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

Michael Jackson dies in LA hospital

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world, died Thursday 25, June 2009. He was 50. Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The circumstances of Jackson's death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m.

His 1982 album "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time, estimated 50million copies sold worldwide.

The public first knew him in the late 1960s, when as a boy he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "I'll Be There."

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.

Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13.

Singer Dionne Warwick said: "Michael was a friend and undoubtedly one of the world's greatest entertainers that I fortunately had the pleasure of working with. ... We have lost an icon in our industry."

In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

Tag : Michael Jackson;King of Pop;dies in LA Hospital;Thriller;The biggest Celebrity

Summary from: By LYNN ELBER, Associated Press Writer

Michael Jackson is Selling "Billy Jean" Gloves

"The King of Pop" to Sell Famous Glittery Glove. Michael Jackson's glittery glove is going on the auction block. The glove, which inspired countless copycats, quips and Halloween costumes after it was unveiled in the 1983 video for Jackson's hit "Billie Jean," will be part of a five-day auction next year, Julien's Auctions announced Wednesday.

"The King of Pop" is also unloading the grandiose gates that once led to his Neverland Ranch, along with more than "two thousand" other personal items.

Michael Jackson's possessions will be on display before the auction begins on April 21. Bids will be accepted either in person and online. The sale is to be broadcast live on Auction Network.

Jackson plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to MusiCares, a charitable organization founded by the Recording Academy to help musicians in need.

The singer has been plagued by financial woes since he was acquitted of child-molestation charges in 2003. He went into default on his sprawling Neverland property earlier this year, before an investment company bought the loan. Last month, Jackson's lawyers reached a settlement in a $7 million breach-of-contract case brought by a Bahraini sheik.

Michael Jackson reaches settlement with sheik

LONDON - Lawyers for Michael Jackson have reached a settlement with a Bahraini sheik who says the singer owes him $7 million after breaching a signed contract, the pop star’s spokeswoman said Sunday.

The out-of-court settlement means Jackson will not be giving evidence at London’s High Court as scheduled on Monday, Celena Aponte said.

Scores of journalists and fans had been expected to cram the courtroom for the appearance by the always-unpredictable King of Pop. Aponte said Jackson was informed of the deal as he was about to board a flight to London.

“As Mr. Jackson was about to board his plane to London, he was advised by his legal team to postpone his travels since the parties had concluded a settlement in principle,” Aponte said. “Therefore, he will not be attending court on Monday.”

A representative for the sheik could not immediately be reached late Sunday.

Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa 33, invited Jackson to the small, oil-rich Gulf state to escape the media spotlight.

He said he gave the singer millions and planned a series of collaborations following Jackson’s acquittal on child molestation charges in June 2005. Al Khalifa,

The sheik, the second son of the king of Bahrain, said he believed he had formed “a close personal relationship” with the star, whom he referred to affectionately as “my brother.”

Al Khalifa said he gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances and subsidize Jackson’s lifestyle in Bahrain — including more than $300,000 for a “motivational guru.” Al Khalifa, an amateur songwriter, says the pair even moved into the same palace to work on music together. Jackson dropped the project in 2006, leaving Bahrain and pulling out of the contract.

Jackson’s lawyers have maintained the money was a gift and argued that the musician wasn’t bound by the deal because the contract was signed on behalf of 2 Seas Records, a venture which never got off the ground.

The singer originally wanted to avoid coming to London to answer the lawsuit in person, seeking instead to give evidence by video link from the United States. His lawyer, Robert Englehart, had claimed that Jackson should be spared the trans-Atlantic trip due to an unspecified illness, but on Thursday the lawyer said the 50-year-old star had been cleared for travel.

The suit is being heard in London by mutual agreement.

Jackson’s purported medical problems — and his sometimes bizarre demeanor — have been a regular feature of previous court appearances. His 2005 trial was punctuated by complaints of back problems, an apparent bout with the flu and visits to the hospital. At one point, the judge had to order the pajama-clad star into court from the emergency room.

Sources : msnbc.msn.com