It’s been ten years since the world lost a gem in the music industry; the king of pop Michael Jackson.
A man that inspired thousands of people all over the world and changed the face of pop music.
First as the most prominent member of the Jackson 5 and later as the undisputed King of Pop.
In 2009, the news of the death of Michael Jackson left the whole music industry shunned. And ten years later, he is still one of the most loved and celebrated artists in pop music.
From chart-topping hits to incredible stage performances and the most iconic dance moves, Michael had it all.
He was what people call a perfect performer.
And today we look back at his life and celebrate the life and greatness of one of the greatest artist and performer, Michael Joseph Jackson.
Early Life.
Born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958, Michael Joseph Jackson was the eighth of ten children of Katherine Esther Jackson and Joseph Walter “Joe” Jackson.
Michael, however, never had the opportunity to live a normal child life as he began his music career at a very early age.
He was the band member and the lead singer of the band The Jackson 5, along with his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon.
After winning a talent show in 1966, a year after the band was formed, Jackson 5 became a prominent name in the underground.
They began touring and opening for big artists like Etta James and Gladys Knight.
The band signed a record deal with Motown records in 1969 and relocated to Los Angeles from Gary.
But despite the fame and love, Michael was receiving from the people being in the band, his personal life was somewhat a turmoil.
In multiple interviews, Michael and his brothers have stated that their father would physically abuse them in order to discipline them.
Something even Joe, their father has admitted doing.
Michael was a shy kid growing up who never really got to experience childhood the right way.
He would sit in his room and cry because he felt trapped as we could never go outside of his house and play. And he never had anyone he could call his friend.
While other kids would scream and run around the playground, Michael would be too busy recording his music and touring.
He had an abusive relationship with his father both physical and emotional. This later became a major reason for his mental, physical, and psychological health.
Music Career and Legacy.
Michael had already gained massive popularity being the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5.
So stepping out of the band wasn’t much of a big deal.
Yet, being in the Jackson 5, he got all the exposure he needed to become the future King of Pop.
After signing with the Motown records, they released several chart-topping hits including “I Want You Back,” “The Love You Save,” “ABC,” and “I’ll Be There”.
But unlike the other members of the band, Michael was destined for something bigger than just being in a band.
Michael Jackson’s sixth solo album Thriller was one of the most influential albums of its time as it helped foster racial diversity in MTV’s roster.
He became an artist that was responsible to steer the focus of television networks from rock music to pop and R&B.
Michael Jackson has become one of the most prominent figures of pop music and a remarkable cultural icon of the 20th century.
He is even recognized as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time by Guinness World Records.
It’s not just the field of music that he has been able to influence. From his music to his dancing, fashion, and music videos, everything he does is iconic.
In a four and a half decade of his music career, Michael Jackson has been able to accumulate quite a lot of awards and recognition.
Jackson has 15 Grammys, 26 American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, and 39 Guinness World Records just to name a few.
The king of Pop is the most awarded recording artist in the history of Pop music.
Personal Life.
As public as Michael Jackson’s private life was, it was equally disturbing and devastating.
From the stories of how he was physically and emotionally abused as a child to all the child sexual abuse allegations he faced, Jackson’s life was a roller coaster ride.
As a kid, his father and brothers gave him the nickname “Big Nose”. It was one of the main reasons he had multiple nose surgery.
Michael Jackson was suffering from vitiligo – a skin pigmentation disease which led to the drastic change in his skin.
He underwent multiple surgeries trying to “fix” his appearance.
Apart from that, a disturbing fact about Michael Jackson was revealed after his death.
Since he was a very shy human being, he used to surround himself life-size mannequins.
We would dress them up in human clothes and it made him feel like he wasn’t lonely.
He was accused of child sexual abuse multiple times and lived half his life fighting against it.
This was the reason Jackson was reportedly under debt for about $400 million.
Michael Jackson has been married twice. His first marriage was with the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley that lasted for 2 years.
He was married to Debbie Rowe the second time around in 1996. She gave birth to two of Michael’s three children, son Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., and daughter Paris Jackson.
They were later divorced in 1999.
Michael also had a third child, son Prince Michael Jackson II from a mystery woman who was a surrogate.
Death.
The death of Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of all time is surrounded by a lot of mystery.
The paramedics in L.A. received an emergency call at 12:22 pm on June 25, 2009.
Despite multiple attempts, the doctors at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center couldn’t save Michael Jackson’s life.
He suffered from a cardiac arrest, less than three weeks before he was making a comeback with “This Is IT”.
