Video Black Or White

Download:

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Michael Jackson at Madame Tussauds

Shanghai



New York



Hong Kong



Berlin



London



Las Vegas



Amsterdam

Last picture of Michael Jackson performing

Last pictures of Michael Jackson on stage, taken just two days before he died.
The images of the singer hard at work rehearsing for his upcoming tour give a glimpse of what was in store for fans at his planned comeback gigs in London's 02.

Jackson was due to begin the first of 50 dates at the arena on July 13, but died last Friday after being rushed to hospital in Los Angeles.

In one of the newly-emerged images, taken last Tuesday at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, the singer points towards the audience as backing dancers perform in front of a huge This Is It banner.

Despite looking frail, the star strikes a familiar pose and appears to be in full flow during the rehearsal.

In another photo, he smiles broadly, microphone in hand, dressed in a long shimmering mac over a top and trousers.

And an Australia dancer, Shannon Holtzapffel, has revealed that he was one of just 10 people from around the world that was selected to be part of the tour.

Holtzapffel was dancing with the King of Pop just hours before his death.

More than 800,000 tickets costing up to $2500 had been sold for the concerts at London's O2 arena which were hailed as the most "expensive and technically advanced" live shows ever.

The concerts, which were due to start in two weeks' time, had been expected to be the highest grossing pop production of all time.

Visionary - The Video Singles

"Visionary - The Video Singles" released by Michael Jackson and it was available on 20 February 2006 in the UK and Australia and 14th November 2006 in the USA.

In the UK and Australia, thes (2O in total). Each single was issued as a DualDisc allowing not only his most popular singles to be collected but also their accompanying music videos. In the USA it was released as a full box set release included a Limited Edition Collector's Box plus "Thriller" the CD Single and then each week over a 5 month period Sony BMG released the rest of Michael Jackson's biggest hit singlet with all 20 CD Singles.

Michael Jackson worked on the "Visionary" project as Executive Producer, giving final approval on the music and video editing and packaging design.

Each DualDisc single, featuring a CD format on one side and a DVD format on the other, will be eligible to chart as they will be release individually as regular music singles.

It will be the 4th consecutive "Greatest Hits" collection by Michael Jackson which Sony has released since 2003.



Here is the full list of CD Singles and UK/Australia Release Dates:

February 20, 2006 "Thriller" (plus Limited Edition Collector's Box)
February 20, 2006 "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
February 27, 2006 "Rock With You"
March 6, 2006 "Billie Jean"
March 13, 2006 "Beat It"
March 20, 2006 "Bad"
March 27, 2006 "The Way You Make Me Feel"
April 3, 2006 "Dirty Diana"
April 10, 2006 "Smooth Criminal"
April 17, 2006 "Leave Me Alone"
April 24, 2006 "Black or White"
May 1, 2006 "Remember the Time"
May 8, 2006 "In The Closet"
May 15, 2006 "Jam"
May 22, 2006 "Heal The World"
May 29, 2006 "You Are Not Alone"
June 5, 2006 "Earth Song"
June 12, 2006 "They Don't Care About Us"
June 19, 2006 "Stranger In Moscow"
June 26, 2006 "Blood On The Dance Floor"



Tracklisting / Additional Info:

THRILLER:
CD side:
1. Thriller
2. Thriller - Album Version
DVD side:
1. Thriller - Music Video

DON'T STOP 'TIL YOU GET ENOUGH:
CD side:
1. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
2. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Original 12" Edit
DVD side:
1. Don't Stop 'T1il You Get Enough - Music Video

ROCK WITH YOU:
CD side:
1. Rock With You
2. Rock With You - Masters At Work Remix
DVD side:
1. Rock With You - Video

BILLIE JEAN:
CD side:
1. Billie Jean
2. Billie Jean - Original 12" Edit
DVD side:
1. Billie Jean - Video

BEAT IT:
CD side:
1. Beat It
2. Beat It - Moby's Sub Mix
DVD side:
1. Beat It - Music Video

BAD:
CD side:
1. Bad
2. Bad - Extended Dance Mix
DVD side:
1. Bad - Music Video

THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL:
CD side:
1. The Way You Make Me Feel
2. The Way You Make Me Feel - Extended Dance Mix
DVD side:
1. The Way You Make Me Feel - Music Video

DIRTY DIANA:
CD side:
1. Dirty Diana
2. Dirty Diana - Instrumental Version
DVD side:
1. Dirty Diana - Music Video

SMOOTH CRIMINAL:
CD side:
1. Smooth Criminal
2. Smooth Criminal - Extended Dance Mix
DVD side:
1. Smooth Criminal - Music Video

LEAVE ME ALONE:
CD side:
1. Leave Me Alone
2. Another Part Of Me - Extended Dance Mix
DVD side:
1. Leave Me Alone - Music Video

BLACK OR WHITE:
CD side:
1. Black Or White
2. Black Or White - House With Guitar Radio Mix
DVD side:
1. Black Or White - Music Video

REMEMBER THE TIME:
CD side:
1. Remember The Time
2. Remember The Time - New Jack Jazz Mix
DVD side:
1. Remember The Time - Music Video

IN THE CLOSET:
CD side:
1. In The Closet
2. In The Closet - Club Mix
DVD side:
1. In The Closet - Music Video

JAM:
CD side:
1. Jam
2. Jam - Silky 12" Mix
DVD side:
1. Jam - Music Video

HEAL THE WORLD:
CD side:
1. Heal The World
2. Will You Be There
DVD side:
1. Heal The World - Music Video

YOU ARE NOT ALONE:
CD side:
1. You Are Not Alone
2. You Are Not Alone - Classic Club Mix
DVD side:
1. You Are Not Alone - Music Video

EARTH SONG:
CD side:
1. Earth Song
2. Earth Song - Hani's Extended Radio Experience
DVD:
1. Earth Song - Music Video

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US:
CD side:
1. They Don't Care About Us
2. They Don't Care About Us - Love To Infinity's Walk In The Park Mix
DVD side:
1. They Don't Care About Us - Video

STRANGER IN MOSCOW:
CD side:
1. Strangers In Moscow
2. Strangers In Moscow - Tees In-House Club Mix
DVD side:
1. Strangers In Moscow - Music Video

BLOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR:
CD side:
1. Blood On The Dance Floor
2. Blood On The Dance Floor - Fire Island Vocal Mix
DVD side:
1. Blood On The Dance Floor - Music Video

Michael Jackson on stamps

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Storybook

Narrador: Michael Jackson
Editor: MCA
Pais: USA
Fecha: 1982
Calidad: MP3 / 320kbps / 44100 kHz
Duración: 39:24 min

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is the audio book album released by singer Michael Jackson. It was released as an audio book in 1982 and won a Grammy® for best spoken word album. This is a book that summarizes the hit movie "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial". What you are buying is a digitally transferred and digitally re-mastered version, which also includes a song that was put together especially for this project, along with all of the original liner notes, lyrics, script and dialog. This album has never been released on CD and has been out of print since the mid '80s. If you are a fan, you will love this CD!

Track Listing:

01 Someone In The Dark
02 Landing _ Discovery
03 Home _ Intrusion _ Chase _ Good Bye
04 Reprise-Someone In The Dark

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Michael Jackson Biography

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, IN. The fifth son of steelwork Jer Joeackson, Michael displayed a talent for music and dance from an extremely young age. His childhood was strictly regimented; from the start, he was to an extent sheltered from the outside world by his mother's Jehovah's Witness faith, and his father was by all accounts an often ill-tempered disciplinarian. Joe began to organize a family musical group around his three eldest sons in 1962, and Michael joined them the following year, quickly establishing himself as a dynamic stage performer. His dead-on mastery of James Brown's dance moves and soulful, mature-beyond-his-years vocals made him a natural focal point, especially given his incredibly young age. Dubbed the Jackson 5, the group signed to Motown in 1968 and issued their debut single in October 1969, when Michael was just 11 years old. "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" all hit number one in 1970, making the Jackson 5 the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts. Motown began priming Michael for a solo career in 1971, and his first single, "Got to Be There," was issued toward the end of the year; it hit the Top Five, as did the follow-up, a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin." Later in 1972, Jackson had his first number one solo single, "Ben," the title song from a children's thriller about a young boy who befriends Ben, the highly intelligent leader of a gang of homicidal rats. Given the subject matter, the song was surprisingly sincere and sentimental, and even earned an Oscar nomination. However, the momentum of Jackson's solo career (much like that of the Jackson 5) soon stalled. He released his fourth and final album on Motown in 1975, and the following year, he and his brothers (save Jermaine) signed to Epic and became the Jacksons.

In 1977, Jackson landed a starring role alongside Diana Ross in the all-black film musical +The Wiz, a retelling of The Wizard of Oz; here he met producer/composer Quincy Jones for the first time. Encouraged by the success of the Jacksons' self-produced, mostly self-written 1978 album Destiny, Jackson elected to resume his solo career when his management contract with his father expired shortly thereafter. With Jones producing, Jackson recorded his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall. An immaculately crafted set of funky disco-pop, smooth soul, and lush, sentimental pop ballads, Off the Wall made Jackson a star all over again. It produced four Top Ten singles, including the number one hits "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You," and went platinum (it went on to sell over seven million copies); even so, Jackson remained loyal to his brothers and stayed with the group.

No group could have contained Jackson's rapidly rising star for long; however, there was still no sign (if there ever could be) that his next album would become the biggest in history. Released in 1982, the Quincy Jones-produced Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more driving, the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful, and all of it was recognizably Michael. Jackson brought in Paul McCartney for a duet, guitarist Eddie Van Halen for a jaw-dropping solo, and Vincent Price for a creepy recitation. It was no surprise that Thriller was a hit; what was a surprise was its staying power. Jackson's duet with McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine," was a natural single choice, and it peaked at number two; then "Billie Jean" and the Van Halen track "Beat It" both hit number one, for seven and three weeks respectively. Those latter two songs, as well as the future Top Five title track, had one important feature in common: Jackson supported them with elaborately conceived video clips that revolutionized the way music videos were made. Jackson treated them as song-length movies with structured narratives: "Billie Jean" set the song's tale of a paternity suit in a nightmarish dream world where Jackson was a solitary, sometimes invisible presence; the anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became an homage to +West Side Story; and the ten-minute-plus clip for "Thriller" (routinely selected as the best video of all time) featured Jackson leading a dance troupe of rotting zombies, with loads of horror-film makeup and effects. Having never really accepted black artists in the past, MTV played the clips to death, garnering massive publicity for Jackson and droves of viewers for the fledgling cable network. Jackson sealed his own phenomenon by debuting his signature "moonwalk" dance step on May 16, 1983, on Motown's televised 25th anniversary special; though he didn't invent the moonwalk (as he himself was quick to point out), it became as much of a Jackson signature as his vocal hiccups or single white-sequined glove.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Thriller just kept spinning off singles, including "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," the airy ballad "Human Nature," and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"; in all, seven of its nine tracks wound up in the Top Ten, obliterating conventional ideas of how many singles could be released from an album before it ran its course. Thriller stayed on the charts for over two years, spent 37 nonconsecutive weeks at number one, and became the best-selling album of all time; it went on to sell 25 million copies in the U.S. alone, and around another 20 million overseas. Naturally, Jackson won a slew of awards, including a record eight Grammys in one night, and snagged the largest endorsement deal ever when he became a spokesman for Pepsi (he would later be burned in an accident while filming a commercial). At the end of 1983, Jackson was again on top of the singles charts, this time as part of a second duet with McCartney, "Say Say Say." In 1984, Jackson rejoined his brothers one last time for the album Victory, whose supporting tour was one of the biggest (and priciest) of the year. The following year, he and Lionel Richie co-wrote the anthemic "We Are the World" for the all-star famine-relief effort USA for Africa; it became one of the fastest-selling singles ever.

Even at this early stage, wild rumors about Jackson's private life were swirling. His shyness and reluctance to grant interviews (ironically, due in part to his concerns about being misrepresented) only encouraged more speculation. Some pointed to his soft-spoken, still girlish voice as evidence that he'd undergone hormone treatments to preserve the high, flexible range of his youth; stories were told about Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber to slow the aging process, and purchasing the skeleton of John Merrick, the Elephant Man (Jackson did view the bones in the London Hospital, but did not buy them). Jackson bought a large ranch in California which he dubbed Neverland, and filled it with amusement park rides and animals (including the notorious pet chimpanzee Bubbles), which only fueled the public's perception of him as a somewhat bizarre eccentric obsessed with recapturing his childhood. He also underwent cosmetic surgery several times, which led to accusations from the black community that his gradually lightening skin tone was the result of an intentional effort to become whiter; a few years later, Jackson revealed that he had a disorder called vitiligo, in which pigment disappears from the skin, leaving large white blotches and making direct sunlight dangerous. One of the rumors that was definitely true was that Jackson owned the rights to the Beatles' catalog; in 1985, he acquired ATV Publishing, the firm that controlled all the Lennon-McCartney copyrights (among others), which wound up costing him his friendship with McCartney.

During his long layoff between records, Jackson indulged his interest in film and video by working with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 3-D short film Captain Eo. The special-effects extravaganza was shown at the enormous widescreen IMAX theaters in Disney's amusement parks for 12 years, beginning in 1986. Finally, Jackson re-entered the studio with Quincy Jones to begin the near-impossible task of crafting a follow-up to Thriller. Bad was released to enormous public anticipation in 1987, and was accompanied by equally enormous publicity. It debuted at number one, and the first single, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," with vocal accompaniment by Siedah Garrett, also shot up the charts to number one. Like Thriller, Bad continued to spin off singles for well over a year after its release, and became the first album ever to produce five number one hits; the others were "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror," and "Dirty Diana." Jackson supported the album with a lengthy world tour that featured a typically spectacular, elaborate stage show; it became the highest-grossing tour of all time. Although Jackson's success was still staggering, there were faint undercurrents of disappointment, partly because of the unparalleled phenomenon of Thriller (Bad "only" sold eight million copies), and partly because the album itself didn't seem quite as exuberant or uniformly consistent when compared to its predecessors.

Jackson took another long hiatus between albums, giving the media little to focus on besides his numerous eccentricities; by this time, the British tabloids delighted in calling him "Wacko Jacko," a name he detested. When Jackson returned in with a new album in late 1991, he'd come up with a different moniker: "the King of Pop." Dangerous found Jackson ending his collaboration with Quincy Jones in an effort to update his sound; accordingly, many of the tracks were helmed by the groundbreaking new jack swing producer Teddy Riley. As expected, the album debuted at number one, and its lead single, "Black or White," shot to the top as well. Jackson courted controversy with the song's video, however; after the song itself ended, there was a long dance sequence in which Jackson shouted, grabbed his crotch, and smashed car windows in a bizarre display that seemed at odds with the song's harmonious message. With the video given a high-profile, prime-time network premiere, Jackson was criticized for the inappropriate violence and the message it might send to his younger fans. However, Jackson would not be the biggest story in popular music for long. In early 1992, Nirvana's Nevermind symbolically knocked Dangerous out of the number one spot; after the alternative rock revolution, the pop charts would never be quite the same. Jackson scored several more hits off the album, including the Top Tens "Remember the Time" and "In the Closet," but the aggressive "Jam" and the saccharine "Heal the World" both performed disappointingly.

Jackson had long preferred the company of children over other adults, and befriended quite a few, inviting them to stay at his Neverland Ranch and enjoy the massive playground he'd assembled over the years. In 1993, Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy who'd become a frequent guest at Neverland. Predictably, there was a tabloid feeding frenzy, and a mainstream media circus as well. In the court of public opinion, the charges seemed all too plausible: Jackson was near-universally perceived as a weirdo, and here was a handy explanation for his heretofore asexual persona and distaste for adult companions. Additionally, Jackson entered rehab for a short time, seeking treatment for an addiction to pain killers. Investigations were unsuccessful in turning up any other boys who echoed the allegations, and Jackson countersued his accusers for attempting extortion; however, in spite of the fact that no criminal charges were ever filed against Jackson, he settled the boy's family's suit out of court in early 1995, paying an estimated 18 to 20 million dollars. Many felt the settlement was tantamount to an admission of guilt, and when Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, the move was perceived as a desperate ploy to rehabilitate his image; the marriage broke up just 19 months later, seemingly lending credence to the charge.

In 1995, Jackson attempted to put the focus back on his music by preparing HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1, a two-CD set featuring one disc of new material and one of his greatest hits. The album debuted at number one, but the format backfired on Jackson: his fans already owned the hits, and the new album simply wasn't strong enough to offset the added cost of the extra disc for many more casual listeners. There were some encouraging signs -- the lead single "Scream," a duet with sister Janet, debuted at number five, setting a new American chart record that was broken when the follow-up, "You Are Not Alone," became the first single ever to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number one. But on the whole, HIStory was something of a disappointment. Additionally, Jackson collapsed during rehearsals for an awards show later that year, and had to be rushed to the hospital; what was more, the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) was threatening to catch Thriller's American sales record (it eventually did, and the two continued to run neck and neck). There were signs that Jackson was grasping at his self-proclaimed King of Pop status; the cover of HIStory depicted an enormous statue of Jackson, and he performed at the 1996 BRIT Awards dressed as a Messiah, with children and a rabbi surrounding him worshipfully (Pulp lead singer Jarvis Cocker stormed the stage to protest Jackson's hubris during the middle of the song). The 1997 remix album Blood on the Dance Floor failed to even go platinum, although remix albums historically don't perform nearly as well as new material.

In late 1996, Jackson remarried, to nurse Debbie Rowe; over the next two years, the couple had two children, son Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. However, Jackson and Rowe divorced in late 1999. In 2001, Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and later held a massive concert at Madison Square Garden celebrating the 30th anniversary of his first solo record. Among many other celebrity guests, the show featured the first on-stage reunion of the Jacksons since the Victory tour. In the wake of September 11, Jackson put together an all-star charity benefit single, "What More Can I Give." His new album, Invincible, was released late in the year, marking the first time he'd issued a collection of entirely new material since Dangerous; it found him working heavily with urban soul production wizard Rodney Jerkins. Invincible debuted at number one and quickly went double platinum; however, its initial singles, "You Rock My World" and "Butterflies," had rather disappointing showings on the charts, with the latter not even reaching the Top Ten. To compound matters, the expensive "What More Can I Give" single and video were canceled by Sony when executive producer Marc Schaffel was revealed to work in pornography. Jackson's camp tried to distance the singer from Schaffel, and the various corporations that were attached to it (McDonalds, Sony) claimed they had minimal involvement if any with the song. Sony and Jackson began a press war in the summer of 2002, starting with Jackson's claims that the label asked for 200 million dollars to pay them back for marketing costs. Although they had spent 55 million on his disappointing comeback, Sony released a statement saying that no such request had ever been made. Jackson stewed for a few weeks before launching a press attack on Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola, calling him "devilish" and making claims that he used racist language and held down black artists. Many Sony artists, including Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin, defended Mottola, but Jackson and his family maintained that racism ended their professional relationship.

From that point, Jackson's career took an extreme turn toward the bizarre, starting with MTV's annual Video Awards. When Britney Spears presented him with a birthday cake, an offhand remark about being the artist of the millennium inspired a rambling Jackson to accept a meaningless trophy (which everyone presenting on-stage received) as an actual Artist of the Millennium award. Next came accusations from a promotional company over his promises of a tour and several appearances that he then canceled. Jackson arrived in court late, gave a drowsy testimony, and inspired gasps when he removed a surgical mask to reveal his nose had caved in from a botched cosmetic surgery. Only days later, German fans were horrified when Jackson came to the balcony of his hotel suite and briefly dangled his 11-month old baby Prince Michael II (nicknamed "Blanket" by Jackson) over the edge with one arm. Although he apologized the next day, claiming he had gotten caught up in the moment, this only did more to cement the King of Pop's public image as an out-of-control millionaire. 2003 turned out to not be Jackson's year as in November his Neverland Ranch was extensively searched by police, whereby he was subsequently arrested on charges of child molestation. That same month the single disc retrospective Number Ones hit the stands with one new song, "One More Chance". A year later - nearly to the day - the four CD and one DVD box set The Ultimate Collection appeared with numerous rarities including the original demo for "We Are the World". In January 2005 his child molestation trial began and by May he was acquitted on all counts. Jackson soon relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain and began working on new music including a charity single that would benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. The single never appeared but the two disc The Essential Michael Jackson did and in 2006 the strange box set Visionary was released featuring 20 DualDiscs replicating 20 big hit singles with their videos included on the DVD side. In early 2007 it was announced that a comeback album was planned for late in the year; the album never materialized.

While in the middle of rehearsing for a series of 50 comeback concerts scheduled for the summer of 2009, Michael Jackson collapsed from a cardiac arrest on the afternoon of June 25, 2009. He was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at the age of 50. Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Biografía de Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson nació en Gary (Indiana) el 29 de agosto de 1958 y murió en Los Ángeles el 25 de junio de 2009. Es el séptimo de una familia de 9 hermanos. Su padre, Joseph Jackson, músico aficionado, trabajaba como operario de grúa en una fábrica de fundición de metal que apenas le servia para mantener a su familia. Vivían en una pequeña casa en el número 2300 de la calle Jackson Street.

La guitarra eléctrica de Joseph era algo prohibido para los pequeños. Guardada en un armario cuando no era utilizada por Joseph Jackson, su uso estaba estrictamente prohibido, y Joseph era muy estricto cuando se trataba de imponer normas y castigos. Sin embargo, los hermanos mayores, Jackie, Jermaine y Tito comenzaron a cogerla cuando su padre no estaba en casa, y lo que comenzó siendo un juego se convirtió en afición. Katherine estaba al tanto de todo esto, pero lo permitía y les guardaba el secreto porque estaban mejor en casa que buscándose problemas en las calles de una ciudad tan problemática como Gary.

Un día sucedió algo inesperado: una cuerda de la guitarra se rompió. Cuando Joseph volvió a casa entró en cólera, y dirigiéndose a Tito le ordenó que le mostrara lo que sabía hacer con ella, pensando que probablemente sería incapaz de tocar un solo acorde. Pero su sorpresa fue enorme cuando vio que Tito podía y sabía tocar la guitarra, y descubrió que sus hijos tenían talento para tocar e interpretar música.

De este modo, Joseph decidió crear una banda con cuatro de sus hijos: Tito, Jackie, Jermaine y Marlon. En aquella época Michael era demasiado pequeño (3 o 4 años) pero solo de verlos ya deseaba formar parte del grupo. De vez en cuando "colaboraba" tocando unos bongos, mientras que Jermaine era la voz principal a la vez que tocaba el bajo. Al cabo de un tiempo Katherine descubrió al pequeño Michael cantando y, sorprendida por su facilidad y talento le pidió a Joseph que le escuchara. De este modo un jovencísimo Michael Jackson de apenas 5 años se convirtió en el vocalista del grupo, que primero se denominó Ripples & Waves, luego Ripples & Waves Plus Michael, y finalmente The Jackson Five.

The Jackson Five actuaron durante años en diferentes clubes y lugares de espectáculo a lo largo de los estados del este y del medio oeste, participando en innumerables concursos y festivales para aficionados, actuando en sitios tan emblemáticos como el teatro Apollo de Nueva York. En 1968, recomendados por Gladys Knight y por el productor Bobby Taylor, hicieron una audición para la discográfica Motown. Berry Gordy, dueño y jefe de la discográfica, decidió contratarles de forma inmediata, tras ver la ya mítica cinta de video en la que un jovencísimo Michal Jackson hace versiones de temas de James Brown junto a sus hermanos.

Bajo la tutela artística del citado Bobby Taylor, fueron trabajando y puliéndose durante un año aproximadamente hasta que en Octubre de 1969 salieron a la luz con el single "I Want You Back". Patrocinados por DIANA ROSS, a quien se le atribuyó su descubrimiento en una ingeniosa maniobra publicitaria, llegaron al número 1 y obtuvieron un éxito sin precedentes. Sus siguientes tres singles llegaron también al número 1 (ABC, The Love You Save y I'll be there), causando auténtico furor y una verdadera "jacksonmania" allí por donde iban.

En 1972 Michael Jackson inició su carrera como artista en solitario, debutando con el álbum Got To Be There, al tiempo que compatibilizaba su labor como vocalista de los Jackson Five. Tras una sucesión de éxitos como Never Can Say Goodbye, Ben, Rockin' Robin o Dancing Machine, llegaron las desavenencias con la Motown y con el propio Berry Gordy, causadas por una mayor ambición artística de los Jackson Five. El grupo deseaba autoproducirse y componer sus propios temas, pero Berry Gordy no aceptaba eso de ninguna manera a no ser que te llamaras Stevie Wonder o Marvin Gaye. Este problema unido a la cuestión de los pocos royalties que percibían los Jackson Five por cada disco que vendían propició que en 1976 rescindiesen su contrato con la Motown para fichar por la filial de CBS, Epic Records.

De este modo llegaron los discos The Jacksons (1976), Going Places (1977), Destiny (1978) y Triumph (1981), donde dejaron claro que el grupo tenía talento para la composición y capacidad para hacer música mucho más moderna y compleja de la que hacían durante sus últimos años en la Motown, llegando de nuevo a la cima de las listas de éxitos con Blame It On The Boogie, Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) o Can You Feel It.

En 1978 Michael Jackson participa en el papel de "Espantapájaros" en una versión afroamericana de El Mago de Oz, si bien la película no fue bien acogida por el público. Conoce al productor Quincy Jones y juntos hacen posible en 1979 el álbum Off the Wall iniciando así su carrera como solista en la discográfica CBS, con el cual obtiene unas perspectivas de futuro fantásticas además de ventas millonarias, recibiendo así su primer Premio Grammy al mejor cantante de R&B por "Don't stop 'til you get enough". La canción "pequeño Ben" que fue tema musical en la película del mismo nombre asentó la fama de Jackson como cantante de una voz muy melódica.

Fue, sin embargo, en 1982 cuando publica el álbum Thriller con el cual se transforma en una megaestrella del espectáculo siendo el primer artista en obtener dos estrellas en el paseo de la fama en Hollywood. El álbum es desde entonces el más vendido de la historia, con aproximadamente 60 millones de copias [1]. El éxito se debió en buena parte al videoclip extraído del single Thriller, un cortometraje de John Landis, de más de 13 minutos de duración en el cual Michael Jackson se convierte en hombre lobo y más tarde en zombie.

Cosecha éxitos como "Beat it" y "Billie Jean", seguidos de la actuación en el especial "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever". Destacable es el videoclip "Can you feel it" con sus hermanos, donde por primera vez se utilizan tales efectos especiales con ordenador, los mismos utilizados en la película Tron de Walt Disney.

En 1985 junto a Lionel Richie y otros artistas del momento lanza USA for Africa, una producción musical que contiene el single We Are The World que reunió millones de dólares para ayudar a la población hambrienta de África y especialmente de Etiopía. Se convirtió en el single más vendido hasta ese momento (actualmente, el récord lo tiene Elton John con el tributo a Lady Di).

También en 1985 compra los derechos de autor sobre las canciones más representativas del célebre grupo de rock inglés The Beatles y muchos más. En 1995 vendió la mitad de las canciones de este catálogo por cuatro veces más de lo que le costó. Actualmente está en negociación de la venta del restante 25% del catálogo para saldar sus actuales deudas financieras.

Su álbum Bad de 1987 con unas ventas totales de aproximadamente 28.000.000 de unidades, fue acompañado de varios videoclips, una autobiografía llamada Moonwalk, la película Moonwalker y un corto de Martin Scorsese para el tema Bad además de "Smooth Criminal", "Speed Demon", "Leave me Alone". Smooth Criminal es otro de los aciertos de Jackson donde interpreta a un ganster de los años 30.

La gira mundial de conciertos "BAD Tour" se inició en 1987 y se extendió durante más de un año, llevando la música de Jackson a los cinco continentes.

Meses antes de la caída del muro de Berlín, Jackson se presenta en un concierto en la ciudad alemana, tomando como telón la puerta de Brandemburgo.

El sencillo Black or White aparece en noviembre de 1991 como antesala del álbum Dangerous con unas ventas totales de 29.000.000 de unidades, convirtiéndose en el sencillo de más rápido ascenso en la historia del ranking Billboard y su videoclip (técnicamente un "corto") es el más caro de la historia hasta el momento, haciendo gala de efectos por computadora como el famoso "morphing". Además rebosa de un sonido innovador que rompe con los 80 acompañado de su respectiva gira "DangerouS World Tour" poniendo tecnología punta en escena, además de haber alcanzado récord de audiencia mundial al transmitirse simultáneamente por centenares de medios de información.

En 1995 aparece HIStory: Past, Present and Future - Book I, álbum doble mixto. El primer volumen, de grandes éxitos, y el segundo de temas nuevos. La polémica campaña publicitaria tuvo como pilar un espectacular teaser que recordaba al ejército rojo ruso y la distribución de estatuas de aproximadamente tres a 15 metros que representaban a Jackson y que recorrieron varias de las principales capitales y ríos del mundo. El primer sencillo del disco Scream, grabado a dúo con su hermana Janet fue Top 5 en Billboard además de tener el videoclip más caro de la historia, mientras que el segundo sencillo You Are Not Alone entró directamente al nº1 de la lista, algo sin precedentes, marcando un nuevo récord. Fue acompañado de la gira "HIStory World Tour" que le llevó a estar 2 años encima de los escenarios congregando a más de 400.000.000 de personas y consiguiendo una recaudación de 850.000.000 de dólares. HIStory logró ser el doble álbum más vendido de la historia con 15.000.000 unidades.

En 1997 aparece Blood On The Dance Floor compuesto por cinco canciones nuevas de y ocho remixes. Se convirtió en el álbum con remixes más vendido hasta el momento con 6.000.000 unidades. Va acompañado de un corto que da nombre al álbum además de un videoclip de 45 minutos dirigido y producido por el mismísimo Michael Jackson y Stephen King.

En el 2001, celebra su 30º aniversario como solista con el lanzamiento del álbum Invincible y con un concierto en el Madison Square Garden, pocos días antes de los ataques del 11 de septiembre. El corto para el sencillo You rock my world de este álbum cuenta con la actuación de Marlon Brando y el cómico Chris Tucker. Las ventas de este álbum son insignificantes en comparación con las de los anteriores y el artista se ve enfrascado en conflictos con su casa de discos, Sony; ya que cortó la promoción tras 2 meses de la edición del álbum. En esos dos meses, Invincible había vendido más de 5 millones de copias y entró como número 1 en la lista de ventas de Billboard. Actualmente lleva 900.000.000 de unidades. Acusó de racista y mafioso al entonces presidente de Sony Music, Tommy Mottola; cuyo contrato fue rescindido escasos meses después de las acusaciones de Jackson, haciéndole cancelar al artista una Gira en 2002 y la salida de varios singles.

En octubre del mismo año, Jackson completa su trabajo en el nuevo single para fines benéficos "What More Can I Give" adaptado en respuesta a los actos terroristas del 11 de septiembre. Así como hiciera años atrás con 'We are the world', grabó la canción con la participación de varios artistas y con las expectativas de alcanzar una recaudación de 50 millones de dólares para las familias de las víctimas de los ataques.

Los cantantes que han prestado su talento en ésta canción han sido Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Tom Petty, Reba McEntire, Ricky Martin, Carlos Santana, Beyoncé Knowles (Destiny's Child), Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys), Aaron Carter, Mya, Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan, Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men), Shakira, Usher, Brian McKnight, Julio Iglesias, Luther Vandross, John Secada, Billy Gilman, Alejandro Sanz, Christian Castro, Olga Tañón, Anastacia, Juan Gabriel, Thalía, Ziggy Marley y 3LW.

Jackson debido a su interés por el cine hizo una brevísima aparición en "Men in Black 2".

Se espera un nuevo disco del artista a finales de 2007 con la discográfica 2seasrecords [2]. En los últimos años ha sacado un recopilatorio de sus mejores 20 singles y videoclips en formato Dual Disc en edición limitada, llamado Visionary - The Video Singles. También recibió el Premio Diamante en los World Music Awards (Londres) en la que interpretó We Are The World junto a un coro de jóvenes.

Michael realizó con sus hermanos álbumes, tours y actuaciones en públicos, como "Triumph" 1980, "Victory" 1984, el cual dan nombre a las giras que realizaron juntos "Triumph Tour" y "Victory Tour" por Estados Unidos.

Jackson cuenta entre sus amigos más cercanos a Elizabeth Taylor y Macaulay Culkin y ha estado ligado sentimentalmente con Tatum O'Neal, Brooke Shields y Lisa Marie Presley (hija de Elvis Presley y Priscilla Presley). Todas estas personalidades comparten con Jackson la particularidad de haber conocido la popularidad a muy corta edad, lo que según ellos mismos ha contribuido a formar una relación particular.

La vida privada de Jackson ha sido centro permanente de la prensa en las últimas décadas debido a sus preferencias personales, sus extravagantes gastos y gustos, sus cirugías estéticas y su cambio de color de piel , debido a una enfermedad cutánea llamada vitíligo).

Sus matrimonios y así como las varias ocasiones en que se ha visto implicado en pleitos judiciales, la mayoría de ellos de carácter profesional y más recientemente el juicio en el que se le acusa de haber abusado sexualmente de un menor de 14 años, del que fue declarado inocente de todos los cargos el 13 de junio de 2005.

En marzo de 2006 las autoridades ordenaron el cierre de su rancho Neverland debido a atrasos en el pago de salarios debido a problemas burocráticos ya solucionados. Anteriormente residió en Bahrein donde está invitado por el príncipe Abdul Aha-Jamed.

Yves Gautier, autor de la biografía Michael Jackson, the other side of the Mirror (Michael Jackson, el otro lado del espejo) cree que el cantante podría organizar una gira una vez se recupere de su proceso. Muchos expertos en música pop le han dado a Jackson escasas posibilidades de recuperar su fama en Estados Unidos, ya debilitada desde el escándalo de 1993. Pero Gautier indicó que Jackson continúa teniendo gran cantidad de admiradores leales en Oceania, Europa, y Asia, donde recientemente se está moviendo por motivos profesionales y financieros. Ha recibido un premio de MTV Japan por sus más de 100.000.000 de discos vendidos en el país nipón.

Hacia finales de la década se publicó un recopilatorio de sus mejores veinte singles y videoclips en formato Dual Disc en edición limitada, llamado Visionary - The Video Singles. También recibió el Premio Diamante en los World Music Awards (Londres), donde interpretó We are the world junto a un coro de jóvenes.

Con motivo del 25 aniversario de Thriller, el disco más vendido de la historia, el 11 de febrero de 2008 Michael publicó un nuevo trabajo, una edición especial que añade seis canciones inéditas, vídeos y una actuación en directo. La obra salió al mercado bajo el título de Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition, y contiene las nueve canciones del álbum original y seis temas inéditos: "The Girl is Mine 2008" con Will.i.am, "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008" con Will.i.am, "Wanna be Startin' Something 2008" con Akon, "Beat it 2008" con Fergie de Black Eyed Peas, "Billie Jean 2008" una remezcla realizada por Kanye West, y una balada llamada "For all time", no editada en la versión original del álbum y mezclada nuevamente y masterizada por Michael Jackson. El DVD adicional incluye los videoclips de Thriller, Beat it y Billie Jean; además de actuaciones en directo durante el especial Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever de la NBC en 1983. La nueva edición ha vendido en todo el mundo más de 3 millones de copias.

En julio de 2008 comenzó a circular por Internet la canción "Hold my hand", una melodiosa balada soul o rhythm & blues, interpretada por Michael Jackson y Akon, que será incluida en el próximo álbum de Akon, aunque se especuló que podría aparecer también en un nuevo álbum de Jackson.

En honor a su cumpleaños número cincuenta, el 29 de agosto de 2008, Jackson publicó su álbum recopilatorio titulado King of pop en países como Australia, Austria, Bélgica, Alemania, Hong Kong, Hungría, Japón, Países Bajos, Filipinas y el Reino Unido, para posteriormente ser publicado también en Argentina, Brasil, Chile, México, Finlandia, Francia, Grecia, Italia, Polonia, Rusia, España, Suecia, Tailandia y Turquía. El recopilatorio King of pop contiene tanto las canciones de Jackson como solista y las de su etapa en The Jackson Five y The Jacksons, pero a diferencia de los anteriores, las canciones del álbum fueron elegidas por los fans, a través de una votación.

El 5 de marzo de 2009 en un auditorio en Londres ante veintemil fans, anunció su regreso a los escenarios, con la gira This Is It, con diez conciertos a celebrarse en dicha ciudad en el O2 Arena en el mes de julio; los cuales, dijo, serían los últimos que daría en la capital inglesa. En ellos, según el promotor de la gira Randy Philips, habría nuevos sencillos del "rey del pop". La expectativa aumentó la demanda del público y se pretendían hacer hasta cincuenta presentaciones. Sin saberlo, aquel anuncio sería su última presentación ante los medios.

En la mañana del 25 de junio de 2009 Jackson sufrió un paro cardiorrespiratorio en su mansión en Holmby Hills. Los miembros de su equipo llamaron al teléfono de emergencia 911 para solicitar auxilio a las 12:21 PDT (UTC-7). Los paramédicos, quienes llegaron 9 minutos después, lo encontraron sin pulso ni respiración, por lo que le aplicaron reanimación cardiopulmonar y lo trasladaron al Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, ubicado en Los Ángeles a las 1:14 pm. Pero a pesar de los esfuerzos de los médicos, falleció luego de encontrarse en estado de coma profundo. Jackson fue declarado muerto a las 2:26 pm.