Michael Jackson - biography, information, personal life. The Story of Michael and Jehovah's Witnesses

The world-famous king of pop, singer and dancer Michael Jackson began his career in “The Jacksons,” which was their family group. This is a style icon, the king of pop music, a legendary personality, a talented person and loving father. His albums have remained top-selling albums for years. And the fifth album remained at the top of the list of popular albums in the world for more than forty years. Since 1972, Michael Jackson has declared himself as a solo artist and since then has managed to conquer the whole world, which loves, appreciates and remembers his songs even after his death.

Height, weight, age. Years of life of Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson, this is the full name of the singer, is the idol of millions of people around the world. He has always been a mysterious person and an interesting personality. Fans wanted to know everything about him, height, weight, age, years of Michael Jackson's life. According to his driving documents, the world learned that the king’s height is 1 meter and 80 centimeters, and his weight is about 62 kilograms. Famous performer and the author of the “moonwalk” forever fell into the hearts of his fans and remains one of the most famous world stars.

Biography of Michael Jackson. Date of death and funeral

Michael was born into the family of a simple steel foundry worker on August 29, 1958. In the United States of America in Indiana, where he spent his childhood and teenage years. Michael was the 7th of 9 children in the family, and in 1964 his father decided to create the Jackson 5 group. They successfully competed in local competitions and received victories. And after 5 years they even signed a contract with a famous recording studio. They were a very famous group and their songs topped the charts in America in the early 1970s.

Three years later, their popularity began to decline, they changed the group's name to “The Jacksons” and also changed their record company. Between 1976 and 1984 they released 6 albums and toured all states. At the same time, starting in 1972, Michael began working on a solo project separately from his brothers. And he successfully released 4 albums and several singles.

His television career began with the musical "The Wizard of Oz", in which he starred in 1978 with Diana Ross. During the filming of this Broadway musical, Michael met the famous director Quincy Jones. It was he who would later be the producer of his most popular albums.

The album that made him a star was called “Off the Wall” and was released to the world in 1979. It was a stunning success, the record sold more than 10 million copies and was certified multi-platinum. His second album, Thriller, which was released in 1982, was also special, as it was recognized as the most popular album in the history of pop music. This is the only singer who managed to win 13 Grammy awards, and rightfully began to be considered the king of pop music.

Michael Jackson's biography is full of facts about the crazy popularity of his albums, performances and singles. In 1983, at Michael’s concert, the public saw the famous “moonwalk” for the first time, as well as a video for the song “Thriller,” shot in the style of a horror film. The album "Bad", which was released in 1987, was extremely popular, it had five super hits and sold more than 25 million copies. In support of this album, the largest tour in history was carried out. But Michael Jackson didn’t stop there; he released his next album, “Dangerous,” at the very beginning of the 90s, which was a stunning success.

The king's last album with new songs was released in 2001 and was called “Invincible”, after which Michael Jackson released 2 more collections of songs from previous years.

Michael Jackson was a very extraordinary person, and he often got into various scandals. There were active discussions in the press every now and then, with Michael Jackson in the main role. The singer's cause of death was cardiac arrest. He died at the University of California Hospital without ever emerging from his coma. The date of death of Michael Jackson is June 25, 2009. It was on this tragic day that the beloved and famous king of pop passed away. Several years before this date, the singer appeared in public wearing a mask, as due to many operations on his face, as well as the skin whitening procedure, the singer had problems that he hid from everyone under a medical mask. After his death, Michael Jackson became even more popular than during his lifetime; his records began to sell in even larger quantities than before.

Personal life of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's personal life has always been under the radar of paparazzi photos and video cameras. The public demanded news and details regarding the life of the king of pop. This world-famous singer and musician was a very impulsive person who attracts people with his unsurpassed talent, charisma and uniqueness. Michael Jackson made several attempts to build a family and meet his only woman, who would become the mother of their children. Michael Jackson was married twice, and both of his marriages unfortunately failed.

Michael Jackson Family

The star's parents lived in Gary, Indiana. They married at a young age in 1949. His father Joseph Jackson played the blues and loved playing the guitar, and his mother Katherine Vinta, a 19-year-old native of the rural outback, could not imagine her life without country music. It was music that brought this young couple together. Michael Jackson's family had nine children and all of them were raised in strictness and control. The father even frightened the children with evil masks so that they would be afraid and obey their elders. Michael Jackson once admitted that nightmares accompanied him throughout his childhood. The mother did not take the children to church; instead, she attended councils of Jehovah's Witnesses with them. When rehearsals were taking place for the family group “Jackson 5,” my father held a belt in his hands, and in case of disobedience or bad game there were children. This affected the children’s psyche, and Michael admitted more than once that he and his father had a tense relationship.

Michael Jackson's children

The King of Pop left heirs, these are his three children. Michael Jackson's children have a difficult life, which is associated with the worldwide fame and scandals surrounding their father. Many people doubt that these are indeed Michael's biological children. Some Internet users type in the query “Michael Jackson’s children, photos now” and peer into their faces and see the facial features of the King of Pop. In any case, they felt loved next to Michael, they lived in love, care and home comfort. Currently, after the death of his father, his heirs have a fortune. Even though they star father He passed away with a ton of debt. After his death, his record sales skyrocketed, allowing him to pay off all his debts and amass a huge fortune.

Michael Jackson's son - Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr.

The first heir to the famous king of pop, a famous musician, director and singer, was born in 1997. He was born in Michael's second marriage to Debbie Rowe. Michael Jackson's son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., was a very welcome and long-awaited child in the family. Once in an interview, Michael's wife Debbie Rowe told how she told him the news of her pregnancy. He met her at the airport, they drove off a little on a motorcycle and Debbie asked to stop. And she told him that he would become a father, Michael was in seventh heaven, ran out onto the runways and could not come to his senses for a long time.

Michael Jackson's son - Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II

Michael Jackson's son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II, was born in 2002. She gave birth to him surrogate mother, which Michael Jackson chose very carefully. Everything took place in strict secrecy, and Michael never even saw the face of the woman who gave him an heir. He had never mentioned her name anywhere in his life. Although many journalists tried to find out the answer to this question from him, and by all means to extract this information from Michael. He didn't give up. Michael's only requirement for the surrogate mother was that she be completely healthy, intelligent and with excellent vision.

Michael Jackson's daughter - Paris-Michael Catherine Jackson

In the pop star's second marriage in 1998, his first and only daughter, Michael Jackson, Paris-Michael Catherine Jackson, was born. The parents were beside themselves with happiness. Michael, who grew up in a large family and dreamed of having his own for a long time, finally became a father twice.

“Michael Jackson’s daughter is real or not” - these were the headlines then in every newspaper and throughout the world wide web. Everyone was wondering: why is Michael Jackson’s daughter white, how could it be that none of his children inherited the real skin color of the King of Pop. Michael did not give interviews about this, he loved children madly and tried not to make his personal life public. When going outside, children hid their faces under masks, including Michael Jackson's daughter. Photos of their happy family can be easily found on the Internet, and you will be convinced that the King of Pop was a loving and truly happy father.

Michael Jackson's ex-wife - Lisa Marie Presley

Michael Jackson entered into his first marriage with the daughter of famous musician Elvis Presley. Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, first saw Michael when she was just a girl, she was eight years old. And their second meeting took place 18 years later, and they immediately became friends. They have been best friends since 1993, the girl always supported Michael in the most difficult moments of his life. Their secret wedding took place on the islands in the Dominican Republic, but after living together for only 1.5 years, the couple filed for divorce. Michael and Lisa, even after an unsuccessful marriage, remained friends and communicated for a long time. While still married, the king of pop suffered from vitiligo, and after the divorce, due to stress and strong feelings, the disease worsened sharply.

Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe

After his first unsuccessful marriage, being in terrible depression, Michael Jackson is trying to cope with an exacerbation of vitiligo. He comes to see his doctor to receive recommendations for further treatment of the disease. Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe worked as a nurse for Michael's personal physician. It was there that they met.

Michael was depressed because of his unsuccessful marriage, and he also really regretted that he did not have children. To which Debbie replied that she would bear him children so that he could experience wonderful feeling paternity. The couple soon got married, and Debbie Rowe kept her promise and gave birth to two heirs to the king of pop. The couple separated in 1999, Debbie understood that her mission was completed and she needed to leave. Since there was no passion and great love in this marriage, Debbie Rowe renounced all rights to the children and left Michael’s house forever.

Michael Jackson is alive, new evidence

After the death of the King of Pop, whole legends circulate. Many claim that Michael Jackson is alive and hiding in Mexico. That he staged his murder because he had many reasons for this. These are crazy debts that the King of Pop couldn’t get out of for many years, and supposedly he wanted to get rid of them this way. Another goal is to increase your popularity rating. And indeed, after the death of the singer, his ratings gained crazy momentum, and his records sold millions of copies.

In magazines, newspapers and on various websites, headlines “Michael Jackson was seen alive in his daughter’s selfie” are increasingly appearing. Of course, the press is trying to find out as many details as possible about the death of the king of pop. Since many questions and inconsistencies have surfaced related to his death. That is why all the news is full of the fact that Michael Jackson is alive. New evidence 2016, videos and photos, as well as details and nuances are offered by various news channels. Believe it or not, it’s everyone’s business, one thing is certain: the unrivaled Michael Jackson will always remain in the hearts of his fans and admirers.

Michael Jackson moonwalk video watch online

When you hear the name Michael Jackson, the first thing that comes to mind besides his talented and worldwide hits is, of course, the famous and unique “moonwalk”. He presented it for the first time at the presentation of the video for the famous song “Thriller” in 1983. It was a sensation, recognition, popularity and a breakthrough in pop music. Michael Jackson moonwalk, watch video online - these are the main search phrases that fans around the world often look for about their favorite and unsurpassed singer and musician on the global Internet.

Michael Jackson Wikipedia

Wikipedia Michael Jackson is a whole collection of facts, events, ups and new career achievements of the famous and beloved king of pop. It is there that you can find all the interesting facts about the life of a dancer and musician, director and stage director of his chic performances. Information about his children and wives, about his singles and albums, about his awards and honors. Michael Jackson is a global personality who has made a huge contribution to the development of music, shows, dance and cultural life around the world. He is not forgotten even after death, his songs are heard in all corners globe, and this is the best proof of this.

The legendary American singer Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana (USA). He was the seventh of nine children of the Jackson family.

At the age of five, Michael became a member of the Jackson Five family group and soon took the place of 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 Jackson Five's popularity began to decline, and their solo career Michaela began to gain momentum.

In 1977, Michael Jackson made his debut in the musical film The Wiz, which began his long-term collaboration with famous producer and composer Quincy Jones. Together with him, Michael released the 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, selling 70 million copies worldwide. The Thriller disc brought Michael seven Grammy awards.

A video clip was shot for the main song of the album of the same name, which is believed to have marked the beginning of the active development of the music video.

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

In 1987, the singer released the album Bad. All singles from this record reached the top of the charts. The album sold 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 his status as the first star in world show business - his composition Black Or White became a number one hit on both sides of the ocean.

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

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

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

In 1997, an album of dance remixes of 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 legendary actor Marlon Brando in the video. That same year, Michael recorded the song What More Can I Give, the proceeds of which went to charity.

In 2003, Michael Jackson's greatest hits album, Number Ones, was released. The only original composition on this disc, One More Chance, occupied the top line of the Billboard chart for three weeks.

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

In August 2008, Michael Jackson released the original studio album called 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. IN new collection included nine original tracks from the old album, as well as remixes and a new song, For All Time.
The disc came out on top in the charts in eight European countries, reached number two in the American charts and number three in the British charts. It was sold in the USA.

As a forensic examination established, the King of Pop suffered an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.

On July 7, 2009, she performed with Michael Jackson at the Staples sports and entertainment complex in Los Angeles.

Michael Jackson was 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. During 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 through a surrogate mother.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Even 8 years after his death, Michael Jackson is still the most successful pop artist in the history of the music industry. The total number of albums, compilations and singles sold by the singer is one billion copies. Through his activities, the artist made an invaluable contribution to world development video clips, music, choreography and fashion. In addition, Michael Jackson in his youth took part in the film adaptation of the musical “Wiz”, the feature films “Miss Robinson”, “Moonwalk” and “Men in Black 2”.

Childhood

The boy was born on August 29, 1958 in the Katherine family and decided to name him Michael. The future musician was born in the town of Gary. In 2003, his father publicly admitted to the moral and physical humiliation on his part that all ten of his children, including Michael Jackson, faced. The child suffered beatings, intimidation and insults, which developed into nightmares. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael said that communicating with Joseph made him vomit and cry from a feeling of helplessness and loneliness. Despite this, the singer tried to justify his father’s cruel actions by saying that he wanted to teach his son discipline, which would help him become the best of the best.

In 1964, the brothers of the future artist created Music band The Jackson 5. The guys performed in the genre of disco, soul and rock and roll and played the tambourine and conga. Some time later in the same year, Michael Jackson joined the group. The child had little experience performing at Christmas concerts in front of his classmates. Later, Michael tried himself as a dancer and backing vocalist.

The artist's youth

Since 1966, Jackson has toured extensively with his brothers in the Midwest. Four years later, The Jackson 5's singles topped the American Billboard Hot 100 chart. Despite the fact that Michael was the youngest in the group, it was to him that the public's attention was drawn thanks to his dance moves and manner of performance, which were unusual for that time.

While he was involved with The Jackson 5, the singer managed to release four solo albums. Michael Jackson achieved stunning results in the world of music in his youth. The ballad Ben from his second album, which he dedicated to his pet rat, topped the charts in the early 70s.

personal life, religion

The artist's amazing talent brought him hundreds of awards, including 15 Grammy statuettes. Jackson is listed in the Guinness Book of Records 25 times. The artist was on friendly terms with many celebrities, including Whitney Houston, Macaulay Culkin, Elton John and Princess Diana of Wales.

Michael was married to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie from 1994 to 1996. After the divorce they stayed good friends, as evidenced by the HIStory tour, in which a woman accompanied the singer, despite the fact that he was married to Debbie Rowe. From his second marriage, the artist has a daughter and a son - Paris and Prince.

Michael Jackson was a Jehovah's Witness in his youth. As a child, Catherine's mother encouraged him to study the Bible and attend sermons. As a sign of protest, Jackson refused to celebrate Christmas, Easter and his own birthday. The singer's brother, Jermaine, is a supporter of Islam. He often gave Michael books about his religion in the hope that faith would ease his struggle with many illnesses.

Solo career of the King of Pop

Thriller is the best-selling album in music history. The record included such hits as Billie Jean, P.Y.T., as well as the song The Girl Is Mine, which Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson worked on. The albums Bad and Dangerous became almost as successful as Thriller.

At the end of January 1984, Michael took part in the filming of a Pepsi commercial. During this process, the artist's hair caught fire from pyrotechnic devices. He received 3rd degree burns. The horrific incident became the impetus for the development of vitiligo. Michael Jackson, whose black skin color was one of his many features, began to partially turn white. But, despite the next difficulties in life, he continued to do his life’s work.

After his death, the artist's family entered into a contract with the Sony label to release ten records, the songwriter of which was Michael Jackson. The albums Michael (2010) and Xscape (2014) turned out much better than fans expected. The latest album includes the song Love Never Felt So Good, recorded in two versions: solo and in a duet with Justin Timberlake.

Scandals

Michael Jackson sparked negative comments about music videos in his youth with his explicit dance moves. After some time, the former reason for the violent scandal became a feature and an integral part of the singer’s choreography.

In 1993, Michael was accused of sexually assaulting thirteen-year-old Jordan Chandler. The situation was resolved with $22 million, which Jackson paid to the boy's family. Ten years later, the parents of thirteen-year-old Gavin Arvizo accused the artist of drugging and groping children. In 2005, the court acquitted Jackson, as it was proven that the accusers sought to quickly enrich themselves at the expense of the singer. After the artist’s death, Jordan Chandler stated that his father forced him to slander Michael for the sake of huge compensation. By the way, after the failed deception, the negligent parent committed suicide.

Appearance and plastic surgery

Michael Jackson experienced many problems with physical and mental health. The black skin color became pale due to the disease vitiligo, which was diagnosed in 1986. The illness forced the artist to hide from sunlight using multi-layered clothing, umbrellas and masks.

According to the singer's autobiography, apart from rhinoplasty and adding a dimple on his chin, he did nothing else. However, surgeons claim that Michael Jackson in his youth, before surgery, had a different shape to his forehead, lips and cheekbones. The artist’s mother asked her son to stop adjusting his appearance and believed that he was addicted to plastic surgery. Michael himself attributed the changes in facial features to weight loss, puberty and a change in hairstyle.

Grueling vegetarian diets brought Jackson’s weight to 48 kg with a height of 175 cm. By the end of the 80s, the artist gained a little weight, but in 1993, due to worries about being unfairly accused of child molestation, he practically stopped eating and lost even more weight. Two years later, he was hospitalized due to a panic attack, abnormal heart rhythm, gastrointestinal inflammation, dehydration and abnormal liver and kidney function. It should be noted that none of Jackson’s doctors found any drugs in his blood.

The musician lived his last years dependent on painkillers, could not speak clearly and could barely remember the names of loved ones and the titles of his recent albums.

Singer's death and funeral

The favorite of millions died on June 25, 2009. As it was established by the investigation, death was due to an overdose of Propofol. Attempts to resuscitate Michael lasted more than an hour and were unsuccessful. A post-mortem autopsy found that Jackson had a strong heart and a normal weight for his height. The most serious problem turned out to be chronic pneumonia, although this was not the cause of death. Ze'ev Kane, a doctor at the University of California, reviewed the autopsy and said that his overall health was within normal limits.

On the eve of the artist’s death, Christopher Rogers, who was the head of a group of forensic experts, claimed that in Lately Jackson was in good health and called him a murder victim. The funeral ceremony took place on September 3, 2009 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles.

15 Grammy Awards, 13 Guinness World Records, 1 billion albums sold, 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 13 #1 hits in the US and more than 500 prestigious music and charity awards. It's not difficult to guess who we're talking about. In 2009, the pop music icon, master of fiery rhythms, dance genius, composer and main musical provocateur of the 20th century left us. The one and only Michael Jackson. Music magazine site invites you to remember the most bright moments his career.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, to Joseph Jackson and Catherine Scruse. In addition to Michael, the Jackson couple had 5 sons: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy, as well as 3 daughters: Rabbit, La Toya and Janet. The entire large family huddled in a tiny house with 3 bedrooms. Michael's father, Joseph Jackson, or simply "Joe", was a crane operator. He had a boundless love for music and was even a member of the R&B group The Falcons, however, he never managed to achieve success in this field. But the whole district had heard about his tough character and stern principles in raising children. In one of his future interviews, Michael openly admits that his father brutally beat him for the slightest offense, believing that thereby he was helping him grow up “disciplined.” In addition, the failed musician always tried to morally suppress his children, especially Michael. “My father always said that I had a huge, ugly nose, which made me feel like a freak,” Michael recalled in his 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. “And one night he climbed into my brothers and I’s bedroom with a scary mask on his face. So he wanted to teach us to close the windows before going to bed. For the next three years, I woke up from nightmares in which I was kidnapped from my own bed ... "

In 1964, Michael joined the Jackson Brothers group, founded by the head of the family. Soon the group renamed The Jackson 5, and the main vocal parts began to go to 8-year-old Michael more and more often. It was then that the group achieved its first success. The team became more and more popular thanks to the unique vocals of Jackson Jr.

In just a few years, from a provincial band performing at city festivals, The Jackson turned into superstars with more than 100 million albums sold and fame in all countries from the USA to Japan. The band’s most famous song is still the canonical “I’ll Be There”.

Michael's first solo work was the album “Off the Wall,” produced by 27-time Grammy Award winner Quincy Jones. One of the most beautiful compositions of this multi-platinum record was “She’s Out Of My Life”. In support of this single, a simple but very touching music video was shot, which won the hearts of a million American girls.

Many music critics They called the disc “Off the Wall” a beautiful end to the disco era. More aggressive music began to come into fashion. This trend did not bypass Michael. He spent more than 2 and a half years in the studio with the producer of his first record. The result of their collaboration was the album “Thriller”, the lead single of which was the song “The Girl Is Mine”. The composition became the first collaboration between two legends - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.

A few months later, Jackson presented to the public his second single, the song “Billie Jean”. Interesting fact: the future world hit was initially rejected by Quincy Jones as “not good enough.” However, Michael’s musical instincts did not fail him, and he persuaded the short-sighted producer to give the song a chance.

As a result, the song became one of the most successful singles not only in the career of the King of Pop, but throughout the entire existence of the music industry. The composition took first place in several major music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles Chart. The next single, “Beat It,” was officially released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1983. The subsequent music video became the first in a series of “mini-movie clips from Michael Jackson.” And of course, the song easily topped the aforementioned Billboard Hot 100.

The single of the same name was the perfect ending to the “Thriller” era. The extended version of the album’s video is approaching 115 million views on the popular video hosting site YouTube.

Without exaggeration, this clip can be called “historical.” The legendary choreography of this video gave rise to a phenomenon called “zombie-dance” (zombie dance), and the images invented by Michael remain relevant as before, being reflected in the work of many contemporary artists.

In 1985, Michael became one of the authors of the charity single “We Are the World”, the purpose of which is to attract public attention to the problem of poverty in Africa. Such world stars as Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and, of course, Michael himself took part in the recording of the composition.

The success of the single exceeded all expectations. Four Grammy awards, including for “Best Song of the Year.” “We Are The World” went to number one in more than ten countries and sold over 20 million copies, making it one of the best-selling singles in music history. All money from the sale of the song was sent to help starving children in African countries.

Next great success Michael’s album was “Bad”. As many as five singles from this long play managed to take first place on the Billboard Hot 100, which is still an absolute record among male performers. But first things first. The first big hit of the album was the song “Bad”.

Many then expressed the opinion that this song became a kind of response to gossip and Michael’s many ill-wishers. And this version sounds quite convincing, given the interest with which the topic of “Jackson’s changing skin color” was discussed in the press that year.

The album “Bad” amazed with its diversity. Incendiary dance hits here quite successfully coexisted with lyrical compositions. One of the most expressive songs on the entire album turned out to be “Man In the Mirror”.

Song after song, Michael became more and more daring and independent. He experimented with genres and, as it turned out, very successfully. His rock experiment “Dirty Diana” instantly won the top lines of the world music charts.

Jackson never stopped improving his dancing skills. And after the release of the music video for the track “Smooth Criminal,” millions of people were convinced that Michael had no equal in dance.

The success of the album was phenomenal. Diamond status in the US and platinum in all European countries cemented “Bad” as one of the most successful records in the world.

In 1988, Michael’s autobiography, the book “Moonwalk,” was published, which reveals previously unknown and sometimes shocking details of the star’s childhood and youth. The memoir became a global bestseller in less than a year, selling 250,000 copies.

Spiteful critics argued that after such a successful album, Michael was unlikely to record anything as talented. But Jackson, breaking all stereotypes, again released a brilliant album. The “Dangerous” album still has a cult status, backed by 50 million copies sold. The album was foreshadowed by a track called “Black Or White”. The star guest of the music video for this composition was the charming boy from the movie “Home Alone” Makalay Culkin. “Black Or White” is considered an unspoken anthem of tolerance and equality.

In the music video for Jackson's next hit, the song “Remember the Time,” the role of the emperor was played by the famous comedian Eddie Murphy. To date, this video has more than 33 million views on YouTube.

One of the main hits of the album is the composition “In the Closet”. It was after the video for this song that the aspiring model Naomi Campbell gained worldwide recognition.

The album is not complete without dance action scenes. The track “Jam” became the main hit of the summer of 1992, conquering the dance floors of America and Europe.

The composition “Heal the World”, the sixth single of the record, became a kind of solo remake of the song “We Are the World”. The lyrics of the song again reminded people of world problems: wars, famine and AIDS.

In 1993, Michael found himself at the center of a disgusting scandal - he was accused of child molestation. The parents of a certain Jordan Chandler contacted the police with a statement alleging that Jackson had sexually harassed a 13-year-old boy. Such monstrous accusations seriously damaged the artist’s health. The result of the case was a settlement agreement under which Michael paid the Chandler family $22 million. In 2009, 16 years after the proceedings, the same Jordan Chandler admitted in an interview that he slandered the singer under pressure from his father, who later committed suicide. The trial, troubled personal life and public censure could not but affect Jackson's work. In June 1995, he released perhaps his most emotional and intense album, “HIStory”.

The album's lead single was a duet between Michael and his sister Janet, a song called “Scream,” the music video for which became the most expensive in history. Its creation cost the singer approximately $7 million.

The album's second single, “You Are Not Alone,” set a world record, debuting straight from number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Years later, music critics would call it "one of the most inspiring songs of all time."

In November 1995, one of the most important and most important songs in Jackson’s career, the composition “Earth Song,” was released. The song once again raised pressing issues: deforestation, air pollution, extermination of rare species of animals.

Another highly social single was the song “They Don’t Care About Us.” It really can be called scandalous, because the lyrics of the song clearly pointed to the imperfection of the political system in the United States and the rest of the world. As a result, more than 80 million views on YouTube.

The final, sixth single was the song “Stranger In Moscow”.

In 1997, the remix album “Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix” was released, the title single of which was the song of the same name. In the music video for “Blood On the Dance Floor,” Jackson showed off his consistently great dancing skills.

Michael's last work was the album “Invincible”. “You Rock the World” was chosen as the first single of the new product.

Unfortunately, despite the success of the album, Jackson quickly curtailed the promotional campaign, limiting himself to three singles. The most favorite song for fans was “Whatever Happens”. The guitar parts in this song were performed by Carlos Santana himself.

Since 2002, Michael disappeared from television screens for the first time. Some close associates claimed that during this time period he recorded more than a hundred songs for his grand comeback. In the spring of 2009, the first rehearsals for the “This Is It” tour began, which promised to become the most ambitious event in the history of music.

But the dreams of millions of fans were not destined to come true. On June 25, 2009, Michael's heart stopped forever. The official cause of death of the legend was a lethal dose of a drug called propofol. Internet media (in particular Twitter) were the first to notify fans of the death of their idol. The news became a nightmare for many millions of fans of Jackson's work. His death was the biggest shock to the public since the September 11 attacks. Many famous artists decided to honor the artist’s memory, but perhaps the troupe of the world famous Cirque du Soleil did it best. In memory of Michael, a whole tour appeared called “Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour”.

Michael Jackson is the greatest artist in human history. His incredible achievements will forever remain an unattainable bar for all his followers. Of course, his contribution to the development of modern pop music is simply invaluable! He has become an idol for most mainstream artists of our time, such as Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. It is impossible to express in words the emotions that cover you while listening to timeless hits. His dance moves became the basis modern choreography. And is it possible to tell a story? modern dance without mentioning Michael's signature moonwalk?! All this makes Michael a unique artist, who has never been, is not, and never will be equal. But this is only part of his merits - albeit a significant one, but still a part.

First of all, he was a man with a huge heart. His charities millions of young children living in lagging countries in Africa were prevented from starving to death. In total, for his creative work, he donated more than $300 million to charity, which no other person on the planet can boast of. But any amount, no matter how large, becomes insignificant against the background of how selflessly Jackson lived his life, devoting himself entirely to maintaining world peace.

They say that great people do not live long because they invest all their strength and emotions into creativity. Well, it really is. Michael lived a short but incredibly productive life. Of course, his good name will be remembered for a very, very long time, because such people are not born every day. Michael Jackson's contemporaries should be infinitely happy that they lived at the same time as the legend.

Rest in peace, King. Everlasting memory.

Genres: Pop

Biography Michael Joseph Jackson (born Michael Joseph Jackson; August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American pop singer, dancer, songwriter, philanthropist, King of Pop, and entrepreneur. One of the most successful performers in history, winner of 19 Grammy awards and dozens of other awards. 2 times listed in the Guinness Book of Records; Jackson's albums have sold about 750 million copies worldwide. Michael Jackson made significant contributions to the development of popular music, video clips, dance and fashion.

Not only his creativity, but also his personal life attracted the attention of the press: vitiligo disease, as a result of which Michael’s skin became light; his plastic surgery; trials during which he was accused of child molestation, but acquitted. Jackson died in 2009 as a result of an overdose of drugs, specifically propofol.

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 abused him mentally and physically. However, he respected his father's strict discipline, which played a large role in Jackson's success. In one confrontation with his father, described by Michael's older brother Marlon, his father held him upside down and struck him on the back and buttocks. One night, while Michael was sleeping, his father snuck into his room through the window. He was wearing a frightening mask, screaming and roaring shrilly. 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 admitted that he suffered from nightmares in which he was kidnapped from his bedroom. In 2003, Joseph admitted to the BBC that he beat Michael when he was a child.

Jackson first spoke openly about the abuse he suffered as a child in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993. He said that as a child he often cried from a feeling of loneliness and vomited after communicating 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 would sit on a chair with a belt in his hand when he rehearsed with his brothers, and that "if you did something wrong, he would make you cry, really get you."

Jackson has been performing for his classmates at Christmas concerts since he was five years old. In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined The Jacksons - a group formed by their brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine - as backup musicians, playing conga 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 group toured extensively in the Midwest from 1966 to 1968. They often performed in a number of "black" clubs and places known as the "Chitlin" circuit, often warming up the audience for a striptease. In 1966, they won a local talent competition, performing Motown hits and "I Got You (I Feel Good)" "James Brown with Michael as the main vocalist.

The Jacksons soon rose to national prominence, and in 1970, their first four singles reached number one. American chart Billboard Hot 100. Gradually, Michael stood out as the frontman of the children's quintet; in fact, it was he who got the main solo parts. He attracted attention 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

In 1973, the family project's success began to decline, the record company limited their financial options, and in 1976 they signed a contract with another company, as a result of which they had to change their name again to The Jacksons. From 1976 to 1984 they released 6 more albums, traveling around the country on tour. Meanwhile, Jackson released four solo albums and a number of successful solo singles, including "Got to Be There," "Rockin' Robin" and the 1972 chart-topping "Ben" (a ballad dedicated to his pet rat).

In 1978, Michael starred with Diana Ross in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz. On the set, he met music director Quincy Jones, who would become the producer of his most famous albums. The first of them, "Off the Wall", was released in 1979. The disco hit "Don't Stop "Til You Get Enough" and the slower composition "Rock With You" reached the top of the charts, and the album itself sold more than 20 million copies. Many music observers consider "Off the Wall" the last peak of a fleeting era disco music.

"Thriller"

The album "Thriller" went down in history as the best-selling album in the world. Regarding this album, producer Quincy Jones stated in an interview with Time magazine:

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

Released in November 1982, Thriller gave America seven singles:
"The Girl Is Mine" (No. 2, duet with Paul McCartney),
"Billie Jean" (No. 1, Grammy Award, the biggest hit of Jackson's 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).

"Thriller" topped the Billboard 200 for nine months (37 weeks) and remained on the chart for more than two years (122 weeks). For this album, Jackson received eight Grammy Awards (including Best Album of the Year) and seven American Music Awards. music awards). In 1985, the album was declared "the best-selling album of all time" by Guinness World Records. As of July 2001, the album had sold 26 million copies in the United States, making it the second best-selling album in American history behind "The Greatest Hits» by The Eagles (27 million). Thriller sold a record 109 million copies worldwide.

Jackson and his producers took advantage of the burgeoning music television landscape: his groundbreaking videos were among the first in constant rotation on MTV, which was only a year old at the time of the album's release. The popularity of the disc was facilitated, among many other reasons, by Jackson's performance in March 1983 at the 25th anniversary of Motown, where he presented the world with a 14-minute video clip shot for the song "Thriller" and in the spirit of a horror film. At the same concert, during the performance of "Billie Jean", Jackson demonstrated for the first time his famous "moonwalk" - a dance move in which the dancer moves his feet forward, but moves backwards.

Eighties

Jackson and his entourage used the media attention to Michael for financial gain. In 1983, Michael signed a contract with Pepsi-Cola, under which he was supposed to star in their commercial. During filming, an accident occurred due to which Jackson received a burn to the back of his head.

In 1984, Jackson again topped the American charts, this time with the song “Say Say Say,” recorded in a duet with Paul McCartney. The next year, Michael bought up most of the shares of ATV Music Publishing, which had the rights to most of The Beatles' songs, which caused a quarrel with McCartney, who himself dreamed of buying out these shares. Michael Jackson also worked with , making several test recordings with him, but the collaboration never took place due to the busyness of both musicians.

During the preparation of the new album, Jackson took up a charity project for the first time. Together with Lionel Richie, he wrote the song "We Are the World", which was recorded with the participation of numerous pop stars, and was also covered in German by the mother of punk rock, Nina Hagen, in 1987. Money from the sale of the single was donated to help disadvantaged children in Africa.

The Jackson-Quincy tandem's third and final album, Bad, topped the Billboard 200 for six weeks and produced seven more hits, five of which reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100: Bad, I Just Can 't Stop Loving You", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana". With Bad, Jackson and Quincy tried to follow the recipe for success of the previous disc (using a stylish beat, smooth funk jazz and electric guitar), but to do it on a much larger scale. The album sold 29 million copies.

Next, Michael went on his first tour as a solo artist, in support of the album “Bad” in 15 countries, which took up most of 1988. In 1987, Jackson starred in the 3D film Captain EO. The latter, with a budget of $17 to $30 million, lasted only 17 minutes and at that time was the most expensive film in terms of length. This was Jackson's first appearance on the big screen.

In the 18-minute video for the album's title track, "Bad," it was easy to notice changes in the singer's appearance. Despite the fact that his skin color was black throughout his childhood, in 1982 he began to lighten and became light dark. This became so noticeable that the entire press began to write about it, and not just the yellow ones. Jackson attributed this to the rare disease vitiligo and dispelled rumors that it was the result of intentional actions. In addition to skin lightening, another reason for the change in the singer's appearance was plastic surgery.

The nineties

Due to the increased attention to his person, Jackson spent most of his time in solitude at his strictly guarded Neverland ranch. There he was visited by a few friends, including Elizabeth Taylor. Children also lived on the ranch, to whom the singer was always partial. In 1991, he wrote two singles for the animated series The Simpsons, of which he was a fan. However, due to contract restrictions, his name was not mentioned in the credits. In 1993, he was charged with corrupting a minor boy, but at that time the case was settled out of court and the parents withdrew the civil suit.

In 1991, “Dangerous” was released, the release of which was preceded by the premiere of a large-scale video clip for the single “Black or White”. The video was allowed to be shown on MTV only after the scenes in which Jackson breaks windows and imitates masturbation were excluded. "Black or White" topped the charts for five weeks and became Jackson's biggest hit since "Billie Jean." As with the previous ones, seven singles were released from this album. In addition to "Black or White" they included "Remember the Time", "In the Closet" and "Will You Be There". For “Remember the Time,” a video was shot with a multimillion-dollar budget and computer special effects, in which the pharaoh of Egypt and his wife were portrayed by Eddie Murphy and top model Iman.

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

In 1995, the double album “HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I” was released, which combined a disc of 15 new songs with a disc of the biggest hits. It was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy. In order to return the shaky popularity, the first single was released “Scream” - a duet between the singer and his sister, Janet Jackson, who had also become a popular solo singer by that time. The song was accompanied by a futuristic video clip, the filming of which cost over seven million dollars.

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 7 million copies in the United States (15 million worldwide). Many new songs from it were released as singles, including a ballad about Moscow (“Stranger in Moscow”; Jackson promised to record a song about the Russian capital when he first visited here in 1993), a composition on the environmental theme “Earth Song” and a composition in the style of modern R&B song "You Are Not Alone", written and produced for him by R Kelly. In the video for “You Are Not Alone,” Michael appeared half-naked with his then-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley.

In 1997, an album of dance remixes of tracks from “HIStory” - “Blood on the Dance floor” was released. Reviews for the disc were largely positive, and the title track topped the sales charts in many countries, including the UK. In the US, the album went virtually unnoticed and did not reach number one on the charts.

Performances in Russia

Michael Jackson came to Moscow for the first time in September 1993. His concert was organized by the Dessa company and cost it $1,000,000. The tour organizer is Samvel Gasparov. The concert took place on September 15 in an open area - the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Stadium in pouring rain. Shortly after the concert, the company ceased to exist due to financial problems, and the stadium was closed for renovations. During the concert there was pouring rain, the puddles of which were cleaned up by maintenance staff right during Michael Jackson’s performance. In his Moscow hotel room, Jackson wrote a ballad about loneliness - Stranger in Moscow, which was included in the 1995 album History and released as a single. During a 1993 visit, Jackson stayed at the Metropole Hotel.
Jackson's second performance in Russia took place on September 17, 1996 at Moscow's Dynamo Stadium. During the visit, Michael Jackson met with former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, head of the Russian Presidential Security Service Korzhakov, and composer Igor Krutoy. During a 1996 visit, Jackson stayed at the Baltschug Kempinski Hotel.

Album Invincible

Jackson's next studio album was recorded only six years later, and its release was delayed several times. 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 quarrel between the singer and the recording giant. "Invincible", released in October 2001, contained 16 tracks, including the single "You Rock My World", which featured famous actors Marlon Brando and Chris Tucker in the video. The album received mixed reviews from critics, and its sales figures were twice as modest as those 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 his message:

“This album is dedicated to Benny Hermansen. We must remember: 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 2001. Jackson appeared on stage next to his brothers for the first time since 1984. The show also included performances by Britney Spears, Mya, Usher, Whitney Houston, Tamia, Slash, Aaron Carter. The album spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflys", the latter of which did not have a music video. "Unbreakable" was supposed to be released as a single, but due to several financing issues, Sony refused to release it.

In November 2003, Jackson released a collection of hits, Number Ones. The 18 tracks included in the collection included 16 previously released hits, a live performance of the song “Ben” and a new single “One More Chance”. By the end of 2004, Number Ones had sold over 6 million copies worldwide.

Late 2000s

In 2003, Jackson had to stand trial on charges of child molestation. After a lengthy trial, the musician was acquitted. After the trial, Michael Jackson retired from journalists in Bahrain and began preparing to record a charity single in memory of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It soon became clear that not all of the invited musicians wanted to participate in the project headed by Jackson. Although the song "I Have This Dream" was recorded, it was never released as a single due to unclear circumstances.

On November 16, 2004, Michael Jackson released "Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection" Box Set, a 5-disc set containing 57 tracks and 13 previously unreleased recordings, covering the period from 1969 to 2004, plus a previously unreleased 1992 live concert on DVD.

In the summer of 2008, Sony BMG launched a global campaign in which residents of more than 20 countries around the world voted for their favorite Michael Jackson songs, and thus took part in compiling a collection of hits from the “King of Pop” in their country. 122 tracks were presented to the fans. The album, which became unique in each country, included about 17-18 tracks on each disc (there were 1 or 2 in total, depending on the country).

In addition, Michael Jackson recorded his new solo album, which was planned for release in 2009. Rappers Will.I.Am, Kanie West and R'n'B singer Akon participated in the recording of the album.

In November 2008, the son of the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, at whose invitation the singer was in this country, sued Michael Jackson for failure to fulfill contractual obligations. The sheikh demanded payment of seven million dollars.

In March 2009, Michael announced that he was going to give the last series of concerts in London called "This Is It Tour". The concerts were supposed to begin 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 about 10 concerts at The O2 arena, which seats 20 thousand people. However, demand for tickets was so high that 40 more performances had to be scheduled. The concert tour never took place due to the singer's death.

Sony signed a contract with Michael's family to release ten new Jackson albums. They will include re-releases of some old albums and collections of never-before-released songs. The release of the first album, entitled Michael, is scheduled for December 14, 2010. It will consist of ten unreleased songs, including those recorded by Michael shortly before his death.

A game called “Michael Jackson the experience” and the entire videography “Michael Jackson vision” will also be released. Release date November 22-23, 2010

Personal life

Family

Michael Jackson was married twice. From 1994 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 casino. Through a mutual friend, they met again in early 1993, and their relationship became serious. They called each other every day.

When Jackson was accused of child molestation and it became public knowledge, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional support, and she was concerned about his health and addiction to relaxation drugs. Presley explained: “I believed that he had done nothing wrong and that he was innocent, I became closer to him. I wanted to save him. I felt like I could do it.". She soon persuaded him to settle the charges out of court, as well as the need for rehabilitation to restore his health. In October 1993, Jackson proposed to Presley over the phone: “If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?” They married in the Dominican Republic in secret, denying it for almost two months. 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.

In November 1996, after divorcing her, Jackson married Debbie Rowe (a former nurse), with whom he has two children: a son, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Sr. (born February 13, 1997) and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson ( born April 3, 1998). Debbie Rowe and Michael Jackson divorced in 1999. The second son, Prince Michael Jackson II (born February 21, 2002), was born from a surrogate mother, whose identity is unknown. There is a scandalous story associated with this child when Michael, showing Prince to photographers on the street, almost dropped him from a height of 50 feet. After that, Jackson tried to hide his family from the press and fans: when appearing in public, children wore masks. After Jackson's death, his mother, Katherine Jackson, took custody of the children.

In life, Michael Jackson's good friends were: Diana Ross, Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker, Macaulay Culkin, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Omer Bhatti.

Health and appearance

Michael's childhood was difficult. He and some of his siblings said their father abused and mistreated them. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Jackson's appearance began to change dramatically. He lost weight, his skin became lighter, his nose and facial contours changed. The initial causes of skin lightening are vitiligo and systemic lupus erythematosus (which Jackson was diagnosed with in 1986), as well as the singer's use of cosmetics to disguise blemishes on his skin. Surgeons believe he has undergone rhinoplasty, a forehead lift, cheekbone surgery and lip thinning.

Mental health experts said he had the mind of a ten-year-old, while other doctors believed he suffered from body dysmorphic disorder. Deepak Chopra, a doctor and friend of Jackson's for 20 years, said: “The reason that he subjected himself to plastic surgery was a craving for self-mutilation and a complete lack of respect for himself.”.

During the 1990s, it appeared that Jackson had become dependent on prescription drugs, mainly painkillers and powerful sedatives, and his health began to decline rapidly. He went to rehab in 1993 with the help of Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John, but the addiction remained.

Childhood and mental health

Jackson and some of his siblings stated that they were subjected to physical and psychological abuse from an early age by their father Joseph, which included incessant rehearsals, insults, and the use of derogatory names such as "big nose" for Michael; This treatment influenced the rest of Jackson's life. During one of the trials, Marlon Jackson recalled how Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and struck numerous blows to his back and buttocks. Joseph often tripped and pushed the boys. One night, while Michael was sleeping, Joseph climbed into his room through the window. He put on scary mask, entered the room and screamed. Joseph explained that he taught the children not to leave the windows open at night. For years to come, Jackson had nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom. By the early 1980s he was deeply unhappy; Jackson said: “Even at home I’m lonely. Sometimes I sit in my room and cry. It's so hard to find friends... I sometimes leave the house at night just to find someone to talk to. But it all ends with me returning home.”

Jackson recalled how Joseph sat on a chair during rehearsal, holding his belt in his hand. And if the children did something wrong, he beat them with this belt. In 2003, the father admitted that he beat his children. In November 2010, he confirmed this, but stated the following: “I don’t think Michael was afraid of me. If he was afraid, it was that he might do something wrong and I would reprimand him, but not that I would beat him. I never beat him, as many media wrote."

In 2003, Michael Jackson was accused of child molestation and acquitted two years later. During the investigation, Jackson's background was reviewed by Stan Katz, a professional psychologist who also spent several hours with the accuser. According to John Randy Taraborrelli, Katz concluded that Jackson was stuck at the mental development level of a ten-year-old child. Some doctors have publicly expressed the opinion that the singer had body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological disorder in which a person is overly concerned and preoccupied with a minor defect or feature of his body.

Vitiligo and lupus, treatment and consequences

Jackson's skin was dark in his youth, but became increasingly paler starting in the mid-1980s; this was, as many believed, due to the fact that Michael deliberately bleached his skin and changed his facial features to look like a European. All this was widely covered in the media. According to John Randy Taraborrelli's biography, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus in 1986. Vitiligo partially lightened his skin and made him sensitive to sunlight. Lupus was in remission, but sunlight may have flared it up. To combat these diseases, Jackson used solaquine, tretinoin and benoquine. He also used hydroxychloroquine, which was regularly injected directly into the scalp. Medicines with which he fought these diseases; makeup to hide blemishes on his skin - all of which made him appear very pale.

In February 1993, Jackson gave an unusually candid 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey, his first televised interview since 1979. During this interview, he stated that he had never deliberately bleached his skin, publicly announcing for the first time that he suffered from the disease vitiligo and had to use powerful cosmetics to even out his skin tone. The interview was watched by 68 million Americans. After this, active public discussions began on the topic of an unknown disease at that time. An autopsy performed after Jackson's death confirmed that he suffered from vitiligo.

During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married his dermatologist's nurse, Debbie Rowe. They first met in the mid-1980s when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. Over the years, she treated his illness and provided emotional support, and they became close friends before their relationship turned romantic. The couple divorced in 1999, but they remained friends.

Plastic surgery

The contours of his face also changed; some surgeons believe that he underwent many operations to change his nose, forehead, lips and cheekbones. According to Taraborrelli, Jackson had his first rhinoplasty in 1979 after breaking his nose while performing a difficult dance routine. However, the operation was not entirely successful, and Michael complained of difficulty breathing. He was sent to Steven Hoefflin, who performed a second rhinoplasty on him in 1980. However, in a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson's mother said that Michael deliberately and purposefully had his first plastic surgery on his nose. “One day he just stood up and decided he wanted to redo his nose because he thought it was too big. He left immediately as soon as he decided to do this. When I asked where Michael was, it turned out that he was getting his nose fixed."- Katherine Jackson said. In his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk, Jackson wrote that in addition to the nose job, he also had his chin dimpled and did not have any other surgeries. However, his mother said that Michael had more than two plastic surgeries, but he was very embarrassed about it: “I heard that people are interested in plastic surgery. It seems to me that this is exactly what happened to him. I told him that he had had enough surgeries and asked why he couldn’t stop. I even talked to him plastic surgeon and asked that when Michael comes, he only pretends that something is changing in his face". Also, since 1986, Jackson has been a regular client of Arnold Klein, a dermatologist who specializes in dermal injections and non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

In his book, Jackson attributed his facial changes to puberty, a strict vegetarian diet, weight loss, changes in hairstyle and stage lighting. He refuted the opinions of many that he had eyelid surgery. By 1990, the changes taking place in Michael were already widely discussed by the public; the singer's relatives reported that by that time he had undergone about ten operations on his face. In June 1992, The Daily Mirror ran a front-page image of what was believed to be Michael Jackson's face, which was described as being "horribly disfigured" by plastic surgery. Jackson sued the tabloid, and they reached a settlement in 1998. In the high court, the publication's former editor declared that there were no signs of plastic surgery on Jackson's face and publicly apologized to him.

Weight and drug dependence

Part of the reason for his facial changes was periods of significant weight loss. Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s due to a change in diet and a desire to have a "dancer's body." By 1984, Jackson had lost 9 kilograms, bringing his weight to 48 kilograms with a height of 175 cm - at that time he had the lowest weight in his entire adult life. Witnesses reported that Jackson often experienced dizziness and is believed to have suffered from anorexia nervosa. In subsequent years, the musician gained some weight, but after being accused of child molestation in 1993, Jackson stopped eating, again losing significant weight. In late 1995, he was rushed to hospital after collapsing during a rehearsal for a television appearance (which was subsequently cancelled); an independent author claims the incident was caused by a stress-related panic attack, while doctors cited abnormal heart rhythms, gastrointestinal inflammation, dehydration and abnormal kidney and liver function; In none of the hospitalizations, including this one, were any drugs found in Jackson's system. The BBC reported that at the time of his 2005 trial, the singer was also suffering from stress-related illnesses and severe weight loss.

The biographer claims that in 1993, the artist agreed to use the analgesics, diazepam, alprazolam and lorazepam, to combat the stress caused by the child molestation charge brought against him. Several months after this, news reports stated that Jackson had lost approximately 10 pounds of weight and stopped eating. During the written testimony in court, Jackson was very drowsy, could not concentrate, and spoke slurred. He couldn't remember the release dates of his previous albums or the names of the people he worked with. He took a few minutes to name some of his recent albums.

Jackson's health deteriorated to such an extent that he canceled the last leg of his world tour and flew with his friend Elizabeth Taylor and her husband to London. At the airport, two friends supported him to prevent him from falling; he was rushed to Elton John's manager's house and then to a clinic. At the entrance he was searched for drugs; bottles of medicine were found in the suitcase. He was placed on the fourth floor of the hospital in an IV room to reduce his dependence on painkillers. The singer's rep told reporters at the time that Jackson could barely move or speak. At the clinic, Jackson underwent group and single therapy sessions. According to Taraborrelli, in January 2004, when the trial ended, Jackson became addicted to morphine and Demerol.

After Jackson's death, a police investigation focused primarily on Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, revealed that Jackson's doctors used 19 different aliases, including "Omar Arnold", "Josephine Baker", "Fernand Diaz", "Paul Farance", "Peter" Madonie", "Faheem Muhammad", "Roselyn Muhammad", "Blanca Nicholas", "Jimmy Nicholas", "Bryan Singleton" and "Frank Tyson", prescribing medications for Jackson. He, in turn, received prescriptions from doctors under the aliases "Prince", "Michael Amir" and "Kai Chase" - the names of one of his sons, representative and former personal chef, respectively. Police during a search of Conrad Murray's home and office in Las Vegas found a CD on which the pseudonym "Omar Arnold" was mentioned. The use of pseudonyms by celebrity doctors is common practice: it is done to maintain the confidentiality of a patient's medical history and does not necessarily indicate drug addiction.

Child molestation charges

Michael's fans demonstrated in his support during the allegations
Michael Jackson stood trial twice on charges of molesting minors, both times of boys.
In 1993, he was accused of molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. Jordan was a Jackson fan and often visited him at the Neverland Ranch. According to the boy's father, his son admitted to him that the singer forced him to touch his genitals. The police conducted an investigation into 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 Chandler’s family $22 million, and they withdrew the statement.

Ten years later, in 2003, Michael was again charged with a similar crime. 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 as 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 frequently groped Gavin and other children.
On December 18, the police conducted searches at Jackson's Neverland estate, and on the 20th the singer was arrested and released on bail a few hours later. As before, Jackson categorically denied the accusation, saying that the Arvizo family was simply trying to engage in extortion. Michael's trial lasted from February to May 2005. More than 2,200 funds mass media from all over the world accredited their journalists to cover the scandalous process. The jury ruled that there was insufficient evidence and Jackson was innocent.
Constant litigation led to a deterioration in Jackson's health, and he even began using painkillers to cope with stress. In addition, the trial served to completely empty bank accounts: services the best lawyers USA cost more than $100,000,000.
After the singer's death in 2009, Jordan Chandler admitted that he slandered Michael Jackson, which his father Evan Chandler (who later committed suicide) forced him to do for the sake of money.

Religious views

Michael Jackson was not an open follower of any church, but showed interest in religion of various denominations.
The Jackson family belonged to Jehovah's Witnesses, and Michael was raised in this organization. However, his relationship with the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses did not work out due to the strict rules that it imposes on its members. Jehovah's Witnesses condemned his provocative behavior on stage and his Thriller video as unacceptable to the organization's followers. Soon, Michael's sister La Toya Jackson was expelled from the organization because she stopped attending their meetings. Michael, like all members of the organization, was forbidden to communicate with her, which was a blow for him. Michael violated the prohibition of the elders of the congregation and himself stopped attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1987, it was announced that Jehovah's Witnesses no longer considered Michael a member.
In recent years, Jackson has become interested in Islam. Michael's brother, Jermaine Jackson, openly professes Islam, and often gave his brother books about this religion. Germain hoped that his passion for religion would protect Michael from nervous disorders and bad habits. In addition, Michael had ties to the African-American organization the Nation of Islam. As I told you ex-nanny his children, Jackson often met with the leader of this organization, Louis Farrakhan.
On November 21, 2008, the tabloid The Sun reported that Jackson allegedly changed his name to Mikael in a shahadah ceremony, “a promise to be faithful to the Koran,” as a sign of his conversion to Islam while visiting composer Steve Porcaro in Los Angeles. This information has never been confirmed by Jackson himself. Jackson's lawyer Londell McMillan denied this report, saying about him that "this is bullshit. This is completely untrue".
Jackson was also close to Andre Crouch, a Christian musician and gospel artist. 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 them about Christian customs and commandments, but did not say anything about the desire to be baptized himself

Death, farewell ceremony and funeral

Michael Jackson's death on June 25, 2009 at 21:26 UTC (14:26 local summer time Pacific Time, 1:26 Moscow time) occurred after he collapsed in a rented house in Los Angeles.
Like the death of an icon of an era, it caused a huge reaction from Michael's fans around the world, affected the work of many major websites and caused Jackson's album sales to explode.
On the morning of June 25, 2009, Michael lost consciousness while in the house he was renting in Holmby Hills, west of Los Angeles. Jackson's personal physician, cardiologist Conrad Murray, later reported through his lawyer that he went to the second floor and found Jackson in bed, no longer breathing but with a weak pulse in the femoral artery. Murray began performing CPR. After 5-10 minutes, Murray decided to make a phone call, but there was no landline phone in the bedroom, and Murray did not want to call a cell phone, since he did not know the address of Jackson's house. While Murray was looking for a security guard to use his phone to call emergency services, 30 minutes passed. At 12:21 local time, a call to 911 was recorded. The caller was not Murray, but a home security worker.
Paramedics who arrived 3 minutes and 17 seconds after the call found Jackson no longer breathing with his heart stopped and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 42 minutes. According to Murray's lawyer, the UCLA doctor ordered the medical team to administer a direct injection of epinephrine to Jackson's heart. The lawyer noted that the entire time Jackson was at home, he still had a pulse. Efforts to revive Jackson continued along the way and for an hour after arriving at the University of California Medical Center at 1:14 p.m. The effect could not be achieved. Death was pronounced at 14:26 local time

Stacey Brown, Jackson's biographer, said Jackson became “very weak, very, very underweight” and that the family was very worried about it. Another biographer, Randy Taraborrelli, who knew Jackson for 40 years, said Jackson suffered from painkiller addiction for decades. Arnold Klein, Jackson's dermatologist, confirmed that Jackson was abusing prescription drugs. At the same time, Klein examined Jackson three days before his death and, according to Klein, the singer “I was in very good physical condition. He danced for my patients. He was in good psychological tone when we examined him, and in a very good mood.".

Investigation

Coroners began investigating the cause of death. Michael's body was flown by helicopter to Boyle Heights, where the Los Angeles Coroner's Office is located. An autopsy was carried out on the evening of June 26, after which the body was released to the family. However, the cause of death has not been established. To clarify this, additional toxicological tests were required, which could take from 6 to 8 weeks. At the same time, the coroner noted that no signs of violence or signs of murder were found during the autopsy. The Jackson family later conducted a second autopsy.
Although murder was not initially suspected, the Los Angeles Police Department began investigating the unusual and high-profile case the day after Jackson's death. Because the LAPD did not restrict access to Jackson's home and it was freely visited by his relatives, some observers, such as lawyer Brown Harland, criticized the police actions, believing that by allowing outsiders to freely access the chain of custody could be broken.
On July 1, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) joined the investigation. The DEA, with the power to investigate issues typically protected by physician-patient privilege, could examine all of Jackson's prescriptions. California's top prosecutor, Jerry Brown, said the DEA used CURES, a prescription database containing information about all drugs prescribed, doctors, dosages and patients, to investigate. On July 9, William Bratton, the Los Angeles police chief, said the investigation was focused on homicide or an accidental overdose, but would await full toxicology reports from the coroner.
On August 24, the conclusions of the forensic medical examination were made public - death was due to an overdose of the potent anesthetic propofol. A number of other potent substances (lorazepam, diazepam, midazolam) were also found in the blood.
On August 28, the Los Angeles coroner announced that Michael Jackson's death would be classified as a homicide.

Jackson's personal physician, cardiologist Conrad Murray, was born in 1953 in Grenada, lived for a long time in Trinidad and Tobago, and emigrated to the United States in the 1960s. A 1989 graduate of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He was not certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. In 1992, his company went bankrupt, and later several lawsuits were filed against him totaling $790,000. According to the Telegraph, Murray met Jackson in 2008 in Las Vegas, where Murray was treating his cold. According to People, the meeting occurred in 2006, when Murray was treating Jackson's children. Jackson insisted that AEG Live - the organizer of Jackson's planned concerts - hire Murray, and Murray lived with Jackson for two weeks, preparing him for the concert program. Murray was supposed to accompany Jackson on his trip to the UK and was supposed to be paid US$150,000 a month, but the contract required Jackson's signature and was never signed.
Doubts were raised about the quality of CPR performed by Murray - Murray performed it not on the floor or other hard surface, but on a bed. As soon as the 9-1-1 operator heard that CPR was being performed on the bed, he immediately asked that the patient be moved to the floor. In response, Murray, through his lawyer, stated that the bed was very hard, and he also put his hand under Jackson’s back. In addition, the lawyer stated that when the ambulance arrived, Jackson's blood was still circulating and there was a pulse, which means CPR was successful. A professor of cardiology at Indiana University School of Medicine said that “It is very difficult, if not impossible, to perform CPR on a bed. There is no lever, no rigid support, no neck extension.”. The professor also noted that it is impossible to support the patient’s back with one hand while performing CPR with the other hand, since “even for an emaciated 50kg man you need two hands” to achieve the desired compression.
On July 29, 2009, it became known that a personal doctor admitted that shortly before his death he administered the powerful painkiller propofol to Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson is survived by a son and daughter from his marriage to Debbie Rowe - Prince Michael Joseph Jackson (b. 1997) and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson (b. 1998), as well as a son, Prince Michael Jackson II, born in 2002 year from an unknown surrogate mother.

He is also survived by brothers - Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Randy; sisters - Rebbie, Janet and Latoya; parents: Joseph and Katherine Jackson. On June 27, the Jackson family released a joint statement:
In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we find it difficult to find words worthy of this sudden tragedy we are all facing. Our beloved son, brother and father of three children passed away so unexpectedly, in such a tragic way and so quickly. This leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to the point where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times.

We have lost Michael forever, our pain cannot be expressed in words. But Michael wouldn't want us to give up now. So we want to say thank you to all his loyal supporters and fans around the world, you are the ones that Michael loved so much. Please do not despair, because Michael will live on in each of you. Continue to carry his word because that is exactly what he would want you to do. Continue and his legacy will live on forever.

Press and public gathered around the University of California Medical Center on June 25

News of Jackson's death was first reported by TMZ.com, a Los Angeles celebrity tabloid. Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m., and 18 minutes later, at 2:44 p.m., the website reported that "Michael Jackson died today at age 50." For more than an hour, only TMZ.com reported on Jackson's death; magazines and television were careful not to reprint this information for fear of spreading false information. The Los Angeles Times was the first to confirm information about Jackson's death at 3:15 p.m. PDT. Due to the large influx of visitors, the sites TMZ.com and The Los Angeles Times worked intermittently.
Immediately after the news of Jackson's death, MTV and BET began broadcasting only Michael Jackson videos and programs dedicated to Jackson. On MTV, the continuous marathon of Jackson's clips continued for two days. After each clip, a live broadcast was broadcast from a makeshift studio in Times Square, where famous people from the pop industry called and expressed words of condolences. On June 25, American channels ABC, CBS, and NBC released special programs dedicated to the deaths of Jackson and Farrah Fawcett in prime time. TIME magazine published a special memorial issue about Jackson on June 29, which became the first such memorial issue since the issue about the September 11 attacks in 2001.

On June 25 and 26, 60% of all news coverage in the United States was devoted to the death of Michael Jackson. Such detailed media coverage of Jackson's death has been criticized. Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez said CNN paid more attention to Jackson's death than political crisis in Honduras, and called this news policy "regrettable". 70% of whites and 36% of black Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center thought press coverage of Jackson's death was too detailed, and only three percent felt coverage of Jackson's death was insufficient. The BBC received more than 700 calls from viewers complaining that there was too much news about Jackson.

Within hours of Jackson's death, sales of his records skyrocketed. His album "Thriller" climbed to number one on the US iTunes chart, while his other eight albums climbed into the top 40. In the UK, 14 of the top twenty spots on the Amazon.com chart were Jackson albums, with Off The Wall taking the top spot. Sales of all Michael Jackson CDs and MP3s on Amazon.com increased 721-fold on June 26. According to the vice president of Amazon.com, the online store sold out of all available discs of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 within minutes of the news of Jackson's death.

In total, Michael Jackson sold 415,000 albums in the United States in a week, which is 40% more than in the entire year before his death.

On the day of his death, condolences from the heads of the Sony corporation were posted on the official website. This appeal was on the website on June 25 and 26, then it was replaced with a bulletin board on which anyone could post their message.

Jackson's death caused bitterness among his fans, who began to gather around the University of California Medical Center and Michael's home in Holmby Hills. Fans also approached the Apollo Theater in New York. A small group of fans, including the city's mayor, gathered around Jackson's childhood home in Gary. Fans also gathered on the Hollywood Walk of Fame around radio commentator Michael Jackson's star, as Michael Jackson's star was unavailable for the premiere of the film Bruno. In Russia, Jackson fans gathered at the US Embassy in Moscow, attaching flowers and photographs to the embassy fence.
According to Gary Taylor, head of Jackson's fan club MJJcommunity, 12 fans committed suicide following the news of Michael's death.

US President Barack Obama, in a conversation with White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, called Michael Jackson a “musical icon,” expressed condolences to the singer’s family and fans, and also sent a letter to Jackson’s family. The US House of Representatives observed a moment of silence in memory of Jackson.
Many celebrities reacted to Jackson's death. , who wanted to attend one of Jackson's London concerts, said she "couldn't stop crying" over Jackson's death. Elizabeth Taylor, Jackson's longtime friend, said her "heart and mind are broken" and that she "can't imagine life without him." Paul McCartney posted a message on his website saying that “It was an honor to spend time and work with Michael. He was a very talented guy with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever, and my memories of the time spent with him will be happy ones.". He expressed his condolences regarding the death of Michael Jackson on the official website of Queen. Brian May. Lisa Marie Presley, Michael Jackson's ex-wife, said she was extremely amazed that exactly the same thing happened to Jackson as happened to her father Elvis Presley in 1977, as Michael himself predicted.

The news of Jackson's death quickly spread across the Internet, causing problems for many websites. Thus, the Google search engine perceived a large number of search queries for “Michael Jackson” as an attack by hackers and from 14:40 to 15:15 PDT issued a warning to users that their “query is similar to queries automatically sent by viruses and spyware.” The number of messages about Jackson on the microblogging service Twitter rose to 100,000 per hour on June 25, causing the service to be temporarily unavailable. AIM, America Online's instant messaging service, was unavailable for 40 minutes. America Online issued a special press release calling the day of Jackson and Farrah Fawcett's death "a pivotal day in the history of the Internet" and it was noted that they “never seen anything like this in scale or depth”. The online encyclopedia Wikipedia was temporarily unavailable at approximately 15:15 PDT due to an influx of readers and active editing of articles. According to Keynote's calculations, the average time to load a news message within 3 hours has doubled - from four seconds to nine.

For many sites, the day of Jackson's death became a record for traffic. News Michael Jackson rushed to hospital on Yahoo! was visited a record 800 thousand times in the first 10 minutes, and in general Yahoo! News was viewed by 16.4 million unique visitors in 24 hours, surpassing the previous US Election Day record of 15.1 million visitors. On June 26, the Michael Jackson article in the English-language Wikipedia was shown 5.9 million times, which was a record number of visitors in the entire history of the encyclopedia.

Funeral

The farewell ceremony was held on July 7 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles with a capacity of 20 thousand people. 17,500 free tickets were randomly drawn among those interested. The page on which they were accepted was shown 4 million times and an additional server was installed to process requests. In total, 1.6 million fan applications were accepted. On July 5, the computer selected 8,750 people from those who had registered, each of whom received two tickets. 11,000 ticket holders were allowed inside the Staples Center, while the remaining 6,500 people watched the ceremony from large screens outside. 3,200 police officers were allocated to maintain order; the ceremony cost the Los Angeles city budget from $1.5 to $4 million.

A private farewell ceremony for Michael Jackson took place on July 7 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The coffin was later transported to the Staples Center, where a public ceremony was to take place.

Smokey Robinson began the service at 17:10 UTC, reading messages from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. While the gospel choir sang "Soon and Very Soon" by Andre Crouch, Jackson's coffin was carried into the hall. Following this, a speech was given by Pastor Lucius Smith. Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz sang "I"ll Be There, the Jackson 5 single, after which Queen Latifah spoke. Lionel Richie, Jackson's friend and co-author of "We Are the World", performed the song "Jesus is Love" by The Commodores. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, the record company where Jackson and his brothers began their careers, gave a speech in which he called Jackson "the greatest entertainment executive who ever lived". These words were met with a prolonged ovation.

Stevie Wonder then spoke and performed the song “Never Dreamed You"d Leave in Summer" and "They Won't Go When I Go." Kobe Bryant spoke about Jackson's humanitarian work, and Magic Johnson, who appeared in the episode in the "Remember the Time" video ", spoke about his relationship with Jackson. John Mayer played the song "Human Nature" from the Thriller album. Brooke Shields spoke about her time with Jackson, read excerpts from The Little Prince and noted that Jackson's favorite song was "Smile" by Charlie. Chaplin, which was immediately performed by Jermaine, Jackson's older brother.

Martin Luther King's children, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, said Michael Jackson was the best at what he did. Sheila Jackson-Lee, a member of the US House of Representatives from Texas, spoke about Jackson's "American story" and announced her intention to have him declared an international humanitarian through the House of Representatives. Usher approached the coffin and sang the song “Gone Too Soon,” which Jackson himself sang in memory of Ryan White, a schoolboy who died of AIDS in 1990. After Usher, a clip from “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1969 was shown, in which the Jackson 5 performed “Who’s Loving You” by Smokey Robinson. After the clip was shown, Smokey Robinson himself spoke, talking about this performance of his song. After Robinson’s story, he performed this song 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi, a contestant on Britain's Got Talent, was next to remember Jackson, followed by several guests and singers, including Michael Jackson's family and children, who sang "We Are the World" and "Heal the World." .
After the concert, Jackson's brothers, Marlon and Jermaine, made small speeches and hugged each other. The concert was concluded by Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris Katherine Jackson, who tearfully said she loved her father, adding that he was "the best father you can imagine". The family carried the coffin out of the stadium as "Man in the Mirror" began to play. During the performance, a spotlight illuminated the microphone stand, which was empty. Pastor Lucius Smith closed the service with prayer at 19:48 UTC.

The farewell ceremony was broadcast in many countries around the world. In the United States, the farewell ceremony was broadcast by 19 television channels and was also shown in 37 cinemas. In Russia, the live broadcast was carried out on the Muz-TV, Euronews and MTV-Russia channels. The total global audience of the ceremony before the start of the broadcast was estimated from 300 million to 1 billion people. These forecasts turned out to be greatly overestimated. In total, 31 million people watched the television broadcast in the United States. For comparison, Princess Diana's funeral was watched by 33 million Americans, Ronald Reagan's funeral by 23 million, and Bill Clinton's apology to the nation in August 1998 by 68 million people. In the UK, the total audience of the broadcast was 6.5 million people - 4.5 million viewers watched the broadcast on BBC Two (20% of the total audience for this timeslot), 1.2 million on Five and 900 thousand on Sky News. For Sky News, the broadcast audience was its largest since the early days of the Iraq War.

In addition to television, the ceremony was also broadcast on the Internet. The CNN website transmitted 9.7 million video streams on July 7, which is less than the record 27 million video streams on the day of Barack Obama's inauguration. UStream transmitted 4.6 million, and the MSNBC website - 3 million video streams. On the BBC website, the broadcast was watched by 8.2 million global unique visitors, which became the second most popular event for the BBC Online service after Obama's inauguration.

There were reports that Michael Jackson was secretly buried on August 8th or 9th, 2009 at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Cemetery, but later reports emerged that he would not be buried until September.

The final funeral of the King of Pop took place on Thursday, September 3 at Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The death certificate lists "murder" as the cause.

On July 1, 2009, Michael Jackson's will, drawn up on July 7, 2002, was made public. According to the document, the entire fortune, estimated at that time at $500 million and almost entirely consisting of "non-cash, illiquid assets, primarily from interest on the catalog of publishing rights under the current management of Sony ATV, as well as other interest" »»
2010 -

Filmography

1978 - The Wizard / The Wiz - “The Scarecrow” (first film role)
1986 - “Captain IO / Captain EO” - in the title role of Captain IO
1988 - “Moonwalker” - plays himself
1996 - “Ghosts” - played five different roles (thanks to makeup); In 2006, this film was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest video clip.
2002 - “Men in Black 2” - “Agent Em”
2004 - “Miss Robinson / Miss Cast Away” - Michael Jackson again plays a cameo role in this film, which lasts no more than 10 minutes
2009 - “That’s it / This is it” - a musical documentary film directed by Kenny Ortega, created with the full support of the Jackson family.