Michael’s ability to perform was apparent from an early age. He was the 7th child of the 9 children born to Joseph Jackson and Katherine Jackson. His mother, Katherine, would say that there was something special about him. “I don’t believe in reincarnation,” she said, but you know how babies move uncoordinated? He never moved that way. When he danced, it was like he was an older person” (Boucher 1). In 1963 The Jackson Brothers was formed featuring Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine (Bertram 1). It wasn’t until 1965 that the group of brothers became The Jackson 5, adding Michael and Marlon to the group. Their father, Joe, was the manager of the band. It wasn’t long before Michael was leading the group with hits like “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, and “I’ll Be There”. It wasn’t easy for the kids, though. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey Michael described his father as being “very strict, very hard, and very stern.” (“1993 Michael Jackson talks to Oprah” 0:19:55) He went on to say that his father even beat him and that the sight of his father made him “start to regurgitate” (“1993 Michael Jackson talks to Oprah” 0:20:05). He also stated that his father made comments about Michael’s nose and appearance.

Michael struggled a lot with being a childhood star. He missed

out on a lot of the childhood experiences most children get to

have. He recalled crying and not wanting to go to his shows.

In his interview, he addressed why he surrounded himself with

children. “I find the thing I never had through them, you know

Disneyland, amusement parks, arcade games.” (“1993 Michael

Jackson talks to Oprah” 0:13:20)

At the same time that Michael was the lead songwriter for the

Jacksons, he struck out on his own starring in the 1978 film The

Wiz and he made his first solo album Off the Wall. Jackson

“had it all, talent, grace, professionalism, and dedication,” said Quincy Jones, Jackson’s collaborator on his most important albums and the movie The Wiz” (Boucher 1). In 1983 a documentary debuted called Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. In a Motown TV special in 1983, Jackson, then 24, electrified the nation with his Moonwalk, a dance step                                     that created the illusion of levitation. He took the stage in a black                                     sequined jacket, silver shirt, black fedora and black trousers that                                       skimmed the tops of his white socks. The final touch was a single                                     white glove, studded with rhinestones (Boucher 1).  Michael                                           claimed that only wearing one glove was “cool” (Curtis-                                                 Horsfall1). Cicely, who shared a designer with Michael, said in                                       an interview with CNN that the designer was doing a glove for                                       Michael. She continued on to say “Michael was beginning to develop vitiligo, and it started on his hand. The glove was to camouflage it” (Curtis-Horsfall 1).

Michael wasn’t just a fantastic musician and dancer, he was also recognized for his humanitarian efforts. Michael made it into the Guinness World Records many times for his musical accomplishments. He was also honored by the Guinness World Records for donating to 39 charities, he was the largest pop star, donating millions of dollars. Michael made efforts to give back throughout his entire career. The Huff Post highlights his generosity listing just a few of the times he donated, “he reportedly gave over $300 million dollars to charity, including to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the NAACP, UNICEF, and the Red Cross, among dozens of others” (Vogel 1). They went on to explain why Michael felt so compelled to share his earnings, he said, “’ When you have seen the things I have seen and traveled all over the world, you would not be honest to yourself and the world to [look away]’” (Vogel 1).