King of Pop Passes Away

Michael Jackson, the 'King of Pop', who 'Moon walked' to the hearts of millions with his mesmerizing music and signature break dance in the 80s, died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles on June 26. Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him.

Jackson is survived by three children—Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

The ‘king of pop’ was born on August 29, 1958, and debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of ‘The Jackson 5’, and began a solo career in 1971.

Spotlights and Flashbulbs
jackson to understand a world that he saw mostly while staring into spotlights and flashbulbs. Standing ovations greeted him on stage; parental slaps awaited him in the dressing room. Like his mother, he became a Jehovah's Witness, forswearing alcohol, cigarettes and foul language. He fasted on Saturdays and went door to door, wearing a disguise, to spread the faith. (He ended his association with the religion in the late 1980s.)

In a Motown TV special in 1983, Jackson, then 24, electrified the nation with his moonwalk, a dance step that created the illusion of levitation. He took the stage in a black sequined jacket, silver shirt, black fedora and black trousers that skimmed the tops of his white socks. The final touch was a single white glove, studded with rhinestones. The "Thriller" success enabled Jackson to negotiate what were believed to be the highest royalty rates ever earned by a recording artist. But it also put him in a cage of his own anxieties and obsession.

Jackson bonded with past pop-music royalty by marrying Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 and grabbing a major interest in the Beatles catalog, an asset worth $500 million. The marriage was short-lived, however, and his wealth was imperiled by an extravagant lifestyle that included the 2,700-acre Neverland Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he lived with a menagerie of exotic pets.

Entertainment Career
Jackson's entertainment career hit high-water marks with the release of ‘Thriller,’ from 1982, which has been certified 28 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and with the ‘Victory’ world tour that reunited him with his brothers in 1984.

But soon afterward, his career started a bizarre disintegration. His darkest moment undoubtedly came in 2003, when he was indicted on child molesting charges. A young cancer patient claimed the singer had befriended him and then groped him at his Neverland estate near Santa Barbara, California, but Jackson was acquitted on all charges.

The singer was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993 but he could not be charged due to lack of evidence. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.

Major Achievements
When related by number, his achievements are unparalleled: an estimated 750 million albums sold worldwide; 13 Grammy Awards; another 13 number one singles; two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In assessing his place in the history of pop, it is important to remember that Jackson was not just a musician. He was a spectacular act. Viewed in isolation, his music was not path-breaking; he did not invent or even heavily influence a musical genre as Chuck Berry or Led Zeppelin or Bob Dylan did.

In recent years, he inspired fascination for reasons that had nothing to do with music. Years of plastic surgery had made his face a bizarre landscape. He was deeply in debt and had lost his way as a musician. He had not toured since 1997 or released new songs since 2001. Instead of music videos, Jackson images became tabloid reports about his strange behavior, including allegations of child molestation, or the latest failed relaunch of his career.

The 50-year-old icon of pop, Jackson was rehearsing for a huge musical comeback when he collapsed. The 50 shows scheduled at the O2 arena in London, which were to start next month, had sold out within hours. A frail-looking Jackson had spent his last weeks in rehearsal for an ambitious comeback attempt and 50 sold-out shows in London. A major motivation was the $300 million in debt run up by a star who lived like royalty even though his self-declared title of "King of Pop" was more about the past than the present.