биография майкла джексона на английском языке
Биография Майкла Джексона на английском языке
Здесь вы можете прочитать биографию Майкла Джексона на английском языке.
Michael Joseph Jackson was a famous American singer, dancer, song writer, choreographer, philanthropist and an entrepreneur. He won 15 Grammy Awards and hundreds of other prizes during his life. Michael Jackson was born on the 29th of August, 1958, in the state of Indiana. He was the eighth of ten children of Joseph and Katherine Jackson. His father was a former boxer and a guitarist at the local R&B band. Michael was known to have many troubles with his father, who regularly whipped him and verbally abused. As a child Michael was afraid to sleep alone in his own room as he had nightmares.
When he was only five, he was already a member of a family music band “Jackson Five”. He soon got the place of a lead singer. But working with his father wasn’t easy. He had to go through numerous humiliations. Each time he did something wrong, his father would severely punish him. First time he spoke up about his childhood humiliations in 1993 during The Oprah Winfrey Show. When Michael was ten, “The Jackson Five” band signed a contract with Motown Records. It was the time when they recorded the following hits: “I want you back”, “I’ll be there”, etc. In the mid-1970s the popularity of the band began to fall, while Michael’s solo career began to prosper. In 1977, he made his debut in the musical “The Wiz”. It was then that he started the long-term cooperation with a renowned producer and composer Quincy Jones.
In 1979, Michael released his solo album “Off the Wall”, which topped all the UK and US charts. Moreover, the singer got his first Grammy Award for the song “Do not Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”. In 1982, he released the second album called “Thriller”, which brought him seven Grammy Awards. Seventy million copies of this album were sold worldwide. In spring of 1983, at the show of “Motown 25” for the first time he introduced his famous “moonwalk”, which became his signature dance walk. In 1987, the singer published his autobiography “Walking on the Moon”. In 1991, Jackson signed the largest contract with Sony Records and released his solo album “Dangerous”. He finally proved his status as the first star in the world of show business.
In 1993 the famous pop star was accused of sexual harassment by a thirteen-year-old boy. In December of the same year the singer was strip searched. One of his friends later said that Michael never recovered from this humiliation. He was always known for good attitude towards children, but this case caused irrecoverable damage to his reputation. One year later he married Elvis Presley’s daughter. Some saw it as an attempt to save his reputation, others found the fact that two great musical families united to be rather moving. In 2003, the singer released the album of his greatest hits called “Number Ones”. The great success was gained by “Thriller 25” released in 2008 to denote the 25th anniversary of the legendary album. The King of Pop accidentally died on June the 25th, 2009.
Biography Online
Michael Jackson Biography
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and recording artist. Michael Jackson epitomised the era of pop in the 70s, 80s and 90s, earning himself the title the King of Pop. He remained a global icon until his untimely death in 2009.
Michael Jackson began his music career alongside his fellow brothers and family members in the Jackson Five. His career began in 1964, aged only six. The group, led by Jackson’s father, worked hard touring many clubs and bars performing their mix of Motown hits. They gained the attention of record labels and in 1968 signed with Motown records. It was the youngest, baby-faced Jackson, that caught the eye of reviewers. Rolling Stone magazine wrote that Michael was a ‘prodigy’ with ‘overwhelming musical gifts’. Michael stood out for his exceptional enthusiasm and soft, infectious musical voice. The group produced four number one hit singles, including “I Want You Back“, ABC and “the Lover You Save.”
Despite achieving his goal to be a music performer, Michael’s childhood was far from happy. He was regularly beaten and threatened by his authoritarian father. This legacy of abuse left Michael scarred throughout his adult life.
Solo Career Michael Jackson
By the late 1970s, Michael was increasingly looking to pursue a solo career. With the help of music producer, Quincy Jones, Michael produced the solo album ‘Off The Wall‘. The album was a great success, eventually selling over 20 million copies. The album gained much critical acclaim, and Michael secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry. (37% of album profit)
His second solo album, Thriller, launched Michael Jackson into a position as the most famous pop singer in the world. With little commercial advertising and promotion, Thriller rose to number one on album sales and remained at the number one spot for a total of 37 weeks. It gained one of many Guinness World Records for Michael Jackson, attaining 110 million global sales and 29 million sales in the US. Thriller included number one hits such as Beat It, Billie Jean.
Michael Jackson with the Reagans
In March 1983, Michael Jackson performed live on Motown 25, ‘Yesterday, today, forever’, – a TV special. He performed his distinctive and memorable dance move – the Moonwalk. In the dance routine, he effortlessly moves backwards with seemingly keeping one leg perfectly straight. His performance made him a global icon of not just music, but dance. Michael Jackson pioneered the importance of music video in promoting a pop artist. This iconic performance has been compared to the famous Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
Jackson’s next albums were Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991). His final album was Invincible (2001).
By the late 80s, there was an increasing number of stories speculating on Jackson’s personal life, health and physical appearance. Michael Jackson underwent numerous operations of plastic surgery to fix his nose and add a dimple in his chin. During the 1980s, his skin started to lighten; this was due to a rare skin pigment disease, but it didn’t stop a wave of speculative press stories that he was bleaching his skin colour. The press covered a range of speculative stories about Michael Jackson, including imaginary stories Michael had invented himself (such as sleeping in an oxygen tent to avoid the ageing process)
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old, and as Charles Dickens would say, “It’s been the best of times, the worst of times.” But I would not change my career… While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.”
The press attention made Michael increasingly reclusive, spending much of his time in his ‘Never Land’ ranch.
Speaking on the Oprah Winfrey show, Jackson addressed the issue of skin colour change:
“OK, number one. There, as I know of, there is no such thing as skin bleaching…I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin, it’s something that I cannot help, OK? But, when people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me…it’s a problem for me, I can’t control it.”
He married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994; it lasted two years though they remained friendly after the divorce. In 1996, he married Deborah Rowe in Sydney. Together they had two children. They divorced in 1999 and Rowe gave full custody of children to Jackson.
Allegations of child abuse were first raised in the 1980s and re-appeared in the 1990s. This led to the trial of The People v Jackson on 31 Jan 2005, in Sante Maria, California. After five months of high publicity, Jackson was acquitted. Though the experience left him physically weak and emotionally stressed. He departed America for the Persian Gulf Island of Bahrain.
“The minute I started breaking the all-time record in record sales—I broke Elvis’s records, I broke Beatles records—the minute it became the all-time best-selling album in the history of the Guinness Book of World Records, overnight they called me a freak. They called me a homosexual. They called me a child molester. They said I bleached my skin. They made everything to turn the public against me.”
– Remarks at National Action Network headquarters (9 July 2002)
“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe”
– M. Jackson Quoted by CNN June 2009.
Michael Jackson died on 25 June 2009, at a rented mansion in the district of Los Angeles.
A Short Biography of the King of Pop Michael Jackson
Polarizing, controversial, but legendary, the King of Pop Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers ever, and completely redefined pop culture. This biography showcases the moments and events that truly changed his life. Read on to know more in this Entertainism post.
Polarizing, controversial, but legendary, the King of Pop Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers ever, and completely redefined pop culture. This biography showcases the moments and events that truly changed his life. Read on to know more in this Entertainism post.
Did You Know?
Michael Jackson has won 15 Grammy awards, including the Legend and the Lifetime Achievement Awards, and 26 American Music Awards. He also had 13 #1 singles in the US. The first two are still-intact records, while the latter is a record for male artists. Jackson is the most awarded musician in history, with more than 200 awards. He also holds the record of having supported 39 charities, with the Guinness Book of Records recognizing his extensive humanitarian work in 2000.
A child prodigy, Jackson, or MJ, as he is more commonly known, continued his progress into adulthood, going on to become a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most iconic dancers in living history. His songs are the stuff of legends, and his various dance moves are ingrained into pop culture. He is also known for his humanitarian efforts, but is, conversely, equally infamous for the various scandals in his life.
Let’s take a deeper look into this legend’s life.
Childhood
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. The 8th of 10 children, Michael had his first tryst with music as a singer in the Jackson family band, Jackson 5, in 1964, at the tender age of five. Jackson 5 played at local nightclubs and also participated in competitions. Despite his young age, he soon carved a niche for himself as a singer and dancer of exceptional ability. Jackson 5 ruled the charts in the late ’60s and the early ’70s. After signing a contract with Motown, Jackson 5 had to shift their base to California. This was followed by chart busters like ‘I Want You Back,’, ‘Dancing Machine’, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘I’ll Be There’ in 1970. Jackson 5 remained with Motown till 1975, while Jackson’s solo career started in 1972. In 1976, Jackson 5, now re-branded as the Jacksons, switched to Epic Records.
Jackson’s childhood was difficult, and had a heavy influence on his life. His father was a very strict disciplinarian, and though Michael later attributed his success to the strict singing practice conducted by his father, it also had a demoralizing effect on the budding entertainer’s mindset. He suffered from various psychological issues, including chronic and persistent sleep problems, due to his childhood.
Solo Career
Collaboration with Quincy Jones
Michael first met his future producer, Quincy Jones, on the sets of The Wiz, a musical version of The WIzard of Oz starring an all-African American cast. Despite his later success as a musician, Jackson was an actor in this film; he played Scarecrow.
Jones was influential in Jackson’s most famous release, Thriller, in 1982. This record-busting album is reputed to have sold more than 60 million copies, though certified sales only indicate about 42.4 million. It is the highest-selling album in music history, and established Michael as the King of Pop, a moniker that has now very much become his own. 7 singles from the album reached the top 10 in the Billboard Top 100 chart, which is a joint record. The music video of ‘Billie Jean’ is among the most watched music videos of all time, and received regular airtime, consolidating the reputation of the nascent MTV in the process. It was also one of the very first music videos by a black artist to receive such consistent airtime, and one of the first to become equally popular across the racial divide. His success, aided by the furious efforts of CBS Music directors to get MTV to broadcast a black artist’s song, paved the way for future African American artists to receive as much airtime as white artists.
Quincy Jones first collaborated with Michael in 1979 on the album Off the Wall, a legendary production in its own right. Selling more than 20 million copies, it is also one of the best-selling albums of all time. With the success of Off the Wall, Jackson was able to secure the highest royalty rate in the music world: a whopping 37% of the album’s profits, which later equated to almost USD 2 for each copy!
Five years after Thriller, Jackson released his final album with Jones, Bad, in 1987. It was hugely popular, reputedly selling more than 30 million copies. Though it didn’t outsell Thriller, it bested it in one important aspect: five singles from Bad reached the top spot in the Billboard Top 100, which was the first time this feat had been achieved by a single album. It also became the first album to reach the top spot in 25 countries. The Bad world tour, held from September 1988-January 1989, broke multiple records of attendance in various countries; the 570,000-strong people that watched him in Japan were almost three times the previous record in the country, and his seven sellout shows in Wembley Stadium London, totaling a crowd of 504,000 people, broke a Guinness World Record. In total, he performed 123 shows on this world tour, reaching out to 4.4 million people in the process.
Moonwalk
One of the most famous images in the world, and the one most associated with Michael Jackson, is the fantastic ‘moonwalk’. It was first performed by him in public on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, a 1983 TV special commemorating the 25 th year of the popular music production company, Motown Records.
Michael at first declined the invitation, due to his reluctance to rejoin his brothers for a mini-reunion of the Jacksons, but was persuaded by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, on the condition that Michael be allotted a solo slot in addition to the group gig.
According to some, Jackson only practiced the moonwalk once at his home before brandishing it on air. The iconic movement, where the performer appears to slide backwards while apparently walking forward, was not created by Jackson, but spread like wildfire after it was popularized by one of the premier artists of the time. It was performed during the song ‘Billie Jean’, and became a staple in Jackson’s subsequent live performances. This performance rocketed Jackson onto new heights of fame. In the words of Berry Gordy himself,
From the first beat of Billie Jean, I was mesmerized, and when he did his iconic moonwalk, I was shocked, it was magic, Michael Jackson went into orbit, and never came down.
In 1985, Jackson co-wrote We Are The World with Lionel Richie, for humanitarian purposes primarily in Africa. The song became one of the bestselling singles of all time.
The 1990s
Jackson didn’t relent his pursuit of musical innovation and success, with his album Dangerous selling more than 20 million certified copies. The album contained one of Jackson’s most famous songs, Black or White. This album was notable as the first Jackson album to feature a rapper, as well as one of the pioneering works in the new jack swing genre.
The Dangerous world tour, starting in June 1992 and ending 17 months later in November 1993, drew 3.5 million listeners in 70 concerts. HBO bagged the broadcast rights of the world tour for USD 20 million―a still-intact record.
In January 1993, Jackson also performed at the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. His performance, where he sang four songs, was the first halftime show to have more viewers than the match in progress!
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, released in 1995, went straight to the number one slot in several countries. It contained a compilation of MJ’s hit singles, and also featured the lavishly made science-fiction video ‘Scream’. The second single, ‘You Are Not Alone’, surpassed the success of ‘Scream’ by becoming the first ever song to debut at the top spot in the Billboard Top 100. ‘Earth Song’, the third single released from this album, reached the top position and became MJ’s most successful single in the UK. ‘Earth Song’ gave a strong message to the viewers, as it addressed issues related to the environment and poverty. This album was reissued in 2001 as Greatest Hits: HIStory Volume I along with a second installment, HIStory Continues, and became the best-selling double album in history, with more than 20 million copies sold. The HIStory world tour, conducted between September 1996 and October 1997, included 82 concerts for a total audience of 4.5 million.
The 2000s
By Jackson’s astronomical standards, his only original album in the 2000s, Invincible, was not extremely popular. Having said that, it still managed to sell 13 million copies, in spite of being released at a time of a general slump in the music industry, without an accompanying world tour, and with very little promotion.
Solo Discography
Got to Be There (1972)
Ben (1972)
Music & Me (1973)
Forever, Michael (1975)
Off the Wall (1979)
Thriller (1982)
Bad (1987)
Dangerous (1991)
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)
Invincible (2001)
Controversies
Due to his fame, Michael Jackson’s life was always under the microscope. His complicated personality and various long-standing psychological issues meant that he was never far from a controversy. He faced multiple child sexual abuse allegations, as well as general rumors about his mental health. His close association with his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, in particular, spawned worldwide mocking and parody.
Appearance
Despite his success and influential role as a black musician, Jackson faced widespread rumors that he had repeatedly bleached his skin in order to achieve a lighter complexion―an action that was criticized roundly. He stated that he had vitiligo, an idiopathic condition that brings about a lighter skin, but can also be caused due to chemical bleaching of the skin.
He also underwent two rhinoplasty operations in order to make his nose successively thinner. One of the procedures did not pan out as hoped, and he suffered from breathing issues as a result.
Around the time of the release of Thriller, Jackson suffered from anorexia nervosa, and lost a considerable amount of weight in order to gain a “dancer’s body”.
Child Sexual Abuse Allegations
Michael faced allegations of child sexual abuse twice in his life. The first time was in 1993, when 13-year-old Jordan Chandler accused him of sexual abuse at Michael’s estate, Neverland. Despite conflicting evidence and doubts over Jordan’s father’s intentions in pursuing the case (there was some evidence which hinted that the boy’s father was primarily interested in blackmailing Jackson, rather than fighting for justice for his son), the case was settled out of court by Michael’s insurance company, without having notified him.
Following the depiction of certain encounters in Martin Bashir’s controversial documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson was arrested on charges of child molestation. He was acquitted on all counts on June 13, 2005, and subsequently relocated to Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdulla, son of the King of Bahrain. Jackson, asserting his innocence, later claimed that Bashir had deliberately portrayed him in a negative light.
Despite the absence of a conviction in either of the cases, Jackson’s reputation has been considerably tarnished by these allegations.
Marriages and Children
Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of ‘The King’ Elvis Presley, in 1994. Their acquaintance went back to 1975, but they got close after the renewal of their friendship due to Michael’s ongoing struggles with the child abuse allegations. Presley, who believed steadfastly in Michael’s innocence, married him secretly in 1994.
The marriage, claimed by tabloids to have been a publicity stunt (in spite of the initial secrecy about it) to help Michael’s image as a good-natured family man, lasted less than two years, though Presley later stated that they had reconnected and broken up several times in the next few years.
Jackson married Deborah Rowe, his dermatologist’s nurse, in 1996, during the early stages of the HIStory world tour. She was about six months pregnant at the time, and gave birth to Jackson’s first child, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., on February 13, 1997. Their second child, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, was born on April 3, 1998. Jackson and Rowe divorced in 1999, with Jackson getting full custody of their children.
Jackson had a third child from a surrogate mother on February 21, 2002. He was named Prince Michael Jackson II. He became the center of a controversy in his early days, when Jackson held him aloft in his room’s balcony in the Adlon Hotel in Berlin, in order to allow the gathered public to see him better. The baby dangled beyond the railing, an action which invited widespread criticism for Michael, who later apologized profusely.
Death
This great entertainer died a controversial and mysterious death on his bed in a rented mansion in Los Angeles, on June 25, 2009. The news of his death caused a huge upsurge in internet usage, causing several prominent websites, including Google, Wikipedia, and Twitter, to crash due to user overload.
His death was mysterious, with suspicions of homicide, a drug-induced accidental death or suicide, or some malice on the part of his personal physician, who prescribed his daily medication. The physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and completed a two-year sentence in 2013.
Michael Jackson’s contribution to the world of pop and dance are irreplaceable and irrevocable. This legend’s music has a strong hold on all the music lovers over the globe. It is, therefore, not a surprise that we have his records playing in clubs even today, and wannabes still trying to perfect the moonwalk.
Uncategorized
Топик «Michael Jackson»
Рубрика: Биографии
Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter and legendary dancer. He was and is still known as the king of the pop scene. He became the idol of millions and was a grandee who had hundreds of different prizes among which there were 15 Grammy awards.
However, Michael’s childhood was not so happy. He was the seventh son in the family. His father was often cruel to him and regularly beat Michael and his brothers. Nevertheless, the cruelty of the father did not stop young Jackson from expressing his talent. His debut was in 1964 as a part of «The Jackson 5» in which he played music with his brothers.
In 1970 Michael Jackson decided to become an independent artist and separated from his brothers. In 1973 he recorded his first four albums. At that time he also created and showed the world his miraculous moonwalk. In 1982 the album “Thriller” came out and brought Jackson an unexpected fame. The album made Michael a superstar and was being copied all over the world.
In 2009 after a long pause Michael decided to organise his last world tour. An unbelievable and absolutely exciting show was being prepared. However, the tour did not take place. Michael Jackson died on June, 25 2009. His death is still a mystery as there are many theories among which the most popular is that he was killed on purpose. Anyway, his death shocked millions of people, his fans became depressive and some of them even committed suicide.
After that Michael Jackson was officially recognized as a legend and an icon of American Music. It was admitted that he made a significant contribution to the development of popular music, video, dance and fashion.
Перевод:
Майкл Джексон был американским певцом, автором песен и легендарным танцором. Он был и по сей день считается королем поп-музыки. Он стал идолом для миллионов людей и был признанным артистом, получившим сотни наград, 15 из которых были премии Грэмми.
Однако детство Майкла не было таким счастливым. Он был седьмым сыном в семье. Его отец часто был жестоким и постоянно бил Майкла и его братьев. Тем не менее, жестокость отца не стала преградой таланту молодого Джексона. В 1964 году он дебютировал на сцене в составе «The Jackson 5», в которой играл с братьями.
В 1970 Майкл Джексон решил стать самостоятельным артистом и отделился от своих братьев. В 1973 он записал свои первые 4 альбома. В то же время он создал и показал миру свою удивительную лунную походку. В 1982 вышел альбом «Триллер» и принес Джексону неожиданную славу. Альбом сделал Майкла суперзвездой и копировался по всему миру.
После смерти Майкл Джексон был официально признан легендой и иконой американской музыки. Было признано, что он внес значительный вклад в развитие поп-музыки, клипов, танцев и моды.
Выражения и слова:
Grandee –признанный авторитет (в своей профессии)
To separate from – отделиться от…
To record an album – записать альбом
world tour – мировое турне
to take place – состояться
to committ suicide – покончить жизнь самоубийством