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June 25 marks the 14th anniversary of the passing of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, and also one of the most iconic pop star in the world.
Michael Jackson is the best-selling music artist in history with over 1 billion records sold worldwide.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he sold 89 million certified albums in the United States, making him the sixth top-selling album artist in that country.
He died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009.
Although his lifestyle and court cases affected his talent towards the end of his life, Michael Jackson was no doubt the biggest star in the world at the height of his career.
Born on August 29, 1958, MJ became famous at the age of 11 when he led the boy band of child stars, the Jackson 5, which was started by his father, Joseph.
Michael was the youngest member of the Jackson 5, which had his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon.
Michael Jackson took the frontman role in the band as he was a natural singer and dancer.
Berry Gordy, Motown founder, who signed Jackson 5 in 1969, told CNN once that as a boy Michael “always wanted to be the best, and he was willing to work as hard as it took to be that”.
He lost his childhood to fame and success and as an adult, he tried to recreate the lost childhood with his fortune that was once estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Michael Jackson converted his 2,700-acre California ranch Neverland into a Peter-Pan-inspired fantasyland with an amusement park, exotic animals and a Disney-themed train station, according to a Guardian report.
The ranch was later featured in the 2019 documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’, which levelled multiple accusations of child sexual abuse against Michael.
Between 1969 and 1975, Jackson 5 released 13 albums with Motown Records, including hits like ‘ABC and ‘I Want You Back.’
Soon, Michael Jackson started recording outside the band.
His first solo effort for Epic, “Off the Wall’’ (1979), became the best-selling album of the year, selling over 20 million copies. The album featured hit singles like Don’t Stop til You Get Enough and Rock with You’.
In 1980, he won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance. Three years later, he released the album Thriller, which stayed on top of the charts for 37 weeks. Seven singles featured in the top 10 list, including “Beat It, “Billie Jean,’ and ‘Thriller’. It was in this album that Michael unveiled his signature dance move, the moonwalk.
Thriller won eight Grammys and sold over 40 million copies.
In 1985, Michael collaborated with Lionel Richie to write the song ‘We Are The World’. The single, which featured the top artists of the time, including Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Cyndi Lauper, sold seven million copies. The proceeds from sales were used for hunger relief in Africa.
This was followed by the release of the album ‘Bad’ in 1987.
From 1993 onwards, Michael was mired in controversies over child molestation cases, marriage and divorce.
In 2003, the pop star was accused by a boy Gavin Arvizo of child sexual abuse when he was under 14.
The court acquitted Michael in 2005.