Editor’s note: As we celebrate Black History Month, we’re taking some time to spotlight some of the most influential African American men and women who have forever altered the music and entertainment industry.
At or near the top of any “greatest performers of all time” list is Indiana’s own Michael Jackson.
Born in Gary, Indiana in 1958, Michael was the eighth out of ten children of Katherine and Joe Jackson. His fledgling career began as part of the Jackson Brothers, later named The Jackson 5, along with his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, and Marlon. No spotlight of Michael would be complete without acknowledging The Jackson 5’s collective contributions to our musical culture. The group released their first single, “Big Boy” with Steeltown Records in Gary and in 1969, signed with Motown. Their first four singles with Motown, including “ABC,” set a record by all peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
As The Jackson 5’s popularity increased, so did Michael’s as a teen idol. He released four solo albums with Motown from 1972 to 1975, when the family left Motown and signed with Epic Records. Jermaine stayed behind at Motown to work on a solo career and Randy Jackson stepped in to round out The Jackson 5. The group released six more albums through 1984 with Michael continuing to advance his solo career.
Off the Wall, Michael Jackson’s fifth solo album, released in 1979, which was co-produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones, is credited with fully establishing Michael as a solo performer. It charted four top 10 hits including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You.” In late 1982, Thriller dropped and quickly became a best-selling album worldwide. In addition to the title song, the album featured seven top 10 singles including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” The 14-minute accompanying music video set the standard for every music video that’s been produced since.
What about the glove? That made its appearance during an NBC special paying tribute to 25 years of Motown. The Jackson 5 reunited for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, which aired in May 1983. The black sequined jacket and rhinestone white glove made their appearance during a 12-minute segment that featured a medley from the original Jackson 5 that transitioned into Michael’s solo performance of “Billie Jean.”
With the success of Thriller, Michael Jackson became a household name. And throughout the mid-80s, he became inextricably woven into the fabric of American society. A promotional deal with PepsiCo – the largest of its time, the 1984 Victory Tour with his brothers, his financial support of multiple charities, recognition by President Ronald Reagan for Michael’s support of charities helping those battle drug and alcohol abuse, and, of course, the 1985 release of “We Are the World,” which Michael co-wrote with Lionel Richie. The single became one of the top sellers worldwide and raised over $60 million for famine relief.
Bad dropped in 1987, Michael’s first album in five years. Five singles off of the album reached number one, including the title song, “Bad,” “Man in the Mirror,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” Michael took the album on tour performing 123 concerts to a total audience of 4.4 million people.
The 90s brought a new contract with Sony for a record-breaking $65-million; the release of Dangerous, which featured hit songs “Black or White” and “Remember the Time;” a halftime performance at Super Bowl XXVIII, which set a new standard for the coveted performance and reinvigorated Super Bowl ratings in subsequent years; his marriages to Lisa Marie Presley and Jeanne Rowe; and the birth of son Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr (Prince), and daughter Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. One more album dropped in 1995, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.” It debuted at number one and two hit singles: “Scream/Childhood,” a duet with little sis Janet, and “You Are Not Alone,” which became the first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The last decade of Michael Jackson’s life was marked by the birth of his third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (Blanket), the release of his last album of original material to be released in his lifetime was Invincible, which dropped in October 2001; a dispute with Sony over his contract and the rights to his catalogue; his trial and acquittal on all charges of child sexual abuse; a relocation to Bahrain; the closure of his Neverland ranch; and the announcement in March 2009 of a retirement tour titled “This Is It.” The tour initially called for 10 shows in London followed by appearances in New York, Paris, and Mumbai. The 10 London shows sold over one million tickets in two hours and 50 additional dates were added.
The concert series never happened. On June 25, 2009, under the care of his personal physician, Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson stopped breathing. Murray reportedly had given Jackson a number of medications in attempt to help the star sleep. Attempts to resuscitate Jackson were unsuccessful and, at just 50 years old, he was pronounced dead at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center at 2:26pm PDT. Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide and Murray was subsequently convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.
Several books could be written about The King of Pop examining his influence on pop culture, his influence on music, his vocal style and his performance style. His artistry transcending genres and pushed boundaries. He remains one of the most celebrated and awarded artists of all time. He received so many awards — including 13 Grammys — that there’s an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to JUST his nominations awards.
Ten years after his death, Michael Jackson continues to influence our society. His timeless music lives on — just last week, radio stations in the United States played a Michael Jackson song 15,512 times. He continues to influence new generations of artists. And he will remain part of our pop cultural zeitgeist for decades to come.
As we like to do with our spotlight series, these are just a few of our faves from The King of Pop:
And if you’ve got 14 minutes…
