Michael Jackson – Legend, Hero, Icon: A Tribute to the King of Pop - James Aldis

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      MICHAEL

      LEGEND, HERO, ICON

      JACKSON

      A TRIBUTE TO THE KING OF POP

      JAMES ALDIS

      ‘The incomparable Michael Jackson has made a bigger impact on music than any other artist in the history of music. He was magic. He was what we all strive to be…I love you, Michael.’

      —Beyoncé Knowles

      Everyone who loved Michael Jackson will carry with them their own favourite personal memories for the rest of their lives. For some it will be the first time they saw Michael perform with The Jackson 5, whilst for others it will be the memory of seeing him dance to ‘Billie Jean’ or watching the video to ‘Thriller’ for the first time. Some will remember the man the media portrayed in his final years, but to do so, or to reduce Michael Jackson to just one song, one era or one stage of his performing career, would be to deny his staggering longevity and range as an artist. In a career that spanned many genres, including soul, disco, rock and pop, he truly was the King, a crowned genius overlooking an immense musical terrain.

      KEY FACTS:

Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Born: 29 August 1958
Died: 25 June 2009
Parents: Joseph Walter Jackson and Katherine Esther Jackson
Siblings: Rebbie (b. 29 May 1950), Jackie (b. 4 May 1951), Tito (b. 15 October 1953), Jermaine (b. 11 December 1954), La Toy a (b. 29 May 1956), Marlon (b. 12 March 1957), Randy (b. 29 October 1961) and Janet (b. 16 May 1966)
Children: Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as ‘Blanket’)
Honours: Michael was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice and received 13 Grammy Awards throughout his career.

      ‘What is a genius? What is a living legend? What is a megastar? Michael Jackson—that’s all…I think he is one of the finest people to hit this planet and, in my estimation, he is the true King of Pop, Rock and Soul.’

      —Elizabeth Taylor

       ‘I’ve never seen anybody like Michael. He is an emotional star child.’

      —Steven Spielberg

      Was Michael destined for his success? His talents shone so brightly from such an early age that it was perhaps inevitable that they would someday be recognized. However, few artists before or since have been shepherded so forcefully towards the stage, with music becoming an all-consuming focus of their life. It is impossible to understand Michael Jackson the man without first understanding Michael Jackson the boy, as the boy played such a strong role in the life of the man.

      In this tribute to Michael Jackson the legend, we take an overview of his career, his humble background and difficult childhood, his meteoric rise to fame with The Jackson 5 and his even more vertiginous ascent to global recognition as a solo artist. We’ll see records broken and hearts broken in the story of a life that was like no other…

      Michael poses with his younger sister, Janet, at the family home in the Hollywood Hills, December 1972. The two were to share a uniquely close relationship with one another throughout their lives.

      CAREER CHRONOLOGY

      29 August 1958

      Michael Joseph Jackson is born to parents Joe and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana, USA.

      1962

      Michael’s father organizes a musical group comprising his sons Tito, Jermaine and Jackie. Initially called ‘The Jackson Brothers’, they are soon after joined by younger brothers Marlon and Michael, becoming The Jackson Five’.

      1970

      The Jackson 5’ are launched under new label Motown and release ‘I Want You Back’, ’ABC, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I’ll Be There’—they all reach the top spot, thereby setting a world first.

      6 November 1971

      Michael Jackson releases his first solo single, ‘Got to Be There’.

      12 July 1972

      Michael scores his first number 1 single as a solo artist with ‘Ben’.

      24 October 1978

      Michael stars as the ‘Scarecrow’ in the movie adaptation of stage musical The Wiz with Diana Ross and meets Quincy Jones.

      10 August 1979

      Michael releases his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall, marking his first collaboration with Quincy Jones. The album goes platinum while singles ‘Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough’ and ‘Rock with You’ top the charts.

      30 November 1982

      Michael releases the album Thriller, which goes on to become the biggest-selling album of all time. It remains in the charts for two years and hits top spots worldwide.

      ‘Beat It’, ‘Billie Jean’, The Girl Is Mine’, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, ‘Human Nature’ and ‘P.YT (Pretty Young Thing)’ all reach number 1 in the charts.

      The music video to ‘Billie Jean’ becomes the first video by a black artist to be aired regularly on channel MTV, while the video for Thriller is now widely accepted as the greatest music video of all time.

      23 February 1983

      Jackson wins 8 Grammy Awards and agrees a lucrative advertising deal with Pepsi Cola.

      6 July 1984

      Michael releases his final studio album with the Jacksons, Victory.

      31 August 1987

      Michaels new album, Bad, is released, debuting at number 1 in the charts. The world tour which supports it becomes the highest-grossing tour of all time.

      Singles released from the album, ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’, ‘Bad’, The Way You Make Me Feel’, ‘Man in the Mirror’ and ‘Dirty Diana’, all reach number 1.

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