Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, and his entire life was marked by an extraordinary ability to entertain audiences. His father, Joe Jackson, a former guitarist, had to give up his musical ambitions after marrying Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson, who was previously known as Katherine Esther Scruse. The Jackson family nurtured their children's musical interests at home, and by the early 1960s, the older brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine began performing around the city. Michael and Marlon soon joined in, and Michael's remarkable singing and dancing talents quickly made him the dominant voice and focus of the Jackson 5.
As a musical prodigy, Michael's abilities were astonishingly mature, and he soon became the opening act for renowned soul groups such as the O-Jays and James Brown. It was Gladys Knight who brought the group to the attention of Berry Gordy, and by 1969, the Jackson 5 were producing a string of chart-topping hits as Motown artists, including "I Want You Back," "ABC," "Never Can Say Goodbye," and "Got to Be There." As one of the most accomplished black pop and soul vocal groups in music history, the Jackson 5 evolved from a group similar to The Temptations to a disco phenomenon.
Michael's solo success was inevitable, and by the 1980s, he had become more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales soared, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller," in 1982. A natural in front of the camera, Michael ventured into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978),but found greater success with elaborate music videos.
In the 1990s, the darker side of Michael's 1980s pop phenomenon began to emerge. He became increasingly childlike and introverted due to his unparalleled celebrity. His physical appearance underwent drastic changes, and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a constant target for scandal and media scrutiny, despite his numerous charitable efforts. Two brief marriages, including one to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley, produced two children, but their purposes seemed largely image-oriented.
Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, California. His passion and artistry as a singer, dancer, writer, and businessman were unparalleled, and it is these exceptional talents that will ultimately prevail over the negative aspects of his troubled adult life.
