Year of birth: D-Jackson. Attempts to return to former glory

Michael Jackson died on the night of June 25-26, 2009 in Los Angeles. The news of his untimely death instantly spread throughout the world, shocking not only fans, but also envious people. Jackson's name had long since become a legend, and despite numerous reports of illness, no one expected such a sudden death.

Despite years of musical silence, in the memory of bloggers the singer remains a true legend, the king of pop music, the author of numerous hits, spectacular video clips and the famous “moonwalk”, without which few can imagine the bygone era of the 1980s and their youth.

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 administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (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. Here is a recording of this historic call.

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 (UCLA) Medical Center at 1:14 p.m. The effect could not be achieved. Death was pronounced at 14:26 local time.

Thousands of the singer's fans immediately gathered near the hospital. They literally surrounded the porch, covering it with stuffed animals and flowers and filling everything around with photographs of the singer and candles. Fans also came to mourn Jackson's empty childhood home in Gary, Indiana, and the sprawling Times Square area in New York City.

Most people did not learn the exciting news from newspapers. People called each other, sent messages, wrote on blogs. In terms of the scale of the tragedy, Jackson's death can only be compared with the death of Princess Diana or the assassination of President Kennedy.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958. He was the seventh of nine children in the Jackson family. At the age of four, Michael was already on stage. A little later, he began performing with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, German and Marlon in the group “The Jackson 5,” which was created by their father Joseph. And although Michael was the youngest, it was he who attracted the most attention, sang and danced best, knew how to charm the audience, and eventually became the real star of the group.

In the late 1960s, The Jackson 5 signed a contract with Motown Records and began releasing hot hits one after another throughout the next decade. Simultaneously with his work in the family band, Michael made successful solo projects.

For the active Michael, everything was never enough. So, in 1978, he starred with young Diana Ross in the feature film “The Wiz,” an African-American remake of “The Wizard of Oz.” The film did not become a classic of American cinema, but it was of great importance for Michael, because on the set he met the great music producer Quincy Jones, who worked on the musical accompaniment of the film.

In 1982, Jackson not only broke his own record, but also set an unattainable bar for subsequent generations. The Thriller album did not have time to be re-released; it sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Michael Jackson received seven Grammy Awards for this album. Another world record for the Thriller album is leadership in the charts for 37 weeks in a row, which no one has yet surpassed.

The sensational success of Thriller lay in the never-before-seen, enchanting and amazingly beautiful video clips for the songs “Billie Jean”, “Beat It” and “Thriller”. Jackson was the first to manage to make a small film out of a video clip, to make video a means of transmitting music, to not give a damn about the laws of the genre, establishing his own. Michael broke any stereotypes that came his way. Jackson became the first black guy on American MTV.

Having passed his peak, Michael continued to maintain enormous popularity. The 1987 album Bad sold 25 million copies, and the 1991 album Dangerous sold 23 million copies.

In 1993, Michael became famous on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was filmed at his home - the Land of Eternal Childhood ranch in Santa Yanez, California. The interview lasted 1.5 hours and attracted almost 100 million viewers, becoming the most popular show of the year.

In 1995, Michael released the ambitious and ingenious double album HIStory Past, Present and Future Book I, consisting of 15 super hits of past years and 15 new songs, which are still considered his most touching and soulful compositions. Within a year, the album went platinum six times in the United States and is still selling successfully, being the most popular double album in the world.

Jackson easily masters new musical genres and techniques, creating waves, ahead of his time. In subsequent years, he released the albums "Blood On The Dance floor: HIStory In The Mix", "Invincible", "Number 1"s", which includes re-released old songs and new compositions, as well as a 44-minute DVD "Michael Jackson - The One" with footage from the CBS archives, including his concerts, off-stage footage, and footage from the HIStory tour.

In 1996, Jackson married nurse Debbie Rowe, who gave him two sons (born 1997 and 2002) and a daughter (born 1998). Jackson says fatherhood is his life's dream.

From 2003 to 2005, the whole world was discussing a high-profile court case: Michael Jackson was accused of child molestation. After long meetings and trials, Michael is found not guilty on all counts, but the long, intense litigation undermines the singer’s health, so after the trial he leaves for the island of Bahrain and becomes a hermit.

In March 2009, Michael announced that he was going to give the last series of concerts in London called This is it Tour. A series of 10 concerts at The O2 arena, which seats 20 thousand people, was scheduled to start on July 13, 2009 and end on March 6, 2010. However, the demand for tickets exceeded all expectations, and the organizers planned additional performances.

According to the doctors who examined Jackson, the singer’s health fully allowed him to carry out such a difficult tour...

The day after Jackson's death, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began investigating the unusual and high-profile case. They started talking about a new version of the cause of the singer's death - murder.

On July 1, 2009, 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, 2009, 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. Cardiologist Conrad Murray, Michael's personal physician, was charged with manslaughter.

The case is still acquiring new details. According to the latest testimony, when the singer's heart stopped, Murray interrupted the initial resuscitation procedure in order to hide the drugs he was illegally administering to celebrities.

However, what difference does it make now... Michael Jackson still cannot be revived with new details about his death.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is to be honest with yourself and your loved ones and work hard. What exists now will not exist tomorrow. Go for it. Fight. Improve and cultivate your talent. Be the best at what you do. Learn more about your line of work than anyone alive. Use tools to present yourself - be it books, or the floor to dance, or water to swim. Wherever it is, it's yours. That's what I always try to remember."

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was born in the American town of Gary, into a large family where nine children grew up. As a child, he performed with his brothers in the band Jackson 5, created by his father. Even then, the boy attracted attention with his unique style of singing and unusual dance movements.

In 1978, Michael was offered to star in the film adaptation of the popular children's book The Wizard of Oz. During filming, Michael Jackson met music director Quincy Jones, who recognized enormous talent in the young singer and became his producer. A year later, Michael Jackson's first solo album, Off the Wall, was released, selling more than 20 million copies.

Star Trek Singer

In 1982, another record, Thriller, was released, which turned out to be “revolutionary” in the world of show business. No other popular performer has ever sung the way Michael Jackson sang. 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. Seven songs from this album turned into super hits, and the record itself was included in the Guinness Book of Records as “the best-selling album in the world.”

Jackson's popularity peaked in the mid-1980s. At one of the concerts in 1983, Michael Jackson walked for the first time with his famous “moonwalk”. In 1984, he was awarded eight Grammy awards. Until 1992, the singer released two more records - Bad and Dangerous - which gave the world such super hits as The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Black or White, Remember the Time, Will You Be There.

In the ten years after 1993, three more records by the singer were released. This is the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I, then Invincible, and Number Ones. In 2009, the King of Pop promised to release a new disc, but never got around to doing it.

Cause of death of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 as a result of an overdose of propofol administered to him by doctor Conrad Murray. Later, the doctor was formally charged with manslaughter of the musician.

Personal life of Michael Jackson

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., and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, was born through a surrogate mother.

Over the course of his life, Michael Jackson has undergone many plastic surgeries, some of which he had to undergo due to a rare genetic disease - vitiligo. Jackson's skin began to lighten in the 80s. The singer denied that he deliberately wants to change his skin color: “I’m African American and I’m proud of it.”

Jackson's health was undermined not only by frequent illnesses and operations. Michael Jackson stood trial twice on charges of molesting young boys - in 1993 and 2003. In the first case, Michael Jackson paid the child's parents $22 million, after which they withdrew the application. As a result of the second trial, Jackson was completely acquitted, but the services of the best lawyers led the performer to bankruptcy. By this point, Michael Jackson could no longer do without painkillers and sedatives.

Photo by Michael Jackson: Rex Features/Fotobank.ru

Michael Jackson was a real idol for many pop music fans. The cause of the artist's death became the subject of lively discussion in the media. The official version is overgrown with rumors and speculation. The circumstances under which everyone’s favorite singer died, where he was buried and what will he left will be discussed in this article.

The day before

Before his sudden death, Michael Jackson was in high spirits. The cause of death for people who knew him closely seems obvious. The singer spent a lot of energy preparing for the next tour. The proposed concerts in London were supposed to mark the artist's return to the big stage. He had not performed for a long time, was in poor physical shape, but intended to successfully overcome all obstacles. He had the strength to rehearse with the dance group for several hours a day. Literally the day before his death, the singer looked fresh and cheerful. He amazed those around him with his efficiency.

Ken Ehrlich (one of the Emmy producers) claims that Michael Jackson was experiencing his best days before his death. The cause of the singer’s death puzzles him, because the artist felt great, talked and joked a lot. However, the very next day he was gone. Even after the second autopsy, specialists could not decide on a diagnosis. What was it? The result of numerous plastic surgeries? A sluggish but fatal disease? A consequence of extreme fatigue? Overdose of potent drugs? Jackson has never been afraid to experiment with his health. This carelessness played a cruel joke on him.

Death

Michael Jackson, whose albums sold millions of copies, did not die immediately. First, the singer fainted while filming in Los Angeles. Then the fainting happened again. This time, the artist was in the house he was renting in West Los Angeles in Holmby Hills. Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, told police that he found his patient in bed with a weak pulse in the femoral artery. He was between life and death. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation did not produce results. It took half an hour to find a security guard so that he would heed the requests of the frightened aesculapian and call the emergency services from his phone. For some reason Murray did not want to use his personal cell phone. Thus, only at 12:21 a call was made to 911. Information about the tragedy came from an unknown man.

Three minutes later, doctors discovered the artist’s lifeless body. Attempts to bring him back to life continued for another hour. They were unsuccessful. Michael Jackson died on the grounds of the University of California Medical Center at 2:26 p.m. Date of death: June 25, 2009. The legend of world show business, the king of popular music, a wonderful singer, a unique dancer, an unsurpassed showman died without making the last tour of his life.

Expert opinion

Michael Jackson was physically exhausted. The cause of death could be the most unexpected. Upon examination, he was found to have many scars, including from surgery to relieve skin cancer. In addition, he was found to have several broken ribs and bruises, and traces of cardiac injections. The singer only had pills in his stomach. With a fairly tall height (178 cm), his weight was only 51 kilograms. It’s strange that this man even found the strength to sing and dance.

Experts immediately had several assumptions. They cited physical exhaustion, abuse of painkillers, and the consequences of plastic surgery. Coroners continued to examine the body. They found no signs of violence, but did not disclose the cause of death. Michael Jackson's doctor disappeared, but he probably could tell a lot about the condition of his patient before the tragedy. Toxicology tests took about six weeks. However, experts have not come to a consensus. Three main versions have been put forward.

Version No. 1: potent agents

Michael Jackson, a biography whose personal life was constantly covered in the press, took shocking doses of painkillers. He was no stranger to medication. A man who sought to change himself beyond recognition drowned out the pain by all possible means. With age, the artist developed problems with his spine and became dependent on medications. The Jackson family's lawyer, Brian Oxman, argues that there can be no other cause of death for the actor. He bitterly states that the people surrounding the singer did not interfere with his destructive addiction. Did Michael Jackson use drugs? Experts say no. However, his body was overloaded with potent substances that eventually caused his heart to stop.

Version No. 2: destructive plastic surgery

Michael Jackson, whose albums broke all popularity records, went under the knife more than once in order to improve his own appearance. From some sources it is known that during another rhinoplasty, the artist became infected with one of the varieties of staphylococcus. After this, the virus began to gradually destroy his body. In addition, the artist’s repeatedly deformed nose became much less functional - the nasal passages narrowed, which caused oxygen deficiency. This could lead to chronic hypoxia, which can provoke cardiac arrest. Doctors have come up with a special term for this phenomenon - apnea. Death comes in a dream when a person does not control breathing. Plastic surgery itself is not dangerous, but its consequences can greatly undermine the patient’s health. Surgery under anesthesia and taking medications during the rehabilitation period bring negative results. Michael Jackson suffered because of his fearlessness - he believed that he could change himself beyond recognition without any consequences for health and well-being.

Version No. 3: inflated expectations

Michael Jackson, whose last years of life were not easy, took on very serious responsibilities. For example, he was scheduled to perform on a huge stage in London in July 2009. The artist experienced monstrous overloads and colossal pressure. The impossible was expected of him - complete recovery without interruption from grueling rehearsals. In preparation for the anniversary celebration, the singer worked almost without rest. The crazy work schedule killed him.

Version No. 4: beautiful care

In fact, the whole world was waiting for a miracle. It was expected that a weak and sick person would suddenly perk up, make a mad dash forward and give the public another incredible show - with trapeze flights, moonwalking and frantic energy. At first it was announced that the artist would give 10 concerts, then even 50, but it is quite obvious that he would not have survived even one. But how grandiose the death of an artist on stage in front of an audience of millions would be! The singer did not live only 18 days before performing at the London arena. The tour was called “farewell” long before the start. Michael Jackson was frankly dying. Among his illnesses were emphysema, gastric bleeding, vitiligo, skin cancer... The death of an extravagant artist could be a continuation of a grandiose life-long show. This would be the King's farewell to the audience who fell in love with him. It's a shame that it never happened.

Funeral

The world parted ways with the legendary singer on July 7, 2009. A public farewell took place at Staples Center. 17,500 tickets were raffled off online. The excitement was such that the price for them reached $10,000. Thousands of fans, as well as the most famous people of our time - actors, singers, showmen - gathered to honor the memory of the wonderful artist. The event looked more like another show with world celebrities than a funeral ceremony. The singer's sister, Janet, tried to add a touch of sincerity to the pathos atmosphere. She talked about what a terrible blow the loss of her brother was for her. The surprise for the audience was that Michael Jackson's daughter Perris appeared on stage. An eleven-year-old girl told the audience that she really misses her father. The body of the world celebrity was buried in a bronze coffin with gold plating. It rests in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Will

The artist's posthumous wish was clear. Back in 2002, he drew up a will in which he indicated that he would divide his fortune between his mother, three children (including Michael Jackson’s daughter) and charities. Father - Joseph Jackson - is not mentioned in the will. The singer's assets at the time of his death amounted to $1 billion 360 million. The most valuable investment is considered to be a share in the music catalog, estimated at $331 million. It contains compositions by the best creators of the twentieth century. In addition, Jackson took care of the future of his children. He secretly recorded two hundred songs and transferred ownership of them to a special foundation. Lenders can't reach him. And the artist incurred a lot of debts. According to the most conservative estimates, their amount reaches 331 million dollars.

It is difficult to overestimate the legacy that Michael Jackson left. The date of death of the world legend will forever remain in the memory of fans.

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 the 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 an original studio album entitled King of Pop. The collection consisted of compositions based on poems by the great Scottish poet of the 18th century, Robert Burns.

Jackson's album Thriller 25, released in February 2008 to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the legendary Thriller album, was a great success. The new collection includes nine original compositions 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

The recognized king of pop music, singer, composer and showman Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in the American city of Gary, Indiana. He is the most successful performer in the history of pop music culture, awarded numerous awards and prizes, including fifteen Grammys. Twenty-five-time nominee of the Guinness Book of Records. The number of discs, albums, collections and individual singles sold during the work of the great artist is approaching one billion copies. In 2009, Michael Jackson received the official title of "American Legend".

Parents

The story of Michael Jackson can serve as an example of a classic large American family. He became the eighth child of his parents, Joseph and Catherine Jackson, and there were ten children in total. The boy's father did not have a calm character, he was often in a bad mood, and this was reflected primarily on the children.

Biography

Michael Jackson was an ordinary American boy, but he showed musical talent early on, and instead of running around the street or playing football, he was singing in a family band with his brothers and sisters. The children created a group called "The Jacksons", they played whoever played what, the only instruments they had were a tambourine, a conga and an old banjo, which was a gift from neighbors. Five-year-old Michael performed as a backing vocalist and dancer.

For three years, The Jacksons rehearsed, creating their repertoire of gospel and other blues styles, and then, when Michael was eight years old, the group went on tour. From 1966 to 1968, teenagers traveled around nearby states, performing wherever they could, most often in nightclubs between striptease acts. In addition to working in such institutions, the guys tried to participate in music competitions that were held everywhere. The Jacksons won one of them, and it happened thanks to Michael, who performed James Brown's most popular hit "I Feel Good."

Thus, the biography of Michael Jackson opened another page in the creative life of the growing performer. The group soon became a well-known musical ensemble, and in 1970, “The Jacksons” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Michael became a soloist, he performed vocal numbers while dancing, and this brought him success. The Jackson family project developed, the group became more and more famous.

1973 became a period of decline; a radical update of the repertoire was required. The situation leveled out only after the release of six successful albums at once. Michael Jackson himself, feeling a surge of creative inspiration, recorded four solo discs and a number of singles, including “Gotto Be There” and “Rockin’ Robin.”

Broadway

Since then, Michael Jackson's biography has taken on an independent course; the singer's creative ego required complete dedication on an individual basis. However, he has not yet decided to enter the stormy sea of ​​American show business as a solo performer. In 1978, Michael starred in the film version of the musical Wiz, which was a success on Broadway. It was a performance based on the fairy tale "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Jackson's partner was the famous singer Diana Ross. On the set of the film, the singer met his future producer, film director Quincy Jones.

On August 10, 1979, Michael Jackson's next solo album was released, called "Off The Wall". It had two hits - “Don”t Stop You Get Enough” and “Rock With You”. They were set off by several slow compositions. The disc sold 20 million copies, and Michael Jackson finally believed in himself. And “Off The Wall” , according to critics, worthily crowned the era of disco music.Since then, Michael Jackson's life has changed dramatically, self-confidence has appeared, and the singer began to create with renewed energy.

Album "Thriller"

Quincy Jones, answering questions from a Time correspondent, said: “Michael managed to bring the spirit of black music to every soul in the world...”. We were talking about the album "Thriller", released in the fall of 1982, which created an unprecedented sensation. The collection includes the following hits:

• "The Girl Is Mine" in duet with Paul McCartney;
• "Billie Jean", the biggest hit of Michael Jackson's entire career, which brought the singer his first Grammy Award;
• "Beat It", second Grammy Award;
• "Wanna Be Startin Somethin";
• "Human Nature";
• "Pretty Young Thing";
• "Thriller" "Baby Be Mine";
• "The Lady In My Life".

In 1985, the album "Thriller" was included in the Guinness Book of Records with the wording "the best-selling album in the history of music." 109 million copies - this was the result of the disc's sales worldwide. The biography of Michael Jackson has thus added another bright page.

1982 can be considered the beginning of the "golden era" of Michael Jackson. The album "Thriller" is quite suitable for the role of a lifetime monument to the singer, given its hyper-popularity. And on March 25, 1983, at the anniversary performance of “Motown 25, Yesterday, Today, Forever” throughout America, Michael Jackson’s “moonwalk” was demonstrated for the first time during the performance of his famous “Billie Jean.” The shocked audience gave a standing ovation. This episode is still considered one of the brightest events on American television, and the biography of Michael Jackson opened another creative page.

Pepsi period and business

In early 1984, Michael Jackson, together with film director John Landis, released a 15-minute film called "Thriller", which became the standard for the entire nascent television entertainment industry. The newly emerged MTV channel buys the rights to use the film from Jackson and begins reproducing it. The channel's rating rises sharply, and the singer's popularity also increases many times over.

With the arrival of the spring of 1984, Michael Jackson began to engage in charity work. He invests money in a fund to help those suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction. For this, the singer receives recognition on behalf of US President Ronald Reagan and a special award.

Michael devotes the entire second half of 1984 to organizing the largest touring project, the “Victory Tour,” which takes place throughout the United States and Canada. Fifty-five concerts attracted approximately two million spectators. Income from performances amounted to an impressive amount of $75,000,000. The singer donated all his earnings from this large-scale event to charitable purposes.

Michael Jackson's life took on a new meaning, he got the opportunity to do good to people. For someone who had a difficult childhood, this kind of charity makes a huge difference. Hundreds and thousands of children in different states began to receive real help from the famous showman. This money helped some people undergo the necessary surgery, others were able to improve their lives and get socially settled.

Also in 1984, one event occurred that radically changed the direction of Michael Jackson’s charitable activities and his health. While filming a Pepsi commercial and being too close to pyrotechnic devices, the singer was injured by fire. He suffered burns to his face and his hair was partially burned off. I had to spend several weeks in a burn center, where Michael repeatedly visited wards with burned children. After being discharged from the clinic, Jackson decided to open a charitable burn center.

In addition, during the treatment, the singer became acquainted with plastic surgery, since he needed restoration of his facial skin and hair. After all the operations, satisfied with the results, Michael left the clinic, but after a while he returned to plastic surgeons with the intention of changing the shape of his nose and chin.

However, already at that time Jackson was suffering from a latent form of vitiligo, a terrible disease that destroys skin pigmentation and leads to irreversible changes in the epithelium. He had surgery to change the shape of his nose and chin, and thus a time bomb was placed in his body, which went off many years later.

Before the operation, Michael Jackson did not complain of difficulty breathing, but the intervention of surgeons and the change in the shape of the nasal septum could not pass without leaving a trace; problems began with the air channels, which quickly narrowed and required more and more surgical actions. The singer had been in the hospital for weeks, with no end in sight to his suffering. There are no painful signs in the photo of Michael Jackson before surgery. His face is proportional, no deviations from the norm are visible in the video, his breathing is even and stable. However, Michael Jackson after the operation (the photo speaks volumes about the change in facial structure) undoubtedly experienced physical as well as aesthetic difficulties. There is a pathological change in the shape of the nose. Perhaps Michael Jackson, after the operation, was counting on a new stage image, but in this case, the change in appearance cost the singer too much.

Michael Jackson's skin became lighter and his nose became thinner and thinner. The problem was added by the transition to a vegetarian diet, which disrupted the already unstable metabolism. Weight loss completed the process of loss of health that had begun, and illnesses fell on the singer. I had to hide from the sunlight behind wide dark glasses, Michael could no longer appear in public without makeup, and his health worsened every day.

Album Bad, film debut and "Neverland"

In the fall of 1986, Jackson starred in a movie. It was a short film called Captain Io, directed by George Lucas and Francis Coppola for the Disneyland park theaters. Why Michael did this, he himself could not explain. Perhaps you wanted to be on the set with such major masters of American cinema as Coppola and Lucas. But there was nothing like Star Wars in the 14-minute film.

In August 1987, Michael Jackson's studio album, code-named Bad, was released and sold 45 million copies. This scale is explained by the presence of five singles from the first line of Billboard. The success of the disc became the impetus for a tour in support of "Bad". The trip lasted a year and a half, during which Jackson gave 123 concerts, which attracted 4.4 million spectators. Financial income amounted to $125 million.

The London open-air concert attracted 504 thousand fans of the pop musician. The sea of ​​people was agitated, but it was quiet, only popular hits were heard. Michael Jackson gave dozens of encores, and although his health at that time already left much to be desired, he tried not to disappoint his fans.

Russia

Michael Jackson had a chance to visit Moscow for the first time in the fall of 1993. The concert was organized by producer Samvel Gasparov. The performance of the King of Pop took place at the Grand Arena of the Luzhniki Stadium during pouring rain. After the concert in his hotel room, Jackson wrote the ballad "Stranger in Moscow", which was later included on the 1995 album "History". Michael Jackson's second visit came in September 1996, the concert took place at the Dynamo stadium. This time there was no rain.

King's Hideout

Due to the increased attention from fans and admirers, Michael Jackson was forced to hide in his Neverland estate in California. Only the singer's closest friends could come there, including Hollywood megastar Elizabeth Taylor. Children were also constantly living at the ranch in large numbers; Michael invited them as part of various humanitarian programs. When there were relatively quiet hours, Jackson wrote music for animated series. In 1991, he wrote singles for the popular animated series The Simpsons.

At the end of 1991, a new album, "Dangerous", was released, the appearance of which was preceded by the premiere of the video clip "Black or White". The video topped the charts for a full five weeks, eventually reaching number two behind "Billie Jean". Several singles were released from "Dangerous": "Remember The Time", "Will You Be There", "In The Closet" and others. A huge video was shot for “Remember The Time” with a budget of millions on the theme of the Egyptian state. The pharaoh was Eddie Murphy, and the queen was portrayed by model Iman.

Michael Jackson's children

The singer was married twice, his first wife was Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. There was a lot of uncertainty around this marriage alliance; young people got married secretly in the Dominican Republic in May 1994. They hid their marriage for a long time. Michael and Lisa Marie lived together for less than two years, divorced and remained friends. There were no children in this marriage.

Immediately after the divorce from his first chosen one, Jackson married a second time, this time to nurse Debbie Rowe, who bore him two children: a son, Prince Jackson, and a daughter, Paris. The divorce from Debbie was also not long in coming; it took place in the summer of 1999. Michael Jackson's children were left without a mother, and they saw their father from time to time. They were raised by their grandmother, Katherine Jackson. They lived together in California, near Santa Barbara, on the Neverland ranch, which was once purchased by Michael Jackson. It is unknown what year this estate was, but they say that the ranch is almost twice as old as the owner himself.

Last failed performances

In the spring of 2009, a few months before his death, Michael Jackson announced concerts that were supposed to be held in London, called "This Is It Tour". The tour was supposed to begin in July 2009 and end on March 6, 2010. On March 5, 2009, a press conference was scheduled at which they announced Jackson’s return to the stage and a series of concerts at the 20,000-seat “The 02 arena” stadium in London. The tickets were sold out within a few hours, but the concerts never took place due to the singer’s poor health and subsequent death.

The death of the king of pop

Michael Jackson's illnesses haunted the singer; his complexion was no longer pale, but white. The king lost weight, he did not get out of bed, and a doctor was constantly near him. In the early morning of June 25, 2009, professor of medicine Conrad Murray injected Jackson with the drug Propofol and left for a while. The medicine, an anesthetic sleeping pill, was supposed to take effect within 20 minutes, but when Murray returned, he found Jackson lying on his back with no signs of life. As it turned out later, the injection dose was too high.

The ambulance doctors arrived three minutes later and determined cardiac arrest. Attempts to bring Michael back to life came to nothing. His death was confirmed an hour and a half after being admitted to intensive care. When Michael Jackson died, a version of his murder immediately arose. Doctor Conrad Murray was taken into custody, but then released on bail. LAPD detectives conducted the investigation for two years. In addition, on the day Michael Jackson died, strangers were seen in the area, and the theory of murder by third parties was also being verified. After a thorough investigation, the police concluded that there was a medical error resulting in death due to negligence.

Michael Jackson's funeral

The farewell ceremony for the legendary pop musician took place at Liberty Hall, which is located in the Hollywood Hills. The funeral was delayed for a long time, but Jackson was eventually buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in suburban Los Angeles. Michael Jackson's funeral was held in secrecy to avoid the unrest that would be inevitable if it became public.

Only his closest friends and associates, about 50 people, were notified of the location of the coffin with the body of the late Michael Jackson. The Jackson family, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Berry Gordy, Jafargoli, Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, Usher, Smokey Robinson gathered in the room. Each performed one of Michael's hits. Queen Latifah read the requiem "He Was With Us." Rev. El Chartpont delivered the eulogy.

The police department initiated an investigation into the cause of the singer's death; in 2011, doctor Conrad Murray was found guilty of the death of Michael Jackson and sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter. The doctor took the punishment for granted.

Posthumous albums

Sony Corporation has offered Michael Jackson's family a contract to publish his last ten albums, as well as the right to re-release some old recordings. A special point was made about never-released songs. With such an extensive contract, confusion would have been inevitable, so the parties agreed on an average payment ratio for the main items, and individual songs that had not yet been released were taken into account as bonuses. This calculation scheme suited everyone.

The first album was the collection Michael, which was released in 2010. Four singles from it became the basis for videos. A year later, the Immortal remix was released, which incorporated several of the best hits. Videos were also shot based on these compositions, to create which they invited choreographers and dancers who worked with Jackson during his lifetime. Many of them refused to pay for their participation or asked to send their fees to the nearest charity, thinking that Michael Jackson would have done the same.

In the spring of 2014, the second posthumous double album “X-scape” was released, which was recorded with the participation of Justin Timberlake. In March in Stockholm, right on the roadway near the Studeplan Hotel, a group of three hundred dancers performed a dance performance based on Michael Jackson's hits. Similar performances spontaneously arose all over the world, wherever there was a suitable area measuring half a hectare. The memory of the great pop artist haunted his fans, followers and just fans. Now that the burial place of the “Legend of America” has become known, a crowd of thousands gathers at the cemetery on certain days to honor the memory of their idol.