Michael Jackson Pop Icon his reign and fall Research Paper

Michael Jackson Pop Icon his reign and fall - Research Paper Example However, it is true to say that great men and women also have their twists and turns and therefore, Jackson is no exception. This paper will discuss the life of Michael Jackson, evaluating his ups and downs in his life as a pop star. The Rise and fall of Michael Jackson Michael Jackson is a man, who spent the largest part of his life in the public domain, both due to his successes and numerous controversies. The later to be pop icon was born in the year 1958, as the seventh born child in a family of 9 children. It may be important to note that, his was a family that could have been categorized as a working class, which meant that they were not too far from being considered poor. Apparently, it may never have occurred to him or his close associates that he would later turn out to be one of the most talented and influential musicians around the world (Heatley, 2009). Michael’s music career begun when he was at a tender age of approximately 5 years, when he is considered to have made his debut performance. During this time, he was the lead singer of a group known as the Jackson 5, which comprised of artistes such as Jackie, Jermaine, Tito as well as Marlon, who were his brothers (Cadman, 2002). This group used to perform in clubs, where they had the privilege of sharing a platform with other renowned musicians, thereby exposing Michael to the much needed experience. The group performed on this platform for approximately 4 years after which they were discovered by two of Motown records’ signatories, i.e. Boby Tylor and the Vancouvers, who introduced the Jackson 5 to the producer; Beny Gordy, for auditions (Cadman, 2002). Consequently, they signed up with the production house i.e. Motown and this necessitated the group to relocate from their hometown to California. Working with Motown can be considered as the foundation of Michael Jackson’s success in the music industry. This is due to the fact that it enabled him as well as his group to become more professional thereby achieving a national outlook unlike when they were performing in clubs. For example, they managed to produce 14 albums as a group whereas Michael managed to record 4 on his own (Cadman, 2002). It is important to note that their first singles received a lot of praise and airplay across the US and in fact, they were ranked among the most favorite songs in the industry at that time. Some of these songs included and not limited to; I want you back, I will be there among others. Ambition is a virtue present in every man and woman and the Jacksons were no exception. It is therefore not a wonder to find that they decided to leave Motown after a short stay, to go and exercise their freedom and probably search for greener pastures. Michael’s journey to glory, however, begun in the year 1977, when came to meet with Queens Jones, who would later become his producer with the Epic records. Working with Jones, he was able to release an album titled Off The Wall in 1979, and which became an instant success not only in the US but also internationally (Taraborrelli, 2009). It is estimated that this album managed to make sales of approximately 20 million copies and above, asserting the fact that the musician was destined for greater things in life. Apparently, his fans did not have to wait for long as in 1982 he went ahead to release one of the greatest albums of all times i.e. the Thriller. This