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Born on August 29, 1958, Michael Joe Jackson emerged as the biggest pop star ever. He ruled the music charts like no one ever did. He started performing from the age of five itself and was one of the few performers who went on to become a star as an adult. What was a child prodigy would with time, emerge as a musical sensation. With his foot-tapping music and videos, Michael established himself as the “king of pop” whose stature as a music icon remains unmatched to this day.
The Early Years
The fifth among nine children, Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. Jackson’s father who operated a crane at a steel plant dreamt of achieving success as an R&B star himself, a dream that sadly remained unfulfilled. Undaunted, he continued to promote the singing careers of his children. Jackson’s father’s success with his own group remained limited. That influenced him to try and control the career of his children even after they became adults—a cause of constant friction within the family.
The Birth of Jackson 5
The Jackson siblings were taught the finer nuances of music by their mother, Katherine. A family band was thus born which achieved considerable success throughout the Midwest. Soon enough, Michael’s amazing talent and sensational dancing made him the center of attraction. It was in 1968 that Michael was spotted by Diana Ross who would go on to play a critical role in his career.
With Diana’s support, the Jacksons got into a contract with Motown Records. The legendary Motown mogul Berry Gordy molded the careers of the Jacksons with great care. It didn’t take long for Michael to prove his mettle as he helped the group become chart-toppers.
On the Way to Solo Stardom
It was only a matter of time before Gordy spotted the phenomenal talent in Michael. He started releasing solo albums of the child prodigy along with those of the Jackson 5. In 1970, the group was riding a wave of popularity with chart-toppers like “ABC,” “I’ll be There” and more. Michael’s exceptional talent as both a singer and a dancer started becoming more and more apparent and he started becoming more and more important to the group.
The Rise of the “King of Pop”
After the release of the musical The Wiz, Michael was introduced to producer Quincy Jones. Jackson and Jones joined hands to release the album Off the Wall in 1979 and well, there was no looking back. Jackson shot to stardom and created mass hysteria at concerts with the blockbuster album, Thriller. The trio of the iconic hits, “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” and “Thriller” made Michael the undisputed “king of pop.” The world was witness to the rise of a pop icon like none seen before. “Billie Jean” went on to break the race barrier as it became the first video to be played on MTV by an African American.
Conclusion
The phenomenon called Michael Jackson was recognized with as many as 13 Grammies being awarded to him. He was also honored with the Grammy Legend Award (1993) and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2009). Shall we ever see any singer “moonwalk” his way to stardom as the incomparable Michael Jackson did? Only time will tell.
