Michael Jackson, known as the King of Pop was an American singer, dancer, entertainer and recording artist. He was an influential pop phenomenon in the seventies, eighties and nineties and remained a worldwide respected figure, beyond his death in 2009.
He started off his music career at the relatively young age of six, with his family, including his brothers in a group called the Jackson Five. This group was led by his father, where they worked hard in many clubs and bars. As time progressed they were getting some favourable attention and in 1968, four years after Michael Jackson’s start, they were signed by Motown records. The group produced four number one hit singles.
Michael Jackson caught centre stage as he was extensively mentioned by reviewers. One example of Michael Jackson’s positive references during these initial stages of his career include the Rolling Stone magazine, which said that he boasted certain ‘musical gifts’. In his formative years, he displayed significant enthusiasm and talent.
Michael Jackson achieved his objective to become a music performer at an early stage in life. With that said, his childhood was marred with violence and threats by his father, which continued to impact him as he progressed into adulthood.
In the second part of the 1970’s, Michael focussed on the pursuit of a solo career. Being backed by a music produced called Quincy Jones, Michael launched the solo album “Off The Wall”. It was a major success and reached sales of over twenty million copies.
He launched a second solo album called “Thriller” which cemented his status as one of the best ever pop musicians in the world. It made it to first place for thirty-seven weeks on album sales, with minimal marketing investment. It also acquired a number of Guinness World Records and included hits such as “Beat It” and “Billie Jean”.
Michael Jackson also became an icon in the world of dance, by performing his signature move, the Moonwalk.
Tarnishing his illustrious career were a number of stories related to his personal life, health and also appearance. He did a number of plastic surgeries to both his nose and chin, which was followed by a disease where his skin changed colour as time progressed. This resulted in a number of stories alleging that he was playing around with his skin colour. This is something he rejected outright and emphasised that the changes in his skin were due to a disorder he could not control. He was also immensely frustrated at the media scrutiny. He highlights that the media aimed to portray him negatively after he broke Elvis Presley’s and the Beatles’ records, where stories showcased him as a freak, child molester and numerous suggestions were made regarding his sexual orientation.
He found himself in a rut of financial and health troubles, which increased his drug consumption. This is said to have been one of the reasons for his premature death, on the 25th June, 2009.
Nevertheless, the king of Pop and his much loved music will remain in our hearts for ever. Michael is indeed a true legend.
