MICHAEL JACKSON: 20 FUN FACTS

1. Jackson, famously known as MJ, made it to showbiz at the age of five when he was part of the famous family vocal group, Jackson Five. From then onwards, he developed a flair for singing (not that it was not in his blood!) and at the tender age of 18, Jackson became a billionaire owing to his music and performances.

2. Do you know who named Michael Jackson the King of Pop? Elizabeth Taylor was so impressed with Jackson’s music that she gave him this title for his continued fame and glory, at the American Music Awards.

3. When Michael Jackson performed at the half time of the 1993 Super Bowl, the number of people who watched and raved about his performance has been estimated to be the largest American audience ever to watch one particular performance.

4. King of pop, Michael Jackson won 8 Grammy awards in 1984 breaking the record for the maximum awards any individual has taken in one single year. Now that is why he was known as the best pop singer in the world!

5. Jackson was known to be a spiritual person who believed in God. For him, everything that humans had was God-gifted and so was his singing and dancing talent. According to sources, Jackson voiced his feelings about how he could feel God in everything around him.

6. MJ’s marriage to Deborah Jeanne Rowe lasted for 19 months, bearing two children, Michael Joseph Jackson Junior (Prince) and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, both of whom lived with their father after 1999.

7. Jackson’s famous record Thriller had the world gripped in its lyrics when he sang it for the first time. This song alone sold 50 million copies worldwide and to date remains one of the best sellers among pop music fans.

8. Not only was Jackson known for his amazing music, he was one of the first singers to popularize his own moves on stage. Some of his signature moves were the Moon Walk and Robot, both of which garnered a cult following amongst his fans.

9. Apart from having some of the most electric dance moves and songs, Jackson’s music was always paired with equally catchy videos. For instance, the video made for Scream was arguably the most expensive video ever made for any singer in the history of pop music. The total value of this video has been ranked at £ 3.8 million.

10. Jackson was one of the few famous celebrities who worked relentlessly for charity. He was known to donate huge sums of money and help children with their education via his charity, Heal The World Foundation. After completing a world tour in 1993, performing live in 67 concerts, Jackson gave away all its proceeds to the foundation to help people live a quality life. He received a Presidential Humanitarian reward in 1984 for his efforts.

11. According to most writers, Jackson was a private person whose life was full of tales. When his first autobiography, The Moon Walk, was written, it took over four years for it to be completed and published, hitting the New York Times bestseller category.

12. Not only have Michael Jackson’s song broken world records, his concert themes were known to be the first of their kind. The “This is it” concert was the first 3D concert to be held in the history of the world and took the audience by surprise and awe.

13. Jackson’s looks also had fans going crazy for him. Even though he suffered from skin disease and had two nose-jobs done, Jackson had the looks of a superstar. In 1984, a French fan committed suicide after he was unable to get plastic surgery to look exactly like Michael Jackson.

14. Michael Jackson was one of those artists who entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once for his performance in the Jackson 5 in 1997 and again for his solo records in 2001.

15. Ever wondered why Michael Jackson wore his signature black band in every concert? Being an Afro American himself and constantly involved in charities, for Michael Jackson the black band was a reminder of the suffering of poor people around the world, especially children. He wished to impart the same awareness with his music to his beloved audience.

16. Jackson’s moves were no small dance numbers. When it came to performing live on stage Michael Jackson had one of the best plans up his sleeve. Under his name was a patented shoe device that enabled him to lean towards the audience during his dance moves, making it look like he was going against the gravitation pull!

17. In 1984, a U.S library claimed a million dollar fine for unreturned books on Jackson. Talk about an intense reading habit! However, Mr. Jackson was way too esteemed to be caught in a library suit; therefore, the unit agreed to forfeit the fine if Jackson would return all the overdue books with his autograph in them so that the books could be kept as prized possessions in the library.

18. Singing was not only Michael’s passion, it was in his blood. His father Joseph Jackson performed in a band called the Falcon while his mother, Katherine, used to play the piano and the guitar before getting married. With a family of nine children, Jackson was one of those who thought differently and wanted a life that defied one that was led by an Afro-American in those days.

19. Michael Jackson suffered from a skin disease called Vitiligo, even though popular rumors were spread that his skin was bleached. After his ailment was revealed, Michael Jackson’s Press dermatologist made a statement that this disease was not contagious but merely a loss of skin pigmentation.

20. Did you hear about the World’s largest Thriller Dance? In 2008, 4177 people from 42 cities performed a synchronized zombie dance from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. This collective dance is known to be the largest group performance ever. None other than Michael Jackson could create such a cult following among his fans.