International superstar and pop music legend has passed away. He was 50.
Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones at the 1983 Grammy Awards In his later solo career, Jackson became a superstar. His 1982 album "Thriller," with its blockbuster hits "Beat It," ''Billie Jean" and "Thriller," was the biggest-selling album of all time.
That year, he first performed his trademark moonwalk dance, gliding backwards while appearing to walk forward. The singer pioneered the music video genre, and arguably became the world's top musical performer.
Jackson was plagued by controversy as the years went by. He had multiple plastic surgeries and critics raised questions about his close friendships with children. Accused of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor in 2003, he was acquitted of charges two years later. But his reputation was in tatters, and he struggled with financial problems.
He was scheduled to begin a series of 50 comeback concerts in London. The first was set for July 13, and the shows were to continue through early next year. Tickets, offered in March, sold out in minutes.
While many kept their distance from the tarnished pop star, some friends supported him. The singer Lisa Minelli, learning of his death, called him a kind and genuine man. Fellow pop star Madonna told People magazine she could not stop crying over the news. Jackson's close friend, the actress Elizabeth Taylor, said she was too distraught to issue a statement.
Jackson was married twice. In 1994, he married Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the late pop star Elvis Presley. The couple divorced in 1996. That year, he married Debbie Rowe and they divorced three years later. Jackson had three children, two born to Debbie Rowe and one to a surrogate mother.
Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones at the 1983 Grammy Awards In his later solo career, Jackson became a superstar. His 1982 album "Thriller," with its blockbuster hits "Beat It," ''Billie Jean" and "Thriller," was the biggest-selling album of all time.
That year, he first performed his trademark moonwalk dance, gliding backwards while appearing to walk forward. The singer pioneered the music video genre, and arguably became the world's top musical performer.
Jackson was plagued by controversy as the years went by. He had multiple plastic surgeries and critics raised questions about his close friendships with children. Accused of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor in 2003, he was acquitted of charges two years later. But his reputation was in tatters, and he struggled with financial problems.
He was scheduled to begin a series of 50 comeback concerts in London. The first was set for July 13, and the shows were to continue through early next year. Tickets, offered in March, sold out in minutes.
While many kept their distance from the tarnished pop star, some friends supported him. The singer Lisa Minelli, learning of his death, called him a kind and genuine man. Fellow pop star Madonna told People magazine she could not stop crying over the news. Jackson's close friend, the actress Elizabeth Taylor, said she was too distraught to issue a statement.
Jackson was married twice. In 1994, he married Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the late pop star Elvis Presley. The couple divorced in 1996. That year, he married Debbie Rowe and they divorced three years later. Jackson had three children, two born to Debbie Rowe and one to a surrogate mother.
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