Michael Jackson Facts

He once received a humanitarian award from Ronald Reagan.

Michael Jackson was a generous philanthropist during his time. He supported HIV and AIDS campaigns at the time when these topics were at the height of their controversy. In 1992, Michael Jackson also established the Heal The World Foundation. The foundation was created to help underprivileged youth. Apart from these generous acts, Michael Jackson also contributed to humanitarian causes. These causes provided relief to war victims. He also held tours in countries that had high rates of AIDS. This was to help spread awareness and help those suffering from the disease. One of these countries was Africa.

Michael Jackson once attempted to purchase Marvel Comics to become Spider-Man.

During the late 1990s, Michael Jackson attempted to purchase Marvel Comics so that he could remake Spider-Man in his vision. The star had the idea when Marvel announced that it was filing for bankruptcy. Michael Jackson stated he had intended to play the role of Spiderman. Many fans and production leads were strongly against giving him the role later on. Many years later, the reboot of the Spider-Man movies cast Tobey Maguire.

Stan Lee had stated that he believed Michael Jackson would not be a good fit for the role of Spiderman, attributing to his lack of acting experience. Marvel eventually went back to the trade before becoming more successful through the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

His entire family converted to Jehovah’s Witnesses because of his mother’s influence.

Michael was raised as a follower of Jehovah’s Witnesses, mainly influenced by his mother. Much like many who followed the religion, Michael Jackson recalled going door-to-door during his childhood and peddled religious literature. He also spent his time spreading awareness of his beliefs to others around him.

Although both religions overlap in certain areas, the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses follows additional traditions uncommon in Christianity. These include traditions such as not celebrating holidays, birthdays, and also Christmas.

Michael Jackson was the eight child in his family.

Michael was eight of the nine siblings in a family of 12. He was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana, United States. He grew up in an average two-bedroom household where he had to share most of his belongings with his siblings to get by.

Because of the influence of both of their parents, the Jackson children all grew up to work in the entertainment industry. At one point, Michael became the most well-known among the siblings, which led him to debut as a solo artist. During his childhood, Michael Jackson stated they spent each day with music.

His iconic leaning move is thanks to a special patented shoe.

In his 1987 hit Smooth Criminal, Michael Jackson performed one of the dance moves that he will be best known for today, which is the gravity-defying leaning move. For years, many have wondered how Michael successfully performed the 45-degree tilt without support from anything on stage apart from his own body.

In May 2018, a team of neurosurgeons finally revealed the secret behind the iconic dance move. This team discovered that Michael made use of a special patented shoe that would lock onto a hitch on stage. This hitch would allow him to lean forward 45 degrees without falling over. Michael Jackson confirmed this later on when the same shoes he used in the music video got auctioned off for a value of $600,000.

In 1979, Michael Jackson broke his nose during a dance rehearsal.

Right after the release of his 1979 album, Off The Wall, Michael Jackson got himself into an accident. This mishap, later on, caused a chain of events that changed his life forever. During a dance rehearsal, Michael fell and ended up breaking his nose. Because of the severe damage he experienced, he had to go through plastic surgery to fix his nose to allow him to breathe normally again.

Many theorized that this particular surgery was the start of Michael Jackson’s obsession with plastic surgery. Michael would, however, deny such claims during interviews. Over the months from that incident, several fans have also noticed that Michael Jackson’s nose continued to grow slimmer over a few months. His skin color also drastically changed after some time much to everyone’s confusion.

He is now considered as one of the most collectible celebrities in the world.

Even after his death, Michael Jackson remains to be one of the most popular celebrities in modern history. Several fans continue to devote themselves to collecting memorabilia and trinkets related to the King of Pop, more than a decade after his passing.

Items owned or connected to Michael often get sold at private auctions, which collect several thousands of dollars. Some of these items include the official costumes that he wore in his music videos and concerts. This includes his iconic red suit in the music video Thriller and the white gloves that he often wore with several other outfits. After his death, Michael Jackson’s total net worth was a whopping $2.1 billion.

Michael Jackson first performed when he was five years old.

Michael Jackson was considered a child prodigy because of his obvious musical talent. In 1964, he became part of a band that comprised his four older brothers which would be called the Jackson 5. They debuted under the coaching and management of their father, Joe Jackson.

After fruitful years with his brothers, Michael went on his solo career in 1971, beginning by singing under Motown Records. By the early 1980s, Michael Jackson was already a dominant figure in pop music, thanks to his dancing prowess and unmatched singing ability.

Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

At the height of his musical career, Michael Jackson was often referred to as one of the greatest stars in the modern music industry. Many entertainment experts called him an unstoppable juggernaut. His voice became instantly identifiable while his skills quickly allowed him to dominate music charts hit after hit. He also became known for his trendsetting dance moves, which remain to be iconic to this day.

These dance moves include his famous moonwalk and the 45-degree angle tilt featured in his music videos and performances. Some icons that many compared Michael Jackson to include huge acts like The Beatles and the King of Rock, Elvis Presley himself.

He married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the famous icon Elvis Presley.

In May 1994, Michael Jackson married the daughter of the famous King of Rock, Elvis Presley. This didn’t last long, though, as it ended after 20 months. They filed for divorce in January 1996.

Lisa Marie Presley stated in an interview she had their wedding kept secret because she wanted a private wedding ceremony. She also said that she wanted the ceremony held without the distraction of the media and paparazzi around them. Because of difficulties in maintaining the relationship, the couple agreed to part ways. However, they maintained an on-and-off relationship for another four years, until Michael Jackson met Debbie Rowe.

They delayed the original burial date of Michael Jackson because of inner family issues.

At the time of Michael Jackson’s burial, there was a delay caused by a dispute between Janet Jackson and her brother’s estate.

Janet Jackson stated the primary reason for this dispute was because she wanted her Burial-Plot deposit back. According to the author of Michael Jackson’s biography, Janet put up around $49,000 as a deposit at Forest Lawn to secure a spot for Michael Jackson.

However, she refused for the funeral to take place on the scheduled date until they repaid it. As a result, they delayed the funeral for three months. After the tension, Michael was finally laid to rest at the Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park. This is located right outside of Hollywood, Los Angeles City.

He was a regular at a club named Studio 54.

Studio 54 is a former popular disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building first opened in 1972 and operated as a popular entertainment venue under various names until 1942. During this time, CBS began using the building as a radio and television studio and dubbed it, Studio 52.

According to Michael Jackson, he was a regular at this club and also one of its many famous patrons. Among the list also included other icons and famous figures such as Freddie Mercury, Donald Trump, Woody Allen, and many more. During its time operating as a nightclub, the hub became infamous for its dynamic and constantly changing environment. However, this would often cause the building to shut the business down. Today, the building is a Broadway theatre.

Michael Jackson's father was abusive to them as kids.

According to Michael Jackson, his father was often physically and mentally abusive towards him. His father presented this attitude towards the entire family with many of his siblings also speaking out about his years of oppression. The failed blues musician, Joe Jackson, became especially hard on Michael Jackson from a young age. This was because he showed the most musical capabilities and talent among his siblings.

Michael Jackson stated his father would constantly beat him during practice with a belt in his hand. He would also criticize his appearance, such as the shape of his nose. Because of his experiences, Michael became insecure growing up. Joe Jackson confessed to all of his wrongdoings to the media after the death of his son.

They believed the death of Michael Jackson was a homicide.

According to the Los Angeles County coroner, their official statement classified the death of Michael Jackson as a homicide. This was because of the combination of drugs found in his body that led to his cardiac arrest. The most significant drug that they found was the anesthetic Propofol and the anxiolytic Lorazepam. However, other selected details of the test remained private from public knowledge.

The autopsy report also stated that Michael Jackson was otherwise healthy if not for the drugs found combined in his system. Because of this incident, the personal physician of Michael Jackson also became guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He got arrested after confirming the results of the test and was sentenced to four years in prison with two additional years of service.

He continuously denied any allegations of him bleaching his skin.

For years, fans were baffled by Michael’s gradual change of appearance. Many had claimed that the icon seemed to have idolized Caucasian culture instead of his own. When he was still alive, Michael Jackson repeatedly denied the allegations, most especially the one rumor that he underwent 10 to 12 surgeries. He also denied many other obvious cosmetic improvements to himself, such as his skin bleaching.

Over the years, this became one of the most controversial topics discussed regarding the famous pop icon. Several loyal fans of Michael Jackson assumed the icon became obsessed with his appearance. However, he simply claimed that the changes that happened to him were all because of his injuries and skin condition.

He coined the term "shamone".

Michael Jackson introduced this term in his album Bad as another way of saying “come on”. The late artist said that he took this expression from the singer Mavis Staples in her song “I’ll Take You There”.  Jackson was also noted to credit many of his inspirations that have now become a popular niche or trend associated with himself. Other niches include the ideas for his dance moves and also his many catchy terminologies.

Michael Jackson developed a strong fear of his father due to his abuse.

In an interview with Shmuley Boteach, Michael Jackson confessed he feared his father even in his adult life. He said that he found it difficult to grow close with him as he grew older. As a child, Michael was so afraid of his father that he would often faint at the sight of his presence. When he is in the same room as him, he experienced stomach pains as well.

According to the late singer, despite wanting to be on good terms with his father, he could not get over the trauma. Despite Joe Jackson later apologizing for his actions, Michael Jackson, understandably, could not forgive him. Instead, he continued to stay away from him until the singer’s death later in 2009.

The music video for Scream cost around $7 million to make.

The 1995 music video for Scream with Janet Jackson has a budget of $7 million. This budget made the collaboration one of the most expensive music videos of all time. After its release, Scream became a tremendous hit with people praising its fantastic visuals. Unsurprisingly, these effects took up most of the allocated budget for the production.

The props used in the music video came in 13 separate pieces, which in total cost around $175,000 because of their complicated design. The computer-generated spaceship used and edited into the video was also priced at around $65,000. There were also continuous tweaks made one after the other, totaling the entire expenses into $7 million.

He was also known to own different kinds of pets.

Michael Jackson had a strong affinity for animals. He is known to collect animals including rats, dogs, ostriches, giraffes, chimps, llamas, snakes, frogs, rabbits, and more. You could say that Michael had established a zoo for animals himself.

Michael Jackson was also famous for his love of spiders, as evident by his ownership of few tarantulas. This often made headlines with the media, as some of these creatures were rare breeds. Because of his enormous and ever-growing collection of exotic pets and companions, Michael Jackson finally opened up a private zoo. This zoo also housed larger wild animals such as lions and elephants.

He once attempted to undergo medical treatment that would make him live for a hundred years.

According to a popular theory, Michael Jackson had wanted to live for at least 150 years. To achieve this, he called a dozen of doctors in his home to examine him daily. They did this to research how to make him live longer than the average lifespan. He followed a tedious routine on the dot as they equip him with expensive technology.

One reported equipment would regulate the oxygen level as he slept, which Michael Jackson believed would improve his health significantly. However, because of the strict regimen, Michael Jackson could not keep up with the routine for long. Apart from this, Michael also became obsessed with his appearance and would often go through large amounts of effort to look good.

In 2018, Forbes Magazine declared Michael Jackson as the top-earning celebrity who passed away.

In 2018, Forbes Magazine raked Michael Jackson as the highest-paid deceased celebrity in the world. His earnings rose to $400 million posthumously. He held the top spot on the list until 2020 where his estimated earnings have reached over $48 million.

His estimated earnings are higher than other deceased celebrities such as Dr. Seuss, Freddie Mercury, and Kobe Bryant. Michael Jackson retaining the number one spot since his death in 2009 is proof of how much impact he had left behind.

They say Elizabeth Taylor helped in popularizing Michael Jackson’s title as the King of Pop.

There are several accounts of how Michael Jackson became known as the undefeated King of Pop in the music industry. Some obvious reasons include his numerous collected awards, which he got after every hit. Today, his songs remain loved by his fans from all over the world, as if Michael never left.

One of Michael Jackson’s many supporters includes Elizabeth Taylor, a popular actress. Many believe that she had a dominant influence on popularizing Michael Jackson’s title as the King of Pop in the music industry. The two figures were known to be close, sharing a friendship that lasted for 30 years. Michael Jackson stated that he also held romantic feelings towards the late actress at one point.

Michael Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, established the Jackson 5 group.

As stated earlier, Michael was originally part of the band The Jackson 5, which Joe Jackson managed. The band featured five of the Jackson brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael himself. During the early days of the group, the Jackson brothers joined several talent shows to showcase their singing and musical capabilities. They continued this routine until finally they were noticed by the music label Steeltown Records. They signed to be managed by them in 1967.

The Jackson 5 is the first group to release four consecutive hits that ranked number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They also have additional 16 songs that were within the top 40 singles, consecutively. All, in all, the Jackson 5 sold over 100 million records worldwide thanks to their charm and talent. They disbanded in 1990.

The Jackson 5 were incredibly popular during a time.

The Jackson 5 generated growing popularity during their early years until 1972. This was when their music and popularity began declining after Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson left the group to begin their solo careers.

Through the active stage of their career, the group received four NAACP Image Awards and got nominated for three Grammy awards. Their songs were also placed under the Grammy Hall Of Fame. Them touring around the world also helped cultivate their popularity. the group completed six worldwide tours throughout their active years. Their legacy was forever immortalized when the group received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980. They also became inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Talk about kings!

He allowed the press and media to spread false rumors about him.

People considered Michael Jackson as very secretive about his life. He rarely bothered correcting the media regarding the allegations and theories made against him. As a result, this left much of his fans and also the public to speculate and create theories of their own regarding Michael Jackson’s mysterious persona.

While several of these theories have evidence that could deem them true, no one is fully certain of the kind of life Michael was leading. Michael never confirmed any rumors but he was known to dismiss false claims about his appearance. Because Michael Jackson did not prevent the media from doing as they please, he had to face several legal actions during the latter part of his career as an artist.

Michael Jackson left behind an enormous debt when he passed away. 

When Michael Jackson died at 50 in 2009, the famous artist left behind a debt of around $400 million that he owed to several parties. According to a forensic accountant, they forced Michael Jackson to pay an annual debt payment of $30 million each year. However, he could not pay because of his lavish spending habits on jewelry and other properties.

Michael Jackson was also said to receive royalties from his music each year. On a more positive note, he used the royalties to pay off his debt fraction by fraction. Nevertheless, Michael reached extremely alarming debts with one dating back to 1994, which quickly grew to over $400 million over the years.

His costume designer revealed he had a shrinking waist. 

According to the late artist’s old costume designer, Michael Jackson had a waist size of 28 inches, which continued to shrink during his performances. Because of this, they tailored all of his clothing especially. This was to accommodate this issue where Michael Jackson could lose as much as five pounds during heavy dance routines in his concerts and while filming for music videos. If you look closely, the top half of the late singer’s jacket is cut at a wide angle while the lower half slowly shrinks in size and also cut diagonally to match the frame of his body. They also consider Michael Jackson short and often wore high heels to compensate for this during his appearances.

Before his death, Michael Jackson was preparing for his comeback concert titled This Is It.

Months before the time of his death, Michael Jackson was in the middle of preparing for a 50-show comeback tour titled This Is It where he would perform at the newly opened O2 arena in London. During this time, Michael Jackson was battling an addiction to prescription drugs which led to his death several months later.

According to those who worked with him closely, Michael Jackson spent the last of his days tediously preparing for this comeback tour, but he was already showing increasingly erratic behavior week by week. It was also news that Michael had written several new songs and had already spent over $25 million in pre-production costs.

In 1988, Michael Jackson began building the Neverland Ranch.

Also known as the Sycamore Valley Ranch, Michael Jackson bought the Neverland Ranch in 1988 from estate developer William Bone for somewhere between $19.5 million to $30 million. They considered the property as a part of Michael Jackson’s home and also his owned amusement park, where he set up many artistic garden statues. He also put up a petting zoo.

The property also included a Ferris wheel, carousel, wave swinger, and even a roller coaster which Michael had installed to add a child-like wonder to the attraction. According to him, he designed the property using the tale of Peter Pan as an influence, hence its name: Neverland.

Michael Jackson could have died from the September 11 attacks.

During the morning of the September 11 attacks, Michael Jackson was supposed to have a meeting in one of the Twin Towers. However, he overslept and missed the meeting at the doomed buildings.

According to Michael, he had his mother to thank as he was on the phone with her the night before, where they talked until the late hours. Michael managed to avoid being a victim of the most unforgettable terror attack in New York City.

He was born into a working-class family.

Michael Jackson was born into a working-class African-American family where he had nine siblings and lived with his parents in an average two-bedroom home. The Jackson family was considered a musically-inclined family ever since. Michael’s mother had a knack for clarinet and piano, while his father had an experience of playing the guitar for a local blues band. His siblings are also musically gifted as evident by their beautiful voices. Michael was exposed to music at a very young age and was able to debut professionally with his brothers in the entertainment industry thanks to their strong musical foundation.

Michael Jackson was the first westerner to appear in an ad on USSR Television.

Adding to his unique achievements, Michael Jackson was the first Western personality to appear in a commercial for Soviet Television. According to the advertiser, they bought commercial time on Soviet television for two Pepsi-Cola advertisements where he would have to dance to his hit single “Bad”. They placed the advertisements in two 60-second slots where his voice would not be dubbed in the Russian language. The Pepsi-Cola company created six commercials that aired on Soviet television in the late 1980s.

The song "Billie Jean" is the first song by a black artist that aired on MTV.

The hit single “Billie Jean” released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, is also the second single in Michael’s sixth studio album called Thriller. Michael composed the song himself which was co-produced by Quincy Jones. The hit single blends hints of post-disco, funk, rhythm, and blues, along with dance-pop elements.

The song stayed on the Billboard Top 100 chart for an impressive nine weeks. It also topped the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart for three weeks straight. Many believe that the music video for the song helped establish MTV’s cultural importance when it comes to making music videos an integral part of music marketing.

Michael Jackson was considered to have the highest royalty rates during the '80s.

In the 1980s, Michael Jackson gained the highest royalty rate in the music industry with a 37% wholesale album profit. During this time, they estimated his earnings at $9 million, which is now worth around $26 million according to inflation rates — and this is only for the first year of an album release.

Apart from his earnings from album royalties, Michael’s extravagant source of income also came from his tours, ticket sales, recorded music catalogs, and many other projects. By the time of his death in 2009, Michael Jackson had a net worth estimated at roughly around $500 million, and he continues to earn as we speak.

Michael Jackson released his autobiography in 1988 titled Moonwalk.

The book was published on the first of February in 1988 by Doubleday, five months after Michael released his album ‘Bad’. The book takes the name of one of Michael Jackson’s most iconic dance moves. It contains a foreword by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the former First Lady of the United States and John F. Kennedy’s wife.

Five months after the initial release date, Moonwalk reached the number one spot on the New York Times Best Seller list and re-entered in October 2009 following the pop icon’s death. The autobiography contains 283 pages and discusses Michael Jackson’s many celebrity friends, relationships, his past life before coming into fame, and the artist’s say about the controversies surrounding him.

Michael Jackson began experimenting with plastic surgery after an accident with Pepsi-Cola.

In 1984, Michael got caught in a fire accident during the filming of a commercial for Pepsi Cola. He suffered from third-degree and second-degree burns on his scalp caused by fireworks that blazed his jacket and hair.

He was rushed to a hospital immediately. A spokesperson announced that Michael is doing well despite the injuries he sustained. After this incident, several reporters alluded to Michael Jackson’s addiction to prescription drugs such as painkillers. He also delved into plastic surgery because of the trauma and the discovery that he could alter his appearance.

He was a fan of the The Three Stooges.

In many of his interviews, Michael Jackson revealed that he was a fan of  The Three Stooges which he found the most entertaining over other comedy shows. People close with the late artist often described him as playful with a unique sense of humor that is much like that of a little boy.

He was also good friends with comedian Chris Tucker. They were often seen sharing laughs like children whenever they had a chance to hang out. Apart from his childlike humor, Michael also enjoyed the simplest things such as eating candy and spending his day in amusement parks.

The music video for "Thriller" is preserved by the Library of Congress.

Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller” song and music video remain unforgettable for several reasons. It’s considered an achievement in filmmaking, sound recordings, and music marketing as a whole. In fact, it was so iconic and influential that it was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for preservation.

The music video was one of the 25 other digital entries that were chosen for safekeeping by the Library of Congress. Other entries included classics such as The Muppet Movie and The Incredible Shrinking Man. According to the Library of Congress, the original copies found within the archives are well protected to preserve their cultural patrimony and its history.

Michael Jackson was known to be especially fond of Mexican food.

During his early years, Michael Jackson followed a strict vegetarian diet while he was working. Michael Jackson would be careful of how much he was eating because of fears of gaining weight,, He was scared his weight gain would affect his performance while rehearsing or performing on stage. During his cheat days, Michael Jackson loved to consume Mexican food, sushi, and other American staple dishes. During periods where he wouldn’t be working, he also often went on a junk food binge to express his love for food.

In 1993, Michael Jackson was diagnosed with a skin disease called Vitiligo.

During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson revealed they diagnosed him with a rare skin condition referred to as Vitiligo. He would often use makeup and such to correct his changing skin tone. Vitiligo is a skin condition that can affect areas of the body in which the skin of a person loses its pigment cells. This causes the skin to lose its color and turn lighter with most showing as random patches all over the body.

According to medical experts, there is currently no known cure for this skin ailment. However, in some cases, skin patches would go away on their own. Unfortunately, this was not the case for the condition of Michael Jackson, which caused him to bleach his skin.

Joe Jackson is to blame for Michael’s obsession with his appearance.

From a young age, his father often made fun of his appearance. Michael received a lot of mental and physical abuse from him while growing up. According to the late artist, his father would specifically make fun of the shape and size of his nose. This traumatized Michael Jackson until his adulthood. Because of this experience, he developed a nervous tic where he covers his nose and touches it unconsciously. This also caused him to become obsessed with his appearance. He underwent several plastic surgery procedures and followed a strict diet.

Thriller was considered to be a global hit with around 65 million copies sold.

Thriller was first released on November 30, 1982, to critical and financial success. Many say it set the modern standard for the music industry. This includes the standards for music videos, promotional strategies, songs, producers, records labels, and many more.

Because of its success, it was placed under the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Film Registry of the National Film Preservation Board in the United States. The success comes with a price, though, as it had been noted that between Michael Jackson’s last album Off The Wall and during the making of Thriller, the late singer had been showing signs of depression.

In 1993, Michael Jackson was accused of child molestation.

In August 1993, authorities began investigating Michael Jackson when a 13-year-old boy confessed that the singer made sexual advances on him. According to the mom of the boy, she did not want Michael Jackson sleeping in the same bed with the minor. Several other allegations have also come to light, so far as to claim that Michael molested three other children in the past. However, despite the extensive investigations regarding this case, authorities could not find any signs of incriminating evidence that supported these claims.

After the incident with Pepsi, Michael Jackson was forced to wear a wig.

When Michael died, it was discovered that he wore a wig to hide his hair loss. This particular hair loss was caused by the tragic incident during a Pepsi-Cola commercial filming in 1984. According to his management, he had been wearing the wig for years to cover up the bald spot. To compensate for the damages, Pepsi paid him a settlement of $1.5 million.

This was also revealed in a new documentary made in 2019. The documentary that covered the last days of Michael Jackson revealed that Michael hid several scars on his body and he was balding rapidly before prior to his death.

Several theories suggest that Michael Jackson could have been a member of the Illuminati.

Another popular theory that surrounds the famous singer is that he is a member of the Illuminati and that his death was caused by the mysterious group. They give the Illuminati name to a group that is both real and fictitious, which typically refers to the old Bavarian Illuminati. The old Bavarian Illuminati was an enlightenment-era secret society founded in 1776. In more modern usage, the Illuminati refers to organizations that have relations to the original Bavarian Illuminati or other secret societies.

He has a total of 16 Guinness world records under his name.

Michael Jackson was nominated for several awards for his musical contributions throughout his career. Apart from the 13 Grammy awards with his name on them, he also received the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also has six trophies from the Brit Awards, five from Billboard Music Awards, and 24 recognitions from the American Music Awards. He is considered to be one of the most successful black artists in history.

In November 2002, he became a subject of controversy for endangering his youngest son.

In 2002, a video of Michael Jackson dangling his child of nine months old off a balcony alarmed many. To acknowledge his actions, Michael issued a public apology. In the apology, he realized he got caught up in the moment. Many of his fans question if he could raise a child properly and worried about the safety of his children. Michael Jackson has three kids that he named Paris, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., and Prince Michael Jackson the second.

He popularized the robot dance on the TV program, Soul Train.

In 1974, Michael Jackson invented the robot dance on the live television program, Soul Train. The late singer performed his dance moves to “Dancing Machine” with his brothers, this was a time when he was still part of the Jackson 5. Viewers became impressed by his dance moves which he incorporated into his performances during his solo career.

He claimed that he grew up without a childhood and worked on music all his life.

Due to his father’s strict nature, he considered his childhood as more about work than the things a child should be busy about. According to the late artist, his father would put him to work more often than his other siblings. This was because his father believed he had more potential to become a big star in the future. Over time, many speculated that losing his childhood was the cause of Michael Jackson’s obsession with childish themes and other childlike influences.

He stated that he had hated the nickname that the press has created for him.

Apart from his title as the King of Pop, the media also calls him Wacko Jacko. Reporters stated that this nickname emerged from the late singer’s strange behavior. The nickname circulated sometime during the 1980s and no one knows who started it.