He is the unchallenged King of Pop. And Showmanship. Michael Jackson's story is the stuff of which legends are made. It is a saga that began in America's heartland, Gary, Indiana, where Michael was born on August 29th, 1958 to Joseph and Katherine Jackson, into a family of eight brothers and sisters. And as part of the Jackson 5, Michael was one of the most popular singing stars of the '70s. In 1970, at the young age of 11, he and his brothers won international success on the Motown label with four No. 1 hits.
It was just a taste of what was to come... Moving with his brothers (then called the Jacksons) to Epic in the mid-'70s, Michael went on to make his auspicious solo debut in 1979. His Off The Wall album included the No. 1 singles Rock With You and Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough and went multi-platinum. That album also lead to his coronation as an entertainment icon. Another turning point in his career was the year 1982. For Michael Jackson, October 1982 commenced calmly enough, at least in the musical sense. After all, the first single from Thriller, his second Epic solo album, was The Girl Is Mine, a laid-back mid-tempo duet performed and co-written by Michael and Paul McCartney. The single quickly sold a million copies, clearing the launch pad for Thriller.
Thriller arrived in retail stores on December 1st, just in time for Christmas; by the year's end, it had sold more than one million units. In July 1984, Michael and his brothers released the Victory album. Victory went double platinum - the Jacksons' biggest-selling album ever. On August 31, Michael's Bad album arrived in stores, with the largest advance orders for any album ever. On September 5, 1991, MTV changed its Video Vanguard Award to the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in the stars honor. A month later, on November 11, Black or White was released as the first single from Dangerous; it would hold the No. 1 Pop position for seven weeks.
Says Michael Jackson, "I love my fans and they are the reason for my professional existence.When I'm out there [on stage] doing a show and I see the fans dancing and singing, that's what I love the most. It's just the greatest feeling in the world." The World's Most Famous Man is more than just an entertainer. He is a humanitarian whose efforts to help end pain and suffering have been felt the world over. His Heal The World Foundation, an international charity designed to protect children and the environment, raises millions of dollars each year for various causes.
