Michael Jackson

“Thriller,” “Bad” and the moonwalk all helped made Michael Jackson a famous musician, however he reached superstar level with his every changing complexion and private antics.

Born on Aug, 29 1958, in Gary, Ind., Jackson got his musical start singing at a school recital, he also played percussion in a band with his brothers, then known as The Jackson Brothers. In 1969, now with Jackson as the lead singer and the band called The Jackson 5, the group signed with Motown records. After a dispute with Motown records, the group left for CBS records, but ran into legal trouble including loosing rights to the name “The Jackson 5.”

In 1979, Michael released his first solo album, Off the Wall. The record had four-number-one hits including, “Don’t stop to you get enough.” In 1982 he released one of the greatest albums of all-time in Thriller. The album went on to produce seven hit songs. In 1983 at the Motown25: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow celebration he debuted the moonwalk.

It was with his album Bad that fans started to notice a change in Jackson’s appearance. He had always been a lightly-brown skinned, pudgy kid. However, now his skin was noticeably lighter and his facial structure changed a great deal.

The once great career began to tank in 1993 when allegation over sexual abuse at his Neverland Ranch began to surface. Jackson denied these allegations through a satellite appearance saying he was, “totally innocent of any wrongdoing.” Jackson later settled the lawsuit out of court.

Jackson then released several more album, but none lived up to the comerical or critical success of his earlier albums. In 2002, in response to fans clammoring to see his new baby, Jackson dangled the baby over a railing outside his hotel room. Again in 2003, Jackson was arrested for child molestiation. The charges led to a public trial, but Jackson was aquitted on all counts.