Michael's Bio

gen•ius noun, plural:
1. an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music etc.



What can the world say about Michael Jackson? He is simply amazing and so unique in his style. For over four decades, he has dedicated his time, effort, and strength to making history with his amazing voice and groundbreaking dance movement. No matter anybodies conception of Michael and how they view him as a human being, one thing is for sure. He is undeniably the King Of Pop, Rock, And Soul.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29th, 1958 in Gary Indiana. His father, Joseph Jackson, worked in the steam mills to support his wife and 6 other children that were born prior to Michael. Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson often stayed home and maintained the household and children. Michael was the 7th child to enter the Jackson family out of 9 children in total. Even before Michael was born, the Jackson family was always a very musical family. Their connection and passion to music was the root of how they spent time together as an entire family. Little Michael displayed a public affection for music at a very young and tender age.
Michael began his musical career at the age of five as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 who formed in 1964. In these early years the Jackson 5, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and lead singer Michael played local clubs and bars in Gary Indiana and moving further a field as there talents grew and they could compete in bigger competitions. From these early days Michael would be at the same clubs as big talented stars of there days, such as Jackie Wilson and would be learning from them even back then. In 1968 Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers discovered the Jackson 5 and from there they got an audition for Berry Gordy of Motown Records. The Jackson 5 signed for Motown and moved to California. Their first four singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" all made US number one hits. The Jackson 5 recorded fourteen albums and Michael recorded four solo albums with Motown. Michael and the group (with the exception of brother Jermaine) left Motown in 1975, signing with Epic Records, which also gave Michael a solo deal. Two years later, he starred in the film version of the hit musical The Wiz, which also featured singer Diana Ross and comic Richard Pryor. Quincy Jones, who produced the soundtrack album, became one of Michael's longtime friends and collaborators.
The year 1979 saw the release of Jackson's extraordinarily successful album “Off the Wall” this record included the hit singles "Rock With You" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and eventually sold some 10 million copies. The singer had matured into a dynamic adult entertainer, but he also began to make his mark as a songwriter, crafting durable pop that synthesized rock and disco.
Michael’s next album, “Thriller”, was a quantum leap for him both creatively and commercially. Released in 1982, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more driving, the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful, and all of it was recognizably Michael’s creativity pouring out. Thriller produced seven top ten hit singles, broke records and quickly became the world's best selling album ever. The "Billie Jean" music video, released to promote Thriller, became the first video by a black artist to be aired on MTV, and the "Thriller" short film, included with “The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller”, became the world's best selling home video at the time. "Billie Jean" and "Thriller", as well as "Beat It", were the three music videos released from the album, and have since become three of MTV's most significant videos in history, placing highly on several MTV and VH1 countdowns, and receiving substantial airplay on MTV2 to this day. The album's other singles were "Human Nature" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", both of which were also hits, despite neither having music videos. While performing "Billie Jean" during the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special on television on May 16, 1983, Jackson publicly performed the moonwalk (later became his signature dance move) for the first time, stunning TV audiences. In January 1984 at the American Music Awards, Jackson was nominated for nine awards and won a record eight awards. In February at the Grammy Awards Michael was nominated for twelve awards and won a record-breaking eight awards, seven for Thriller and one for his narrative on The E.T. Storybook. In May, Thriller was certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling popular music album of all time. In addition in 1984, he was also awarded the H. Claude Hodson Medal of Freedom at the NAACP Image Awards, feted at the White House by President Ronald Reagan with the Presidential Special Achievement Award and in November was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additionally, as of 2005, Thriller is certified 27x Platinum. In 1985, he co-wrote the famine-relief single "We Are the World," which became one of the fastest-selling singles ever.
In 1987, Michael released his much awaited third solo album, titled 'Bad', and launched his record breaking first solo world tour. In 1988, Michael wrote his first autobiography talking for the first time on his childhood and his career called “Moonwalker”. At the end of the 1980s, Michael was named 'Artist Of The Decade' for his success off of his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' albums.
In 1991, Michael signed with Sony Music the largest ever-recording contract and released his fourth solo album, 'Dangerous'. He toured world again in 1992, taking his concerts to countries that had never before been visited by a pop/rock artist ever. Michael also founded the 'Heal the World Foundation' to help improve the lives of children across the world. In 1994, Michael married the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie. The union was publicly scrutinized and speculations arose as to whether the marriage was simply an attempt to improve Michael’s image, though he maintained that they lived genuinely as man and wife. The marriage broke up after less than two years.
In 1995, Michael tried to turn the focus back to his music despite the rumors that sparked all around the world about him or his personal life, releasing "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1." This was a two-CD set featuring his greatest hits and some new material, and it debuted at number one. The album’s lead single was "Scream," a duet with his sister Janet, which won several Billboard Music Awards. Michael then embarked on a world tour for the album, and while in Australia he married his dermatologist’s nurse, Debbie Jeanne Rowe, with whom he fathered a son named after himself (though he goes by the name "Prince" publicly) and a daughter, Paris Katherine. Debbie and Michael divorced in 1999.
In 2001, Michael was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and had a huge concert at Madison Square Garden celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of his first solo album. Later that year, he released the album "Invincible" on Sony Records and informed Sony Music head Tommy Mottola that he wasn’t going to renew his contract. Then, Sony and Jackson got into a press battle, and Jackson publicly defamed Mottola, calling him "devilish" and racist.
In 2003, Michael and Sony released a compilation of his hits, "Number Ones." It sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Any true Michael Jackson fan would know what happened in the year 2003. Police raided Neverland Ranch issuing an arrest warrant for charges of child molestation by the same boy who appeared in the Martin Bashir documentary “Living With Michael Jackson”. A trial took place, and in 2005 Michael was acquitted of all ten charges. After his acquittal, Michael traveled the world residing in various places writing music. He did release some new material this year, being celebrated all over the world as we speak, entitled “Thriller 25”. These new remixes celebrated the 25 year mark of the release of Thriller. Will.I.Am, Kanye West, Akon, and Fergie celebrated the anniversary by remixing some of Michael’s biggest hits from Thriller.
Today, Michael still has a major influence in the musical industry today inspiring many young artists to follow in his footsteps and adopt the same type of potential. The question that most people seem to askis “how does he do it?.” The answer to that question is very simple, because he always could. Michael was sent here to inspire, give joy, and serve as a national symbol to everybody in this world that we truly can make a difference. May the magic of Michael shine on!!

We Miss You, Michael