| Blowing kisses like a beauty queen to his screaming fans, Michael Jackson walked out of court a free man on Monday. He went back to Neverland Ranch, his bizarre home, to try and put his life back together after being cleared of charges that he molested male children. Jackson, 46, heard not guilty fourteen times in a positively stony silent courtroom. The self styled Peter Pan of Pop Music could have received a twenty year sentence if he ended up convicted on charges that he molested a thirteen year old boy, who was a cancer patient. Jackson dabbed his eyes with a tiny tissue as the verdicts were presented. He ultimately gave his lawyer a festive hug. Another member of his defense team burst into tears upon the news of the not guilty verdict against the alleged child molester.
Michael Jackson (born August 29, 1958) is an American singer, dancer and music composer, who rose to international popularity for the first time at the age of 12 as a singer in the “The Jackson 5” and subsequently became one of the most commercially successful solo artists in history and has been referred to as the “King of pop”. Three albums, which have been written under the guidance of producer Quincy Jones — “Off the Wall” (1979), “Thriller” (1982) and “Bad” (1987) achieved huge recognition and “Thriller” is included in Guinness World Records as the most marketed disc of all time. Jackson received thirteen “Grammy” awards, which are his assets; and as many times he occupied first place in the American sale charts with his singles. His name was included twice in the Hall of Fame of rock 'n' roll — as a solo performer and as a participant of “The Jackson 5”.
The Jacksons:
Michael Jackson was born to Joseph and Katherine in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine children. Joseph organized the family group the Jackson 5. At first the group performed in local bars and clubs and then in 1969, with the assistance of singer Diana Ross (during warm-up, they were allowed to perform), they signed a contract with sound recording giant Motown Records.
Soon, the Jacksons reached a national audience and in 1970, their first four singles occupied the top slots on the American Billboard Chart Hot 100. Gradually, Michael was promoted as the main draw of the children's quintet and important solos went particularly his way. He attracted the attention of the audience with amazing dances as well as with his behavioral pattern on stage, which he copied from his idol the “King of Funk” James Brown.
The beginning of his solo career:
In 1973, the success of the family project started to decline and the recording company limited their financial resources and in 1976, they signed a contract with another firm as a result of which they had to rename the group “The Jacksons”. From 1976 to 1984, the group released 6 more albums and toured the country. Meanwhile, Jackson released four solo albums and a number of successful solo singles, among which “Got to Be There”, “Rockin ' Robin” and “Ben” (a ballad, devoted to a house rat), which occupied top place in the charts in 1972.
In 1978, Michael acted in a film together with Diana Ross in the screen version of the Broadway musical “The Wiz” (“Surprising Wizard from Oz”). During the shooting, he met arranger Quincy Jones, who later on went on to become the producer of Michael’s most popular albums. The first of them “Off the Wall” (1979) presented Michael Jackson to the world as a bright, talented young man and a stylish dancer. Disco hits “Don't Stop Till You Get Enough” and a much slower composition “Rock With You” topped the charts and more than 20 million copies of the album was sold.
The grown-up Jackson was not satisfied with popularity in the group and soon, he made his first independent recordings with the help of the same studio (Motown). In 1971, when his first individual composition “I'll Be There” topped the charts reaching the 4th spot, it became clear, that a new super star was appearing on the musical horizon. Continuing to work with his brothers, Jackson did some more recordings, which have become hits –“Rockin “Robin” and “Ben” and the release of his first album. In 1976, Michael Jackson and the group the “Jackson 5” signed a contract with the studio Epic. In the late 1970s, Jackson makes a short foray into cinema, acting in a film together with Diana Ross in the Afro-American version of an old film “The Wizard of Oz”. The film did not do well at the box-office but the meeting of Jackson with the legendary producer Quincy Jones took place.
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