Some people might consider me to be an American superstar. All in know is that I was born in Gary, Indiana in 1958 and have been entertaining audiences nearly my entire life. My father, Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to my mother, Katherine (Scruse). Together they prodded our growing family's musical interests at home. By the early 60s my older brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964 Marlon and I had joined in.
Some people might call me a musical prodigy. My singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature and I soon became the dominant voice and focus of "The Jackson 5." An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown, it was Gladys Knight (not Diana Ross) who officially brought our group to Berry Gordy's attention, and by 1969 we were producing back-to-back chartbusting hits as Motown artists. As a product of the 70s, we had emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop/soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a Temptations-like group act to a disco phenomenon. That's right. 9 years old and I'm already a phenomenon.
I was told that solo success for me was inevitable, and by the 80s I had become infinitely more popular than my brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller." I'm a bit of a TV natural, and though I ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978/I), I had better luck with elaborate music videos. Most every music video played today can be in some way, shape, or form be credited to the originiality and ingenuity of my videos. I had become the forever reigning King of Pop.
Being famous for my entire life isn't as glamourous as it sounds. I never passed through normal stages that most everyone else goes through. My brothers, who are 10 or so years older than me, definitley lived up the rock star life style. Unfortunately, since we were always together, this meant I had to grow up a hell of a lot faster than everyone else, skipping parts of growing up and going straight into the professional world of adults.
In the 90s the down side as an 80s pop phenomenon began to show. I grew incredibly child-like and introverted by my celebrity. I've been told I'm a rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, and my physical appearance began to change drastically and my behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making me a consistent target for scandal-making, despite my numerous charitable acts. Unfortunately, most everyone neglects to take into account the fact that I've been famous all my life, that my entire self-concept has been founded on billboard charts and popular approval. No one considers that there has never been another entertainer who has been as famous for as long as I have...its unfair to compare me those who know nothing of my experiences. From my first preformance with my brothers, I never slowed down. But most importantly, no else knows the pain of feeling so alone in a world where you are adored by millions.I've been in two brief marriages -- one to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley -- and had two children with my second wife during that time.
Despite it all, some folks tell me my skills as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of my wrongly-accused life.
I tend to agree.
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Softkey Left softkey Right ..
