MICHAEL JACKSON
The self-titled "King of Pop," Michael Jackson has led a troubled and controversial private life while releasing a string of hit albums, including Thriller, currently the most popular record of all time with total sales of 46 million. Born on August 29, 1958 to a strict, working-class family in Gary, Ind. In 1979 Michael landed the role of the Scarecrow in the Broadway musical The Wiz, and moved to New York to start an independent life. Despite his new superstar solo status, Jackson performed and toured once more with his brothers in 1984, a gracious move which boosted each of the other Jackson's solo careers. His penchant for plastic surgery, mysteriously lightening skin tone, and often bizarre behavior (such as wearing a surgical mask in public Howard Hughes-style) made him a frequent target for tabloids. That same year Jackson was instrumental in the USA for Africa famine relief operation, recording the No. 1 "We Are the World" single with an all-star ensemble of musicians. Michael Jackson released his long-awaited follow-up, Bad, in 1987. Following the release of Dangerous, Jackson remained an international superstar, but in the United States his image was being eroded by continued rumors of erratic behavior and child molestation. HIStory, released in 1995, was accompanied by unprecedented hype, including videos of hundred-foot statues of Jackson being pulled through the streets of Eastern Europe. Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001.
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