Mufhl 308 - the King of Pop: Michael Jackson

Rebecca Anderson

03-10-11

MUFHL 308

Eiferston

Biography

The King Of Pop: Michael Jackson

Whether we listen to pop, rock, country, jazz, or blues everyone knows about the "KING OF POP" Michael Joseph Jackson ( August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009 ) was known around the world as a musical genius and a phenomenon entertainer. From his early childhood in the Jackson 5 to his solo years he has inspired many people. Michael Jackson has gone through many trials and tribulations such as his childhood, beginning of his new career, and his adulthood.

Michael began his music career when he was just 5 years old entering into the band the Jackson 5 as the lead singer. The Jackson 5 consisted of his brothers Tito, Jermain, Jackie, Marlon, and himself. Every day from the time their father would get home from work they would have to practice their dances, instruments, and singing. Their father would beat them if they didn't get it right and wouldn't let them go to sleep ( even though they had school the next morning) until they had gotten it right. Once they had started getting gigs and performing at night his father had told all the boys that they were prohibited from dating and having friends because their music and gigs were their life. In 1968 The Jackson 5 had signed on with Motown Records. Within the year their four new singles had hit number 1 on the billboard hot 100. In 1975 they had decided to leave Motown and sign with Epic Records due to the fall in records and popularity. They then changed their names from The Jackson Five to The Jackson's. Because Jermaine wanted to leave and pursue his own career his father replaced him with his younger brother Randy. From 1976 to 1984 The Jackson's put out six more albums. During 1979 at rehearsal Michael was practicing a very complex dance move and broke his nose which led him to having to get surgery ( which will later cause him to have a breathing problem).

In 1979 Michael had teamed up with Quincy Jones to record his new solo album "Off The Wall". One of his song writers was Paul McCartney, a former Beatles member. That year the album was released and had 10 hits, which had reached number three on the billboard 200 and sold over 20 million copies. Also he had won royalty at 37 percent of album profit which was the highest ever achieved. In 1980 he had won three music award and one billboard award and again won in 1981. As the album Thriller had come out in 1982 he also did some work for songs on the children's movie E.T.. The album Thriller had become the best seller worldwide and the best seller of all time in the United States and achieving Double Diamond. On May 16, 1983 over 47 million people tuned in to watch the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever TV. special where Michael was reunited with his brothers to do a performance. That night he had also performed his solo Billie Jean and performed his famous dance move The Moonwalk for the first time. In 1984 Michael and some of his brothers filmed a commercial for Pepsi Co. which his hair was accidentally caught on fire. A couple months later he was personally invited to the White House to accept an award from president Ronald Regan for his great donation for alcohol and drug abuse. In that same year him and his brothers did the Victory Tour where