Michael Jackson
R&B Legend, Michael Joseph Jackson, Was Born On This Date, In 1958, In Gary Indiana.
Arguably, The Greatest Entertainer Of The 20th Century, Michael Jackson Is A True Musical Genius Who Has Enjoyed Unprecedented Success As A Commercial Artist.
Jackson Became Nationally Known At Age 10, As The Lead Singer Of The Jackson 5. The Motown Super Group Made Music History When Their First Four Singles ("I Want You Back, ""ABC," "The Love You Save" And "I'll Be There") Went To 1 On The American Music Charts. Michael Made His National Television Debut In 1969, When The Jackson 5 Appeared On The Hollywood Palace.
"Never Can Say Goodbye," "Mama's Pearl," "Got To Be There," "Ben"And "Dancing Machine," Were Among The Other Motown Hits Michael Had With His Brothers, And As A Solo Artist, During The 1970's.
By 1979, Jackson Had Left Motown For A Solo Career. His Album, Off The Wall, Was A Smash And Made History As The First Album To Produce Four Top-Ten Hits, Including "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" And "Rock With You," Both Of Which Went To 1.
Jackson Followed Off The Wall With Thriller (1982), Which Became The Biggest Selling Album In Music History, With Worldwide Sales Of More Than 104 Million Copies. Jackson Also Broke His Own History-Making Record When Thriller Became The First Album To Spawn 7 Top-Ten Singles And Was Eventually Certified 27x Platinum In The U.S.
Michael Jackson Continued To Make History In The 1980's By Becoming The First Black Artist To Have A Video ("Billie Jean") Receive Regular Airplay On MTV. Jackson Would Go On To Revolutionize The Music Video Genre, Creating Innovative Ways To Market And Showcase Music.
Jackson Continued To Dominate The 1980's And Early 1990's With Other Successful Albums Including, Bad, Dangerous, And Blood On The Dance Floor. He Also Co-wrote (With Lionel Richie) "We Are The World," The USA FOR AFRICA Single To Raise Money For Famine Relief In Ethiopia.
While Some Refer To Him As The King Of Pop, Michel Jackson's Musical Roots Are Firmly Planted In R&B. He Acknowledges James Brown And Jackie Wilson As Major Influences On Him.
Today, At 49 Years Old, Michael Jackson, Himself, Has Become The Standard And The Inspiration, For A New Generation Of Black Entertainers.
Click Here To See Michael Jackson's First National TV Appearance On The Hollywood Palace.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
