Biography of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson - biography and personal life Where was Michael Jackson born?
Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 19, 1958 into a large family. The boy's father, Joe Jackson, worked as a crane operator at a steel mill. The Jacksons were quite poor and lived in a small two-bedroom house for eleven people. His mother Katherine took care of the family, taught folk and religious songs to the children, and sometimes worked part-time. His father played guitar in a rhythm and blues band, but had little success, and his mother sang and played the piano. Since childhood, the boy studied music, as his parents decided to do everything possible for their children to achieve success in the musical field. Joe was a very strict father. He did not welcome contact with other children and beat them if they did not obey. And the struggle for control musical preferences offspring was a constant source of conflict in the family.
Soon the Jacksons formed the Jackson Brothers family group, which successfully performed in amateur shows and talent competitions. From the age of five, Michael's amazing talent showed itself. He joined the group in 1964. His dancing and stage presence invariably attracted attention. By the age of eight, Michael began singing with his older brother. By then, the group had changed their name to the Jackson 5 and began touring the Midwest, where they played bars and clubs. During a performance at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1968, not without the participation of singer Diana Ross, the group was noticed by representatives of the recording company Motown Records. By 1970, the group was topping the charts and touring the country with their hits. Michael was becoming very famous as a lead vocalist. Due to being busy and being harassed by fans, he could not go to school. Private teachers provided training during breaks between rehearsals and concerts. Michael was just a child, deprived of the opportunity to play with his peers, and years passed before he realized that he had missed out on childhood. The group managed to survive Michael's change in voice and an acrimonious break with the record company in 1976. The confrontation in the family continued.
The beginning of a solo career
In 1978, Michael Jackson appeared in the African-American version of The Wizard of Oz. He performed the hit from the film's soundtrack in a duet with star Ross. That same year, Michael began collaborating with music producer Quincy Jones. He broke away from the family group to work on his first adult album, The Wall, in 1979, which sold tens of millions of copies and earned critical praise.
In 1982, Jackson and Jones joined forces again to produce the album Thriller. The album finally confirmed Michael's worth as a solo artist, and his hits from the album made him the main pop star of the early eighties. Most music videos of the time featured a band or singer performing a song. Michael really wanted to create a whole video story based on his songs. These new types of music videos have become very popular and have changed the way music videos are made. His most famous video was the 13-minute video for the title track "Thriller". The success of the album, which became the best-selling album of all time, sold forty million copies. Video clips helped break the racial barrier imposed by radio stations and the music video channel MTV.
In 1985, Jackson launched We Are the World, which raised funds for the poor in Africa. In 1993 he was awarded the " Living legend" Despite his popularity, he became the subject of a serious scandal that damaged his reputation. In 1993, a thirteen-year-old boy accused Jackson of sexual abuse. The singer insisted on his innocence.
Personal life
Michael Jackson led an interesting, if not somewhat strange, personal life. He lived in a large complex called Neverland Ranch, named after Peter Pan. There was a zoo on the ranch railway, attractions: Ferris wheel, roller coaster and a carousel. Michael has been married twice. His first marriage took place in 1994 to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the famous rock singer Elvis Presley. Many believed that marriage served as a way to improve his public image. They divorced in August 1996.
In November 1996, Jackson announced that he would become a father. The child's mother was Debbie Rowe, Jackson's longtime friend. They married in Sydney on 13 February 1997. Their son, Michael Jackson Jr., was born in Los Angeles, and their daughter was born in 1998. Rowe decided to divorce Jackson in October 1999.
Greetings to guests and regular readers of the site website. This article will talk about famous singer, choreographer, dancer, philanthropist, most successful music artist. So, Michael Joseph Jackson was first released on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the eighth of ten children of a blues guitarist and an employee of a large industrial equipment company. Michael's childhood consists entirely of memories of his father's bullying; he demanded strict discipline from his children, which subsequently fostered determination and composure in the King of Pop.
Already at the age of five, Michael performed in public; at the age of six, he doubled for his older brothers in the family group “The Jacksons” (later renamed “The Jackson 5”), playing the conga. After a while, he becomes a full-fledged soloist of the group, the brother musicians begin to tour the Midwest, performing in nightclubs as an opening act.
In 1966, the Jacksons won a local talent competition and reached a more serious level. After 3 years, their debut 4 singles reach the top of the American charts. The audience is especially impressed by Michael with his specific movements and way of acting during performances.
In 1973, the success of young musicians begins to decline, they break the contract with one and sign with another company. A couple of years later, 6 albums of the group were released, Michael and his brothers traveled around the country with concerts. At the same time, the future pop idol begins work on his solo hits.
In 1978, Michael Jackson's musical film "The Wiz" was released, which also starred Diana Ross.
Still from the movie "The Wiz" (1978)
It was on the set of the musical that the performer met the famous music producer Quincy Jones, who would later produce the star's most popular albums. The first of these works, “Off the Wall,” was released in 1979 and sold more than 20 million copies.
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop "Til You Get Enough (1979)
Michael Jackson - She's Out of My Life (1980)
In November 1982, the premiere of the artist’s 6th album “Thriller” took place, which in a short time became the best-selling album in history. The songs from the album became real hits and took leading positions in the world charts.
Five years later, the collection “Bad” was released, the songs from which were heard by all the youth of that time and not only. "Bad" was also a phenomenal commercial success.
At the end of 1991, Jackson's eighth album, Dangerous, was presented, breaking previous sales records. In this work, Michael experimented with sound, which was noticed and appreciated by authoritative critics.
The summer of 1995 is marked by the artist's ninth release, "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I".
Six years later, the 10th album was released, which is the last collection that was released during Michael’s lifetime.
From interesting facts, the singer was involved in charity work and suffered from a rare genetic disease, vitiligo, which caused Jackson’s white skin. The performer was also accused several times of molesting minors, some of whom later admitted that they sued the artist in order to profit from his wealth. Our hero tied the knot twice.
In the summer of 2009, the singer died due to an overdose of medications, one of which was a sleeping pill. At that time, the singer was 50 years old. Despite his death, several posthumous albums by Michael Jackson were subsequently released, and the performer himself forever went down in history as the king of pop music.
Preview: photo by Alan Light (https://www.flickr.com/people/42274165@N00)
: Scan from Ebony magazine, December 1974
: Michael Jacksonfan (Jackson 5 - Michael Jackson, taken from flickr.com/photos/43791688@N07/4031647258)
: Wikimedia Commons - Bernie Ilson, Inc., public relations, New York.
: Wikimedia Commons - The Jackson 5
: youtube.com, still images
Stills from Michael Jackson's music videos on YouTube
Personal archive of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was accused of pedophilia and condemned for plastic surgery; they did not believe in the sincerity of his marriages and were outraged by the frankness of his videos. But he was still loved and loved all over the world. Nine years have passed since his death, and people still sometimes “see” the singer in different corners globe. Faking your own death? This would be quite in the spirit of the extravagant Michael.
Deprived of childhood
The seventh of nine children in a family - this fact itself no longer implies an easy and carefree childhood. But the Jackson family was not just large. Father and creator The group Jackson 5 Joseph Jackson was close to sadism in his methods of education: he regularly beat children, and was especially strict with Michael - the man did not like his “downtroddenness” and irresponsibility. 
It was his father who was to blame for the fact that the King of Pop suffered from insomnia and nightmares all his life. One night he climbed up the wall into the nursery with a Halloween mask on his face. In this way, Joseph wanted to wean the children from sleeping with the windows open, but in the end he only caused them psychological trauma. The success of The Jackson 5, where the five Jackson brothers, including Michael, sang, was largely due to iron discipline and fear of their father. As soon as you hit the wrong note during rehearsal, the belt was used. Unsuspecting newspapers called the group “a phenomenon of our time,” and eleven-year-old Michael cried quietly, looking out the window at his peers playing peacefully. They didn't have to prepare for concerts - they could remain just children.
Birth of a King
When the group’s success began to decline, the matured soloists fired their father as producers - the “five” broke up, and only Michael could achieve success on stage alone. While filming the film “Viz,” he met music director Quincy Jones, who took on the promising artist’s solo career.
The first album “Off the Wall” becomes successful, but Jackson will be called a real legend after the release of the “Thriller” album.
A fourteen-minute video for the song of the same name, more like a short film, will set a whole direction in the video music industry. They will imitate him, but no one will be able to repeat the success of Michael Jackson: nine months at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, seven Grammy awards!
Deprived of his childhood, Michael created for himself a reality that he never had. But the real world constantly reminded me of itself with problems that were not at all childish.
One against all
On the set of a Pepsi commercial, Michael had a bad experience: having lingered near the pyrotechnic devices at the director’s request, he received severe burns to his face and head. This entailed the first operations with serious consequences. While the burns were healing, Jackson suffered from severe pain, which was helped by pills and sedatives. Due to general stress, a rare hereditary disease, vitiligo, a disorder of skin pigmentation, has worsened. Over the years, the King of Pop's skin became increasingly lighter. In rare interviews, Michael explained about vitiligo and the need for makeup, but most believed in the louder version of what was happening - Jackson wants to become “white”, change his race!
Even his passion for charity was turned inside out. Helping seriously ill children, Michael offered them free vacations at his fabulous ranch. In 1993, a certain Evan Chandler accused the singer of seducing his 13-year-old son Jordan.
Marriages that no one believed in
They had known each other since the seventies, and during the days of difficult trials they often called each other. At some point, Michael realized how important Lisa’s support was for him. “What would you say if I asked you to marry me?” he asked during another telephone conversation. Lisa, after a short pause, agreed. By that time, she already had the experience of a failed marriage and two children. She and Michael got married in the Dominican Republic, away from the paparazzi, and kept everything a secret for two months. The public's reaction turned out to be predictable: both were immediately accused of mutual PR, and Jackson was also accused of trying to improve his own reputation at the expense of his wife.
However, if he had selfish motives, they lay elsewhere. For the entire year and a half that his marriage to Lisa lasted, Michael tried to persuade her to have a child. She, who saw Michael as a little boy in the body of an adult man, categorically refused. The dispute reached a dead end, as did their relationship. On January 18, 1996, Lisa filed for divorce, but nothing could stop Michael in his quest for fatherhood. Less than a year later, he married his dermatologist's assistant, Debbie Rowe. At the time of the wedding, she was already five months pregnant.
Jackson's dream came true: healthy and trouble-free Deborah gave him a son, Prince Michael, and a daughter, Paris. And three years later, she fully accepted the terms of the divorce: the children remain with Michael, and she remains with a house in Beverly Hills and a settlement of $8 million. They continued to communicate with Lisa Marie Presley after the divorce. After Jackson's death, she admitted that Michael was her great love in life.
New charges
In 2003, Michael Jackson hosted film crew British television. Talking about the children playing around, the singer drew attention to one of the boys: “And this is Gavin Arvizo. He and I became real friends. Sometimes we even sleep in the same bed, right, Gavin? And the other day, you know, we tried alcohol together!” The sincere confession, said so casually, amazed both fans and enemies of the star. Jackson was again accused of pedophilia, the star was defended by the best lawyers in America, who insisted on a psychiatric examination. She showed that Michael was not a pedophile, but he was also mentally healthy.
Abuse from his father and growing up early on stage meant that the 46-year-old singer had the development of a teenager and saw nothing wrong with letting a frightened child into bed.
He was acquitted again, but this time the singer suffered not only another depression, but also serious financial problems. In order to fully pay off the lawyers, he even had to mortgage the ranch. Only new tours could improve the situation. In early 2009, Michael Jackson announced a series of concerts that he would perform in London in the summer. The program was called This Is It Tour: the singer rehearsed a lot, honing his performance of the numbers to perfection. 18 days before the first concert, everything was almost ready - except for Michael himself.
Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Indiana (Gary, USA). The talented boy became the seventh son in a family with nine children in total. When Michael was five years old, his enterprising father created a family band called the Jackson Five, which included Michael's four older brothers and himself. Over time, it became clear that young Jackson had outstanding musical abilities, thanks to which the ensemble was noticed by famous producers who offered the lucky Jacksons a serious contract.
The group continued to tour successfully for several years, releasing six hit singles during this time.
However, the mega-popularity of the ensemble was suddenly hampered by the ambition of Michael, who was growing up and wanted to become an independent performer, earning money for himself, and not for his father. Continuing to work in the ensemble, he recorded his first solo album, which fell into the hands of the legendary producer Quincy Jones. He takes Michael under his wing and together they create the singer’s great album “Off the Wall,” which quickly sold 10 million copies worldwide. So Michael Jackson becomes an adult superstar and finally leaves the family ensemble.
Michael's Star Trek, his death and funeral arrangements
Having had a taste of fame, Michael outdid himself with the release of Thriller, which sold over 40 million copies and made it the best-selling album of all time. The record record was even included in the Guinness Book of Records. Working with Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson received 8 Grammy awards and worldwide love music critics, after which he received 11 more Grammys.
Michael Jackson, as a solo artist and member of the Jackson Five, was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
After becoming the King of Pop, the eccentric Michael was repeatedly attacked for his appearance and behavior on stage, but this made him an even more successful and popular musician. Unfortunately, as often happens with such bright stars, Michael could not stand the fame and everything that accompanies it - on June 25, 2009, the singer died in Los Angeles from cardiac arrest caused by a drug overdose. The world-famous Jackson was only 50 years old. Before burying the singer, his friends organized a large-scale and bright show in memory of the King of Pop.
, Los Angeles) - American artist, songwriter, dancer, composer, philanthropist, entrepreneur. The most successful artist in the history of pop music, over 260 million albums sold worldwide, not counting singles, winner of 15 Grammy awards and hundreds of other awards. Listed 13 times in the Guinness Book of Records; About a billion copies of Jackson's albums have been sold worldwide. In 2009, he was officially recognized as an American Legend and Music Icon. Michael Jackson made significant contributions to the development popular music, video clips, dance and fashion. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 as a result of a drug overdose, specifically propofol.
Biography
Childhood and The Jackson 5
Michael Jackson was born to Joseph and Katherine in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine children. Jackson claimed that his father repeatedly abused him mentally and physically. However, he respected his father's strict discipline, which played a large role in Jackson's success. In one confrontation with his father, described by Michael's older brother Marlon, his father held him upside down and struck him in the back and buttocks. One night, while Michael was sleeping, his father snuck into his room through the window. He was wearing a frightening mask, screaming and roaring shrilly. Joseph explained his action by saying that he wanted to teach his children to close the window before going to bed. Four years later, Michael admitted that he suffered from nightmares in which he was kidnapped from his bedroom. In 2003, Joseph admitted to the BBC that he beat Michael when he was a child.
Jackson first spoke openly about the abuse he suffered as a child in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said that as a child he often cried from a feeling of loneliness and vomited after communicating with his father. In another high-profile interview, Living with Michael Jackson (2003), while talking about childhood abuse, the singer covered his face with his hand and began to cry. Jackson recalled that Joseph would sit on a chair with a belt in his hand when he rehearsed with his brothers, and that "if you did something wrong, he would make you cry, really get you."
Jackson has been performing for his classmates at Christmas concerts since he was five years old. In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined The Jacksons - a group formed by their brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine - as backup musicians, playing conga and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing as a backing vocalist and dancer; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine became the main vocalists and the group was renamed The Jackson 5. The group toured extensively in the Midwest from 1968 to 1968. They often performed in a number of "black" clubs and places known as the "Chitlin' circuit", often warming up the audience for a striptease. In 1966, they won a local talent competition, performing the Motown Records hits and "I Got You (I Feel Good )" by James Brown with Michael as the main vocalist.
The Jacksons soon rose to national prominence, and in 1970, their first four singles reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Gradually, Michael stood out as the frontman of the children's quintet; in fact, it was he who got the main solo parts. He attracted attention with his unusual manner of dancing and behavior on stage, which he copied from his idols - James Brown, Jackie Wilson and others.
The beginning of a solo career
"Thriller"
Jackson in 1988
“Black music has had to play second fiddle for a long time, but its spirit is intact driving force in pop music that Michael connected with every soul in the world"
- "The Girl Is Mine" (No. 2, duet with Paul McCartney).
- "Billie Jean" (No. 1, Grammy Award, the biggest hit of Jackson's entire career and one of the most sampled tracks in funk music).
- “Beat It” (No. 1, another Grammy).
- "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin"" (No. 5).
- "Human Nature" (No. 7).
- “P.Y.T.” (Pretty Young Thing)" (No. 10).
- "Thriller" (No. 4).
- "Baby Be Mine"
- "The Lady in My Life".
On October 29, 1988, the musical film “MoonWalker” was released, which was a success at the box office and earned $67 million, and was later released on video in the amount of 800 thousand copies (as of 1989). In 1989, at the Soul Train Heritage Award ceremony, actress Elizabeth Taylor in her speech called Michael Jackson “the true king of pop, rock and soul,” that is, “the true king of pop, rock and soul music,” and the unofficial title “ the king of pop" stuck with Michael Jackson forever.
However, the 80s were marked not only by achievements and records. January 27, 1984 is the day that changed a lot in the life of Michael Jackson. Michael and his brothers starred in a Pepsi commercial. At the director's request, he lingered dangerously close to the pyrotechnic devices. His hair caught fire and Michael suffered 3rd degree burns to his scalp. . While in the hospital, Michael visited a children's burn unit, and after that, instead of receiving a multimillion-dollar compensation from Pepsi, he decided to open a children's burn center in his name with the help of Pepsi. This was the beginning of Michael's charitable activities, which he did not stop until the end of his days. At the opening of that same burn center, Michael was asked to pose in an oxygen pressure chamber for patients with extensive body burns. Michael posed lying on his back, and then turned on his side and pretended to be asleep. Thus was born the most famous myth in show business. In fact, this was the only time Michael Jackson “slept” in a pressure chamber. Another consequence of the burn was that the stress suffered by the body provoked the development of “vitiligo”, a disease transmitted to Michael through his mother’s side, which disrupts skin pigmentation. This led to the need to apply heavy makeup and avoid sunlight. Another consequence: Jackson never recovered from this injury, and the pain did not leave Michael for the rest of his life, and he was forced to start taking painkillers regularly. In addition, after the burn, Michael first met plastic surgery when his damaged skin and scalp were restored. After this, he decided to have surgery on his nose and chin. All this, combined with the transition to a vegetarian diet and weight loss, led to significant changes in the singer’s appearance, which was constantly fodder for discussion in the press. .
Nineties
Due to the increased attention to his person, Jackson spent most of his time in solitude at his strictly guarded Neverland ranch. There he was visited by a few friends, including Elizabeth Taylor. Children also lived on the ranch, to whom the singer was always partial. In 1991, he wrote two singles for the animated series The Simpsons, of which he was a fan. However, due to contract restrictions, his name was not mentioned in the credits.
On November 26, 1991, the album “Dangerous” was released, the release of which was preceded by the premiere of a large-scale video clip for the single “Black or White” (“Black or White”). "Black or White" topped the charts for five weeks and became Jackson's biggest hit since "Billie Jean." As with the previous ones, seven singles were released from this album. In addition to "Black or White" (No. 1), they included "Remember the Time" (No. 3), "In the Closet" (No. 6) and "Will You Be There" (No. 7). For “Remember the Time,” a video was shot with a multimillion-dollar budget and computer special effects, in which the pharaoh of Egypt and his wife were portrayed by Eddie Murphy and top model Iman.
Throughout the 1990s, Jackson's face changed dramatically, and his skin became completely white.
On June 16, 1995, the double album “HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I” was released: on the first disc there is a collection of the greatest hits, on the second there are 15 new songs. It was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy. The first single released was “Scream,” a duet between the singer and his sister, Janet Jackson. The song was accompanied by a futuristic video clip, the filming of which cost over seven million dollars.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 20 million copies (7 million copies in the US). Many new songs from it were released as singles, including a ballad about Moscow (“Stranger in Moscow”; Jackson promised to record a song about the Russian capital when he first visited here in 1993), a composition on the environmental theme “Earth Song" (five weeks on the first place in the UK) and the contemporary R&B song "You Are Not Alone" (his thirteenth Billboard Hot 100 number one), written and produced for him by R Kelly. In the video for “You Are Not Alone,” Michael appeared half-naked with his first wife, Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley.
In 1997, the album “Blood on the Dance floor” was released: the soundtrack to the film “Ghosts” and a collection of dance remixes of tracks from “HIStory”. Reviews for the disc were largely positive, and the title track topped the sales charts in many countries, including the UK. In the US, the album went virtually unnoticed and did not reach number one on the charts.
Performances in Russia
Album Invincible
Jackson's next studio album was recorded only six years later, and its release was delayed several times. The Sony label was reluctant to invest millions of dollars in the protracted process of recording and then promoting the album, which ultimately led to a quarrel between the singer and the recording giant. "Invincible", released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single "You Rock My World", which featured famous actors Marlon Brando and Chris Tucker. The album received mixed reviews from critics, and its sales figures were twice as modest as those of HIStory.
The song Invincible is dedicated to a 15-year-old Afro-Norwegian boy named Benjamin Hermansen, who was killed by a group of neo-Nazis in Oslo (Norway, January 26, 2001). Omer Bhatti, a close friend of Jackson, was good friend Benjamin Hermansen. Michael Jackson writes in his message:
“This album is dedicated to Benny Hermansen. We must remember: a person can be judged not by the color of his skin, but by his personal qualities. Benjamin, we love you. Rest in peace."
To promote the album, a special 30th anniversary celebration was organized solo career Michael Jackson at Madison Square Garden which took place in September. Jackson appeared on stage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984. The show also included performances by Britney Spears, Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, Tamia, 'N Sync, Slash, Aaron Carter. A world tour was also planned to support the album, but due to the September 11 terrorist attacks, the tour was canceled. The album spawned three singles, " You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter of which did not have a music video. "Unbreakable" was intended to be released as a single, but due to various financing issues, Sony refused to release it.
In March 2009, Michael announced that he was going to give the last series of concerts in London called "This Is It Tour". The concerts were supposed to begin on July 13, 2009 and end on March 6, 2010. When Jackson announced his return to the stage at a special press conference on March 5, 2009, it was about 10 concerts at the stadium edit] Creativity
Clips and choreography
Jackson is also called the King of Music Video. Allmusic's Steve Hay watched as Jackson turned the video into a work of art through complex storylines, dancing, special effects and celebrity cameos while breaking down racial barriers. Before Thriller, Jackson tried in vain to break into MTV, ostensibly because he was African-American. Pressure from CBS Records convinced MTV to begin playing "Billie Jean" and then "Beat It", leading to a long partnership with Jackson and also helping other black musicians gain recognition. MTV employees deny there was racism in their shows or pressure to change their stance. MTV claims they played rock music regardless of race. The popularity of his videos on MTV helped put the relatively young channel on the map; MTV's focus shifted to pop and R&B. His performance on Motown: Yesterday, Today, Forever redefined the scope of live stage shows; "The fact that Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is not in itself extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the experience of the performance extraordinary, whether it was a live performance or a lip-sync performance, does not affect the audience," thereby creating an era in which artists recreate the images of the music video on stage. Short films like Thriller remained largely unique to Jackson, while dance dance group"Beat It" has been imitated many times. Thriller's choreography has become part of global pop culture, copied everywhere from Indian films to a prison in the Philippines. The short film Thriller marked the rise of music videos and was named the most successful music video ever to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In the 19-minute video for the song "Bad" - directed by Martin Scorsese - Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. At times he grabbed or touched the chest, torso and perineum. When asked by Oprah in a 1993 interview about why he grabs his crotch, he replied, "I think it happens subconsciously," and he described it as something that wasn't planned, but rather something that was forced by the music. "Bad" received mixed reception from fans and critics, with Time magazine calling it "disgraceful." The film also features Wesley Snipes, and future Jackson videos will often feature cameo appearances by celebrities. For "Smooth Criminal", Jackson experimented with an innovative "anti-gravity tilt" in his performances. This maneuver requires special footwear, for which he received US Patent No. 5255452. Although the video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, it was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards in 1989; that same year he received the Golden Lion award for the quality of the special effects used in his productions. "Leave Me Alone" won a Grammy in 1990 for best music video, short form.
He received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1988 and the MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award in 1990 to commemorate his achievements in the arts during the 1980s, and the first award was renamed in his honor in 1991. "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music video, which premiered simultaneously in 27 countries on November 14, 1991, to an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest ever to view a music video. The scenes shown have been interpreted as being of a sexual nature as well as depicting violence. The offending scenes in the final 14-minute version were edited to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized. Along with Jackson, the video featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. This work helped introduce morphing as an important technology in music videos.
Personal life
Family
Michael (under an umbrella) and his two children wearing masks
Michael Jackson was married twice. From 1996 to 1996, he was married to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. They first met in 1975 during one of the celebrations at the MGM Grand Hotel casino. Through a mutual friend, they met again in early 1993, and their relationship became serious. They called each other every day.
When Jackson was accused of child molestation and it became public knowledge, Jackson became dependent on Presley: he ran after her, he needed emotional support, and she was concerned about his health and addiction to relaxing drugs. Presley explained:
“I believed that he had done nothing wrong and that he was innocent, I became closer to him. I wanted to save him. I felt like I could do it."
She soon persuaded him to settle the charges out of court, as well as the need for rehabilitation to restore his health. In October 1993, Jackson proposed to Presley over the phone: "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?" They married on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic in secret, denying it for almost two months. The wedding took place in the house of local judge Hugo Alvarez Perez in the city of Santo Domingo. The wedding took place in the Church of St. Stanislaus in the town of Altos de Chavon. The marriage was called "semi-fictitious" because according to the laws of the Dominican Republic, no woman can remarry unless three months have passed since the divorce. And Lisa Maria in those days had just divorced her ex-husband. Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later but remained friends. In 1997, Presley accompanied Michael, who was married to Debbie Rowe, on the HIStory tour.
He was on good friendly terms with Princess Diana.
Health
Since the mid-1980s, Michael Jackson's appearance has changed noticeably. His skin became increasingly lighter. As Jackson himself said, the reason for his “whiteness” is a rare genetic disease, vitiligo, and there is a lot of evidence of this in photographs where white milky spots are visible on Michael’s body. These changes were hidden with makeup. Jackson categorically denied rumors that he was deliberately trying to turn himself into a white man.
According to some doctors, he underwent several operations on his nose, as well as to raise his forehead, thin his lips, operate on his cheeks, on his eyelids, and to create a dimple on his chin. The singer himself stated that he changed the shape of his nose only 2 times, and also made a dimple on his chin. He categorically denied everything else, explaining the changes in appearance to growing up and a strict vegetarian diet. Later, Jackson experienced problems associated with the consequences of operations.
In the early 2000s, Michael appeared in public for some time wearing a medical mask. Rumors began to circulate that Jackson's nose was collapsing and that he had to undergo plastic surgery to reconstruct his nose. Jackson later appeared in public with a bandage on his nose. The performer himself said that it was a pain-relieving patch that he put on because of allergies. Surgeon Arnold Klein subsequently confirmed that he operated on the singer's nose to restore Michael's ability to breathe.
Child molestation charges
Michael's fans demonstrated in his support during the allegations. The inscription on the poster is “Michael is innocent”
Michael Jackson stood trial twice on charges of molesting minors, both times of boys.
In 1993, he was accused of molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. Jordan was a Jackson fan and often visited him at the Neverland Ranch. According to the boy's father, the son admitted to him that the singer forced him to touch his genitals. The police conducted an investigation into these allegations, during which Michael had to show his genitals to compare with what the boy described. As a result, the parties entered into a settlement: Jackson paid Chandler’s family $22 million, and Jordan refused to testify against Michael.
Ten years later, in 2003, Michael was again charged with a similar crime. This time, the singer was accused of molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo, also a regular guest at the Neverland Ranch. During their stay at the ranch, the children often slept in the same room as Jackson and even on his bed. According to the prosecution, Jackson allegedly got Gavin drunk, which is already a crime under US law, and then masturbated with him. In addition, he allegedly frequently groped Gavin and other children.
On December 18, the police conducted searches at Jackson's Neverland estate, and on the 20th the singer was arrested and released on bail a day later. As before, Jackson categorically denied the accusation, saying that the Arvizo family was simply trying to engage in extortion. Michael's trial lasted from February to May 2005. More than 2,200 funds mass media from all over the world accredited their journalists to cover the scandalous process. The jury ruled that there was insufficient evidence and Jackson was innocent.
Constant litigation led to a deterioration in Jackson's health, and he even began using painkillers to cope with stress. In addition, the trial led to the complete devastation of bank accounts: the services of the best US lawyers cost more than 100,000,000.
After the singer's death in 2009, Jordan Chandler admitted that he slandered Michael Jackson, which his father Evan Chandler (who later committed suicide) forced him to do for the sake of money.
Religious views
Michael Jackson was not an open follower of any church, but showed interest in religion of various denominations.
Katherine Jackson (Michael's mother) was baptized in 1963 when Michael was five years old. His mother tried to raise Michael as a Jehovah's Witness and encouraged him to study the Bible, attend Christian meetings at Kingdom halls, and preach. However, his relationship with the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses did not work out. Jehovah's Witnesses were shocked by him defiant behavior on stage and his video Thriller, unacceptable to members of the organization.
By 1984, despite his enormous fame, Michael Jackson continued to preach as a Jehovah's Witness, twice a week, maybe an hour or two. He also attended Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall with his mother four times a week when he was in town. He refused to eat blood, celebrate Easter and Christmas, which he considered “pagan holidays,” and celebrate his own birthday.
However, in 1987, Jackson left the Jehovah's Witnesses in response to disapproving reviews of the Thriller video. This, in particular, was facilitated by the fact that Michael's sister La Toya Jackson was expelled from the organization around the same time. Michael, like all other members of the organization, was forbidden to communicate with her on spiritual topics (you can communicate on everyday topics in a forced situation), which was a blow for him. Michael violated this principle and, as a result, stopped attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses himself. In 1987, it was announced that Michael Jackson was no longer a Jehovah's Witness.
Michael's brother, Jermaine Jackson, is an open Muslim and often gave his brother books about the religion. Germain hoped that his passion for religion would protect Michael from nervous disorders and bad habits.
Jackson was also close to Andre Crouch, a Christian musician and gospel artist. Shortly before his death, the singer visited with Crouch Christian Church and sang several Christian songs. According to Crouch and his sister, Jackson asked about their customs but said nothing about wanting to join their denomination.
Death, farewell ceremony and funeral
There were reports that Michael Jackson was secretly buried on August 8th or 9th, 2009 at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Cemetery, but later reports emerged that he would not be buried until September. Jackson's final funeral took place on Thursday, September 3, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in suburban Los Angeles.
Los Angeles authorities, meanwhile, are investigating the death of Michael Jackson. The Los Angeles coroner classified the doctors' actions as murder and did not rule out a trial against them. In November 2011, Conrad Murray was found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. He also lost his license to practice medicine.
After death
Flash mobs (fan mobs)
Michael Jackson flash mob (fan mob)(English) Michael Jackson flashmob) - flash mobs in memory of Michael Jackson, arose after Michael's death. Flash mobs in memory of Jackson, with their scale and periodicity, went beyond the usual fan mobs and began a completely new, unique movement. These flash mobs are different from the usual ones, they do not comply with the rules of the classic mob, just like the fan mob, the participants of this mob are dressed in Jackson paraphernalia and clothing, thereby copying his style. All choreography and movements copy the movements of Michael Jackson. The music of this flash mob must be selected from Michael’s repertoire. Basically, the choreography of this mob is taken from Jackson's original choreography, but is sometimes lightened or simply changed, since it is very difficult for non-professionals to repeat.
Jackson was also awarded "For Outstanding Contributions to world culture"for contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to 39 charities he supported and his own foundation Heal the World .
Awarded (posthumously) at the “Muz-TV Prize 2010” for his enormous contribution to the global music industry. The prize was awarded to singer Jackson's sister, LaToya Jackson.
The singer has 395 awards in total.
Discography
Studio albums
Filmography
- 1978 - “The Scarecrow / The Wiz”
- 1986 - “Captain IO / Captain EO”
- 1988 - “Moonwalker”
- 1996 - “Ghosts”
- 2002 - “Men in Black 2” - “Agent Em” (uncredited)
- 2004 - “Miss Robinson / Miss Cast Away”
- 2009 - “That’s all / This is it”
- 2011 - “Michael Jackson: The Life of a Pop Icon / Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon”
Books
- Michael Jackson “Moonwalk” Publisher: William Heinemann, London, 2009
- Michael Jackson “Dancing the Dream” Publisher: DoubleDay, 1992
Literature
- N. Ya. Nadezhdin. Michael Jackson: "Thriller": Biographical Stories. M.: Mayor, Osipenko, 2012. 192 pp., Series “Informal biographies”, 2000 copies, ISBN 978-5-98551-200-7
Michael Jackson in philately
Postage stamps and other philatelic materials from the British Virgin Islands, St. Vincent Island, Angola, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Guinea and other countries are dedicated to Michael Jackson.
See also
- Hollywood Walk of Fame - list of honorees for contributions to the recording industry
- Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni- an extinct hermit crab, named after the singer in 2012
Notes
Links
| Michael Jackson on Wikimedia Commons | |
| Michael Jackson in Wikinews |
- Official website (English)
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