Michael Jackson Biography - Term Paper Example

Michael Jackson Biography So interesting is the history of life of the world’s renowned musician who took entertainment industry by storm. Clearly, not only do gifted people become blessings to others, but also are extra-ordinary human beings who possess high level of integrity to others. Their presence among us keeps us focused, entertained, and educated. One of the biggest widely celebrated, beloved, and emulated entertainers is Michael Jackson. He was very influential and profound artist of all-decades and painted indelible imprint on culture and popular music. With a lot of and zeal for entertainment, he astounded people with his potential reliance and determination. It is due to his actions that the world finds him iconic, and within us, his miraculous deeds dwells. African-Americans, Joseph Jackson together his wife Katherine gave birth to Michael Jackson while living in Gary, a place in Indiana on the 29th day of August 1958 (7). Michael was born to a not so stable family as his father operated a crane in a steel mill company. His father had to sacrifice his musical ambitions in order to be there for his family. Michael was born number seven in a family of nine. He had three sisters and five brothers who all crashed in one house with only two bedrooms. Surprisingly, his father realized that his children had talents and immediately started nurturing it by bringing them together to form a musical group in the beginning of 1960s. Five years after Michael was born, he commenced his music career. He joined the group of his siblings and later became their group’s lead vocalist. Due to his talent, he portrayed huge enthusiasm for music with his remarkable and in-depth performance (21). As a younger performer, he impressed his audiences by use of his capability to portray diverse and complex moves and emotions. His parents raised him together with his siblings as Jehovah’s Witness whereby they practiced door-to-door gospel evangelization. Even after rising to fame, he continued to evangelize but at this time disguised himself and later left the church in 1987 after friction brew within the congregation elders because of his flamboyant style brought about by his career. Passion for music continued evolving within the Jackson 5. Although those who wrote about Michael Jackson’s family report that his father became violent and abused them, their combined efforts started paying off when Motown label founder Berry Gordy got impressed by their performance and signed them to his label in 1968. After they signed label with Gordy, Michael and his brothers had to relocate to Los Angeles where they would work as musicians and dancers. At this time, his father was their manager and with Gordy together with Supreme singer Diana Ross in 1969. Jackson 5 delivered their first album ‘Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5’ in the same year that hit charts during December holiday. In January 1970, Michael released his first single ‘I Want You Back’ and hit number one on Hot 100 billboard. This served him as a breakthrough as his other songs like ‘ABC’ followed. First Work Analysis and Description Up to this time, his work received description of an icon yet to make the world of entertainment a transitional world. In addition to his work, Michael launched solo career at the age of 13. In 1971, charts received more of his work that included ‘Got to Be There’ and in 1972, his album, Ben, stormed the music industry becoming the first solo No. 1 of the Jacksons’. Apart from singing, Michael wrote songs too. With great dancing moves coupled enlightenment, he helped his group become so popular to an extent that they even produced their cartoon show bearing their own title. The cartoon show ran for three years between 1971 and 1973. The Jacksons’ achieved a lot individually. Wrangles erupted, as they wanted to control their recordings more. As a result, their relationship with Motown broke in 1975. They moved to Epic Records, signed a new recording deal, and started calling themselves the Jacksons. While working with Quincy Jones as his producer, Michael emerged as a gifted songwriter. His following album, ‘Off the Wall’ transformed the music industry as it wowed people all over. This took place in 1979. Furthermore, he added a Grammy Award to his name with the hit track ‘Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough’. With overwhelming positive support and response, Michael began branching out of the Jacksons’ group and started teaming up with other artists like rock legend Paul McCartney. They sang together ‘The Girl is mine’ in 1982. This duet climbed almost to the top of pop chart. In 1982, Michael confirmed he was still ablaze in the music industry by releasing his solo album ‘Thriller’ followed by his No. 1 hit track ‘Billie Jean’. In this video, he generated ‘The Moonwalk’ dance that earned him more fame and made him a veteran performer (83). He created and choreographed that dance by himself and sequenced for his video for his hit ‘Beat It’. Not all was well in Michael’s life. At some point, his career started declining when some of his work received negative response when he used anti-Semitic terms in a track from the album ‘TheyDon’t Care about Us’. This made him receive a lot of criticism from the public. Further releases went ahead to be eccentric whereby quirks reported tabloids unlike a performer. Adding on to this bitter spot, he depicted some odd behaviuor that commenced overshadowing his talent. At this point, Michael’s reputation became dwindling as media and other news distribution channels casted, aired, and wrote stories with mixed reactions. Another analytical response to Michael’s career transitioned his fans and the world as well. He started appearing in public while wearing a surgical mask and he disguised his children under veils. This turn of behavior bore him nothing else but criticism. Sources close to him disclosed claims of molestation against young boys. Later on, he also received unforgiving response for dangling his son in the name of disciplinary measures. Negative response did not stop at this point as fans and media started proposing Child Protective services take away his children. However, did not give up his career and despite such kinds of allegations he continued to pursue his dreams. Second Work Analysis and Formal Description As he got this far, analysts described Michaels Jackson’s second work as thrilling, sparking, and buoying due to the kind of tracks he released, choreographies that he created, and the activities he engaged in. His victories revealed diversity of his work. To add on that, his brilliant choice of those he worked with contributed to his successful career. For example, involving actor Vincent Price who did voice-over of one of his elaborate videos ‘Beat It’, added to its immense performance. The horror-tinged video ‘Thriller’ boosted sales highly, making it cling for eighty weeks on charts and No.1 for thirty-seven weeks. The same hit ‘Thriller’ received twelve nominations for Grammy Awards, winning eight of them. Having achieved a lot in his life, corporate companies developed interest of working with him. For example, Pepsi-Cola Company signed a deal with him worth five million dollars. Unfortunately, during a commercial filming for the company in 1984, Michael was badly injured. He started undergoing plastic surgery at around this time since he had to repair his injuries sustained during the commercial filming. Years later, this turned out to be true when his nose dramatically altered. Formal analysis describing this drastic change of his appearance was critical to not only his career, but also his both psychological and physical well-being. More discussions about his surgical experiments with his skin followed but nonetheless, he embarked on his last tour with his brothers in view of supporting their album ‘Victory’. After the last concert with the Jacksons’ during the Victory Tour on December 9 1984, Michael announced his plans. He declared going solo in his career therefore breaking from the group. Three years later, he released his third solo which the title ‘Bad’. In 1988, his further determination to prosper in pursuing music for life, he launched first solo album tour that broke records. Since he attended Jehovah’s Witness, he was shy and did not like media attention. Therefore, he started writing his first autobiography entitled, Moonwalk. This was the first time people got an insight of his childhood and his career. Up to this extent in his life, everyone acknowledged Michael and his work. Hence, in the sunset of 1980s, music gurus named him ‘Artist of the Decades’ due to success of his two albums, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Bad’. Intrinsically, Michael was an extra-ordinary artist. Music recording industries revolved around him and always wanted to work with him. One of those companies that got lucky to record with him is Sony Music that signed him the largest recording contract ever where he released his fourth solo album ‘Dangerous’. In 1992, he again toured the world while taking pop/rock music to countries that had never received music artists of his caliber. People described him as caring since he established ‘Heal the World Foundation’ that resorted to improve children’s lives across the globe. He tied knots with Lisa Presley in 1994 but the marriage was short-lived as they got divorce only 19 months later (117). With years of great success, Michael celebrated thirty-one years as a solo artist in 2001. He released another new single in 2003. Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest on June 25 2009 at fifty. Conclusion In conclusion, I chose to write about Michael Jackson’s life since he was a renowned musician who never gave up. This is the kind of energy, one can never fail to make in life. He entertained and loved thus I find it important to make others feel happy with what one has. He also shared with children from the less fortunate families. This teaches us to help others and that is a virtue. People respect his name and his actions together with messages make the world a better a place to live. Work Cited Borsboom, Jos. Michael Jackson: The Icon. California: Lulu.com, 2011. Read More