Penyanyi, penulis lagu, dan penari Amerika Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, selengkapnya Michael Joseph Jackson atau Michael Joe Jackson (lihat Catatan Peneliti), (lahir 29 Agustus 1958, Gary, Indiana, AS — meninggal 25 Juni 2009, Los Angeles, California), penyanyi Amerika, penulis lagu, dan penari yang merupakan penghibur paling populer di dunia pada awal dan pertengahan 1980-an. Dipimpin di Gary, Indiana, di salah satu keluarga musik paling terkenal di era rock, Michael Jackson adalah yang termuda dan paling berbakat dari lima bersaudara yang ayahnya, Joseph, dibentuk menjadi kelompok bintang anak yang mempesona yang dikenal sebagai Jackson 5. Selain Michael, anggota Jackson 5 adalah Jackie Jackson (nama panggilan Sigmund Jackson; 4 Mei 1951, Gary), Tito Jackson (nama panggilan Toriano Jackson; lahir 15 Oktober 1953, Gary), Jermaine Jackson (lahir 11 Desember 1954, Gary), dan Marlon Jackson (lahir 12 Maret 1957, Gary).

Ulangan

Musical Medley: Fakta atau Fiksi?

Sebuah aubade dinyanyikan saat matahari terbenam.

The Jackson 5

Presiden Motown Records, Berry Gordy, Jr., terkesan dengan kelompok itu dan menandatanganinya pada tahun 1969. Dengan menggunakan busana paling keras, Afro terbesar, koreografi paling tajam, dan kegembiraan muda yang penuh semangat, Jackson 5 menjadi kesuksesan langsung. Mereka mencetak empat hit pop nomor satu berturut-turut dengan "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," dan "I'll Be There" pada tahun 1970. Dengan Michael memuncaki tangga lagu pop sebagai pemain solo dengan " Ben "dan mencapai nomor dua dengan" Rockin 'Robin, "dan dengan Jackson 5 memproduksi trek dansa trendetting seperti" Mesin Menari, "rangkaian hits keluarga untuk Motown berlangsung sampai 1975. Ketika Michael dewasa, suaranya berubah, ketegangan keluarga muncul, dan kebuntuan kontrak pun terjadi. Kelompok ini akhirnya putus dengan Motown, pindah ke Epic Records sebagai Jacksons.Jermaine tetap di Motown sebagai pemain solo dan digantikan oleh saudara bungsunya, Randy Jackson (secara penuh Steven Randall Jackson; lahir 29 Oktober 1961). Sebagai artis rekaman, Jacksons menikmati kesuksesan yang konsisten hingga 1984, dan saudara perempuan mereka Janet Jackson memulai karier menyanyi sendiri di awal 1980-an; Namun, album solo Michael mengambil status yang sama sekali berbeda.

The “King of Pop”

Jackson’s first solo effort for Epic, Off the Wall (1979), exceeded all expectations and was the best-selling album of the year (it eventually sold more than 20 million copies). Produced by industry veteran Quincy Jones, Off the Wall yielded the massive international hit singles “Don’t Stop’til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You,” both of which showcased Michael’s energetic style and capitalized on the contemporary disco dance fad. Three years later he returned with another collaboration with Jones, Thriller, a tour de force that featured an array of guest stars and elevated him to worldwide superstardom. Thriller captured a slew of awards, including a record-setting eight Grammys; remained on the charts for more than two years; and sold more than 40 million copies, long holding the distinction of being the best-selling album in history. The first single on the album, “The Girl Is Mine,” an easygoing duet with Paul McCartney, went to number one on the rhythm-and-blues charts and number two on the pop charts in the fall of 1982. The follow-up single, “Billie Jean,” an electrifying dance track and the vehicle for Jackson’s trademark “moonwalk” dance, topped the pop charts, as did “Beat It,” which featured a raucous solo from famed guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Moreover, “Beat It” helped break down the artificial barriers between black and white artists on the radio and in the emerging format of music videos on television.

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By 1984 Jackson was renowned worldwide as the “King of Pop.” His much anticipated Victory reunion tour with his brothers was one of the most popular concert events of 1984. In 1985 Jackson and Lionel Richie cowrote “We Are the World,” the signature single for USA for Africa, an all-star project aimed at famine relief. Further solo albums—Bad (1987), which produced five chart-topping hits, and Dangerous (1991), much of which was produced by New Jack Swing sensation Teddy Riley—solidified Jackson’s dominance of pop music. In 2001 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the Jackson 5 were inducted in 1997.

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Child molestation accusations, financial difficulties, and death

Jackson’s eccentric, secluded lifestyle grew increasingly controversial in the early 1990s. His reputation was seriously damaged in 1993 when he was accused of child molestation by a 13-year-old boy he had befriended; a civil suit was settled out of court. In 1994 Jackson secretly married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, but their marriage lasted less than two years. Shortly thereafter Jackson married again, this marriage producing children, though it too ended in divorce. While he remained an international celebrity, his image in the United States was slow to recover, and it suffered even more in November 2003 when he was arrested and charged with child molestation. After a 14-week trial that became something of a media circus, Jackson was acquitted in 2005.

In the wake of these events, Jackson suffered a financial collapse that resulted in the sale of many of his considerable assets, including, ultimately, his lavish Neverland ranch. He was preparing for a series of high-profile concerts he hoped would spark a comeback when he died suddenly of cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009—prompting a widespread outpouring of grief from his fans that culminated in a memorial celebration of his life and legacy on July 7 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, featuring tributes by friends and luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy, Jr., Brooke Shields, and Al Sharpton. In August 2009 the coroner ruled Jackson’s death a homicide; the cause was a lethal combination of sedatives and propofol, an anesthetic. In November 2011 Jackson’s personal physician was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

The documentary film This Is It, which drew from more than 100 hours of footage compiled during rehearsals for Jackson’s scheduled 50-concert comeback engagement in London, premiered in October 2009. Also in 2009 Jackson’s 14-minute music video “Thriller” (1983), directed by John Landis, was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress—the first music video to be so honoured. Later documentaries included Leaving Neverland (2019), which centres on two men who allege that Jackson sexually abused them when they were children.