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Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958. Michael grew up in the spot light as a child he was lead singer in the Motown Group "The Jackson 5". Jackson went on to become one of the most internationally famous award-winning solo pop sensations to date, he died in 2009 his death brought up the most controversy death to this day, his death was ultimately ruled as an accidental overdose.
EARLY LIFE:
Joseph Jackson had been a guitarist but had put aside his musical dream to help provide for his family as a hard working crane operator. Beliving his sons had musical talent he molded them into a musical group in the early 1960's. At first The Jackson 5 only consisted of Michaels older brothers Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie, Michael didn't join the group when he was 5. Behind the scenes Jackson pushed his sons to succeed he was also known to become violent with them. At the age of 13, Jackson launched a solo career in addition to his work with The Jackson 5. He made the charts in 1971 with "Got to Be There" from the album of the same name. His 1972 album, Ben, featured the eponymous ballad about a rat. The song became Jackson's first solo No. 1 single.
THE PRESENT DAYS:
At the top of his game creatively and commercially, Jackson signed a $5 million endorsement deal with Pepsi-Cola around this time. He, however, was badly injured while filming a commercial for the soda giant in 1984, suffering burns to his face and scalp. Jackson had surgery to repair his injuries, and is believed to have begun experimenting with plastic surgery around this time. His face, especially his nose, would become dramatically altered in the coming years.
Raised as a Jehovah's Witness, Jackson was a shy and quiet person off-stage. He was never truly comfortable with the media attention he received and rarely gave interviews. In 1993, allegations of child molestation against Jackson emerged. A 13-year-old boy claimed that the music star had fondled him. Jackson was known to have sleepovers with boys at his Neverland Ranch, but this was the first public charge of wrongdoing. The police searched the ranch, but they found no evidence to support the claim. The following year, Jackson settled the case out of court with the boy's family. Other allegations emerged, but Jackson maintained his innocence.In 2002, Jackson made headlines when he seemed confused and disoriented on stage at an MTV awards show. Soon after, he received enormous criticism for dangling his son, Prince Michael II, over a balcony while greeting fans in Berlin, Germany. In a later interview, Jackson explained that "We were waiting for thousands of fans down below, and they were chanting they wanted to see my child, so I was kind enough to let them see. I was doing something out of innocence." But many were unforgiving of the star's behavior, with former fans and media outlets clamoring to have Child Protective Services take Jackson's children from him.