|
Michael Jackson 1958–, American performer, b. Gary, Ind. As a child in the 1960s and 70s he was the dominant voice and youngest member of the Jackson Five, a pop group that included five brothers. With his solo albums Off the Wall (1979) and the even more successful Thriller (1982), which sold over 30 million copies, he became one of the world's leading pop stars. His success continued with Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991), both of which sold over 20 million copies. Offstage Jackson is known for various alleged eccentricities, for his sharp business acumen, and for a physical appearance that has changed radically over the years. Onstage, he is known as a superb dancer and singer, often conveying an androgynous image and an ambiguous sexuality. In 1993 he was charged in a civil suit with sexual abuse of a minor, a charge he denied. The suit was settled out of court in 1994, and no criminal charges were filed. In 1995, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley; she initiated divorce proceedings the following year. Jackson's much-publicized double album HIStory (1995) was criticized as petty, maudlin, and paranoid and garnered comparatively disappointing sales. Reaction to his next album, Invincible (2001), was mixed.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2009, Columbia
University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
|
