He was born Michael Joseph Jackson on August 29, 1958, and died June 25, 2009. Michael Jackson was an American recording artist icon and entertainer extraordinaire, as well as a philanthropist and businessman. He was the Jackson family's seventh child, and in 1969 at the age of 11, he made his professional music scene debut as a member of The Jackson Five. Then, in 1971, he began a solo career while still remaining with the group. Michael's early carreer successes accurately and deservedly branded him with the illustrious title "King of Pop". His 1982 album Thriller is the all time world's best-selling record ever, and four of his other solo studio albums are also among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

    Early in the 1980's, he became the first black entertainer with an enormously dominant presence in popular music and amassed a strong multi-racial following on MTV. Michael Jackson's MTV music videos such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" were so popular they were widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into a brand new art form, which helped put the spotlight of fame on this relatively new channel. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple in the 1990's. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson made famous a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

    Jackson's foundations donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes where he supported 39 different charities. There were other aspects of his personal life too, such as his often changing appearances and odd, eccentric behavior which generated much controversy over time and damaged his public image. In 1993 he was accused of child sexual abuse, but, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. Since the early 1990's, the singer had experienced health concerns and there were also conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990's. Michael Jackson was married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy, and still does after his death. In 2005, several other charges and allegations of sexual abuse arose against Jackson but he was tried and acquitted.

    Michael Jackson was one of only a handful of artists to have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame two separate times. Other notable achievements include multiple Guinness World Records, including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career, and the sale of 750 million albums worldwide (and still going!). Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50. The specific cause of death has yet to be determined. Before his death, Jackson had announced a 50-date sell-out comeback tour, "This Is It", which he had planned to perform in London, England. His loss will be felt around the world.

Peace be with you, MJ.

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