Youngest son of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson's son The role of the Scarecrow in the movie "The Wiz"

Michael Jackson is a legendary American musician, the most successful pop music performer in world history, dancer, actor, songwriter. 1 billion copies of Jackson's records have been sold worldwide, including albums, singles and compilations. The musician got into the Guinness Book of Records 25 times and received only 15 Grammy awards, and hundreds of other musical awards.

Michael Jackson became a pop idol during his lifetime. The singer is called by fans the king of this genre, and in 2009 he received the official title of Legend of America and Music Icon.

Childhood and youth

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in the family of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, in the American town of Gary (Indiana). The sign of the zodiac is Virgo. The boy became the seventh child of nine. The childhood of the future star cannot be called happy. Later, Jackson repeatedly mentioned that his father was a real tyrant, oppressing children morally and physically. The singer spoke about some of the atrocities of the head of the family on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1993.

Once, in the middle of the night, the father, wearing a terrible mask and uttering piercing cries, climbed into the window to the sleeping Michael. So he wanted to teach children to close windows before going to bed. After this incident, the child was tormented by nightmares about being kidnapped from his own bedroom. In 2003, Joseph Jackson himself admitted that he had actually assaulted children.

Cruel upbringing played a cruel joke with Michael, on the one hand, accustomed to iron discipline, which had a positive effect on his achievements, and on the other hand, crippled his psyche for life.

Nevertheless, it was his father who brought Michael to the stage: Joseph united his five offspring in the musical group The Jackson 5. Michael was the youngest member of the group, but this did not stop him from attracting attention even then. He had a unique style of performance and unusual choreography.

From 1966 to 1968, the team toured extensively in the Midwest, and in 1969 they signed a contract with the recording studio Motown Records. It was with this company that the artists released their hits, which became popular in subsequent years.

In 1970, the musical family managed to reach the national level - their first few singles were marked on the top line of the American Billboard Hot 100 chart. Since 1973, the band's success began to fade, and the ensemble had to sign a contract with another company, calling itself The Jacksons. Until 1984, the group released 6 more albums and traveled around the country with them.

Music

Simultaneously with work in the family band The Jacksons, Michael Jackson released four solo albums and several singles that gained popularity. This is Got to BeThere, and Rockin "Robin, and a composition called Ben, which topped the charts in 1972.

In 1987, the singer starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. During filming, he met Quincy Jones. It was this music director who later became the producer of the star's most famous albums. The first of these was Off the Wall (1979).

The album introduced Michael Jackson to the world as a bright, original young performer and dancer. Then hits Don't Stop "Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You" soared to the top of the charts. The album was sold in 20 million copies.

Michael Jackson - Don't Stop "Til You Get Enough"

Then in November 1982, Thriller was released, which went down in history as the best-selling album in the world and gave America and everyone else such immortal singles as The GirlIs Mine, Beat It, Wanna Be Startin "Somethin", Human Nature, P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) and Thriller. This album stayed at the top of the charts for a record 37 weeks and brought Michael Jackson eight Grammy Awards.

In 1983, the musician released the track Billie Jean. Almost immediately, Michael Jackson shoots a music video for this song, in which he combines dancing, special effects, a complex plot and star cameos.

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

The singer is trying to get on MTV, but to no avail. Music critics of this period acknowledge that such a rejection of Michael Jackson's work was most likely due to racial stereotypes, but MTV staff denied any manifestation of racism. However, "Billie Jean" became the first video by an African-American artist to get into hot rotation on the channel.

By the spring of 1983, under pressure from CBS Records, the channel gives up and launches the clip "Billie Jean" on the air. Then the video for the song Beat It appears on the screens, and a long-term cooperation is established between the musician and the channel.

Shot from Michael Jackson's video for the song "Thriller"

The video for the song Thriller hit the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful music video. According to critics, the 13-minute "Thriller" is more of a full-fledged short film than a video sequence for the song. Until the moment when the composition begins to sound in the clip, 4 minutes of the plot pass, in which Jackson manages to reincarnate as a werewolf. Against the background of Michael's song, a voice-over is heard, typical for classic horror films, and the action in the video unfolds according to the canons of thrillers, ending with the legendary dance of the performer surrounded by zombies.

These music videos, which were more like short films, became a unique feature of Jackson. And for other artists, by doing so, Michael raised the bar high.

Michael Jackson moonwalk

The idol of millions first demonstrated the famous “moonwalk” on March 25, 1983 on the show Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, while performing the song Billie Jean. In addition to completely new choreography, Michael brought synchronized dance performance to live concerts, ushering in the era of variety performances, during which performers recreate music videos on stage. Now it seems ordinary to the viewer, but then it made a splash, if not a revolution.

In 1984, the pop singer, along with the song Say, Say, Say, became an instant hit.

Michael Jackson - Say Say Say

But not all clips were successful with critics and the public. In 1987, an 18-minute video for the song Bad was released, it was directed by. The budget for the video was $2.2 million. An unknown actor also took part in the film at that time. The shortened 4-minute version got into rotation. Time magazine called the song's music video "shameful", all because of Jackson's overly sexy and provocative movements. And here he meant his trademark touch of the crotch.

Subsequently, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the musician admitted that these movements came out involuntarily, the music required such emancipation.

Michael Jackson - Bad

In 1988, the musician presented his new work Smooth Criminal to the audience. It was here that Jackson first performed a move known as the "anti-gravity tilt". A complex element required the musician to lean forward almost to the floor, and then straighten up without bending his legs. Special boots were developed for this choreographic trick, for which Jackson received US patent No. 5255452.

In the same year, a film dedicated to another famous choreographic movement of Jackson - "Moonwalk" was released. The picture earned $ 67 million at the box office, a year later the tape was released on video cassettes, 800 thousand copies were sold.

In 1990, Michael Jackson received the "MTV Artist of the Decade" Video Vanguard Award for his achievements in the 80s, and already in 1991 this award was renamed in honor of the musician. At the end of the same year, a controversial video for the song Black or White was presented. The clip was watched by 500 million people, which was a record at that time. The composition called for racial tolerance and non-violence.

The video features people of different nationalities. Also, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt took part in its creation. But in full version The video contained scandalous elements, which the public regarded as a call to violence. The musician apologized and was forced to edit the video.

Michael Jackson - Black Or White

In 2001, the album In vincible was presented, and in 2003, a collection of songs, Number Ones, appeared. A long break in the recording of new albums provoked a conflict between Jackson and the record label. Sony did not want to continue to finance the protracted process.

In 2004, the singer released a collection of songs Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection, consisting of 5 discs. It includes recognized hits of the musician and unreleased compositions for the entire 30-year creative biography Michael Jackson.

King of Pop Michael Jackson

In 2009, the king of pop intended to release a new disc, but, unfortunately, did not have time to do so. Also this summer, the musician planned a concert tour This Is It Tour. Initially, it was about ten concerts, but the demand for tickets turned out to be so high that the organizers provided for an additional 40 performances.

In addition to music and dancing, Michael Jackson was fascinated by cinema. During his life, he managed to star in more than 20 films. The musician made his debut in cinema at the age of 20, it was the fantastic tape "Wiz" by Sidney Lumet. Then he starred in short films, for example, "Captain Io".

Michael Jackson in "Men in Black 2"

The king of pop also played in the films Men in Black 2, Moonwalk, and Ghosts. His last work was the role in the film "That's it", the film was shot in 2009.

Operations

With the advent of popularity, the singer had considerable cash, a decent part of which he immediately began to spend on changing his appearance. Since the mid-80s, the appearance of Michael Jackson began to change dramatically: the skin became lighter every year, the shape of the nose, lips, chin and cheekbones changed. Soon it became impossible to recognize in the artist that dark-skinned boy with a wide nose and full lips, which he was in childhood.

There were rumors that the king of pop was trying to get rid of the appearance characteristic of African Americans and become white. Journalists assumed that the musician was influenced by racism towards Michael at the beginning of his career: the studios and TV channels did not want to cooperate with the black singer.

Jackson himself denied rumors about a special change in skin color, explaining the fact of her lightening by a violation of pigmentation. According to the musician, stress has become a catalyst for the progressive genetic disease vitiligo. Evidence of Michael's words was a photo with uneven pigmentation.

At performances, the musician covered up areas of skin with missing pigment with dark make-up, but soon he had to switch to a light shade, as there were fewer and fewer dark areas. The disease also forced the singer to protect himself from the sun, wear closed clothes and hide under an umbrella, hide his face under a hat and dark glasses.

Michael Jackson confirms only 3 plastic surgeries

The artist called the situation with facial plastic surgery a necessity associated with severe head burns that were received during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. The singer officially confirmed only three plastic surgeries, before and after which Jackson's appearance changed so dramatically: two nose jobs and an operation that created a dimple on the artist's chin. Michael Jackson explained the rest of the appearance changes with age and the transition to a vegetarian diet.

According to doctors, the musician underwent surgery that made his lips thinner, his forehead higher, and changed the shape of his cheeks and eyelids. In the early 2000s, Michael Jackson began to appear in a medical mask. Rumors spread that the singer's nose was collapsing, and allegedly he underwent emergency surgery to restore it. Moreover, he soon appeared in public with a band-aid. But the musician denied the information about surgical intervention, explaining the presence of the patch allergy.

Later, plastic surgeon Arnold Klein admitted to reporters that he performed a second operation on Jackson's nose to restore the singer's ability to breathe.

Scandals

The life of Michael Jackson caused no less excitement than his work. Every step of the star artist was covered in the media. And there were a lot of scandals in the life of the pop king.

In 2002, Michael Jackson carried his newly born son to the balcony of a hotel room in Berlin and, throwing the child over the railing, waved him in front of fans. Everything happened at a height of four floors, and the danger was obvious. After the photo of the “caring father” went around the world, Jackson gave a speech in which he admitted his behavior was a terrible mistake.

Scandalous video with son

But there was in his life a scandal more serious than an irresponsible attitude towards his son. The musician was accused of molesting minors. Perhaps this is what ultimately put an end to his musical career and health.

Back in 1993, the singer was charged with sexual acts against 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, who was friends with the musician and often spent time at his Neverland ranch. According to the boy's father, Michael Jackson forced his son to touch his genitals.

The police conducted an investigation, during which they even demanded that the musician show his genitals for comparison with the testimony of a teenager. But the matter did not reach the court, the parties entered into an amicable agreement. Then the situation was resolved by paying the Chandler family $ 22 million.

Ten years later, in 2003, Michael was charged with the same. This time, the relatives of 13-year-old Neverland regular Gavin Arvizo made claims. The parents claimed that the boy, along with other children, slept in the same room with Jackson, who drugged the children with alcohol and then felt them.

Michael Jackson Ranch "Neverland"

The singer himself denied the accusations, arguing that the Arvizo family was simply extorting money. The trial lasted four months and caused a massive stir in the media. 2,200 publishing houses and TV channels accredited correspondents to cover the details of the scandalous case. In 2005, a jury acquitted him for lack of evidence.

Despite the victory in court, the services of lawyers devastated the bank accounts of the pop king, and the trial itself greatly undermined the health of the idol of millions. Michael Jackson was forced to take strong antidepressants. After the death of the singer, Jordan Chandler admitted that his father forced him to slander the artist for the sake of money, who then committed suicide.

Personal life

In 1994, Michael Jackson again surprised the whole world by secretly tying the knot with his daughter.

The event became a sensation, in which some saw a calculation to save the singer's reputation, others saw it as a touching merger of two of the most famous families in the world of music. Be that as it may, the marriage lasted only a year and a half.

In November 1996, after breaking off relations with his first wife, Jackson registered a marriage with Debbie Rowe, who once worked as a nurse. From this woman, the singer left two children. Son Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. was born in 1997, and a year later, the wife gave the pop king a daughter. The union of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe lasted until 1999.

Michael Jackson's children with singer's sister Janet Jackson

In 2002, the third child of the artist, Prince Michael II, was born from a surrogate mother.

In 2012, information appeared on the Web that Michael Jackson had an affair with the singer. This was announced by David Guest, an American producer and a mutual friend of Whitney and Michael. According to him, the woman was truly in love with Jackson and wanted to marry him. But he was too humble to propose to her.

It is known that Michael's only daughter became an actress. She starred in the series "Star" and the feature film "Dangerous Business". His son Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. works in television, though behind the scenes. He is a producer and director. The youngest son is still in school. Fans believe that he is more like his father than anyone else. He has dark skin, long black hair, Brown eyes. Many hope that he will follow in his father's footsteps and become a musician.

Death

Biographers of Michael Jackson claim that long before his death, the musician experienced physical ailments, suffered from lack of weight and depended on painkillers. Their words are confirmed by doctors, to whom the musician turned for medicines. Jackson's surgeon Arnold Klein confirmed that the pop musician abused prescription drugs, but at the same time noted that Michael was in good physical and psychological condition, danced for the doctor's patients and did not look dying.

On the morning of June 25, 2009, the singer was in a rented house in the west of Los Angeles. The artist's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, gave him an injection of propofol and left. Two hours later, he found Michael Jackson on the bed with his eyes and mouth wide open and tried to resuscitate him, but the attempts were unsuccessful. At 12:21 am ambulances were called.

Medics arrived in less than 4 minutes and found the lifeless body of the king of pop. Doctors, without losing hope, continued resuscitation for several hours, but they failed to bring the idol of millions back to life. The pop star died at 14:26 local time, the cause of death was recognized as a drug overdose.

The media talked about the suicide of a celebrity, about the deliberate murder at the hands of ill-wishers, and about the tragic negligence of a doctor. The investigation confirmed the latter option. Jackson's doctor was later revoked from his license to practice medicine and found guilty of manslaughter, for which he went to prison for 4 years.

On June 25, a number of musicians recorded the song Better on the Other Side in memory of Michael Jackson. The song was covered by The Game, Diddy, DJ Khalil, Mario Winens, Polow da Don, Usher and Boyz II Men.

On July 7, 2009, a farewell ceremony was held in Los Angeles, beginning with a family service at Liberty Hall at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, followed by a live farewell to the public at the Staples Center. The news of Michael Jackson's death broke online records and overloaded search engine traffic, creating internet traffic jams.

Michael Jackson's funeral is shrouded in mystery. The location of the body was kept secret. Rumors leaked to the Internet that the pop star was buried on August 8 or 9, then the media reported that the funeral took place at the end of August. Soon, the news was published on the Web that the ceremony would take place only in September. Michael finally found peace on September 3 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in suburban Los Angeles.

These secrets around the burial gave rise to the rumor that Michael Jackson is alive and simulated his own death and funeral in order to end the life of a star under the cameras and live quietly away from the hustle and bustle, the media and the paparazzi. Proponents of this theory cite hundreds of proofs.

Fans are confused by the situation with the funeral. Jackson was buried in closed coffin, several times postponed the date of the funeral, transported to the crypt. Forest Lawn Cemetery is listed in the documents as a place of temporary burial, and where the singer's body is now is not known for certain.

Reliable details established by the investigation were also not made public, the police did not give intelligible comments on the investigation. The cameras from Jackson's house are gone. There are inaccuracies in the autopsy report. An interesting fact is that the musician's family refused to do a DNA test.

Fans also noted that reports of the singer's death had already been released a couple of times during his lifetime, but Michael denied them. The events after the death of the musician also look mysterious: Jackson's personal belongings were bought by an anonymous collector at a closed auction, and an unknown friend of Michael manages the late artist's finances. In addition, fans claim that they have seen their favorite singer more than once in England, Mexico, Bahrain and other countries.

Is Michael Jackson alive?

Some believe that the death was beneficial to Jackson. It's no secret that the pop idol has been on the rocks in recent years. His debts ran into the millions of dollars. Just to correct his deplorable financial position he agreed to 50 concerts of the farewell tour.

Already at that time, tickets worth about $85 million had been sold. The amount is colossal, only doctors believe that holding such a large-scale event for the singer practically meant suicide, since even then he did not differ in iron health.

The news of the death of Michael Jackson provoked an unprecedented demand for his albums. Thriller topped the iTunes charts. CD sales soared 721 times, making the king of pop top the list of richest dead stars.

Michael Jackson - Thriller

One way or another, after the death of the artist, his musical biography didn't end. Sony has signed a contract with the Jackson family for the release of 10 of his albums. They will include previously unreleased songs, as well as reissues of old records of the King of Pop. True, fans and music critics ambiguously perceived this idea.

In 2010, Michael Jackson's first posthumous album, called Michael, was released. The album received mixed reviews, but fans admitted that the album turned out to be even better than they expected. Together with the disc, a number of singles and clips for the songs included in the album were released.

michael jackson

A year later, the Immortal remix album was released, which included 15 recognized hits of the musician. Some of his compositions became the soundtracks of the production of Cirque du Soleil by Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The show consisted of the usual acrobatic numbers and dancing in the style of Michael Jackson. Choreographers who collaborated with the singer during his lifetime worked on the program of the show.

In May 2014, the second full-fledged posthumous album of the King of Pop Xscape was presented, containing 8 tracks. On May 18, the musician even performed live at the Billboard ceremony. A Pepper's Ghost holographic image of Jackson appeared on stage and "performed" the song Slave To The Rhythm.

Michael Jackson has and now popular "Instagram". By the way, the page is verified. But still, it would be more correct to consider this page as a fan page, since the singer died before the creation of a social network. It is known that his Instagram is run by a large American advertising agency, which was hired by representatives of the Michael Jackson legacy company.

Discography

• 1972 - Got to Be There
• 1972-Ben
• 1973 - Music & Me
• 1975 - Forever, Michael
• 1979 – Off the Wall
• 1982 - Thriller
• 1987 - Bad
• 1991 -Dangerous
• 1995 - HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
• 2001 - Invincible
• 2010 – Michael
• 2011 - Immortal
• 2014 – Xscape

Filmography

• 1978 - Wiz
• 1983 - "Thriller"
• 1988 - "Moonwalk"
• 1988 - "Smart Criminal"
• 2002 - "Men in Black 2"
• 2009 - "That's it"

June 25, 2017, 19:36

Today is exactly 8 years since the death of the King of Pop. All fans of Michael Jackson remember the great artist. His talent and genius changed a lot in music in general. Many books and films have been written about Michael's life story. I, in turn, want to introduce you to the youngest son of Michael.

Quite a lot is already known about the older children of Michael Jackson. In addition, Prince and Paris themselves periodically give interviews and go out. But almost nothing is known about the youngest son. So I tried to find at least a little information about him.

Prince Michael Jackson II was born on February 21, 2002 to a surrogate mother whose identity is unknown. Michael gave him the nickname "Blanket", which means "blanket". When asked by a journalist why he gave him such a nickname, he replied:

Because this is the expression that I use in conversations with my family, with my employees. I say "you can cover me" or "you can cover her" meaning that the veil is a blessing. This is a way to show love and care.

When Prince was only a couple of months old, a scandalous story was connected with him, when Michael, from the fifth floor showing his fans on Prince Street, staggered a little and it seemed to many that Michael almost dropped him. “I would never have done this, I held him tight,” he assured.

It is known that Jackson always tried to hide his family from the press and fans: when they appeared in public with their father, the children wore masks. In a controversial interview with Martin Bashir, Michael fed Prince while covering him with a cloth.

Prince Michael Jackson II considered "the most similar" to his father. After all, Paris and Prince (senior) have fair skin, while Blanket has darker skin. And indeed they are very similar.

Tito Jackson on Prince: Blanket reminds me a lot of Michael. He is a funny and hooligan boy, hooligan in a good sense of the word. He reminds me a lot of his dad, with all his behavior.

Paris and Prince (senior) have long lived independent lives. Blanket is only 15 years old and under the care of his grandmother Katherine Jackson.

It is known that Blanket goes to karate, his favorite color is blue, loves carrot juice. (that's all I found on the Internet) And he travels a lot with his family! Quite often appears on Paris's Instagram.

Paris' Instagram caption:
"look at my little poop, he's so cute I'm ready to die"

Michael wanted Blanket to have long hair, so Blanket did not touch it and went with long hair from childhood.

But last year he cut off his long locks :(

The latest official news about him is that he changed his nickname "Blanket" to which everyone is accustomed to "Bigi" (Bigi, Bigi). This is due to the fact that the nickname "Blanket" causes ridicule from peers. His nickname is misunderstood, so he asked his family and friends to call him Bigi now.

"His schoolmates have always been a little hostile towards him. Perhaps it's because of jealousy. The name Blanket made him an even easier target for ridicule," the insider said.

Currently, Prince Michael Jackson II is studying at the Buckley School in California.

Well, a few more photos)

Hope everything goes well for him :)

Legendary american singer Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, USA. He was the seventh of nine children in the Jackson family.

At the age of five, Michael became a member of the Jackson Five family band and soon took over as lead vocalist.

In 1968, the Jackson Five signed a contract with Motown Records and recorded such hits as I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save and I "ll Be There. In the mid-1970s, the popularity of the Jackson Five began to decline, and a solo career Michael began to gain momentum.

In 1977, Michael Jackson made his debut in the film-musical The Wiz, which began his long-term collaboration with the famous producer and composer Quincy Jones. Together with him, Michael released a solo album Off the Wall in 1979. The disc took the top lines of the US and UK charts, and for the song Don "t Stop" Til You Get Enough, Jackson received his first Grammy statuette.

In 1982, the singer released his second album Thriller. The album became one of the most commercially successful in the history of pop music - its circulation amounted to 70 million copies worldwide. The Thriller disc brought Michael seven Grammy awards.

A video clip was shot for the album's main song of the same name, which is considered to be the beginning of the active development of the music video.

In 1983, at the Motown 25 years show, Michael Jackson walked his famous "moonwalk" for the first time.

In 1987, the singer released the album Bad. All the singles from this album reached the first lines of the charts. The album was sold with a circulation of 29 million copies.

In the same year, Jackson's autobiography Moonwalker was published.

In 1991, Michael Jackson signed a major contract with Sony Music and released his solo album Dangerous.

The singer finally secured the status of the first star in the world show business - his composition Black Or White became a number one hit on both sides of the ocean.

In September 1993, a Michael Jackson concert took place in Moscow, at the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Stadium.

In 1995, Jackson released the double album HIStory, which paired a disc of 15 new songs with a greatest hits disc. The album has sold 7 million copies in the US (15 million worldwide).

In 1996, Jackson's second performance in Russia took place at the Dynamo Stadium in Moscow.

In 1997, an album of dance remixes for tracks from HIStory - Blood on the Dancefloor appeared in stores.

The album Invincible, released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single You rock my world, which featured the legendary actor Marlon Brando in the video. In the same year, Michael recorded the song What more can I give, the proceeds of which went to charity.

Michael Jackson's greatest hits album Number Ones was released in 2003. The only original track on this disc, One More Chance, spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard charts.

In 2004, Jackson released the anniversary edition of Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection, a five-disc collection of his biggest hits, demos, and an additional DVD of live recordings from the Dangerous tour.

In August 2008, Michael Jackson released an original studio album titled King of Pop. The collection consisted of compositions based on poems by the great Scottish poet of the 18th century, Robert Burns.

Jackson's album Thriller 25, released in February 2008 to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the legendary Thriller album, was a great success. The new compilation includes nine original tracks from the old album, as well as remixes and a new song For All Time.
The disc reached number one on the charts in eight European countries, reached number two in the US and number three in the UK charts. It was sold in the USA.

As a forensic medical examination established, the king of pop music became an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.

July 7, 2009 at the Staples sports and entertainment complex in Los Angeles was held with Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson has been married twice. The first time was on Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. The marriage did not last long, from 1994 to 1996, but the stars remained friends. In 1996, Michael Jackson married former nurse Debbie Rowe. For three years of marriage, they had two children: a son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Sr. (1997) and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (1998). Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (2002), was born via a surrogate mother.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

It would truly be the duel of the century - an epic audio and video contest between two of the most powerful talents of the generation. One-Glove Man vs. Purple Rain Man. The King of Pop vs. His Majesty the Rebel. Michael Jackson vs Prince.

The pop stars met in late September 1986 to discuss a proposed "duel". A little earlier, Disneyworld and Disneyland parks hosted the premiere of a revolutionary fantasy movie featuring Jackson in 4-D, Captain EO, and collected a full house . The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by George Lucas, showed, among other things, Jackson's significant position in the entertainment industry. After the release of the album Thriller artists, film producers and multi-million dollar corporations lined up to work with him. Everything he touched turned to gold. After spending a few months on set Captain EO, the artist is once again busy recording songs and creating concepts for short films for the much anticipated new album - Bad.

Meanwhile, at the very beginning of the summer, Prince released his own musical film, Under the Cherry Moon, and its soundtrack Parade. Filmed on the beautiful French Riviera and directed by the Prince himself, the stylized black-and-white romantic comedy-drama failed to do well at the box office (nor did it enthrall most critics). However, the film had clear artistic ambitions; in addition, the film brought Prince one of the most successful singles of his career, the funk hit Kiss, which took first place in the charts. Upon his return from France, the highly creative Prince began work on a collection of songs, with plans to release a triple album titled crystal ball, which later turned into a critically acclaimed masterpiece - Sign O' the Times.

Thus, in 1986, Prince and Michael Jackson each led their own niche. Both have just released massive record albums - Thriller and purple rain. Both created legendary mystery personas as they rarely gave interviews and cultivated eccentric, volatile personas. Both forced their listeners to endlessly speculate. No other star of the eighties - not Madonna, not Bruce Springsteen, not Bono - did not arouse such a powerful level of admiration from the public.

Of course, the interest of the public only increased when it came to their mysterious relationship with each other. In the 1980s, hundreds of journalists wrote sometimes close to the truth, but mostly contrived sensational stories about their rivalry. Journal article National Enquirer in 1985 claimed that Prince used psychic powers to drive Jackson's chimpanzee Bubbles insane.

Most of the articles that compared the two artists described them as complete opposites: Jackson is an innocent child in a male body, while Prince is a promiscuous rebel. Jackson was the polished, sophisticated prodigy of Motown, and Prince was the uncouth, self-taught genius from the streets of Minneapolis. Jackson was the mainstream commercial juggernaut, and Prince was the alternative avant-garde challenger. Jackson is all magic and miracles; Prince - sex and defiance. In many ways, this was a new version of the confrontation between the charming Beatles and the bad guys of the Rolling Stones.

There was certainly some truth in these distinctions. But they also simplified the reality. Indeed, it was part of their incredible resemblance to each other that made their rivalry so exciting.

Both are the same age, born a couple of months apart in 1958 (Prince on June 7, and Jackson on August 29). They were born just a few years after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on public transportation in Montgomery, Alabama, ushering in the civil rights era. When Prince and Jackson were three years old, John F. Kennedy became President of the United States. When they were five, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington. Motown's music, "the sound of young America," was leaked onto the radio. It was a time of great change and opportunity.

Both artists hail from industrial cities in the Midwest: Jackson is from Gary, Indiana, a steel town south of Chicago; Prince is from northern Minneapolis, Minnesota, also known for its rugged industrial character. Their homes at 2300 Jackson Street and 915 Logan Avenue were very humble homes where their parents dreamed big. Like Gary, northern Minneapolis was predominantly African-American, but unlike Gary, local reporter Neil Carlen called it "the whitest metropolitan area in the country."

The roots of both performers went south. Jackson's parents were from Arkansas and Alabama; Prince's parents are from Louisiana. Freed from slavery only two generations ago and still struggling with blatant disparity against blacks, they moved north in search of new opportunities, as did hundreds of thousands of other African Americans. Both fathers (both Prince and Jackson) kept their families in a tight grip of discipline and worked hard day and night to feed the children.

Joseph Jackson was a crane operator at a steel plant in East Chicago and often worked overtime to provide for his family of 11. Young Michael recalled how he returned home after a long day of work, completely exhausted. Music was his only outlet. Joseph's band, The Falcons, rehearsed late into the Jackson family's tiny house and often played local clubs hoping for a breakthrough. When it became clear to Joseph that this would not happen, he switched all his efforts to the children.

Prince's father, John Nelson, also dreamed of becoming a famous musician. He was a talented jazz pianist and played all over Minneapolis with his band, The Prince Rogers Trio. However, like Joseph Jackson, he had to do heavy manual labor to pay the bills (he worked at the Honeywell plant in Minneapolis). Music was his passion, but everyday realities did not allow him to fully devote himself to his favorite pastime. The prince grew up watching his father fall more and more into despair and anger, never being able to fulfill his dreams. Like Joseph, he focused all his efforts on the children. “I named my son Prince,” said John Nelson, “because I wanted him to achieve what I could not achieve.”

Of course, such aspirations had their price. Both artists experienced childhood abuse and lacked paternal love. Jackson was forced to rehearse and work like an adult from the age of eight, and Prince adolescence kicked out of the house. Both were desperate to earn their fathers' love; indeed, it was partly because of their troubled, painful childhoods that Jackson and Prince were so tirelessly honing their craft. Their obsession with art was so great that sometimes it completely ruled out long-term close relationships. Music has always come first. Both carried out an almost messianic task in order to achieve their goals with the help of their art.

The list of similarities goes on and on: both were lonely, vulnerable, absorbed information like a sponge when they were children; both idolized James Brown, Sly Stone and Stevie Wonder; both preferred crossover as they believed in the fusion of musical styles and surrounded themselves with professionals from different races; both believed that music should be accompanied by high-quality visuals; both freely manipulated the concepts of race, gender and sexuality, rethinking what it means to be a man; both defended their privacy(and sometimes behaved closed), rarely gave interviews (especially in the eighties) and created mysterious images that seemed incomprehensible; both were religious and had been members of the community of Jehovah's Witnesses for some time; both built grandiose utopian worlds (Paisley Park and Neverland Ranch); both fought tooth and nail with their record companies and the industry as a whole, upholding the principles of fair compensation, corporate exploitation and creative control; both experienced significant commercial and critical declines in the US following the scandals; and both died suddenly and tragically in the midst of their return to the stage.

In addition to these similarities, there was another very important common feature: their competitive spirit. Both were extremely ambitious and were not at a loss when it came to their place in the pop hierarchy. They knew about each other's albums, tours, awards and records; and whether they admitted it publicly or not, secretly they yearned to catch up and overtake each other, especially in the eighties.

Prince saw Jackson collect a record number of Grammy awards in 1984. This aroused in him a desire to reach similar heights and receive the same high recognition for his work. "We watched the first montage purple rain, recalls Bobby Zee, “and knew that the Prince wanted next year to be his year.” Later that year, Jackson observed the "Purple Rain" phenomenon. He was at the premiere of the film and attended the concerts of his opponent more than once, carefully planning his return to the throne.

This rivalry was on full display in the legendary game of ping-pong in December 1985. Jackson, accompanied by bodyguards, arrived at Samuel Goldwyn's studio in West Hollywood, where Prince was finishing work on Under the Cherry Moon. After an exchange of pleasantries, the Prince invited Jackson to play a game of ping-pong. Jackson had never played before, but he said he would try. All work in the studio stopped - everyone came running to see how the superstars would play.

The Prince started slowly, but soon his competitive streak kicked in, and he started pitching the ball hard past (or even right into) the unfortunate Jackson. "He played like Helen Keller!" the Prince joked later. ( Helen Keller is an American writer and activist who suffered a serious illness in infancy, as a result of which she became completely blind and deaf. - approx. per.) Jackson licked his ego wounds by chatting with Prince's then-girlfriend, actress Sherilyn Fenn. “Michael knew how to present himself and how to carry himself,” recalls Prince's sound engineer Susan Rogers. It didn't look like he was upset about the game. He began to flirt with Sherilyn, who came to visit the Prince in the studio. This annoyed the prince, but he did not intervene. They parted ways quickly."

In the same year, giving an interview to the magazine Rolling stone, The prince boasted: “How I wish people would understand that I always considered himself cool. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think so." Perhaps Jackson remembered this quote when, just a couple of months later, he wrote his new song: Who's bad?

Secret meeting

Quincy Jones arranged a secret meeting between Jackson and Prince in the summer of 1986. They had discussed the concepts many times before, but now the ideas have taken on a more concrete form. Jackson had a demo ready to go, tentatively titled "Pee" (some claim it meant "pressure" as the theme of the song and video, while others thought the P stood for Prince, a possible creative partner). The song had an absolutely killer bass synth hook, jazz organ infusions and an explosive chorus. Jackson and his crew, including Quincy Jones, manager Frank Dileo and sound engineer Bruce Sweeden, followed Prince as he listened to the track in their studio's control room.

“It was a very strange meeting,” journalist Quincy Troupe wrote for the magazine Spin. - They were so competitive with each other that neither of them wanted to make any concessions. They just sat and studied each other, but said almost nothing. An exciting stalemate involving two very powerful guys."

Jackson suggested that stories of the intensifying rivalry be slowly leaked to the press (which would not be difficult at all, since the media were already overly interested in any signs of conflict between the performers). At the time, he admired P. T. Barnum and his ability to use publicity gimmicks to create hype and intrigue. “I want my whole career to be the greatest show on the planet,” he told his manager. Shortly before this, he successfully pulled off the first successful trick by implanting in the press the story that he was sleeping in an oxygen chamber (this gossip was immediately picked up by the media around the world).

The prince, being no stranger to self-promotion, was intrigued but generally skeptical. He was interested in working with Jackson, but did not like the fact that Jackson was in complete control of the project. He believed Jackson was setting the stage to look better than Prince on and off screen. “Prince said: “Yeah, he wants to make me look like an idiot in this record. Does he think I'm stupid? recalls Prince's manager, Alan Leeds. He couldn't rise above the situation enough to realize that just such a turn would benefit both of them. However, it would still be a 100% Michael video with Prince only playing a guest role. Therefore, such a relationship was impossible. Like Ali vs Frazier. And the press just couldn't stop playing these guys against each other."

Prince later explained to comedian Chris Rock his decision to pull out of Bad: "You know, this character played by Wesley Snipes - it was supposed to be me. Imagine this clip. The first line in the song is “I will get to your ass” (Your butt is mine). And I said: well, who will sing it to whom? I can't stand it if you treat me like that. And you definitely won’t tolerate if I sing it ... So, yes, we have a problem.

Prince also suggested a song to a friend instead of Bad: he reportedly sent Jackson an updated demo of Wouldn't U Love to Love Me, an infectious groove later recorded by Prince's protégé, Taja Sevelle. But Jackson decided to refuse. Definitely, both artists simply could not accept the idea that one of them would have to hand over control of joint project to another.

As he walked out of that legendary meeting, Prince turned to Jackson and his team and graciously concluded, "This song is going to be a big hit even if I'm not in it." That was the end of the most real possibility of cooperation between the two legends.

And although Prince and Jackson never worked together, their careers intersected and complemented each other from time to time in the most unthinkable and exciting ways. In October 1988, Prince performed at the Madison Sker Garden while Jackson performed at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. The press described it as "a battle of the titans across the Hudson River". These two concerts highlighted the unique talent and creativity of each artist. Jackson Concert Bad was supposed to be the biggest and best, attracting everyone from young to old, blacks and whites, and the Prince's tour lovesexy consciously went beyond all the possible expectations of the pop mainstream.

Jackson danced better; The prince played better musical instruments. Jackson approached the live performance with the precision and narrative of a filmmaker—the concert was a carefully crafted production. Prince, on the other hand, demonstrated the approach of a jazz musician; he behaved more freely and improvised a lot. Both could change the set list or the way the songs were performed. But both had the powerful charisma of a superstar and were able to give their viewers an ecstatic feeling of complete immersion. As gospel shepherds, they created a backflow of call, call and response energy that has become a unique transcendental experience for many fans.

Of course, the press considered it their duty to take one side. “Bruce Springsteen may be the most passionate pop artist, Prince the most provocative and David Bowie the most spectacular. But Michael Jackson is the most stunning artist in the industry,” wrote John Brim of Minneapolis Star Tribune. Jon Pareles of the New York Times objected, "Mr. Jackson requires only a simple exchange of his efforts for the approval of the public, while Prince's performance celebrates the joy and risk of total freedom." To this day, the controversy continues: the Prince could play more instruments; Jackson made cooler videos; Prince was better at writing lyrics; Jackson was a more professional vocalist; The prince was more prolific; Jackson is a more patient perfectionist; The prince is more durable; Jackson had a greater cultural impact.

As with all rivalry arguments (Stones vs. Beatles, Nirvana vs. Pearl Jam, Janet vs. Madonna, Gaga vs. Beyonce), the outcome is subjective—and the choice is often driven by more personal reasons. Quincy Jones felt that Prince was often used by music critics and journalists to undermine Jackson's authority, rather than recognizing the unique talent and creative vision of both of them. Moreover, the press' fixation on superiority and conflict often makes it hard to see what they have achieved in tandem.

Jackson and Prince not only pushed and challenged each other, they set the standard for thousands of artists and performers for generations to come. Never before have two African-American performers reached such stratopheric heights, breaking down racial barriers in radio, television and film in the process. Both were absolutely unique, versatile artists who wrote their own songs, made their own films, and brought out the concept of their performances. Both produced vast and varied catalogs covering the entire spectrum of human emotions and experiences. Both have penetrated the DNA of American (and world) culture thanks to their author's styles, sounds and images. Both broke the traditional boundaries of self-determination. Both broke records with their albums, music videos and tours.

In the eighties alone, they collectively produced 30 Top 10 hits, including 13 number one songs. Between 1982 and 1984 Jackson album Thriller spent a record 37 (albeit inconsistent) weeks at number one on the charts. The album would become the best-selling album of all time, and the accompanying music videos revolutionized the MTV music channel and redefined the possibilities of music media. Meanwhile, Prince's album purple rain topped the charts for a full 24 weeks - from August 1984 to January 1985 - the fourth album in the history of music, which has achieved such indicators. Prince also became the first artist since the Beatles to have an album, single and film hit number one at the same time.

None of them were satisfied with the usual commercial success. Their empires were built to protect, nurture and advance their creative ambitions. Both saw themselves as not just performers - they had something to say, and they used all the means available to them to express themselves.

The King of Pop and His Majesty the Rebel remained rivals until the very end. In preparation for his epic stage comeback at London's O2 Arena in 2009, Jackson allegedly wanted to make sure his streak of 50 single-venue performances would beat Prince's 2007 record of 21 consecutive shows to 350,000 people. Jackson couldn't sleep at night and told director Kenny Ortega that his head was full of creative ideas and he couldn't "turn it off". Ortega asked if there was any way Jackson could shelve these ideas for later. "You don't understand," Jackson replied. “If I don’t accept these ideas, God may give them to the Prince.”

Someone, and even the Prince, knew exactly what Jackson's words about the willingness to accept a creative idea, regardless of its source, mean. Like Jackson, the Prince constantly “conducted the energy of the higher realms” and also could not turn off this process. To a journalist's question Rolling stone about whether he was “addicted” to recording music, the artist replied that he felt an irresistible need to “download” everything that was in his head. “It’s all there, inside,” he explained. “I hear it all right now. There are five albums playing in my head right now.”

Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 - the 25th anniversary of the release purple rain. Several of the largest news sites have hung and even collapsed under an avalanche of requests. The farewell to Jackson was viewed by approximately one billion people; only the funeral of Princess Diana of Wales can be compared with this figure. The prince did not make a public statement, but, according to numerous sources, he was deeply shocked by this event. Writer and broadcaster Travis Smiley recalls how he and Prince "talked for hours ... about his own mortality and what the loss of Michael Jackson meant to him." When asked about Jackson's death in an interview in October of that year, Prince simply replied, "Losing someone you love is always hard." On subsequent tours, he frequently covered Jackson's Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough. Many years later, in a 2014 interview for a magazine Rolling stone, he was asked about how he feels about Jackson's death, but again he refused to give a detailed comment: “I don’t want to talk about it. I was too close to it."

As it turned out, Prince was much closer to Jackson than one might expect. As with Jackson, his life was tragically cut short in the midst of a creative renaissance. On April 21, 2016, Prince was found unconscious in the elevator of his mansion, Paisley Park. A few hours later he was declared dead. The news spread quickly. As with Jackson, the response from the world has been overwhelming. Famous monuments around the world were lit up in purple, and social media was flooded with memories and tributes. President Obama stated that Prince was "one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time ... a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and a captivating performer."

In the immediate aftermath of Prince's death, several journalists dug up rumors of a feud between the performers, but reduced their rivalry to petty animosity. The truth was less sensational. Michael Jackson and Prince respected each other. Yes, they competed; no, they weren't best friends, but as African Americans, trailblazers, and colleagues, they recognized each other's accomplishments. After all, their paths to fame were very similar.

Only a small handful of artists change the world; Michael Jackson and Prince were one of them. Circumstances permitting, they would have worked together on Bad in 1986 or some other incredible project. But, alas, in the eighties and nineties, both went along parallel paths, not intersecting. And in doing so, they became two of the most influential performers of their generation.

Today's world of pop music lives only in the shadow of their revolution.

Translation: Julia Sirosh

, Los Angeles) is an American entertainer, songwriter, dancer, composer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. The most successful performer in the history of pop music, over 260 million albums sold worldwide, not counting singles, winner of 15 Grammy awards and hundreds of other awards. 13 times listed in the Guinness Book of Records; Around a billion copies of Jackson's albums have been sold worldwide. In 2009, he was officially recognized as an American Legend and Music Icon. Michael Jackson has made a significant contribution to the development of popular music, music videos, dance and fashion. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 as a result of an overdose of drugs, in particular, propofol.

Biography

Childhood and The Jackson 5

Michael Jackson was born to Joseph and Katherine in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine children. Jackson claimed that his father repeatedly humiliated him mentally and physically. However, he respected his father's strict discipline, which played a large part in Jackson's success. In one of the confrontations with his father, described by Michael's older brother Marlon, his father, holding him upside down, delivered blows to his back and buttocks. One night, while Michael was sleeping, his father snuck into his room through the window. He was in a frightening mask, piercingly screamed and roared. Joseph explained his action by saying that he wanted to teach his children to close the window before going to bed. Four years later, Michael confessed to suffering from nightmares in which he was kidnapped from his bedroom. In 2003, Joseph admitted to the BBC that he had beaten Michael when he was a child.

Jackson first spoke openly about the humiliation he endured as a child in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said that in childhood he often cried from a feeling of loneliness and vomited after talking with his father. In another high-profile interview, Living with Michael Jackson (2003), while talking about childhood abuse, the singer covered his face with his hand and began to cry. Jackson recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand when he rehearsed with his brothers, and that "if you did something wrong, he will bring you to tears, really get you."

Jackson performed in front of classmates at Christmas concerts from the age of five. In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined The Jacksons, a band formed by their brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine, as understudies, playing congo and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing as a backing vocalist and dancer; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine became the main vocalists and the group was renamed The Jackson 5. The band toured extensively in the Midwest from 1968 to 1968. Often they performed in a number of "black" clubs and places known as " Chitlin" circuit”, Often warming up the audience before a striptease. In 1966, they won a local talent competition, performing with hits from Motown Records and “I Got You (I Feel Good ) » by James Brown with Michael as the main vocalist .

The Jacksons soon rose to the national level, and in 1970 their first four singles hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Gradually, Michael stood out as the frontman of the children's quintet, in fact, it was he who got the main solo parts. He drew attention to himself with his unusual manner of dancing and behavior on stage, which he copied from his idols - James Brown, Jackie Wilson and others.

The beginning of a solo career

Thriller

Jackson in 1988

"Black music has been forced to play second fiddle for a long time, but its spirit is the whole driving force in pop music that Michael connected with every soul in the world"

• "The Girl Is Mine" (No. 2, duet with Paul McCartney).
• "Billie Jean" (No. 1, Grammy Award, the biggest hit of Jackson's entire career and one of the most sampled tracks in funk music).
• "Beat It" (No. 1, another Grammy).
• "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin"" (No. 5).
• "Human Nature" (No. 7).
• P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (No. 10).
• "Thriller" (No. 4).
• "Baby Be Mine".
• "The Lady in My Life".

On October 29, 1988, the musical film "MoonWalker" was released, which was a success at the box office and earned $ 67 million, and then published on video in the amount of 800 thousand copies (for 1989). In 1989, at the Soul Train Heritage Award ceremony, actress Elizabeth Taylor called Michael Jackson "the true king of pop, rock" in her speech. and soul”, that is,“ the real king of pop, rock and soul music ”, and the unofficial title“ the king of pop ”was assigned to Michael Jackson forever.

However, the 80s were marked not only by achievements and records. January 27, 1984 - the day that changed a lot in the life of Michael Jackson. Michael and his brothers starred in Pepsi commercials. At the request of the director, he lingered dangerously close to pyrotechnic devices. His hair caught fire and Michael suffered 3rd degree burns to his scalp. . While in the hospital, Michael visited a children's burn unit, and after that he decided, instead of receiving a multimillion-dollar compensation from Pepsi, to open a children's burn center with the help of Pepsi in his name. This was the start charitable activities Michael, which he did not stop until the end of his days. At the opening of the same burn center, Michael was asked to pose in an oxygen pressure chamber for patients with extensive body burns. Michael posed lying on his back, and then turned on his side and pretended to be asleep. Thus was born the most famous myth in show business. In fact, this was the only time that Michael Jackson "sleep" in a pressure chamber. Another consequence of the burn was that the stress transferred by the body provoked the development of "vitiligo", a disease that was transmitted to Michael through the maternal line, and violates the pigmentation of the skin. This led to the need to apply heavy makeup, and to avoid sunlight. Another consequence: Jackson never recovered from this injury, and the pain did not leave Michael for the rest of his life, and he was forced to start taking painkillers regularly. In addition, after the burn, Michael first became acquainted with plastic surgery, when he restored damaged skin and scalp. After that, he decided to have nose and chin surgery. All this, combined with the transition to a vegetarian diet, and weight loss led to significant changes in the appearance of the singer, which was constantly fodder for discussion in the press. .

The nineties

Because of heightened attention to his person, Jackson spent most of his time in seclusion at his strictly guarded Neverland Ranch. Few friends visited him there, including Elizabeth Taylor. Children also lived on the ranch, to whom the singer was always partial. In 1991, he wrote two singles for The Simpsons, of which he was a fan. However, due to restrictions imposed by the contract, his name was not mentioned in the credits.

On November 26, 1991, the album "Dangerous" was released, the release of which was preceded by the premiere of a large-scale video clip for the single "Black or White" ("Black or White"). For five weeks, "Black or White" was at the top of the charts and became Jackson's biggest hit since "Billie Jean". As with previous albums, seven singles were released from this album. In addition to "Black or White" (No. 1), they included "Remember the Time" (No. 3), "In the Closet" (No. 6) and "Will You Be There" (No. 7). "Remember the Time" was filmed with a multi-million dollar budget and CGI clip featuring Eddie Murphy and top model Iman as the pharaoh of Egypt and his consort.

Throughout the 1990s, Jackson's face changed a lot, and his skin became completely white.

On June 16, 1995, the double album "HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I" was released: on the first disc - a collection of greatest hits, on the second - 15 new songs. It was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy. The first single released was "Scream", a duet between the singer and his sister, Janet Jackson. The song was accompanied by a futuristic music video that cost over seven million dollars to film.

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over 20 million copies (7 million copies in the US). Many new songs from it were released as singles, among them a ballad about Moscow (“Stranger in Moscow”; Jackson promised to record a song about the Russian capital when he first visited here in 1993), an environmental composition “Earth Song” (five weeks on the first place in the UK) and the modern rhythm and blues composition "You Are Not Alone" (his thirteenth "number one" on the Billboard Hot 100), written and produced for him by R. Kelly. In the video for "You Are Not Alone", Michael appeared half-naked along with his first wife - Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley.

In 1997, the album "Blood on the Dance floor" was released: the soundtrack to the film "Ghosts" and a collection of dance remixes for tracks from "HIStory". Reviews for this disc were mostly positive, with the title track topping the sales charts in many countries, including the UK. In the US, the album went largely unnoticed and did not reach number one on the charts.

Performances in Russia

Album Invincible

Jackson's next studio album was recorded only six years later, its release was repeatedly postponed. The Sony label was reluctant to invest millions of dollars in the protracted process of recording and subsequent promotion of the album, which ultimately led to a falling out between the singer and the recording giant. "Invincible" (Invincible), released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single "You Rock My World", which starred in the video famous actors Marlon Brando and Chris Tucker. The album was met with a mixed critical reception, and its sales figures were half that of "HIStory".

The song Invincible is dedicated to a 15-year-old Afro-Norwegian boy named Benjamin Hermansen, who was killed by a group of neo-Nazis in Oslo (Norway, January 26, 2001). Omer Bhatti, a close friend of Jackson, was a good friend of Benjamin Hermansen. Michael Jackson writes in a message:

“This album is dedicated to Benny Germansen. We must remember that a person can be judged not by the color of his skin, but by his personal qualities. Benjamin, we love you. Rest in peace".

To promote the album, a special celebration of the 30th anniversary of Michael Jackson's solo career was organized at Madison Square Garden in September. Jackson appeared on stage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984. The show also included performances by Britney Spears, Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, Tamia, "N Sync, Slash, Aaron Carter. A world tour was also planned in support of the album, but due to the September 11 attacks, the tour was canceled. The album spawned three singles," You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter of which did not have a music video. "Unbreakable" was supposed to be released as a single, but due to a number of funding issues, Sony refused to release it.

In March 2009, Michael announced that he was going to play the last series of concerts in London called "This Is It Tour". The concerts were scheduled to start on July 13, 2009 and end on March 6, 2010. When Jackson announced his return to the stage at a special press conference on March 5, 2009, it was 10 stadium shows.

Clips and choreography

Jackson is also called the King of the music video. Steve Hay of Allmusic watched as Jackson turned the clip into a work of art through complex storylines, dancing, special effects and celebrity cameo appearances while breaking down racial barriers. Prior to Thriller, Jackson tried in vain to break into MTV, allegedly because he was African American. Pressure from CBS Records convinced MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and then "Beat It", leading to a long-term partnership with Jackson and also helping other black musicians gain recognition. MTV staff denied racism in their shows or pressure to change their stance. MTV claims they played rock music regardless of race. The popularity of his videos on MTV helped put the relatively young channel on the line; Attention on MTV shifted towards pop and R&B. His performance on Motown: Yesterday, Today, Forever changed the scope of the live show on stage; "The fact that Jackson performed 'Billie Jean' in sync is not extraordinary in itself, but the fact that it didn't change the impression of performing extraordinary, whether it was live or in sync, doesn't affect the audience," thus creating an era in which the artists recreate the imagery of the music video on stage. Short films like Thriller mostly remained unique to Jackson, while the dance group dance in "Beat It" was repeatedly imitated. Thriller's choreography has become part of global pop culture, being copied everywhere from Indian films to prison in the Philippines. The short film Thriller marked the rise of music videos and was named the most successful music video ever to enter the Guinness Book of Records.

In the 19-minute video for the song "Bad" - directed by Martin Scorsese - Jackson began to use sexual imagery and choreography not seen before in his work. From time to time he grabbed or touched the chest, torso and crotch. Asked by Oprah in an interview in 1993 about why he grabs his crotch, he replied, "I think it happens subconsciously," and he described it as something that wasn't planned, but rather like something that was forced by the music. "Bad" received a mixed reception from fans and critics, with Time magazine calling it "infamous". The film also features Wesley Snipes, and future Jackson videos will often feature celebrity cameos. For "Smooth Criminal", Jackson experimented with an innovative "anti-gravity tilt" in his performances. This maneuver requires special shoes, for which he received US Patent #5255452. Although the video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, it was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards in 1989; he received the Golden Lion award the same year for the quality of the special effects used in his productions. In 1990, "Leave Me Alone" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.

He received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1988 and the MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award in 1990 to honor his artistic accomplishments in the 1980s, and in 1991 the first award was renamed in his honor. "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music video, which premiered on November 14, 1991, simultaneously in 27 countries to an estimated audience of 500 million, the largest ever watched music video. The scenes shown have been interpreted as being sexual in nature, as well as depicting violence. The offending scenes in the final section of the 14-minute version were edited to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized. Along with Jackson, the video featured Macaulay Culkinn, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. This work helped introduce morphing as important technology in music videos.

Personal life

Family

Michael (under an umbrella) and his two children wearing masks

Michael Jackson has been married twice. From 1996 to 1996 he was married to Lisa-Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. They first met in 1975 during one of the celebrations at the MGM Grand Hotel, in the casino. Through mutual friend in early 1993, they met again, and their relationship reached a serious point. Every day they called up.

When Jackson was accused of child molestation and it became public, Jackson became addicted to Presley: he was chasing after her, he needed emotional support, and she was preoccupied with his health and addiction to relaxing drugs. Presley explained:

“I believed that he did nothing wrong and that he was innocent, I became closer to him. I wanted to save him. I felt I could do it"

She soon persuaded him to settle the charges out of court, as well as the need for rehabilitation to restore health. In October 1993, Jackson proposed to Presley over the phone, "If I asked you to marry me, would you?" They married on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic in secret, denying it for almost two months. The marriage took place at the home of local judge Hugo Alvarez Pérez in the city of Santo Domingo. The wedding took place in the church of St. Stanislaus in the town of Altos de Chavon. The marriage has been called "semi-fictitious" because, under the laws of the Dominican Republic, no woman can remarry unless three months have passed since the divorce. And Lisa Maria in those days only divorced her former spouse. Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, but remained friends. In 1997, Presley accompanied Michael, who was married to Debbie Rowe, on the HIStory tour.

He was on good friendly terms with Princess Diana.

Health

Since the mid-1980s, Michael Jackson's appearance has changed markedly. His skin was getting lighter. As Jackson himself said, the reason for his "whiteness" is a rare genetic disease of vitiligo, and there is a lot of evidence for this in photographs showing white milk spots on Michael's body. These changes were hidden with makeup. Jackson categorically denied the rumors that he was deliberately trying to turn into a white man.

According to some doctors, he underwent several nose surgeries, as well as forehead lifts, lip thinning, cheek surgeries, eyelid surgeries, and chin dimples. The singer himself stated that he only changed the shape of his nose 2 times, and also made a dimple on his chin. He categorically denied everything else, explaining the changes in appearance by growing up, a strict vegetarian diet. In the future, Jackson experienced problems associated with the consequences of operations.

In the early 2000s, Michael briefly appeared in public wearing a medical mask. Rumors began to circulate that Jackson's nose was collapsing and that he had to plastic surgery for nose reconstruction. Later, Jackson appeared in public with a band-aid on his nose. The performer himself said that it was an anesthetic patch that he put on because of an allergy. Surgeon Arnold Klein subsequently confirmed that he operated on the singer's nose to restore Michael's ability to breathe.

Child molestation allegations

Michael's fans held demonstrations in support of him during the allegations. The inscription on the poster - "Michael is innocent"

Michael Jackson has been tried twice on charges of child molestation, both times boys.

In 1993, he was accused of molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. Jordan was a fan of Jackson and often visited him at Neverland Ranch. According to the boy's father, the son confessed to him that the singer forced him to touch his genitals. The police investigated these allegations, during which Michael had to show his genitals to compare with what the boy described. As a result, the parties entered into a settlement: Jackson paid the Chandler family $ 22 million, and Jordan refused to testify against Michael.

Ten years later, in 2003, Michael was again charged with a similar charge. This time, the singer was accused of molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo, also a regular guest at the Neverland Ranch. During their stay at the ranch, the children often slept in the same room with Jackson and even on his bed. According to the prosecution, Jackson allegedly got Gavin drunk, which is already a crime under US law, and then masturbated with him. In addition, he allegedly often groped Gavin and other children.

On December 18, the police raided Neverland Jackson Manor, and on the 20th, the singer was arrested and released on bail a day later. As in previous time Jackson vehemently denied the accusation, stating that the Arvizo family was simply trying to engage in extortion. Michael's trial lasted from February to May 2005. More than 2,200 media outlets from around the world have accredited their journalists to cover the scandalous trial. The jury ruled that there was not enough evidence and Jackson was innocent.

Constant litigation led to the deterioration of Jackson's health, he even began to use painkillers to cope with stress. In addition, the court led to the complete devastation of bank accounts: the services of the best lawyers in the United States cost more than 100,000,000.

After the singer's death in 2009, Jordan Chandler admitted that he slandered Michael Jackson, his father Evan Chandler (who later committed suicide) forced him to do this for the sake of money.

Religious views

Michael Jackson was not an open follower of any church, but showed interest in the religion of various denominations.

Katherine Jackson (Michael's mother) was christened in 1963 when Michael was five years old. The mother tried to raise Michael as a Jehovah's Witness and encouraged him to study the Bible, attend Christian meetings in Kingdom Halls, and preach. However, his relationship with the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses did not work out. Jehovah's Witnesses were shocked by his defiant behavior on stage and his video Thriller unacceptable to members of the organization.

By 1984, despite his immense fame, Michael Jackson continued to preach as a Jehovah's Witness, twice a week, maybe an hour or two. He also attended Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall with his mother four times a week when he was in the city. He refused to eat blood, to celebrate Easter and Christmas, which he regarded as "pagan holidays", from celebrating his own birthday.

However, in 1987, Jackson left the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in response to disapproving reviews about the Thriller video. This, in particular, was facilitated by the fact that Michael's sister La Toya Jackson was expelled from the organization around the same time. Michael, like all other members of the organization, was forbidden to communicate with her on spiritual topics (you can talk about everyday topics in a forced situation), which was a blow to him. Michael violated this principle and, as a result, stopped attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses himself. In 1987, it was announced that Michael Jackson was no longer a Jehovah's Witness.

Michael's brother, Jermaine Jackson, is an open Muslim, and often gave his brother books about the religion. Germain hoped that his passion for religion would protect Michael from nervous breakdowns and bad habits.

Jackson was also intimately acquainted with Andre Crouch, a Christian musician and gospel singer. Shortly before his death, the singer visited a Christian church with Crouch and sang several Christian songs. According to Crouch and his sister, Jackson asked about their customs but said nothing about wanting to join their denomination.

Death, farewell ceremony and funeral

There were reports that Michael Jackson was secretly buried on August 8 or 9, 2009 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, but later it was reported that he would not be buried until September. Jackson's final funeral took place on Thursday, September 3 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in suburban Los Angeles.

Authorities in Los Angeles, meanwhile, are investigating the death of Michael Jackson. The Los Angeles coroner qualified the doctors' actions as murder and did not rule out a trial against them. In November 2011, Conrad Murray was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. He also lost his license to practice medicine.

After death

Flash mobs (fan mobs)

Michael Jackson flash mob (fan mob)(English) michael jackson flash mob) - flash mobs in memory of Michael Jackson, arose after the death of Michael. Flash mobs in memory of Jackson, with their scale and frequency of conduction, went beyond the usual fan mobs and began a completely new, unique movement. These flash mobs are different from the usual ones, they do not correspond to the rules of the classic mob, just like the fan mob, the participants of this mob are dressed in Jackson's attributes and clothes, thereby copying his style. All choreography and movements copy the movements of Michael Jackson. The music of this flash mob must be selected from Michael's repertoire. Basically the choreography of this mob is taken from Jackson's original choreography, but is sometimes lightened or simply changed, as it is very difficult for non-professionals to repeat it.

Jackson was also awarded the Outstanding Contribution to World Culture Award for contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to the 39 charities and his own foundation Heal the World .

Awarded (posthumously) at the "Muz-TV 2010 Prize" for his huge contribution to the global music industry. The prize was awarded to the sister of the singer Jackson, La Toya (LaToya Jackson).

In total, the singer has 395 awards.

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

1. 1978 - Scarecrow / The Wiz
2. 1986 - "Captain IO / Captain EO"
3. 1988 - Moonwalker
4. 1996 - "Ghosts / Ghosts"
5. 2002 - "People in Black 2" - "Agent Em" (uncredited)
6. 2004 - "Miss Robinson / Miss Cast Away"
7. 2009 - "That's it / This is it"
8. 2011 - "Michael Jackson: The Life of a Pop Icon / Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon"

Books

• Michael Jackson "Moonwalk" Publisher: William Heinemann, London, 2009
• Michael Jackson "Dancing the Dream" Publisher: DoubleDay, 1992

Literature

• N. Ya. Nadezhdin. Michael Jackson: "Thriller": Biographical stories. Moscow: Mayor, Osipenko, 2012. 192 p., Informal Biographies Series, 2000 copies, ISBN 978-5-98551-200-7

Michael Jackson in philately

Postage stamps and other philatelic materials from the British Virgin Islands, Saint Vincent Island, Angola, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Guinea and other countries are dedicated to Michael Jackson.

see also

• Hollywood Walk of Fame - list of honorees for contributions to the recording industry
• Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni- extinct hermit crab, named after the singer in 2012

Notes

Links

	Michael Jackson at Wikimedia Commons
	Michael Jackson at Wikinews

• Official site (English)
• Official site (Russian)
• Michael Jackson video channel on a video hosting service