Personality - Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh child of Joseph and Catherine Jackson. Joseph, a steel-mill worker, encouraged his three sons Sigmund (Jackie), Toriano (Tito) and Jermaine to practice the guitar and write songs. This trio performed at nightclubs and talent shows.

Young Michael loved to imitate his brothers’ dancing and singing. His parents were often amused to find him lisping a song and trying to mimic his brother’s dance steps. But as he grew older, they found that he had a natural talent for singing.

He sung his first solo in front of his entire school, the song Climbing the Mountain, was a popular number from the musical The Sound of Music.

By the early 1960s, Joseph decided that Michael and his elder brother, Marlon should join their older siblings and form a group. The result was ‘Jackson Five’. This group performed in nightclubs and talent shows.

Despite his young age of six, Michael soon distinguished himself as a singer and dancer of prodigious ability. No mere prodigy, Michael had a gift for vocal phrasing that was not only well beyond his years, but also astonishing in a performer of any age. Michael quickly became the focus of the act, deftly imitating the mannerisms of James Brown, another famous artist.


The Stepping Stone to Success

The brothers won a talent contest in 1965 that led to a recording contract with the Indiana-based Steeltown Records. Then the Jackson Five toured regionally, opening for larger-name Rhythm and Blues (R&B) groups. In 1967, the brothers stood first at an amateur night at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater, and in 1969, they signed a recording contract with Motown Records. That year, the Jackson family moved to Los Angeles, where Motown founder Berry Gordy carefully cultivated the image of the Jackson Five.

Motown Records dressed the group in extravagant, hip outfits, choreographed their elaborate dance numbers, and provided them with musical material. The Jackson Five achieved success almost instantly, scoring number one hit singles with their first four releases: ‘I Want you back (1969), ABC (1970), The Love You Save (1970) and I’ll be There (1970).

Solitary Reaper

In 1971, MGM Records launched the Osmonds, as rivals to the Jackson Five, and singled out their lead singer, 13-year-old Donny Osmond for a solo career. Motown felt it a duty to reply in kind, and the company launched solo careers for Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie. Although Jermaine scored a top-ten hit with Daddy’s Home (1972), Michael was the most successful of the three. His early solo hits included Got to be there and Rockin’ Robin, as well as Ben, which was used in the movie soundtrack of Ben, a story about a boy and his rat.

Meanwhile, the Jackson Five continued recording and performing as a group, and by the mid-1970s, they had forsaken Motown’s songwriters to produce and record hits of their own. They also covered classic pop and R&B (Rhythm and Blues) songs from the 1950s, and abandoned their earlier soul arrangements for the harder sounds of funk. In 1975, when their contract expired with Berry Gordy’s Motown, four of the five brothers switched to Epic Records. Jermaine, who had married Berry Gordy’s daughter, stayed with the old label to pursue a solo career. Steven Jackson (Randy) replaced Jermaine and the new group assumed a new name, The Jacksons. In 1976 and 1977, they starred in a self-titled CBS variety show, which introduced the Jackson girls Maureen (Rebbie), LaToya, and Janet to the audiences. In 1978, The Jacksons released the album Destiny, which many fans and critics consider the best of the Jackson brothers’ later work.

All the while, Michael’s success as a solo performer continued.

Towards Solo Stardom

He made a brief foray into film, starring opposite Diana Ross in The Wiz, an Africo-American update of the hit movie of yesteryear, The Wizard of Oz. The project was usual, but for the fact that it introduced Jackson to legendary producer Quincy Jones, who arranged and conducted the film’s score as well as the soundtrack of the duet with Diana Ross : Ease On Down the Road.

Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson immediately became friends and collaborated on Michael’s next solo project, Off the Wall (1979), an album that transformed the child star into an adult superstar. Cashing on No. 1 hits such as Don’t Stop’ Til You Get Enough and Rock With You, the disc sold 10 million copies and was barraged with critical praise for its barrier-bursting blend of soul and rock and its good-times boogie vibe. Rolling Stone’s notoriously hard-to-please critic, David Marsh, proclaimed Off the Wall "a masterpiece of modern record making." It seemed quite impossible that the blossoming artist could ever match his future works after this album.

But he did, in a magnitude that rocked the music industry with Thriller.

Thriller, the Chiller

As history notes, Thriller, produced by Quincy Jones and directed by John Landis sold more than of 40 million copies, more than any album before or since, and received critical kudos and an unprecedented eight Grammy awards. The album charted a record six top 10 singles, beginning in November 1982, with Paul McCartney, the lead singer of The Beatles duet The Girl is Mine and ending a whopping 16 months later with the title track. Thriller was sustained in its momentum with the help of music videos, which were gaining prominence, thanks to the newborn MTV network. The music video of Thriller was based on Michael’s concept.

He used to watch MTV and realized that all he could see was a senseless collage of colors that gave eyestrain. He decided that if he would make a video, it would be different, with a beginning, middle, and an end. The result was the video of Thriller. It was called the most ambitious video ever made. The nearly 14-minute film boasted director John Landis’ brilliant direction, with other top Hollywood talent creating the special effects and musical score.

The multi-layered plot shifted several times; from a werewolf-monster theme to a zombie-theme to a trick–ending that leaves Michael’s identity unresolved. This concept of video making radically re-imagined the boundaries for music clips, ending MTV’s equivalent of the silent-film era. John Landis took the plot of the rampaging mummies from Night of the Living Dead, and the horror-filled narration of Vincent Price was a feature that added to the Halloween image, not to mention the hair-raising laugh at the end of the video.

Another hit number in the album was Beat It. This was among the most-liked songs by the average kid who wanted to be tough but yet wanted to avoid violence. With tough and funky lyrics like; They told you not to ever come around here; don’t wanna see your face, you’d better disappear; the fires in their eyes, and the words are really clear, so beat it. The glove on one hand, the white socks, and the famous red leather jacket were all Michael’s own ideas. "I love to accent movement, The eye goes to where the white is – you know, – the glove…the feet, if you’re dancing, you can put an exclamation point on your movement if it has a bit of light on it…so I wore the white socks…and for the design of the jacket, I would sit with the people who made the clothes and tell them where I wanted a button or a buckle or a design."


There was rarely an Africo–American neighborhood out of which the tunes of this song could not be heard. Fittingly, the video was one of the most hyped in 1983, made for a then–staggering 150,000 dollars. With a plot inspired by the movie West Side Story, director Giraldi combined two themes of Jackson’s career; a fascination with Hollywood spectacled and an ambivalent attraction to macho behavior. In the video, two gangs assembled for a fight, while Michael, alone in his bedroom, broods about violence. As the hoods line up for a stylized rumble, Michael, wearing the red jacket that became something of a trademark, united the two factions in the joys of choreography. As the gangs just say no to violence, the video displayed Michael’s dazzling dance style – and foreshadowed his emerging Pied Piper persona. Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist for Beat it also made a cameo as the leader of one of the gangs.

But the truly great number, the video which garnered critical acclaim from other established stars, was Billie Jean. Still loved as a foot-tapping number on which Michael himself worked, for three months getting the beat and the music right. Michael said that there really was a girl named Billie Jean who used to follow him around in the days of The Jacksons. The video of this song had wonderful choreography, which even the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, the stars of yesteryears remarked as being "wonderful".

Pacing Up With Success

Michael Jackson hit a professional zenith in the summer of 1984, when he rejoined his brothers, then recording as the Jacksons, for the aptly titled Victory tour.

He ruled through the 1980s. Though his next album, Bad, performed less spectacularly than Thriller, it was a colossal hit by any other standard. He also racked up both music industry awards and honors from the United Negro College Fund, the NAACP, and even the President of the United States. Michael Jackson was a crucial player in the all-star benefit project. We Are The World, an album in which over 40 popular artists performed, the title song was co-written by Michael and fellow singer Lionel Richie. The profit was utilized in projects combating hunger in Africa.

In his Blues

Michael had his occasional bad moments. His head was burnt in a freak accident during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial, for which he had a lucrative endorsement deal, and speculation abounded that he lightened his skin and had plastic surgery to make himself look more ‘white’ – but by and large, his image as the world’s most beloved entertainer was undimmed.

Another Feather in the Cap

Jackson’s memoir, Moonwalk, was adapted into a film in 1988. In 1990, the performance rights organization BMI presented the first Michael Jackson Award – to its namesake. In early 1991, Michael’s sister and fellow pop star Janet Jackson announced that she had scored the biggest record deal in history. One week later, Michael announced his Sony contract, which made Janet’s look paltry by comparison. His 1991 release Dangerous, however, did not perform to expectations. Some controversy was generated by the fact that, reportedly Jackson granted his innovative Black and White video to MTV on the condition that the network refer to him as the ‘King of Pop’. His video Black and White debuted to much publicity and breathless anticipation, but the audience somewhat recorded from the violent coda.

In 1993, he agreed to have an interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey, an unusual step for the press shy Jackson. The interview helped boost sales. Over time, the album performed impressively; again, only the standards previously set by Michael himself cast any doubt on its popularity. He was showered with honors in Laurels in 1993, including a Living Legend Award at the Grammys and, more controversially, the Humanitarian of the Year trophy at the Soul Train Awards.

The Harsh Comments

Yet, Jackson’s reputation as an androgynous recluse, who lived in a state of perpetual adolescence–rumors of his Peter-Pan-like life (Peter Pan is an imaginary character of a boy who never grows up), and hobbies at his sprawling ranch and private amusement park, ‘Neverland’- abounded and increased. He also earned the scorn of some self-appointed moral guardians when one of his videos showed him smashing a car window and grabbing his crotch more flagrantly than usual; he excised the footage as soon as eyebrows were raised.

Ranch led to Bench

His enormous California ranch, which he had named Neverland, had grounds filled with amusement park rides, inviting children to visit and even stay with him. His penchant for plastic surgery, mysteriously lightening skin tone, and often-bizarre behavior (such as wearing a surgical mask in public in the style of Howard Hughes the eccentric billionaire) made him a frequent target for gossip tabloids. There were stories that he slept in a special oxygen chamber to prevent aging, and also that he had tried to purchase the Elephant Man’s skeleton for 50,000 dollars. He had also bought ATV Publishing, which owned the rights to many Beatles songs (as well as material from Elvis, Little Richard, and others), a profitable business decision but a move, which ruined his friendship with Paul McCartney. Michael Jackson had an eccentricity, which had almost no effect on his popularity.

No one could have anticipated, however, the changes that rocked the entertainment world in 1993. A 13-year-old boy, identified only as a ‘friend’ of the singer, asserted that Jackson had sexually abused him during his stay at Neverland. Jackson was on tour when the allegations were made public, and he promptly brought the series of performances to a halt, claiming exhaustion and addiction to painkillers. After extensive legal wrangling and much mudslinging from both the parties, the boy’s family and lawyers and Jackson’s defense team, Jackson opted to settle out of court for an estimated 20 million dollars. Though he settled, Jackson denied any wrongdoing.

Despite the investigation of a second boy who said he’d slept in the same bed with Jackson – but alleged no improper behavior on the entertainer’s part – the Los Angeles District Attorney brought his investigation to a close in 1994. Jackson’s attorney said this was due to lack of evidence, though others claimed it was the boy’s refusal to testify that weakened the case. Meanwhile, longtime friends of Jackson had issued passionate statements in his defense. "I am mortified and disgusted by what has been reported with no evidence of anything untoward," said producer Bruce Swedien, as quoted in Rolling Stone (a music magazine), "Michael is one of the most decent people I’ve ever met in my life. These allegations are preposterous." Jackson’s own public statement expressed confidence that he would be fully exonerated, "I am grateful for the overwhelming support of my fans throughout the world…I love you all." Yet the scandal devastated Jackson and heightened speculation that his career was over. He lost his Pepsi endorsement as well as a deal for several films in which he hoped to star. "They just pulled the plug when the scandal broke," noted director John Landis to the magazine Entertainment Weekly.

The rumor-mongering over the alleged molestation continued, as the media and industry insiders played the age-old game of trying to pin down Michael Jackson’s personal life.

The Wedlock

In 1994, Jackson shocked the public again – in a very different way. He and Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock innovator and cultural icon Elvis Presley, were married in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic. The unexpected union was the cause of further speculation; had Jackson married to divert attention from his alleged homosexuality and/or pederasty? Was he hoping to save his career by establishing himself as a ‘normal’ and adult man ? A very staged kiss at the MTV Music Awards added fuel to the fire.

Meanwhile, Michael Jackson returned to what he did best – making records. He commenced recording new tracks for an ambitious package that would include his greatest hits along with an album’s worth of new material. He gathered a number of songwriters and producers and even recorded a duet with his sister Janet. Epic Records, the branch of Sony that handled his recordings, prepared for a massive media assault. Jackson and Lisa Marie appeared on a television interview with Diana Sawyer. The singer and his bride vehemently insisted that they had a sex life and planned to have children. Naturally, such urgency only encouraged those who felt that their public claims to ‘normalcy’ were career propaganda. Even so, the interview earned astronomical ratings and helped prepare the way for the new album’s marketing blitz. This included the sudden appearance of building high statues of the performer, one of which is pictured on the cover of the disc.

Setting up the Stage Again

The marketing campaign for HIStory : Past, Present, and Future, Book 1 (1995) was the biggest ever seen for an album; amid the hype, strangely enough, Jackson was trumpeting the message that he resented intrusions into his privacy. When HIStory was released it met with mixed reviews. "It’s not where music is headed, its where music has been," complained radio station music director Bruce St James, quoted in Newsweek. The public, despite the media bombast, seemed to agree. The debut single, Scream–a raucous duet with Janet that was supported by a flashy science-fiction video, earned only a lukewarm reception, and History dropped out of the top-10 within a few weeks.

Yet the record could scarcely be called a failure, given that it was a double album and promised to issue singles for at least another year. One, the ballad Childhood, also appeared on the soundtrack of the family film Free Willy 2, promising an even wider audience. "There will probably be nine singles", pronounced Epic executive David Glew to Billboard, "That puts us through two Christmas’…I think this will be one of the biggest albums of all time, but we know it will take the full weight of the company." Meanwhile, many fans, who did not adore the new tracks would likely still invest in the package just to have Jackson’s classic hits in one place.

Striking the Wrong Note

Another scandal erupted immediately, however, it involved the presence of apparently anti-Semitic lyrics of the song, They Don’t Care About Us. Steven Spielberg, superstar filmmaker and stalwart defender of Jackson during his earlier travails, publicly criticized the lyrics, as did many other individuals and groups. Jackson announced that he harbored no prejudice toward anyone, though he remarked that "My Lawyers are Jewish" scarcely banished all doubts.

A smaller ripple came from the revelation that Lisa Marie’s two children from her previous marriage were unhappy living at Neverland. The couple divorced amicably in 1996. Later the same year, Jackson announced that Deborah Rowe, an assistant to his dermatologist, was pregnant with his child. The couple was married in Australia soon after his announcement, and Rowe subsequently gave birth to a son, Prince Michael Jackson Jr. A daughter, Paris Michael Katherine, was born in the spring of 1998. Jackson and Rowe announced their intention to divorce in 1999.


Only Intimate Friend

When asked if he has a close friend, he immediately answered with ‘Elizabeth’ referring to the queen of the silverscreen of yesteryear, Elizabeth Taylor, and indeed both of them are seen together a lot, visiting studios or going to the movies. Elizabeth said of him, "Everything about Michael is truthful…there is something in him that is so dear and childlike – not childish, but childlike – that we both have and identify with."

Michael Jackson : The May who Made Difference

Jackson’s most recent album, Blood on the Dance Floor : HIStory in the Mix, a combination of some new and some remixed material was released in 1997.

Even when beset by rumors and scandals – which have followed him throughout his career – Michael Jackson has masterfully translated adversity into greater fame.

While many argue that his work has been uneven, his contribution to modern pop has been enormous. Indeed, Jackson redefined stardom for the video era, and popular culture would never be the same.