Michael Jackson

The King of Pop was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958. As a child, he was a lead singer of the Jackson family’s popular Motown group, The Jackson 5. Michael Jackson went on to become one of the most internationally famous award-winning solo pop sensations to date. Jackson father Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but had put aside his musical aspirations to focus on his family. Believing his sons had talent he molded them into a musical group in the early 60’s. The group was named the Jackson Family in the beginning, and was later changed to the Jackson 5. The group consisted of Michael older brother Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie. Michael joined the group at the age of five and emerged as the group’s lead vocalist. He showed remarkable range and depth for such a young performer, and impressing audiences with his ability to convey complex emotions. Later on his older brother Marlon joined the group, which evolved into The Jackson 5. Behind the scenes, Joseph Jackson pushed his sons to succeed. He also was known to become violent with them. Michael and his brother spent relentless hours rehearsing and polishing up their act. The group started playing at local gigs and built a strong foundation of potential fans. With all the hard work the Jackson 5 later went on to open up for big acts for such R&B artists as Gladys Knight and the Pips, James Brown, and Sam and Dave. Many of these performers were signed to the legendary Motown record label, and it has been reported that Gladys Knight may have been the one to tell Motown founder Berry Gordy about the Jackson 5. Impressed by the group, Gordy signed them to his label in 1968. Relocating to Los Angeles, Michael and his brothers started work on their music and dancing with their father as their manager. They lived with Gordy and also with Supremes singer Diana Ross when they first arrived