There may be no greater entertainer in the of music in the United States than the Michael Jackson. The list of Jackson's peers in industry is very short, to say the least. began his career in the early 1970s as youngest member of the musical group The Jackson . Michael was the lead singer, and arguably the talented of the five brothers who made up band. He was born on August 29, 1958 the eighth child of 10 in an African family from Gary Indiana. The driving force behind group's success was their father, Joseph "Joe" Jackson. group was very popular in its time, but Michael would go out on his own career after. He was a successful singer, songwriter, actor, , and businessman, but his career was not without .

His album Thriller is the best-selling album of time. It was released in 1982, and was by a series of successful albums, films, music , and business ventures. In 1993 the first of people came forward to accuse Jackson of sexually conduct on a child. This and other accusations haunt Jackson throughout his adult life. Jackson also a reputation of strange behavior. One of the images often associated with Jackson is when he his newborn child over a hotel balcony to it to his public.

It was rumored that bought the bones of the famous Elephant Man, in an oxygen tent, and that he altered appearance to appear white. His photographs from his and as a young adult show a very Jackson. He married twice in his life including brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter the equally great musician, Elvis Presley.

Jackson died June 25, 2009, and even his death was without controversy. His family filed a wrongful death against his doctor, who was subsequently found guilty.