Here is a look at the life of Michael Jackson, pop music legend and Grammy award winner.
Personal:
Birth date: August 29, 1958
Death date: June 25, 2009
Birth place: Gary, Indiana
Birth name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Father: Joseph Jackson, crane operator/Jackson Five manager
Mother: Katherine (Scruse) Jackson
Marriages: Debbie Rowe (November 15, 1996-October 8, 1999, divorced); Lisa-Marie Presley (May 18, 1994-January 18, 1996, divorced)
Children: with an anonymous surrogate: Prince Michael II (aka Blanket), 2002; with Debbie Rowe: Paris, April 3, 1998; Prince Michael Joseph Jr., February 12, 1997
Other Facts:
Nicknamed “The King of Pop.”
Seventh of nine children.
Began performing at age 5 with four of his five brothers (Marlon, Jermaine, Tito and Jackie).
Winner of 13 Grammys and 23 American Music Awards.
His album, “Thriller,” is the worldwide best selling album of all time.
Timeline:
1968 – The Jackson Five is signed by Motown Records and the entire family moves from Gary, Indiana, to Los Angeles.
November 1969 – The Jackson Five’s first single, “I Want You Back,” is released.
1971 – “Got to Be There” is released as Michael Jackson’s first solo single.
1972 – “Ben” is Jackson’s first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100.
1975 – The group leaves Motown for Epic Records and changes its name to The Jacksons.
1978 – Jackson plays the Scarecrow in “The Wiz.” “Ease On Down the Road,” a duet with Diana Ross, is a hit single.
1979 – Debut solo album with Epic Records, “Off The Wall,” sells over 20 million copies and has four Top 10 singles. Released in August, the album is certified platinum in December.
December 1, 1982 – “Thriller” is released and is certified platinum the following January. It ultimately sells over 50 million copies worldwide and has seven Top 10 singles. That album and the song, “Billie Jean,” make him the first artist to have a number one pop single, pop album, R&B single and R&B album charts simultaneously.
1984 – Wins the Grammy Award for Best Video, Longform for “Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller.”
1985 – Co-writes and performs on “We Are The World,” to help raise money for African famine relief.
1987 – “Bad” is released in August and is certified 4x platinum in December. Its five number-one singles sets a record for a solo artist on one album.
November 1991 – Jackson’s 11-minute video for “Black or White” debuts during primetime on FOX, MTV and BET causing controversy.
February 1993 – In response to speculation about intentional bleaching, Jackson’s dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, releases a statement saying Jackson has a skin disease called vitiligo (vit-ill-EYE-go). Vitiligo causes a person to lose pigment in patches or all over the body, and affects 1 to 2% of the population.
August 1993 – A 13-year-old boy accuses Jackson of sexually molesting him repeatedly over a five-month period. The boy said that Jackson bathed with him, shared a bed with him, gave him gifts and trips, and fondled him.
1993 – Wins the Living Legend Award at the Grammys and the Humanitarian of the Year trophy at the Soul Train Awards.
September 22, 1994 – District attorneys for Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties announce they will not file criminal child molestation charges because the primary alleged victim decided not to testify.
1997 – The Jackson Five is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
March 19, 2001 – Jackson is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
September 7 and 10, 2001 – Concert at Madison Square Garden, “Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years,” his first performance in the continental US since 1989.
June 13, 2002 – Jackson is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
November 2002 – Jackson is caught on video dangling his baby over a fourth story balcony in Berlin in front of hundreds of fans.
November 20, 2003 – A source close to the family tells CNN that the accuser is a boy who at 12 years old participated in a documentary about Michael Jackson. Jackson is booked in Santa Barbara, California, on charges of child molestation.
December 19, 2003 – Is formally charged with seven counts of child molestation.
June 16, 2004 – Jackson pays out approximately $25 million to settle civil suit by the 13-year-old boy who accused him of molesting him in 1993.
June 13, 2005 – Found not guilty.
March 16, 2006 – The state of California closes down Neverland Ranch and lays off most of the employees after learning about unpaid wages and lapsed workers’ compensation insurance.
October 2006 – Settles with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, receiving full custody of kids in exchange for an undisclosed lump sum, reported to be in the millions.
November 15, 2006 – Michael Jackson receives the Diamond Award at the World Music Awards in London. He also performs live for the first time since being acquitted of child molestation.
March 2008 – Auction of Neverland Ranch scheduled for March 19, 2008, is averted. Financing is worked out with the Fortress Investment Group for Jackson to retain ownership of the property.
November 2008 – Jackson, pressured by his financial problems, gives up sole ownership of Neverland Ranch. The property is now owned by Sycamore Valley Ranch Co. LLC, of which Jackson is a part owner.
February 2, 2009 – Is sued by John Landis over royalty rights to new Thriller Broadway production.
March 5, 2009 – Files a lawsuit against an auction house that is scheduled to sell thousands of Jackson’s personal items, including his trademark white glove, the gates to Neverland Ranch and numerous statues of children. The auction is scheduled for April 22-25 in Beverly Hills, California.
March 5, 2009 – Jackson announces his “This Is It” concert tour.
June 25, 2009 – Jackson is rushed by ambulance to a Los Angeles hospital after going into cardiac arrest and is later pronounced dead.
August 3, 2009 – Jackson’s mother, Katherine, is awarded permanent custody of the singer’s three children.
August 28, 2009 – The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office rules that Jackson’s death was a homicide, caused by “acute propofol intoxication.”
September 3, 2009 – Jackson is buried at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California.
October 28, 2009 – Michael Jackson’s documentary “This Is It” is released. The film consists of footage from Jackson’s rehearsals for shows in London that were scheduled to take place in July 2009. An album by the same name was released October 27, 2009 in the U.S.
November 22, 2009 – Wins four posthumous American Music Awards, best pop/rock male artist, best soul/R&B male and the best album award in the pop/rock and soul/R&B for the greatest hits compilation “Number Ones.”
January 31, 2010 – Posthumously receives the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
June 26, 2011 – Jackson’s “Thriller” jacket is sold at auction for $1.8 million to Milton Verret of Austin, Texas.
November 7, 2011 – Dr. Conrad Murray is found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson in 2009.
November 21, 2011 – Michael Jackson’s second posthumous album, “Immortal,” is released.
October 12, 2016 – Is named number one on the 2016 Forbes List of Top Earning Dead Celebrities, with earnings of $825 million.
