Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana to a working-class family on August 29, 1958. The son of Joseph "Joe" Walter and Katherine Esther he was the fifth of six brothers and the seventh of nine children. His brothers and sisters were Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Randy, Janet, La Toya and Rebbie.Joseph Jackson was a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band known as The Falcons with his brother Luther.Joseph physically and mentally abused Michael in his youth through incessant rehearsals, whippings and depreciative names such as "big nose". Joseph exorcised his musical career frustrations by exploiting his musically-gifted children, especially Michael, by forcing them to perform in seedy bars and strip joints from Indiana to Ohio. Michael's abuse as a child continues to affect him emotionally today.Katherine, a Jehovah's Witness, raised their children in that faith.
Michael showed musical talent early in his life, performing in front of his classmates and other audience during a Christmas recital at his school at the age of five.In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers, a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine, as backup playing congas and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5. The band toured Indiana extensively from 1965 to 1967. After winning a major local talent show in 1966 with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago and across the mid-eastern United States. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit", where the band often opened for stripteases and other adult acts.
The group recorded a number of songs for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, and signed with the national Motown Records label in 19
68.Rolling Stone magazine described the young Jackson as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts", noting that after Jackson began to dance and sing with his brothers, "he quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer".Even though Michael sang with a "child's piping voice, he danced like a grown-up hoofer and sang with the R&B/gospel inflections of Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder.The fledgling group set a record when their first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There") charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the United States' official singles chart.During the Jackson 5's early years, Motown's public relations team lowered Jackson's age from eleven to nine to make him appear cuter and more accessible to the mainstream audience. Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". Between 1971 and 1975, Michael's voice, according to the Rolling Stone, "descended ever so slightly from boy soprano to his current androgynous high tenor".The group's sales began declining in 1973, and they chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or inpu. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top five disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.
Michael showed musical talent early in his life, performing in front of his classmates and other audience during a Christmas recital at his school at the age of five.In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers, a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine, as backup playing congas and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5. The band toured Indiana extensively from 1965 to 1967. After winning a major local talent show in 1966 with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago and across the mid-eastern United States. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit", where the band often opened for stripteases and other adult acts.
The group recorded a number of songs for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, and signed with the national Motown Records label in 19
68.Rolling Stone magazine described the young Jackson as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts", noting that after Jackson began to dance and sing with his brothers, "he quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer".Even though Michael sang with a "child's piping voice, he danced like a grown-up hoofer and sang with the R&B/gospel inflections of Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder.The fledgling group set a record when their first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There") charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the United States' official singles chart.During the Jackson 5's early years, Motown's public relations team lowered Jackson's age from eleven to nine to make him appear cuter and more accessible to the mainstream audience. Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". Between 1971 and 1975, Michael's voice, according to the Rolling Stone, "descended ever so slightly from boy soprano to his current androgynous high tenor".The group's sales began declining in 1973, and they chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or inpu. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top five disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.HIS DANCE MOVES
Michael jackson is one of the greatest dancers of all time, both in creativity and in performance. His moves have mesmerised audiences around the globe, as well as inspired a generation of dancers.
On the right is a little outtake from the music video 'scream'.
Moonwalk
The moonwalk was a factor in what set Michael apart and clearly in a league of his own in the realm of superstardom.
Michael did not invent the move, but perfected it and made it his own. He first showed the move to the world .
