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Michael JacksonEccentric superstar Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. Along with his eight siblings, Jackson grew up in a cramped, two bedroom house. His father, Joseph Jackson, worked in a steel mill, and performed in a local R&B band. Eventually he mobilized his sons into a band as well, called The Ripples and Waves. Before long, young Michael’s natural singing and dancing abilities brought him to the forefront, and the brothers began winning local talent competitions as The Ripples and Waves plus Michael, later called The Jackson Five.The Jackson Five first caught the attention of Motown songstress Gladys Knight when they performed at the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night. Knight then recommended the band of brothers to Motown Records founder, Berry Gordy, and within a year they were signed to the label. The Jackson Five quickly exploded into mainstream music when their first four singles, “ABC,†“I Want You Back,†“The Love You Save,†and “I'll Be There†all became number one hits.In 1979, twenty-one year old Jackson released his first solo album, Off the Wall. To Jackson ’s disappointment, the album received only one Grammy nomination. A few years later in 1982, Jackson made up for it when he took home eight Grammy’s for his next solo effort and the best-selling album of all time, Thriller. The album’s release coincided with, and has been credited in launching the birth of MTV and the music video. A combination of talent and timing turned Thriller into a pop culture juggernaut, selling over 50 million copies and spawning world-wide Michael-mania and mass-merchandising. Following the success of Thriller, a number of stories about Jackson began to appear in the tabloids, some of which he is rumored to have planted himself to enhance his enigmatic image. Among the most memorable are that he purchased the Elephant Man’s bones; that he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber; and that he and sister, La Toya Jackson, were the same person.Against Jackson’s hopes, his next album, Bad in 1987, did not surpass Thriller’s sales. By this time, the controversy surrounding Jackson’s eccentric behavior and ever-changing appearance had escalated, and was best summed-up in the headline of People magazine’s September 1987 cover: “He's Back. He's Bad. Is this Guy Weird or What?†Jackson’s next studio albums, HIStory in 1995 and Invincible in 2001 sold respectably; however, the sales standard set by Thriller continues to elude all of his subsequent releases.In 1993, Jackson consented to a rare interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey at his Neverland Ranch in Santa Ynez, California. He revealed that he had been physically abused as a child by his father, and that he suffered a skin condition known as vitiligo, which causes skin to lose its pigmentation. The interview regenerated public interest in Jackson and elicited some empathy which would prove to be short-lived.In the summer of 1993, news broke that Jackson had been accused of molesting a thirteen year old boy. No charges were pressed and Jackson agreed to a settlement which many felt was the most dangerous move of his career. In the aftermath of an apparent pay-off and with no formal trial, Jackson ’s image permanently suffered. His marriage to Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 was widely regarded as reputation damage control; however, Presley maintains today that she did love Jackson until their divorce in 1996.In 1996, Jackson wed dermatological nurse, Debbie Rowe. The couple divorced in 1999, and Jackson retained sole custody of their two children, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., born February 13, 1997; and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, born April 3, 1998.During a 2003 interview with Martin Bashir, Jackson introduced cameras to his new baby, Prince Michael Jackson II, nicknamed “Blanket.†Jackson elicited a firestorm of controversy that same year when he held the baby over the balcony, to show fans below. Also during the Bashir interview, Jackson’s appearance holding hands with a young teen prompted a child abuse investigation and led to a high profile trial. In June 2005, Jackson was cleared of all charges and retreated to the Middle East, spending most of his time in Bahrain.In addition to breaking records in terms of music, Jackson has also broken records in terms of charity. The Millennium Issue of the Guinness Book of Records names Jackson as the pop star who supports the most charity organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, and over thirty others.Jackson is currently in working on his next studio album.YUDDYExtended Network Banner made with MyBannerMaker.com! Click here to make your own!
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