copy

The King of Pop'sTarnished Crown

“Only in America can a black boy grow up to be a white woman.” Michael Jackson has been the butt of many jokes, with punch lines covering everything from cosmetic issues to allegations of pedophilia. Once the darling of the nation who could do no wrong, he’s now found a permanent place in the tabloids. He’s won 18 Grammys and has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, but in recent years, it’s not the music that the media’s been interested in, it’s what goes on behind the music.

Born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, Michael Jackson was Joseph and Katherine’s seventh of nine children. Jackson’s musical career began at an early age. Before he even hit double digits, he was the lead singer in the Jackson brothers’ family band, The Jackson 5. With brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon in tow, the R&B quintet performed in bars and clubs across the Midwest, and even won an Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theatre in New York. The Jackson 5 were signed to Motown in March 1969, causing the family to move from Indiana to California, where they eventually released 14 albums. Despite all their successes with Motown, in 1976, the Jackson brothers signed with CBS Records, thus losing all rights to the Jackson 5 name. They renamed themselves The Jacksons; Jermaine stayed with Motown to pursue a solo career, and younger brother Randy was chosen to take his place in the band. In the next eight years, The Jacksons would release six albums.

Although Michael Jackson had recorded four solo albums with Motown, it was not until the release of 1979’s Off the Wall that he really became known as a solo artist. Throughout the 1980s, he released a string of albums, each topping its predecessor in terms of pushing the limits, breaking records and entering new frontiers. Thriller was released in 1982, it had 7 Top 10 singles, and the Billie Jean music video became the first video by a black artist to be aired on MTV. His videos quickly became known to contain elaborate plots, fancy special effects, and perhaps most importantly, Jackson’s one-of-a-kind dance style.

In 1985, Jackson co-wrote We Are the World with Lionel Richie to raise money for USA for Africa. The final product featured 44 singers in total, including Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder, and sold seven million copies in the US alone. He embarked on his first solo world tour in 1987. It was during his 1991 Dangerous world tour that he announced the establishment of his Heal the World Foundation. Dangerous spawned numerous hits and memorable videos, including Will You Be There (which later became the theme song to Free Willy), Heal the World, and Black Or White. The original Black Or White MV is over 10 minutes long, and was premiered simultaneously on MTV, VH1, BET and ABC on November 14, 1991, making it the most-watched music video premiere in history. But just as Elvis Presley could only be shown from the waist up, Jackson’s video was cut short because the final four minutes were filled with scenes of destroying public property and plenty of that signature crotch-grabbing. HIStory, a double-disc album was released in 1995, and contained You Are Not Alone, the first song to make its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. His latest full-length album was 2001’s Invincible. At the time, it was the most expensive album ever produced, and although it sold two million copies in the US and 12 million more worldwide, it’s still considered a flop for Jackson.

By having a career in the spotlight at such a young age, Jackson feels as if he needs to make up for his lost childhood. As he candidly recalls on television interviews, what little childhood he had is clouded by traumatic memories – Joseph Jackson was tough on the boys, beating them if they gave a bad performance, forcing them to practice for hours. To this day, Michael claims he feels physically sick to be in the same room with his father. His Neverland Ranch, a 2600 acre piece of private heaven complete with a zoo and amusement park, is a testament to his determination to stay forever young. He often opened the Ranch up to sick and under-privileged children, allowing them to do whatever they wanted, and inviting them to sleepovers in his bed. But this won’t be happening anymore, and we all know why.

The public has also had issues with how he treats his own children. His three children, Prince Michael, Paris Katherine and Prince Michael II “Blanket” are rarely seen in public, and when they do go out, they wear masks or veils to hide their identities. In late 2002, Jackson made his way into the headlines again when he dangled Blanket over a hotel balcony simply because he got too excited by the fans outside. And where are the children from? Prince Michael and Paris Katherine were a “gift” from his second wife, Debbie Rowe (his first wife was Lisa Marie Presley, whom he wed in 1994 and divorced 18 months later), while Blanket comes from a surrogate mother, whose identity is unknown to the public.

While most people know that Michael Jackson is a singer, songwriter, dancer and record producer, few realize he owns 50% of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the company who has publishing rights to many songs by the Beatles, Little Richard and Elvis Presley, among others. Whether his role in the company is soon set to change remains to be determined as rumors of bankruptcy and multi-million dollar debts are being tossed around.

For every bad thing Jackson’s supposedly done, there’s no doubt that that he’s done something positive for music. It’s a sad day when a musician of his caliber isn’t recognized for his talents and contributions, but for the private life the media has created for him.

- Melissa Bobette







	The King of Pop'sTarnished Crown “Only in America can a black boy grow up to be a white woman.” Michael Jackson has been the butt of many jokes, with punch lines covering everything from cosmetic issues to allegations of pedophilia. Once the darling of the nation who could do no wrong, he’s now found a permanent place in the tabloids. He’s won 18 Grammys and has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, but in recent years, it’s not the music that the media’s been interested in, it’s what goes on behind the music. Born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, Michael Jackson was Joseph and Katherine’s seventh of nine children. Jackson’s musical career began at an early age. Before he even hit double digits, he was the lead singer in the Jackson brothers’ family band, The Jackson 5. With brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon in tow, the R&B quintet performed in bars and clubs across the Midwest, and even won an Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theatre in New York. The Jackson 5 were signed to Motown in March 1969, causing the family to move from Indiana to California, where they eventually released 14 albums. Despite all their successes with Motown, in 1976, the Jackson brothers signed with CBS Records, thus losing all rights to the Jackson 5 name. They renamed themselves The Jacksons; Jermaine stayed with Motown to pursue a solo career, and younger brother Randy was chosen to take his place in the band. In the next eight years, The Jacksons would release six albums. Although Michael Jackson had recorded four solo albums with Motown, it was not until the release of 1979’s Off the Wall that he really became known as a solo artist. Throughout the 1980s, he released a string of albums, each topping its predecessor in terms of pushing the limits, breaking records and entering new frontiers. Thriller was released in 1982, it had 7 Top 10 singles, and the Billie Jean music video became the first video by a black artist to be aired on MTV. His videos quickly became known to contain elaborate plots, fancy special effects, and perhaps most importantly, Jackson’s one-of-a-kind dance style. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote We Are the World with Lionel Richie to raise money for USA for Africa. The final product featured 44 singers in total, including Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder, and sold seven million copies in the US alone. He embarked on his first solo world tour in 1987. It was during his 1991 Dangerous world tour that he announced the establishment of his Heal the World Foundation. Dangerous spawned numerous hits and memorable videos, including Will You Be There (which later became the theme song to Free Willy), Heal the World, and Black Or White. The original Black Or White MV is over 10 minutes long, and was premiered simultaneously on MTV, VH1, BET and ABC on November 14, 1991, making it the most-watched music video premiere in history. But just as Elvis Presley could only be shown from the waist up, Jackson’s video was cut short because the final four minutes were filled with scenes of destroying public property and plenty of that signature crotch-grabbing. HIStory, a double-disc album was released in 1995, and contained You Are Not Alone, the first song to make its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. His latest full-length album was 2001’s Invincible. At the time, it was the most expensive album ever produced, and although it sold two million copies in the US and 12 million more worldwide, it’s still considered a flop for Jackson. By having a career in the spotlight at such a young age, Jackson feels as if he needs to make up for his lost childhood. As he candidly recalls on television interviews, what little childhood he had is clouded by traumatic memories – Joseph Jackson was tough on the boys, beating them if they gave a bad performance, forcing them to practice for hours. To this day, Michael claims he feels physically sick to be in the same room with his father. His Neverland Ranch, a 2600 acre piece of private heaven complete with a zoo and amusement park, is a testament to his determination to stay forever young. He often opened the Ranch up to sick and under-privileged children, allowing them to do whatever they wanted, and inviting them to sleepovers in his bed. But this won’t be happening anymore, and we all know why. The public has also had issues with how he treats his own children. His three children, Prince Michael, Paris Katherine and Prince Michael II “Blanket” are rarely seen in public, and when they do go out, they wear masks or veils to hide their identities. In late 2002, Jackson made his way into the headlines again when he dangled Blanket over a hotel balcony simply because he got too excited by the fans outside. And where are the children from? Prince Michael and Paris Katherine were a “gift” from his second wife, Debbie Rowe (his first wife was Lisa Marie Presley, whom he wed in 1994 and divorced 18 months later), while Blanket comes from a surrogate mother, whose identity is unknown to the public. While most people know that Michael Jackson is a singer, songwriter, dancer and record producer, few realize he owns 50% of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the company who has publishing rights to many songs by the Beatles, Little Richard and Elvis Presley, among others. Whether his role in the company is soon set to change remains to be determined as rumors of bankruptcy and multi-million dollar debts are being tossed around. For every bad thing Jackson’s supposedly done, there’s no doubt that that he’s done something positive for music. It’s a sad day when a musician of his caliber isn’t recognized for his talents and contributions, but for the private life the media has created for him. - Melissa Bobette