Michael Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and philanthropist from Gary, United States. Known as the “King of Pop”, he is one of the most commercially successful and influential figures in popular music. His work spans pop, boogie, contemporary R&B, dance, dance-pop, disco, hip hop, soul and funk.

Career

Jackson begins performing at an early age and first achieves major success as lead singer of the Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons. The group forms with several of his brothers and signs to Motown Records, where it scores hits including “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There”. After the group leaves Motown in 1975, he continues to record and perform with the Jacksons while building a solo career.

His solo recording career begins at Motown in the 1970s with Got to Be There, Ben, Music & Me and Forever, Michael. A professional connection with producer Quincy Jones follows Jackson’s role in the film The Wiz, and their collaboration produces Off the Wall in 1979. That album establishes him as a major solo performer and includes the singles “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You”.

Thriller follows in 1982 and becomes the best-selling album in history. Its singles include “Billie Jean”, “Beat It” and “Thriller”, and its videos help turn music video broadcasting into a major commercial and artistic form. Jackson’s performance of the moonwalk on the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever in 1983 brings the dance move widespread attention. His associated dance styles also include the robot and the anti-gravity lean.

During the 1980s, Jackson becomes one of the most prominent artists in international popular music. In 1984, he suffers scalp burns while filming a Pepsi commercial and later donates part of the legal settlement to medical causes. He also appears in the Jacksons’ Victory Tour, his final concert tour with the group. In 1985, he co-writes the charity single “We Are the World” with Lionel Richie and acquires ATV Music Publishing, gaining rights to a catalogue that includes much of the Beatles’ publishing portfolio.

Albums and major releases

Jackson releases Bad in 1987, which becomes the first album to produce five US 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”. The accompanying Bad World Tour draws large international audiences. He publishes the autobiography Moonwalk and releases the film Moonwalker in 1988.

In 1991, Jackson signs a record contract with Sony Music that is reported at the time to be among the largest in the music industry, and he releases Dangerous later that year. The album includes “Black or White”, “Remember the Time” and “Heal the World”. In 1992, he founds the Heal the World Foundation and begins the Dangerous World Tour, with portions of the proceeds supporting charitable activities.

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I appears in 1995 as a double album combining a greatest-hits collection with new material. It includes “Scream”, a duet with Janet Jackson, as well as “You Are Not Alone”, “Earth Song” and “They Don’t Care About Us”. The HIStory World Tour becomes the most-attended tour of his career. He later releases the remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix in 1997, and Invincible in 2001, which is noted for its high production cost and for the dispute that follows with Sony Music over promotion and contractual matters. In 2008, he releases Thriller 25, a commemorative edition of Thriller.

Public life, awards and legacy

Jackson receives many awards, including Grammy Awards, American Music Awards and Brit Awards, and is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame. He achieves 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles as a solo artist and record sales estimated at more than 500 million worldwide.

His public profile also includes extensive attention to his appearance and private life. He is diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus, which affect his skin pigmentation and health, and he states that changes in his appearance relate to these conditions, weight loss and cosmetic procedures. Media coverage focuses on his pet chimpanzee Bubbles and his home at Neverland Ranch in California. He also supports numerous charitable causes and humanitarian organisations, including through the Heal the World Foundation.

Jackson faces allegations of child sexual abuse in 1993, with a civil lawsuit settled in 1994 without an admission of wrongdoing. He is later charged in 2003 with child molestation and related offences involving another minor, and is acquitted at trial in 2005. After the trial, he spends periods living outside the United States, including in Bahrain and Ireland, and experiences financial difficulties linked to debt and legal obligations.

In 2009, while preparing for the planned This Is It concerts in London, Jackson dies at the age of 50 after receiving a fatal dose of propofol administered by his personal physician, Conrad Murray.

Labels and affiliation

Jackson’s name is associated with Epic Records, MJJ Productions Inc. and Mijac Music. He is also linked to the Jacksons and to the long-running solo and group career that makes him one of the defining figures of modern pop music.