Born the seventh child of the Jackson family, he became a recording artist, entertainer extraordinaire and businessman. His unique sensational singing voice was discovered when he was only 6 years old. He later became dubbed as the ‘King of Pop’, just as Elvis Presley was named the ‘King of Rock and Roll’. Some critics have compared his unique dancing style to Fred Astaire and in particular Jackson’s ‘Moon Walk’.
Jackson created a revolution in the world of music, when he produced musical videos. Music was no longer just an audio experience. Jackson also became the first African-American entertainer to successfully break the racial barriers of MTV, an American music cable television network, based in New York. Jackson’s very distinctive high tenor vocal style heavily influenced hip hop, pop, as well as numerous contemporary artists.
As well as donating and raising millions of dollars for benefits and his own charity, Jackson supported a further 39 charities. When Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Jackson in 1993 it became the most-viewed non-sport program in the history of the United States.
By changing his appearance to a lighter skin, narrower nose, as well as his controversial and at times bizarre behavior in his private life, Jackson drastically damaged his public image. Reports of the singer being in financial difficulties surfaced in 2006, after the child sex abuse trials of 2005. Jackson had managed to kick a morphine and Demerol addiction, but experienced health difficulties since the early 1990’s.
Having fathered three children and twice married, Jackson another wave of controversy. His closest companion was a pet chimpanzee names Bubbles. Elizabeth Taylor has long been a high profile friend of Jackson.
Jackson appears several times in the Guiness World Book of Records, including an entry as the ‘Most Successful Entertainer Of All Time’ and the biggest selling album of all time. Jackson is one of the few artists to be twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
From July 13, 2009 – March 6 2010, Jackson was to perform concerts to over one million people, at London’s arena. The first ten concerts alone would have earned the singer around $100 million. Sales for the tickets to the concerts broke several records.
