As a child I loved Michael Jackson (along with Prince) .. had posters all over my wall (esp at the "Thriller" album stage ) .. as a teenager I wasn't in love with him anymore .. but still played and really liked his music ..
.. now even as an adult I still listen to his albums and throughout all the "stuff" that went on in his life .. was still interested (and in some cases felt sad) to see how he lived his life
.. now sadly he has gone.
I remember the first time I saw him singing in Jackson 5 in a documentary talking about his life .. then later on in a video "Don't stop to you get enough" .. the "Thriller" video spooked the sh*t out of me .. and "Billie Jean" and "Bad" were my fav videos after that .. then along cam "Man in the mirror" ..
I remember some of my workmates going to his concert when he came to NZ and raving about it .. and wishing I hadn't been so "cool" and had gone to see it !!!
.. but anyhoo to have so much of your life in the limelight must have been tough
.. and finally after all the publicity has gone .. he'll finally be able to have the privacy he craved ..
RIP Michael Jackson .. your songs still rock!
from the stuff site
CHILD STAR TO MEGASTAR
Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys - Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael - first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.
Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released ''Thriller'' in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.
The next year, he unveiled his signature ''moonwalk'' dance move while performing ''Billie Jean'' during an NBC special.
In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.
Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.
TIMELINE:
A look at the career of Michael Jackson:
- Aug. 29, 1958: Michael Joseph Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children.
- 1963: After several years of training, The Jackson 5 begin to perform in public.
- Dec. 14, 1969: The Jackson 5 appear on the ''The Ed Sullivan Show.''
- 1970: Their first album, ''Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5,'' includes the hit singles ''I Want You Back'' and ''I'll Be There,'' which go to No. 1.
- 1972: While still singing with the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson puts out his first solo album, ''Got to Be There.''
- 1979: Jackson's first solo album as an adult, ''Off the Wall,'' is released. He becomes the first solo artist to place four singles from the same record in the top 10.
- 1982: His album ''Thriller'' wins a record eight Grammys and becomes the world's biggest selling record of all time. Along with the title track, it includes the songs ''Billie Jean'' and ''Beat It.''
- 1983: Jackson electrifies the 50 million viewers of the ''Motown 25'' television special by singing and dancing to ''Billie Jean'' while wearing a black fedora, one white glove, and pants that end above his ankles.
- 1984: During production of a Pepsi-Cola commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.
- 1985: Jackson and Lionel Richie write what becomes one of the fastest-selling singles ever with ''We Are the World.'' The song was produced to raise money for victims of the Ethiopian famine.
- 1987: His album ''Bad'' produces five No. 1 singles and sells at least 22 million copies worldwide.
- 1995: Releases the album ''HIStory: Past, Present, and Future Book I.'' In August, the song ''You Are Not Alone'' becomes the first single in pop music history to enter the Billboard chart at No. 1.
- 1997: The album, ''Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix,'' sells in the hundreds of thousands worldwide, disappointing numbers for Jackson.
- Reuters, AP, and Stuff.co.nz
Billie Jean video -
Thriller video -
Beat it video -
Man in the mirror -
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