Arguably the greatest all-round entertainer of his era, Michael Jackson embodied the paradox of extreme fame: a uniquely gifted singer, dancer and songwriter, his extraordinary talents were matched only by the loneliness, eccentricity and ego-mania of his isolated position atop popular culture. This book charts the rise and demise of the self-proclaimed King of Pop. A star from the age of 11, Michael Jackson's unrivalled success spanned five decades beginning with the Jackson 5 in 1968, through a solo Motown career as a teen-idol in the early '70s (while still fronting the Jacksons), and as a remarketed pop genius from the 1980s. While the success of Thriller, the best-selling album in history, owed much to production maestro Quincy Jones, Jackson's abilities as a supreme vocalist, dance provocateur, music video pioneer, songwriter and live performer simply know no equal. As an entertainer he was a perfectionist. Yet his music transcended race, geography, sex, genre, age and color—a remarkable achievement for a shy, troubled boy who never grew up. While his untimely death in June 2009 shook the world, it is Jackson's musical legacy that will endure for generations to come. In this book, the triumph and tragedy of his extraordinary journey is revealed through a unique visual and narrative chronology.
