hotel Adlon) and promptly gathered beneath his hotel window, calling to him and cheering. A chant rose up, condemning the media for their negative coverage of Jackson's legal problems. Some of these chants can be heard on a documentary film of the event. According to Jackson, the fans also also called out that they wanted to see his baby. In response, Jackson brought his youngest son onto the balcony, holding him in his right arm with a towel over the baby's head, apparently to protect his identity. Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony. This action raised concern as some perceived his actions as child endangerment. Jackson quickly returned the child to the room.
After watching media coverage of the Berlin event, a California attorney and radio talk show host, Gloria Allred, wrote a letter to California's Child Protective Services, asking for an investigation into the safety of the three Jackson children. She also spoke on CNN about the subject. Because Child Protective Services do not make their investigations public, it is not known whether any action was taken as a result of Allred's letter.
When a reporter asked Jackson what he thought of Allred's complaints, he remarked "tell her to go to hell." [citation needed] But shortly thereafter, Jackson issued a written statement about the incident, saying, "I made a terrible mistake. I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children."
In a subsequent interview with Martin Bashir in 2003, Jackson said that the media were 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."
In 2003, a controversial documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson and including exclusive interviews with Michael Jackson about his personal life was shown to an international television audience. British journalist Martin Bashir and his film crew filmed Jackson for 18 months, also capturing his controversial behavior in Berlin (see above). One particular part of the documentary which stirred controversy and raised a significant level of concern showed Jackson holding hands with a 13-year-old cancer victim named Gavin Arviso and admitting to sharing his bedroom with Gavin (not in the same bed), and his bed (non-sexually) with other children. Jackson felt betrayed by Bashir and complained that the film gives a distorted picture. He fought back releasing his own documentary, filmed simultaneously by his own personal cameraman who caught Jackson's full explanations on the topics of plastic surgery, the "baby dangling" incident, and his relationships with children.
Trial, acquittal and the aftermath: 2003 – early 2006
In November 2003, Michael Jackson and Sony Records released a compilation of his number one hits on CD and DVD titled "Number Ones". The compilation was highly successful selling over six million copies worldwide. On the album's scheduled release date, while Michael 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 raided Neverland Ranch and issued an arrest warrant for Jackson on 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. The allegations later led to a 2005 trial in which Jackson was found not guilty of all charges.
The criminal case was tried in Santa Maria, California during the spring of 2005. On June 13, Jackson was acquitted of all ten charges, including four additional lesser ones. CNN later reported that two of the jurors, Ray Hultman and Eleanor Cook, believed he had committed child sex crimes in the past but there was not enough evidence to prove it, and announced impending books on their experiences in the trial. It has been reported that one of the jurors is taking legal action against the publisher of his book, claiming he was tricked into it.
On June 10, 2005, Michael Jackson's African American publicist Raymone Bain was sacked, Jackson's now-defunct website cited that ""MJJ Productions regretfully announces the termination of Raymone Bain and Davis, Bain and Associates", Bain denied being fired and later continued to make unofficial statements for the singer - despite no longer being contacted or paid by the singer or MJJ Productions.
Rapper Eminem parodied the allegations in his music video for Just Lose It. The clip caused much controversy and fueled Jackson himself to make a statement. Steve Harvey and Stevie Wonder also made pro-Jackson comments regarding the video.
After being acquitted of the child molestation charges, Jackson relocated to the Gulf island of Bahrain, where he reportedly bought a house formerly owned by a Bahrain MP. Jackson has spent his time in the Gulf writing new music, including a charity single dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina titled, "I Have This Dream". Ciara, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Keyshia Cole, James Ingram, Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine, Shanice, the Reverend Shirley Caesar and The O'Jays have reportedly lent their voices to the charity song. After many delays, the single is still yet to be released.
In 2006, allegations of sexual assault were leveled against Jackson by a man who claims Michael Jackson molested him, intoxicated him with drugs and alcohol, and forced him to undergo unnecessary cosmetic surgery. Michael Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mesereau, who successfully defended him against allegations of child molestation in 2005, said "the charges are ridiculous on their face. They will be vigorously defended." Since this news came to light in early 2006, nothing further has happened regarding the supposed charges.
Recent events and news: Visionary, and the new album
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 will be issued individually week by week over a five-month period.
An appeals court ruled on February 15, that a lower court improperly terminated Deborah Rowe's parental rights to her two children with pop star Michael Jackson, opening the door to a possible custody battle between the singer and his ex-wife. The retired judge, Steven M. Lachs, acknowledged in 2004 that he failed to have state officials do an independent investigation into what was in the best interests of the children. Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, who previously represented Jackson, is not representing Jackson in this case.
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 secures 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. 30 Neverland employees have also sued Jackson for $306,000 in unpaid wages. Jackson was told if he did not pay these wages by a deadline, he would be fined an extra $100,000. Jackson's employees were paid by the deadline.
Hot on the heels of this payment, Jackson's spokes-person announced on Thursday, 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. There have been many reports of a possible sale of Neverland, but nothing tangible has been reported yet.
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, the rest would then belong 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 the loans were sold by the Bank of America to Fortress investments; a company dealing in distressed loans. However, Jackson hasn't 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%. (Free Sign Up Required) None of the details are officially confirmed, an advisor to Jackson however did publically announce he had "restructured his finances with the assistance of Sony."
On April 18, 2006, Michael Jackson signed a management deal with English music producer Guy Holmes. Holmes is the recently appointed CEO of 2 Seas Records, with whom Jackson has signed a recording contract for one album. The album is set for a 2007 fall release.