Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actor, choreographer, poet, businessman, philanthropist and record producer. Referred to as the King of Pop, he is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time,[1] as well as one of the most influential.[2][3] His unrivaled contribution to music, dance and fashion,[4][5] and a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in được ưa chuộng culture for over four decades.

Jackson is credited with elevating the âm nhạc video from a mere promotional tool into an art form. He created video for songs such as Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller—the last of which has been voted as the greatest âm nhạc video of all time.[6][7] The video for "Thriller" is the only âm nhạc video inducted into the national film registry in the thư viện of Congress.[8] He was the first African American artist to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. Jackson's âm nhạc video have been credited with turning MTV and Cable TV into successful ventures.[9][10] He popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical style, vocal style, and choreography continue to fascinate audiences across generational, racial and cultural boundaries.

Jackson made his debut, alongside his brothers, in 1964 as the lead singer of The Jackson 5. His solo career started in 1971, and resulted in 10 studio albums. His 1982 album, Thriller, sold thêm than 110 million copies worldwide, and so became the best-selling album of all time. Jackson has been inducted into various âm nhạc halls of fame. The Dance Hall of Fame plans to induct Jackson in August 2010.[11] Other achievements include 13 guinness World Records;[12][13][14][15] 15 Grammy Awards, including the Living Legend Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award; 26 American âm nhạc Awards, including recognition as Artist of the Century; 17 number-one singles in the United States;[16] and over 780 million record sales globally.[17][18][19]

Jackson's personal life and relationships generated controversy for years. His appearance began to change in the mid-1980s, and his varying nasal structure and skin color attracted much media speculation. In 1993 he was accused of child sexual abuse, though no formal charges were brought. In 2005 he was tried and acquitted of similar allegations. Jackson died on June 25, 2009 from a drug overdose, amidst preparations for a series of concerts entitled This Is It. Before his death, Jackson had reportedly been administered drugs such as propofol and lorazepam. The Los Angeles County Coroner concluded that his death was a homicide. His personal physician pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as a billion people around the world may have watched his public memorial service on live television.[20][21] In March 2010, Sony âm nhạc Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017 and release seven posthumous albums over the tiếp theo decade.[22]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Life and career
o 1.1 Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)
o 1.2 di chuyển to Epic and Off the tường (1975–1981)
o 1.3 Thriller and Motown 25 (1982–83)
o 1.4 Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)
o 1.5 Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films (1986–87)
o 1.6 Autobiography, changing appearance and Neverland (1988–1990)
o 1.7 Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation, thi ca and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)
o 1.8 First child sexual abuse allegations and first marriage (1993-94)
o 1.9 HIStory, một giây marriage and fatherhood (1995–99)
o 1.10 Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)
o 1.11 một giây child sexual abuse allegations (2003–05)
o 1.12 Final years (2006–09)
o 1.13 Posthumous works
* 2 Death and memorial
* 3 Artistry
o 3.1 Influences
o 3.2 Musical themes and genres
o 3.3 Vocal style
o 3.4 âm nhạc video and choreography
* 4 Legacy and influence
* 5 Honors and Awards
* 6 Lifetime Earnings
* 7 Discography
* 8 Filmography
* 9 Tours
* 10 See also
* 11 Citations
o 11.1 Footnotes
o 11.2 Bibliography
* 12 Further reading
* 13 External links

Life and career
Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)
A house surrounded bởi a yellow colored grass, flowers, trees, and a light blue colored sky can be seen. The house has white walls, two windows, a white door with a black door frame, and a black roof. In front of the house there is a walk way, yellow cỏ and multiple colored hoa and memorabilia. In the background, there are two tall trees and a light blue colored sky that has multiple clouds.
Jackson's childhood trang chủ in Gary, Indiana, hiển thị floral tributes after his death.

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children to an African American working-class family, in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and six brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Brandon (Marlon's twin brother, who died shortly after birth)[23] and Randy.[24]

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe. He stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, with whippings and name-calling, though also crediting his father's strict discipline with playing a large role in his success.[25] In one altercation recalled bởi Marlon, Joseph held Michael upside down bởi one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks".[26] Joseph would also grab his sons and push them with great force against the wall. One night while Michael was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window, wearing a fright mask and screamed, in hopes to scare him. He đã đưa ý kiến he wanted to teach the children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Jackson đã đưa ý kiến he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.[26] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a child.[27]

Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast on February 10, 1993 live around the world. He admitted that he had often cried from loneliness and he would vomit on the sight of his father. Jackson's father was also đã đưa ý kiến to have verbally abused Jackson, saying that he had a fat nose on numerous occasions.[28] In fact, Michael Jackson's deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and chronic sleep problems, his tendency to remain hyper-compliant especially with his father, and to remain child-like throughout his adult life are in many ways consistent with the effects of this chronic maltreatment he endured as a young child.[29] In an interview with Martin Bashir, later included in the 2003 broadcast of Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson acknowledged that his father hurt him when he was a child, but was nonetheless a "genius," as he admitted his father's strict discipline played a huge role in his success. When Bashir dismissed the positive remark and continued asking about beatings, Jackson put his hand over his face and objected to the questions. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a thắt lưng, vành đai in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if bạn didn't do it the right way, he would tear bạn up, really get you".[30][31]

He showed talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates during a giáng sinh recital in kindergarten. In 1964, he and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers – a band formed bởi brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing. When he was eight, Jackson began sharing the lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.[24] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black các câu lạc bộ known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent hiển thị with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got bạn (I Feel Good)", led bởi Michael.[32]

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, before signing with Motown Records in 1968.[24] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," nghề viết văn that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[33] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want bạn Back", "ABC", "The tình yêu bạn Save", and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[24] Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson released four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control hoặc input. Although they scored several hàng đầu, đầu trang 40 hits, including the hàng đầu, đầu trang 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the hàng đầu, đầu trang 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.[34]
di chuyển to Epic and Off the tường (1975–1981)

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records[34] and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career.[35] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six thêm albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, nghề viết văn hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can bạn Feel It".[32] In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz, a box-office disaster. It was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's tiếp theo solo album, Off the Wall.[36] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's một giây rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.[37]

Jones and Jackson produced the Off the tường album together. At the album's pre-release party, Michael stated that Little Richard had a "huge influence" on him.[38] Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. hàng đầu, đầu trang 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til bạn Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[39] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[40] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American âm nhạc Awards for his solo efforts: yêu thích Soul/R&B Album, yêu thích Male Soul/R&B Artist, and yêu thích Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til bạn Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard âm nhạc Awards for hàng đầu, đầu trang Black Artist and hàng đầu, đầu trang Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til bạn Get Enough".[39] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the tường should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his tiếp theo release.[41] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the âm nhạc industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.[42]
Thriller and Motown 25 (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children.[43] Later in 1982, just before Christmas, Jackson released what proved to be bởi far the biggest album of his career, and arguably the biggest pop album ever bởi any artist: Thriller. It is the best-selling album of all time in the United States,[44] as well as the best-selling album of all time worldwide, with an estimated 110 million copies sold.[45] The album topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the hàng đầu, đầu trang 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 hàng đầu, đầu trang 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."[46] Thriller was certified for 29 million shipments bởi the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the âm nhạc industry at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record-breaking profits from sales of his recordings. The máy chiếu phim, videocassette of the documentary The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of novelties like búp bê modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[47] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item — like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie — and started selling like a household staple."[48] In December 2009, the âm nhạc video for "Thriller" was selected for the National Film Registry bởi the thư viện of Congress, "Thriller" is the first âm nhạc video to ever be inducted.[8][49][50]
MichaelJacksonMoonwalk.ogg
Play video
Jackson debuts the moonwalk during his performance on Motown 25

Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the âm nhạc business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".[47] The New York Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[51]

In March 1983, Jackson reunited with his brothers for a legendary live performance which was taped for a Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever ti vi special. The hiển thị aired on May 16, 1983, to an audience of 47 million viewers, and featured the Jacksons and a number of other Motown stars. It is best remembered for Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean". Wearing a distinctive black sequin áo khoác and golf găng tay decorated with rhinestones, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member, Jeffrey Daniel had taught him 3 years before. The Jacksons' performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[52] Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times later wrote, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."[53]
Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)
In the center of the bức ảnh four people can be seen. To the farthest left a medium skin colored man wearing a black sit with a white áo sơ mi can be seen, to the một giây left a Caucasian man wearing a black suit with a white áo sơ mi and brown tie has his head turned to his right. To the right of the Caucasian male there is an African American man wearing a white áo sơ mi with a blue áo khoác that has a yellow strap across his chest, he is raising his right hand, which is covered with a white glove. To the farthest right, a Caucasian female with short blonde hair, who is wearing a white outfit, can be seen. In the background a cream colored building with a opened green door can be seen.
Jackson at the White House South dãy cột, portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984

On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial, overseen bởi executive Philip Dusenberry,[54] at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In front of a full house of những người hâm mộ during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.[37] Jackson never recovered from this injury. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, which now has a "Michael Jackson Burn Center" in honor of his donation.[55]

On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.[56] Jackson won eight awards during the Grammys that year. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined bởi The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to thêm than two million Americans. He donated all the funds (around $8 million) raised from the Victory Tour to charity.[57] He also co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in the U.S. and Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 30 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief.[58]

In 1985, ATV Music, a âm nhạc publishing company owning thousands of âm nhạc copyrights, including the Northern Songs catalogue that contained the majority of the Lennon/McCartney compositions recorded bởi The Beatles, was put up for sale.[59][60] Jackson had become interested in owning âm nhạc catalogs after working with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s: Jackson had learned McCartney made approximately $40 million a năm from other people's songs. McCartney's attorney assured Jackson's attorney that McCartney was not interested in bidding on ATV: McCartney reportedly đã đưa ý kiến "It's too pricey". However, McCartney later changed his mind and tried to persuade John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono to tham gia him in a joint bid. Ono declined, and McCartney pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million.[59][61]
Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films (1986–87)
See also: Michael Jackson's health and appearance

Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the mid 1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that he was bleaching his skin.[62] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission; both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. (His long-term dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein confirmed this on Larry King Live, after his death.) The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.[63] The structure of his face had also changed: several surgeons speculated that he had undergone various nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips, and cheekbone surgery — although Jackson denied this and insisted that he only had surgery on his nose.[64] Jackson claimed that he had only two rhinoplasties and no other surgery on his face, although at one point he mentioned having a dimple created in his chin.[65] Jackson Mất tích weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".[65] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.[66]
In the center for the photo, a light skinned male with black hair wearing a red áo sơ mi and blue mũ lưỡi trai, cap can be seen. The male is smiling while titling his head to his right. Behind him, there is a black background and the shoulder of another person.
Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease

He became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.[67][68] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee called Bubbles from a laboratory, it was reported as an example of increasing detachment from reality.[69] It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the Bones of Joseph Merrick (the "elephant man") and although untrue, Jackson did not deny the story.[67][68] Although initially he saw these stories as publicity, he stopped leaking untruths to the press as they became thêm sensational, so the media began making up their own stories.[68][70][71] These reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko," which Jackson came to despise.[72] Responding to the gossip, Jackson remarked to reporter Randy Taraborrelli:

Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything bạn say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. bạn can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."[73]

A black áo khoác with five round golden huy chương on its left and right shoulder and a vàng ban on its left arm sleeve. The áo khoác has two thắt lưng, vành đai straps on the right bottom sleeve. Underneath the áo khoác is a golden belt, with a round pendant in the center of it. There is a red light reflecting on the áo khoác and thắt lưng, vành đai as well as a vàng squared plat on the left side of the áo khoác and belt.
Jackson wore a gold-plated military style áo khoác with thắt lưng, vành đai in the Bad era

Jackson collaborated with Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute 3-D film Captain EO, which debuted in September 1986 at both the original Disneyland and at EPCOT in Florida, and in March 1987 at Tokyo Disneyland. The $30,000,000 movie was the centerpiece of được ưa chuộng attractions at all three parks. A Captain EO attraction was later featured at Euro Disneyland after that park opened in 1992. All four parks' Captain Eo installations stayed open well into the 1990s: Tokyo's was the last one to close, in 1998.[74]

In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.[75] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[76] It did not hàng đầu, đầu trang Thriller as a commercial hoặc artistic triumph— and, probably nothing could have topped the earlier album— but Bad was still a substantial success in its own right.

The Bad album spawned seven hit singles in the U.S., five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way bạn Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This was a record for most number one Hot 100 singles from any one album, including Thriller. [77] Although the tiêu đề track's video was arguably derivative of the video for the earlier single "Beat It", the "Bad" video still proved to be one of Jackson's iconic moments. It was a gritty but colorful epic set against the backdrop of the New York City subway system, with spectacular costuming and choreography inspired bởi West Side Story. As of 2008, the album had sold 30 million copies worldwide.[78]

The Bad World Tour began on September 12 that year, finishing on January 14, 1989.[79] In Nhật Bản alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the trước đó record of 200,000 in a single tour.[80] He broke a guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people. The Bad Tour turned out to be the last of Jackson's buổi hòa nhạc tours to include shows in the continental United States, although later tours did make it to Hawaii and Mexico.
Autobiography, changing appearance and Neverland (1988–1990)
A male with black hair hát into a microphone. The male is wearing a blue áo khoác and a white áo sơ mi with black pants and a white belt.
Jackson performing "The Way bạn Make Me Feel."

In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moonwalk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.[81] Jackson wrote about his childhood, The Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.[82] He also wrote about his facial appearance, saying he had had two rhinoplastic surgeries and dimple created in his chin.[65] He attributed much of the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.[65] Moonwalk reached the hàng đầu, đầu trang position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[83] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage and short films that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. The film was originally intended to be released to theaters but due to financial issues, the film was released direct to video. It debuted atop the Billboard hàng đầu, đầu trang âm nhạc Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the hàng đầu, đầu trang spot bởi Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[84]

In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. He installed Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre (11 km2) property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, it was valued at approximately $100 million.[33][85] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that năm alone.[86] Shortly afterwards, he became the first Westerner to appear in a ti vi ad in the Soviet Union.[84]

His success resulted in him being dubbed the "King of Pop."[87][88][89][90] The nickname was popularized bởi Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[91] President George H. W. bụi cây, cây bụi, tổng thống bush presented him with The White House's special "Artist of the Decade."[92] From 1985 to 1990, he donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[93][94] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.[84] It was also around this time that Michael struck up a friendship with child actor Macaulay Culkin, a friendship that would last until his death.
Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation, thi ca and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)

In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $100 million, a record-breaking deal at the time, displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[95] He released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous had shipped seven million copies in the U.S. and had sold 32 million copies worldwide. The Dangerous album was co-produced bởi Teddy Riley, one of the pioneers of "new jack swing" and it turned out to be the best-selling album associated with that movement.[96][97][98] In the United States, the album's first single "Black hoặc White" was its biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.[99] The album's một giây single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the hàng đầu, đầu trang five in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[100] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.[101] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[100]

Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened bởi war, poverty, and disease. In the same năm Jackson published his một giây book, the bestselling collection of poetry, Dancing the Dream. While it was a commercial success and revealed a thêm intimate side to Jackson's nature, the collection was mostly critically unacclaimed at the time of release. In 2009, the book was republished bởi Doubleday and was thêm positively received bởi some critics in the wake of Jackson's untimely death. The Dangerous World Tour grossed $100 million. The tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts.[100][102] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[103]

Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give thêm money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.[104][105] In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[106] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable and enthusiastic reception of thêm than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome trang chủ Michael."[106] In his trip to Côte d'Ivoire, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" bởi a tribal chief.[106] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden ngôi vua, ngai vàng while presiding over ceremonial dances.[106]

One of Jackson's most acclaimed performances came during the halftime hiển thị at Super Bowl XXVII. As the performance began, Jackson was catapulted onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvas, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a vàng and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for several phút while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and began to sing and dance. His routine included four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black hoặc White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed bởi 135 million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.[62] Jackson was được trao the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black hoặc White" was Grammy nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.[100]
First child sexual abuse allegations and first marriage (1993-94)
Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson

Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his một giây ti vi interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the Bones of the con voi Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, hoặc bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched bởi an American audience of 90 million. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the hàng đầu, đầu trang 10, thêm than a năm after its original release.[31][62][100]
In the image, a small empty clear glass bottle with a silver colored mũ lưỡi trai, cap can be seen standing up. The bottle has a white label on it that has the words "AMYTAL" and "SODIUM" is black bold print, as well as other words in smaller black print. In the background the bottle's reflection and a tan tường can be seen.
Used on occcasion as a so-called truth serum, sodium amytal is a barbiturate derivative

In the summer of 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse bởi a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler, a dentist.[107] According to biographer Randy Taraborelli, Dr. Chandler alleged that his son had told him (while under the influence of the sedative sodium amytal) that Jackson had touched his penis.[108][109] The Chandler family demanded payment from Jackson, and the singer initially refused. Jordan Chandler eventually told the police that Jackson had sexually abused him, and he gave a detailed mô tả of the singer's genitals.[110] Dr. Chandler was tape-recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, saying, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever ... Michael's career will be over". Jordan's mother was, however, adamant that there had been no wrongdoing on Jackson's part.[109] Jackson later used the recording to argue that he was the victim of a jealous father whose only goal was to extort money from the singer.[109]

Neverland Ranch was searched during an extensive investigation; Jackson even agreed to a 25-minute strip search. Doctors concluded there were strong similarities between Jackson's genitals and Jordan Chandler's description, but it was not a definitive match.[111] His Những người bạn đã đưa ý kiến he never recovered from the humiliation. He described the tìm kiếm in an emotional public statement, and proclaimed his innocence.[107] Jackson's older sister, La Toya, accused him of being a pedophile, but other family members and Những người bạn defended him.[111][112] On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for $22 million, after which Jordan stopped co-operating with the criminal investigation. In the end, no charges were filed.[113][114]

In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975, when a seven-year-old Presley attended one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.[115] They stayed in contact every ngày over the telephone. As the child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[116] Presley explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[117] She eventually persuaded him to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover.[116]

Jackson proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked bạn to marry me, would bạn do it?"[116] They married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy, denying it for nearly two months afterwards.[118] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".[119] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to điểm thưởng up Jackson's public image.[118] The marriage lasted less than two years later, ending in an amicable divorce settlement.[120]
HIStory, một giây marriage and fatherhood (1995–99)
A close-up image of a pale skinned man with black hair. He is wearing a black áo khoác with white designs on it.
Michael Jackson at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.

In 1995, Jackson merged his ATV âm nhạc catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV âm nhạc Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even thêm songs.[60][121] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits – HIStory Vol. I in 2001, while the một giây disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.[122] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[99][123] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.[124]

The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The song fights against the media, mainly for what the media made him out to be during his 1993 child abuse allegations. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[124] "You Are Not Alone" was the một giây single released from HIStory; it holds the guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[86] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[124] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused bởi a stress-related panic attack.[125] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over giáng sinh 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[124] The track "They Don't Care About Us" became controversial when the Anti-Defamation League and other groups criticized its allegedly anti-Semitic lyrics. Jackson quickly put out a revised version of the song without the offending lyrics.[126]

The album was promoted with the successful HIStory World Tour. The tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans, and grossed up a total of $165 million. The show, which visited five continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.[79] During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatology nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe on November 14, 1996 in an impromptu ceremony close to his Sydney hotel room. She gave birth to Michael's first two children: a son named Michael Joseph Jr (commonly known as Prince), and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine.[120][127] Rowe and Jackson first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.[128] gần đây claims bởi a male dermatology assistant that he and Jackson were sexually involved have drawn fury from those close to Jackson.[129] Originally, there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.[130] The couple divorced in 1999 but remained friends, and Rowe gave full custody of the children to Jackson.[131]

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix album ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the tiêu đề track.[132][133] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[96][124] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[85] Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit buổi hòa nhạc in Modena, Italy. The hiển thị was in support of the non-profit organization War Child, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[134] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red vượt qua, cross and UNESCO.[135]
Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)

In October 2001, Jackson released Invincible. This was his first full-length album in six years, and it turned out to be the last album of new material he released while still alive. The release of the album was preceded bởi a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony âm nhạc Entertainment. Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him sometime in the early 2000s. Once he had the licenses, he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and he would also be able to keep all the profits. However, due to various clauses in the contract, the revert ngày turned out to be many years away. Jackson discovered that the attorney who represented him in the deal was also representing Sony.[133] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their âm nhạc catalog venture. Jackson feared that Sony might have something to gain from Jackson's career failing, since if his career did fail he would have to sell his share of the catalog.[136]

These conflicts were utilized bởi the entertainer to leverage an early exit to his contract.[133] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony âm nhạc Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.[133] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. In spite of the uproar preceding its release, Invincible came out in October 2001 to much anticipation. Just before the album's release, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer's 30th năm as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.[137] The hiển thị also featured performances bởi Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child, Monica, Luther Vandross, and Slash, among other artists.[138] In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What thêm Can I Give benefit buổi hòa nhạc at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The buổi hòa nhạc was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What thêm Can I Give" as the finale.[136]

Invincible proved to be a hit, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 13 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.[96][99][139] However, the sales for Invincible were lower than those of his trước đó releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the âm nhạc industry in general.[136] The album cost $30 million to record, not including promotional expenditures.[140] Invincible spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a âm nhạc video. Jackson alleged in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[136] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[141] Sony refused to renew Jackson's contract, and claimed that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the United States.[140]

Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born in 2002.[142] The mother's identity is unknown, but Jackson has đã đưa ý kiến the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm.[131] In November of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his room at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, as những người hâm mộ stood below, holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face. The baby was briefly extended over a railing, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[143] Sony released a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album was certified triple platinum bởi the RIAA; in the UK it was certified 6 times platinum for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.[96][144]
một giây child sexual abuse allegations (2003–05)
Further information: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson

In a series of interviews with Martin Bashir, broadcast in 2003, as Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, 13, who later accused him of sexual abuse.[145] Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to Arvizo.[145] Jackson denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature.

During the two years between the charges and the trial, Jackson reportedly became dependent on pethidine (Demerol), and Mất tích a lot of weight. The People v. Jackson began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.[146][147][148] After the trial, in a highly publicized relocation he moved to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[149]
Final years (2006–09)
A group of adults and a child are shown in the photo. An African American female with short brown that is wearing a jean áo khoác and a light wash pair of jeans with a red áo sơ mi is seen holding a video camera, that is pointing forward. To the left of the female there is an opened black umbrella that is held above a Caucasian male with long black hair that is wearing all black clothes. In front of the male there is a child with black hair that is wearing a black mũ lưỡi trai, cap with a blue shirt, a pair of white pants and black shoes. To the farthest left there ate two Caucasian males with dark brown hair. In the background, trees, bushes and people can be seen.
Jackson with his children in Disneyland Paris, 2006

In March 2006, the main house at the Neverland Ranch was closed as a cost-cutting measure.[150] There were numerous reports around that time that Jackson was having financial problems. Jackson had been deliquent on his repayments of a $270 million loan secured against his âm nhạc publishing holdings, even though those holdings were reportedly making him as much as $75 million a year.[151] The Bank of America sold the debt to Fortress Investments. Sony reportedly proposed a restructuring deal which would give them a future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).[121] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal in April 2006, although the exact details were not made public.[152] Jackson did not have a recording contract in place with Sony hoặc any other major record label at the time.

In the spring of 2006, there was an announcement that Jackson had signed a contract with a Bahrain-based startup called Two Seas Records. However, nothing ever came of that deal, and the CEO of Two Seas, Guy Holmes, later stated that the deal had never been finalized.[153][154] Throughout 2006, Sony repackaged 20 singles from the 1980s and 1990s as the Michael Jackson: Visionary series, which subsequently became a boxed set. Most of those singles returned to the charts as a result. In September 2006, Jackson and his ex-wife Debbie Rowe confirmed reports that they had settled their long-running child custody suit. The terms were never made public. Jackson continued to be the custodial parent of the couple's two children.[155] In October 2006, FoxNews entertainment reporter Roger Friedman đã đưa ý kiến that Jackson had been recording at a studio in rural Westmeath, Ireland. It was not known at the time what Jackson might be working on, hoặc who might be paying for the sessions, since his publicist had recently issued a statement claiming that he had left Two Seas.[154][156]

In November 2006, Jackson invited an Access Hollywood camera crew into the studio in Westmeath, and MSNBC broke the story that he was working on a new album, produced bởi Will.i.am of the Black-Eyed Peas.[99] Jackson performed at the World âm nhạc Awards, in Luân Đôn on November 15, 2006, and accepted a Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records.[99][157] Jackson returned to the United States after giáng sinh 2006 to attend James Brown's funeral in Augusta, Georgia. He gave one of the eulogies, saying that "James Brown is my greatest inspiration."[158] In the spring of 2007, Jackson and Sony teamed up to buy yet another âm nhạc publishing company: Famous âm nhạc LLC, formerly owned bởi Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs bởi Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[159] Jackson recorded extensively during this period in New York with songwriter and producer Will.i.am and also in Las Vegas with producers Akon and RedOne.[160][160][161] In March 2007, Jackson gave a brief interview to the Associated Press in Tokyo, where he said:

I've been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old, and as Charles Dickens would say, "It's been the best of times, the worst of times." But I would not change my career... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful Những người bạn and những người hâm mộ who have, and continue, to support me.[162]
—Michael Jackson

In September 2007 Rolling Stone broke the exact same story news MSNBC and Access Hollywood had broken a năm earlier: i.e., that Jackson was working with Will.i.am on a new album. That album was apparently never completed.[163] But in 2008, Jackson and Sony released Thriller 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the original Thriller. This album featured the previously unreleased song "For All Time" (an out-take from the original sessions) as well as re-mixes, where Jackson collaborated with younger artists who had been inspired bởi his work.[164] Two of the remixes were released as singles with only modest success: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" (with Akon) and The Girl Is Mine 2008" (with will.i.am.) The một giây single was based on an early demo version, without Paul McCartney. The album itself was a hit, however.[164][165][166][167] In anticipation of Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of greatest-hits albums called King of Pop. Slightly different versions were released in various countries, based on số phiếu bầu of local fans.[168][169] King of Pop reached the hàng đầu, đầu trang 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold well as an import in other countries (such as the United States.)[170][171]

In the fall of 2008, Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's tiêu đề to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, which was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. This deal cleared Jackson's debt, and he reportedly even gained an extra $35 million from the venture. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake in Neverland/Sycamore Valley, but it is unknown how large that stake was.[172][173][174] In September 2008, Jackson entered negotiations with Julien's Auction House to display and auction a large collection of memorabilia amounting to approximately 1390 lots. The auction was scheduled to take place between April 22 and April 25.[175] An exhibition of the lots opened as scheduled on April 14, but the actual auction was eventually cancelled at Jackson's request.[176]

In March 2009, Jackson held a press conference at London's O2 arena and announced a series of comeback concerts titled "This Is It." The shows would be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the HIStory World Tour finished in 1997. Jackson suggested possible retirement after the shows; he đã đưa ý kiến it would be his "final curtain call". The initial plan was for a 10 concerts in London, followed bởi shows in Paris, New York City and Mumbai. Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, stated that the first 10 dates alone would earn the singer approximately £50 million.[177] The Luân Đôn residency was increased to 50 dates after record breaking ticket sales: over one million were sold in less than 2 hours.[178] Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned bởi AEG.[179] The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009 and finished on March 6, 2010. Less than three weeks before the first hiển thị was due to begin in Luân Đôn and with all concerts being sold out, Jackson died of cardiac arrest.[180]

Columbia Pictures made a feature documentary concert-film from the rehearsal and pre-recorded footage. The contract for the film stipulated that a cut of the film must be screened for Jackson's estate, which stands to receive 90 percent of the profits.[181] A final cut was released on October 28, 2009, for a limited 2 week run in theatres worldwide.[182] A promotional single titled "This Is It" was released on October 12, with a new compilation album of the same name released on October 26, to be released with Michael Jackson's This Is It documentary film, which became the highest grossing documentary hoặc buổi hòa nhạc movie of all time, with the earnings of thêm than $260 million worldwide.[183] Two versions of the new song appear on the album, which also features original masters of Jackson's hits in the order in which they appear in the movie. It contains a bonus disc with previously unreleased versions of thêm Jackson hits, as well as a previously unheard spoken word poem entitled "Planet Earth."[184] After his death, Jackson became the best-selling artist of 2009 in the United States selling over 8.2 million albums and 31 million albums worldwide.[185][186]
Posthumous works

Following the massive surge in sales of Jackson's catalogue of recordings, Sony announced that they have extended their relationship with his material. The distribution rights held bởi Sony âm nhạc were due to expire in 2015.[22] On March 16, 2010, Sony âm nhạc Entertainment, spearheaded bởi its Columbia/Epic Label Group division, signed a new deal with the Jackson estate to extend distribution rights to his back catalogue until at least 2017, as well as permission to release ten new albums with previously unreleased material and new collections of released work. The first new album is reportedly due out in November 2010, and the final album before December 2017. The deal was unprecedented in the âm nhạc industry as it is the most expensive âm nhạc contract to a single artist in history, with Sony âm nhạc reportedly paying $250 million for the deal and with the Jackson estate getting the full sum as well as its share of royalties for all works released.[22][187]
Death and memorial
Main articles: Death of Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson memorial service
A màu hồng, hồng ngôi sao with the nghề viết văn "Michael Jackson" and a vàng colored rim. The ngôi sao is surrounded bởi a metal silver colored barrier and flowers. There is also blue confetti and màu hồng, hồng rose bud pedals on hàng đầu, đầu trang of the star.
Jackson's những người hâm mộ paid tribute to him at his ngôi sao on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, shortly after the announcement of his death.

On June 25, 2009, Jackson was found unconscious in giường at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him bởi Conrad Murray, his personal physician, were unsuccessful.[188] Los Angeles ngọn lửa, chữa cháy Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 (PDT) (19:22 UTC), arriving three phút later at Jackson's location.[189][190] He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.[191] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an giờ after arriving there at 1:13 (20:13 UTC). Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief.[188] He was pronounced dead at 2:26 local time (21:26 UTC).[192][193]

The news spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload. Both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times suffered outages.[194] Google initially believed that the input from millions of people searching for "Michael Jackson" meant that the tìm kiếm engine was under attack. Twitter reported a crash, as did Wikipedia at 3:15 p.m. PDT (6:15 p.m. EST).[195] The Wikimedia Foundation reported nearly a million visitors to Jackson's biography within one hour, probably the most visitors in a one-hour period to any bài viết in Wikipedia's history.[196] AOL Instant Messenger collapsed for 40 minutes. AOL called it a "seminal moment in Internet history", adding, "We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope hoặc depth."[197]

Around 15% of Twitter posts—or 5,000 tweets per minute—reportedly mentioned Jackson after the news broke,[198][199] compared to the 5% recalled as having mentioned the Iranian elections hoặc the flu pandemic that had made headlines earlier in the year.[199] Overall, web traffic ranged from 11% to at least 20% higher than normal.[198][200] MTV and Black Entertainment ti vi (BET) aired marathons of Jackson's âm nhạc videos.[201] Jackson specials aired on multiple ti vi stations around the world. The British soap opera EastEnders added a last-minute scene, in which one character tells another about the news, to the June 26 episode.[202] Jackson was the topic of every front-page headline in the daily British tabloid The Sun for about two weeks following his death.[203] During the same period, the three major U.S. networks' evening newscasts—ABC's World News, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News—devoted 34 percent of their broadcast time to him.[204] Magazines including TIME published commemorative editions.[205] A scene that had featured Jackson's sister La Toya was cut from the film Brüno out of respect toward Jackson's family.[206]

Jackson's memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded bởi a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty. Jackson's casket was present during the memorial but no information was released about the final disposition of the body. While some unofficial reports claimed a worldwide audience as high as one billion people[207] the U.S. audience was estimated bởi Nielsen to be 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated 35.1 million that watched the 2004 burial of former president Ronald Reagan, and the estimated 33.1 million Americans who watched the 1997 funeral for Princess Diana.[208]

Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the event. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read, "We had him," a poem written for the occasion bởi Maya Angelou.[209] The Reverend Al Sharpton received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's children, "Wasn't nothing strange about your Daddy. It was strange what your Daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway."[210] Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Katherine, cried as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father bạn could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I tình yêu him ... so much."[211] On August 24, several news outlets quoted anonymous sources as stating that the Los Angeles coroner had decided to treat Jackson's death as a homicide; this was later confirmed bởi the coroner on August 28.[212][213] At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam.[214] Law enforcement officials conducted a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, Conrad Murray.[215] On February 8, 2010, Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter bởi prosecutors in Los Angeles.[216] An autopsy revealed that Jackson's arms were covered with punctures, his face and neck were scarred and he had tattooed eyebrows and lips.[217] Jackson was buried on September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[218]
Artistry
Influences
A silver color statue of a male. The status is placed standing up with its arms bent inward and both its legs spaced apart. The status clothes have wrinkles and it has two shoes with a heel. In the background, a cây and a light blue sky with multiple clouds can be seen.
One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Châu Âu to promote HIStory.

Jackson's âm nhạc genre takes roots in R&B, Motown, pop and soul. He had been influenced bởi the work of contemporary musicians such as Little Richard, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, David Ruffin, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Isley Brothers, and the Bee Gees.[219] While Little Richard had a huge influence on Jackson,[38] James Brown was for him, since early childhood, his greatest inspiration: "the master" hoặc "a genius" especially when he was playing with his group, the Famous Flames, describing his performance as "phenomenal". He declared: "Ever since I was a small child, no thêm than like six years old, my mother would wake me no matter what time it was, if I was sleeping, no matter what I was doing, to watch the ti vi to see the master at work. And when I saw him move, I was mesmerized. I had never seen a performer perform like James Brown, and right then and there I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of James Brown."[220]

At first, the young Michael Jackson owed his vocal technique in large part to Diana Ross. In October 1969, it was decided that Michael would live with Diana Ross. Not only a mother figure to him, he often observed her in rehearsal as an accomplished performer. He later confessed: "I got to know her well. She taught me so much. I used to just sit in the corner and watch the way she moved. She was art in motion. I studied the way she moved, the way she sang – just the way she was." He told her: 'I want to be just like you, Diana'. She said: 'You just be yourself.'"[221] But Michael especially owed his oooh's to Diana Ross. At first, Michael almost always punctuated his verses with a sudden interjection of oooh. Diana Ross used this effect on many of the songs recorded with the The Supremes, and young Michael was delighted to take ownership.[222]
Musical themes and genres

Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder, and when recording he would sing the lyrics from memory.[223] In most of his songs, such as "Who Is It", "Billie Jean" and "Tabloid Junkie", he would beatbox and imitate the instruments using his voice instead of playing the actual instruments, along with other sounds. Jackson noted that it's easier to sing a drum line, hoặc sing a bass, instead of playing a drum line hoặc a âm bass, tiếng bass, bass with an instrument. Several critics have đã đưa ý kiến that Jackson's distinct voice is able to replace any instrument convincingly. Steve Huey of Allmusic đã đưa ý kiến that, throughout his solo career, Jackson's versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and genres.[224] As a musician, he ranged from Motown's dance fare and ballads to techno and house-edged new jack lung lay, swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard rock guitar.[33]

According to Huey, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were thêm aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and thêm soulful.[224] Notable tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature" and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[224][225][226][227] With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone đã bình luận that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[227] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[226] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive người hâm mộ who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.[224] In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.[227] The anti-gang violence rock song "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successf