Photos taken on 3 September 2022. Taken from the website, "Musician, Entertainer. He was called the "King of Pop," and is best remembered for his singing as a boy with The Jackson Five and then, later, for videos such as "Thriller" (1982), and "Dangerous" (1991), as well as two Guinness World Records: Most successful entertainer of all time (with 13 Grammy Awards, 13 Number One single hits in a solo career, and sales of over 1 billion records worldwide); and for having the biggest-selling album of all time ("Thriller"). He is also remembered for his trademark single sequined white glove, and for the Moonwalk. Born Michael Joseph Jackson in Gary, Indiana, he was the seventh of nine children of Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson and Katherine Esther Scruse Jackson, a working-class family. His father was a steel mill worker who also played guitar in a Rhythm and Blues band, "The Falcons." Jackson showed his musical abilities early, performing in front of his kindergarten classmates at the age of 5, and later joining his four brothers in a singing group, "The Jackson Brothers," which was changed to "The Jackson 5" when Michael was eight. In 1968, the group signed with Motown Records, their initial break into the recording industry. Michael was recognized as a singing prodigy. Their first four records set a Motown record when all four hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. By the early 1970s, the group was one of the most successful Pop/Soul groups in history. In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with CBS Records, and became known as "The Jacksons." Berry Gordy, the head of Motown Records, would not let them keep their name. The brothers wanted more creative freedom, as in writing their own music. Michael became the principal songwriter of the group. In 1978, he broke into film, playing the Scarecrow in "The Wiz," but had better luck with his music videos, which evolved from a video recording of his singing to a short musical story of intense drama. He called them "short films" instead of videos because they had a beginning, a middle, and an end. He was the first black performer to have a music video, Billie Jean, played in heavy rotation on MTV, breaking the race barrier at that network.
In 1979, he left his brothers to go solo, as he had become more popular than any of them, and he had his own creative vision. During the 1980s, his record sales consistently hit number one, to be topped by the best-selling album of all time, "Thriller" (1982). In a 1988 autobiography, "Moon Walk," he dealt with his father's abuse during his childhood. In 1993, he said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that he suffered from vitiligo, a rare disease that depigments the skin, turning it white, which his autopsy confirmed. He also suffered from Discoid Lupus. In the 1990s, Jackson purchased the Sycamore Valley Ranch, re-naming it "Neverland," as his home. He built it not only for himself to enjoy, but for inner-city, disabled, and other children, so that they could have a day, and sometimes a night, of fun. He welcomed 1000s of people to his ranch, often when he was not even there.
In 1993 a dentist named Evan Chandler, who had ambitions to make movies, demanded $20 million from Jackson for his screenplays. After Jackson refused to pay, Evan and his son, Jordan, publicly accused him of child molestation and sued him for $30 million. Months later, following the judge's ruling which put his rights for a fair trial in jeopardy, Jackson settled the civil case, paying his accuser $15 million. The parties agreed that the settlement would include Jackson's denial of wrongdoing against the boy. The criminal case went on and Jackson was not charged. The Chandlers admitted in their book, that if he had paid them in August 1993, instead of January 1994, they wouldn't have accused him.
10 years later similar accusations were made by a family with a history of sexual abuse and false imprisonment claims, going to the same trial lawyer as the first accuser. The case went to trial and Jackson was found not guilty on all counts. Years after he died, two men with financial problems sued his estate for money, changing their story from defending Jackson to accusing him. After his estate did not settle, the men made a TV program titled "Leaving Neverland", accusing Jackson of 100s of acts of abuse even in places that did not exist at the time. The film excluded witnesses supporting Jackson's innocence and contradicted the men's claims in court in several ways. Two different trial court judges dismissed their lawsuits.
He was married twice, first to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis, in 1994. The marriage lasted for 19 months. He then married Debbie Rowe in 1996. They had two children, a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine, and a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. nicknamed "Prince." This marriage ended in 1999. In 1997, he dedicated his album, "HIStory," to Elton John; it sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Jackson fathered a third child in 2002, a son named Prince Michael Jackson II who he nicknamed "Blanket." To date, the name of the gestational surrogate who carried the baby to term has not been revealed. The boy's biological mother was an anonymous donor. He was very active in a number of charities, and donated upwards of $300 million to various organizations. For much of his 50 years, Jackson experienced severe stress, beginning with his father's alleged mental and physical abuse and his own early fame. His final project was the "This is It" tour, consisting of fifty planned shows at the O2 Arena in London. The tour was just weeks from starting at the time of his death. He had hoped it would put him back on financially solid ground. On June 25, 2009, Jackson was found unconscious at his home. His doctor did not immediately call for help, and by the time the EMTs arrived, he was already dead. It was first reported that he had suffered a heart attack. On July 7, 2009, the Jackson family held a private service for him at Forest Lawn Memorial Park near L.A., followed by a memorial service at the Staples Center that was watched by a worldwide TV audience of more than 2.5 billion people. Michael Jackson was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1997, as a member of the Jackson 5, and in 2001, as a solo artist. In 2002, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. He also received numerous awards for his contributions to Pop music. On August 28, 2009, the Los Angeles County Coroner officially ruled the cause of death as homicide due to acute intoxication from the drug Propofol. In November 2011, Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison, plus restitution to the Jackson estate."
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