Michael Jackson

dropdown Michael Jackson, who died in Los Angeles from a heart attack on June 25, 2009, aged only 50, was one of the most influential performers in the history of pop music. Born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana (near Chicago), Michael had nine brothers and sisters. dropdown He started performing with four of his brothers in a boy band, the Jackson 5, before he was eight years old. They were signed by the famous Motown record label and had great success, with songs such as “I Want You Back” and “ABC”. Michael’s singing voice and dancing skills already stood out. dropdown So it was no surprise when he also began a solo career. Michael’s solo album Off the Wall (1979) sold more than 20 million copies, but it was his next album, Thriller (1982), that made him an international superstar. The videos for two songs in particular, “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” were played over and over again on MTV. dropdown The “Thriller” video was a memorable piece of work, with Michael leading dozens of zombies in a sequence of impressive dance moves. Thriller became – and still is – the most successful album of all time, selling around 110 million copies worldwide.