1. A Breakout Star
As a scrawny kid from Gary, Ind., in child-sized bell-bottoms and a radiant smile, Michael Jackson first stepped onto the scene at age 11 as part of the unforgettable Jackson 5.
2. Thriller
Jackson's 1982 album Thriller became a worldwide sensation and established the artist as a transcendent superstar. "Jackson is the biggest thing since the Beatles," TIME declared.
3. The Single Glove Debuts
In a 1983 television special commemorating the 25th anniversary of Motown, Jackson debuted the crystal-encrusted glove that would become his most recognizable wardrobe hallmark. It quickly became a sensation: so many kids wanted to imitate Jackson's style that by 1984 a New Jersey high school had banned students from wearing a single white glove.
4. Up in Flames
A 25-year-old Jackson was filming a Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 1984, when a pyrotechnic display exploded behind him, burning his glossy Jheri curls as he sang "Billie Jean" in front of 3,000 fans. Jackson covered his head with a coat to put the fire out and was later hospitalized with second-degree burns on his scalp.
5. Moonwalking
All the unverified accusations and nose jobs in the world can't change the fact that when Michael Jackson glided across the floor in skinny black pants and bright white socks, he looked like the coolest person in the world. His ability to keep one leg straight as he moved the other backward was an act of dexterity and timing.
6. A Private Playground
Nestled in the hills of California's Santa Ynez Valley near Los Angeles, Michael Jackson's 2,800-acre estate was a child's fantasy. Neverland, a sprawling theme park that took its name from the fantasy world of Peter Pan, came complete with amusement-park rides, arcade games and a private petting zoo.
7. An Unexpected Union
It was a match made in tabloid heaven: Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, and Michael Jackson, the eccentric King of Pop, married in secret in the Dominican Republic in May 1994. The newlyweds made their first public appearance together in the U.S. at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards, and what a memorable one it was.
8. Going over the Edge
One minute, Michael Jackson was blowing kisses to fans from the balcony of his presidential suite at Berlin's Adlon Hotel. The next, he was clutching his 9-month-old son Prince Michael II with one arm, as the child, with its face shrouded in a blanket, dangled precariously over the edge. Fans below, once screaming in adoration, began screaming in horror.
9. Living with Michael Jackson
One of the most revealing — and disturbing — glimpses into Michael Jackson's private life came during a blockbuster interview the pop star held with British journalist Martin Bashir in 2003. Some 27 million viewers tuned in to Living with Michael Jackson, a two-hour documentary based on eight months of unprecedented access to the music icon.
10. On Trial
In December 2003, months after the airing of the Living with Michael Jackson documentary, in which Jackson held hands with a child and outlined his habit of sharing a bed with young boys, Jackson was charged with child molestation and alcohol and conspiracy charges that carried a potential sentence of nearly 20 years in prison.
Read more by clicking on the link to TIME.
No comments:
Post a Comment