“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.”

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1969, and began
(1987), a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time and four other solo studio albums are also among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), BadDangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).



In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into an art form—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists. (Wikipedia)

It is sad to see such a legendary pop icon pass away, especially given the circumstances and his plan for a comeback (as the New King of Pop). Despite his shortcomings and problems with the law (from his child molestation trial, which he was later aquitted) and money, he was a one-of-a-kind (in more ways than one) superstar, who never quite wanted to grow up. With instant recognizability through his style, sound, and dance moves that transcended different generations and cultures, he will be sorely missed not only here, but throughout the world. Some of #1 hits include "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Black or White", "Rock With You" and "Man In The Mirror" - check out below his greatest songs and videos, as we pay our respects to the greatest pop star that has graced the stages. Click HERE to see the quotes that are being said about Michael Jackson.







- EH