Michael Jackson who is known as the King of Pop is responsible for a lot of the greatest songs from the seventies to the early 2000s. As a child prodigy who was at the helm of the Jackson 5, he was always poised for greatness and the life he lived coupled with the music he made, are testaments of the greatness that existed in him.
Here’s everything you need to know about the iconic career and life of Michael Jackson, who is considered one of the greatest musicians of all time.
Michael Jackson’s Biography
This musician was born Michael Joseph Jackson on the 29th of August in 1958, his birthplace was Gary, Indiana. The origins of his formal education can be traced to the Gardner Street Elementary School and it ended at Montclair College Prep School. By the time he was graduating from High school Michael Jackson was already making music and this hindered any plans for a college degree.
This musician’s first contact with music was through his parents and by the time he was six years old he joined the band Jackson Brothers. The other members of the band were his elder brothers, three of who played the instruments and were the backup vocals, while Michael and Jermaine were the lead vocalists. 1965 was the year the group came to be known as the Jackson 5. They mostly performed covers of songs at bars where they opened for much bigger acts, as the band toured locations in the country they garnered more fame and the young Michael Jackson was a fan favourite with his high pitched voice and quick dance steps.
It was in 1979 that he became a solo artist with the release of his 1979 Off the Wall album. This was the beginning of a lifelong successful career that continued even after his death in 2009. Some of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits include Thriller, Man in the Mirror, You Are Not Alone, Billie Jean, Black or White, Human Nature and Smooth Criminal. He has sold over 350 million copies of his music worldwide with a record number of 13 Grammy Awards. Michael Jackson is arguably one of the greatest artists to have ever walked this earth and the legacy of his music still lives on long after his death.
Michael Jackson’s Net Worth
As earlier stated, even in death this musician continues to make money. Michael Jackson’s estimated net worth is $500 million. Considering his iconic career, it is not surprising that Michael Jackson’s net worth is so impressive.
His Wife and Kids
Michael Jackson, while he was alive, got married twice. The first time was to his childhood friend, Lisa Presley, she is the daughter of the musician Elvis Presley. Lisa was there for him when he was faced with sexual abuse allegations and in 1994 they got married in secret, but the marriage ended two years after. When Presley filed for divorce she stated irreconcilable differences as the reason for their separation.
His second marriage was to Debbie Rowe. She worked as a nurse in Dermatology and they got married in 1997. By the time both of them got married, Rowe was already six months pregnant with Jackson’s child. The child was born in February of 1997 and was named after his father but is popularly known as Prince. Michael Jackson’s second child was born in 1998 and her name is Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. The following year the couple divorced.
Michael Jackson’s third child, Prince Michael Jackson was born in 2002 by a surrogate mother who no one knows, he is mostly known by the name Blanket. He brings the total number of children the star had to three.
Michael Jackson’s Father And Family
Michael was the eighth child of the ten children, his parents, Katherine and Joe Jackson had. His parents were musicians, his mother nursed the dreams of becoming a country/western musician; she also played the clarinet and piano while his father was part of an R&B band, he was also an instrumentalist and he played the guitar.
When his father was not playing music he worked as a crane operator and had a stint in boxing as a professional boxer. His mother, on the other hand, worked at the department store, Sears on a part-time basis. Michael Jackson’s brothers were Tito, Marlon, Jermaine, and Jackie while his sisters are Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet. Of all his siblings it is only Janet who has maintained a career in music.
Michael’s relationship with his father was a strained one and as he grew older he accused his father of child abuse, a fact his father has negated and simply referred to as discipline.
Height
This musician was a very attractive man for not only the talent he possessed but for his physical attributes as well. One of the attractive things about him was his height which was 5 feet 9 inches. At the time of his death, his weight was listed as 64 kg.