Jackson, Michael

MICHAEL JACKSON

Born: Gary, Indiana, 29 August 1958

Genre: Rock, Pop, R&B

Best-selling album since 1990: Dangerous (1991)

Hit songs since 1990: "Remember the Time," "Black or White," "You Rock My World"

Since his first years as a performer, singing with his brothers in the 1970s pop outfit the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson has ranked as one of the most distinguished and innovative voices in popular music. A naturally talented singer, with the inbred ability to draw upon a rich legacy of R&B and pop vocalizing, Jackson had revealed himself as an intuitive stylist by the age of eleven. On his first hit single with the Jackson 5, "I Want You Back," he displayed an indebtedness to great R&B vocalists such as Smokey Robinson and Jackie Wilson, while forging his own energetic, charismatic style. As an adult, Jackson continued to define trends and break down barriers, releasing Thriller (1982), the best-selling album in recorded history, and pioneering the development of music videos. Although Jackson's albums have proved extremely influential, they have been issued years apart; his prolificacy is low for an artist of such importance. Also, his work since the mid-1990s has been overshadowed by scandal and controversy, to the point where the press has depicted his life and career as a grotesque joke. This development does not detract, however, from the vast contribution Jackson has made to modern pop music.

With the Jackson 5

The fifth son of Joe and Katherine Jackson, Michael was raised in Gary, Indiana. His father's harsh disciplinary tactics and the devout Jehovah's Witness beliefs of his mother contributed to what he would later describe as a sad, difficult childhood. By 1962 Joe, a steelworker and former musician, had organized his three eldest sons into a family singing group. Soon, young Michael joined the lineup, his mature vocals augmented by an uncanny ability to mimic the nimble-footed dance moves popularized by R&B star James Brown. By 1969 the Jackson 5 had signed with Detroit's famed Motown Records and released the number one pop and R&B hit "I Want You Back." The single was backed with a version of R&B group Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' 1960 song, "Who's Lovin' You," on which eleven-year-old Michael bends and twists his vocals in homage to the R&B vocal tradition.

Throughout the early 1970s the Jackson 5 scored major hits, including "The Love You Save," "Never Can Say Goodbye," and "Dancing Machine," before moving to Epic Records in 1976. Now known as the Jacksons, the group released Destiny (1978), an acclaimed album they largely wrote and produced. The success of Destiny allowed Michael to pursue his solo career while remaining with the group. Working with producer and arranger Quincy Jones, he gained renewed stardom with Off the Wall (1979), a classic collection of pop, R&B, and disco that spawned four Top 10 singles.

1980s Superstardom

Thriller (1982) cemented Jackson's status as the biggest pop star of the 1980s. Defining the decade in the same way that the music of Elvis Presley represented the 1950s, the album remained on the pop charts for more than two years, selling 25 million copies in the United States alone. Sporting dense, insistent production by Jones, Thriller contains instantly identifiable hits such as "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and the title track, featuring a ghoulish spoken part by horror movie star Vincent Price. The music videos for Thriller set the songs within cinematic narratives, thereby altering the way music would be marketed; after Thriller, a song's video would become as important as the song itself. Videos for "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller" were wildly popular, making Jackson the first African-American artist played with regularity by cable network MTV. Although it took five years to deliver, Thriller 's follow-up, Bad (1987), was nearly as successful, spawning four number one pop hits, including "Man in the Mirror" and "The Way You Make Me Feel." By this point, the media had begun to speculate upon Jackson's eccentricities: his rumored nose jobs, attempts to lighten his skin, and his development of Neverland, a large personal ranch in California that he filled with exotic animals and rides. In late 1991, after another nearly five-year hiatus, Jackson released Dangerous.

Turmoil in the 1990s

In 1993 Jackson was accused of molesting a thirteen-year-old boy who had made frequent visits to the Neverland Ranch. Although he eventually settled the case out of court for an estimated $18 to $20 million, the negative publicity—combined with escalating reports of his plastic surgery and skin lightening—damaged Jackson's reputation. The next year, he married Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie, although the union dissolved after nineteen months. In 1995 Jackson released the sprawling HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book 1 containing one compact disc of greatest hits and another of original material. On songs such as "Tabloid Junkie," Jackson lashes out at the press: "With your pen you torture men / you'd crucify the Lord." Similarly angry songs such as "They Don't Care about Us" give the "Present" section of HIStory an unsettling air of paranoia. Near the end of 1996, Jackson married nurse Debbie Rowe. Although he would have two children with Rowe, the union dissolved in 1999.

In 2001 Jackson released Invincible, his first album of all-new material in a decade. Proving his ability to change his sound with the times, Jackson enlisted the services of trendy R&B producer Rodney Jerkins, who imbues tracks such as "Unbreakable" and "Heartbreaker" with a flashy modern edge. While Invincible scored high on the album charts, debuting at the number one position, its singles did not perform as well, with only one song, the thumping "You Rock My World," reaching the Top 10. The album features some of Jackson's toughest rhythm tracks to date, but critics observed that none of the songs are particularly distinctive or memorable, a factor contributing to its disappointing commercial impact.

By the summer of 2002 Jackson was waging an acrimonious battle with his record label, Sony. In interviews, Jackson charged Sony with not promoting Invincible, claiming the company had asked him for a $200 million reimbursement in marketing costs. The fight became more heated once Jackson described Sony chairman Tommy Mottola in a press conference as "racist" and "devilish." As evidence of Jackson's declining importance, many music stars—including Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin—rushed to defend Mottola. In the following months, the press continued to scrutinize Jackson's unusual behavior, giving special attention to an incident at a German hotel in which he dangled one of his children over a balcony while greeting fans. In 2003 Jackson was the subject of a British Broadcasting Company documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, that he later denounced as an inaccurate and distorted portrayal.

Despite the public speculation upon his ever-diminishing nose and unconventional personal life, Jackson remains a seminal figure in the development of contemporary pop music. Epitomizing the former child performer unable to grasp the reality of the adult world, Jackson has channeled his personal troubles into a rich and enduring body of work.

Spot Light: Dangerous

By the end of 1991 Michael Jackson had not released an album in nearly five years. His previous album, Bad (1987), was a hit that nonetheless suffered by comparison with the overwhelming success of Thriller (1982). For Dangerous, released in December 1991, Jackson hired producer Teddy Riley, known for the bouncy, rhythmic "New Jack Swing" sound he developed with artists such as Keith Sweat. Riley's aggressive, funky approach revitalizes Jackson; singing against a matrix of tricky, unpredictable beats and rhythmic hooks, Jackson brings a new degree of vocal toughness to "Why You Wanna Trip on Me," "She Drives Me Wild," and the hit, "Remember the Time." Despite the high-tech production, Jackson's basic approach has not changed from his earlier work. On "Remember the Time," he builds his performance gradually, layering vocal parts with each rhythmic shift in the arrangement. By the song's end, he is sparring vocally with the propulsive background, employing a complex set of shouts and trills. "Black or White" features a bright, rock-influenced guitar part and lyrics that emphasize racial acceptance. The song's positive message was undercut by controversy arising from its video, the end of which features Jackson breaking car windows and grabbing his crotch. Balancing this depiction of violence is "Heal the World," a highly orchestrated tribute to children that critics found syrupy and trite. Despite these inconsistencies, Dangerous preserved Michael Jackson's status as the "King of Pop," a title he would hold until scandal unhinged his career later in the 1990s.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Got to Be There (Motown, 1972); Forever, Michael (Motown, 1975); Off the Wall (Epic, 1979); Thriller (Epic, 1982); Bad (Epic, 1987); Dangerous (Epic, 1991); HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book 1 (Epic, 1995); Invincible (Epic, 2001). With the Jackson 5: Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 (Motown, 1969); ABC (Motown, 1970); Lookin' through the Windows (Motown, 1972). With the Jacksons: Destiny (1978).

WEBSITE:

www.michaeljackson.com.

david freeland