Michael Jackson

For other uses of this term, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).

Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson Dangerous World Tour 1993.jpg
Jackson on his Dangerous World Tour in September 1993
Personal information
Birth name Michael Joseph Jackson
Nickname The King of Pop
Other names Michael Joe Jackson
Birth August 29, 1958
Gary (Indiana, United States)
Death June 25, 2009 (50 years)
Los Angeles (California, United States)
Cause of death Acute myocardial infarction
Sepultura Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Neverland Ranch
Nationality American
Family
Family Jackson family
Fathers Joseph Jackson
Katherine Jackson
Spouse Lisa Marie Presley (married 1994; divorced 1996)
Deborah Rowe (married 1996; divorced 1999)
Children 3
Professional information
Occupation
Singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, actor, businessman
1964-2009
Pseudonym Michael Joe Jackson
Genres Pop, soul, rhythm and blues, funk, rock, disco, post-disco, dance pop,
new jack swing
Instrument Voice
Record labels
Epic Records
Sony Music
Motown
Universal Music Group
Sony BMG
Legacy
Steeltown Records
Member of The Jackson 5
Website
michaeljackson.com
Company Michael Jackson signature.svg
Michael Joseph Jackson (Gary, Indiana, August 29, 1958 - Los Angeles, 25 of
June 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, producer, and dancer.
Nicknamed the 'King of Pop', his contributions and recognition in the
history of music and dance for more than four decades, as well as its
publicized personal life, turned him into an international figure in the
popular culture. Its music includes a broad range of genres such as pop,
rhythm and blues (soul and funk), rock, disco and dance, and is recognized as the
"most successful music artist of all time" by the Guinness World Records.
78

He began his artistic career in the mid-1960s in the musical group

The Jackson 5, in which he released, along with some of his brothers, ten albums.
until 1975. In 1971, he started his solo career, although he continued to belong to the
group. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a figure
dominant in popular music. Their music videos, among which stand out
"Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller," from his 1982 album Thriller, are
accredited as a breakthrough of racial barriers and the transformation of the environment
in an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these helped to
bring the television network MTV to fame. The album Bad (1987) produced the number
one of the singles 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You', 'Bad', 'The Way You Make Me
Feel, Man in the Mirror, and Dirty Diana on the Billboard Hot 100, so
it became the first album to have five number one singles on that chart.
He continued to innovate with videos like 'Black or White' and 'Scream' throughout the
1990s and forged a reputation as a solo artist on several tours.
through his stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a series of
complex dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, which he named.
Its distinctive sound and style have influenced numerous artists from various
musical genres.

Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, with estimated sales of 65

millions of copies worldwide. Other albums by Jackson, Off the Wall (1979),
Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995) also rank among the most
sold of history. With Off the Wall, Jackson became the first
solo artist having four singles from the same album within the top ten
top positions of the Billboard Hot 100. Jackson is one of the few artists who
they have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and also
he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame of the
Dance like the only pop and rock dancer. His other achievements include several.
Guinness records, 13 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Legend Award, the Grammy Award for
the artistic career, 26 American Music awards —more than any other soloist
male — including Artist of the Century and Artist of the 1980s, 13 singles
number one in the United States during his solo career —more than any
another male artist on the Hot 100 era— and estimated sales of over 400 million
of music productions around the world. n. 11920 It became the first
artist in history to have a top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in five decades
different, when "Love Never Felt So Good" reached number nine on May 21
Since 2014.21, Jackson has traveled around the world attending events in honor of his
solidarity, and in 2000, the Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting
39 charities, more than any other artist.

Aspects of Jackson's personal life, such as his changing appearance, his

personal relationships and their behavior generated controversy. In 1993, it was
accused of child sexual abuse, but the civil case was settled out of court
for an undisclosed amount and no formal charges were filed. In 2005, he was
tried and acquitted of new charges of child sexual abuse and several others
charges after the jury declared him innocent on all charges. Meanwhile
he was preparing for his comeback concert series, This Is It, Jackson died due to
acute intoxication from propofol and benzodiazepine on June 25, 2009, after
suffer a heart attack. The coroner of Los Angeles County ruled that his
death was a homicide, and his personal doctor, Conrad Murray, was declared
guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death caused general shock,
and the live broadcast of his funeral was viewed by more than 2.5 billion
people all over the world. In 2010, Sony signed a contract with her family for 250
millions of dollars to retain the distribution rights of their records and
to publish seven posthumous albums by 2017.262728 Forbes has ranked Jackson
as one of the deceased celebrities with the highest earnings, with profits of 825
millions of dollars in 2016, the highest annual amount ever recorded by the
publication.29 In 2019, new allegations of child sexual abuse were detailed in
against the singer in the documentary Leaving Neverland, which caused a reaction
international both in its defense and against it. Despite the controversy and
the public debate about Jackson's legacy, his music and brand experienced a
increase in popularity and demand after the release of the documentary.33 According to the
Forbes report of 2020 on deceased celebrities with the highest earnings,
Jackson held the number one position that year for the eleventh time.
consecutive.34

Index
1 Biography
1.1 1958-1975: childhood and The Jackson 5
1.2 1975-1981: move to Epic Records and Off the Wall
1.3 1982-1983: Thriller and Motown
1.4 1984-1985: Pepsi, 'We Are the World' and other ventures
1.5 1986-1990: change of appearance, tabloids, Bad, movies, autobiography, and
Neverland
1.6 1991-1993: Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII
1.7 1993-1994: first accusation of abuse and first marriage
1.8 1995-1999: HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood
1.9 2000-2003: dispute with Sony, Invincible, and third child
1.10 2003-2005: second accusation of abuse
1.11 2006-2009: last years and This is It
2 Death and funeral
2.1 New abuse allegations
3 Posthumous works
4 Artistic repercussion
4.1 Influences
4.2 Music videos and choreographies
5 Artistic characteristics
5.1 Dance
5.2 Voice
5.3 Aesthetics
5.4 Less known occupations
6 Legacy
7 Awards and achievements
8 Philanthropy
9 Family
10 Discography
11 Filmography
12 Tours
13 See also
14 Note
15 References
16 Bibliography
17 External links
Biography
1958-1975: childhood and The Jackson 5

Jackson's childhood home in Gary, Indiana, with floral tributes afterwards

of his death.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958. He was the eighth of ten children.
children of the Jackson family, an Afro-descendant working-class family who
I lived in a two-bedroom house on Jackson Street, in Gary, Indiana.
industrial city in the metropolitan area of Chicago. Her mother, Katherine Esther
Scruse was a devoted Jehovah's Witness. She played the clarinet and the piano and a
she aspired to be a country and western artist but worked part-time in
Sears to support the family.35 Michael's father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson,
a former boxer, was a steelworker at U.S. Steel. Joe acted as
guitarist in a local rhythm and blues band, The Falcons, to complement
the family's income. Michael grew up with three sisters (Rebbie, La Toya and
Janet) and five brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy). A sixth brother,
Marlon's twin, Brandon; died shortly after birth.
Jackson (bottom right) as a member of the Jackson 5 in an appearance
especially in The Jim Nabors Hour (1970).
Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father.3738 In 2003, Joe acknowledged
that he was usually beaten as a child, and it was also said that he had been abused.
verbally about her son, often saying he had a 'big nose'.
he declared that in his childhood he was physically and emotionally abused during rehearsals
relentless, although he credited his father's strict discipline with playing a role.
important to their success. In an interview with Martin Bashir for the documentary
2003 Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson recalled that Joe often sat in
a chair with a belt in his hand while he and his brothers were rehearsing, and that
If you didn't do it the right way, he would give you a beating, he really would.
Jackson's parents have denied the abuse allegations.
time, with Katherine stating that while spanking is considered abuse today in
day, at that time it was a common way to discipline children.424344Jackie,
Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon have also said that their father was not abusive and that the
whips, harder to face for Michael because he was younger, the
they remained disciplined and away from problems. 45 Speaking openly about their
childhood in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast in February 1993,
Jackson acknowledged that his youth had been lonely and isolated. His deep
dissatisfaction with their appearance, their nightmares, and their chronic sleep problems,
his tendency to remain hyper-obedient, especially with his father, and to
remaining childlike in adulthood is consistent as effects of abuse
that he suffered when he was a child. His father committed adultery several times, and as a result of a
from these extramarital relationships, he had a daughter. That type of relationship made.
that Michael's parents did not feel comfortable with his marital relationship, because
what they decided to stop living together since 2005 and announced their separation in August 2010
separation after 60 years of marriage.48

Jackson (center) as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1971 (above) and 1972 (below).
From an early age, Michael showed an interest in music when he sang in the
Christmas celebrations of the kindergarten I attended. In 1964, Michael and
Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers — a band formed by their father, that
included the brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing
congas and tambourines.

In 1965, Michael began to share the lead vocals with his older brother.
Jermaine, and the group's name changed to the Jackson 5. The following year, the
group won an important local talent show with Jackson performing the
dance of success from 1965 by Robert Parker 'Barefootin'. From 1966 to 1968 they performed
a tour through the Midwest, frequently performing in a chain of clubs
African Americans known as the 'chitlin' circuit' as opening acts for artists such as
Sam & Dave, the O'Jays, Gladys Knight, and Etta James. The Jackson 5 also performed.
in nightclubs and party halls, where shows were held
striptease and other adult activities, and in local auditoriums and school dances
secondary.51 In August 1967, while traveling along the East Coast, the group won
a weekly night concert for amateurs at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Jackson (center) as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1974.

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs later, including their first single 'Big'
"Boy" (1968), for Steeltown Records, a record label from Gary, before signing with
Motown in 1969. Rolling Stone later described young Michael as a
"prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts" that "quickly emerged as the
main attraction and lead singer."55 The group set a record on the charts
when their first four singles - 'I Want You Back' (1969), 'ABC' (1970), 'The
"Love You Save" (1970) and "I'll Be There" (1970) reached number one in the
Billboard Hot 100.53 With the earnings from sales, in May 1971, the family
Jackson was able to move to a large house on a two-acre lot in Encino,
California. During this time, Michael evolved from child performer to idol.
teenager. While Jackson began to emerge as a solo artist in the early
In the 70s, he maintained ties with the Jackson 5 and Motown. Between 1972 and 1975, Michael
he released four solo albums with Motown: Got to Be There (1972), Ben (1972),
Music & Me (1973) and Forever, Michael (1975). "Got to Be There" and "Ben", the
songs from the titles of their first two solo albums became
successful singles, just like a version of 'Rockin' Robin' by Bobby Day.

The Jackson 5 were later described as "a cutting-edge example of

"black crossover artists."57 Although the group's sales began to decline in
1973, and the members were irritated by Motown's refusal to allow them more
creativity, reached several top 40 successes, including the top five single
"Dancing Machine" (1974), before leaving Motown in 1975.

1975-1981: move to Epic Records and Off the Wall

From the left, back row: Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Tito Jackson,
Marlon Jackson. Middle row: Randy Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Rebbie Jackson.
First row: Janet Jackson (1977).
In June 1975, The Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS.
Records, and they changed their name to 'The Jacksons'. The youngest brother Randy
joined the band formally at this time, while Jermaine decided to stay.
with Motown and pursuing a solo career. The Jacksons continued their tours
musicals, and released six more albums between 1976 and 1984. Michael, composer
group leader during this time, wrote hits like 'Shake Your Body'
(Down to the Ground)» (1979), «This Place Hotel» (1980) y «Can You Feel It»
(1980).4959

In 1978, the singer played the role of Scarecrow in the movie The Wizard.
new version of the musical The Wizard of Oz (1939) made this time by actors of
African descent origin. The film - directed by Sidney Lumet
co-starring Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross— was a failure in
box office.63 His score was arranged by Quincy Jones,6465 whom Jackson had
previously known when I was 12 years old at Sammy Davis Jr.'s house.
he agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album.646567 During his stay
In New York, Jackson frequented the nightclub Studio 54 and was exposed to hip hop.
initial, influencing his beatboxing in future songs like "Workin' Day and
In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine.
Her subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; she complained of difficulties.
respiratory issues that would affect his career. He was sent to Dr. Steven Hoefflin,
Who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.

Jackson's fifth solo album, Off the Wall (1979), co-produced by

Jackson and Jones defined Jackson as a solo performer. The album helped to
Jackson moved from the bubblegum pop of his youth to more complex sounds that
he would create as an adult. The album's composers included Jackson, Rod Temperton,
Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. Off the Wall was the first solo album that
generated four top 10 hits in the United States: 'Off the Wall', 'She's
Out of My Life" and the singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with
The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold
more than 20 million copies worldwide.7576 In 1980, Jackson won three
awards at the American Music Awards for their solo efforts: Album
Favorite Soul/R&B, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single
for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".737778 Also won Billboard Year awards-
End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album, and a Grammy award for Best
Male R&B Vocal Interpretation in 1979 with 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get'
Enough. In 1981, Jackson was the winner of the American Music Awards for Album.
Favorite Soul/R&B and Best Male Artist Soul/R&B.80 Despite his success
commercially, Jackson felt that Off the Wall should have had a greater impact, and
he was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980,
he obtained the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent
of the benefits of the wholesale album.

Jackson recorded with Queen singer Freddie Mercury from 1981 to 1983, including
a model of "State of Shock", "Victory" and "There Must Be More to Life Than
This».838485 The recordings were intended for a duet album, but, according to
The then manager of Queen, Jim Beach, the relationship between the singers soured.
when Jackson insisted on bringing a llama to the recording studio.
collaborations were not officially released until 2014.8788 Jackson went on
record the single "State of Shock" with Mick Jagger for the Jacksons' album
Victory (1984) 89 Mercury included the solo version of 'There Must Be More To'
Life Than This" in his album Mr. Bad Guy (1985). In 1982, Jackson combined his
interests in composition and film when he contributed with the song 'Someone in
the Dark" to the audiobook for the movie E.T., the extraterrestrial. The song, with
Jones as his producer won a Grammy for Best Children's Recording in 1984.

1982-1983: Thriller and Motown

Jackson in April 1984.

An even greater success came with Jackson's sixth album, Thriller, released at the end
from 1982. The album earned Jackson seven more Grammys and eight American awards.
Music, among them the Merit Award, the youngest artist to win it.
best selling album worldwide in 1983,9596 and became the album most
best-selling of all time in the United States and the best-selling album of
all times worldwide, selling an estimated 65 million
copies.98 It topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was among the top 10
the first of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have
seven simple top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100, including 'Billie Jean,' 'Beat It'
and 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'' In December 2015, Thriller was certified
for 30 million equivalent copies by the RIAA, making it the only
album in achieving that feat in the United States.100101102 According to the heirs of
Jackson, the album has sold over 105 million copies, although it is difficult
to calculate the figures worldwide. 103 Thriller earned Jackson and Quincy Jones
the Grammy Award for Non-Classical Producer of the Year for 1984.104 He also won the
Album of the Year, with Jackson as the artist of the album and Jones as his co-producer, and
an award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, for Jackson. "Beat It"
won Best Recording of the Year, with Jackson as the artist and Jones as co-producer,
and a Best Male Rock Vocal Performance award for Jackson. 'Billie
Jean earned Jackson two Grammy Awards, Best R&B Song, with Jackson as its.
composer and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, as his artist.
Thriller also won another Grammy for Best Arrangement for Album - Non-Classical
1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work on the album.105 The American Awards
Music from 1984 awarded Jackson a Merit Award and the American award.
Music for Best Male Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist.
"Beat It" earned Jackson the American Music Award for Favorite Video of the Year.
Soul/R&B, Favorite Video - Pop/Rock and Favorite Pop/Rock Single. Thriller earned
the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Best Pop/Rock Album.

Thriller music video jacket sold for 1.8 million dollars.

In addition to the album, Jackson released Thriller, a 14-minute music video directed
by John Landis, in 1983. The video with zombie themes 'redefined the
music videos and broke racial barriers on MTV, a television channel of
emerging entertainment at that time. In December 2009, the Library of
Congress selected the music video Thriller for inclusion in the Registry
National Cinema. It was one of the 25 films named that year as 'works of great
importance for American culture" that would be "preserved forever."111
Since 2009, Thriller is the only music video that has been included in
the record.110113114

The jacket and the white sequined glove worn by Jackson in Motown 25:
Yesterday, Today, Forever, one of the most famous flagship aspects of Jackson.
Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that time.
moment, approximately 2 dollars for each album sold, and I was making
record earnings from the sales of their recordings. The video tape of the documentary
The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold more than 350,000 copies in a short time.
Months. The arrival of novelties such as dolls modeled in the style was seen.
from Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of 12
dollars.115 Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that 'Thriller stopped
selling oneself like a leisure item —like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a
successful movie— and began to sell like a basic household product.
1985, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for Best Video
Long Format Musical.117 Time described Jackson's influence at that moment.
as a "record, radio, rock video star, a rescue team of a man
for the music business. A composer who sets the rhythm for a decade.
Singer who crosses all boundaries of taste, style, and color.
also."115 The New York Times wrote that "in the world of pop music, it is
Michael Jackson and all the others.

On March 25, 1983, Jackson met with his brothers for a performance.
recorded at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever,
a television special NBC. The show aired on May 16, 1983,
with an estimated audience of 47 million, and offered to the Jacksons and others
Motown stars.120 It is best remembered for Jackson's solo performance.
from 'Billie Jean', which earned Jackson his first Emmy nomination.
Wearing a black sequin jacket and a golf glove decorated with
imitation diamonds, debuted its flagship dance move, the moonwalk, which the
Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member Jeffrey Daniel had taught him.
three years earlier. Jackson had originally declined the invitation to
acting in the show, believing that he had been doing too much television
at that moment; At the request of the founder of Motown, Berry Gordy, he agreed to perform
time change to perform a solo act.126127128 According to the reporter
from Rolling Stone, Mikal Gilmore, "There are moments when you know you are hearing or
seeing something extraordinary... that came that night."129 Jackson's performance
it caused comparisons with the appearances of Elvis Presley and The Beatles on The Ed
Sullivan Show.130 Anna Kisselgoff, from The New York Times, wrote in 1988: "The
the moonwalk that made him famous is a fitting metaphor for his dance style, how it
What? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a true mime. Keeping a leg
straight while it slides while the other bends and seems to walk requires
perfect synchronization." 131 Gordy said about the performance: "From the first measure of
'Billie Jean', I was hypnotized, and when he did his iconic moonwalk, I
it surprised, it was magical, Michael Jackson entered orbit, and never came down.

1984-1985: Pepsi, 'We Are the World' and other ventures

In November 1983, Jackson and his brothers partnered with PepsiCo in a deal.
5 million dollar promotional that broke all previous records of a
celebrity-backed advertising. The first Pepsi Cola campaign, which
developed in the United States between 1983 and 1984 and released its iconic song 'New
Generation" included sponsorship of tours, public relations events and
commercial exhibitions. Jackson, who was involved in creating the advertisement,
suggested using his song 'Billie Jean' as their jingle with revised lyrics.
a Billboard report in 2009, Brian J. Murphy, executive vice president of
TBA Global's brand management said, "The tour couldn't be separated from the approval.
from the music license, and then the integration of the music into the factory of
Pepsi.
On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a
Pepsi commercial supervised by executive Phil Dusenberry, executive of
an advertising agency of BBDO, and Alan Pottasch, Global Creative Director of
Pepsi, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During a simulated concert before
a pavilion full of fans, the pyrotechnics accidentally ignited the hair of
Jackson on fire, causing second-degree burns to the scalp.
Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars and a third one.
rhinoplasty shortly after.69 Pepsi reached an out-of-court settlement, and Jackson donated
the agreement of 1.5 million dollars to Brotman Medical Center in Culver City,
California; its Michael Jackson Burn Center is named in his honor.
He recounted the episode in autobiography, Then We Set His Hair on Fire: Insights and
Accidents from a Hall of Fame Career in Advertising. Jackson signed a second
agreement with Pepsi at the end of the eighties for about 10 million dollars
reported. The second campaign had a global reach of over 20 countries and
would provide financial support for Jackson's Bad album and the world tour of
1987-88.132 Although Jackson had promotions and advertising agreements with others
companies like LA Gear, Suzuki, and Sony, none were as important as their
agreements with Pepsi, which were later signed by other music stars such as
Britney Spears and Beyoncé to promote their products.

Jackson at the White House received an award from President Ronald Reagan and the
First Lady Nancy Reagan, 1984.
Jackson's humanitarian work was recognized on May 14, 1984, when he was
invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for
his support for charitable organizations that helped people overcome abuse
of alcohol and drugs and in recognition of their support for the prevention campaign
driving under the influence by Ad Council and NHTSA. Jackson donated the use
from "Beat It" for the public service announcements of the campaign.

Unlike the last albums, Thriller did not have an official tour, but the
The 1984 Victory Tour was led by The Jacksons and featured much of the new material.
in solitary from Jackson to over two million Americans. It was the last
what he would do with his brothers.14269 Jackson held a conference of
press and announced that he would donate his share of the income, an estimated 3 to 5
millions of dollars to charity.

In 1985, written alongside Lionel Richie and in collaboration with a wide number of
singers, 145 including Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Bob
Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, among others, launched USA for Africa, a production
musical that contained the single "We Are the World," which was recorded on January 28
of 1985146 and was released worldwide in March 1985.147 The song managed
earnings of 63 million dollars, which were donated for relief of the
hunger in Ethiopia,147 and became one of the best-selling singles of all
the times, with over 20 million copies sold.148 "We Are the World" won
four Grammys for 1985, including Song of the Year.117 Although the directors of
the American Music Awards removed the charity song from the competition because
They considered it inappropriate, the AMA program concluded in 1986 with a tribute.
to the song in honor of their first anniversary. The creators of the project
they received two special honors from AMA: one for the creation of the song and another
for the idea of USA for Africa. Jackson, Quincy Jones and the promoter of
entertainment Ken Kragan received special awards for their roles in the
creation of the song.149150 In that year, ATV Music put the rights for sale
author about the most representative songs of the group The Beatles, composed in
mostly by the songwriting duo Lennon/McCartney. Jackson became interested in
buy this song catalog after having worked with Paul McCartney, to
beginnings of the 1980s. Finally, after ten months of negotiations,
Michael acquired the catalog after paying 47 million dollars.151 Later,
this ended in a feud with McCartney, as he also had intentions of
buy it.

1986-1990: change of appearance, tabloids, Bad, movies, autobiography, and

Neverland

People gathered during the Bad World Tour concert in Berlin (1987).
In 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo, causing his skin to lose pigment.
pigmentation.152 This disease made me have to avoid exposure to the
sunlight. To give her skin a more even tone, she resorted to
makeup.152

In the early 1980s, Jackson began to follow a strict diet.

vegetarian.139 In that decade, several newspapers published a photo in which the
the artist was lying inside an oxygen chamber and according to them he was asleep
there to avoid aging, a rumor that was later denied by him.
In those years, other rumors emerged that were denied by him, such as for example
that intended to buy the bones of the so-called elephant man.

Later, he starred in the 3D short film Captain EO, directed by

Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. This film had a large budget.
approximately 30 million dollars and was distributed exclusively in
the Disney theme parks, debuted in September 1986 both in the park
Magic Kingdom like at Epcot in Florida. Then he released Bad (1987), his first album.
from study in five years.155 This production was a great commercial success, although
it did not reach the sales achieved by its previous album, Thriller.
seven successful singles were released from this album, of which five of them
(«I Just Can't Stop Loving You», «Bad», «The Way You Make Me Feel», «Man in the
"Mirror" and "Dirty Diana" reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
thus establishing the record for the most singles at number one from the same album,
which has not yet been surpassed. Since its release, Bad has sold more than
thirty-four million copies worldwide.

On September 12, 1987, the Bad World Tour began, a tour that ended on the 27th.
January 1989. Only in Japan, the tour sold out all the tickets in 14
occasions and gathered 570,000 people, almost tripling the previous record of
200,000 in a single tour. 159 Jackson entered the Guinness World Records
when he completely filled Wembley Stadium seven times, gathering more than
half a million spectators. The tour consisted of 123 concerts and achieved a
revenue of 125 million dollars, with an audience of 4.4 million
people becoming thus one of the most successful music tours of the
history. Part of the profits were donated to hospitals, orphanages, and to
charitable entities.161162 In June 1988, the then mayor of Paris
Jacques Chirac awarded him the Medal of the City of Paris during his stay in the
city for the Bad World Tour.

Jackson singing 'The Way You Make Me Feel' in New York, 1988.
In 1988, he published his first autobiography, titled Moonwalk, where he described his
childhood, The Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.164 He also wrote about
the changes in her facial appearance, attributing them to puberty, weight loss,
a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hairstyle, and the lighting in
the stage,165 the book became a success and sold five hundred thousand
copies, 166 it also became the best-selling book in the U.S. that year.
according to the newspaper The New York Times.166 Also in that year, a presented the
Moonwalker movie, which contains the music videos that accompanied the
release of their singles "Bad," "Smooth Criminal," "Speed Demon," and "Leave Me
Alone. This video tape reached the top of the Billboard Top Music Video chart.
Cassette, which grouped the best-selling videos, remained there for
twenty-two consecutive weeks. He was finally removed from the first position by
his predecessor Michael Jackson: The legend continues.

In March 1988, he bought a ranch in Santa Ynez, California, for seventeen.

millions of dollars to build his Neverland ranch there. On this property he made
that an amusement park, a zoo, and a cinema would be built. In addition,
he hired forty people to take care of the security of the place. In
In 2003, Neverland was valued at one hundred million dollars. In 1989, thanks to the
sales of their albums and concerts, earned estimated profits of 125 million
of dollars, thus becoming one of the highest-paid artists in the world.169

Jackson in the White House with President George H. W. Bush, 1990.

Thanks to the enormous popularity he gained, he was nicknamed 'the king of pop.'
the nickname was popularized by her friend Elizabeth Taylor, when at an awards ceremony
awards presented him as "the true king of pop, rock and soul."
U.S. President George H. W. Bush named him the 'artist of the decade'.
Later, she performed the song "You Were There" at the birthday celebration.
number sixty from the comedian and singer Sammy Davis, Jr., a performance that earned him
a nomination for the Emmy award.

1991-1993: Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII

Jackson on his Dangerous tour of 1992 with his Jam suit.

In March 1991, he renewed his contract with Sony for 65 million dollars.
year released Dangerous, his eighth studio album. Dangerous sold seven million
copies in the United States and 32 million copies worldwide.173 The first
The single from the album was "Black or White," which reached number one.
Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for seven consecutive weeks, with a
similar success in other parts of the world.174 The second single was "Remember the
Time, which reached number 3 on the same chart, its music video is
recognized for its dance, costumes, and scenery set in ancient times
Egypt.175 "Heal the World," the third single from Dangerous, featured a
video clip in which Jackson does not appear at any moment.

In early 1992, the singer visited the African continent; the trip was aimed at
first stop Gabon, where he was received by more than 100,000 people and was
decorated with the rank of Officer of the National Order of Merit by the
President Omar Bongo.178 After the trip, Jackson created the Heal the World Foundation.
to be able to help through it the most helpless children in the world, victims
from violence, poverty, and terminal illnesses. June 27, 1992
the Dangerous World Tour began, a tour that ended on November 11, 1993.
raised a total of 100 million dollars and gathered three and a half million
people at 69 concerts.179 All the profits from the tour were donated to the
Heal the World Foundation.180

One of the artist's most acclaimed performances was his halftime show.
of Super Bowl XXVII. When he appeared on stage, he did so dressed in a
gold and black military jacket and dark glasses; in the introduction of
show, on each of the four screens of the stadium disguised dancers
Michael Jackson's were above these, thus creating the effect that
they came directly from the played video, then Jackson remained almost motionless
for several minutes in front of the applause of the audience present. Then he took off
slowly the glasses, then began to sing and dance. The show featured
with the participation of the audience, in the stands with colored papers they recreated
an image of many children from different parts of the world holding hands, to
finishing in the middle of the field was placed a giant globe, in the
Jackson sang alongside dozens of children on stage. In this
The show performed the songs 'Jam', 'Billie Jean', 'Black or White' and 'Heal'
the World.
This segment was followed live by more than 133.4 million viewers alone.
in the United States. The halftime show by Michael Jackson provoked a
trend in the hiring of artists and celebrities by the NFL
for the fun during the intermissions of the Super Bowl. At the halftime show
During Super Bowl 50, singer Beyoncé paid tribute to Jackson using
a female version of the suit he had previously appeared in the
same show.182

At the 1993 Grammy Awards, Michael Jackson received the award.

special Living Legend for his contribution to music. 183 For his single 'Black'
"or White" was nominated for best pop vocalist, while for "Jam" it was
nominated for best R&B vocalist and best R&B song. In that same year the
The song called 'Will You Be There' from his album Dangerous was released as a single.
and the soundtrack of the movie Free Willy, the song managed to rank in
the seventh position of the Hot 100, it was also one of the best-selling singles of
1993.185

Jackson agreed to produce the soundtrack for the 1994 video game made by Sega,
Sonic the Hedgehog 3, with collaborators Brad Buxer, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross,
Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby, and Cirocco Jones.186187 Jackson left the project before
the termination and was never officially accredited, supposedly due to his
dissatisfaction with the audio chip of the Sega Genesis console.

1993-1994: first accusation of abuse and first marriage

In February 1993, Jackson agreed to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, in a
report that was followed live by approximately 62 million
viewers.191 There he spoke about his childhood, his adolescence, the relationship with
his parents and siblings and his professional career. He also denied the rumors that
they pointed out that he wanted to buy the bones of the Elephant Man, 192 and that he slept in a
hyperbaric chamber.193 Likewise, in light of the rumors and accusations that there had been
decided to depigment the parts of his skin not affected by vitiligo with the
use of whitening creams, he replied that he was unaware of the existence of creams.
skin whiteners and that disguised her appearance with makeup in the areas still
pigmented. 194 She also spoke about the series of cosmetic surgeries on her face (the...
according to him were three: one to get a dimple and the other two in his
nose).194

In the interview, Jackson stated that vitiligo was genetic, as his grandfather
he also suffered from it. After his death, the autopsy confirmed that he was suffering from the
disease, 195 and it has been confirmed that your eldest son, Prince Michael, also suffers from
vitiligo

Aerial view of the Neverland ranch, former home of Jackson, where according to Chandler...
the events occurred.
In the summer of 1993, the singer was accused of having sexually abused
Jordan Chandler, one of the many children he used to host in his mansion.
Neverland, on the part of the boy and his father, Evan Chandler. 197 Jordan, who
then he was thirteen years old, he accused him of having kissed him, masturbated him and of
subjecting him to oral sex. The ensuing scandal had serious repercussions on the
mood and the public image of the singer, and therefore on his career.

At the request of the justice system, his Neverland ranch was inspected and several
Children and families accused the singer of being a pedophile. His older sister, La
Toya also hinted that she believes in the veracity of the accusations that the artist
sexually abused several children, although later he retracted it
So, Michael Jackson had to undergo a review in order to
corroborate the descriptions that Jordan had made of the genitals of the
artist.202 Although certain similarities were found in the descriptions
made by the accuser, this was not enough for Jackson to be declared
culpable.203 Despite all the media impact of the case, Jackson continued
holding their innocence.

Lisa Marie Presley was Jackson's first wife.

The singer's insurance company reached an out-of-court settlement with the family.
Chandler, paying them fifteen million dollars that would prevent Jackson from being
brought to a criminal trial. Although this agreement has been perceived in the
public opinion as an admission of guilt,206 it established
specifically that Jackson did not admit to any crime or responsibility207208 and,
legally, an agreement cannot be used as evidence of guilt in
future civil and criminal cases.209 The payment of the agreement was 'for alleged injuries'
personal derived from claims for negligence and not from claims of acts
intentional or incorrect sexual abuse".210211 In the agreement document,
Both parties agreed that they would not speak about the details of the case in public.
but this did not stop the Chandlers from testifying in a criminal trial, did it
share information with the authorities in a criminal investigation
future.212 He also firmly states that there is no admission of
irregularities by Jackson nor the admission of abuse or immodesty212 and that
under no circumstances would any payment be withheld from the plaintiffs, even if
they were going to testify against Jackson.212 The Chandler family's lawyer, Larry Feldman,
he explicitly stated that "no one bought anyone's silence."

After Jackson's death in June 2009, there were reports claiming that
Jordan Chandler had admitted that the singer never sexually abused him.
however, Chandler has never spoken publicly about it. In the trial of
In 2005, there were witnesses against the singer who personally knew Chandler, and,
according to Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, Jordan had confessed to them
that Jackson had never sexually abused him.215 According to documents from
Jackson from the FBI, when the prosecutors asked Chandler to testify in the
2005 trial he refused and said that he would "fight legally" against any.
attempt to make him testify against Jackson.

In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of

Elvis Presley. The couple had met in 1975, when Michael and his family
they resided at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, where the group The Jackson Five
they were holding concerts, and at the beginning of 1993 they rekindled their relationship.217 Jackson and
Presley got married in the Dominican Republic and kept it in
secret for two months.218 Some newspapers and magazines speculated that the
The wedding of both singers was just a publicity strategy. The couple ended.
for getting divorced twenty months later.

1995-1999: HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood

One of the statues presented in Europe to promote the compilation album

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.
In 1995, he released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first
disco, HIStory Begins, contained the most successful songs of his career and then was
reissued under the name Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I, in 2001; while
the second compilation, HIStory Continues, contained fifteen new songs. This
production reached number one on the Billboard 200. Sold more than twenty
millions of copies worldwide and thus became the best-selling double album
best-selling of all time, 174222 It has been certified by seven million
sales in the United States, 223 and moreover HIStory received a Grammy nomination for
Album of the Year.224

Jackson merged his catalog of ATV Music with the music publishing division of
Sony, the creation of Sony / ATV Music Publishing. The ownership was retained.
half of the company, earning $95 million from the front, as well as the rights
of the songs.

The first single from the album, 'Scream', recorded in duet with his sister Janet, reached
the number five position on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy for best
collaboration pop.226227 The second single was 'You Are Not Alone', which
entered the Guinness World Records as the first song to debut in the
first place on the Billboard Hot 100 list.169 This song was a great success
commercial and critical, receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Performance
vocal pop.227 At the end of 1995, Jackson was hospitalized because he suffered a
panic attack during a rehearsal. The third single from HIStory was 'Earth
Song», el cual consiguió gran éxito en el Reino Unido donde permaneció en la cima
from the popularity charts that year.229 After this, Jackson released as
simple the song "They Don't Care About Us" that achieved the first place in
countries like Germany, Italy, Mexico, Turkey, and Iceland; the song sparked
controversies due to its strong anti-Semitic lyrics, the video had two versions, one
in which Jackson plays a prisoner and another that is set in a favela in Rio
January in Brazil.

In September 1996, he embarked on the successful HIStory World Tour, a tour that culminated
in October 1997. In this tour, Jackson performed 82 concerts in the five
continents, 35 countries and 58 cities with an attendance of more than 4.5 million
people, and raised a total of 165 million dollars becoming her tour
more successful in terms of audience ratings, and in one of the most musical tours
successful in history and the most successful by a male solo artist
until 2013.230

Michael Jackson at the Cannes Film Festival 1997 for the premiere of his movie
Ghosts.
In November 1996, when his HIStory World Tour was passing through Australia,
Jackson surprised the public again by marrying a
nurse assistant to her usual dermatologist: Debbie Rowe, whom she had known since
the previous decade. She met him when she was working as a nurse in the office of
dermatology of Dr. Arnold Klein, where Jackson received treatment for the
vitiligo.231232 After the divorce of Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley in 1996, Jackson
he felt upset about the possibility that he might never be able to become a father.

Three months after the marriage, Rowe gave birth to her son, Michael Joseph Jackson.
Jr. (February 1997), 233234 who was later known as Prince. A year later.
she gave birth to a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson (April 1998).
Jackson took full responsibility for raising the children.

The couple divorced in 1999 and she granted him custody of both children.
singer, 236 on his part Rowe received an eight million dollar agreement, and
a house in Beverly Hills.236 Court documents indicate that he had signed a
prenuptial agreement, which is why he could not achieve an equitable distribution of the
common goods under California law.237

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, an album
composed of five new songs and eight remixes from the album
HIStory. It sold seven million copies worldwide and became the album of
best-selling remix in history.238 The album, like the single of the
same name, reached number one on the British charts.239 In the United States
United, Blood on the Dance Floor was certified platinum by the RIAA and
reached number 24 on the Billboard 200.240 At that time, Forbes magazine
published an article in which he calculated his income for 1996 and 1997 at 35 and 20
millions of dollars, respectively.
In June 1999, Jackson participated in several charitable events. He took part in a
benefit concert organized by Luciano Pavarotti in Modena, Italy, whose
The collection was intended to help the refugees from Yugoslavia and the children.
most in need in Guatemala. At the end of that month, he held two concerts.
benefit performances titled "Michael Jackson & Friends" in Germany and South Korea.

Among the artists who participated in these shows are Slash,

Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva
Sundaram, Andrea Bocelli, and Luciano Pavarotti among others. The proceeds were
donated to the Red Cross and UNESCO.

2000-2003: dispute with Sony, Invincible and third child

In October 2001, Jackson released the album Invincible, his first work.
studio album in six years. Before the release of this album, in the
In the year 2000, there had been a dispute between the singer and his record label:
Jackson was waiting for the expiration of the contract that granted the right to the
distribution of their material to Sony to not depend on the record label and become
I am personally responsible for promoting the material as I wish and the benefits that
it would bring about what would happen at the beginning of the 2000s.

Jackson in the city of Las Vegas, 2003.

The singer sought an early exit from his contract:243 just before the
album release, announced to the president of Sony, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving the
record label. Consequently, two months prior to its release, the promotion of
the singles, music videos and everything related to the album was
canceled.244

In September 2001, the singer presented the 'Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special'.
"Anniversary", a series of concerts at Madison Square Garden to celebrate its
thirtieth anniversary as a solo artist, a few days before the attacks of the 11th
September, on this occasion appeared for the first time since 1984 alongside its
The recital also featured the participation of other performers.
like Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child, Monica, Luther Vandross
and Slash, among many others.

In October of that same year, Jackson completed his work on the new single for
benefit concerts, titled "What More Can I Give," a response to the attacks of the
September 11. Just as he had done years earlier with 'We are the world', he recorded
the song with the participation of several artists and with the expectations of
raise fifty million dollars for families of the
victims of the attacks; however, the single was not released for sale due to the
future abandonment of Sony by the singer. In the recording, of which also
there was a Spanish version, featuring among others Mariah Carey, Céline Dion,
Ricky Martin, Carlos Santana, Beyoncé Knowles (Destiny's Child), Nick Carter
(Backstreet Boys), Aaron Carter, Mya, Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Usher,
Julio Iglesias, Luther Vandross, John Secada, Alejandro Sanz, Cristian Castro, Olga
Tañón, Anastacia, Juan Gabriel, Thalía, among others.

Invincible debuted at the top of the charts in thirteen countries and sold
approximately thirteen million copies worldwide. In the United States
it was certified with double platinum. 174247 From this production, three emerged
singles: "You Rock My World," whose music video featured the presence of the actor
Marlon Brando and comedian Chris Tucker, 'Cry' and 'Butterflies'.

Jackson accused the then president of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, of being racist and
mafia man, because he "didn't want to support African American artists",244 using as
I argue the fact that Tommy Mottola called his colleague Irv a 'fat black guy.'
Gotti.248 Sony decided not to renew Michael's contract and also claimed the
twenty-five million dollars lost in the promotion of the album, because the
the singer had refused to go on a concert tour in the United States
scheduled for 2002.249

In 2002, Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, was born.
singer, the boy was conceived through artificial insemination, using his
sperm and a surrogate womb. In November of that year, the artist returned to
to make news when he showed his newborn son through the balcony of the hotel
Adlon, in Berlin, covering it completely with a blanket, an attitude that turned out to be very
criticized in the media. She later told the press that this episode
It was a terrible mistake on their part and they apologized for what happened.
still with the rights to distribute the singer's material, published a
compilation album titled Number Ones, in CD and DVD format. It was
certified as platinum in the United States, while in the United Kingdom
sold more than a million copies.

2003-2005: second accusation of abuse

Photo of Jackson's record (2003).

From January 2002 to May 2003, Jackson agreed to record a documentary in the
which narrated their daily life, customs, past life, etc. It was published under the
name of Living With Michael Jackson and was presented by the British journalist
Martin Bashir who interviewed and accompanied Jackson during the report, without
The embargo before the documentary was published was modified by Bashir,
thus distorting the true image of Jackson. The premiere was followed by more than
27 million viewers. In one of these reports, the singer appeared on
the hand of a thirteen-year-old teenager named Gavin Arvizo, one of many
sick children who often visited their mansion, who said they used to
staying overnight in the singer's room without bothering him. This
a great controversy arose and later, the young man's family accused Jackson of
drunk and raped the teenager.

The trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and ended
in the month of May. On June 13 of the same year, he was declared innocent of all the
cargos.257258 After the verdict, the singer and his children remained
temporarily in Bahrain as guests of the royal family of that country.

2006-2009: last years and This is It

Michael Jackson with his children at Disneyland Paris, 2006.

In March 2006, U.S. authorities ordered the closure of their ranch.
Neverland. It was officially due to delays in salary payments due to
bureaucratic problems have already been solved, although in this case the
the idea that the police were looking for evidence of his alleged relationships with minors.

Subsequently, Michael Jackson helped with the composition of the song 'Don't Stop'
The Music» made for the Barbadian singer Rihanna, the song contains the
Chorus 'Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa' that comes from Jackson's song.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" from the album Thriller (1982).

On November 15 of the same year, he received the Diamond Award at the World Music Awards.
Awards, in London, where he performed the song 'We are the World' alongside a choir.
of young people.174 He later participated in the tribute and public funeral of James Brown,
in the United States, held on December 30, 2006. At the end of that year,
the singer agreed to share custody of his two first children with his
ex-wife Debbie Rowe.263 Later, he and Sony established an agreement to buy
the rights to several songs by artists like Eminem, Shakira, and Beck, among others
others.264
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the release of Thriller, the best-selling album
From history, on February 11, 2008, Michael released Thriller 25.265 It contained the
nine songs from the original album and six unreleased tracks: 'The Girl Is Mine 2008' and
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008
2008 with Akon, 'Beat It 2008' with Fergie from Black Eyed Peas, 'Billie Jean 2008'
a remix made by Kanye West, and a ballad called 'For All Time', no
edited in the original version of the album and remixed and mastered by him
same. The additional DVD included the music videos for 'Thriller', 'Beat It' and 'Billie'
Jean; in addition to live performances during the Motown 25: Yesterday special,
Today, Forever by NBC in 1983. The new edition sold around the world more
of three million copies.267 As a commemoration of his 50th birthday, he published the
compilation album King of Pop, which reached the top of the charts in
several of the countries where it was launched.

On March 5, 2009, in an auditorium in London, before 20,000 spectators,

Michael Jackson announced his return to the stage with the This Is It tour.
Initially, there would be ten concerts to be held in that city on the
Millennium Dome in the month of July. According to what he himself said, these concerts
they would be the last I would give in the English capital. In them, according to the promoter of
On the tour, Randy Philips, the artist would perform unreleased songs, as he had
composed and recorded new songs, as was claimed after his death. The
expectation increased public demand, so forty were added
presentations more to those established at the beginning.

Death and funeral

Artículos principales: Muerte de Michael Jackson y Funeral de Michael Jackson.

Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a few hours after the
his death will be confirmed.
On the morning of June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest.
cardiorespiratory in his rented mansion in Holmby Hills.271 The members of the
service called the emergency phone 911 to request assistance at 12:21
The paramedics, who arrived nine minutes later, it
found without pulse or breathing, so resuscitation was applied
cardiopulmonary and they transferred him to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, located in
Los Angeles at 1:14 p.m. But despite the efforts of the doctors, it was
declared dead at 2:26 p.m.

The first official report classified his death as "caused by the combination of
"calmants," in which the main suspect was Conrad Murray,274 who according to
a temporary farewell letter to his patients in Las Vegas for 'an opportunity'
of the ones that only present themselves once in a lifetime," he left them to accompany
Michael Jackson did his concert series as a personal physician, for which he was going to
receive 150,000 dollars a month.275 After conducting the autopsy, the forensic experts
Los Angeles Forensic Institute officials stated that Jackson's death had been
provoked by an intoxication of propofol, administered by Murray.276 Finally
The official report classified his death as 'acute propofol intoxication.'

Jackson's tomb in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California

Jackson's public funeral was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center.
from the city of Los Angeles, before a memorial service was held for
relatives and close friends of the artist. The public ceremony was broadcast live by
more than 2.5 billion people around the world.278 The event was attended by the
singers Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson,
Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave
a speech, while Queen Latifah read the poem 'We had him', which was
written for the occasion by Maya Angelou.279 His private funeral was held on the 3rd of
September 2009 in the Great Mausoleum (Holly Terrace) located in the cemetery
Forest Lawn in Los Angeles, where he was buried.

On February 8, 2010, the court charged Murray with 'involuntary manslaughter'.

using as proof the official report of his death281 (which was made public in
internet the same day of the trial).277 The accused, who declared himself "not
culpable",282 paid a bail of 75,000 dollars to avoid going to prison.282 In
In 2011, Murray was sentenced to four years in prison for homicide.
Jackson's involuntary. The doctor only completed half of the four years of
sentence that was granted to him, being released in 2013 as part of a
State plan to reduce overcrowding in detention centers.

On the other hand, in 2015 Katherine Jackson, the artist's mother, lost her battle.
judicial against AEG Live, which was held responsible for the death of his son.
The plaintiff had accused the company of negligence in hiring Murray. Without
embargo, the California Court of Appeals ruled that the doctor was
caring for Jackson as an independent contractor.284

New abuse allegations

Jackson and Safechuck (right) in Honolulu, Hawaii, 1988.

Main article: Leaving Neverland
In 2013, choreographer Wade Robson filed a lawsuit alleging that Jackson had
sexually abused by him for seven years, starting when he was seven
years.285 In 2014, James Safechuck filed a case, alleging sexual abuse during
a period of four years starting from the age of ten.286287288 Both had
testified in Jackson's defense during the accusations of 1993, Robson him
did it again in 2005.289290 In 2015, the case of Robson against the estate of
Jackson was dismissed for appearing too late. In 2017, he ...
It was ruled that the Jackson corporations could not be held liable.
about his supposed past actions.291 No sentence commented on the credibility of
the accusations. The claim of Safechuck was also prohibited.

After the release of the documentary Leaving Neverland, and its renewed accusations
of child sexual abuse, a new examination of his legacy began.294 The documentary
covered the accusations of Robson and Shafechuck of sexually abusing them with
graphic details.295

Posthumous Works
After his death, Michael Jackson became the artist with the highest sales.
registered in 2009 in the U.S., with more than 8.2 million albums, while
In the rest of the world, more than 35 million albums were sold in the twelve months.
posthumously. Meanwhile, Forbes ranked him in the
annual list of 2010 as the third of the deceased celebrities who earn the most
money, with 90 million dollars.

Since the public's demand for Jackson was immense, Epic Records (of
Sony Music Entertainment) published an unreleased single titled on October 12
"This Is It", 299 which was accompanied that same month by the release of a new
double posthumous album by the artist on October 26, titled, once again This Is It, that
gathers the musical rehearsals for the homonymous tour; 300 where the first part
it contains the recordings from tour300 and the second contains unreleased tracks, including
a poem written by Michael, titled 'Planet Earth'.301

In addition to that, Kenny Ortega premiered the movie called Michael worldwide.
Jackson's This Is It two days after the album's release, on October 28
2009. This also deals with the latest musical trials for the
homonymous tour before her death, through a collection of videos she filmed
the technical team of the tour. The album and the movie had together a
collection of more than 250 million dollars.

During the artist's sales boom, Sony, which intended to reach

agreements to extend and continue with the use of your generated material, since
the distribution rights of these had to expire in 2015.302 Without
embargo, on March 16, 2010 a movement led by Columbia/Epic Label
Group (of Sony Music Entertainment) signed the largest contract in the music industry
with the singer's heirs for 250 million dollars for the rights to
exploitation of ten music projects (including those already published such as the
special editions of Bad and Thriller, and the albums Michael in 2010 and Xscape in
2014 along with some unpublished works) at least until 2017, which would be the
release date of the last posthumous album.298 The agreement, as Rob said
Stringer, president of Columbia/Epic Label Group: "It's not just a music deal.
based on how many CDs are sold or how many songs are downloaded in
line", but "also includes audio rights for theater, film and
video games".298

Artistic impact
Its immense popularity worldwide is only comparable to Bing Crosby, Frank
Sinatra and Elvis Presley.303304 He became world famous as the "king of
pop," and television presenter Oprah Winfrey, during the interview with him.
In February 1993, he was called the 'king of entertainment.' Michael Jackson
he is the third artist with the most sales in the history of music.305 Furthermore, he is
recognized for the great brand and legacy it has left in the music world, as well as
in social and cultural spheres. Even after his death, his image continues
being present and active in the music industry.306 The Encyclopedia
British included him as a notable rock star, in their section "Rock"
music, along with Madonna and Prince.

On the other hand, many authors recognize that Jackson reformed pop culture in
ways that are hard to understand due to their impact and scope
influence.308 In 1984, Time magazine's pop critic Jay Cocks wrote that
Jackson is the greatest artist since the Beatles. He is the only phenomenon more
popular since Elvis Presley. He is the most popular black singer of the
"history".115 In 1990, Vanity Fair cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the
history of the entertainment world.224 In 2003, writer Tom Utley from The Daily
The Telegraph described Jackson as 'extremely important' and a 'genius'.309 For
On the other hand, other sources have insisted that she was 'the star that best summarized a
"gender outside of the academic". In 2007, Jackson said:

Music has been my escape, my gift to all the lovers of this world.
through her, I know I will live forever.
Michael Jackson
In honor of Jackson, Cirque Du Soleil launched a tour called Michael
Jackson: The Immortal World Tour on October 2, 2011, in Montreal,
after being in North America, he/she went through Europe, Asia, and Oceania. He/She finished
in 2014 and became one of the highest-grossing music tours of the
history, the highest-grossing tribute tour in history and the one that has had the most
earnings made by Cirque Du Soleil to date. 311

At the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, they recreated through holograms in the
show of Jackson dressed in his golden jacket and red pants, the hologram
performed alongside some dancers both real and recreated his song 'Slave to
"the Rhythm", one of the eight included in his second posthumous studio album
Xscape, the presentation generated nostalgia and impact among the attendees, as a note
Additionally, the act took a year to take place.

Influences
Jackson was a pop music performer, in a broad sense that includes
subgenres such as rhythm & blues, disco, dance, and rock. According to their statements,
he was influenced by contemporary artists such as Little Richard, James
Brown, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr. and the
Bee Gees.313 He also expressed great admiration for music performers.
English hall, like Benny Hill and Charles Chaplin.313 On the other hand, the last
the interview that the artist gave was to Ebony magazine, and on that occasion
he commented that the classical music composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was also a
great influence for him. There he mentioned opinions about music in general and
about your inspiration for this artist:

... was the composer who influenced me the most. If you take an album like The Nutcracker,
each piece is magnificent so I thought why not make a pop album where each
the song should be magnificent (..) the melody of a song is the most important thing. If the
the melody sounds good in your head, it is generally good when you write it down (..) For
for a melody to achieve worldwide success, it has to be able to be sung from the
farmer in Ireland to the one who cleans the bathrooms in Harlem.
Music videos and choreographies

Graphic representation of Michael Jackson in his music video Thriller.

Steve Huey from Allmusic stated that Jackson transformed the way of doing
music videos, as they have had a narrative, routines since then
of dance, special effects or cameo appearances of famous characters;
some other media outlets like Rolling Stone magazine consider it
as the most important visual artist in the history of music.

The Baltimore Sun claims that it was Jackson who turned the music video into a
art form and strengthened the growth of the television network MTV.

The album Thriller highlights the videos for the song 'Beat It,' which showed shots of
Jackson along with gang members managing to prevent a fight between them.
real ones contracted by himself and, of course, that of the eponymous song
"Thriller" considered the most important music video in history and of the
pop culture, 317 precursor of current music videos and recognized for the
innovation of the argument, written by him and John Landis, known for his
revolutionary dance steps, choreographed by himself and Michael Peters, thus
such as the avant-garde setting and the characterization of makeup.

The video argument revolves around a horror scene, starting with shots of
Jackson with his girlfriend, after talking for a few minutes becomes a
werewolf, but then it turns out to be a fictional scene seen in a cinema by
the same characters then decide to leave the theater and upon arriving at a cemetery
at the end, it changes its appearance to that of a zombie and dances alongside others
living dead.318319 Both "Beat It" and "Thriller" feature the dancers
behind him dancing in unison in a triangular formation, being them equally
important like Jackson on the scene, whether they are gang members or zombies.

The music video for the single 'Bad' had a duration of 19 minutes and was directed
by the filmmaker Martin Scorsese. The video combined dance movements
choreographed with others more spontaneous. From this production, it began to
touching his chest, torso and groin while dancing, something that
he continued doing in his subsequent works. There he also included the first
appearance of a famous person in a cameo in one of his videos, Wesley Snipes.
"Smooth Criminal" utilized the illusion of "anti-gravity" during the choreography;
this choreographic step was created by Michael Bush, Dennis Tompkins, and the man himself
Jackson. Although the video for 'Leave Me Alone' was not officially released in the
United States won the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Music Video.
short duration.322

The song "Black or White" was accompanied by a music video that was broadcast on
for the first time on November 14, 1991 in 27 countries simultaneously and was followed
around the world by more than 500 million viewers.174 At one point of the
In the video, the artist transformed into a panther and performed dances.
explicitly sexual that caused controversy, while destroying brands of
racist nature, thanks to this a censored version of the video was the one that most
advertised, omitting the last four minutes where the video only shows
Jackson singing and dancing with different people in various landscapes.
of the world.323 "Black or White" surprised with a new digital technique called
morphing, never seen before in a music video and featured the collaboration of the
actor Macaulay Culkin.323

"Remember the Time" was set in ancient Egypt and included a routine of
dance with supposedly Egyptian-style steps, along with the use of effects
special both at the moment of appearing at the beginning of the video and likewise at
disappearing into sand. This video featured the appearance of Eddie
Murphy, the model Iman, and Magic Johnson.324 The video of 'In the Closet' featured the
participation of supermodel Naomi Campbell, with whom the singer collaborated
explicitly sexual dances that caused much controversy at the time, when
about to be banned due to its images in South Africa.

The music video for the single 'Scream/Childhood' was directed by Mark Romanek.
It was developed in a futuristic environment in outer space and in which it shared
screen with her sister Janet. It received great critical acclaim. In 1995, she was
nominated for eleven MTV Video Music Awards —more than any other— achieving the
awards for the categories of best dance video, best choreography, and best
artistic direction. A year later, he won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video
short-lived and later entered the Guinness World Records for being the
most expensive in history, with an estimated budget of 7 million
dollars.327

The single "Earth Song" was accompanied by an expensive music video and nominated for the
Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video in 1997. It reflected the
cruelty that some endangered animals are subjected to,
deforestation that ends with hundreds of trees, the pollution of the environment
environment caused by factories and the consequences they cause
military confrontations in different parts of the world. The video on the topic 'Ghosts',
from the album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, was written by Jackson and
Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. This work was recognized with very
good reviews at the Cannes festival, where it premiered in 1996. It had a
duration of more than 38 minutes and for this reason entered the Guinness World Records
as the longest music video.

The music video for 'You Rock My World', which is thirteen and a half minutes long, was
directed by Paul Hunter and released in 2001. The video features appearances in mode
cameo of actors Chris Tucker and Marlon Brando. The video won a NAACP Image.
Award for outstanding music video at the 2002 awards ceremony.