Today in History, June 25: Michael Jackson

2009, on June 25, Michael Jackson, one of the most successful entertainers in history, dies at the age of 50 at his home in Los Angeles, California, after suffering from cardiac arrest caused by a fatal combination of drugs given to him by his personal doctor.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. The seventh of Katherine and Joe Jackson’s nine children. At the age of 5, coached by their steelworker father, Michael Jackson began performing with his older brothers in a music. In 1968, Motown Records signed the group, which became known as the Jackson 5. Michael Jackson, a natural showman, emerged as the lead singer and star. The Jackson 5’s first album, released in 1969, featured the hit “I Want You Back”. The group’s brand of pop-soul-R&B music made them an immediate success.

Jackson released his first solo album, “Got to Be There”, in 1972, while continuing to sing with his brothers. Six years later, in 1978, he made his big-screen debut as the Scarecrow in “The Wiz”. Directed by Quincy Jones, the film starred an all-black cast and included singer Diana Ross as Dorothy. Jones collaborated with Jackson on his 1979 album “Off the Wall,” which sold some 7 million copies worldwide. The pair teamed up again for Jackson’s iconic 1982 album, “Thriller”. It went on to sell 50 million copies around the globe, making it the best-selling studio album of all time. “Thriller” is credited with jump-starting the era of music videos and playing a key role in the rise of 1981, launched cable TV network MTV.

In 1983, Jackson created a massive sensation on a live Motown anniversary TV special when he performed his Moonwalk dance step while wearing a black fedora and a single white glove covered with rhinestones. Contrary to the belief, it wasn’t Michael Jackson who invented the Moonwalk. Already in 1955 Bill Bailey “moonwalked”. Michael Jackson never took credit for inventing it. He just perfected it! The performance served as Jackson’s unofficial coronation as the King of Pop.

Michael Jackson’s next solo effort, “Bad”, debuted in 1987. It sold 8 million copies and featured a music video from movie director Martin Scorsese.

By the 1990’s, Michael Jackson’s life was constant tabloid fodder. In 1993, he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy, who had been a sleepover guest at his home. Jackson denied the allegations and the criminal investigation was dropped. However, the singer later settled a civil lawsuit with the boy’s family for a reported $20 million. In 2003, Michael Jackson was accused of molesting another boy. Following a highly publicized trial in 2005, he was acquitted of all charges. During these years, Jackson also faced intense media scrutiny over his radically altered physical appearance. It included an ever-lighter complexion, which he attributed to a skin condition and multiple plastic surgeries. Jackson himself was mostly close-mouthed on the topic.However, media sources alleged that Jackson developed an obsession with cosmetic surgery, following an accident he suffered in January 1984 while shooting a Pepsi commercial. During filming a pyrotechnics mishap set the singer’s hair on fire. He suffered burns on his head and face that required reconstructive surgery. In the aftermath of the surgery, Michael Jackson reportedly suffered from an addiction to prescription painkillers.

Jackson also made headlines with his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of singer Elvis Presley. From 1996 to 1999, he was wed to Debbie Rowe. The former assistant of his dermatologist and the mother of two of his three children.

On June 25, 2009, Jackson, who was preparing for a series of summer concerts in London, was discovered unconscious in his Los Angeles mansion. The Los Angeles coroner’s officer later ruled the pop star’s death a homicide after lethal levels of the powerful sedative Propofol, were found in his system. Jackson’s personal physician, had been giving him Propofol as a sleep aid for a period of weeks.

On July 7, 2009, more than 20,000 fans attended a public memorial for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Over 30 million viewers tuned in to watch the event on cable TV, with millions more viewing it online.