Michael Jackson Biography

Fast Facts

• Became the first artist to win eight Grammy Awards in a single year
• Reached his greatest success as a musician with the album "Thriller," which became the best-selling album of all time and spent two years on the Billboard album chart
• Organized airlifts of food and medical supplies to war-torn Sarajevo, instituted mentoring, immunization and drug-abuse education programs and funded a Hungarian child's liver transplant through his Heal the World Foundation
• Started his music career when he was five years old as a member of the Jackson Brothers, which was later renamed the Jackson 5
• Quote: "I love people who are phenomenally talented․ I love people who've worked so hard and been so courageous and are the leaders in their fields․ For me to meet somebody like that and learn from them and share words with them--to me that's magic․"
• Quote: "Today when I create my music, I feel like an instrument of nature․ I wonder what delight nature must feel when we open our hearts and express our God-given talents․"
• Known for his pop music featuring his high voice and irresistible hooks, as well as his sequined glove, his pairing of white socks with black shoes and his moonwalk dance move
• Credited with paving the way for modern music videos and helping pop become a global product
• Bought a 2,600 ranch in Los Olivos, Calif․, which he called Neverland and filled with personal amusement-park rides, a zoo and a 50-seat theater
• Shortly before his death, he was rehearsing for a comeback tour, an event he planned primarily because he wanted to perform for his children, something he never had the opportunity to do
• Was voted "Most Creative," "Best Dressed," and "Shyest" by his classmates during high school