Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana.
Jackson began performing with his four brothers in the pop
group the Jackson 5 when he was a child. The group scored
its first No. 1 single in 1969, with “I Want You Back.” By age
11, Jackson was appearing on TV, and by age 14 he had
released his first solo album.
A Jackson 5 TV cartoon series appeared in the early ’70s, and
in 1976 the Jackson family, including sister Janet Jackson,
launched a TV variety show called The Jacksons that ran for
one season. Throughout the 70s, media attention focused on
Michael, who piped vocals in his high voice for “ABC,” “I’ll Be
There,” and many other Top 20 hits.