Interesting Facts About Michael Jackson

I don’t think there is anyone in this planet that does not know Michael Jackson. Definitely a musical legend!

“The King of Pop,” transformed the face of pop music and popular culture. He had the x-factor, music expertise and exploited them in areas like never before. His biggest feature was that his songs were as good as his videos, which is a rare combination in the music world.

Let’s explore some interesting facts about Michael Jackson:

 

1. Born To A Boxer.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. His father, Joseph Jackson, was a boxer, steelworker, and a guitarist but to provide for his family, he worked as a crane operator. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah’s Witness, but also worked part-time at a departmental store. He had a big family with 3 sisters and 5 brothers.

2. Disturbed Childhood

MJ’s father was violent with him and his brothers. He faced physical and emotional abuse during unceasing rehearsals. During an interview, he had revealed that his father used to beat him and his brothers with a strap and didn’t regret doing so.

3. A Family Band

In 1965, Michael’s father made a band called “Jackson Brothers” with him and Marlon and included his brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine as backup musicians.

4. First Public Performance

He gave his first public performance at the age of 5 singing Climb Every Mountain.

5. Series Of Recordings

In the late 60s and early 70s, the Jackson 5 recorded many songs, such as Big Boy, The Love You Save, I’ll Be There, Got to Be There, I Want You Back, and many more hits.

6. First Song By A Black Artist On MTV!

His song “Billie Jean” has earned the tag of being the first song by a black artist to be aired on MTV.

7. The First Mega Hit

In 1983, his album- Thriller proved to be a worldwide hit by selling around 65 million copies.

8. And The Moonwalk…

In 1983, with around 47 million viewers, Motown was a huge success where Jackson performed “Billie Jean” and showed his famous dance move called “The Moonwalk.”

9. MJ Invented The Word- “Shamone”

The word “shamone” became popular from MJ’s song, “Bad” released in 1987. MJ used “shamone” instead of “come on” in the song. It is also considered as MJ’s tribute to soul singer Mavis Staples, who used the word, “shamone” in a live version of “I’ll Take You There” in 1975.”

10. Pepsi Changed His Face!

After signing a $5 million deal with Pepsi-Cola, he got severely injured while filming a commercial for them. It caused burns to his face and scalp, leaving him with sparse hairs, which was also revealed in his autopsy report. After the incident, Michael Jackson was forced to wear a wig. Very few would know that Jackson was secretly bald. When his injuries were getting addressed, he began experimenting with plastic surgery.

11. The Most Awarded Artist!

He has 23 Guinness World Records, 40 Billboard Awards, 13 Grammys, and 26 American Music Awards.

12. The Best-Selling Album Of All Time!

His album “Thriller” is the best-selling album of all time with around 65 million copies.

13. The Most Expensive Video Ever!

Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson were part of the most expensive video ever “Scream” with a whopping expense of $7,000,000.

14. The Big Comeback

Before his death, MJ was rehearsing for his greatest comeback with around 50 shows in London only. The name of the concert was “This is it.”

15. Son-in-law of Elvis Presley

MJ’s 1st marriage with Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 lasted for only 19 months. Later, he had his 2nd marriage in 1996, with Deborah Jeanne Rowe and had 2 kids, Michael Joseph Jackson Junior and a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. This marriage also ended in 1999.

16. A Big Fan Of Comedy

MJ was a big fan of “The Three Stooges,” an American vaudeville and comedy act.

17. Suffered From A Rare Skin Disease!

There had been speculations about Michael Jackson’s intentional bleaching. However, his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, explained that Jackson had a rare skin disease called vitiligo (vit-ill-EYE-go), which causes a person to lose pigment in patches or all over the body and affects 1 to 2% of the population. He was diagnosed with Vitiligo in 1993.

18. He Left Without Paying His Debts!

Apparently, Michael Jackson left behind $1 billion in assets, $500 million in unpaid debts.

19. His Lean Move Was Patented!

MJ’s popular “lean” in Smooth Criminal was due to a special patented “anti-gravity illusion” shoe.

20. Twin Towers Lucky Escape!

On the morning of 9/11, he had a meeting in one of the Twin Towers but luckily missed it because he overslept.

21. His Pets Range From Mice To Tigers!

Pets played an important part in his life. He had mice, snakes, birds, llamas, tigers, dogs, and cats, but his favourite pet was Bubbles- the chimpanzee.

22. MJ Wanted To Be A Spiderman!

In the late ’90s, he wanted to purchase Marvel Comics, which had filed for bankruptcy. He wanted to produce and act as Spiderman. But, it failed, and the role of Spiderman went to Tobey Maguire.

23. Gone Forever

On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died at his home on North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills because of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication which led to a cardiac arrest. Later, on August 28, 2009, The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office ruled that Jackson’s death was a homicide and Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson.

24. Wanted To Live For 150 Years

Well! Nobody wants to die young, but Michael Jackson went a step further and wanted to live at least 150 years. For this, he used a customized medical chamber, in which, he could breathe in 100% oxygen, rather than the 21% normal concentration in air.

25. The Most Significant Cultural Icon

Well! When you talk about Micheal Jackson, superlatives are never-ending. Here’s another superlative that Michael Jackson is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century.

26. The Most Collectible Celebrity

Micheal Jackson is also considered one of the most collectible celebrities in the world; as his most iconic costume pieces alongside his red and black leather “Thriller” music video jacket was sold for $1.8 million at an auction in 2011, his iconic black “Bad” jacket, which he wore on his first solo tour, was sold for $298,000, and so on.

27. The Greatest Entertainer Of All Time

Michael Jackson’s name has been etched in the history of entertainment as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. His contributions to music, dance, and fashion, have made him a global figure in popular culture.

Check out this cool piano cover of “Beat it”