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Thriller Era

The Thriller years, 1982- 1984, would see Michael Jackson reach worldwide super stardom. Michael dominated the world of music, setting new standards and producing the biggest selling album of all time."

In June 1982, Michael Jackson started recording the ET Storybook. Quincy Jones would produce it; based on Steven Spielberg’s movie ET: The Extra Terrestrial. In addition to narrating, Michael would also record a single called “Someone in the Dark” to accompany the story. The book would be an instant hit when released in November 1982, and would also win Michael a Grammy Award in 1984 for “Best Album for Children”.

Around the same time, Michael wrote and produced a song for Diana Ross called “Muscles”. It became a top ten hit for Diana and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Prior to beginning work on the Thriller album, Michael Jackson teamed up with Paul McCartney to collaborate on 3 songs- “The Man”, “Say, Say, Say” and “The Girl Is Mine”. “Say, Say, Say” was included on Paul’s 1983 album Pipes of Peace and became a number one single in the U.S. “The Girl is Mine” was released as a single in August 1982 and was included on Michael’s Thriller album.

Michael started recording the Thriller album in April 1982. Originally to be called Starlight, the album included 4 original songs by Michael, (“Billie Jean”, “Beat It” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, “The Girl Is Mine”), 3 songs by Rod Temperton (“Thriller”, “Baby Be Mine” and “The Lady In My Life”), a ballad by Toto (‘Human Nature”), and an infectious pop tune by James Ingram and Quincy Jones (“P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)”). Amongst the brilliant songwriters Michael collaborated with, he also teamed up with Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on “Beat it”, Vincent Price for a rap on “Thriller” and his sisters, LaToya and Janet Jackson for additional vocals on “P.Y.T”.

Pressure mounted as the deadline for the finish of the Thriller album approached and initially the mixes of the songs were rushed and not good enough to be released. The deadline was extended and the mixes perfected. The highly anticipated Thriller was finally released on November 30th 1982.

Michael’s original plan for the album was to include 3 music videos or “short films” for “Billie Jean”, “Beat It” and “Thriller”. “Billie Jean” was released as the album’s second single on January 22 1893. The music video was given a budget of $250,000 and was directed by Steve Baron. The concept came from both director and artist and proved to be very successful. After 3 weeks, “Billie Jean” hit the number one spot in the U.S.
At this time, MTV (or Music Television) rarely played black artists on their daily rotation. Michael Jackson was one of the first to get played on the station and the first to get played in “heavy rotation” (i.e. several times a day) with the video for ‘Billie Jean”. MTV started “heavy rotation” for the “Billie Jean” music video in March 1983. The video for ‘Beat It” would follow this trend. Many in the music industry have commented that it was Michael’s breakthrough with the channel that started other black artists’ music videos being played on MTV and also bolstered the station’s popularity.
Thriller’s sales soared and it was the first time an album would be at number one in the USA and the UK at the same time.
While “Billie Jean” was still at the top of the charts, the album’s third single was released; “Beat It”, on March 5, 1983. The short film for “Beat It” was paid for and conceptualised by Michael Jackson himself. It was directed by Bob Giraldi and co-choreographed by Michael Jackson and Michael Peters. The cast included 100 members of real street gangs and cost an estimated $150,000. “Beat It” became number one the week after its release and Michael Jackson became the first black artist to have the number one album and single simultaneously in the US and the UK.

On March 25th 1983, Michael performed on the television show: Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever. The show would not air until May 16th 1983. Approximately 47 million viewers tuned into the show to watch the many Motown acts perform as well as a special performance by Michael Jackson and his brothers; the original cast of the Jackson Five plus Randy. After an emotional performance of a medley of Motown hits with his brothers, Michael stole the spotlight with his incredible solo performance of ‘Billie Jean”. During the electrifying performance, Michael debuted his now signature dance move: the moonwalk. The performance received an overwhelming response from the live audience and viewers all over the world. Some say that this was the performance of Michael Jackson’s career and it would launch him into super-stardom over night. Through the medium of television, Michael had confirmed his position as an incredible entertainer among his fans and also reached millions of people who had never experienced Michael Jackson’s talent as a singer and dancer. The performance sparked a new interest in the album Thriller and millions rushed to the store to purchase it. Michael’s Motown 25 performance was nominated for an Emmy award for “Best Individual Performance on a Variety or Music Program”.

As a result of the surge in sales of the album Thriller, millions also purchased albums by other artists. Cash box magazine dubbed Michael Jackson ‘the saviour of the record business” and Michael was credited for increasing interest in music, particularly black music. Revenues for record sales were at their highest since 1978 and Michael was also mentioned for increasing CBS record sales profits by a whopping 101% in 1983 alone.

In May 1983, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” was released and became Thriller’s forth number one single.

In June 1983 Michael fired his management. “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” still remained at the top of the charts and Michael took more care and more control in his business affairs. “Human Nature” and “P.Y.T” were released while Michael was planning the short film for “Thriller” and both became top 10 hits.
The short film and single “Thriller” was released on 2nd December 1983. For the 14 minute short film, John Landis was hired to direct and Rick Baker for special effects make up. The film cost an estimated $1 million of Michael’s own money. To re-coup some of the budget costs, John Landis negotiated a deal with Showtime, MTV and Vestron to fund a 60 minute documentary on the making of the short film. Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller was aired in 1984 and sold on video tape. It became the biggest selling music video of all time, with estimated sales of 9 million as of 2006.
Prior to the “Thriller” single release, the Thriller album sales had “slowed” to approx 200,000 copies a week The week after the single and short film was released, sales of the album soared and once again, Thriller was number one on the album charts. Estimated sales showed that the “Thriller” single and video resulted in an additional 14 million copies of the Thriller album being sold within a six month period.
At this time, Michael hired a new manager; Frank Dileo, who would remain with Michael for five years

On January 16th, 1984, Michael Jackson attended the 11th Annual American Music Awards. He won 8 awards, including “Favourite Male Pop/Rock Artist”, “Favourite Pop/Rock Album” for Thriller, “Favourite Soul/R&B Album” for Thriller as well as the Award of Merit.

On January 27, 1984, Michael was burned on the back of his head while filming a commercial with his brothers for the Pepsi Corporation. The magnesium smoke bombs used for the commercial were to blame; being only two feet away from either side of Michael’s head. A spark from one of the bombs set Michael’s hair alight and resulted in second and third degree burns his scalp. As a result of the incident and news coverage, both Pepsi and Michael’s sales soared. Pepsi paid Michael Jackson $1.5 million, which he immediately donated to a burn centre created in his name and honour. Two subsequent Pepsi commercials were debuted at the Grammy awards ceremony in 1984.

On February 7th, 1984, Michael attended and collected a massive eight Grammy Awards from a staggering twelve nominations. Michael Jackson still holds the record for receiving the most Grammy Awards in a single year by an individual. He received seven awards for Thriller alone and one for The E.T. Storybook. Among the eight awards he received, he picked up “Record of the Year” for “Beat It”, “Album of the Year” for Thriller, “Best Pop Performance” for Thriller, and “Producer of the Year” for Thriller.

In May 1984, Michael was asked to donate the song “Beat It” for anti drink driving advertisements. For donating the song and for his many achievements in recoding and charity, Michael was given a special award at a presentation at the White House by President Ronald Reagan.

In July 1984, Michael embarked on the Victory Tour with The Jacksons. The Tour started on July 16th in Kansas City and the Victory album was released on the same day. The tour consisted of 55 shows over 5 months in the United States and Canada. The tour was the biggest and most successful of its time and Michael announced at the start of the tour that he would be donating all of his profits to charity. It would be Michael’s last tour with the brothers.

The Thriller campaign was officially shut down in 1984 and continued to sell a staggering amount of copies. By the end of 1984, Thriller had sold 33 million copies. Michael Jackson was inducted into the Guinness Book of World records as having the biggest-selling album of all time.
Today, Thriller is by far the biggest selling album of all time. It was re-certified in 2007 as having sold in excess of 104 million albums. It is estimated that Thriller sells approx 60,000 copies a year worldwide! Album sales aside, it still remains one of the most important and greatest albums of all time. It set many industry standards in recording and for the visual presentation of music.

In January 1985, Michael was asked to participate in an all-star recording to raise funds for charity United Support of Artists for Africa. U.S.A for Africa would raise funds to administer essential supplies and famine relief in Africa. Michael, who has always been sensitive to the plight of Africa, was so excited about the song that he offered to write it with Lionel Ritchie./p>

Michael and Lionel worked for a week at Michael’s Encino home and finally finished the music and lyrics for “We Are The World” the day prior to the scheduled recording of the song. The all-star cast to record the song included forty five chart topping artists. Quincy Jones was enlisted as producer and co-arranger with Tom Bahler.

The recording took place on 28th of January 1985. Michael told his fellow recording artists that night that “We Are The World” was a “love song to inspire concern about a faraway place close to home”. After the recording was finished, none of the artists were prepared for the impact the song would have. It was released on March 7th 1985 and sold approximately 800,000 copies in its first three days of release. The song stayed at number one in America for a month and enjoyed similar success in many other countries.

By 1986, the song had sold in excess of 7.5 million copies and raised $8 million dollars for famine relief. The song went on to win three Grammy Awards: “Song of the Year”, “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group”. It also won two American Music Awards: “Award of Appreciation” for Michael Jackson and “Song of the Year”.

In March 1985, Michael Jackson topped off an incredible era when he purchased ATV Music Publishing Company for $47.5 million. ATV’s music catalogue included the rights to more than 4000 songs, including 251 of The Beatles’ compositions. This purchase made Michael Jackson one of the top music publishers in the world and proved Michael to be a successful and savvy businessman at the age of 26.

Off The Wall Era

The Off The Wall years; 1978-1981, would see Michael Jackson grow up musically. He starred in his first major motion picture and he would set the first of many world records with his first solo album for Epic records.

In October 1978, Michael’s first motion picture was released, called “The Wiz”. The Wiz was a Motown and Universal motion picture soul adaptation of the book “The Wizard of Oz”. Michael auditioned for and gained the role of the scarecrow in the film and moved to New York with his sister LaToya in October 1977 for filming. Michael’s good friend Diana Ross starred as Dorothy in the film.
The Wiz cost approximately $24 million to make and was directed by Sidney Lumet. It featured hundreds of dancers, spectacular costumes, elaborate makeup and special effects. It was one of the most expensive films ever made and took over a year in production. Michael’s makeup for the scarecrow took five hours to apply each day.
When the film was released, it was unfortunately a box office failure. However, Michael’s performance in the film was critically praised and the film received four Academy Award nominations, including: Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Original Music Score and Best Cinematography. The film was released on home video in 1980 and today it has a large cult following.
Michael sang in 6 of the movie soundtrack’s songs, including “You Can’t Win” and “Ease on Down the Road”, both of which were released as singles in 1979. “You Can’t Win” was Michael’s first solo single for Epic records and it remained in the charts in the US for three weeks. The Soundtrack for The Wiz would mark the first time Michael would work with producer Quincy Jones.

Michael had mentioned to Quincy Jones while they were on the set of The Wiz that he was looking for a producer for his next solo album. Quincy recommended himself and quickly signed on to produce Michael’s first solo album in four years, to be called “Off The Wall”.
Michael and Quincy went into the studio in December 1978 and chose between hundreds of songs for the album. They collaborated with several musicians and writers who would become long time colleagues of Michael’s.
On July 28th 1979, Michael released the first single from the forthcoming album; “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”. The song was solely written by Michael and featured a spoken intro, a surprising falsetto voice and amazing percussion by Michael and his brother Randy. The song was released with a bright music video that featured Michael dancing in triplicate in the song’s bridge. It was his first “short film” and it was directed by Nick Saxon. The song went to number 1 in the US and Australia and was a top 10 hit in 6 countries.

On August 10th, Michael released the album Off The Wall. It was his fifth overall solo album, but his first ever for Epic records. The album was recorded between December 4 1978 and July 7, 1979. Michael contributed three songs to Off The Wall: “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”, “Working Day and Night” and “Get on the Floor” (co-written with Louis Johnson). Michael and Quincy sought top writers and musicians for the album, with Rod Temperton who contributed three tracks: “Rock With You”, “Off The Wall” and “Burn This Disco Out”, Paul McCartney contributed the playful “Girlfriend”, Tom Bahler gave the emotional “She’s Out of My Life” and Stevie Wonder and Susaye Greene offered the quirky “I Can’t Help It”. There was one duet between Michael and Patti Austin called “It’s the Falling in Love”, which was written by Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster.

The album was hailed as a major breakthrough for Michael, and received amazing reviews. The album went to number 3 in the US chart and number 1 on the US soul chart and stayed on the top 20 for a massive 48 weeks.
On August 29th, 1979, Michael Jackson turned 21. His management contract with his father’s company, Joseph Jackson Productions, lapsed and was not renewed. Michael wanted to take full control of his music and business affairs and he hired his own accountants, lawyers and management. Weisner and DeMann were signed on as Michael’s personal management.

In November 1979, the second single form the album, “Rock With You” was released. The music video, directed by Bruce Gowers, featured Michael in an all-sequinned suit and boots. The song quickly became a number one hit on the US charts.
Apart from “Rock With You” becoming one of 1980’s first number one hits, the Off The Wall album sales shot up and quickly became the third best selling album of 1980. The album also caught the attention of Michael’s peers and in January, Michael won his first Grammy award as a solo performer for “Best R & B Performance” for “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”. In the same month, Michael attended the American Music Awards and collected three more awards for the album: “Favourite Soul Album”, “Favourite Male Artist” and “Favourite Soul Single” for “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”. Michael also won four Billboard Awards for the album.

In the spring of 1980, Michael released the title track of the album, “Off The Wall”. The single went to number 5 in the US charts and became a top ten hit in four countries.
The fourth single released from Off The Wall landed Michael in the record books. “She’s Out of My Life” was an emotional ballad, accompanied by a simple music video, again directed by Bruce Gowers. The song itself required several takes as Michael would break down with emotion at the end of the song. The emotion was eventually left in and the song reached number 10 on the US chart and became a top 20 hit in four countries. Michael Jackson became the first artist in history to generate four top ten hits from an album.
The fifth and last single released was “Girlfriend”. It was only released in the UK and stayed in the top 50 there for five weeks.

1980 quickly became a busy year for Michael and he went back into the studio, this time with his brothers, The Jacksons, to record the album Triumph. Michael contributed to six of the album’s nine tracks. The album was released in September 1980 and it reached number one on the US R & B chart. “Lovely One” was the first single off the album. Also released before the end of 1980 was “Heartbreak Hotel”, completely written and arranged by Michael. The song’s title was changed to “This Place Hotel” to avoid confusion between the song and Elvis Presley’s hit song. The song reached number 2 on the US R&B chart.
Also in 1980, Michael and some of his family members were interviewed by Sylvia Chase for 20/20. It was a short televised interview, and Michael revealed his feelings about the stage and his career.
“Can You Feel It” was the third single released from the Triumph album, released in early 1981. It was supported by an amazing short film, directed by Robert Abel and loaded with special effects. It reportedly cost over $100,000 to make. The seven minute video was groundbreaking and the single was a top five hit in Europe. “Walk Right Now” was released soon after and reached number 7 in the UK.

On July 9, 1981, The Jacksons embarked on a 39-city tour of the US, starting in Memphis Tennessee, called the Triumph Tour. The show included pyrotechnics and special effects by magician Doug Henning. The Tour broke stadium records around the country and The Jacksons played to approximately 600,000 fans and grossed approximately $5.5 million. They also raised $100,000 for the Atlanta Children’s Foundation. The Madison Square Garden concert was recorded and released as an album called The Jacksons Live! 1981. The Tour ended with four record breaking sold out shows at the Los Angeles Forum in September.

By 1981, Michael’s Off The Wall album had sold an incredible 5 million copies. Today it is seen as one of Michael Jackson’s most important records. He had become the first artist in history to generate four number one singles off an album. He had also sold more records than any artist at a time when the record industry was experiencing a major slump in sales. To date, Off The Wall has sold over 20 million copies world wide. The album had started a 9 year partnership with producer Quincy Jones and had displayed Michael’s amazing song writing and vocal skills. The best was yet to come, as Michael was soon back in the studio, creating the biggest selling album of all time.

The Jacksons Era

The Jacksons years, 1975-1978, would see Michael and his brothers leave Motown and start writing and producing their own music. Before the decade was over, they recorded 3 albums for Epic records and embarked on a worldwide tour.

In July 1975, the Jackson family held a press conference in New York to announce they had signed with CBS/Epic Records and would be leaving Motown records at the expiration of their contract in 1976. The Jackson Five had begun to ask to produce, write and record their own material as far back as 1974, but all their requests for creative control had been denied. They also felt that the promotion of their records was poor. Michael Jackson had a private meeting with Berry Gordy in May 1975 to discuss the Jackson Five’s future and after being denied creative freedom once again, the brothers started shopping for a new record deal.

CBS/Epic Records were interested in the brothers and offered them a major deal. The Jacksons received a signing bonus, and a massive royalty rate that was ten times more than what they received at Motown. They would also have some creative freedom including a choice of songs and being able to write two songs per album. Jermaine did not sign with CBS; instead he stayed with Motown. Randy was signed on to replace Jermaine. They were also not permitted to take the name “The Jackson Five” with them, as Motown had trademarked the name when they signed back in 1968.

As the Jackson Five, the brothers were still signed to Motown for eight more months. They would not record for Motown again, so to fill in the time the Jacksons signed on to host a summer variety program with CBS-TV, which would star many other members of the Jackson family. “The Jacksons TV Show” first aired on 16th of June 1976. Each show was 30 minutes long and featured different celebrity guests, singing, dancing and comedy sketches. It was the first time an African American family had starred in a television series. The first season ran for four weeks and the ratings were so good that they were signed on for a second and third season. The last show was broadcast on March 9, 1977.

The Jacksons released their first record for CBS/Epic Records in late 1976, simply called The Jacksons. It was produced by the Philadelphia International team Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who, along with their other writers, Gene McFadden and Dexter Wansel, wrote eight of the album’s 10 tracks. The Jacksons wrote one song together for the album; “Style Of Life”. Michael’s first published song; “Blues Away” was featured on the album. Michael’s vocals on the album showed a new style and maturity, far different from the brothers’ Motown albums. The album went to number 6 on the US R&B chart.
Three singles were released from The Jacksons. “Enjoy Yourself” went to number 2 on the US R&B chart, and it was the brothers’ first top 10 single after leaving Motown. “Show You the Way to Go” was the Jacksons first ever number 1 in the UK. “Dreamer” was the last single released and it reached number 22 in the UK.
The Jacksons also had great success on the road with a two and a half week tour of Europe in May and June 1977. In the UK, they played to Queen Elizabeth for her Silver Jubilee along with other stars.

In October 1977, The Jacksons released their second album for CBS, called “Goin’ Places”. The Jackson brothers again contributed two songs to the nine track album; “Different Kind of Lady” and “Do What You Wanna”. Although the album was not a major success, it spawned two top 40 hits in the UK; “Goin’ Places” and “Even Though You’re Gone”. “Different Kind of Lady” was also a major club hit, despite not being released as a single.

Michael then went to New York at the end of 1977 to begin filming “The Wiz”, after gaining the role of Scarecrow. Before the movie was released, he went back into the studio with his brothers to record their third album for CBS.

Prior to recording the new album, Michael and the brothers fought for even more creative control. They ended their partnership with Gamble and Huff and took full control of writing, choosing, producing and performing their own material. They formed their own production company, called “Peacock Productions” and each brother formed his own publishing company. It was the birth of Michael’s own publishing company: MiJac Music.

The album Destiny was released in December 1978 to an overwhelming public response. The album contained eight tracks; seven of which the brothers wrote themselves. The only track not written by the Jacksons was “Blame it on the Boogie”, which was coincidentally written by a man called Michael Jackson from the UK. It was the first single from the album and was released with The Jacksons first music video. “Blame it on the Boogie” peaked at number 3 on the US R&B chart and number 8 on the UK chart.

“Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” was the second single released from Destiny. It was written by Michael and Randy Jackson and was an 8 minute long dance track. It peaked at number 7 on the US chart, number 3 on the US R&B chart and number 4 on the UK chart. The single was a major success and sold over 2 million copies. Destiny’s sales soared and the album went platinum, hitting number 11 on the US chart. The album’s title track, “Destiny”, was released only in the UK, and became a top 40 hit there.

The Jacksons then embarked on the Destiny World Tour in January 1979, starting in Europe and travelling to the UK, Africa and the US. The tour included 80 shows and wrapped in September of 1979. Along the way, The Jacksons made many TV appearances, including in Switzerland and also on the 10th Anniversary Special for American Bandstand.

The Jacksons finally had the creative control and success they had dreamed of. By the end of the era, The Jacksons had recorded three albums, toured the world and starred in their own TV series. Young Michael Jackson was preparing himself for his first solo record for Epic Records, one that would break the first of many records for him.

The Jackson 5 Era

The Jackson 5 Era, 1963-1975, would see young Michael burst onto the music scene with his brothers, The Jackson 5. Michael would also cut his first solo record at the tender age of 13 and establish himself as an accomplished and polished performer. These years were a whirlwind of performances, recording, television appearances, interviews and constant touring.

Michael Jackson’s biggest dream as a child was to become a singer. His brothers, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon had already formed a small musical group and had been practising around the house. Young Michael wanted to join the group, but was thought to be too young. In 1963, Michael, at the age of only five, performed an amazing rendition of “Climb Every Mountain” for his class at Garnett Elementary School in Gary, Indiana. His performance moved many teachers to tears and he received a standing ovation. Immediately after his stunning performance, little Michael was invited into the Jackson brother’s group as their lead singer. A lady from their neighbourhood would suggest calling the group “The Jackson 5”.

Joseph Jackson, the boys’ father, took on the role of manager for The Jackson 5 and began to rehearse them before and after they went to school. He helped polish and mould the group by adding the latest songs to their repertoire and checking out what the top musicians were doing. Michael would also study the greats on television- such as James Brown and Jackie Wilson to learn the newest dance steps in order to add them to The Jackson 5’s routines.

The Jackson 5 won their first talent contest at Gary’s Roosevelt High School with a rendition of “My Girl”. Michael says that after that, they won every talent contest they entered in Gary. Joseph started to invest more money in the group by buying new musical equipment for the boys- microphones, amplifiers and guitars.

The Jackson Five started gaining a reputation for being great performers in their hometown and they got their first paid gig at a nightclub called Mr Lucky’s. They also performed at other nightclubs in Gary, earning their payment when coins and notes were thrown onto the stage after each performance. The boys were joined by two neighbourhood friends- Johnny Jackson on drums and Ronny Rancifer on keyboards.

Soon, The Jackson 5 were on the Chitlin’ circuit, which took them to Chicago, where they won amateur night at the Regal Theatre three weeks in a row. Here, they opened for acts such as The Temptations, The Emotions, Jackie Wilson and the O’Jays.

In August 1967, The Jackson 5 performed at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem for their amateur night. The Apollo’s amateur night audience was known to performers as the toughest audience around. Many performers had been discovered here and it was an important night for the young group. After their set, The Jackson 5 won first prize and brought the house down.
After winning a talent contest at Beckman Junior High in Gary, Gordon Keith of Steeltown Records asked The Jackson 5 to sign a contract with his label. It was their first official recording contract and The Jackson 5 immediately began recording. Their first single was released in late 1967, called “Big Boy”. Although it never charted, it became a big regional hit.
In May 1968, The Jackson 5 were invited back to the Apollo, this time for a paid performance. They were also invited back to the Regal in July. While in Chicago, they opened for bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers at the High Chaparral Club. Taylor was so impressed by the group that he phoned Motown’s creative department to suggest that The Jackson 5 be allowed to audition for Motown. Artists and executives at Motown had heard through word of mouth that The Jackson 5 were an up and coming group, and while concerns were raised about their ages, the excitement the group generated could not be denied. Ralph Seltzer of Motown’s creative department asked Bobby Taylor to bring them in for an audition in Detroit.

On the 23rd of July, 1968, The Jackson 5 auditioned for Motown. Although the record company’s president, Berry Gordy, was not present, several members of Motown’s creative department were there to witness and video tape the audition for Gordy. After performing an impressive set with “I Got the Feeling” and “Who’s Lovin’ You”, the audition tape was sent to Gordy, who decided to sign the group immediately.

On the 26h of July, 1968, The Jackson 5 were officially signed to Motown Records. Michael Jackson was just 9 years old.

Their first engagement for Motown was a benefit concert for the mayor of Gary, Indiana. The Jackson 5 would be performing with a host of other Motown artists including Gladys Knight and the Pips and Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers. The legend would be born that Diana Ross had discovered The Jackson 5 at this performance. Berry Gordy then held a formal party at his home at Christmas of 1968 to officially introduce The Jackson 5 to Motown. Diana Ross would be presenting them on their first album and at future performances.

The Jackson 5 started recording immediately for Motown under producer Bobby Taylor. During this period, the boys would go to school during the week in Gary and then go to Detroit for the weekend to record. It would not be until August 1969 that the Jackson family would be invited to move to Los Angeles to be closer to Motown’s new studios.

In early August, Diana Ross formally introduced The Jackson 5 at a private club, the Daisy in Hollywood. Five days later, they performed with Diana at a concert at the Los Angeles Forum.

The Jackson 5’s first ever national TV appearance was on the Miss Black America Pagent in August where they played “It’s Your Thing”. They then appeared on a show presented by Diana Ross, called The Hollywood Palace in October 1969. They performed their single, “I Want You Back” to an incredible reception. The group’s natural musical and vocal ability amazed the world. Michael Jackson, the front man, had all the vocal and soul qualities of a veteran performer over three times his age. No one had ever seen a child of only 11 years old with such stage presence, vocal and dancing ability and soul. This pint-sized performer knew how to create onstage drama and capture an audience. Michael Jackson had technique and style that was all his own, even at such a young age.

On October 7, 1969, The Jackson 5’s first single for Motown was officially released. “I Want You Back” was produced and written by Berry Gordy’s new writing team, The Corporation™ (made up of Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards). It was The Jackson 5’s first song recorded at Motown’s L.A. studios and originally intended for Gladys Knight. The song was an amazing hit, going to number 1 on the US chart (knocking the Beatles’ hit “Let It Be” out of the top spot), number 2 in the UK and selling over 4 million copies globally.

The Jackson 5’s first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show was on 4th of December, 1969. Ed Sullivan was known for having an eye for talent and was very particular about the acts he presented. The Ed Sullivan show was a major breakthrough for The Jackson 5, who performed “Stand!”, “Who’s Lovin’ You” and “I Want You Back”, with Michael in front wearing a striking magenta hat. They would be invited back to perform another set in May 1970.

Motown released The Jackson 5’s first album on the 18th of December 1969. Titled “Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5”, it was produced by Bobby Taylor and the Corporation™ and featured 12 songs. The album’s only single was “I Want You Back”. The album was a successful debut worldwide, charting at number 5 in the US, number 16 in the UK and staying in the charts for four weeks. The Corporation™ would work on The Jackson 5’s next seven albums for Motown.

The Jackson 5 started 1970 with more TV appearances, including their first performance on American Bandstand. The group’s second single, “ABC”, was released in February 1970. Again produced and written by The Corporation™, it went to number 1 in the US, number 8 in the UK and sold a massive 4.1 million copies world wide.
The Jackson 5’s second album, “ABC” was released in May 1970. It was another major success for the group, charting at number 5 again in the US. The album generated another hit, “The Love You Save”, which was released on May 16. It replaced the Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road” at number 1 in the US and hit number 7 in the UK.

The Jackson 5’s first concert appearance was at the Los Angeles Forum on the 20th of May. The concert broke attendance records, selling over 18,500 tickets and grossing over $100,000. Fans rushed the stage during “The Love You Save” and the boys first experienced the “Jacksonmania” that had swept the globe, Similar mob scenes would follow them wherever they played.

The group’s forth single, “I’ll Be There”, was released in July. It was a mature themed ballad; a change of pace for the young group. It went to number 1 in the US, number 4 in the UK and sold a massive 6.1 million copies world wide, becoming one of Motown’s most successful singles. The Jackson 5 became the first music act in history whose first four singles went to number 1 on the US chart.

September 1970 marked the release of The Jackson 5’s third album, called simply, “Third Album”. It went to number 4 on the US chart and number 1 on the US R&B chart. It became the Jackson 5’s most successful album at Motown. It generated a second hit, “Mama’s Pearl”, which was issued in late 1970. It reached number 2 on the US chart, selling over 2 million copies globally. The following month, Motown issued The Jackson 5’s first and only Christmas album.

The Jackson 5 started their first national tour on the 9th of October, 1970, starting in Boston. They would play at 16 cities, finishing with a special “homecoming” performance in Gary, Indiana. They performed 2 sell out concerts at Westside High School and each member of The Jackson 5 was presented with a key to the City of Gary.

In January 1971, The Jackson 5 received the NAACP Image Award for Best Singing Group of the Year. They also attended the Grammy Awards in April where they were nominated for Best Contemporary Vocal Group. March and April were full of television and concert appearances for the boys, who would move into their new home at 4641 Hayvenhurst Avenue, Encino California in May, with the rest of their family.

The Jackson 5’s fifth album, “Maybe Tomorrow”, was released on the 12th of April, 1970. It reached number 11 on the US chart and generated 2 hits. “Never Can Say Goodbye” reached number 2 in the US and “Maybe Tomorrow”, the album’s title track went to number 2 on the US R&B chart.

The brothers then embarked on a second six month national tour, starting in July in New York and supported by the Commodores (whose front man was Lionel Ritchie). At their first concert, the Jackson 5 had to be rushed offstage less than two minutes into their first song when fans attempted to storm the stage. The concert resumed but the last song was cut short when fans again rushed the stage hoping for a closer glimpse of their idols.

In September, ABC TV aired The Jackson 5’s “Goin’ Back to Indiana” TV special. It featured guest appearances by Bill Cosby, Diana Ross and Bobby Darin. The show was supported by a live soundtrack album of the same name, recorded at The Jackson 5’s homecoming concert in Gary in 1970. The album went to number 5 on the US R&B chart.
Also in September, The Jackson 5 cartoon premiered on television. The cartoon used original Jackson 5 music, but due to their heavy schedule, the voices of the brothers would be provided by young actors.

At the end of 1971, “Sugar Daddy” was released from The Jackson 5’s first Greatest Hits LP. The song went to number 10 in the US.

On October 7th, 1971, Michael Jackson’s first ever solo single, “Got To Be There”, was released. It was a soulful love song that showed off thirteen year old Michael’s amazing vocal ability. The song went to number 4 in the US and number 5 in the UK and sold almost 2 million copies. By this time, Michael had eight chart topping singles and six albums with his brothers.
In January 1971, Michael’s first ever solo album “Got To Be There” was released. It had a beautiful mix of ballads and up tempo numbers perfectly suited to Michael’s range and style. Young Michael had shown that he could carry a full album all on his own. The album charted at number 14 in the US and number 37 in the UK. “Got To Be There” generated 3 more singles. “Rockin’ Robin” hit number 2 in the US and number 3 in the UK. “I Wanna Be Where You Are” hit number 16 in the US and “Ain’t No Sunshine” was a European only release that reached number 8 in the UK.

The Jackson 5’s sixth album, “Lookin’ Through The Windows” was released in May of 1972. It charted at number 7 in the US and spawned 2 singles; “Little Bitty Pretty One” and the album’s title track which both charted in the top 20 and sold over a million copies each.

Michael Jackson’s fourth single, “Ben”, was released in August 1972. The song was written for a film of the same name and was about a young man and his pet rat. The response to the single was massive; going to number 1 in the US and Australia and number 7 in the UK and selling over 2 million copies. It became Michael Jackson’s first ever solo number 1 single. Michael became the third youngest artist to have a number 1 hit at just fourteen years old. The song was nominated for an Academy Award in 1973, where Michael performed the song. “Ben” won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1973.
Michael’s second solo album, “Ben”, was also released in August. An album rich in ballads, it showed Michael’s vocal growth and ability. It reached number 5 in the US and number 17 in the UK.

In November of 1972, the brothers appeared on Soul Train to perform a medley of hits. They also hosted their own “Jackson 5 Show” where they performed several hits and sketches. They then embarked on their first ever European tour. In England, they gave a Royal Command Performance for the Queen and performed on Top Of The Pops.

In March 1973, the “Skywriter” album was released. It was a turning point for the Jackson 5, and it would be their last album with The Corporation™. The album would not sell as well as their previous efforts, mainly due to lack of promotion because The Jackson 5 had began a world tour. The album generated three singles: “Corner of the Sky”, which was a top 20 US hit; “Doctor My Eyes”, which reached number 9 in the UK; and “Hallelujah Day” which hit number 20 in the UK.
Motown issued Michael Jackson’s third solo effort, “Music and Me” on April 13th 1973. Again due to low promotion, the album did not sell as well as Michael’s previous albums. One single was released from it: “With A Child’s Heart”, which reached number 14 on the US R&B chart.

The Jackson 5’s first major world tour started in Japan in late March 1973. The tour would last until September, travelling to Australia and New Zealand and back to the United States.
In September 1973, The Jackson 5 released another album, “G.I.T: Get It Together”. Michael’s voice was now noticeably more mature and the Jackson 5’s overall sound changed as they experimented with a new disco / funk sound. The album’s title track was released as a single and became a major hit, selling over a million copies and going to number 28 in the US.

In February 1974, the single “Dancing Machine” was released from the “G.I.T” album. The disco infused number was hugely popular, reaching number 2 in the US and selling approximately 3 million copies. The Jackson 5 performed the number on Soul Train with an amazing robot dance routine by Michael. Michael Jackson was considered to be the pioneer of the robot dance and his performance during “Dancing Machine” certainly popularized this disco dance style.
In April 1974, The Jackson family starred in their own show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The show boasted a variety of song and dance numbers from the Jackson 5 and other family members Janet, La Toya and Randy. The show had a different format and presentation to The Jackson 5’s usual performances for Motown and the family had total control of the show’s content. The show was extremely well received with stunning reviews and after their first series of shows in April, the family went back to Las Vegas to perform in August and then again in November.
Motown issued the Jackson 5 album “Dancing Machine” in September 1974. The album also featured the track “Dancing Machine”, due to the song’s popularity. The album went onto sell over 2 million copies. It generated three singles. “I Am Love” was the major hit from the album; reaching number 15 in the US and selling over a million copies.

In January 1975, Michael Jackson’s fourth album was released, called “Forever Michael”. Two singles were released from it: “We’re Almost There” and “Just a Little Bit of You”, which were both top 40 hits. “Forever Michael” reached number 10 on the US R&B chart. It would be Michael Jackson’s last studio album for Motown.

The Jackson 5’s last studio album for Motown, “Moving Violation”, was released in May 1975. “Forever Came Today” was the only single released from the album. The album and single were not major successes, and the Jackson 5 had become unhappy with Motown’s promotion. The Jackson 5’s time at Motown had come to a close. The brothers had already begun writing their own songs and they were looking for creative freedom; something that Motown was not willing to give them. Motown had taken Michael Jackson and his brothers as far as they could and The Jackson 5 would leave Motown, minus brother Jermaine, in 1975 to sign with Epic records.

During their six years at Motown, The Jackson 5 had worked hard; recording over 450 songs of which only 174 were released. They made a total of ten studio albums and generated ten top 10 US and UK hits. They had made numerous television appearances and toured America several times. Young Michael Jackson had released four albums of his own and generated a major number 1 hit. Under Motown’s direction The Jackson 5 had made a massive impact in the music world and Michael Jackson had become the youngest vocalist ever to top the US charts.

BIOGRAPHY on Michael Jackson

The Bio History of Michael Joseph Jackson began when he was born on the 29th of August 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the 7th of nine children. (brothers: Sigmund "Jackie", Toriano "Tito", Jermaine, Marlon, Steven "Randy", and sisters Rebbie, Janet and La-Toya Jackson.

Michael began his musical career at the age of 5 as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 who formed in 1964. In these early years the Jackson 5, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and lead singer Michael played local clubs and bars in Gary Indiana and moving further afield as there talents grew and they could compete in bigger competitions. From these early days Michael would be at the same clubs as big talented stars of there days, such as Jackie Wilson and would be learning from them even back then.

In 1968 the Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers discovered the Jackson five and from there they got an audition for Berry Gordy of Motown Records. The Jackson 5 signed for Motown and moved to California. Their first 4 singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" all made US No1 hits. The Jackson 5 recorded 14 albums and Michael recorded 4 solo albums with Motown.

The Jackson 5 stayed with Motown until 1976, wanting more artistic freedom they felt they had to move on and signed up with Epic. The group name Jackson 5 had to be changed as it was owned by Motown, so they reverted to The Jacksons as they had be known in the early days. Brother Jermaine married Berry Gordy's daughter and stayed with Motown. Youngest brother Randy joined in his place. The Jacksons had a number of hit records and in total made 6 albums between the years of 1976 and 1984.

In 1977 Michael made his first film debut when he starred in the musical 'The Wiz' playing Scarecrow with Diana Ross in the lead role of Dorothy. It was at this time Michael met Quincy Jones who was doing the score for the film.

Michael teamed up with Quincey Jones as his producer for his first solo album with Epic Records. The album titled "Off The Wall" was a big success around the world and the first ever album to release a record breaking 4 No1 singles in the US.

In 1982 Michael Jackson released the world's largest selling album of all time, 'Thriller'. This album produced 7 hit singles, breaking yet again more records, and went on to sell over 50 million copies worldwide. Michael was keen to use music video or short films as he called them to promote his singles from the album. He worked with the best directors and producers, using the latest technology and special effects for the hit song 'Billie Jean' The short film 'Thriller' used the latest make-up artists technolgy combined with fantastic dancing and cherography, to produce a 14 minute video, with a start, a middle and an ending. So successful was this video that 'The Making Of Michael Jackson's Thriller' became the world's largest selling home video combined with soaring album sales. In 1983 Michael performed the now legendary moonwalk for the first time on the 'Motown 25 years' anniversary show. This performance alone set Michael undoubtable into the realm of a superstar.

In 1984 Michael won a record breaking 8 Grammy awards in one night. The awards were for his work on the 'Thriller' album and his work on the narrative for the 'ET Storybook'.

On December 9th 1984 at the last concert of the Jackson's Victory Tour, Michael announced he was splitting from the group and going solo.

In 1987 Michael released his much awaited third solo album, titled 'Bad', and lauched his record breaking first solo world tour. 1988, Michael wrote his first autobiography, Moonwalk, talking for the first time on his childhood and his career. At the end of the 1980s Michael was named 'Artist Of The Decade' for his success off of his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' albums.

In 1991 Michael signed with Sony Music the largest ever recording contract and released his fourth solo album, 'Dangerous'. He toured world again in 1992, taking his concerts to countries that had never before been visited by a pop/rock artist. Also Michael founded the 'Heal the World Foundation' to help improve the lives of children across the world.

In 1994 Michael married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock legend Elvis Presley. The marriage only lasted for 19 months, as they divorced in 1996.

1995 saw Michael release a fifth solo album, 'HIStory', which was a double album, first half new material and second half half greatest hits. Michael toured again over a legs covering a 2 year period. In between legs of the tour on November 14th 1996, Michael married for his second time to Debbie Rowe who was a nurse that Michael had met in the treatment of his skin pigment disorder. Together they had their first child Prince Michael Joseph Jackson jr born on February 13 1997 and a daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson born on April 3rd 1998.

In 1997 Michael released the remix album 'Blood On The Dance Floor' which also contained 5 new song linked with a 38min film "Ghosts". This film Michael played 5 roles using the latest special effects and make-up artistry, combined with his dance and music.


In September, 2001 Michael celebrated his 30th anniversary as a solo artist with two concerts to be held in New York, USA. Many artists such as Whitney Houston, Usher, Destinys Child, Shaggy and many more performed there own and Michael Jacksons past songs. Michael then reunited with all of his brothers and performed there biggest hits. Michael then went onto perform solo some of his biggest hits.

In October 2001 Michael released the album 'Invincible' releasing only 2 singles including the big hit "You Rock My World". Shortly after the albums release there were rumours of a rift with Sony Music and a clear lack of promotion of the album. The second single "Cry" was released with a very poor music video which did not feature Michael and no other singles were released.

In November 2003 a new single "One More Chance" was released as a single and was also a track on new compilaition album "Number Ones".

In March 2009, Michael annouced a shock comeback tour at the O2 Arena in London to start in July 2009, intially for 10 dates but the total grew to a sold out 50 dates with over 750,000 tickets sold. All sold tickets sold out within minutes of being released.

On June 25th 2009 Michael Jackson died suddenly of a reported cardiac arrest. He was 50 years old.