Michael, we love you!
The one time, king of pop may
have lost his cry in recent years,
but when the Michael jackson
circus comes into town,
they're still as Whacko as ever.
Sarar Bryton, MTV news.
So much has been said about the life
and career of Michael Jackson
that it has become almost impossible to
disentangle the man from the myth.
He's been performing
since the age of five,
breaking records since he was 11
and a star without equal
since the age of 21.
Recent revelations are only
the latest instalments
of a saga that began decades ago.
From his drilling as a child star
with the The Jackson five.
to his rise as the king of pop
followed by his public humiliation
and spectacular fall from grace.
We'll be examining the real
story and fame phenomena
of a black American icon who was destined to
become the most controversial figure
in the world.
Born in Garry in Indiana in 1958.
Michael Joseph Jackson was seventh
of nine brothers and sisters.
His father, joseph Jackson,
who had a reputation as a strict disciplinarian
organised a family band made up of his children.
Jackie, Germain, Tito and Marlin.
In 1963, at the tender age of five,
Michel Joined the group.
Joseph scheduled a strict regime
for Michael and his brothers,
relentless hours of practice,
left very little time for
normal childhood activities.
In 1966the brothers won a talent contest
at the renowned Apollo theatre
in New York's Harlem district
and within a year had supported
Gladys Night and the pips,
Gladys recommended the group
to Motown Records.
(voice of Gladys Knight)
I felt something from his group of young kids.
Joe [unclear] were very into these children
and they were struggling trying
to get these young men
introduced to the entertainment world.
And Jo had come by,
he would bring them by the
theatre every single day.
and the pips were, were,
were really more familiar with
the guys than i was
and they had been talking about
them for the longest time.
So i said, well hey, let me see what i can do,
so i went and we were with Motown
at the time and i went,
and i called the company and i asked them
if they could send a representative
out to see these young kids,
because they were performing on the
talent show that wednesday night.
And i didn't carry a whole lot of weight
at the company at that time
and they said,well,we'll do the best we can.
Motown sent a young executive,
Suzanne De Passe to meet the boys
and the Jackson five were born.
(Voice of suzanne De Passe)
I was with Motown for about,
I'd been with them for about
in an apartment building where
another artist with the company,
Bobby Taylor lived and he called me,
because he knew i worked in Barry Gordie's office
and he said, you've got to come down.
And i went down to his apartment and there,
Sort of stretched out across
the living room floor were
Michael and his brothers and Jo
and a couple of other people
who were with them at the time
and i was like curious and he clapped,
Bobby clapped his hands and said,
okay boys, get up,
let's sing and Michael and his brothers got up
and they sang A Capella
and it really blew me away.
Michael Jackson first entered
a recording studio in 1967,
just three months after his ninth birthday,
by the age of 10 he became lead vocalist.
A year later he and his older brothers
released their first single,
I Want You Back.
It became more than just a hit.
It was an oral steamroller.
It shot to number one in America
selling 2 Million copies.
Michael was just 11 years old.
Jackson mania had arrived.
Over a ten month period,
the quintet from Garry Indiana
created pop history,
with an incredible four consecutive
number one hits,
I Want You Back, ABC,
The Love You Save and I'll Be There
With the release of the horror movie,
Willard in 1971,
Michahael Jakson's career took
on a whole new dimension,
the title song, Ben became a world wide smash,
giving Michael his first of solo success.
By 1975, after 13 albums
and countless top ten hits,
Motown and the Jackson five were to part company.
With a fresh start and Epic
records and renamed simply,
The Jacksons, the Journey was far from over.
The hits just kept on coming.
In 1977 Michael Jackson
started in the feature film,
The Wizz, a remake of the Wizzard of Ozz,
featuring an all black cast.
Michael Played the scarecrow and his leading lady,
Diana Ross played Dorothy.
The Movie flopped.
Michael was introduced to Quincy Jones on the set,
which led to Jackson's first
electrifying solo album,
Off The Wall.
The album went platinum,
selling over 7 million copies
and catapulted Michael Jackson's solo career
into orbit around the globe.
Quincy Jones worked with Michael
to produce hi second solo album,
the 1982 masterpiece, Thriller.
It became a his of colossal proportions,
reaching number one in the United States
and the United Kingdom simultaneously.
It remained in the top ten in the
US billboard chart for an entire year.
Thriller put black music on US radio
for the first time in years
With an astonishing 65 Million
Copies sold world wide,
the Album cemented Michael Jackson's career
as an American Icon and universal superstar.
An incredible seven of the nine songs
on the album
went on to be top ten singles.
Today, Thriller retains its title as the
biggest selling album of all time.
During the 1980s Michael Jackson's
fame had surpassed
many of the worlds leading political
and religious figures
and by the age of only 25,
the New York Times summed him up
as a musical phenomena, stating that,
in the world of pop music
there is Michael jackson and
then there is everyone else.
Four song on the album were penned by Michael,
Want To Be Starting Something,
The Girl Is Mine with Paul McCartney,
Beat It and Billy Jean.
Unlike many artists,
Michael did not write his songs on paper,
instead he chose to dictate the
words into a tape machine
and when recording he would sing from memory.
rather than read the words.
Aside from his music,
Michael Jackson was to revolutionise music videos,
the unique video for Thriller
was unprecedented for its time,
with duration of over 14 minutes,
a huge cast and massive budge.
Director John Landis of Blues Brothers
in American wealth
and london fame, teamed up with Rick Baker,
whose created prosthetics that
rivalled those of the cinema.
This combined with choreography
as dazzling as Broadway,
resulted in a music video,
which became so popular,
that a documentary
the making of Michael Jackson's Thriller,
became the worlds largest selling home video.
Songs from Thriller,
along with Michael's narrative
for the ET storybook,
earned him a phenomenal eight
Grammy Awards in a single night.
Another pop music industry record.
It was during the televised 25th
anniversary of Mowtown in 1982
that Michael Jackson,
wearing his signature white sequined glove
unveiled the now famous
moonwalk for the first time.
It sent the crowd wild
and received phenomenal worldwide media coverage.
The popular music channel,
MTV who in the past had been reluctant
to give airtime to black artists
were now broadcasting Michael's
videos on heavy rotation.
By 1983 Michael jackson was
the most celebrated
and influential pop star on the planet.
He is one of the few artists
who have been inducted
into the Rock 'n Roll hall of fame twice.
His awards include eight Guinness world records.
including one for thriller as the
worlds best selling album,
and the sale of over 750
million albums world wide.
Michael received further accolade
when he was presented
with the greatest artist of the decade award
by President Bush at the Whitehouse.
On January 27, 1984,
Michael jackson and his four brothers
were performing Billy Jean
for a pepsi cola commercial
when a bizarre firework accident during filming
resulted in Michael suffering
second-degree burns to the head.
Plastic surgery was required
to restore his appearance.
By 1988 Michael was taking a hiatus
between albums and living at
his legendary vast estate,
a 2,600 acre ranch in Santa Barbra California.
He called it Neverland,
after the magical kingdom featured
in the JM Barry Novel, Peter pan.
Neverland continued a private amusement park,
plus a small zoo stocked with exotic animals
such as elephants, snakes, giraffes and lions.
Michael's favourite pet was the famous Bubbles.
his chimpanzee who travelled everywhere with him.
The ranch was maintained by 54 full time staff.
Michael was never short of visitors
to his fairytale theme park.
Children, especially sick
children would be invited
to there.
In 1987 the album,
Bad was released and along with it
came a significantly different
looking Michael jackson.
The 1988, Bad tour was attended by Prince charles
and Princess Diana.
Prior to taking the stage,
Michael presented
the prince and the princess with
a 300,000 cheque from the
proceeds of his Wembley concert
for the princes Trust,
a charity that supports disadvantaged children.
Michael presented princess Diana
with two custom
made Bad World tour jackets,
one each for her young sons,
Prince william and Prince Harry.
During the 1980s at the peak of his career,
Michael Jackson was the most
famous man on the planet,
a sex symbol known for wearing fetish outfits
and grabbing his crotch on stage
and By the End of the 80s, Michael was found,
artist of the decade.
Post Millennium,
he became the object of ridicule and scorn.
Hounded by the press and the courts
he became the victim of as many
as 50 new lawsuits every year.
The bizarre tabloid rumours became
rampant as Michaels fame grew.
It was alleged that
he had paid a vast sum
for the bones of John Merrick, the elephant man,
that to maintain his high-pitched voice,
he was taking hormone treatment.
Increasingly outlandish headlines claimed
that to keep his youthful appearance,
he slept in a hyperbolic chamber.
When it was reported that
Michael bleached his skin
to make him appear whiter,
some felt that he was denying his ancestral past.
Michael later revealed that he
suffered from a skin disorder,
Vitiligo which affects the skins pigmentation,
resulting in the appearance of large,
white blotches.
With the release of the album. Dangerous in 1991
and its estimated global
sales of 30 million copies,
rumours became rife that Sony were
dissatisfied with record sales,
and Michael was not living up to the
record company's high expectations.
By 1995, Michael had finished
his latest album, History,
Which controversially contained new material
mixed with old and featured
a duet with his sister, Janet
(Voice of Janet Jackson)
It was real fun working with his in the studio
when we wrote this song.
It was very interesting to see his work, at work,
because i hadn't seen him in a very long time.
I think the last time i saw him at work
was the Thriller album, really.
Just being there in the studio
with him and just watching,
most definitely i did it for
that little sister thing.
It'll always be that way,
because that's what i am
and he's my big brother.
Although singles from History
received great acclaim,
the album was never really
welcomed with enthusiasm.
Michael was criticised for being unable
to come up with any thing new.
Though completely denied by either of therm.
the media suggested that Michael was
romantically involved with childhood friend,
Brooke shields.
(Voice of Brooke Shields)
I think because we both grew up in the,
in the same business and
we had similar upbringings
in the sense that we were...
We had to being in this business
at a very young age,
we learned a sense of...
we had defence mechanisms
that we'd built up
and i think once we met each other,
we realised that we didn't really
have to be weary of one another.
And that just,
that enabled us to build a friendship
on a very different level.
I think we both had a crush
and still do have a crush on each other.
I mean i think part of having a crush
on someone is admiring them,
almost, I mean we have a lot of fun together
and it's almost unfortunate,
because we know each other so well.
Um, well actually i think right now,
let me Just say that i believe that we're
closer now than we ever were.
I think we love each other more now than
we even knew we did when we were younger.
I feel closer to him than,
some of the boyfriends that i've had.
I mean i feel more relaxed around him,
I'm more comfortable with him.
So it's sort of,
I mean i've never really had a brother
so it's sort of, that is part of that,
but its like a love on a very different level
and it's hard to really explain and
whenever i've tried to explain it
to people it's been misinterpreted
and its a shame, because it hurts him too
when he feels that people misinterpret the way
we feel about each other.
And he did, he gave me the most
incredibly beautiful ring
that you can ever imagine
and of course then people built
that out of proportion
and they said he, we were engaged and it really,
it wasn't about that,
it was a friendship ring and
when he gave it to me
it was the most adorable thing, he...
We hadn't really ever exchanged gifts before.
Rumours about Micheal Jackson
and his unusual relationships
with children began to surface
and the world held its breath
as the king of pop denied
accusations of child abuse
at his Neverland ranch in Santa Barbara.
Micheal went public with his denial
of inappropriate relationships
with any child and settled out
of court with the family
for a reputed $20 Million.
This was a start of a chain of events
that would ultimately damage Michael's
career in a profound way.
It was during this time that
a highly scrutinised marriage
took place to Lisa Marie Presley,
whose father was one of the few men
who could rival Michael's worldwide fame.
Despite media speculation about
the credibility of their relationship,
Lisa Marie and Michael were only too happy to
publicly denounce rumours
and declare that their love
for each other was genuine.
The marriage was short lived
and ended on amicable terms in 1996.
Within a year of separation,
Michael's association with his
dermatologist's assistant,
Deborah Rowe led to an announcement
that she was pregnant with his first child.
Soon after this,
the couple were married in Australia.
Deborah gave birth to a son,
Prince Michael Jackson junior
followed by a daughter,
Paris Michael Catherine.
Despite having two children together,
the relationship was not to last
and by Autumn 1999 the couple
announced their intention to divorce
with full custody of the children
going to Michael.
In 2002, Michael announced
the birth of another son.
Prince Michael the second.
To this day, the mother's name remains a mystery.
In 2002 Michael Jackson released
the album, Invincible.
It was a financial disaster,
selling only 2 Million Copies in the US
and after an association that
spanned over 20 years,
Sony failed to renew its contract with Michael.
The king of pop was loosing popularity.
We were already off the wall
and we're coming off our seats to stand up
for justice in the music industry.
This is very important,
because throughout the years,
black artists have been
taken advantage of completely
and it's time now that we have
to put a stop to this incredible,
incredible injustice and
like Mr. Joplin was saying,
people from James Brown to Sammy Davis Junior,
some of the real pioneers that inspired me
to be the entertainer that i am.
These artists are always on tour
because if they stop touring they
would totally go broken and uh,
it's been... The record companies really,
really do conspire against the artists.
They steal, they cheat, they do whatever they can
especially the black artists.
Yeah.
Now let me say this
Sony Tommy Mottola,
Tommy Mottola is the president
of the record division.
He's a mean, he's a racist
and he's very, very, very devilish.
Pass it on this way, and whoever else
who are artists that are on their
label that are being fucked.
Sony sucks! Sony sucks! Sony sucks!
I want to hear the guys at the back.
There has been much criticism
and speculation regarding Michael's
treatment of his children.
An incident in 2002 which was
circulated around the world,
showed Michael holding his baby
over a Berlin Hotel balcony
for his chanting fans to see.
It created uproar.
Hey Michael!
Those close to Michael have always insisted
that he is a responsible parent and
highly protective of his children.
Michael Jackson had become an easy target.
The harder he tried to protect his privacy,
the more absurd the stories became.
Claims of Michael sharing his
bed with his pet chimp,
Bubbles fulled hysteria.
More outrageous tales began to surface
when Michael's sister Latoya
Launched her own Musical career.
Claims circulated that Michael and Latoya
were one and the same person.
Michael's dramatic change in
appearance over the years
prompted speculation that he was
attempting to look like his friend,
Diana Ross, or even Peter Pan.
Throughout all of this,
Michael continued to be adored
by his legions of fans.
Don't you think the last
performance was very good?
Thank you, thank you.
what so special about the
last performance for you?
What makes this a great night for you?
It's the reunion and I'm honoured
that the world appreciates my art,
I'm very honoured.
How great is Michael as a man.
I mean not as a person.
how great is Michael as a man?
well, he is like, one of my closest friends
and we know more about each other probably than,
um, any two people and love him and he loves me.
(Voice of Brooke Shields)
I'm constantly upset by what people say.
I mean, first of all, granted,
you take everything with a grain of salt
and there are many things
said about me that are unkind
that i don't find pleasurable,
but people, so many people don't really know him
and they don't give him a chance
and they're so ready to criticize.
And i think what happens is when you see genius
and when you see a talent that is
just unstoppable and untouchable,
the first reaction people have is to criticize it.
because it scares them,
it threatens them and it.
it in order to augment their own self worth,
they feel that they have to belittle him
and you know, he's a sensitive human being,
who, you know, this, this,
all of the negativity,
it does affect him and it hurts him.
( voice of Michael Jackson)
By doing that.
This is their time for this and
this you should not do.
You should not say he's an animal, he's a,
you should not say he's a Jacko,
I'm not a Jacko, I'm jackson.
Whacko Jacko, where does that come from, huh?
Some English tabloid.
I have a heart and i have feelings.
I feel that, when you do that to me,
it's not nice.
Don't do it.
I'm not a whacko.
There's a time when i give a concert
and as many people
that want to come can come and enjoy the show.
And there's a time when you want to,
you like to be in private when
you put on your pyjamas
and go to sleep, cut of the light,
ding, and you lay down.
That's your private space.
You go in the park. I can't go in the park,
so I creat my own park at Neverland,
my own water space, my movie theatre,
my theme park, that's all for me to enjoy.
i don't want paparazzi really. but if they come,
be kind, write the right kind thing to write.
When film director,
Stephan Spielberg publicly criticised Michael
for using anti-semetic lyrics,
the king of pop was forced
to make a public apology,
denying prejudice towards anyone,
but by this point the media
had begun a feeding frenzy
Which was to culminate in what remains
one of the major scandals of pop history.
In 2003 came headlines that shook
the world and stun his fans.
Nine separate charges of child molestation
were brought against Michael
and his time he was to appear in court
under the scrutiny of the world press.
A furious flurry of claims and denials
and counter allegations followed.
Everyone had opinions about the
testimony and the witnesses.
as the drama was played out in California.
Please keep an open mind and
let me have my day in court.
I deserve a fair trial like every
other American citizen.
I will be acquitted and vindicated
when the truth is told.
I would like to let the world
know that I'm behind my son.
I don't believe any of this stuff
that's been written about him.
because i raised him
and i know that's just a
statement people are making.
we support our brother whole-heartedly and um, um,
we stand by his side and, there is,
we're in the process of planning a trip
for the whole family to be with him.
The case was dubbed the trial of the century
and gained global notoriety,
not only because of Jackson's fame,
but also because of the antics
outside of the courtroom.
When trial began, hoards of Michael supporters
held vigil for their hero,
outside of the courthouse.
When Michael arrived at court
he jumped on top of his SUV
and began dancing.
After two months,
the prosecution rested its
case against Michael Jackson.
On June 13, 2005 Michael was found not guilty
and completely cleared of all charges.
His fame wildly celebrated his acquittal.
I would like to thank the fans around the world.
Can you speak up please?
I would like to thank the fans around the world
for your love and your support
from every corner of the earth.
My family who've been very supportive,
my brother Randy who's been incredible.
I want to thank the community of Santa Maria.
I want you to know that I love
the community of Santa Maria
very much, it's my community.
I love the people.
I will always love the people.
My children were born in this community,
my home is in this community.
I will always love this community
from the bottom of my heart,
that's why i moved here.
Thank you very much.
Long after the headlines died,
thousands of celebrity watchers and pop music fans
continue their obsession
with this charismatic star,
but after restless,
but reclusive wanderings
in the deserts of Bahrain,
Ireland, England and France,
where will Michael go next?
It is my pleasure;
it is my honour to be here in south Africa.
I love you people very much.
I've had the time of my life here;
I've had so much fun.
I hate to leave and I'm definitely
looking for a, a home here to buy
and i would love to spend
the rest of my life here.
And we're definitely coming in January
and this is a wonderful, lovely man
and i love Nelson Mandela very much.
thank you for all your hospitality
and all your love.
Thank you very much.
Welcome Michael Jackson and Urie Geller
to the pitch of exodus city football club.
Michael why did you want to come and visit us?
why did you want to come and visit us?
Because i can.
Now there's a good answer,
he's a politician as well.
Do i need to educate you as well
about this whole incredible team?
He knows more about Guy Fawks than rugby.
he was the guy that blew up
the house of the prom wasn't he?
He certainly did.
But why is that a celebration?
Well we celebrate the fact
that he didn't succeed?
Okay, thank you, bye everybody.
What are you hoping to see here?
Pardon?
What are you hoping to see here?
Gee i don't know, i haven't been in yet.
Throughout his career,
Michael Jackson has always found time
to dedicate himself to a vast array
of charitable organisations
Are we blind to the fact that our children
are raging against the indifference,
crying out against the abandonment
of thundering against the neglect.
Heal The Kids is about doing something about
making a difference to help
in trying to help adults
and parents realise that it is our power
to change the world that our children live in.
(Voice of Iman Bowie)
What inpires me about Michael is
that his humanitarian efforts.
I mean, somebody like me,
whose my work in Somalia just brought me
to the fringe of what's happened in that country.
I mean, as a humanitarian,
we don't have a better spokesperson
for Heal the World,
Like Michael Jackson.
I'm shocked and inspired
by him as a humanitarian.
I cannot say more about that.
Heal the World became one of
the best selling singles of all time.
In 1995 Heal the World would become
the title of Michaels charity,
raising millions for worthy causes
and Michael continues to strive to
improve the lives of children everywhere.
One of these was a young boy named Ryan.
who was diagnosed with the AIDs virus.
(voice of Jean White)
I saw a very sincere Michael and somebody that...
it, it's strange,
after Ryan died i asked Michael,
I said, well what is it that connected
you to Ryan and he said,
well most People can't get
over the awe of who i am,
So nobody can ever act normal around me.
He said, Ryan knew how i wanted to be treated,
because that's how he wanted to be treated.
Ryan spend five days with Michael in 1990,
right his death Ryan was so worried
about being a burden to Michael,
because he could hardly walk,
he was very ill and they did a lot of fun things.
And the first night i said
well what did you do?
And he said, well we spent three hours
watching three stooges movies.
I mean this was something that...
Ryan loved comedy, so does Michael.
They went shopping and i said, you know,
who drove and he said,
well Michael drove the Bentley.
And i said, Michael drove himself?
And he said, yeah, me and Michael went shopping.
With Ryan's death, it's, it's very, very hard.
I have formed the Ryan White Foundation
dealing with adolescents,
dealing with all kinds of adolescents
whether you have AIDs,
whether you don't have AIDs,
whether your parents had AIDs,
whether your siblings have AIDs.
So i keep active doing the things
that Ryan was doing and educating
young people about AIDs.
Perhaps more than any other icon
in the history of popular music.
Michael Jackson remains a charismatic
but elusive figure of heated debate,
but one fact will forever remain undisputed,
his extraordinary talent for
creating truly original music,
Loved by millions.
And despite set backs that would
have ended careers of lesser men.
Michael Jackson's legion of fans remain
as loyal today as they've ever been.
His accomplishments as the
king of pop during the 1980s
will always remain some of the
most impressive in music history.