Maud fangle biography of michael jackson

Despite his monumental contributions to pop music, Jackson's later years were marred by controversy, including allegations of child molestation that drew significant media attention. His groundbreaking music videos and innovative dance moves, such as the moonwalk, forever changed the landscape of the music industry and set new standards for aspiring artists.

A time Grammy Award winner, Jackson's legacy continues to influence generations, ensuring that his work and artistry will be remembered for decades to come. Tragically, he passed away on June 25, , at the age of 50, leaving behind a complex but impactful legacy in the world of entertainment. Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, , in Gary, Indiana, as the eighth child in a family of ten.

His parents, Joseph and Katherine Jackson, were both musically inclined — Joseph as a guitarist and Katherine as a clarinetist and aspiring country singer. Encouraged by their parents, Michael began his music career at the tender age of five, performing with his brothers in their family band. The strict upbringing under Joseph, who pushed his children relentlessly toward success, often included grueling rehearsal schedules that cultivated both talent and, at times, fear among the siblings.

Growing up in a challenging environment, Michael faced both internal and external struggles. He experienced significant pressure to excel, which may have contributed to his complex personality and creative genius. While his childhood in Gary was turbulent, it also laid the foundation for his extraordinary talent.

Maud fangle biography of michael jackson

His formative years were characterized by a unique blend of musical exposure and personal turmoil, setting the stage for his future as a global pop icon. Even as a child, Michael stood out for his incredible vocal range and emotional depth, traits that would later define his successful career. The Jackson 5, originally formed in the early s, marked the emergence of a musical phenomenon led by the remarkable talent of Michael Jackson.

Consisting of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and the youngest sibling Michael, the group quickly gained recognition for their vibrant performances. With Michael as the lead vocalist at just five years old, the Jackson 5 captured audiences with their incredible harmonies and infectious energy. Their first hit, "I Want You Back," topped the Billboard Hot in , establishing them as Motown's premier young act and setting the stage for Michael's unprecedented rise to fame.

The group's dynamic performances, characterized by smooth choreography and spirited instrumentation, laid the groundwork for Michael's signature dance moves that would later dominate pop culture. Despite subsequently parting ways with Motown and rebranding as the Jacksons, Michael Jackson continued to shine, eventually launching a groundbreaking solo career that catapulted him to global stardom.

Despite his success, he endured his father's constant criticism, particularly regarding his appearance. In , Michael declared his independence and released his debut solo album, "Off the Wall. His fame reached unprecedented heights with the release of "Thriller" in It topped the Billboard for nine months, holding the record for the best-selling album of all time, with over million copies sold worldwide.

The groundbreaking music video for the title track, directed by John Landis, became a cultural phenomenon. Michael's signature dance move, the "moonwalk," which he debuted at the 25th anniversary of Motown in , became synonymous with his innovative style. His performance of "Billie Jean" during that televised event is regarded as one of the most iconic moments in music history.

Jackson's wealth and fame allowed him to pursue philanthropic endeavors, including supporting anti-drug campaigns and donating millions to charities. As part of the Jackson family , Michael at age six made his public debut in with his older brothers Jackie , Tito , Jermaine and Marlon , as a member of the Jackson 5 later known as the Jacksons.

The Jackson 5 signed with Motown in and achieved worldwide success with Michael as lead singer. Jackson achieved solo stardom with the release of his fifth album Off the Wall He followed it up with Thriller , which became the best-selling album of all time , which aided the popularization of MTV with the music videos for its title track along with " Beat It " and " Billie Jean ".

These are also credited with transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. Dangerous saw him venture into an array of artistic sounds, and became one of the most successful albums of the s. From the late s, Jackson became a figure of controversy and speculation due to his changing appearance , relationships , behavior, and lifestyle.

He was accused of sexually abusing the child of a family friend in In , Jackson was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. While preparing for a series of comeback concerts, This Is It , he died in from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician Conrad Murray , who was convicted in of involuntary manslaughter.

Jackson's death triggered reactions around the world, creating unprecedented surges of internet traffic and a spike in sales of his music. His televised memorial service , held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was estimated to have been viewed by more than 2. Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time , with estimated sales of over million records worldwide.

He also received three presidential honors , including Artist of the Decade, and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award, among other awards. In , Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by their father which included Jackie, Tito and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. He recalled that Joe often sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, ready to punish any mistakes.

Later in , Michael began sharing lead vocals with Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to the Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 also performed at clubs and cocktail lounges, where striptease shows were featured, and at local auditoriums and high school dances. The Jackson 5 recorded several songs for a Gary record label, Steeltown Records ; their first single, " Big Boy ", was released in Taylor produced some of their early Motown recordings, including a version of " Who's Lovin' You ".

Michael maintained ties to the Jackson 5. Jackson's fifth solo album, Off the Wall , established him as a solo performer and helped him move from the bubblegum pop of his youth to more complex sounds. The recordings were intended for an album of duets but, according to Queen's manager Jim Beach , the relationship soured when Jackson brought a llama into the recording studio, [ 64 ] and Jackson was upset by Mercury's drug use.

In , Jackson contributed "Someone in the Dark" to the audiobook for the film E. Jackson's sixth album, Thriller , was released in late It was the bestselling album worldwide in , [ 68 ] [ 69 ] and became the bestselling album of all time in the US [ 70 ] and the best-selling album of all time worldwide , selling an estimated 70 million copies.

The show aired on May 16 to an estimated audience of 47 million , and featured the Jacksons and other Motown stars. But at the request of Motown founder Berry Gordy , he performed in exchange for an opportunity to do a solo performance. Winning eight Grammys in one ceremony is a record he holds with the band Santana. The success transformed Jackson into a dominant force in global pop culture.

A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too. The first Pepsi campaign, which ran in the US from to and launched its "New Generation" theme, included tour sponsorship, public relations events, and in-store displays.

Jackson helped to create the advertisement, and suggested using his song "Billie Jean", with revised lyrics, as its jingle. During a simulated concert before a full house of fans, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire, causing second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars and had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.

The second campaign covered 20 countries and provided financial support for Jackson's Bad album and —88 world tour. Jackson had endorsements and advertising deals with other companies, such as LA Gear , Suzuki , and Sony , but none were as significant as his deals with Pepsi. The Victory Tour of headlined the Jacksons and showcased Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans.

It was the last tour he did with his brothers. Jackson's skin had been medium-brown during his youth, but from the mids gradually grew paler. The change drew widespread media coverage, including speculation that he had been bleaching his skin. He also identified discoid lupus erythematosus in Jackson. He diagnosed Jackson with lupus that year, [ ] and with vitiligo in Jackson used fair-colored makeup, [ ] and possibly skin-bleaching prescription creams, [ ] to cover up the uneven blotches of color caused by the illness.

The creams would depigment the blotches, and, with the application of makeup, he could appear very pale. Rowe later became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his first two children. In his autobiography and a interview, Jackson said he had had two rhinoplasty surgeries and a cleft chin surgery but no more than that. He said he lost weight in the early s because of a change in diet to achieve a dancer's body.

Periods of weight loss became a recurring problem later in his life. She said he had received more than the two cosmetic surgeries he claimed and speculated that he had become addicted to them. In , it was reported that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow aging. He denied the story, [ ] although it was alleged that Jackson leaked an image of him sleeping in a glass chamber according to Jackson, this was a promotional shot from an upcoming space opera featuring himself to The National Enquirer.

Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo denied all of them, except for Jackson having a chamber. DiLeo added "I don't know if he sleeps in it. I'm not for it. But Michael thinks it's something that's probably healthy for him. He's a bit of a health fanatic. When Jackson took his pet chimpanzee Bubbles to tour in Japan, the media portrayed Jackson as an aspiring Disney cartoon character who befriended animals.

The college maintained the skeleton was not for sale. DiLeo said Jackson had an "absorbing interest" in Merrick, "purely based on his awareness of the ethical, medical and historical significance. Jackson's first album in five years, Bad , was highly anticipated, with the industry expecting another major success. Another song, " Smooth Criminal ", peaked at number seven.

In the US it was released direct-to-video and became the bestselling video cassette in the country. Jackson became known as the " King of Pop ", a nickname that Jackson's publicists embraced. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade". Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation in The charity brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to use the theme park rides, and sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease.

That July, Jackson published his second book, Dancing the Dream , a collection of poetry. The NFL sought a big-name artist to keep ratings high during halftime following dwindling audience figures. Dangerous rose 90 places in the US albums chart after the performance. Jackson gave a minute interview with Oprah Winfrey on February 10, He spoke of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood, and said that he often cried from loneliness.

He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, and stated for the first time that he had vitiligo. After the interview, Dangerous re-entered the US albums chart in the top 10, more than a year after its release. In August , Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a year-old boy, Jordan Chandler, and his father, Evan Chandler.

Police raided Jackson's home in August and found two legal large-format art books featuring young boys playing, running and swimming in various states of undress. A strip search was made, and the jurors felt the description was not a match. Jackson had been taking painkillers for his reconstructive scalp surgeries, administered due to the Pepsi commercial accident in , and became dependent on them to cope with the stress of the sexual abuse allegations.

He thanked his close friend Elizabeth Taylor for support, encouragement and counsel. The end of the tour concluded his sponsorship deal with Pepsi. I gave them a year. They lasted a year and a half. Jackson composed music for the Sega Genesis video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 , but left the project around the time the sexual abuse allegations surfaced and went uncredited.

The second disc, HIStory Continues , contains 13 original songs and two cover versions. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for eight million shipments in the US. The single reached number five on the Billboard Hot , [ ] and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". Jackson released a revised version of the song.

In late , Jackson was admitted to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance, caused by a stress-related panic attack. Jackson said the stage invasion was "disgusting and cowardly". He performed 82 concerts in five continents, 35 countries and 58 cities to over 4. Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. The suit was settled in Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies, making it the best-selling remix album.

The show raised a million dollars for refugees of the Kosovo War , and additional funds for the children of Guatemala. In September , two concerts were held at Madison Square Garden to mark Jackson's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson performed with his brothers for the first time since The first show was marred by technical lapses, and the crowd booed a speech by Marlon Brando.

Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D. The release of Invincible was preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment. Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him in the early s, after which he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and keep the profits, but clauses in the contract set the revert date years into the future.

Jackson sought an early exit from his contract. It was Jackson's first full-length album in six years, and the last album of original material he released in his lifetime. Jackson apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake". On April 24, , Jackson performed at Apollo Theater. In July , at Al Sharpton 's National Action Network in Harlem, Jackson called the Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola "a racist, and very, very, very devilish", and accused him of exploiting black artists for his own gain.

The accusation prompted Sharpton to form a coalition investigating whether Mottola exploited black artists. Beginning in May , a documentary film crew led by Martin Bashir followed Jackson for several months. He insisted that the sleepovers were not sexual and that his words had been misunderstood. It was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, and ten times platinum in the UK, for shipments of at least 3 million units.

On December 18, , Santa Barbara authorities charged Jackson with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of intoxicating a minor with alcoholic drinks. Jackson trial began on January 31, , in Santa Maria, California , and lasted until the end of May. Jackson found the experience stressful and it affected his health. If convicted, he would have faced up to twenty years in prison.

After the trial, Jackson became reclusive. Bank of America had sold the loans to Fortress Investments , an investment company that buys distressed loans, the year before. Jackson's financial managers had urged him to shed part of his stake to avoid bankruptcy. There, he began work on a new album with the American producers will. That month, he attended James Brown 's funeral in Augusta, Georgia , where he gave a eulogy calling Brown his greatest inspiration.

The deal gave Jackson the rights to songs by Eminem and Beck , among others. In March , amid speculation about his finances and health, Jackson announced a series of comeback concerts, This Is It , at a press conference at the O2 Arena. Jackson suggested he would retire after the shows. The London residency was increased to fifty dates after record-breaking ticket sales; more than one million were sold in less than two hours.

Jackson moved to Los Angeles, where he rehearsed in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of the choreographer Kenny Ortega , whom he had worked with during his previous tours. By the time of his death, he was three or four months behind payments on his home in San Fernando Valley. On June 25, , less than three weeks before his concert residency was due to begin in London, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died from cardiac arrest, caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose.

Paramedics received a call at pm Pacific time UTC and arrived at the property four minutes later. News of his death spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload, [ ] and it put unprecedented strain [ ] on many services and websites including Google , [ ] AOL Instant Messenger , [ ] Twitter and Wikipedia.

Over 1. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway. At the American Music Awards , Jackson won four posthumous awards, including two for his compilation album Number Ones , bringing his total American Music Awards to It was the most expensive music contract for a single artist in history. In , Jackson became the first artist to have a top-ten single in the Billboard Hot in five different decades.

The deal includes assets from Jackson's Mijac publishing catalog, but excludes royalties from several Jackson-related productions, including the MJ Broadway musical and the Michael biopic. The deal is possibly the largest transaction ever for a single musician's work. Jackson's posthumous releases and productions are administered by the estate of Michael Jackson , which owns Jackson's trademarks and rights to his name, image and likeness.

The surviving Jackson brothers reunited to record backing vocals. The Jackson collaborator will. The video game developer Ubisoft released a music game featuring Jackson for the holiday season, Michael Jackson: The Experience. In , in an attempt to end a family dispute, Jackson's brother Jermaine retracted his signature on a public letter criticizing executors of Jackson's estate and his mother's advisors over the legitimacy of his brother's will.

Jackson, the son of Tito Jackson, was given co-guardianship of Michael Jackson's children after false reports of Katherine Jackson going missing. Later in , Queen released a duet recorded with Jackson in the s. Deadline Hollywood reported that the film "will not shy away from the controversies of Jackson's life". In , choreographer Wade Robson filed a lawsuit alleging that Jackson had sexually abused him for seven years, beginning when he was seven years old — Safechuck's claim was also time-barred.

In , it was ruled that Jackson's corporations could not be held accountable for his alleged past actions. On October 20, , Safechuck's lawsuit against Jackson's corporations was again dismissed. The judge ruled that there was no evidence that Safechuck had had a relationship with Jackson's corporation, nor was it proven that there was a special relationship between the two.

Robson and Safechuck's allegations were the subject of the documentary film Leaving Neverland , released in March On February 21, , the Jackson estate sued HBO for breaching a non-disparagement clause from a contract. In September , Judge George H. Wu denied HBO's motion to dismiss the case, allowing the Jackson estate to arbitrate. In , a state law passed in California which granted plaintiffs in child sex abuse cases an additional period to file lawsuits.

In August , California's Second District Court of Appeal overturned the ruling, and the case was approved to move forward to trial court. Jackson has been referred to as the " King of Pop " for having transformed the art of music videos and paving the way for modern pop music. For much of Jackson's career, he had an unparalleled worldwide influence over the younger generation.

Jackson's meteoric rise in the s catapulted him to global stardom, and his influence transcended borders. In Africa, his influence was compared to Nelson Mandela for his ability to inspire and unite diverse audiences through his music. Trying to trace Michael Jackson's influence on the pop stars that followed him is like trying to trace the influence of oxygen and gravity.

So vast, far-reaching and was his impact—particularly in the wake of Thriller ' s colossal and heretofore unmatched commercial success—that there weren't a whole lot of artists who weren't trying to mimic some of the Jackson formula. Danyel Smith , chief content officer of Vibe Media Group and the editor-in-chief of Vibe , described Jackson as "the greatest star".

He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style, and color too. Following Jackson's death, Glenday wrote in an obituary that Jackson had maintained this status up until his death, [ ] later remarking that his fame had exceeded that of Confucius.

Reports of his fame extend from the Middle East, [ ] [ ] Africa, [ ] [ ] India, [ ] [ ] and China [ ] [ ] to tribes in the Amazon. In , the National Portrait Gallery named Jackson the most depicted cultural figure of the century, [ ] later stating that Jackson's influence on art rivaled that of Jesus Christ. Jackson was prominently placed on the list of top influencers, alongside Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus , Adolf Hitler , and Jesus Christ.

An additional study conducted in also identified Jackson as one of the most influential people of all time. This study ranked Jackson at the top of the list, alongside Napoleon Bonaparte , highlighting the extraordinary influence and global recognition that Jackson achieved throughout his career. Jackson is widely regarded as having been a prolific philanthropist and humanitarian.

Jackson's philanthropic activities went beyond just monetary donations. He also performed at benefit concerts , some of which he arranged. He gifted tickets for his regular concert performances to groups that assist underprivileged children. He visited sick children in hospitals around the world. He opened his own home for visits by underprivileged or sick children and provided special facilities and nurses if the children needed that level of care.

Jackson donated valuable, personal and professional paraphernalia for numerous charity auctions. He received various awards and accolades for his philanthropic work, including two bestowed by presidents of the United States. The vast breadth of Jackson's philanthropic work has earned recognition in the Guinness World Records. On May 14, , President Ronald Reagan gave Jackson an award recognizing his support of alcohol and drug abuse charities, [ ] and in recognition of his support for the Ad Council 's and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 's Drunk Driving Prevention campaign.

Jackson allowed the campaign to use "Beat It" for its public service announcements. Jackson was known as an expressive vocalist with absolute pitch. Bruce Swedien , his long-time sound engineer, emphasized that a critical element of their vocal recordings are of him and Jackson trying numerous approaches to rhythmic, emotional and technical distinctions to consummate a "sonic character".

Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed. Between and , his voice descended from boy soprano to lyric tenor. With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late s, Jackson's abilities in his coming-of-age period had Rolling Stone comparing his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder, and wrote that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful.

It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone". When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.

When Jackson was a small child, his mother would wake him whenever Brown appeared on television. Jackson described being "mesmerized". Jackson's vocal technique was influenced by Diana Ross; his use of the oooh interjection from a young age was something Ross had used on many of her songs with the Supremes. Jackson had no formal music training and could not read or write music notation.

He is credited for playing guitar, keyboard, and drums, but was not proficient in them. I'll take that bass lick and put the chords of the melody over the bass lick and that's what inspires the melody. The engineer Robert Hoffman recalled that after Jackson came in with a song he had written overnight, Jackson sang every note of every chord to a guitar player.

Hoffman also remembered Jackson singing string arrangements part by part into a cassette recorder. Jackson danced from a young age as part of the Jackson 5, [ ] and incorporated dance extensively in his performances and music videos. Jackson explored genres including pop, [ 4 ] [ ] soul , [ 4 ] [ ] rhythm and blues , [ ] funk , [ ] rock, [ ] [ ] disco , [ ] post-disco , [ ] dance-pop , [ ] and new jack swing.

Pretty Young Thing ". With Off the Wall , Jackson's "vocabulary of grunts, squeals, hiccups, moans, and asides" vividly showed his maturation into an adult, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies The album's title track suggested to the critic a parallel between Jackson and Stevie Wonder 's "oddball" music personas: "Since childhood his main contact with the real world has been on stage and in bed.

In , Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona. In Bad , Jackson's concept of the predatory lover is seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana". Dangerous contains sexually charged songs such as " In the Closet ". The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire.

HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia. Sneddon Jr. Jackson released " Thriller ", a minute music video directed by John Landis , in In "Bad"'s minute video—directed by Martin Scorsese —Jackson used sexual imagery and choreography, and touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Winfrey in the interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he said it was spontaneously compelled by the music.

Time magazine described the "Bad" video as "infamous". It featured Wesley Snipes ; Jackson's later videos often featured famous cameo roles. To accomplish this live, Jackson and designers developed a special shoe to lock the performer's feet to the stage, allowing them to lean forward. They were granted U. It helped introduce morphing to music videos.

He apologized and removed the final scene of the video. At over 38 minutes long, it held the Guinness world record for the longest music video until , when it was eclipsed by the video for the Pharrell Williams song " Happy ". In December , the Library of Congress selected "Thriller" as the only music video to be preserved in the National Film Registry , as a work of "enduring importance to American culture".

Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history, [ ] with sales estimated around million records worldwide. In , he was honored with a "Presidential Public Safety Commendation" award by Ronald Reagan for his humanitarian endeavors. Jackson won hundreds of awards , making him one of the most-awarded artists in popular music.

He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of the Jackson 5 in and , [ ] respectively, and again as a solo artist in Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikinews Wikiquote Wikidata item.

American singer — For other uses, see Michael Jackson disambiguation. For other uses, see King of Pop disambiguation. The two-disc album featured a greatest hits compilation on disc one and new material on disc two that included collaborations with Janet Jackson, The Notorious B. In , Jackson released Invincible , his final studio album prior to his death.

Despite debuting at No. Invincible was released as Jackson was having legal issues with Sony over the rights to his master recordings , which escalated when Jackson called Sony Music Chairman Tommy Mottola a racist who exploits Black artists. By the turn of the century, Jackson was increasingly becoming known for his eccentricities, which included wearing a surgical mask in public.

In , he received enormous criticism for dangling his baby son Blanket over a balcony while greeting fans in Berlin, Germany. I was doing something out of innocence. In , Jackson encountered more legal woes when he was arrested on charges related to incidents with a year-old boy. He faced 10 counts in total, including lewd conduct with a minor, conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion.

The resulting trial was a media circus, with fans, detractors and camera crews surrounding the courthouse. However, the jury found problems with his testimony, as well as that of his mother. Jackson was found not guilty of all charges on June 14, The union proved to be short-lived, as they divorced in Later in , Jackson wed nurse Debbie Rowe.

When Rowe and Jackson divorced in , Michael received full custody of their two children. Jackson died on June 25, , at the age of 50, after suffering a cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home. CPR attempts failed, and he was rushed to the hospital, where he died later that morning. Aided by his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray , Jackson had been taking sedative drugs to help him sleep at night.

A police investigation revealed that Murray was not licensed to prescribe most controlled drugs in the state of California. The steps he took to save Jackson also came under scrutiny, as evidence showed that the standard of care for administering propofol had not been met, and the recommended equipment for patient monitoring, precision dosing, and resuscitation had not been present.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on November 7, , receiving a four-year maximum prison sentence. While 17, free tickets were issued to fans via lottery, an estimated 1 billion viewers watched the memorial on television or online. Memorials were erected around the world, including one at the arena where he was set to perform and another at his childhood home in Gary, Indiana.

The Jackson family held a private funeral on September 3, , at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, for immediate family members and guests. The first, Michael , was released in December amid controversy about whether the singer actually performed some of the tracks.