Mrs. Ferge Michael Jackson

Do you enjoy listening to pop music? Can you name a Top Ten music video? It is because of a former child star, Michael Jackson, that we have been given the opportunity to enjoy not only the music, but also the dance, fashion, entertainment and video creations of performers today. Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the fifth child born into his family. There were nine children in all. Michael’s father, Joseph Jackson, worked at a steel plant, but he always wanted to be a famous musician. His mother, Katherine, also loved music. She spent a lot of time singing folk songs and spiritual hymns with Michael and his brothers and sisters. Since Michael’s dad loved the idea of being famous, he pushed his children to become music performers. Michael sang with his four older brothers in a group called The Jackson Brothers, later becoming The Jackson Five. He started singing and dancing when he was only five years old. One of the most amazing things is that even though Michael was the youngest, he became the lead singer for their group. Michael was only ten years old when The Jackson Five got their first contract to make a recording with a company called Motown Records. Some of The Jackson Five’s popular songs were “ABC” and “I’ll Be There”. Michael also had some solo hits. One of his most famous was “Ben”. Michael and his brothers continued to perform and were very successful. In the 1980s Michael released his first solo album, called “Thriller”. “Thriller” was a huge success, and Michael won nine Grammys from just that one album. It was during this time that Michael Jackson became famous for doing the “moonwalk” and wearing his rhinestone glove. Michael had become one of the most admired performers of all time. Michael Jackson had never known any other way of life than being famous. After all, he became famous at the age of five! Not only was he famous for his music and dancing, but he also became well-known for his movie performances. In 1978, at the age of twenty, Michael landed the role as the scarecrow in The Wiz, an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Soon Michael was being asked to appear in commercials. He was in a series of Pepsi commercials throughout the 1980s. As you can see, Michael Jackson was a very busy man producing new albums, starring in commercials, acting in a movie, and performing on tour. In addition to all of those commitments, Michael joined Lionel Ritchie to write the very famous song “We Are the World” for a charity fundraiser. A friend of Michael’s, Quincy Jones, produced the song in 1985. The money raised from the sales of that song was used to raise awareness and reduce the famine and diseases of Africa. Michael Jackson continued to do charity work. In 1992, Michael founded “Heal the World”, a foundation to help children and the environment. After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Michael began raising money to help the families of the victims. Charity work was important to Michael Jackson. He created over 100 scholarships to help put children of African descent through college. Throughout the decades, Michael Jackson has received numerous awards and recognition including Grammys, best videos, American Music Awards, Hall of Fame awards, and many, many more. Life has not always been glorious and easy for Michael Jackson. As a young child, he never got to experience the everyday events of being a non-working child. In his autobiography, Michael claims that his childhood was one of child abuse. He was working and earning money since he was five years old, and that prevented him from experiencing childhood. It may have been because of the early work forced on him that he chose to name his mansion/amusement park/zoo Neverland, named after the setting Mrs. Ferge Michael Jackson for Disney’s Peter Pan movie. Michael Jackson grew up to be somewhat of a lonely person. Although he was loved and adored by his fans, he was never able to go outside of his home without being mobbed by the public and especially the paparazzi. Another difficult time in Michael’s life took place during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. Sadly, Michael’s hair started on fire. He underwent surgery to conceal the scars to his scalp. In addition, over the years, Michael underwent plastic surgery on several occasions. He had several surgeries to his face, including a dimple to his chin and much work to his nose. In addition to his difficult childhood and personal insecurities, Michael went through two unsuccessful marriages and repeated legal allegations. Michael Jackson experienced as many hardships as he did moments of glory during his life. On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died unexpectedly in his home in Los Angeles, California. His death came as a surprise to the entire world. Michael had been preparing for a major comeback tour. He had been only fifty years old. Michael left behind three children: one daughter and two sons. Michael is also missed by his parents and his brothers and sisters. The memory and fame of Michael Jackson will live on for generations. His work has influenced the lives of so many. It can certainly be asked, “Without the work of Michael Jackson, what would our musical performances and videos be like today?”