Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He is the son of Katherine and Joseph Jackson. When Michael was a little boy his father, Joseph, played in his own band. After Joseph’s band failed to make it big, the older Jackson turned the focus of his musical aspirations onto his sons Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Michael. Later another son, Randy, would be born and join the group.
Michael Jackson’s Uncommon Talent
From the start Michael showed that his was an uncommon talent. He stood up to his father, a man who has been depicted as being intense and stern. After hours of practicing, foregoing playing with other kids his age and learning how to appease their father, the Jackson boys banded together and became The Jackson Five.
They sang at local fairs and night clubs. Then they took a momentous trip from Indiana to Detroit, Michigan. It was here that The Jackson Five met Berry Gordy, owner of the amazingly successful Motown Records.
The long practice sessions were paying off. Berry Gordy assigned the boys a new manager, a decision that took the final say regarding their careers away from their father. Not only were the Jacksons no longer in Gary, they were also no longer in a setting where family ruled.
Motown Records and Michael Jackson
Early recordings at Motown included “Big Boy,” “You’ve Changed,” “I Want You Back,” and “ABC.” The first two recordings were met with lukewarm success, if that. However, the second two records took off. Record sales soared. “I Want You Back” moved up all the way to the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100. Berry Gordy and his team of managers, writers and administrators helped to put The Jackson Five in the minds of impressionable young girls who screamed and shrieked with excitement at concerts that the guys headlined.
Each of the Jackson sons was and is talented in his own right. But it was Michael who captured recording executives and avid fans attention most. The older Michael became, the more he set himself apart with his spell binding dance moves, strong vocals and passion for performing. In 1979 he released his solo album “Off The Wall” which was produced by Quincy Jones. Three years later Michael returned to the studio and hammered out his next solo album “Thriller”.
Michael Jackson’s Continuing Solo Career
It seemed that Michael Jackson’s star could not rise much further. That is until he performed at Motown’s 25th Anniversary television special in 1983. The special brought together great musical talents like Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and The Four Tops.
Michael sang treasured hits with his brothers then he took the stage alone and sang “Billie Jean.” Dancing with one silver glove and trademark white socks, Michael moon walked for the first time in public and brought the audience to its feet. It was an electrical moment that catapulted Michael into the stratosphere.
Riding on the success of his solo performance at Motown’s 25th Anniversary television special, Jackson’s album “Thriller” racked up seven Top Ten singles hits on Billboard Top 100. “Thriller” went on to become and remains the top selling album of all time with a reported 65 million units sold.
Michael Jackson’s follow-up albums “Bad” and “Dangerous” went on to have hit singles of their own like “Black or White,” “Man In The Mirror” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” but the albums were unable to top the phenomenally successful “Thriller.”
His life was not without controversy and inner struggle. At the time of his death on June 25, 2009, Michael was reported on CNN as selling $12 million in album sales a year. Total sales of all his records are estimated to exceed 750 million units. His talent, creative and musical achievements transcend culture, color, nationality, race, age and gender.
Sources Cited:
Biography. Bio True Story. Michael Jackson Biography. 26 June 2009
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