Michael Jackson: Life in pictures
Gordy was especially taken with young Michael. “This little kid had an incredible knowingness about him that really made me take notice” he told author Gerald Posner in the 2002 book “Motown.” “He sang his songs with such feeling, inspiration and pain -- like he had experienced everything he was singing about.”
Jackson’s next solo album, 1983’s “Thriller,” broke industry sales records and erased the divide that separated black music from the American mainstream. Its success enabled him to broker what were believed to be the highest royalty rates ever earned by a recording artist. “Thriller” won eight Grammys, and is estimated to have sold more than 65 million copies world wide. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
Sales of his next album, “Bad,” released five years after “Thriller” in 1987, paled beside the figures for its predecessor but still were colossal. In songs like “Dirty Diana,” “Smooth Criminal,” and “Leave Me Alone,” it also began to show an insidious new to Jackson’s music. In those songs, filled with negative vibes about women, “Jackson the songwriter was letting loose some demons,” according tothe authors of “The New Rolling Stone Album Guide,” published in 2004. (Dave Hogan / Getty Images)
Jackson married Deborah Jeanne Rowe in Sydney, Australia, in November 1996. The two had been close for 10 years, as Rowe was his dermatologist’s nurse. However, the two decided to get married once Rowe became pregnant with their first child, Prince. The two also had a daughter, Paris, before divorcing in 1999. After Jackson and Rowe parted ways, a second son, Prince Michael II, was born to an unknown mother. (Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
Meanwhile, the albums that followed “Bad” -- 1991’s “Dangerous,” 1995’s “HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I” and 2001’s “Invincible” -- failed to attract the attention, praise or sales of his previous work. Times critic Robert Hillburn wrote that “Invincible,” in particular, “the low point” in his career, “frequently sappy, derivative and labored.” At the time it came out, “Invincible” was the most expensive album ever produced, according to inudstry insiders. (C.F. THAM / Associated Press)
In December 2003, after settling the first molestation case, Jackson faced new accusations of sexual abuse. According to a lawyer for the Jackson family, the case stemmed from a 12-year-old boy’s charges of molestation during visits to Neverland during the winter of 2002. Sources said the boy alleged that Jackson served him wine and then molested him several times.
Nine felony charges were levied against the king of pop, including two counts of administering an intoxicating agent and seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14. Jackson pleaded not guilty to all charges but caused a stir when he appeared in court in pajama pants, as seen here. He was acquitted on all charges in June 2005. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Throughout his career, Jackson has received many landmark awards, including the Living Legend Award at the 35th annual Grammy Awards and the Artist of the Millenium award at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP)
Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009, came just as he was readying to make a career comeback. The pop star was set to launch his “This is it” summer residency in London. (Dave Hogan / Getty Images)
