One of the worlds greatest entertainers, Michael Jackson is famous for revolutionising the music and entertainment industry with a series of chart-topping singles and albums, both solo and with his band, The Jackson 5.
The man nicknamed 'Wacko Jacko' by some is equally as infamous for his often bizarre behaviour and allegations of sexually molesting young boys.
Born in Indiana in 1958, Jackson has spent his entire life on stage, pushed by his domineering father who Jackson would later say was physically and emotionally abusive.
Originally, Jackson performed with his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon as the chart-topping Jackson 5. Hailed as a child prodigy, Jackson quickly became the star of the hugely successful group.
Jackson launched his solo career with Off the Wall in 1979. The album sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and spawned hits including Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough and Rock With You.He followed up with Thriller - the higest selling album of all time - selling more than 100 million copies and featuring mega-hits including Billie Jean, Beat It and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'.Thriller was credited with breaking down race barriers as, previously, MTV had not played black artists on the channel. It also helped Jackson score eight Grammy Awards.
The album was re-released this year in a collaboration with current chart-topping artists such as Fergie and Kanye West.
Other albums included Bad, Dangerous and HIStory, all huge successes but never scaling the heights of Thriller.Jackson was hailed for his outrageous dancing as he introduced the world to moves like the Moonwalk.
Today’s big artists including Chris Brown and Mary J Blige have repeatedly cited Jackson as an inspiration.
Aside from his musical success, Jackson's often bizarre private life has been the subject of intense scrutiny, including claims he slept in an oxygen chamber and had bought the bones of the Elephant Man. Jackson faced serious allegations of sexually assaulting two young boys in 1993 and in 2005 but was never convicted. His predilection for plastic surgery is also well documented. Over the years, his face has changed dramatically. He is said to have had several rhinoplasties, a cleft put in his chin, and his skin has been bleached white, reportedly partly due to the medical condition Vitiligo. Jackson has been married twice and fathered three children: sons Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr (also known as "Prince"), and Prince Michael Jackson II; and a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. He was widely criticised for dangling Prince Michael II over a hotel balcony in Germany shortly after he was born.
More recently, his financial situation has come under intense scrutiny. He was sued by former associates an employees who said his spending was out of control.
He owns a 2500-acre ranch called Neverland in California. The ranch once hosted thousands of children and featured a ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and a zoo with elephants, giraffes and orangutans.
He also had a pet Chimpanzee known as Bubbles.
Jackson now lives in exile where he has reportedly been a guest of Bahrain’s crown prince of the desert.
