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Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the “King of Pop”, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century.

Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres.

Through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated street dance moves such as the moonwalk, which he named, as well as the robot.

He was the eighth child of the Jackson family, and made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). The Jackson 5 signed with Motown in 1968 and achieved worldwide success with Michael as lead singer. Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown and recorded multiple successful singles. He became a global solo star with his 1979 album Off the Wall.

Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history, with sales estimated around 500 million records worldwide. He had 13 number-one singles in the US in his solo career more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era. He was invited and honored by a president of the United States at the White House three times. In 1984, he was honored with a “Presidential Public Safety Commendation” award by Ronald Reagan for his humanitarian endeavors. In 1990, he was honored as the “Artist of the Decade” by George H. W. Bush. In 1992, he was honored as a “Point of Light Ambassador” by Bush for inviting disadvantaged children to his Neverland Ranch.

Jackson won hundreds of awards, making him one of the most-awarded artists in popular music. His awards include 39 Guinness World Records, including the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time, 13 Grammy Awards, as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and 26 American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Century and Artist of the 1980s. He also received the World Music Awards’ Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award. Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 as a member of the Jacksons.

Forbes reported in August 2018 that Jackson’s total career pretax earnings in life and death were $4.2 billion.

In the eight (8th) year since his death Jackson’s annual earnings were reported to be over $100 million, thus bringing Jackson’s postmortem total to $2.4 billion

● BORN:
Michael Joseph Jackson
August 29, 1958
Gary, Indiana, US

● DIED:
June 25, 2009 (aged 50)
Los Angeles, California, US

● CAUSE OF DEATH:
Acute propofol intoxication

● BURIAL PLACE:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, US

● OTHER NAMES:
Michael Joe Jackson

● OCCUPATIONS:

• Singer
• songwriter
• dancer
• record producer

● SPOUSES:

• Lisa Marie Presley
  (married 1994; divorced 1996)​
• Debbie Rowe
  (married 1996; divorced. 2000)​

● Children 3, including Paris

● PARENTS:

• Joe Jackson
• Katherine Jackson

● FAMILY:

• Jackson family

● MUSICAL CAREER GENRES

• Pop
• soul
• rhythm and blues
• funk
• rock
• disco
• post-disco
• dance-pop
• new jack swing

● INSTRUMENT(s)

• Vocals

● DISCOGRAPHY

• Albums
• singles
• songs

● YEARS ACTIVE

• 1964–2009

● LABELS

• Steeltown
• Motown
• Epic
• Legacy
• Sony
• MJJ Productions

● Formerly of;

• The Jackson 5