Introduction With all the modern and pathetic techno, bad hip hop and wannabe rapper music, some good music still lives on, like Metallica, Guns N Roses, and more importantly, Michael Jackson. In this book I’m going to explain Michael’s background info, like when he is born, where he’s from, when he got famous, his first album, biggest success, and death.
A Legend is Born The King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson was born in 1956 in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine siblings. Baby brother to Maureen, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Latoya, and Marlon. He is older brother to Randy and Janet.
Music was popular in the Jackson family. Katherine (Michael’s mother) was a Country-and-Western fan and she introduced her children to harmonized versions of folk songs. Michael’s taste later on changed, he liked listening to 60’s R&B and classic Rodgers & Hammerstein and listened to them on a daily basis. Close to Roosevelt High School was a big band that liked to show off their music and marched down Jackson Street and played their vibrant horns and booming percussion, and this later on also became part of Michael’s taste.
Michael Jackson as a young boy.
JACKSON 5 The first career in singing Michael had, was Jackson 5, also spelled Jackson 5ive. The Jackson 5 started in 1964 by Michael and his brothers. They owe their career to their father who guided them into the style that they sing and encouraging them to sing. Michael Jackson started as the lead singer in this band at the age of 5, isn’t that young. They started off playing in local bars and clubs, and as their talent grew, they started playing in bigger competitions, Michael sometimes would sing alone in the same clubs as the stars and famous singers. In 1968 Bobby Taylor and the Vancouver's discovered the Jackson 5 and from there they got an audition for Berry Gordy of Motown Records. After they got the word that they were accepted, they signed to Motown Records and moved to California. Their first four singles “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, and “I’ll Be There” were all made US No.1 Hits, that’s pretty amazing, their first four singles and they were made US No. 1 Hits. The Jackson 5 in all recorded 14 albums, and along the way, Michael recorded 4 solo albums. The Jackson 5 stayed with Motown until 1976, wanting more artistic freedom, they signed with Epic Records. After they moved from Motown, they changed their name to the Jacksons. Brother Jermaine married Berry Gordy’s daughter and stayed with Motown. The youngest brother, Randy, took his place.
The Jackson 5ive’s most known album, “ABC”
Ridin’ Solo The King of Pop left Jackson 5ive at the age of 17. Michael thought that his brothers were hindering his talents so he decided to go solo. He recorded a few singles with both Motown Records and Epic Records, so he already knew he had talent. He stayed with Epic Records and he recorded his very first album which was a tremendous success. It was c alled “Off The Wall”. The album was one of the best at the time it came out. The album came out on August 10th, 1979. The Album was a big success around the world and the first ever record breaking 4 No.1 singles in the USA. His second album was a huge success. It was the best selling in the entire world, that’s a lot of people buying his album. It was released on December 1, 1982. It was also record breaking and won a Grammy Award, “Album of the Year”. This album produced 7 hit singles, breaking yet another record, and went on to sell over 50 million copies worldwide. The album was so successful, Michael decided to make music videos for two of his best songs in the album, that included “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” which was a 14 minute video, which used Michael Jackson’s firs
Thriller Album Cover
A King Dies The King of Pop died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50, of propofol intoxication after suffering a stroke at his home. Michael’s personal physician said he found Michael in his room, not breathing with a faint pulse, and later that he gave Michael CPR on his bed, but it didn’t work.
Michael Jackson’s death was announced as homicide and Michael’s personal physician, Conrad Murray, and was convicted on November 2011 of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to jail for four years. Michael’s death triggered grief around the world, creating huge surges of Internet traffic and causing his music and Jackson 5ive’s music to increase dramatically. A public memorial service for Michael was held on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where he had rehearsed his planned concert in London the night before his death. The service was broadcasted live around the world, over one billion people watched it live.
Conclusion Michael Jackson, all in all, became so much more than everyone expected. I didn’t talk about the bad things he did because everyone makes mistakes, he’s only human, if you were famous, and everyone else knew all your mistakes, they’d think you were a bad person too. Don’t judge people by their mistakes, everyone picks on him because he is famous. His skin change for example, everyone thought he didn’t want to be black because he wanted to be white, but you think that because he is a bad person. Michael had a skin disease, he had no choice, but everyone believed that he was a bad person. He donated at least over $350 million to charity, but you don’t care about that do you, you just care what the paparazzi, press and tabloids say. I could write a novel on all the good things Michael did, and a two page book on all the bad things he did. Never judge a book by it’s cover.
About the Author The Author, Tarek Adawi, is 13 years old. This is the second book he wrote. Tarek wrote this book because he is passionate for music and thinks that music has gotten worse. In the good old days, Metallica and Guns n Roses were the popular music, and now, its stupid techno and wannabe rappers, so Tarek made this book to show that music lives on only if people want it to.
With all the modern and pathetic techno, bad hip hop and wannabe rapper music, some good music still lives on, like Metallica, Guns N Roses, Nirvana, The Who, Foo Fighters and more importantly, Michael Jackson. In this book I’m going to explain Michael’s background info, like when he is born, where he’s from, when he got famous, his first album, biggest success, and death.