Michael
Jackson, 1958-2009: He Amazed the World With His Music and Dancing.
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VOICE ONE:
I'm Faith Lapidus.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Bob Doughty with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today we tell
about one of the most famous performers in the world, Michael Jackson. Known as
the "King of Pop," Jackson sold more than seven hundred fifty million
albums over his career. Michael Jackson redefined popular culture with his
energetic music, dance moves and revolutionary music videos.
But Jackson's huge success as a
performer was not always easy. He was a complex individual with an often
troubled private life.
(MUSIC: "Billie
Jean")
VOICE ONE:
That was a song that hardly needs an
introduction. "Billie Jean" first came out on the nineteen eighty-two
hit album "Thriller." The Guinness World Records lists that record as
the best-selling album of all time. Other famous songs on the album include
"Thriller," "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin'
Somethin'."
The album "Thriller" was
as much about moves as it was about music. Michael Jackson brought attention to
his body's movements by wearing a shiny white glove, shortened black pants and
white socks. He created dance movements that were electrifying. He could be as
hard as a robot, or as smooth as liquid. While doing his famous
"moonwalk" step, he seemed to be walking backwards on air.
(MUSIC: "I Want
You Back")
VOICE TWO:
Michael Jackson was born in Gary,
Indiana in nineteen fifty-eight. He was the seventh of nine children. He was
five years old when he began singing with his brothers in a group called the
Jackson 5. In nineteen sixty-eight the group signed a recording deal from
Motown Records. Michael was eleven years old when they released their first
album a year later.
The Jackson 5 became an immediate
success. Their music set records. Their first four songs were "I Want You
Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be
There." They all reached the number one position in pop music record sales
in nineteen seventy.
VOICE ONE:
Michael was the star of the group.
He was the lead singer and danced with great energy. His extraordinary skill
and presence on stage was remarkable, especially for someone so young. The
group made youthful and fun music that was very popular with both
African-Americans and white listeners.
In the nineteen seventies, the group
changed record companies and shortened their name to the Jacksons. They
continued to perform together, although Michael Jackson started to record music
on his own as well. His first album performing alone was "Off the
Wall," released in nineteen seventy-nine.
(MUSIC: "Don't
Stop 'Til You Get Enough")
VOICE TWO:
Three years later, Jackson released
"Thriller." The album was not just the best selling album of all
time. It also won eight Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards. And it
helped establish the popularity of a new form of entertainment, music videos.
The video for the song "Thriller" was important in the history of the
music industry. Michael Jackson understood the power of these videos in
bringing attention to his music and to his image. He worked hard to make
exciting videos with complex stories and dances.
VOICE ONE:
In nineteen eighty-five, Michael
Jackson helped write the song "We Are the World." He recorded it with
many other famous performers. The aim of the record was to raise money for
starving people in Africa. The project raised millions of dollars with this best
selling song.
Michael Jackson's next album,
"Bad," produced five number one hits, including "The Way You
Make Me Feel."
(MUSIC: "The
Way You Make Me Feel")
VOICE TWO:
Michael Jackson was a huge success,
but he was also a very troubled man. His behavior and appearance became
increasingly strange. He had many operations to change his face.
He acted and spoke in a childlike
way. Jackson bought a huge property in California which he called Neverland
after the children's story of Peter Pan. He had amusement park rides, a zoo and
a large movie theater built for his home. Michael Jackson also went into major
debt.And he suffered from injuries and illness that reportedly led him to take
many kinds of pain-killing medicines.
VOICE ONE:
In nineteen ninety-three, a thirteen-year-old
boy accused him of sexual abuse. The child molestation case was settled out of
court with Jackson reportedly paying the boy millions of dollars. But ten years
later, a similar accusation by another boy led to a criminal trial which began in
two thousand five. A jury cleared Jackson of all charges. He called the trial
the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.
During this time, Michael Jackson
kept recording and performing music. His later albums include
"Dangerous," "HIStory" and "Invincible."
(MUSIC: "Black
and White")
VOICE TWO:
Michael Jackson was briefly married
to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of musician Elvis Presley. He later married
a nurse named Deborah Rowe. They had two children, Michael Joseph Jackson and
Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. The couple divorced in nineteen ninety-nine.
Mr. Jackson later had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson.
VOICE ONE:
After his two thousand five trial,
the singer spent much of his time in Europe and the Middle East. He returned to
the United States with the aim of planning what was to be a victorious
comeback. Michael
Jackson died on June twenty-fifth, two thousand nine of heart failure. He was
just days away from launching a series of fifty concerts in London.
VOICE TWO:
Fans around the world mourned his
death. Prisoners in a jail in the Philippines danced for him. Fans in Paris,
France attended a service at the city's ancient religious center in his honor.
Famous performers around the world told about the influence he had on their work.
Michael Jackson left a huge mark on popular culture. His memory will live on in
his unforgettable music.
(MUSIC: "Man in the
Mirror")
VOICE ONE:
This program was written and
produced by Dana Demange. I'm Faith Lapidus
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Bob Doughty. You can learn
about other famous Americans on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us
again next week for PEOPLE IN
AMERICA in VOA Special
English.
