Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson is a person that is credited in 6 games
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Life and Musical Career
1958-75: Relationship with Father, Lost Childhood, and The Jackson 5
Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, as the seventh of nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. Michael had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.
Growing up in a working-class Chicago suburb, Michael had a troubled relationship with his father. In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, he stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during his constant rehearsals, after his on-stage performances, and at home. To keep his sons on their toes, Joseph would trip them or push them into walls. During one extreme example, Joseph snuck outside of their home, crawled in through the children's bedroom window while they were sleeping, and proceeded to run around screaming while wearing a Halloween mask. His "lesson" behind this was that he wanted to teach his kids not to leave their window unlocked at night. For several years afterward, Jackson said he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom. Though Joseph has recently begun denying his wrong-doing to his children and to Michael, Joseph had acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a child.
His interview with Oprah on February 10, 1993 was the first time he had spoken publicly about the abuse he had endured as a child. He said that since he was always in the studio recording or rehearsing for a performance, he often cried from loneliness and would sometimes throw-up when he saw his father or felt his presence. Though his relationship with his father was pained, Michael regarded him as a "genius", and said that if it wasn't for his strict discipline, he probably would not have found the same success in the entertainment industry.
In the 50s, Michael's father was touring around the Chicago area as a member of The Falcons. Though he scored a few gigs and worked long hours at a steel mill, the money he earned was hardly enough to support his family of many children. After coming home one night to find his guitar string broken by Tito (who was then promptly beaten for his mistake), Joseph mended the guitar string and instructed Tito to play for the family. After the other Jackson brothers joined in as vocalists, the vision of the Jackson 5 entered Joseph's mind. Giving up his spot with the Falcons, Joseph toured his boys to multiple venues, including black bars and strip clubs. Though originally a tambourine player and a backup singer, Michael displayed his musical talents at an early age. Soon enough, Michael had fully replaced Jermaine as the lead singer of The Jackson 5 and helped win a major talent show in 1964, which led the Jackson brothers to state-wide acclaim.
After recording a few songs for a local record label, Michael and the Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records in 1968. Being at such a young age, Michael received national praise as a "musical prodigy", through his intricate use of tender vocals and stylish dance moves. Michael set a chart record as the lead singer of The Jackson 5 when their first four singles "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Though he remained an official Jackson 5 member his entire life, Michael released four solo studio albums with Motown, the first in 1971. However, under Motown's strict album guidelines and little heed to an artist's creative freedom, The Jackson 5's appeal to mainstream audiences began to fade. Though Michael loved Motown, was friend's with many of his musical co-workers, and regarded Berry Gordy (the founder of Motown) as a close father figure, Michael, under the pressure of his brothers and father, reluctantly agreed to abandon his contract with Motown in favor a new one with CBS. The Jackson 5 officially left Motown in 1975.
1975-81: Transition to Epic Records, First Film Appearance, and Off the Wall
As Motown was extremely unwilling to let The Jackson 5 go, Motown lawyers begged and pleaded with the brothers to stay, but Joseph would have none of it. In a final bid to save their contract with the Jacksons, the boys were threatened that if they left, the group would have to give up "The Jackson 5" name, as it was owned by Motown. After being coaxed into the deal by their father, Michael and the other Jackson brothers officially signed a new contract with CBS Records on June 1975, joining the Epic Records division, under the name "The Jacksons". As The Jacksons, Michael toured with his brothers internationally, released six more albums between 1976 and 1984, and went to write many of their biggest hits, including "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "Heartbreak Hotel," and "Can You Feel It".
In 1978, Michael made his first break as a film actor by playing the Scarecrow in the musical movie The Wiz. It was here that Michael met Quincy Jones, who agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall. In 1979, after a complex dance routine, Michael fell and broke his nose. The subsequent surgery he went under to fix the damage was not a complete success; he complained afterwards that it was difficult to breathe -a problem which plagued him for most of his career.
With Jones honoring his agreement, Michael and Quincy produced the Off the Wall album together. Released in 1979, it was the first solo album by Michael to generate world-wide acclaim and four U.S. top 10 hits, including the single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Though Michael won innumerable awards for the record, including Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist, Top Black Album, and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Michael felt that Off the Wall should have made a bigger musical impact, and was determined to exceed critics (and his own) expectations with his next album.
1982-83: Thriller and Motown 25
In 1982, Michael released his second Epic album, Thriller, another collaboration between Jackson and Jones. Jackson wanted Thriller to be both compelling and atmospheric, and listened to hundreds of songs to prepare for the album. After release, the album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at #1. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, a remarkable achievement for a single artist. Thriller was award Double Diamond status by the RIAA, after it was certified for 28 million shipments in the United States. Thriller is, and currently remains, the best-selling album of all time, with 110 million copies worldwide.
To compliment the album, Michael recorded two music videos: one for "Billie Jean" and the other for "Thriller". The music video for Thriller shattered all boundaries for upcoming black artists and enabled the music video to be heralded as an art form. Presented as a 15 minute short film, Thriller was the most expensive music video ever made at the time, at a cost of US $1,000,000. The video featured scenes in which Jackson transforms into a werecat, dances with the undead, and a narration by the late Vincent Price. The video was directed by John Landis, with special effects make-up by Rick Baker, both of whom had previously worked on the smash hit An American Werewolf in London. Thriller was broadcast on MTV, whom played it non-stop the entire day due to demand for repeated viewings by TV viewers.
On March 25, 1983, Michael performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special with his brothers. After singing a melody of their first Motown hits, Michael was left alone on stage to address the audience. After a few words and repeated thank you's, Michael said, "Those songs were good songs. I like those songs a lot. But, especially, I like...the new songs." At the hint of those words, the lights dimmed, Michael spun around, laid a solid black fedora to his head, and struck a pose. Michael's solo spot had begun. Wearing black pants, leather penny loafers and a single white rhinestone glove, Michael performed his hit song "Billie Jean" and debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk. His performance was seen by 47 million viewers and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. With the success of his performance, Michael had sealed his destiny as a pop culture icon for the rest of his life. The many staples of the performance - the penny loafers, the black fedora, and the single white glove all become staples of American fashion and later Jackson performances.
1984-85: Victory Tour, "We Are the World", and ATV Music Catalog Purchase
Unlike his later albums, like Bad and Dangerous, Thriller did not have an official world tour to promote it. Instead, Michael decided to head out on the road with his brothers one final time and contribute to The Jacksons 1984 Victory Tour. During the Victory Tour, Michael was able to showcase much of his new solo material while also embracing his past as a member of the Jacksons. After the tour, Michael donated his $5 million paycheck to charity. He also later co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to focus awareness on the poverty in Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, and helped raise millions of dollars in donations from all around the world.
Shortly after the release of "We Are the World", ATV Music, a music publishing company owning thousands of music copyrights, was put up for sale. After Michael had worked with Paul McCartney for years and learned that McCartney made around US $40 million a year from other artists' songs, Michael became determined to buy the ATV catalog of music. Ironically, the ATV catalog of music contained music crafted by Paul McCartney himself. Worried about buying his friend's music, Michael contacted McCartney's attorney to see if Paul would object to the deal. McCartney's attorney assured Jackson that McCartney was not interested in bidding on ATV, as McCartney had said that "it's too pricey." However, come bidding day, McCartney changed his mind and tried to persuade the widow of John Lennon, Yoko Ono, to join him in a joint bid. Ono declined, and McCartney pulled out. After a 10 month competition, Jackson eventually won the rights to ATV's catalog at a price of US $47,500,000. Contrary to popular belief, the purchase of ATV's catalog didn't sever ties between Michael and Paul - their tastes in music had just changed and both had nothing to contribute to each others careers. In a later interview, Paul said that if anyone were to own the catalog to the Beatles other than himself, it would be Michael.
1986-87 Changing Appearance, Weight Concerns, Tabloids, and Bad
Starting in the mid 1980's, Jackson's skin tone began to garner widespread media coverage. For the duration of his life, Michael Jackson was colored medium-brown, the natural color of his African-American parents. However, his skin began to grow paler and many media outlets reported that he was bleaching his skin. Though Michael never commented on his skin until 1993, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Jackson's doctor, stated in his biography that in 1986, Michael was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the diseases partially lightened his skin tone and both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments Michael used for his condition were painful and further lightened his skin tone, making him even paler than his diseases could. Other than his skin tone, media outlets also reported that Michael's facial structure had changed due to plastic surgery. Several surgeons speculated that he had undergone multiple facial surgeries, though Michael denied this and claimed that he had only two rhinoplasties and had an artificial dimple crafted for his chin and nothing else. He attributed his often-times gaunt appearance to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.
Michael, along with his appearance, was always concerned about his weight. Jackson, in his own words, desired "a dancer's body", and he regularly switched up his diet and went for periods of time without eating. Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and feeling ill; periods of unexpected and unnecessary weight loss would become a recurring problem later in his life. A number of medical professionals have said Michael was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the victim dislikes his appearance and has no concept of how he is viewed by others.
Due to these factors and not releasing a major album in some time to report on, the media decided to rather let him star in increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, after a picture of Michael lying in a glass box used at his burn center was published, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Michael slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the process of aging. When Jackson rescue a chimpanzee named Bubbles from an animal testing facility, reporters made the connection that Bubbles was an example of Michael's increasing detachment from reality. It was also reported that Jackson had made a bid to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick, who was known as the "Elephant man" due to his strange bone structure. In his 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Oprah brought up the story with Michael and questioned him about it's authenticity, which made Michael giggle and state:
In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses. Even though he laid a disclaimer at the beginning of his music video for Thriller claiming he had no belief in the occult, the Jehovah's Witnesses still admonished and shunned him over the video. Reeling out from a feeling of freedom, Michael decided to go completely solo with his life by embarking on a world tour. With the success of Bad, Michael set up and planned out his stops around the world, organized his set list, and began rehearsing his dance moves. The Bad World Tour began on September 12, 1987 and officially ended on January 14, 1989. It seems Michael's record breaking capabilities weren't tied to just the Billboard charts, as the tour had 14 sellouts in Japan alone and drew over 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour. He broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people, and gained another Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him a total of US $125 million. Never forgetting his roots or giving up his passion for giving, Michael invited underprivileged children to watch for free, gave donations to hospitals and orphanages, and supported any local charity his entourage came into contact with.
1988-90: Moonwalker, Neverland, and Becoming the "King of Pop"
In 1988, Michael released is own dependent film, aptly titled Moonwalker, which featured live footage, music videos, and special-effects driven action scenes. The movie starred Jackson as the main character with Joe Pesci beside him, who played the film's main antagonist. The film premiered atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by another Jackson production, Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.
In March 1988, Michael purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch, his own personal home, away from the press and his troubles. He installed Ferris wheels, a zoo, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds, keeping intruders at bay and visitors safe from harm. In 2003, Neverland was valued at approximately $100 million.
Michael's success in the entertainment business resulted in him being crowned as the "King of Pop." The title was given to him by his good friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul." Among other awards, then-President George H. W. Bush presented him with The White House's "Artist of the Decade" award.
1991-93 Dangerous and the Founding of the Heal the World Foundation
In March 1991, Jackson made a record-breaking deal with Sony, renewing his contract for US $65 million. He released his eighth studio album, Dangerous, in the same year. Dangerous went on to sell more than 32 million records worldwide, making it the most selling new jack swing album of all time. With some comparing it to Michael's hit "Billie Jean", Dangerous' most popular single in the United States was "Black or White", which was accompanied by a music video directed by John Landis, the director of Jackson's earlier hit video Thriller. In Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.
In 1992, Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation". The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Neverland to enjoy the theme park rides Jackson had built on the property and to help the children forget about the pain and hardships they felt outside of Neverland. The foundation's cause was also to send millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease.
To help finance the Heal the World Foundation, Michael kicked off his Dangerous World Tour on June 27, 1992 and finished it on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to over 3.5 million people in 67 different concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the Heal the World Foundation, raising millions of dollars in relief for children. Following the illness and death of Ryan White, an AIDS-stricken child from Indiana, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, a subject that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the newly installed Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.
1993: Interview with Oprah Winfrey and First Child Sexual Abuse Allegations
On February 1993, Michael held an interview with Oprah Winfrey at his Neverland Ranch, only his second television interview since 1979. He spoke of his childhood abuse, dismissed tabloid stories, and stated for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by 90 million Americans. The program increased public awareness of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition at the time.
Several months after Michael held his interview with Oprah, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler. A year after Jackson met the boy, under the influence of sodium amytal, a sedative once called "Truth Serum" but is now regarded as a mind-altering sedative, Jordan told his father that Jackson had touched his penis. Jordan told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.
In a private interview with Jordan's father, he was tape-recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, where he said,
An official investigation began on Jackson, with Jordan's own mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched and multiple children and family members denied that Jackson was a pedophile. Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted by police and doctors at his ranch, which was required to see if a description provided by Jordan of Jackson's genitals was accurate. Jackson stood completely naked on a stool as doctors and police analyzed his privates and buttocks. Doctors concluded that there were similarities, but it was not a definitive match. Michael's friends said he never recovered from the humiliation.
The tabloids had no mercy on Michael either. Tabloids sprung to life with stories of Jackson, all painting him in a negative light. Complaints against the tabloids included bias against Jackson, paying for stories about alleged criminal activity, and buying leaked confidential material from the police investigation. On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for a reported $22 million, a sum Jackson had once said he would never pay "no way in Hell". After the transaction, Jordan stopped co-operating with police regarding criminal proceedings. Michael was never charged with a crime, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.
1994: Marriage to Lisa Marie Presley
In May 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993. They kept in contact every day over the telephone. As the accusations against Michael of child molestation became public, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional and mental support. Presley explained,
1995-97: HIStory
With the guidance of attorneys from both sides, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the joint company, earning himself $95 upfront and the rights to an even greater selection of songs. Afterwards, Michael released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and sold over 20 million records. Even though it had great commercial success, critics found it odd for an artist to package both a selection of their greatest hits along with new material. Michael decided, however, that the album was strong enough to warrant a world tour, and Michael began The HIStory World Tour on September 7, 1996 and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited 35 countries, was Jackson's most successful in terms of audience turnout.
1996-99 Marriage to Deborah Rowe, Fatherhood, and Blood on the Dance Floor
With the HIStory World Tour about ready to end, Jackson married nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe on November 14, 1996. She would later go on to give birth to Michael's first two children: a son, Prince Michael, and a daughter, Paris Katherine. Rowe and Jackson originally met in the late 1980s, when Jackson was first diagnosed with vitiligo. During the HIStory World Tour, Rowe overhead Michael speaking to his doctor during one of his usual treatments that, with the divorce between him and Lisa Marie, he didn't think he would ever be a father. Deborah, being a lifelong fan of Michael, proposed to bear his children for him. Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's religious mother intervened and persuaded them to do so. The couple divorced in 1999, and remained friends, with Rowe giving full custody of the children to Jackson.
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix album ever released.
2000-03: Invincible, Sony Label Dispute, 30th Anniversary Celebration, and Third Child
In October 2001, Jackson released his first studio album after a six year hiatus, simply titled Invincible. Unfortunately, Invincible came to be Michael's last album of new material released before his death in 2009.
When Michael first wrote up his contract with Sony, he had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him sometime in the early 2000s. Once he had his licenses, he would be able to promote the material however he wanted to and he would also be able to keep any of the profits gained from his endeavors. However, due to various clauses in the contract, the revert date turned out to be many years away. Jackson discovered that the attorney who represented him when brokering the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest. Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest he had discovered. For many of the years after the collaboration between Sony and Michael's catalogs, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their collaboration. Jackson found that through his contract, Sony would still be able to profit from Michael if his career ended up failing, as Michael would be forced to sell off his remaining share in the catalog to stay above financial waters.
Michael used these conflicts as leverage to successfully exit his contract early. Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony. As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled.
Even with its nearly non-existant amount of promotion, Invincible was released in October 2001 to much anticipation. Just before the album's release, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the Michael's 30th year as a solo artist. During the concert, Michael reunited with his brothers on-stage for the first time since the 1984 Victory Tour. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included other performances from dozens of major artists.
Invincible proved to be a hit for Michael, selling approximately 13 million copies worldwide. Even though it received Double Platinum status in the United States, the sales for Invincible were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the major dispute with Sony.
In 2002, Michael became a father again, this time to Prince Michael Jackson II. Commonly called "Blanket" by family and friends, Blanket's mother is unknown, as Michael had used his own sperm cells to artificially inseminate a surrogate mother.
In a series of interviews for a Michael Jackson exclusive TV special, Michael was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, 13, a guest he had at his home who later accused him of sexual abuse. Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to Arvizo. Jackson vehemently denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature.
During the two years between the charges and the trial, Jackson reportedly became dependent on pethidine and lost an exorbitant amount of weight. The People v. Jackson trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts. Evidence proving Jackson's innocence was the fact that Arvizo's mother had a record of suing people for monetary gain, including one case in which she threw herself at a security guard at a mall, jumped on the floor, and then rushed to management alleging the security guard had fondled her breasts. After the trial, Michael felt that Neverland had been tainted by the trials, losing its magic as his world away from the world, so he relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.
2006-09: Final Years
Following the death of Michael's idol James Brown, Jackson returned to the U.S. to attend Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006. During his time in the US, Michael remarked:
The 25th anniversary of Thriller was marked by the release of Thriller 25, which featured the previously unreleased song "For All Time" and various re-mixes made with popular American hip-hop artists. Thriller 25 sold well for a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe. In 12 weeks, Thriller 25 sold over three million copies worldwide.
In March 2009, Jackson announced at London's O2 arena that he would be performing a comeback tour called This Is It. The shows were to be Jackson's first major series of concerts in over 12 years, and had been cited as one of the year's most important musical events with over one million people attending in total. Jackson suggested possible retirement for himself after the shows were completed, as he called the This Is It concerts his "final curtain call". Although initially a 10 date concert, it was increased to 50 dates after record breaking ticket sales and a push from his promoters. The concerts would have begun on July 13, 2009 and finished on March 6, 2010. Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin in London, Jackson died in his Los Angeles home at the age of 50 of cardiac arrest.
Death and Memorial
On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion in Los Angeles after a sleepless night. Attempts at reviving him by his personal physician Conrad Murray were unsuccessful. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call soon after, arriving three minutes later at the mansion. Michael was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed. Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour after arriving there. Michael Joseph Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. local time (21:26 UTC).
Michael's memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. To the surprise of the audience, Michael's golden casket with his body inside arrived at the Staples Center and lay at the center of the gala as the proceedings took place. While some reports claimed a worldwide audience as high as one billion people, the U.S. audience was estimated by Nielson to be 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated 35.1 million that watched the 2004 burial of President Ronald Reagan, who Michael had met in 1984.
A number of musical artists and friends of Michael performed and read eulogies. Among them included Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, and even Michael's brother Jermaine, who sang Michael's favorite song called "Smile". The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a speech and received a standing ovation from the crowd when he told Jackson's children,
On August 24, weeks after Michael's death, multiple news outlets quoted sources as stating that the Los Angeles coroner had decided to treat Jackson's death as a homicide; information which was later found to be true four days later. At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam, creating a deadly cocktail of drugs. Law enforcement officials are currently conducting a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, Conrad Murray, who was with Michael at the time of his death and who administered him the drugs.
Michael was buried on September 3, 2009 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Involvement in the Video Game Industry
While Michael was never regarded as a innovator of video games, like he was with his music and video endeavors, no one could question the man's affection for them. At his Neverland Ranch, Michael hosted one of the most extensive arcade collections ever mulled together under one roof. During an interview in the early 90s, Michael Jackson admitted that he loved to play video games after a concert to relax, and he traveled with his arcade cabinets around the world with two cargo planes.
During the 16-bit era, Sega recruited Michael to record tracks for their upcoming game, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Though most of Sega's plans with Jackson fell apart after he was accused of child molestation, influences of the two parties work together can be heard in Michael's albums and Sonic's soundtrack.
After Michael's passing, Sega released this statement:
Michael Jackson was an American cultural icon, whose career began in the late '60s and ended after his untimely death in 2009. He was known as "The King of Pop, Rock, and Soul" during his lifetime, a title which continues to stand undisputed to this day.
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), was an American musician, actor, and businessman whose career spanned over four decades, enabling him to become the most commercially successful and influential performer of all time. His unique contributions to the entertainment business and to charity work, along with his highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent pop culture icon for most of his life. Though his contributions to the gaming industry were small, his expansive library of video games and his noted affection for them allowed him to be featured in a handful of games, along with being featured in his very own title, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.Life and Musical Career
1958-75: Relationship with Father, Lost Childhood, and The Jackson 5
Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, as the seventh of nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. Michael had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.
Michael as a child
His interview with Oprah on February 10, 1993 was the first time he had spoken publicly about the abuse he had endured as a child. He said that since he was always in the studio recording or rehearsing for a performance, he often cried from loneliness and would sometimes throw-up when he saw his father or felt his presence. Though his relationship with his father was pained, Michael regarded him as a "genius", and said that if it wasn't for his strict discipline, he probably would not have found the same success in the entertainment industry.
In the 50s, Michael's father was touring around the Chicago area as a member of The Falcons. Though he scored a few gigs and worked long hours at a steel mill, the money he earned was hardly enough to support his family of many children. After coming home one night to find his guitar string broken by Tito (who was then promptly beaten for his mistake), Joseph mended the guitar string and instructed Tito to play for the family. After the other Jackson brothers joined in as vocalists, the vision of the Jackson 5 entered Joseph's mind. Giving up his spot with the Falcons, Joseph toured his boys to multiple venues, including black bars and strip clubs. Though originally a tambourine player and a backup singer, Michael displayed his musical talents at an early age. Soon enough, Michael had fully replaced Jermaine as the lead singer of The Jackson 5 and helped win a major talent show in 1964, which led the Jackson brothers to state-wide acclaim.
After recording a few songs for a local record label, Michael and the Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records in 1968. Being at such a young age, Michael received national praise as a "musical prodigy", through his intricate use of tender vocals and stylish dance moves. Michael set a chart record as the lead singer of The Jackson 5 when their first four singles "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Though he remained an official Jackson 5 member his entire life, Michael released four solo studio albums with Motown, the first in 1971. However, under Motown's strict album guidelines and little heed to an artist's creative freedom, The Jackson 5's appeal to mainstream audiences began to fade. Though Michael loved Motown, was friend's with many of his musical co-workers, and regarded Berry Gordy (the founder of Motown) as a close father figure, Michael, under the pressure of his brothers and father, reluctantly agreed to abandon his contract with Motown in favor a new one with CBS. The Jackson 5 officially left Motown in 1975.
1975-81: Transition to Epic Records, First Film Appearance, and Off the Wall
After breaking his nose during a complex dance routine, Michael underwent a failed rhinoplasty surgery which altered the shape of his nose.
In 1978, Michael made his first break as a film actor by playing the Scarecrow in the musical movie The Wiz. It was here that Michael met Quincy Jones, who agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall. In 1979, after a complex dance routine, Michael fell and broke his nose. The subsequent surgery he went under to fix the damage was not a complete success; he complained afterwards that it was difficult to breathe -a problem which plagued him for most of his career.
With Jones honoring his agreement, Michael and Quincy produced the Off the Wall album together. Released in 1979, it was the first solo album by Michael to generate world-wide acclaim and four U.S. top 10 hits, including the single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Though Michael won innumerable awards for the record, including Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist, Top Black Album, and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Michael felt that Off the Wall should have made a bigger musical impact, and was determined to exceed critics (and his own) expectations with his next album.
1982-83: Thriller and Motown 25
In 1982, Michael released his second Epic album, Thriller, another collaboration between Jackson and Jones. Jackson wanted Thriller to be both compelling and atmospheric, and listened to hundreds of songs to prepare for the album. After release, the album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at #1. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, a remarkable achievement for a single artist. Thriller was award Double Diamond status by the RIAA, after it was certified for 28 million shipments in the United States. Thriller is, and currently remains, the best-selling album of all time, with 110 million copies worldwide.
Michael defined music videos as an art form with the release of Thriller
On March 25, 1983, Michael performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special with his brothers. After singing a melody of their first Motown hits, Michael was left alone on stage to address the audience. After a few words and repeated thank you's, Michael said, "Those songs were good songs. I like those songs a lot. But, especially, I like...the new songs." At the hint of those words, the lights dimmed, Michael spun around, laid a solid black fedora to his head, and struck a pose. Michael's solo spot had begun. Wearing black pants, leather penny loafers and a single white rhinestone glove, Michael performed his hit song "Billie Jean" and debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk. His performance was seen by 47 million viewers and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. With the success of his performance, Michael had sealed his destiny as a pop culture icon for the rest of his life. The many staples of the performance - the penny loafers, the black fedora, and the single white glove all become staples of American fashion and later Jackson performances.
1984-85: Victory Tour, "We Are the World", and ATV Music Catalog Purchase
Unlike his later albums, like Bad and Dangerous, Thriller did not have an official world tour to promote it. Instead, Michael decided to head out on the road with his brothers one final time and contribute to The Jacksons 1984 Victory Tour. During the Victory Tour, Michael was able to showcase much of his new solo material while also embracing his past as a member of the Jacksons. After the tour, Michael donated his $5 million paycheck to charity. He also later co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to focus awareness on the poverty in Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, and helped raise millions of dollars in donations from all around the world.
Michael recording "We Are the World"
1986-87 Changing Appearance, Weight Concerns, Tabloids, and Bad
Michael's vitiligo can be clearly seen in this photograph of him performing
Michael, along with his appearance, was always concerned about his weight. Jackson, in his own words, desired "a dancer's body", and he regularly switched up his diet and went for periods of time without eating. Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and feeling ill; periods of unexpected and unnecessary weight loss would become a recurring problem later in his life. A number of medical professionals have said Michael was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the victim dislikes his appearance and has no concept of how he is viewed by others.
Due to these factors and not releasing a major album in some time to report on, the media decided to rather let him star in increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, after a picture of Michael lying in a glass box used at his burn center was published, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Michael slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the process of aging. When Jackson rescue a chimpanzee named Bubbles from an animal testing facility, reporters made the connection that Bubbles was an example of Michael's increasing detachment from reality. It was also reported that Jackson had made a bid to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick, who was known as the "Elephant man" due to his strange bone structure. In his 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Oprah brought up the story with Michael and questioned him about it's authenticity, which made Michael giggle and state:
Michael parodies the tabloids story of him trying to purchase the bones of the Elephant man in his music video for "Leave Me Alone"
All of the tabloids "reports" on Jackson became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the press and others to dub him "Wacko Jacko," which Jackson came to detest. Responding to the gossip, Jackson off-handily remarked to a reporter:" That's another stupid story. I love the story of the Elephant man. He reminds me of me a lot, and I could relate to it. It made me cry because I saw myself in the story, but no, I never asked for the—Where am I going to put some bones? and why would I want some bones?… Someone makes it up, and everybody believes it. If you hear a lie often enough, you start to believe it."
With the industry expecting another major hit, Michael felt ready to craft another album and jumped back into the studio. Released in 1987, Bad, Jackson's first album in five years, went on to sell over 30 million copies. Though it had lower sales than Thriller, it was still a substantial commercial success, leveling out the musical playing field and showing the industry that Jackson could still dominate the charts. Bad factored out seven hit singles, five of which reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, the first album to do so."Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, 'I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight,' people would say, 'Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth.'"
In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses. Even though he laid a disclaimer at the beginning of his music video for Thriller claiming he had no belief in the occult, the Jehovah's Witnesses still admonished and shunned him over the video. Reeling out from a feeling of freedom, Michael decided to go completely solo with his life by embarking on a world tour. With the success of Bad, Michael set up and planned out his stops around the world, organized his set list, and began rehearsing his dance moves. The Bad World Tour began on September 12, 1987 and officially ended on January 14, 1989. It seems Michael's record breaking capabilities weren't tied to just the Billboard charts, as the tour had 14 sellouts in Japan alone and drew over 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour. He broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people, and gained another Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him a total of US $125 million. Never forgetting his roots or giving up his passion for giving, Michael invited underprivileged children to watch for free, gave donations to hospitals and orphanages, and supported any local charity his entourage came into contact with.
1988-90: Moonwalker, Neverland, and Becoming the "King of Pop"
A Scene from Moonwalker
In March 1988, Michael purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch, his own personal home, away from the press and his troubles. He installed Ferris wheels, a zoo, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds, keeping intruders at bay and visitors safe from harm. In 2003, Neverland was valued at approximately $100 million.
Michael's success in the entertainment business resulted in him being crowned as the "King of Pop." The title was given to him by his good friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul." Among other awards, then-President George H. W. Bush presented him with The White House's "Artist of the Decade" award.
1991-93 Dangerous and the Founding of the Heal the World Foundation
Dangerous World Tour
In 1992, Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation". The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Neverland to enjoy the theme park rides Jackson had built on the property and to help the children forget about the pain and hardships they felt outside of Neverland. The foundation's cause was also to send millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease.
To help finance the Heal the World Foundation, Michael kicked off his Dangerous World Tour on June 27, 1992 and finished it on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to over 3.5 million people in 67 different concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the Heal the World Foundation, raising millions of dollars in relief for children. Following the illness and death of Ryan White, an AIDS-stricken child from Indiana, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, a subject that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the newly installed Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.
1993: Interview with Oprah Winfrey and First Child Sexual Abuse Allegations
On February 1993, Michael held an interview with Oprah Winfrey at his Neverland Ranch, only his second television interview since 1979. He spoke of his childhood abuse, dismissed tabloid stories, and stated for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by 90 million Americans. The program increased public awareness of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition at the time.
Several months after Michael held his interview with Oprah, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler. A year after Jackson met the boy, under the influence of sodium amytal, a sedative once called "Truth Serum" but is now regarded as a mind-altering sedative, Jordan told his father that Jackson had touched his penis. Jordan told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.
Jordan Chandler and MJ
In the same conversation, when asked how all of this would affect his son, Chandler replied,"If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...Michael's career will be over"
The recorded conversation was a critical aspect of Jackson's defense against the upcoming allegation made against him. Michael's supporters argued that Michael was the victim of a jealous father whose only goal was to extort money from the singer."That's irrelevant to me...It will be a massacre if I don't get what I want. It's going to be bigger than all us put together...This man [Jackson] is going to be humiliated beyond belief...He will not sell one more record".
An official investigation began on Jackson, with Jordan's own mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched and multiple children and family members denied that Jackson was a pedophile. Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted by police and doctors at his ranch, which was required to see if a description provided by Jordan of Jackson's genitals was accurate. Jackson stood completely naked on a stool as doctors and police analyzed his privates and buttocks. Doctors concluded that there were similarities, but it was not a definitive match. Michael's friends said he never recovered from the humiliation.
The tabloids had no mercy on Michael either. Tabloids sprung to life with stories of Jackson, all painting him in a negative light. Complaints against the tabloids included bias against Jackson, paying for stories about alleged criminal activity, and buying leaked confidential material from the police investigation. On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for a reported $22 million, a sum Jackson had once said he would never pay "no way in Hell". After the transaction, Jordan stopped co-operating with police regarding criminal proceedings. Michael was never charged with a crime, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.
1994: Marriage to Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa and Michael
Over one particular phone conversation, Lisa described him as high and incoherent. Michael eventually settled out of court with the Chandlers on Lisa Marie's own advice, so that Michael could enter rehab and recover. Jackson proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?" They married in secrecy and denied it for two months afterwards. With the child molestation case died down, the tabloid media speculated that Jackson's wedding was just a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image. Michael and Lisa divorced less than two years later. In a blog post made in 2009 after Michael's death, Lisa cited the reason for the divorce was that she wanted to continue on with her career and life and that she couldn't afford to help Michael with his physical and emotional problems anymore."I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."
1995-97: HIStory
With the guidance of attorneys from both sides, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the joint company, earning himself $95 upfront and the rights to an even greater selection of songs. Afterwards, Michael released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and sold over 20 million records. Even though it had great commercial success, critics found it odd for an artist to package both a selection of their greatest hits along with new material. Michael decided, however, that the album was strong enough to warrant a world tour, and Michael began The HIStory World Tour on September 7, 1996 and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited 35 countries, was Jackson's most successful in terms of audience turnout.
HIStory World Tour
1996-99 Marriage to Deborah Rowe, Fatherhood, and Blood on the Dance Floor
With the HIStory World Tour about ready to end, Jackson married nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe on November 14, 1996. She would later go on to give birth to Michael's first two children: a son, Prince Michael, and a daughter, Paris Katherine. Rowe and Jackson originally met in the late 1980s, when Jackson was first diagnosed with vitiligo. During the HIStory World Tour, Rowe overhead Michael speaking to his doctor during one of his usual treatments that, with the divorce between him and Lisa Marie, he didn't think he would ever be a father. Deborah, being a lifelong fan of Michael, proposed to bear his children for him. Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's religious mother intervened and persuaded them to do so. The couple divorced in 1999, and remained friends, with Rowe giving full custody of the children to Jackson.
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix album ever released.
2000-03: Invincible, Sony Label Dispute, 30th Anniversary Celebration, and Third Child
In October 2001, Jackson released his first studio album after a six year hiatus, simply titled Invincible. Unfortunately, Invincible came to be Michael's last album of new material released before his death in 2009.
Performing Billie Jean at his 30th Anniversary
Michael used these conflicts as leverage to successfully exit his contract early. Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony. As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled.
Even with its nearly non-existant amount of promotion, Invincible was released in October 2001 to much anticipation. Just before the album's release, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the Michael's 30th year as a solo artist. During the concert, Michael reunited with his brothers on-stage for the first time since the 1984 Victory Tour. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included other performances from dozens of major artists.
Invincible proved to be a hit for Michael, selling approximately 13 million copies worldwide. Even though it received Double Platinum status in the United States, the sales for Invincible were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the major dispute with Sony.
In 2002, Michael became a father again, this time to Prince Michael Jackson II. Commonly called "Blanket" by family and friends, Blanket's mother is unknown, as Michael had used his own sperm cells to artificially inseminate a surrogate mother.
2003-05: Second Child Sexual Abuse Allegations
Gavin Arvizo's mother
During the two years between the charges and the trial, Jackson reportedly became dependent on pethidine and lost an exorbitant amount of weight. The People v. Jackson trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts. Evidence proving Jackson's innocence was the fact that Arvizo's mother had a record of suing people for monetary gain, including one case in which she threw herself at a security guard at a mall, jumped on the floor, and then rushed to management alleging the security guard had fondled her breasts. After the trial, Michael felt that Neverland had been tainted by the trials, losing its magic as his world away from the world, so he relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.
2006-09: Final Years
Following the death of Michael's idol James Brown, Jackson returned to the U.S. to attend Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006. During his time in the US, Michael remarked:
"I've been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old... As Charles Dickens says, "It's been the best of times, the worst of times." But I would not change my career... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me."
This Is It
In March 2009, Jackson announced at London's O2 arena that he would be performing a comeback tour called This Is It. The shows were to be Jackson's first major series of concerts in over 12 years, and had been cited as one of the year's most important musical events with over one million people attending in total. Jackson suggested possible retirement for himself after the shows were completed, as he called the This Is It concerts his "final curtain call". Although initially a 10 date concert, it was increased to 50 dates after record breaking ticket sales and a push from his promoters. The concerts would have begun on July 13, 2009 and finished on March 6, 2010. Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin in London, Jackson died in his Los Angeles home at the age of 50 of cardiac arrest.
Death and Memorial
Michael's memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. To the surprise of the audience, Michael's golden casket with his body inside arrived at the Staples Center and lay at the center of the gala as the proceedings took place. While some reports claimed a worldwide audience as high as one billion people, the U.S. audience was estimated by Nielson to be 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated 35.1 million that watched the 2004 burial of President Ronald Reagan, who Michael had met in 1984.
A number of musical artists and friends of Michael performed and read eulogies. Among them included Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, and even Michael's brother Jermaine, who sang Michael's favorite song called "Smile". The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a speech and received a standing ovation from the crowd when he told Jackson's children,
Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Katherine, cried as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I love him ... so much.""Wasn't nothing strange about your Daddy. It was strange what your Daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway."
On August 24, weeks after Michael's death, multiple news outlets quoted sources as stating that the Los Angeles coroner had decided to treat Jackson's death as a homicide; information which was later found to be true four days later. At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam, creating a deadly cocktail of drugs. Law enforcement officials are currently conducting a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, Conrad Murray, who was with Michael at the time of his death and who administered him the drugs.
Michael was buried on September 3, 2009 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Involvement in the Video Game Industry
During the 16-bit era, Sega recruited Michael to record tracks for their upcoming game, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Though most of Sega's plans with Jackson fell apart after he was accused of child molestation, influences of the two parties work together can be heard in Michael's albums and Sonic's soundtrack.
After Michael's passing, Sega released this statement:
We here at SEGA were very sad to hear about the passing of Michael Jackson. He was a true music legend whose songs touched each of us at some point in our lives. We are proud to have worked with him and included his music in some of our most well-remembered games and are sure that his genius will live on through his great body of work. We have no doubt that future generations will be moonwalking to all his greatest hits.
Michael Jackson games
Edit
| Name | Platforms | Developer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Space Channel 5: Part 2 released on Nov. 18, 2003 |
DC, PS2 | Sega, United Game Artists |
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Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 released on Oct. 23, 2000 |
PS1, DC, GBA, PS2, N64 | Crawfish Interactive |
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Space Channel 5 released on June 4, 2000 |
DC, PS2 | United Game Artists |
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 released on Feb. 2, 1994 |
XBLM, WSHP, GEN | Sonic Team, Sega Technical Institute |
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Michael Jackson's Moonwalker released on Aug. 24, 1990 |
WSHP, GEN, SMS | Sega |
| Full Name: | Michael Jackson |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birthday: | Aug. 29, 1958 |
| Death: | June 25, 2009 |
| Credited In: | 6 games |
| 1st Game Credit: | Michael Jackson's Moonwalker |
| Currently Working For: | |
| Hometown: | Gary, Indiana |
| Country: | USA |
| Website: | http://www.michaeljackson.com |
| Email Address: | |
| Aliases: |
