Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. This is not a title that he gave himself. It was given to him by his millions of fans around the world, and I agree with this title, because I have never heard such wonderful music like his. And no other performer in history has done so much in the way of humanitarian efforts than he has.
Born the seventh child in a family of nine, Michael and his older brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon) were thrust into the spotlight when their father, Joseph Jackson, formed a singing group out of his sons and called them The Jackson 5. Michael lead his brothers from winning local talent contests to a recording contract with Motown Records in the late 1960's. The group quickly began making lots of hits for their new record label and remained a hit throughout the '70's. During their time at Motown, Michael also began a successful solo recording career. In 1978 Michael ventured into film when he starred opposite Diana Ross in The Wiz, an African-American remake of the Wizard of Oz. It put Michael on a collision course with destiny because it introduced him to legendary producer Quincy Jones who arranged the film's score. Michael and Quincy collaborated on his next solo project, Off The Wall. The album was released in 1979 to critical praise for its crossover blending of soul and rock and its non-stop boogie grove. With the help of number one hits "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You", the album sold 10 million copies and went multiplatinum.
in 1982, Michael released an album called Thriller. Thriller broke all kinds of records. It sold more than 50 million copies worldwide (that's more than any other album before it or since). The album spawned a record six top ten singles and spent a record breaking 37 weeks at number one. It remains the best selling album of all time. That year Michael also won an unprecedented eight Grammy Awards - 7 for Thriller and 1 for E.T.-The Storybook. Much of Thriller's success was due, in part, to a new thing called music videos. Hits like "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Thriller" came alive before our very eyes when paired with a cool story line and Michael's amazing dancing ability.
Bad, Michael's next solo project released in 1987, sold over 25 million copies worldwide and included the hit singles "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "The Way You Make Me Feel," and "Man In The Mirror." Accompanied by his first ever solo world tour (the biggest concert tour in history), the Bad album generated 5 consecutive number one hits.
In 1991,with his next album, Dangerous, Michael continued the astronomical sales figures with 23 million copies sold worldwide. With Dangerous came more state of the art videos and another amazing concert tour. Michael also made history in 1993 when the notoriously private superstar sat down for a 90-minute live interview with talk show host, Oprah Winfrey. The interview was conducted from Michael's home, Neverland Valley Ranch in Santa Ynez, California.
In 1995, Michael released HIStory, Past, Present and Future Book I. HIStory was a massive double album containing 15 of Michael's greatest hits from his previous four albums and 15 brand new songs. HIStory saw Michael turning a corner creatively as the 15 new songs were some of the most personal songs he has ever recorded. By January of 1996, HIStory had been certified six times platinum in the United States alone and it is still the most successful double album of all time.
In 1997 Michael released Blood On The Dance floor: HIStory In The Mix. The album contained 5 new songs, and 8 remixes from HIStory.
In 1997, Michael was going to be seeing a different life from now on. In February of that year his wife Debbie, whom he married in November of 1996, gave birth to their first child, a son named "Prince" Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. A daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson followed in 1998. Michael has said that fatherhood is his greatest dream come true.
After two charity concerts held in Seoul (South Korea) and Munich (Germany) in June 1999, the King of Pop released his new solo album 'Invincible' at the end of October 2001. Just before this, Michael held two extraordinary concerts on September 7 and 10 of 2001 at the Madison Sqaure Garden in New York (USA) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his career.
on 17th November 2003 Michael Jackson Released another album called 'Number One's' which was a compilation of his number one hit songs. The Number One's album has sold exceptionally well throughout the world especially in Europe, it reached number 1 spot in the UK and has stayed in the top 10 for awhile now. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies in the UK alone and still continues to do well, the album also recently went platinum in the U.S. A DVD to accompany the album was also released which includes a selection of Michael's Music Videos.
well that was alot to read dont you think? well thats it, for this section! you still need to read about Michael Jackson's charity work! (I told you he has accomplished alot!)
