Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on 29 August 1958 in Gary, Indiana, the eighth of ten children in a family that would become one of music's most famous performing dynasties. Under the intense direction of his father Joseph, Michael and his brothers formed the Jackson 5, and by age eleven Michael was already the group's lead vocalist, displaying extraordinary vocal and dance ability that quickly propelled the group to national fame after signing with Motown Records in 1968.

The Jackson 5 achieved rapid, unprecedented success, becoming the first group in recording history to have their first four singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Michael simultaneously began a solo recording career while still performing with his brothers, releasing several solo albums through the 1970s that established him as a distinct star in his own right beyond the group.

In 1979 Jackson released Off the Wall, produced by Quincy Jones, an album that marked his full emergence as a solo artist with a sophisticated blend of disco, funk, pop and R&B, but it was his 1982 follow-up, Thriller, that transformed him into a global phenomenon of unprecedented scale: Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, produced seven top-ten singles, and its accompanying short film for the title track, featuring elaborate choreography and horror movie-style effects, fundamentally redefined the music video as an art form.

Jackson's stage performances, particularly his introduction of the 'moonwalk' during a 1983 television performance of 'Billie Jean,' became instantly iconic, and he continued a run of massively successful albums through the 1980s and 1990s, including Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991), while developing an increasingly elaborate, theatrical live performance style and a highly distinctive personal aesthetic that made him one of the most recognisable individuals on the planet.

Jackson's later career became increasingly complicated by intense media scrutiny of his changing physical appearance, unconventional personal life, and serious allegations of child sexual abuse, first in 1993 and again in a 2003–2005 criminal trial in which he was acquitted on all charges. These allegations, along with renewed scrutiny following the posthumous 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, have significantly complicated critical and public assessment of his legacy in the years since his death, with many institutions and individuals reassessing how to engage with his musical catalogue in light of the allegations.

Jackson died on 25 June 2009 in Los Angeles from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication administered by his personal physician, who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He had sold over 350 million records worldwide across his career, remains the most awarded musical artist in history according to Guinness World Records, and his influence on pop music, dance and music video production remains foundational to the modern entertainment industry, even as his personal legacy remains a subject of continued public reassessment and debate.