Michael Jackson

Referred to as the King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, dancer, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. The Guinness World Records has recognized Jackson as the most successful entertainer of all time. He was a major figure in popular culture for more than four decades thanks to his contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life. Michael was the seventh child of the Jackson family. He first appeared on the professional music scene with his brothers as a member of The Jackson Five in 1964. He started his solo career in 1971.

Michael became a dominant figure in popular music in the early 1980s. His videos for his songs, including those of ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, and ‘Thriller’, helped to transform the medium into both a promotional tool and an art form. Because these videos were so popular, they helped to popularize the relatively new television channel, MTV. Videos such as ‘Black or White’ made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s.

Thriller, an album which Michael released in 1982, is the best-selling album of all time. Some of Michael’s other achievements include: multiple Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy Awards (including the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, and includes the award for Artist of the Century), 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career, and an estimated sale of more than 750 million records worldwide.