Ryan, Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, and died at the age of 50 on 25 June 2009 as the eighth of ten children in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago, to an African American working-class family. his mother, Katherine Ester Scruse, was a devout jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and janet, and six brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, brandon (Marlon's twin brother, who died shortly after birth) and Randy.

Michael jackson was an American signer, dancer and entertainer. Referred to as the King of Pop, he is the most commerically sucessful entertainer of all time, and one of the most influential. His contributions to music, dance andd fasion along with a much publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

Alongside his brothers, he made his debut appearances as lead singer and youngest member of The jackson 5 in 1964. He began his solo career in 1971.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame twice,, hiso ther achievements feature multiple Guinness World records, including the "Most Sucessful Entertainer of All time", 15 Grammy Awards ( including the "Living Legend Award" and the "Lifetime Achievement Award"), 26 American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including one for "Artist pf the Century more than any artist, 17 number one singles in the US (including the four as a member of the Jackson 5), and estimated sales of up to 750million records worldwide making him the world's best selling artist in history.

Jackson died at the age of 50 after suffering from cardiac arrest. He reportedly had been administered durgs such as propofol and lorazepam, and his death ruled a jomicide by the Los Angeles Country coroner. His death triggered an outpouring of grief from around the world with his globally live broadcast memorial service attracting an audience of up to one billion people; as well as a huge surge in his album sales, resulting in him becoming the best selling artist of 2009 with sales in excess of 8.2million in the Unites States where he became the first artist ever to have 4 of the top 20 best-selling albums in a single year, and 29 million albums globally, where he had an unpprecedented 8 of the top 25 best-selling albums worldwide.