Michael Jackson, 1958-2009: The Talent and the Tragedy

The tragedy of "King of Pop" death at age 50. To understand all that Jackson had and lost requires wiping away three decades of plastic surgeries that deformed him, erratic behavior that made his name synonymous with the warping powers of fame, and a 2005 trial for sexually abusing a child that, even though he was spared of any finding of wrongdoing, made him a pariah to all but the most brainwashed of fans.

Jackson was born in 1958, the seventh of nine Jackson children, before reached age six Jackson had joined his brothers in the Jackson Five. Little Michael had a great talent in dancing and singing of the bunch, but he also had the mysterious thing that record bosses and studio chiefs crave: star power

At 22, Jackson not only became one of the most admired pop musicians in the world, but one of the globe's most famous people.

In 1981 release of "Thriller", which was to become the best-selling album of all-time (until it was eclipsed in the late '90s by The Eagles Greatest Hits, 1971-1975.)

After the release of 1987's Bad, a disappointing follow-up to Thriller, Jackson purchased the 2,800-acre Neverland Ranch in California, and his public weirdness became almost aggressive.

Given the tumult in his personal life, it's no surprise that the 1990s were a barren period for Jackson creatively. Celebrating his 30th anniversary in 2001 he managed to pull himself together enough to release Invincible and stage two concerts as a performer at New York's Madison Square Garden. The shows, held a few days before Sept. 11, were a capsule of all Jackson had become. There were bizarre cameos from friends Marlon Brando, Liza Minnelli and Eliabeth Taylor. Macaulay Culkin sat next to Jackson in a royal box. But several hours after the proceedings began, when Jackson finally took the stage, all the years of Wacko Jacko melted away. Then in his early 40s, he could still dance and sing better than almost anyone in the world, and he still had star power. The Jackson on display in those concerts was one the world admired and the one that will be missed.

Tag : Michael Jackson biography;history of Michael Jackson;The Talent and The Tragedy

Summary from : JOSH TYRANGIEL