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Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958) is an American musician, entertainer and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as " Black or White" and "Scream" kept Jackson as a staple on MTV into the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

Jackson has donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his Dangerous World Tour, charity singles and support of 39 charities. However, other aspects of his personal life—including his changing appearance and eccentric behavior—generated significant controversy which damaged his public image. He was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. He then married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. The singer has experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for Thriller as the world's best-selling album—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sale of over 750 million units worldwide. Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, has made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades. In recent years he has been cited as one of the world's most famous men.

Contents 1 My Michael Jackson Collection 2 Discography 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links

[edit] My Michael Jackson Collection

[edit] Discography

• 1972: Got to Be There
• 1972: Ben
• 1973: Music & Me
• 1975: Forever, Michael
• 1979: Off the Wall
• 1982: Thriller
• 1987: Bad
• 1991: Dangerous
• 1995: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
• 2001: Invincible

[edit] See also

• List of best-selling albums worldwide
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of most expensive music videos
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of Michael Jackson's awards
• List of Michael Jackson tours
• Michael Jackson filmography
• Honorific titles in popular music

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden. ISBN 082831957X.
• Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pops Darkest Hour. Branden. ISBN 0828320039.
• George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.
• Guinness World Records (2003). Guinness World Records 2004. Guinness. ISBN 1892051206.
• Guinness World Records (2005). Guinness World Records 2006. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-02-4.
• Jackson, Michael (1988). Moonwalk. Doubleday. ISBN 0385247125.
• Lewis, Jel (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: The Big Picture : the Music! the Man! the Legend! the Interviews!. Amber Books Publishing. ISBN 0-974977-90-X.
• Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Terra Alta, WV: Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4.

[edit] Further reading

• Dineen, Catherine (1993). Michael Jackson: In His Own Words. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0711932166.
• Grant, Adrian (1994, 1997, 2002 and 2005). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-432-2.
• Jackson, Michael (1988). Moonwalk. Doubleday. ISBN 0-434-37042-8.
• Jackson, Michael (1992). Dancing The Dream. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-40368-2.
• Jackson, Michael (2006). My World, The Official Photobook, Vol. 1. Triumph International. ISBN 0-9768891-1-0.
• Jones, Bob (2005). Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask. Select Books Inc. ISBN 1590790723.
• Noonan, Damien (1994). Michael Jackson (Audio book), Carlton Books. ISBN 1-85797-587-1.

[edit] External links

• Sony's Official Michael Jackson website
• Michael Jackson at Allmovie
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page on Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson's Family Tree