History musicMichael Jackson - Essay Example

He was won more than a dozen Grammys, had multiple albums go platinum, and made millions of dollars in sales and merchandising. However, there was more to the story than just a tale of success and wealth. Michael Jackson used his celebrity to draw attention to important issues that needed addressing, as well as, humanitarian and charitable causes worthwhile of being noticed. In this, Michael Jackson’s career transcended musical genres, he evolved himself and his music to the needs and causes that were relevant to the times.

Michael Jackson was born in August of 1958. He was the 7th of 9 children. Raised in a large and musical family he became the headliner of the family’s musical group, “The Jackson Five.” Unfortunately, the experiences in the earliest years of his career were some of the most difficult. The group’s father was rather strict and difficult to please. Regardless the “Jackson Five” went on to great fame and the Jackson boys became a household name to fans all over (Rolling Stone 1). However, Michael’s greatest success would come when he began his solo career in the late 1970s.

In the early 1980s the music produced by Wham and The Bangles were phasing the last of the Disco dance hits out. It was here that Michael Jackson fit in to the upbeat pop of the era. He released Thriller in 1982, which changed the way people perceived the potentials of music videos for generations to come (CNN 1).These songs reflected the more fun loving, almost decadent, times that defined the early 80s decade. The lyrics reflect the fun of dance and creativity. However, while life was good in the United States, other nations around the world were struggling just to survive.

Michael Jackson co-wrote “We Are the World” in order to draw attention to the famine, disease, and suffering occurring in Africa (CNN 1). It was here that much of Jackson’s work began to reflect a message of universal unity and peace, ,making changes in one ’s self, and