Michael Jackson – outstanding musician

Michael Jackson was one of the most successful musicians of all time. He was a singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, actor, and businessman.
Michael was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, US. His full name was Michael Joseph Jackson. He was the eighth of the 10 children. He had 3 sisters and 6 brothers. His mother, Katherine, sang folk songs and spirituals to them.
At the age of four Michael began singing and at the age of five he gave his first public performance.
In 1970 he and his brothers formed a group called The Jackson Five. So, his show-business career began.
At the age of 14 Jackson recorded a song Ben devoted to his pet rat. He became the youngest ever singer at the time to top the US charts.

In 1979, Jackson and Quincy Jones collaborated on Jackson’s solo album Off the Wall.
In 1982, they again collaborated on the blockbuster Thriller album. It made him the major pop icon of the early 1980s.
In 1993, Jackson was presented with the ‘Living Legend Award at the Grammys and the Humanitarian of the Year trophy at the Soul Train awards.
Jackson died on June 25, 2009.

Jackson in his childhood

Personal life

Jackson and Tatum O’Neal. They were together from 1978 to 1979

Jackson and Brooke Shields. They were together from 1983 to 1991

Jackson and Tatiana Thumbtzen. They were together from 1987 to 1988

On May26, 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the late rock legend Elvis Presley and his wife Priscilla Presley. In August of 1996, Jackson and Presley divorced.

Jackson and his first wife Lisa Marie Presley

In 1996 Jackson married his long-time friend Debbie Rowe in Sydney, Australia. On February 13, 1997, their son, Prince Michael Jackson, Jr., was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Their daughter – Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born on April 3, 1998. In 1999, Debbie and Michael divorced.
On February 21, 2002 a surrogate mother gave birth to his second son – Prince Michael Jackson II.

Jackson, his wife and their children

Jackson and his children

Interesting facts
– His favorite books were Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving and The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway.
– In 1978 he played a scarecrow in The Wiz, remake of the movie the Wizard of Oz.
– Michael was very fond of animals. He had rats, frogs, spiders, rabbits and dogs. He once had a boa constrictor called Muscles and a pet python called Crusher. He had two llamas called Louis and Lola. The chimp named Bubbles was his most famous pet.
– Jackson won 13 Grammy awards. In 1984 he won eight Grammys – the highest number ever won by one person in a single year.
– Jackson bought a large piece of land near Santa Barbara in 1987. He named it Neverland, after the fantasy island in J.M. Barrie’s novel Peter Pan.
– Jackson was a vegetarian.
– In 1992 he founded the Heal the World Foundation which helped poor children all over the world.
– Jackson has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (one for himself and one as part of the Jackson Five).
– Jackson was a good friend with many famous people including Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Eddie Murphy, Mark Lester, Chris Tucker, Macaulay Culkin, Elton John, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Omer Bhatti.
– Jackson admired the talent of Freddie Mercury and attended the concerts of the group Queen.
– Jackson and Princess Diana were good friends.