Michael Jackson
(Read all about Michael Jackson after the video)
Michael Joseph Jackson[3][4] (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer and philanthropist.[5][6][7] Called the "King of Pop",[8][9][10][11] his contributions to music, dance, and fashion[12][13][14] along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.
The eighth child of the Jackson family (one of whom died in infancy), Michael made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5. He began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. His music videos, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller,
are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium
into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these videos
helped bring the television channel MTV to fame. Jackson's 1987 album Bad spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana", becoming the first album to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. He continued to innovate with videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream"
throughout the 1990s, and forged a reputation as a touring solo artist.
Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a number of
complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous artists of various music genres.
Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, with estimated sales of 65 million copies worldwide. Jackson's other albums, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling albums. He is recognized as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time by Guinness World Records.[15][16] Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
twice, and was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the
Dance Hall of Fame as the only dancer from pop and rock music. His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Legend Award, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards—more than any other artist—including the "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s", 13 number-one singles in the United States during his solo career,—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and estimated sales of over 350 million records worldwide.[Note 1] Jackson has won hundreds of awards, making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.[17] He became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when "Love Never Felt So Good" reached number nine on May 21, 2014.[18]
Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his
humanitarianism, and, in 2000, the Guinness World Records recognized him
for supporting 39 charities, more than any other entertainer.[19]
Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the civil case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount and no formal charges were brought.[20] In 2005, he was tried and acquitted
of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges
after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for
his comeback concert series, This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and a live broadcast of his public memorial service was viewed around the world.[21] Forbes
ranks Jackson as the top-earning dead celebrity, with yearly earnings
of $825 million in 2016, the highest ever recorded by the publication.[22]
Life and career
1958–1975: Early life and the Jackson 5
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958. He was the eighth
of ten children in a working class African-American family living in a
two-bedroom house on Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city and a part of the Chicago metropolitan area.[23][24] His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness. She played clarinet and piano and once aspired to be a country-and-western performer, but worked part-time at Sears to support the family.[25] Michael's father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a former boxer, was a steelworker at U.S. Steel. Joe also performed on guitar with a local rhythm and blues band, the Falcons, to supplement the family's household income.[26] Michael grew up with three sisters (Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet) and five brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy).[27] A sixth brother, Marlon's twin Brandon, died shortly after birth.[28]
Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.[29][30] In 2003, Joe acknowledged that he regularly whipped him as a boy.[31] Joe was also said to have verbally abused his son, often saying that he had a "fat nose".[32]
Jackson stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during
incessant rehearsals, though he credited his father's strict discipline
with playing a large role in his success.[29] In an interview with Martin Bashir for the 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson,
Jackson recalled that Joe often sat in a chair with a belt in his hand
as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the
right way, he would tear you up, really get you."[33][34]
Jackson's parents have disputed the longstanding allegations of
abuse, with Katherine stating that while whipping is considered abuse
today, it was a common way to discipline children at the time.[35][36][37]
Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon have also said that their father was
not abusive and that the whippings, which were harder on Michael because
he was younger, kept them disciplined and out of trouble.[38] Speaking openly about his childhood in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast in February 1993, Jackson acknowledged that his youth had been lonely and isolating.[39]
His deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and
chronic sleep problems, his tendency to remain hyper-compliant,
especially with his father, and to remain childlike throughout his adult
life are consistent with the effects of the maltreatment he endured as a
young child.[40]
In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed
by their father and which included brothers Jackie, Tito, and
Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine.[41] In 1965, Jackson began sharing lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to the Jackson 5.[27] The following year, the group won a major local talent show with Jackson performing the dance to Robert Parker's 1965 hit "Barefootin'".[42] From 1966 to 1968 the band toured the Midwest, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit" as the opening act for artists such as Sam & Dave, the O'Jays, Gladys Knight, and Etta James. The Jackson 5 also performed at clubs and cocktail lounges, where striptease shows and other adult acts were featured, and at local auditoriums and high school dances.[43][44] In August 1967, while touring the East coast, the group won a weekly amateur night concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.[45]
The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy" (1968), their first single, for Steeltown Records, a Gary, Indiana, record label,[46] before signing with Motown in 1969.[27] They left Gary in 1969 and relocated to the Los Angeles area, where they continued to record music for Motown.[47] Rolling Stone
later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming
musical gifts" who "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[48] The group set a chart record when its first four singles—"I Want You Back" (1969), "ABC" (1970), "The Love You Save" (1970), and "I'll Be There" (1970)—peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[27] In May 1971, the Jackson family moved into a large home on two-acre estate in Encino, California.[49] During this period, Michael evolved from child performer into a teen idol.[50]
As Jackson began to emerge as a solo performer in the early 1970s, he
maintained ties to the Jackson 5 and Motown. Between 1972, when his solo
career began, and 1975, Michael released four solo studio albums with
Motown: Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972), Music & Me (1973), and Forever, Michael (1975).[51] "Got to Be There" and "Ben", the title tracks from his first two solo albums, both became successful singles, as did a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin".[52]
The Jackson 5 were later described as "a cutting-edge example of black crossover artists."[53]
Although the group's sales began to decline in 1973, and the band
members chafed under Motown's refusal to allow them creative input, they
achieved several top 40 hits, including the top five single "Dancing Machine" (1974), before leaving Motown in 1975.[54]
1975–1981: Move to Epic and Off the Wall
In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records,[54]
and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally
joined the band around this time, while Jermaine chose to stay with
Motown and pursue a solo career.[55]
The Jacksons continued to tour internationally, and released six more
albums between 1976 and 1984. Michael, the group's lead songwriter
during this time, wrote hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1979), "This Place Hotel" (1980), and "Can You Feel It" (1980).[41]
His work in film began in 1978, when he starred as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, a musical directed by Sidney Lumet that also starred Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross.[56] The film was a box-office failure.[57] While working on the film Jackson met producer Quincy Jones, though this was not the first time they had met (they originally met when Michael was 12, at Sammy Davis Jr.'s house).[58] Jones was arranging the film's musical score and agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall.[59] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.[60]
Off the Wall (1979), which Jones and Jackson co-produced,
established Jackson as a solo performer. The album helped Jackson
transition from the bubblegum pop of his youth to the more complex sounds he would create as an adult.[50] Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Off the Wall was the first solo album to generate four top 10 hits in the United States: "Off the Wall", "She's Out of My Life", and the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[61][62] The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[63] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards
for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite
Soul/R&B Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't
Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[64][65] He also won Billboard Year-End
awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album, and a Grammy Award for
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for 1979 with "Don't Stop 'Til You
Get Enough".[66] In 1981 Jackson was the American Music Awards winner for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist.[67] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[68] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.[69]
Jackson recorded with Queen singer Freddie Mercury from 1981 to 1983, including a demo of "State of Shock", "Victory" and "There Must Be More to Life Than This".[70] The recordings were intended for an album of duets but, according to Queen's then-manager Jim Beach, the relationship between the singers soured when Jackson insisted on bringing a llama into the recording studio.[71] The collaborations were not officially released until 2014.[72] Jackson went on to record the single "State of Shock" with Mick Jagger for the Jacksons' album Victory (1984).[73] Mercury included the solo version of "There Must Be More To Life Than This" on his Mr. Bad Guy album (1985).[74]
1982–1983: Thriller and Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
In 1982, Jackson combined his interests in songwriting and film when he contributed the song "Someone in the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The song, with Quincy Jones as its producer, won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children for 1983.[75]
More success came with the release of his sixth album, Thriller, in late 1982. The album earned Jackson seven more Grammys[75] and eight American Music Awards, including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it.[76] It was the best-selling album worldwide in 1983,[77][78] and became the best-selling album of all time in the United States[79] and the best-selling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 65 million copies.[80] It topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[81] In December 2015, Thriller was certified for 30 million shipments by the RIAA, making it the only album to achieve that feat in the United States.[82] Thriller
won Jackson and Quincy Jones the Grammy award for Producer of the Year
(Non-Classical) for 1983. It also won Album of the Year, with Jackson as
the album's artist and Jones as its co-producer, and a Best Pop Vocal
Performance, Male, award for Jackson. "Beat It" won Record of the Year,
with Jackson as artist and Jones as co-producer, and a Best Rock Vocal
Performance, Male, award for Jackson. "Billie Jean" won Jackson two
Grammy awards, Best R&B Song, with Jackson as its songwriter, and
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, as its artist.[75] Thriller also won another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work on the album.[83]
The AMA Awards for 1984 provided Jackson with an Award of Merit and
AMAs for Favorite Male Artist, Soul/R&B, and Favorite Male Artist,
Pop/Rock. "Beat It" won Jackson AMAs for Favorite Video, Soul/R&B,
Favorite Video, Pop/Rock, and Favorite Single, Pop/Rock. Thriller won him AMAs for Favorite Album, Soul/R&B, and Favorite Album, Pop/Rock.[76][84]
In addition to the album, Jackson released "Thriller", a 14-minute music video directed by John Landis, in 1983.[85] It "defined music videos and broke racial barriers" on the Music Television Channel (MTV), a fledgling entertainment television channel at the time.[50] In December 2009, the Library of Congress selected the "Thriller" music video for inclusion in the National Film Registry.
It was one of 25 films named that year as "works of enduring importance
to American culture" that would be "preserved for all time."[86][87] As of 2009, the zombie-themed "Thriller" is the only music video to have been inducted into the registry.[85][87][88]
Jackson's attorney John Branca
noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry
at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making
record-breaking profits from sales of his recordings. The videocassette
of the documentary The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold
over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of
novelties such as dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in
stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[89] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that "Thriller
stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a
hit movie—and started selling like a household staple."[90] In 1985, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Longform.[75] Time
described Jackson's influence at that point as "star of records, radio,
rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter
who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the
street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and
color too".[89] The New York Times wrote that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[91]
On March 25, 1983, Jackson reunited with his brothers for a live performance taped at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, an NBC television special. The show aired on May 16, 1983, to an estimated audience of 47 million viewers, and featured the Jacksons and other Motown stars.[92] The show is best remembered for Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean", which earned Jackson his first Emmy nomination.[93] Wearing a distinctive black-sequined jacket and a golf glove decorated with rhinestones, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years earlier.[94]
Jackson originally turned down the invitation to perform at the show,
believing he had been doing too much television at the time; however, at
the request of Berry Gordy, Jackson agreed to perform in exchange for time to do a solo performance.[95] According to Rolling Stone
reporter Mikal Gilmore, "There are times when you know you are hearing
or seeing something extraordinary...that came that night."[50] Jackson's performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[96] Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times
later wrote: "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for
his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great
illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he
glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."[97]
Berry Gordy said of the performance, "from the first beat of Billie
Jean, I was mesmerized, and when he did his iconic moonwalk, I was
shocked, it was magic, Michael Jackson went into orbit, and never came
down."[98]
1984–1985: Pepsi, "We Are the World", and business career
In November 1983 Jackson and his brothers partnered with PepsiCo in a $5 million promotional deal that broke advertising industry records for a celebrity endorsement. The first Pepsi Cola
campaign, which ran in the United States from 1983 to 1984 and launched
its "New Generation" theme, included tour sponsorship, public relations
events, and in-store displays. Jackson, who was actively involved in
creating the iconic advertisement, suggested using his song, "Billie
Jean", as its jingle with a revised chorus.[99] According to a Billboard
report in 2009, Brian J. Murphy, executive VP of branded management at
TBA Global, said: "You couldn't separate the tour from the endorsement
from the licensing of the music, and then the integration of the music
into the Pepsi fabric."[99]
On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi commercial overseen by executive Phil Dusenberry,[100] a BBDO ad agency executive, and Alan Pottasch, Pepsi's Worldwide Creative Director, at the Shrine Auditorium
in Los Angeles. During a simulated concert before a full house of fans,
pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire, causing second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars and had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.[60] Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California. Its Michael Jackson Burn Center is named in his honor.[101] Dusenberry later recounted the episode in his memoir, Then We Set His Hair on Fire: Insights and Accidents from a Hall of Fame Career in Advertising.
Jackson signed a second agreement with Pepsi in the late 1980s for a
reported $10 million. The second campaign had a global reach of more
than 20 countries and would provide financial support for Jackson's Bad album and 1987–88 world tour.[99] Although Jackson had endorsements and advertising deals with other companies, such as LA Gear, Suzuki, and Sony, none were as significant as his deals with Pepsi, which later signed other music stars such as Britney Spears and Beyoncé to promote its products.[99][102]
Jackson's humanitarian work was recognized on May 14, 1984, when he
was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse,[103] and in recognition of his support for the Ad Council's and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Drunk Driving Prevention campaign. Jackson donated the use of "Beat It" for the campaign's public service announcements.[104]
Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour, but the Victory Tour
of 1984 headlined the Jacksons and showcased much of Jackson's new solo
material to more than two million Americans. It was the last tour he
would do with his brothers.[105]
Following controversy over the concert's ticket sales, Jackson held a
press conference and announced that he would donate his share of the
proceeds, an estimated $3 to 5 million, to charity.[106][107] His charitable work and humanitarian awards continued with the release of "We Are the World" (1985), which he co-wrote with Lionel Richie.[108] The song was recorded on January 28, 1985[109] and was released worldwide in March 1985 to aid the poor in the United States and Africa.[110] The song earned $63 million for famine relief,[110] and became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with 20 million copies sold.[111] "We Are the World" won four Grammys for 1985, including Song of the Year going to Jackson and Richie as its co-songwriters.[108]
Although the American Music Award directors removed the charity song
from the competition because they felt it would be inappropriate, the
AMA show in 1986 concluded with a tribute to the song in honor of its
first anniversary. The project's creators received two special AMA
honors: one for the creation of the song and another for the USA for Africa
idea. Jackson, Quincy Jones, and entertainment promoter Ken Kragan
received special awards for their roles in the song's creation.[108][109][112][113]
Jackson's financial interests in the music publishing business grew
after Jackson collaborated with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s. He
subsequently learned that McCartney was making approximately $40 million
a year from other people's songs.[110]
By 1983, Jackson had begun investing in publishing rights to songs that
others had written, but he was careful with his acquisitions, only
bidding on a few of the dozens that were offered to him. Jackson's early
acquisitions of music catalogs and song copyrights such as the Sly Stone collection included "Everyday People" (1968), Len Barry's "1-2-3" (1965), and Dion DiMucci's "The Wanderer" (1961) and "Runaround Sue" (1961); however, Jackson's most significant purchase came in 1985, when he acquired the publishing rights to ATV Music Publishing after months of negotiation.[110] ATV had acquired the publishing rights to nearly 4000 songs, including the Northern Songs catalog that contained the majority of the Lennon–McCartney compositions recorded by the Beatles.[114]
In 1984 Robert Holmes à Court, the wealthy Australian investor who owned ATV Music Publishing, announced he was putting the ATV catalog up for sale.[114] In 1981, McCartney was offered the ATV music catalog for £20 million ($40 million).[110][115][116] According to McCartney, he contacted Yoko Ono about making a joint purchase by splitting the cost at £10 million each, but Ono thought they could buy it for £5 million each.[110][116]
When they were unable to make a joint purchase, McCartney, who did not
want to be the sole owner of the Beatles' songs, did not pursue an offer
on his own.[115][116]
According to a negotiator for Holmes à Court in the 1984 sale,
McCartney was given first right of refusal and declined to purchase.[117]
Jackson was informed of the sale by his attorney, John Branca, in September 1984.[114]
An attorney for McCartney also assured Branca that McCartney was not
interested in bidding. McCartney reportedly felt it was too expensive,[110][115]
but several other companies and investors were interested in bidding.
Jackson submitted a bid of $46 million on November 20, 1984.[114]
His agents thought they had a deal several times, but encountered new
bidders or new areas of debate. In May 1985, Jackson's team left talks
after having spent more than $1 million and four months of due diligence work on the negotiations.[114] In June 1985, Jackson and Branca learned that Charles Koppelman's and Marty Bandier's
The Entertainment Company had made a tentative agreement with Holmes Ã
Court to buy ATV Music for $50 million; however, in early August, Holmes
à Court's team contacted Jackson and talks resumed. Jackson raised his
bid to $47.5 million, which was accepted because he could close the deal
more quickly, having already completed due diligence of ATV Music.[114] Jackson also agreed to visit Holmes à Court in Australia, where he would appear on the Channel Seven Perth Telethon.[117] Jackson's purchase of ATV Music was finalized on August 10, 1985.[114]
1986–1990: Changing appearance, tabloids, Bad, films, autobiography, and Neverland
See also: Michael Jackson's health and appearance
Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color during his youth, but
starting in the mid-1980s gradually grew paler. The change gained
widespread media coverage, including rumors that he might have been
bleaching his skin.[118] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1984, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo, which Taraborrelli noted may be a consequence of skin bleaching. He claimed Jackson was diagnosed with lupus. The vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission.
Both illnesses made his skin sensitive to sunlight. The treatments
Jackson used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and with
the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches he could appear
pale.[119] Jackson was also diagnosed with vitiligo in his autopsy, though not lupus.[120]
Jackson claimed he had only two rhinoplasties and no other facial surgery, although at one point mentioned having a dimple created in his chin. He lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".[121] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy, and speculated he was suffering from anorexia nervosa. Periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.[122] During the course of his treatment, Jackson made two close friends: his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, and Klein's nurse Debbie Rowe.
Rowe eventually became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his two
eldest children. He also relied heavily on Klein for medical and
business advice.[123]
Jackson became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In
1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber
to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying in a glass box.
Although the claim was untrue, according to tabloid reports that are
widely cited, Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.[124] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee named Bubbles from a laboratory, he was reported to be increasingly detached from reality.[125] It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "Elephant Man") and, although untrue, Jackson did not deny the story.[126]
Although he initially saw these stories as opportunities for publicity,
he stopped leaking untruths to the press as they became more
sensational. Consequently, the media began fabricating stories.[124][127][128] These reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson came to despise.[4][129] Responding to the gossip, Jackson remarked to Taraborrelli:
Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars? Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."
Jackson collaborated with filmmakers George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute 3D film Captain EO, which debuted in September 1986 at both the original Disneyland and at Epcot in Florida, and in March 1987 at Tokyo Disneyland. The $30 million movie was a popular attraction at all three parks. A Captain EO attraction was later featured at Euro Disneyland
after that park opened in 1992. All four parks' Captain EO
installations stayed open well into the 1990s: the Paris installation
was the last to close, in 1998.[131] The attraction would later return to Disneyland in 2010 after Jackson's death.[132] In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.[133][134]
With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[135]
The album produced nine singles: seven of them were successful in the
U.S., and only two of them were failures. Five of these singles ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This was a record for most number one Hot 100 singles from any one album, including Thriller.[136] As of 2012, the album had sold between 30 and 45 million copies worldwide.[137][138][139][140] Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica
won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical
and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989.[75][83] In the same year, Jackson won an Award of Achievement at the American Music Awards because Bad
is the first album ever to generate five number one singles in the
U.S., the first album to top in 25 countries, and the best-selling album
worldwide in 1987 and 1988.[141][142][143][144] In 1988, "Bad" won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single.[145]
The Bad World Tour began on September 12 that year, finishing on January 14, 1989.[146]
In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people,
nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.[147] Jackson broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium.[148] He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people.[149]
In 1988, Jackson released his only autobiography, Moonwalk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.[150] He wrote about his childhood, the Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.[151] He also wrote about his changing facial appearance, attributing it to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.[121] Moonwalk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[152] Jackson released a film, Moonwalker, which featured live footage and short films starring Jackson and Joe Pesci. Due to financial issues, the film was only released theatrically in Germany; in other markets it was released direct-to-video. It debuted at the top of the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[153]
In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California, to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million.[154] He installed several carnival rides on the 2,700-acre (11 km2) property, including a Ferris wheel, carousel, menagerie, as well as a movie theater and a zoo.[154][155][156] A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds.[155] In 2003, it was valued at approximately $100 million.[157]
In 1989, Jackson's annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and
concerts were estimated at $125 million for that year alone.[158] Shortly afterwards, he became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.[153]
Jackson's success resulted in him being dubbed the "King of Pop".[8][9][10] The nickname was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[159] President George H. W. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade".[160] From 1985 to 1990, he donated $455,000 to the United Negro College Fund,[161] and all profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[162] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration won Jackson a second Emmy nomination.[93][153]
1991–1993: Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation, and Super Bowl XXVII
In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million, a record-breaking deal at the time,[163] displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[164] In 1991, he released his eighth album, Dangerous, co-produced with Teddy Riley.[165] Dangerous was certified seven times platinum in the U.S., and by 2008 had sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide.[166][167] In the United States, the album's first single "Black or White" was its biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.[168] The album's second single, "Remember the Time", spent eight weeks in the top five in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[169] At the end of 1992, Dangerous
was awarded the best-selling album of the year worldwide and "Black or
White" was awarded best-selling single of the year worldwide at the
Billboard Music Awards. Jackson also won an award as best-selling artist
of the 1980s.[170] In 1993, he performed the song at the Soul Train Music Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.[171] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the album's most successful song; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[169]
Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation
in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to
Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the
property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe
to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. In the same
year, Jackson published his second book, Dancing the Dream,
a collection of poetry, revealing a more intimate side of his nature.
While it was a commercial success, it received mostly negative reviews.
In 2009, the book was republished by Doubleday and was more positively received by some critics in the wake of Jackson's death. The Dangerous World Tour grossed $100 million. The tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 70 concerts.[169][172] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[173]
Following the illness and death of AIDS spokesperson Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.[174][175] In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[176]
His first stop to Gabon was greeted with an enthusiastic reception of
more than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read,
"Welcome Home Michael."[176] In his trip to Ivory Coast, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.[176]
He thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official
documents formalizing his kingship, and sat on a golden throne while
presiding over ceremonial dances.[176]
In January 1993, Jackson performed at the Super Bowl XXVII
halftime show in Pasadena, California. Because of a dwindling interest
during halftime in the preceding years, the NFL decided to seek big-name
talent that would keep ratings high, with Jackson selected for his
universal appeal.[177]
It was the first Super Bowl whose half-time performance drew greater
audience figures than the game itself. The performance began with
Jackson catapulting onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As
he landed on the canvas, he maintained a "clenched fist, standing statue
stance," dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he
remained completely motionless for a minute and a half while the crowd
cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away, and
performed four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White", and "Heal the World". Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart soon after.[118]
Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Oprah Winfrey
on February 10, 1993, his second television interview since 1979. He
grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his
father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years,
admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors
that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric
oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he
had vitiligo. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.[34][118][169]
In February 1993, Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards
in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy-nominated for best vocal
performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal
Performance and Best R&B Song.[169] The Dangerous album won a Grammy for Best Engineered – Non Classical, awarding the work of Bruce Swedien and Teddy Riley.[83] In the same year, Michael Jackson won three American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Dangerous), Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Remember the Time"),
and was the first to win the International Artist Award of Excellence,
for his global performances and humanitarian concerns.[178][179]
Jackson agreed to produce the soundtrack for Sega's 1994 video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 with collaborators Brad Buxer, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby, and Cirocco Jones.[180][181][182] Jackson left the project before completion and was never officially credited, allegedly due to his dissatisfaction with the Sega Genesis console's audio chip.[183][184][185]
1993–1994: First child sexual abuse allegations and first marriage
In the summer of 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler, a dentist.[186][187][188]
The Chandler family demanded payment from Jackson, and the singer
initially refused. Jordan Chandler eventually told the police that
Jackson had sexually abused him.[126][189]
Evan Chandler was recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges,
saying, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I
lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed
forever..... Michael's career will be over." Jordan's mother was,
however, adamant at the time that there had been no wrongdoing on
Jackson's part.[188]
Jackson later used the recording to argue that he was the victim of a
jealous father whose only goal was to extort money from the singer.[188]
In January 1994, after investigation on allegations of extortion
against the singer by Chandler, deputy Los Angeles County district
attorney Michael J. Montagna stated that Chandler would not be charged,
due to lack of cooperation from Jackson's party and its willingness to
negotiate with Chandler for several weeks, among other reasons.[190]
In August 1993, Jackson's home was raided by the police who,
according to court documents, found books and photographs in his bedroom
featuring young boys with little or no clothing.[191] Since the books were legal to purchase and own, the jury decided not to indict Jackson.[192] In December 1993, Jackson was strip-searched.[193] Jordan Chandler had reportedly given police a description of Jackson's intimate parts, and the strip search revealed that Jordan had correctly claimed Jackson had patchy-colored buttocks, short pubic hair, and pink and brown marked testicles.[193]
Reportedly, Jordan had also previously drawn accurate pictures of a
dark spot on Jackson's penis only visible when his penis was lifted.[194] Despite differing initial internal reports from prosecutors and investigators[195] and later, with reports of jurors feeling otherwise that the photos did not match the description,[196] the DA stated his belief in a sworn affidavit that the description was accurate,[197] along with the sheriff's photographer stating the description was accurate.[198]
A 2004 motion filed by Jackson's defense asserted that Jackson was
never criminally indicted by any grand jury and that his settlement
admitted no wrongdoing and contained no evidence of criminal misconduct.[199]
The investigation was inconclusive and no charges were filed.[196] Jackson described the search in an emotional public statement, and proclaimed his innocence.[186][193][200]
On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for
$22 million. A Santa Barbara County grand jury and a Los Angeles County
grand jury disbanded on May 2, 1994, without indicting Jackson,[201] and the Chandlers stopped co-operating with the criminal investigation around July 6, 1994.[199][202][203]
The out-of-court settlement's documentation stated Jackson admitted no
wrongdoing and no liability; the Chandlers and their family lawyer Larry
Feldman signed it without contest.[204]
Feldman also stated "nobody bought anybody's silence".[205]
A decade after the fact, during the second round of child abuse
allegations, Jackson's lawyers would file a memo stating that the 1994
settlement was done without his consent.[199] A later disclosure by the FBI
of investigation documents compiled over nearly 20 years led Jackson's
attorney to suggest that no evidence of molestation or sexual
impropriety from Jackson toward minors existed.[206] According to reports the Department of Children and Family Services (Los Angeles County) had investigated Jackson beginning in 1993 with the Chandler allegation and again in 2003. Reports show the LAPD and DCFS did not find credible evidence of abuse or sexual misconduct.[207][208][209]
In May 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. They had met in 1975, when a seven-year-old Presley attended one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and reconnected through a mutual friend.[210] According to a friend of Presley's, "their adult friendship began in November 1992 in L.A."[211]
They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As the child
molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on
Presley for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering
health and addiction to drugs.[212]
Presley explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he
was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save
him. I felt that I could do it."[213] She eventually persuaded him to settle the civil case out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover.[212]
Jackson proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?"[212] They married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy, denying it for nearly two months afterwards.[214] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active."[215] The tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image.[214] The marriage ended less than two years later with an amicable divorce settlement.[216]
In a 2010 interview with Oprah, Presley admitted that they had spent
four more years after the divorce "getting back together and breaking
up" until she decided to stop.[217]
1995–1999: HIStory, second marriage, and fatherhood
In 1995, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's music publishing division, creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. He retained ownership of half the company, earning $95 million up front as well as the rights to more songs.[218][219] In June, he released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, is a 15-track greatest hits album (later reissued as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I in 2001); the second disc, HIStory Continues,
contains 13 original songs and 2 cover versions. The album debuted at
number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million
shipments in the US.[220] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[168][221] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.[222]
The first single released from the album was "Scream/Childhood". "Scream", a duet with Jackson's youngest sister Janet,
protests the media, particularly for its treatment of him during the
1993 child abuse allegations. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[222] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[158] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[222]
In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing
during rehearsals for a televised performance, caused by a
stress-related panic attack.[223] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK Singles Chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[222] The track "They Don't Care About Us" became controversial when the Anti-Defamation League and other groups criticized its allegedly antisemitic lyrics. Jackson quickly released a revised version of the song without the offending lyrics.[224]
In 1996, Jackson won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for
"Scream" and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.[75][225]
HIStory was promoted with the successful HIStory World Tour,
beginning on September 7, 1996, and ending on October 15, 1997. Jackson
performed 82 concerts in five continents, 35 countries and 58 cities to
over 4.5 million fans, and grossed a total of $165 million, becoming Jackson's most successful tour in terms of audience figures.[146] During the tour, Jackson married his longtime friend Deborah Jeanne Rowe,
a dermatology nurse, in an impromptu ceremony in Sydney, Australia.
Rowe was approximately six months pregnant with the couple's first child
at the time. Originally, Rowe and Jackson had no plans to marry, but
Jackson's mother Katherine persuaded them to do so.[226]
Michael Joseph Jackson Jr (commonly known as Prince) was born on
February 13, 1997; his sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born a
year later on April 3, 1998.[216][227]
The couple divorced in 1999, and Jackson received full custody of the
children. The divorce was relatively amicable, but a subsequent custody
suit was not settled until 2006.[228][229]
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies, making it the best-selling remix album of all time.[230] It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[230][231] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[166][222] Forbes placed Jackson's annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[157]
Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the nonprofit organization War Child, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia, and additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[232]
Later that month, Jackson organized a series of "Michael Jackson &
Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved
included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana, Andrea Bocelli, and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, the Red Cross and UNESCO.[233] From August 1999 through 2000, he lived in New York City at 4 East 74th Street.[234]
2000–2003: Label dispute and Invincible
At the turn of the century, Jackson won an American Music Award as Artist of the 1980s.[235] Throughout 2000 and 2001, he worked with collaborators including Teddy Riley and Rodney Jerkins to produce his tenth solo album, Invincible, released in October 2001. The album cost $30 million to record, not including promotional expenditures.[236] Invincible
was Jackson's first full-length album in six years, and was the last
album of original material he released in his lifetime. The release was
preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment.
Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to
revert to him sometime in the early 2000s. Once he had the licenses, he
would be able to promote the material however he pleased and keep all
the profits; however, clauses in the contract set the revert date years
into the future. Jackson discovered that the attorney who had
represented him in the deal had also been representing Sony.[231]
Jackson was also concerned about the fact that for years, Sony had been
pressuring him to sell his share in its music catalog venture. Jackson
feared that Sony might have a conflict of interest, since if Jackson's
career failed, he would have to sell his share of the catalog at a low
price.[237] Jackson sought an early exit from his contract.[231]
In September 2001, two 30th Anniversary concerts
were held at Madison Square Garden to mark Jackson's 30th year as a
solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the
first time since 1984. The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, NSYNC, Destiny's Child, Monica, Luther Vandross, and Slash, among other artists.[238] The second of the two shows took place the night before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[239] After 9/11, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium
in Washington, D.C. The concert took place on October 21, 2001, and
included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson,
who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[237] Due to contractual issues related to the earlier 30th Anniversary concerts, later edited into a two-hour TV special titled Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
broadcast in November 2001, Jackson's solo performances were omitted
from the televised benefit concert, although he could still be seen
singing background vocals.
Invincible was released in October 2001 to much anticipation.
It debuted at number one in 13 countries and went on to sell
approximately 13 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum
certification in the U.S.[166][168] However, sales for Invincible
were lower than Jackson's previous releases, due in part to the record
label dispute and the lack of promotion or tour, and its release at a
bad time[240] for the music industry in general.[237] Invincible spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry", and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video. Jackson alleged in July 2002 that the-then Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[237] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[241] Sony refused to renew Jackson's contract, and claimed that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the United States.[236]
In 2002, Michael Jackson won his 22nd American Music Award for Artist of the Century.[242] In the same year, his third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born.[243] The mother's identity was not announced, but Jackson said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm.[228] On November 20 of that year, Jackson brought his infant son onto the balcony of his room at the Hotel Adlon
in Berlin as fans stood below, holding him in his right arm, with a
cloth loosely draped over the baby's face. The baby was briefly extended
over a railing, four stories above ground level, prompting widespread
criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident,
calling it "a terrible mistake".[244] In November 2003, Sony released Number Ones,
a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the U.S., the album
was certified triple platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified
six times platinum for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.[166][245]
2003–2005: Second child sexual abuse allegations and acquittal
Further information: Living with Michael Jackson and Trial of Michael Jackson
Beginning in May 2002, Jackson allowed a documentary film crew, led by British TV personality Martin Bashir,
to follow him around nearly everywhere he went. Bashir's film crew was
with Jackson during the "baby-dangling incident" in Berlin. The program
was broadcast in March 2003 as Living with Michael Jackson. In a particularly controversial scene, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with a young boy.[246]
As soon as the documentary aired, the Santa Barbara county attorney's
office began a criminal investigation. After an initial probe from the LAPD and DCFS was conducted in February 2003, they had initially concluded that molestation allegations were "unfounded" at the time.[209]
After the young boy involved in the documentary and his mother had told
investigators that Jackson had behaved improperly with the boy, Jackson
was arrested in November 2003, and was charged with seven counts of
child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to the 13-year-old boy shown in the film.[246] Jackson denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature. The People v. Jackson trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.[247][248][249] After the trial, in a highly publicized relocation he moved to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[250]
Bahrain was also where the family intended to send Jackson if he was
convicted (though Jackson did not know about the plan), according to a
statement by Jermaine Jackson printed in The Times of London in September 2011.[251]
2006–2009: Closure of Neverland, final years, and This Is It
In March 2006, the main house at the Neverland Ranch was closed as a cost-cutting measure.[252]
There were numerous reports around that time that Jackson had been
having financial problems. He had been delinquent on his repayments of a
$270 million loan secured against his music-publishing holdings, even
though those holdings were reportedly making him as much as $75 million a year.[253] Bank of America sold the debt to Fortress Investments.
Sony reportedly proposed a restructuring deal which would give them a
future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly-owned
publishing company, leaving Jackson with a 25% stake.[219] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal in April 2006, although the details were not made public.[254]
Jackson did not have a recording contract at the time. In early 2006,
it was announced that Jackson had signed a contract with a Bahrain-based startup called Two Seas Records. However, nothing came of the deal, and the Two Seas CEO Guy Holmes later stated that the deal had never been finalized.[255][256]
Throughout 2006, Sony repackaged 20 singles from the 1980s and 1990s as the Michael Jackson: Visionary series, which subsequently became a box set.
Most of those singles returned to the charts as a result. In September
2006, Jackson and his ex-wife Debbie Rowe confirmed reports that they
had settled their long-running child custody suit. The terms were never
made public. Jackson continued to be the custodial parent of the
couple's two children.[229] In October 2006, Fox News entertainment reporter Roger Friedman said that Jackson had been recording at a studio in rural Westmeath, Ireland.
It was not known at the time what Jackson had working on, or who had
paid for the sessions, since his publicist had recently issued a
statement claiming that he had left Two Seas.[256][257]
In November 2006, Jackson invited an Access Hollywood camera crew into the studio in Westmeath, and MSNBC reported that he was working on a new album, produced by will.i.am.[168] Jackson performed at the World Music Awards in London on November 15, 2006, and accepted a Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records.[168][258] He returned to the United States after Christmas 2006 to attend James Brown's funeral in Augusta, Georgia, where he gave one of the eulogies, saying that "James Brown is my greatest inspiration."[259] In the spring of 2007, Jackson and Sony teamed up to buy another music publishing company, Famous Music LLC, formerly owned by Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem and Beck, among others.[260][261] In March 2007, Jackson gave a brief interview to the Associated Press in Tokyo, where he said: "I've been in the entertainment industry since I was 6 years old, and as Charles Dickens
would say, 'It's been the best of times, the worst of times.' But I
would not change my career ... While some have made deliberate attempts
to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong
faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support
me."[262] In March 2007, Jackson visited a U.S. Army post in Japan, Camp Zama, to greet over 3,000 U.S. troops and their families. The hosts presented Jackson with a Certificate of Appreciation.[263]
In September 2007, Jackson was reportedly still working on his next album, but the work was never completed.[264] In 2008, Jackson and Sony released Thriller 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the original Thriller.
This album featured the previously unreleased song "For All Time", an
outtake from the original sessions, as well as remixes, where Jackson
collaborated with younger artists who had been inspired by his work.[265] Two of the remixes were released as singles with modest success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" (with will.i.am) and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" (with Akon). The first single was based on an early demo version, without Paul McCartney. The album was a commercial success.[265][266][267][268] In anticipation of Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of greatest hits albums, King of Pop. Slightly different versions were released in various countries, based on polls of local fans.[269] King of Pop
reached the top 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold
well as an import in other countries (such as the United States).[270][271]
In late 2008, Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch,
which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of
millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC.
In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore
Valley Ranch Company LLC, a joint venture between Jackson and Colony
Capital LLC. The deal cleared Jackson's debt and reportedly earned him
an additional $35 million. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake of unknown size in Neverland/Sycamore Valley.[272][273] In September 2008, Jackson entered negotiations with Julien's Auction House
to display and auction a large collection of memorabilia amounting to
approximately 1,390 lots. The auction was scheduled to take place
between April 22 and 25.[274]
An exhibition of the lots opened as scheduled on April 14, but the
actual auction was eventually cancelled at Jackson's request.[275]
In March 2009, Jackson held a press conference at London's O2 Arena to announce a series of comeback concerts titled This Is It.
The shows would be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the
HIStory World Tour finished in 1997. Jackson suggested possible
retirement after the shows, saying it would be his "final curtain call".
The initial plan was for 10 concerts in London, followed by shows in
Paris, New York City and Mumbai.
Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, stated that
the first 10 dates alone would earn the singer approximately £50
million.[276]
The London residency was increased to 50 dates after record-breaking
ticket sales: over one million were sold in less than two hours.[277]
The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009, and finished on
March 6, 2010. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up
to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, owned by AEG.[278]
Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin in London,
with all concerts sold out, Jackson died after suffering cardiac arrest.[279] Some time before his death, it was reported that he was starting a clothing line with Christian Audigier.[280][281]
Jackson's first posthumous song released entirely by his estate was "This Is It", which he had co-written in the 1980s with Paul Anka.
It was not on the setlists for the concerts, and the recording was
based on an old demo tape. The surviving brothers reunited in the studio
for the first time since 1989 to record backing vocals. On October 28,
2009, a documentary film about the rehearsals, Michael Jackson's This Is It, was released.[282]
Despite a limited two-week engagement, it became the highest-grossing
documentary or concert film of all time, with earnings of more than $260 million worldwide.[283] Jackson's estate received 90% of the profits.[284] The film was accompanied by a compilation album of the same name.
Two versions of "This Is It" appear on the album, which also featured
original masters of Jackson's hits in the order in which they appear in
the film, along with a bonus disc with previously unreleased versions of
more Jackson hits and a spoken-word poem, "Planet Earth".[285] At the 2009 American Music Awards, Jackson won four posthumous awards, two for him and two for his album Number Ones, bringing his total American Music Awards to 26.[286][287]
Death and memorial
On June 25, 2009, Jackson fell unconscious while lying in bed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by Conrad Murray, his personal physician, were unsuccessful.[288] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 pm (PDT, 19:22 UTC), arriving three minutes later.[289][290] Jackson was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.[291] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center,
and for more than an hour after arriving there at 1:13 pm (20:13 UTC).
He was pronounced dead at 2:26 pm Pacific time (21:26 UTC).[292][293]
Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief.[288] The news spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload. Both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times suffered outages.[294] Google initially believed that the millions of search requests meant their search engine was under DDoS attack, and blocked searches related to Michael Jackson for 30 minutes. Twitter reported a crash, as did Wikipedia at 3:15 pm PDT (22:15 UTC).[295] The Wikimedia Foundation
reported nearly a million visitors to Jackson's biography within one
hour, probably the most visitors in a one-hour period to any article in
Wikipedia's history.[296] AOL Instant Messenger
collapsed for 40 minutes. AOL called it a "seminal moment in internet
history ... We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope or
depth."[297] Around 15% of Twitter posts (5,000 tweets per minute) reportedly mentioned Jackson after the news broke,[298][299] compared to the 5% recalled as having mentioned the Iranian elections or the flu pandemic that had made headlines earlier in the year.[299] Overall, web traffic ranged from 11% to at least 20% higher than normal.[298][300] MTV and BET aired marathons of Jackson's music videos.[301] Jackson specials aired on television stations around the world. The British soap opera EastEnders added a last-minute scene to the June 26 episode in which one character tells another about the news.[302] MTV briefly returned to its original music video format to celebrate his work,[303]
airing hours of Jackson's music videos, accompanied by live news
specials featuring reactions from MTV personalities and other
celebrities.[304]
The temporary shift in MTV's programming culminated the following week
in the channel's live coverage of Jackson's memorial service.[304]
Jackson's memorial was held on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty.
Due to high demand, tickets to the memorial were distributed via
lottery, and over 1.6 million fans applied for tickets during the
two-day application period. 8,750 names were drawn at random, with each
recipient receiving two tickets each.[305]
Jackson's casket was present during the memorial but no information was
released about the final disposition of the body. The memorial service
was one of the most watched events in streaming history,[306] with an estimated U.S. audience of 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated 35.1 million that watched the 2004 burial of former president Ronald Reagan, and the estimated 33.1 million Americans who watched the 1997 funeral for Princess Diana.[307]
Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the event. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read "We Had Him", a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou.[308] The Reverend Al Sharpton
received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's
children: "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what
your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway."[309]
Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris Katherine, speaking publicly for
the first time, wept as she told the crowd: "Ever since I was born,
Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted
to say I love him ... so much."[310][311] Reverend Lucious Smith provided a closing prayer.[312]
At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam, and midazolam,[313] and the Los Angeles coroner decided to treat the death as a homicide.[314][315] Law enforcement officials conducted a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician Conrad Murray, and charged him with involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles on February 8, 2010.[316] Jackson's body was entombed on September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[317]
On June 25, 2010, the first anniversary of Jackson's death, fans
traveled to Los Angeles to pay tribute. They visited Jackson's star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame, his family's home, and Forest Lawn Memorial
Park. Many of the fans were carrying sunflowers and other tribute items
to leave at the sites. Members of the Jackson family and close friends
arrived to pay their respects.[318][319]
Katherine returned to Gary, Indiana to unveil a granite monument
constructed in the front yard of the family home. The memorial continued
with a candlelight vigil and a special performance of "We Are the
World".[320][321]
On June 26, there was a protest march in front of the Los Angeles
Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division at the old Parker Center
building and a petition with thousands of signatures demanding justice.[322][323]
The Jackson Family Foundation, in conjunction with Voiceplate,
presented "Forever Michael", an event bringing together Jackson family
members, celebrities, fans, supporters and the community to celebrate
and honor his legacy. A portion of the proceeds were presented to some
of Jackson's favorite charities. Katherine also introduced her new book
"Never Can Say Goodbye".
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