Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. One of the most successful musical performers of the rock era, Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest selling album of all time. He began his career as a child, serving as lead singer of the group The Jackson 5 (later The Jacksons) with his elder brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon, and later his younger brother Randy.

On 24 January 1984, Jackson's life changed forever when, during a film shoot for a Pepsi commercial at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, his hair ignited due to a premature pyrotechnic explosion during the sixth take. Jackson suffered second and third degree burns to his face and scalp, which required plastic surgery, and left him relying on wearing wigs to cover his scalp and cosmetic tattoos and makeup to hide his scars. It also left him with a dependence on sedatives and pain killers, which he never fully overcame. Jackson's former security guards told law officials in July 2009, that Jackson consumed as many as 40 Xanax pills a day.

In 1985, Jackson purchased ATV Music Publishing from Australian entrepreneur Robert Holmes à Court, which gave him control of over 4000 song titles, including those by the Beatles (Northern Songs catalogue). Paul McCartney had originally considered a joint bid for the songs with Yoko Ono, but this deal fell through when they could not agree on a price. Jackson's purchase had created a rift with McCartney, who he had previously duetted with on a number of recordings. This was further exacerbated in 1987 by Jackson allowing Nike to use the song 'Revolution' in their shoe commercials, which resulted in McCartney, George Harrison and Apple Records suing EMI-Capitol and Nike over the use of the song. In 1989, McCartney had asked Jackson to increase his share of the writer royalties, to which Jackson refused. The music publishing purchase by Jackson would prove to be a shrewd deal and over time turned out to be the entertainer's best ever investment.

During the 1990s, Jackson's career stalled further following a series of allegations of child molestation claims made against him. In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexual abuse by Evan Chandler, father of his then-13-year-old child, Jordan Chandler. Jackson became the subject of intense media scrutiny, resulting in Jackson becoming reclusive, and cancelling his Dangerous world tour. Before the allegations could be legally tested however, on 1 January 1994, Jackson's insurance company settled the civil suit out of court with the Chandler family and its legal team for US$22 million. It seriously damaged his standing with the public, and his music sales subsequently declined. Jackson was also the subject of discrete FBI investigations, which were only made public following his death under FOIA, involving seven sexual misconduct complaints dating back to the early 1990s. During a 2003 Granada television interview with Martin Bashir, Jackson claimed there was nothing wrong with sleeping in the same bed with children and that nothing inappropriate had happened. In 2005, Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of alleged sex crimes, filed complaints with the Los Angeles police and Jackson was indicted for four counts of molesting a minor, four counts of intoxicating a minor, one count of abduction, and one count of conspiring to hold the boy and his family captive at his 2,700-acre Neverland Ranch. On 13 June 2005, Jackson was found not guilty by jury verdict.

While preparing for his comeback concert series in London titled This Is It, Jackson died suddenly on 25 June 2009, the cause cardiac arrest due to an overdose of benzodiazepines and the intravenous surgical sedative propofol. His personal doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in November 2011. His lawyers appealed but failed. Murray was sentenced to the maximum 4 years, but eligible for release on 28 October 2013 with time served. On 3 October 2013, a 12-person jury panel rejected a US$1.6 billion lawsuit by the Jackson family against promoters AEG Live over the death of Jackson.

In June 2013, choreographer and former child dancer Wade Robson claimed he was sexually assaulted by Jackson for a number of years, and announced he intended suing the Jackson estate. A trial date was set for 2 June 2014 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.