Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson, 29 August 1958 to 25 June 2009) was an American singer, songwriter and dancer who became known as the "King of Pop". His 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, and he won a record eight Grammy Awards in a single night in 1984. His life was also marked by controversy, including allegations of child sexual abuse that he denied. This biography follows his life and career, and the 2026 film about him.
Michael Jackson at a Glance
| Full name | Michael Joseph Jackson |
| Born | 29 August 1958, Gary, Indiana, United States |
| Died | 25 June 2009, Los Angeles, California, United States (aged 50) |
| Profession | Singer, songwriter, dancer and record producer |
| Best-selling album | Thriller (1982), an estimated 70 million copies worldwide |
| Grammy Awards | Eight in one night in 1984, from 12 nominations; 13 in his career |
| Number-one singles | 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 |
| Spouses | Lisa Marie Presley (1994-1996); Debbie Rowe (1996-2000) |
| Children | Three, including Prince and Paris |
Early Life and the Jackson 5
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, and grew up in a large family that performed music together. He became the lead singer of the Jackson 5 as a young child, and the group signed to Motown. Their first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 was "I Want You Back", in January 1970, and three of their following Motown singles, "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There", also topped the chart.
Solo Breakthrough: Off the Wall and Thriller
His first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall (1979), reached number three on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Thriller, released on 29 November 1982, spent 37 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 70 million copies sold, although estimates of its total sales vary. At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in 1984 he won eight awards from 12 nominations, which was a record for a single night.
Bad and the World Tours
Bad, released on 31 August 1987, sold more than 2.25 million copies in its first week in the United States and produced five American number-one singles. The Bad tour ran from 12 September 1987 to 27 January 1989, and 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London, a Guinness world record. He followed it with Dangerous (1991), HIStory (1995) and Invincible (2001). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice and is the only artist with a top-ten single in the United States in six different decades.
Allegations and Death
In 1993 Jackson was accused of sexually abusing a child, and he settled a civil case out of court in 1994. He was tried on other child sexual abuse charges in 2005 and was acquitted. A documentary in 2019, Leaving Neverland, repeated further allegations, which his estate denied. He died in Los Angeles on 25 June 2009, aged 50, of cardiac arrest caused by acute propofol intoxication, and his personal physician Conrad Murray was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Personal Life
Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 and they divorced in 1996. He married Debbie Rowe in 1996 and they divorced in 2000. He had three children, including Prince and Paris. He gave large sums to charity, with his estimated donations reaching hundreds of millions of dollars.
Legacy and the 2026 Film
The documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It was released in 2009, and the albums Michael (2010) and Xscape (2014) followed. The biographical film Michael, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson, was released on 24 April 2026 and became the first biopic to take more than $1 billion at the global box office. His music, dance style and videos changed popular culture, and the debate over the allegations against him remains part of his legacy.
