Michael Jackson

Dubbed “the King of Pop”, Michael Jackson changed the face of the music industry. Born in Gary, Indiana, on 29 August 1958, Jackson was the fifth of mother Katherine's nine children. He rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the Jackson 5 with four of his brothers Jermaine, Marlon, Jackie and Tito. After the Jackson 5, Jackson pursued a hugely successful solo career, including releasing the best-selling album of all time (Thriller, 1982). His other solo albums include Off The Wall (19 million copies sold worldwide), Bad (30 million copies), Dangerous (22 million copies) and HIStory (20 million copies). Famous for his dancing skills (popularising ‘the moonwalk’) and high-pitched singing voice, Jackson also courted controversy with his private life. His appearance dramatically changed after successive bouts of plastic surgery – most noticeably altering his skin colour and shape of his nose. In 1993 13-year-old Jordan Chandler accused him of sexual molestation. Jackson settled with the boy's family out of court for a reported $20 million. In 1994 Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis. They divorced 19 months later. In 1997, Jackson married a second time — to Debbie Rowe, his former nurse, who produced two children for him, Prince Michael and Paris. A third child, Prince Michael II — or Blanket — was born although he never disclosed the identity of his mother. In 2005, after a five-month trial, Jackson was found not guilty of further child abuse charges resulting from his interview with Martin Bashir. In June 2009, Jackson died of an apparent heart attack, prompting a global outpouring of grief from fans.