Michael

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

Michael Jackson |

Jackson during a June 2, 1988 performance in Vienna, Austria |
Background information |
Birth name | Michael Joseph Jackson[1] |
Also known as | Michael Joe Jackson |Born | (1958-08-29)August 29, 1958
Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
Died | June 25, 2009(2009-06-25) (aged 50)
Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Pop, rock, soul, R&B, funk, disco, dance, new jack swing |
Occupations | Musician, singer-songwriter, arranger, dancer, artist, choreographer, music producer, actor, businessman |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1964–2009 |
Labels |Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions |
Associated acts | The Jackson 5, The Jacksons |
Michael Joseph Jackson[1] (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, actor and businessman. Often referred to as the "King of Pop", or by his initials MJ,[2] Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. Hiscontributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.
The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. Themusic videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller," were credited with breaking down racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these videos helped to bring the then relatively new television channel MTV to fame. With videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" he continued to innovate the mediumthroughout the 1990s, as well as forging a reputation as a touring solo artist. Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot, and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop, and rock artists.
Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is thebest-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first and only dancer from pop and rock music. Some of his otherachievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; 26 American Music Awards, more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s"; 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era; and the estimated sale ofover 400 million records worldwide.[3][4][5][Note 1] Jackson won hundreds of awards, which made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.[6] In what would have been Jackson's 52nd birthday on 29 August 2010, he became the most downloaded artist of all time.[7][8] Jackson constantly traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism and the 2000 GuinnessBook of Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities; more than any other pop star. However in 1998, Britain's Charity Commission shut down Jackson's charity Heal the World, reportedly concluding that Jackson's actions had ruined the charity's good name.[9]
Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In...