Michael Jackson was a singer, songwriter from the United States,
recognized as one of the most successful recording artists of all time.
Jackson was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana, the eighth child of the eventual ten Jackson children.
Michael joined the family band, The Jackson Brothers, in 1964, joining his brothers Marlon, Jackie, Tito and Jermaine.
Even at this young age, Michael showed great promise
and began sharing lead vocals with Jermaine when he was just eight years old.
The band changed their name to the Jackson 5 and began touring the American Midwest.
The group was signed to Motown Records in 1968,
and their first four singles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, with Michael on lead vocals.
He went on to release four solo albums as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, but the group sales began to decline,
and the Jackson 5 left Motown Records in 1975.
In 1978, Michael met Quincy Jones, who agreed to produce Michael's next solo album Off the Wall.
Michael and Quincy Jones co-produced Off the Wall which led to four top 10 US hits and eventually sold 20 million copies and won several awards.
Jackson's next release, Thriller, in 1982 won him several Grammys and American Music Awards,
and it's still believed to be the best selling album of all time worldwide, with an estimated 65 million sales.
In 1985, Michael finalized the purchase of ATV music for $47.5 million which held the copyright to around 4,000 songs,
including many songs recorded by The Beatles.
Michael was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus in 1986,
and the subsequent lightening of his skin gained huge media coverage.
It was also speculated that Michael had undergone various plastic surgery procedures on his face during this time, although he strictly denied this.
In 1987, Michael released the album Bad, which sold over 40 million copies, and then followed the success with the Bad tour,
performing 123 concerts to over 4 million people and led to his nickname the King of Pop.
He then released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991, which sold $30 million copies worldwide,
and the subsequent tour grossed over $100 million.
He founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992, which helped children around the world who'd been affected by famine, war and poverty,
and also drew public attention to the controversial topic of HIV/AIDS research and fund raising.
In 1993, Michael was accused of child's sexual abuse by a 13 year old boy.
He proclaimed his innocence and no charges were filed, and a $22 million settlement between Michael and boy's family was finalized.
He went on to release his Album Greatest Hits - History, Vol. 1 in 2001 followed by History Continues to more commercial success and subsequent tour.
During the tour, Michael married Deborah Rowe, a dermatology nurse who gave birth to Michael Jr. in 1997 and Paris in 1998.
He then released a further two albums Blood On the Dance Floor and Invincible, to reasonable commercial success.
His third child Prince Michael II was born by artificial insemination.
In 2003, Michael was arrested and charged with seven counts of child molestation.
A trial began in early in 2005 and Michael was acquitted on all accounts,
and left the USA and relocated to Bahrain.
He worked on various projects over the next few years, and then in March 2009,
he announced the series of comeback concerts named, This Is It,
the first major concert since 1997, announcing that he would retire after the tour.
Less than three weeks before the first concert was due to take place, Michael died of a cardiac arrest in Los Angeles.
In the 12 months following his death, 35 million albums were sold worldwide, with further posthumous releases achieving great success.
His legacy continues as one of the highest selling recording artists of all time.