0 50 Ways To Love Michael Jackson
- Commentary
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 08/14/2008
If 50 is the new 40, then the decade defying young at heart Michael Jackson has a lot to celebrate during many fun filled years to come.
The media certified tabloid musical giant, lovingly crowned, "The King of Pop," turns 50 years old on August 29, 2008.
Jacko joins Madonna, who also turns 50 on August 16, 2008, as another new AARP recruit (formerly American Association of Retired Persons).
Barring any health issues, I believe that Michael Jackson will eventually make a notable comeback.
In honor of his 50th birthday, here is my endearing timeline list of 50 Ways to Love Michael Jackson:
- 1958 - Michael Jackson is born (August 29th)
- 1968 - The Jackson 5 are signed by Motown Records
- 1969 - Motown releases Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 album
- 1970 - "I Want You Back" - Jackson 5 #1 song in January
- 1970 - "ABC" - Jackson 5 #1 in April
- 1970 - "The Love You Save" - Jackson 5 #1 in June
- 1970 - "I'll Be There" - Jackson 5 #1 in October
- 1971 - "Never Can Say Goodbye" - Jackson 5 #1 in May
- 1972 - "Got To Be There," MJ's first solo album is released
- 1972 - "Ben" becomes a hit single and album. (Rat power movie theme)!
- 1972 - MJ scores with the top 2 hit "Rockin' Robin'," a remake of the 1958 Bobby Day smash
- 1974 - "Dancing Machine" - Jackson 5 #1 in May
- 1976 - The Jacksons release The Jacksons on Epic Records produced by Philadelphia's Gamble & Huff
- 1977 - MJ begins preparing for his role in the movie The Wiz
- 1978 - The Jacksons release the critically acclaimed Destiny album
- 1979 - MJ releases Off The Wall produced by Quincy Jones
- 1980 - MJ scores a #1 song with "Rock With You"
- 1982 - MJ duets with Paul McCartney on Thriller with "The Girl Is Mine"
- 1982 - MJ writes and produces "Muscles," a top 10 Diana Ross hit
- 1983 - The Jackson 5 reunite for Motown's 25th Anniversary show in Los Angeles featuring a moonwalking MJ
- 1983 - Thriller conquers the charts
- 1983 - MJ duets with Paul McCartney for "Say Say Say," spending 6 weeks at #1
- 1984 - MJ wins 7 American Music Awards
- 1984 - MJ wins 3 MTV Music Video Awards
- 1984 - MJ receives 2nd degree burns on the set of a Pepsi commercial
- 1984 - MJ sings "State of Shock" with Mick Jagger on the Jacksons album Victory
- 1985 - MJ buys the publishing company owning the rights to 250 Beatles songs for $47.5 million
- 1985 - MJ and Lionel Richie write "We Are The World" and record the song with 43 stars to benefit USA for Africa's efforts for famine relief
- 1986 - MJ gets wacky with Bubbles the chimpanzee, Crusher, his 300 pound snake, and cocoons in a hyperbaric breathing chamber for shots of hyped oxygen
- 1987 - MJ's "Bad" tops the charts (R&B and pop)
- 1987 - MJ reaches #1 (pop & R&B) in Britain with the Siedah Garrett duet, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
- 1988 - MJ buys Sycamore Ranch in California - the future Neverland Ranch
- 1988 - "Man In The Mirror" become a #1 song
- 1990 - MJ wins the Entertainer of the Decade Award from the America Cinema Awards Foundation
- 1991 - MJ signs what is called a billion-dollar entertainment deal with Sony Music
- 1991 - The Dangerous album is released
- 1992 - MJ is interviewed by Ebony Magazine
- 1992 - The Jacksons: An American Dream debuts on national television dramatizing the story of the famous Gary, Indiana family
- 1993 - MJ performs during halftime at Super Bowl XXVII (27)
- 1994 - MJ retains attorney Johnny Cochran and settles a 1993 child molestation charge out of court for a reported $20 million dollars
- 1995 - MJ and sister Janet Jackson sound off on the song "Scream"
- 1995 - MJ and wife Lisa Marie Presley call it quits
- 1995 - HIStory: Past, Present, and Future , Book 1 MJ's double album of past hits creates some buzz and becomes a #1 best seller
- 1996 - MJ marries Debbie Rowe
- 2001 - Invincible CD is released
- 2006 - MJ escapes to the island of Bahrain, off the coast of Saudi Arabia, to rebuild his career
- 2007 - MJ is interviewed by Ebony magazine
- 2008 - 25th anniversary version of Thriller is released
- 2008 - MJ's plastic surgeon checks into a California psychiatric hospital
- 2008 - Rumors fly that MJ will make a comeback at a Las Vegas casino hotel