Who is Michael Jackson?

Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958), often referred to as The King of Pop, is an American musician and entertainer.^[1][2] The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of eleven as a member of the Jackson 5. Having signed with the national Motown Records label in 1968, the Jackson 5 set a record when their first four singles charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1976 the group signed a new contract with CBS Records and changed their name to "The Jacksons"; Jackson left the group in 1984. He started a solo career in 1972, becoming a pop icon in subsequent years. Five of his albums, Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), have become some of the world's best selling pop records. Jacksons career slowed following the end of the HIStory World Tour and Blood on the Dance Floor album in 1997. Since then he has released just one studio album, Invincible (2001) and has not toured. His successful career and controversial, enigmatic personal life have been a part of pop culture for almost four decades.^[3]

Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music in the late 1970s, the first black entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. He transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances.^[3] The popularity of his videos aired on MTV, such as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean", helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map",^[4] while videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson a staple on MTV into the 1990s. Jackson popularized physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, along with a distinctive musical sound and vocal style that have influenced numerous hip hop, pop, and R&B artists.

Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with the Jackson 5 and 2001 as a solo artist, becoming one of the few to be inducted twice.^[5] In 2006 Jackson received eight Guinness World Records including "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" and best-selling album ever for Thriller.^[6] Jackson has received thirteen Grammy Awards (eight of them on a single night in 1984), and two of his solo albums have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[7] Jackson has charted thirteen number one singles in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the Billboard Hot 100 era.^[8][9] In November 2006, the World Music Awards announced that Jackson had sold 750 million units worldwide.^[10]

Jackson's personal life has caused significant controversy; while the singer has given several hundred million dollars to charity, his changing appearance and actions have damaged his reputation among some of the public, and album sales have declined since the mid-1990s.^[11] From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, where he built an amusement park and private zoo that was often attended by disadvantaged and terminally ill children. Rumors of sleepover parties received both negative media coverage and public attention after it was revealed that children had slept in his bed or on the floor in his bedroom. This first came to light when Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993. Jackson's relationship with children was brought into the spotlight again in 2003 when the TV documentary Living with Michael Jackson was broadcast. This became a catalyst for Jackson being tried, and later acquitted, of more child molestation allegations and several other charges in 2005. After the trial Jackson traveled to a number of countries, including Bahrain, before starting work on new material in Ireland. Reports for financial difficulties and legal disputes have been ongoing for nearly a decade, causing further damage to his image. In early 2008, despite several years of negative publicity, Jackson issued Thriller 25, a commercial success that sold more than 1.7 million copies worldwide in ten weeks.......................

anything else?

First answer by ID403552396. Last edit by Mbud. Contributor trust: 115 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 28 [recommend question]