Michael Jackson: The King of Pop - Assignment Example

MICHAEL JACKSON African-American singers have in the past, and continue to at present, thrill the world in general and the United s in particular with their melodious songs accompanied by enthralling music. Some famous female African-American singers of the past include Billie Holiday {The Queen of Jazz}, Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson and Aretha Franklin {The Queen of Soul}, while the present generation boasts of names like Beyonce Knowles, Tina Turner and Grace Bumbry. Some notable male African-American singers of the past include Nat King Cole, Ray Charles and Fats Waller, while those presently regaling audiences with their talent include names like Stevie Wonder, Prince, Charlie Pride and Smokey Robinson. But the most reputed African-American singer of all time is the man who was alive until less than six months ago – the legendary singer and songwriter, Michael Jackson. I) Early Life {1958 – 1964} Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary {Indiana, United States} on 29 August 1958 to middle class African-American couple Joseph and Katherine Jackson. Michael was the couple’s eighth child {they had 10 children in all} (Campbell 9). Michael Jackson (The Biography Channel) Music was a regular feature in the Jackson home. Joseph was an accomplished guitarist who played in a band named The Falcons during the early stages of the couple’s marriage (Campbell 10). However, as his family grew in size, Joseph was forced to give less attention to his musical ambitions and take up a job as a crane operator (The Biography Channel). His wife Katherine too took up a part-time job at Sears to boost the family finances. The couple however made it a habit to indulge in sing-a-longs, especially on country and western songs, with their children at home (Campbell 10). This gave the Jackson children a solid platform from which they launched their famous musical careers, first embarking on their maiden venture – the Jackson Five. II) The Jackson Five {1964 – 1968} Formed in 1964, the Jackson Five comprised the three oldest children – Jackie, Tito and Jermaine – along with Marlon {aged 6} and Michael {aged 5}. Joseph, living out his dream of achieving fame through his children, made them rehearse for several hours daily while still finishing their school homework and maintaining reasonably good grades, but giving no time for play or other leisure activities (Campbell 10&11). The Jackson Five started joining local talent competitions where they enacted songs by artists like Gladys Knight and James Brown. They also recorded their maiden single entitled Big Boy/You’ve Changed, but it did not evoke much interest (The Biography Channel). The group started winning each talent contest, and soon became famous in their town. They then started venturing into other towns like Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, joining and winning more talent competitions. They received an invitation to perform at amateur night in Harlem’s Apollo Theatre in 1968. The Jackson Five performed so well that they won the amateur night talent contest amid enthusiastic cheers from an appreciative audience (Campbell 11&12). This success was instrumental in getting them an invitation to perform on a TV show in New York that same year. However, the great excitement of making their maiden television appearance quickly fizzled off when their father cancelled the invitation, preferring instead to take them to Detroit in response to an invitation from Motown Records (Campbell 13). It was later discovered that Gladys Knight had recommended them to Motown founder Berry Gordy, who responded by signing them to the Motown record label (The Biography Channel). The Jackson brothers were on the path to fame. III) Motown Record Company {1969 – 1975} Motown arranged for the Jackson Five to be inducted into the music industry at a special occasion in August 1969. The group featured as the cover act for Diana Ross and the Supremes. The resultant maiden album Diana Ross Presents the Jackson Five made the charts in December 1969. Its first single I Want You Back soared to the No.1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart one month later. This success was followed by several No.1 singles like I’ll Be There, ABC and The Love You Save (The Biography Channel). While still continuing to work with the Jackson Five, Michael began his individual solo career. His first solo single Got to Be There made the charts but did not score a hit. His second single Ben became his maiden No.1 solo single in 1972. Michael went on to record several solo songs that were written by Gordy. However, the cordial relationship between Motown and the Jackson brothers soon began to deteriorate due to Joseph’s demands that his sons be given more control over their recordings. This led to the Jackson Five as a group, and Michael as a solo artist, severing ties with Motown Record Company in 1975 (The Biography Channel). IV) EPIC Record Company {1975 – 1982} The Jackson brothers changed the name of their group from the Jackson Five to the Jacksons, while including Randy Jackson in the new structure. The group signed up with EPIC Records, and so did Michael as a solo artist. The group soon began writing their own songs. Michael, who wrote his solo songs personally, released Destiny in 1978 which did not gain much success. While his next ballad She’s Out of My Life in 1979 was quite successful, his solo album Off the Wall that same year was a super hit, containing a mesmerizing mixture of pop and funk that was revealed in hit songs like Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough and Rock With You (The Biography Channel). Michael joined the legendary Paul McCartney to record their duet The Girl is Mine in 1982. It turned out to be such a huge hit that it zoomed to the No.1 spot in the pop charts. Two other No.1 hits followed in quick succession: Billie Jean and Beat It. Michael also performed Billie Jean on a television program made in honor of Motown Record Company during which he enacted his signature moonwalk dance move for the first time (The Biography Channel). The moonwalk dance step, which seemed to defy the law of gravity (Campbell 66), became a raving success among fans all over the world. V) Thriller & Pepsi-Cola Endorsement {1982 – 1984} Michael’s next album Thriller released in 1982 turned out to be his most famous creation. It not only remained on the charts for an astounding 80 weeks {out of which it retained No.1 position for 37 weeks}, but it also received 12 Grammy Award nominations out of which it won 8 awards including Best Pop Vocal Performance {Male} for Michael. The albums massive success was due in considerable part to the unique video of its title track which consisted of complicated dance moves with horror-tinged special effects (The Biography Channel). Within less than a year Thriller recorded sales in excess of 10 million copies (Campbell 57), and by February 1984 had crossed the 25 million mark in sales, making it the most successful album in history (Campbell 83). Michael was now at the peak of his career. Another single Say Say Say went on to become his seventh top ten single in 1983, breaking the record jointly held by Elvis Presley and the Beatles for the most top ten singles in one year (Campbell 68). An additional accolade came in the form of the Pepsi-Cola endorsement deal. Michael then experienced a setback during the filming of a Pepsi-Cola commercial in 1984 when he sustained facial and head burns. He had to undergo emergency surgery to rectify his burns, and plastic surgery later to repair his badly damaged nose (The Biography Channel). VI) USA for Africa, Bad and Neverland {1985 – 1991} Even as he tasted more success when he attended a function at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum for the unveiling of his wax likeness in March 1985 (Campbell 106), Michael displayed his unselfish concern for the welfare of others by co-writing and joining many other artists like Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Lionel Ritchie and Willie Nelson to record the single We Are the World later that year (The Biography Channel). The song, meant for the USA for Africa charity event, took top honors at the American Music Awards and at the Grammys; in fact the Grammys chose it as both the Record of the Year and Song of the year, considered to be two of the most prestigious honors of all the Grammys (Campbell 114&115). Michael next released Bad in 1987. The album immediately climbed to the top of the charts and spawned five No.1 hits such as The Way You Make Me Feel and Man in the Mirror. Although the singer embarked on a year-long tour to support the album, its considerable success did not match the high levels achieved by Thriller (The Biography Channel). While always an introvert and shy person who did not like publicity, Michael found an ideal retreat in a sprawling ranch in California named Neverland in the late 1980’s. In what seemed to many as his foray into a second childhood, Michael indulged in his fantasies such as collecting exotic pets in a private zoo (The Biography Channel) – he had a chimp named Bubbles, a stallion named Thriller, a giraffe named Jabbar, a sheep named Mr. Tibbs, a llama named Louie, two deer named Prince and Princess, and even a 20-foot boa constrictor named Muscles (Campbell 143). Neverland Ranch, which also had a private amusement park, was often permitted by the singer to be used by organizers of children’s events. It was at this time that rumors started circulating about Michael. The first claimed that he was undergoing special treatment {like ‘skin peel’ and ‘acid face applications’ (Campbell 132)} to artificially whiten his skin. The second rumor claimed that he slept in a unique compartment to lengthen his life period (The Biography Channel). VII) Dangerous & Superbowl XXVII {1991 – 1993} Michael continued to produce chart topping albums. He released Dangerous in 1991. While it contained the hit song Black or White, it was its video that became the bigger talking point. Directed by John Landis, the video also featured child star Macaulay Culkin. The final part of the video included Michael indulging in several sexually explicit body movements and violent gestures which provoked strong viewer disapproval (The Biography Channel). Michael’s songs continued to maintain their popularity in the following years. The singer gave performances at many significant organized occasions such as during the half-time show of Superbowl XXVII in 1993. In one of very few times he appeared on TV, Michael featured as a guest on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in February 1993. It was here that he revealed about having endured paternal abuse as a child; he also clarified that his changed white skin was due to vitiligo disease (The Biography Channel). VIII) First Child Molestation Charges {1993} Charges of child abuse were leveled against Michael in late 1993. It involved a boy 13 years of age who alleged that the singer had caressed him in an unwelcome way. Although it was rumored that Michael indulged in sleepovers with young boys at his ranch, this was the first public allegation of immoral behavior against him. The police conducted a thorough search of Neverland ranch but did not find any proof to support the allegations against the singer. The matter ended in 1994 when the boy’s family agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Michael (The Biography Channel). IX) First Marriage & HIStory {1994 – 1995} Michael married Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie in August 1994. The couple announced their marriage during a talk show hosted by Dianne Sawyer. The marriage however, did not last long, and the couple got divorced in 1996, spawning rumors that their brief alliance was just a publicity gimmick to redeem the singer’s reputation after the high profile child abuse charges had badly dented his image (The Biography Channel). The singer’s music career started to diminish in 1995 when his HIStory: Past, Present & Future, Book I that contained a few of his previous hits as well as new songs, provoked a muted and controversial response. While the album generated two hits {Scream and You Are Not Alone}, the single They Don’t Care About Us drew heavy disapproval for Michael’s use of anti-Semitic language (The Biography Channel). X) Second Marriage & Fatherhood {1996 – 2000} Michael married a nurse named Debbie Rowe in late 1996. The couple went on to have two children by artificial insemination: a boy {Prince Michael Jackson} in 1997 and a girl {Paris Michael Jackson} in 1998. The couple got divorced in 1999 with Michael being granted complete custody of the kids. The singer fathered a third child {Prince Michael Jackson II} in 2000 with a woman whose name was not disclosed (The Biography Channel). XI) Invincible & MTV Awards Show {2001 – 2002} Michael released Invincible in 2001. Although the album generated good sales, the public perception of Michael as an eccentric began overriding his image as a singer of hit songs (The Biography Channel). Tales of his so-called eccentricities were becoming the subject of an increasing number of press reports (Campbell 135). The negative public perception was exacerbated by Michael appearing in public with his face hidden behind a surgical mask, while also concealing his children’s faces behind veils (The Biography Channel). The singer’s image further deteriorated in 2001 during an MTV Awards show, when he emerged on stage in a state of bewilderment and disorientation. This was followed by the infamous balcony scene where he dangled his second son precariously over a balcony while responding to cheering fans in Germany. The incident drew widespread disapproval as it clearly endangered the life of the child (The Biography Channel). XII) Second Child Molestation Charges {2003 – 2005} Michael’s alarmingly eroding reputation took a further battering in 2003 when the documentary Living with Michael Jackson was released. It featured the singer talking with British journalist Martin Bashir about his behavior with children. Michael conceded that he went on having children sleepover at Neverland Ranch despite the 1993 child abuse charges. He even admitted that he used to sleep with the children in his bed on several occasions, claiming: “That’s the most loving thing to do, to share your bed with someone” (The Biography Channel). Michael was arrested in 2004 on 10 counts of sexual misbehavior with a 13-year old boy in 2003. The ensuing trial in 2005 featured the plaintiff {who testified on videotape how the singer enticed him to drink wine before molesting him} and included testimony from over 130 persons including Macaulay Culkin who testified that Michael had never sexually misbehaved with him whenever he stayed over at the Neverland Ranch. The court passed a verdict on 14 June 2005 declaring Michael innocent of the charges brought against him (The Biography Channel). XIII) Final Years {2006 – 2009} Michael lived in Neverland Ranch for a few months after the trial before moving to Bahrain at the invitation of the son of the Amir of Bahrain, who was his friend. The singer spent several months away from the media glare in Bahrain. The Bahraini Amir’s son, who also owned a record company, tried to encourage Michael to make a comeback album, but his efforts were not successful (The Biography Channel). Michael’s financial condition soon became so bad that he was forced to sell his Neverland Ranch in 2008. His creditors tried to enforce an auction of several of his personal belongings from the ranch in 2009, but the singer managed to file a suit to stop it. He tried to recoup some of his losses by declaring his plan to perform 50 concerts. The prospect of seeing the singer on stage caused the concert tickets to sell like hotcakes. The tickets for the first concert, due to be held on 8 July 2009 in London’s O2 Arena, were sold out in just 4 hours (The Biography Channel). The singer, however, was not destined to perform the concerts that he perhaps prophetically described as his “final curtain call.” Michael Jackson collapsed and died of cardiac arrest on 25 July 2009 in Los Angeles at the age of 50 (The Biography Channel). XIV) Conclusion Michael Jackson was indisputably the King of Pop, whose songs will continue to thrill generations to come. The remarkable achievements of the great singer will always be remembered as one of the most admirable in music history. An excellent testimony to this fact is the $350,000 paid by a faithful fan - Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma – to buy Michael’s famous white glove during an action on 23 November this year (The Biography Channel). Michael Jackson may have physically disappeared from the view of millions of his adoring fans all over the world, but the charismatic allure of his music will ensure that his memory will continue to remain evergreen. This is well elucidated by the Rolling Stone Magazine: “Whatever else can be said about him, Michael Jackson sings with a shimmery soulful voice and dances like a swirling comet, as an entertainer he has no par” (Campbell 135). XV) References Campbell, Lisa D. “Michael Jackson: The King of Pop.” USA: Branden Publishing. 1993. “Michael Jackson Biography.” The Biography Channel. 2009. 1 Dec. 2009. Read More