My Favourite Singer (Michael Jackson). Мой любимый певец (Майкл Джексон)
My Favourite Singer (Michael Jackson)
My favourite singer is Michael Jackson. I like his songs very much because they are full of energy and very melodic. I also like the way he dances.
There were nine children in Michael’s family. They lived in a small fourroom house. Later he lived in a house which has seventeen rooms downstairs and sixteen rooms upstaires. It stands in 2,700 acres of ground. Besides the house there are guest houses, a golf course, a swimming pool, tennis courts, stables, gardens, lakes, forests and a zoo.
A lot of strange stories are told about Jackson. It’s difficult to decide whether they are true or not. Michael never gave interviews and was rarely seen in public, except on stage. Certainly his behaviour may seem eccentric. In public he often wore a face mask to protect himself from germs, he slept inside an oxygen capsule, which he believed would help him to live longer. But his manager says that Jackson wasn’t eccentric. He was just shy. Michael sang in public for the first time when he was five. Since that time he had always been in the public eye. And since that time he had been working like a grown-up.
There were times when he came home from school and he only had time to put his books and get ready for the studio. He often sang until late at night, even if it was past his bedtime. There was a park across the street from the studio, and Michael looked at the kids playing games. And he just stared at them in wonder — he couldn’t imagine such freedom, such a carefree life.
He said about himself that in the crowd he was afraid, on stage he was safe. Off stage he felt happiest with animals and children. It’s not a secret that his favourite hero was Peter Pan.
Michael has been called «the child who never grew up», but I think he was a grown-up who was never allowed to be a child.
Whether he was crazy, childish, eccentric or just shy, he was no fool. He created a brilliantly successful image, he made a lot of money and spent it on the things he wanted. Who wouldn’t like to do the same?
Мой любимый певец (Майкл Джексон)
Мой любимый певец- Майкл Джексон. Я очень люблю его песни, потому что они полны энергии и очень мелодичные. Мне также очень нравится, как он танцует.
В семье Майкла было 9 детей. Они жили в маленьком домике. Потом он жил в доме, который имеет 17 комнат на нижнем этаже и 16 комнат наверху. Он находится на 2700 акрах земли. Кроме того, там есть гостевой дом, поле для гольфа, бассейн, теннисные корты, конюшни, сады, озера, леса и зоопарк.
Много странных историй рассказывают о Джексоне. Трудно решить, являются ли они правдивыми или нет. Майкл никогда не давал интервью и редко появлялся на публике, кроме как на сцене. Конечно, его поведение может показаться чудаковатым. На публике он часто носил маску, чтобы защититься от микробов.Он спал в кислородной капсуле, которая, как он считал, поможет ему жить дольше. Но его менеджер утверждает, что Джексон не был эксцентричным. Он просто стеснялся. Майкл спел на публике впервые, когда ему было пять. С тех пор он всегда был в центре общественного внимания. И с тех пор он работал как взрослый.
Были времена, когда он возвращался домой из школы, успевал только сложить свои книги и готовился к студии. Он часто пел до поздней ночи, даже если это было после времени сна. Через дорогу от студии был парк, и Майкл смотрел на детей во время игр. Он смотрел на них с удивлением- он не мог представить себе такой свободы, такой беззаботной жизни.
Он говорил о себе, что в толпе, он боялся, а на сцене он был в безопасности. Вне сцены он чувствовал себя счастливым с животными и детьми. Это не секрет, что его любимый герой- Питер Пэн.
Майкла называли «ребенком, который никогда не выростет, но я думаю, что он был взрослым, которому никогда не позволяли быть ребенком.
Был ли он сумашедшим, инфантильным, эксцентричным или просто застенчивым, он не был глупым. Он блестяще создал успешный образ, он заработал много денег и потратил их на то, что хотел. Кто не хотел бы делать то же самое?
Майкл Джексон: он удивлял мир / Michael Jackson, 1958-2009: He Amazed the World
And I’m Bob Doughty with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English.
А я Боб Даути с программой «Люди Америки» на «Голосе Америки»
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.
Известный как «Король попа», Джексон продал за свою карьеру более 750млн. альбомов
Michael Jackson redefined popular culture with his energetic music, dance moves and revolutionary music videos.
Майкл Джексон по-новому определил поп-культуру своей энергичной музыкой, танцевальными движениями и революционными видеоклиами
But Jackson’s huge success as a performer was not always easy.
Но огромный успех Джексона как исполнителя был не всегда лёгок
He was a complex individual with an often troubled private life.
Он был сложной индивидуальность со многими сложностями в личной жизни
That was a song that hardly needs an introduction.
Эта песня вряд ли нуждается в представлении
“Billie Jean” first came out on the nineteen eighty-two hit album “Thriller.”
Песня «Билли Джин» появилась в альбоме 1982г. «Триллер», который стал хитом
The Guinness World Records lists that record as the best-selling album of all time.
Книга рекордов Гиннеса называет этот альбом рекордсменом по числу проданных экземпляров
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.
Альбом «Триллер» знаменит не только музыкой, но и танцами
Michael Jackson brought attention to his body’s movements by wearing a shiny white glove, shortened black pants and white socks.
Майкл Джексон привлекал внимание к своим движениям, надевая блестящую белую перчатку, коротковатые чёрные брюки и белые носки
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.
Когда он показывал знаменитую «лунную походку», казалось, что он идёт назад по воздуху
(MUSIC: «I Want You Back»)
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana in nineteen fifty-eight.
Майкл Джексон родился в Гэри, штат Индиана, в 1958г.
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.
Он был седьмым из девяти детей. С пяти лет он начал петь с братьями в группе «Пятёрка Джексонов»
In nineteen sixty-eight the group signed a recording deal from Motown Records.
В 1968г. эта группа подписала контракт на звукозапись с компанией «Мотаун Рекордс»
Michael was eleven years old when they released their first album a year later.
Через год, когда Майклу было 11 лет, вышел их первый альбом
The Jackson 5 became an immediate success. Their music set records.
«Пятёрка Джексонов» сразу же стала знаменитой. Их музыка била рекорды
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.
Все эти песни в 1970г. побывали на первом месте по продажам в поп-музыке
Michael was the star of the group. He was the lead singer and danced with great energy.
Майкл был звездой группы. Он был солистом и очень энергично танцевал
His extraordinary skill and presence on stage was remarkable, especially for someone so young.
Он проявил необычайное мастерство и умение держаться на сцене, особенно для такого молодого человека
The group made youthful and fun music that was very popular with both African-Americans and white listeners.
Группа создавала молодую, весёлую музыку, которая была очень популярна и у афроамериканцев, и у белых слушателей
In the nineteen seventies, the group changed record companies and shortened their name to the Jacksons.
А 1970-ых годах группа переходила от одной звукозаписывающей компании к другой и укоротила своё название до «Джексоны»
They continued to perform together, although Michael Jackson started to record music on his own as well.
Они продолжали выступать вместе, хотя Майкд Джексон начал также записываться отдельно
His first album performing alone was “Off the Wall,” released in nineteen seventy-nine.
Его первый собственный альбом «Со стены» вышел в 1979г.
(MUSIC: «Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough»)
Three years later, Jackson released “Thriller.” The album was not just the best selling album of all time.
Через три года Джексон выпустил «Триллер». Это бы не просто самый коммерчески успешный альбом всех времён
It also won eight Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards.
Он завоевал также восемь Грэмми и семь наград «Американ Мюзик Эвордс»
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.
Видеоклип песни «Триллер» сыграл важную роль в истории музыкальной индустрии
Michael Jackson understood the power of these videos in bringing attention to his music and to his image.
Майкл Джексон понимал огромную способность этих видео привлекать внимание к его музыке и имиджу
He worked hard to make exciting videos with complex stories and dances.
Он прилагал много усилий для создания захватывающих видео со сложным сюжетом и танцами
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.
Целью этой записи было собрать деньги в помощь голодающим делям в Африке. Проект заработал миллионы долларов на этой самой продаваемой песне
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»)
Michael Jackson was a huge success, but he was also a very troubled man.
Успех Майкла Джексона был огромен, но много было у него и разных бед
His behavior and appearance became increasingly strange. He had many operations to change his face.
Его поведение и внешний вид становились всё более странными. Он сделал много операций по изменению лица
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.
Он вёл себя и говорил по-детски. Джексон купил огромное имение в Калифорнии, которое назвал Неверленд по детскому рассказу Питера Пэна
He had amusement park rides, a zoo and a large movie theater built for his home.
Он построил (там) парк развлечений с аттаркционами, зоопарк и большой кинотеатр
Michael Jackson also went into major debt.
Майкл Джексон также сделал много долгов
And he suffered from injuries and illness that reportedly led him to take many kinds of pain-killing medicines.
In nineteen ninety-three, a thirteen-year-old boy accused him of sexual abuse.
В 1993г. 13-летний мальчик обвинил его в сексуальном насилии
The child molestation case was settled out of court with Jackson reportedly paying the boy millions of dollars.
Это дело о домагательствах к ребёнку было улажено без суда: сообщали, что Джексон заплатил мальчику миллионы долларов
But ten years later, a similar accusation by another boy led to a criminal trial which began in two thousand five.
Но через 10 лет похожее обвинение со стороны другого мальчика привело к уголовному суду, который начался в 2005г.
A jury cleared Jackson of all charges. He called the trial the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.
Коллегия присяжных сняла с Джексона все обвинения. Он назвал этот суд самым трудным испытанием своей жизни
During this time, Michael Jackson kept recording and performing music.
Всё это время Майкл Джексон продолжал записывать песни (музыку) и давать концерты
His later albums include “Dangerous,” “HIStory” and “Invincible.”
Среди его поздних альбомов «Опасный», «(Его) история)» и «Непобедимый»
(MUSIC: “Black and White”)
Michael Jackson was briefly married to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of musician Elvis Presley.
Майкл Джексон был недолгое время женат на Лизе Мари Пресли, дочери музыканта Элвиса Пресли
He later married a nurse named Deborah Rowe. They had two children, Michael Joseph Jackson and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson.
Позже он женился на медсестре Деборе Роуи. У них было двое детей : Майкл Джозеф Джексон и Пэрис Майкл Кэтрин Джексон
The couple divorced in nineteen ninety-nine. Mister Jackson later had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson.
В 1999г. они развелись. Позже у Джексона появился третий ребёнок, Принс Майкл Джексон
After his two thousand five trial, the singer spent much of his time in Europe and the Middle East.
После суда в 2005г. певец проводил много времени в Европе и на Ближнем Востоке
He returned to the United States with the aim of planning what was to be a victorious comeback.
Он вернулся в США с целью спланировать победоносное возвращение (в музыку)
Michael Jackson died on June twenty-fifth, two thousand nine of heart failure.
Майкл Джексон умер 25 июня 1999г. от сердечного приступа (остановки сердца)
He was just days away from launching a series of fifty concerts in London.
Оставалось всего несколько дней до начала серии из 50 концертов в Лондоне
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.
Знаменитые исполнители по всему миру рассказывали о влиянии, которое он оказал на их работу. Майкл Джексон оставил очень глубокий след в поп-культуре
His memory will live on in his unforgettable music.
Память о нём будет жить в его назабываемой музыке
(MUSIC: «Man in the Mirror»)
This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Faith Lapidus
Michael jackson biography
Singer, songwriter. Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, to an African-American working-class family. His father, Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but had put aside his musical aspirations to provide for his family as a crane operator. Believing his sons had talent, he molded them into a musical group in the early 1960s. At first, the Jackson Family performers consisted of Michael’s older brothers Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie. Michael joined his siblings when he was five, and emerged as the group’s lead vocalist. He showed remarkable range and depth for such a young performer, impressing audiences with his ability to convey complex emotions. Older brother Marlonalso became a member of the group, which evolved into the The Jackson 5.
Behind the scenes, Joseph Jackson pushed his sons to succeed. He was also reportedly known to become violent with them. Michael and his brothers spent endless hours rehearsing and polishing up their act. At first, the Jackson 5 played local gigs and built a strong following. They recorded one single on their own, “Big Boy” with the b-side “You’ve Changed,” but it failed to generate much interest.
The Jackson 5 moved on to working an opening act for such R & B artists as Gladys Knight and the Pips, James Brown, and Sam and Dave. Many of these performers were signed to the legendary Motown record label, and it has been reported that Gladys Knight may have been the one to tell Motown founder Berry Gordy about the Jackson 5. Impressed by the group, Gordy signed them to his label in 1968.
Relocating to Los Angeles, Michael and his brothers started work on their music and dancing with their father as their manager. They lived with Gordy and also with Supremes singer Diana Ross when they first arrived there. In August 1969, the Jackson 5 was introduced to the music industry at a special event, and later served as the opening act for the Supremes. Their first
album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, hit the charts in December of that year. It’s first single, “I Want You Back,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1970.
More chart-topping singles quickly followed, such as “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There.” At the age of 13, Jackson launched a solo career in addition to his work with the Jackson 5. He made the charts in 1971 with “Got to Be There” from the album of the same name. His 1972 album, Ben, featured the eponymous ballad about a rat. The song became Jackson’s first solo No. 1 single.
For several years, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 maintained a busy tour and recording schedule, under the supervision of Berry Gordy and his Motown staff. Gordy wrote many of the songs recorded by the group and by Michael Jackson as a solo artist. The group became so popular that they even had their own self-titled cartoon show, which ran from 1971 to 1973.
Despite Jackson’s individual achievements and the group’s great success, there was trouble between the Jacksons and their record company. Tensions mounted between Gordy and Joseph Jackson over the management of his children’s careers, and their level of participation in making their music. The Jacksons wanted more control over their recordings, which led to most of the Jacksons breaking ties with Motown in 1975. Jermaine Jackson remained with the label and continued to pursue a solo career, having previously released several albums – none of which had matched the success of his younger brother Michael.
Now calling themselves the Jacksons, the group signed a new recording deal with Epic Records.
Похожие топики по английскому:
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and philanthropist. He began his career as the lead singer of the Motown act, The Jackson 5, in the 1960s, and made his first solo recordings in 1971 as part of the Jackson 5 franchise. Jackson began a full-fledged solo career in 1979 and formally parted with his siblings in 1987, and has since become the most successful recording artist in black music history, and one of the most successful solo artists in music history.
His 1982 album Thriller currently holds the title of being the best selling album in history, it has been said that 60 million copies have been sold worldwide. In addition to his albums, Jackson has also recorded thirteen number-one hits, including «Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough», «Rock With You», «Billie Jean», and «Beat It». In addition to his thirteen number-one singles, he also is credited with a further four number-one singles with his brothers in the group The Jackson 5, giving him a total of seventeen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His distinctive dance moves, music videos, and pop appeal have inspired and influenced many of today’s singers, such as Janet Jackson, Usher, Beyoncé, and Justin Timberlake.
Despite his career success, he has been dogged by media attention over allegations of child sexual abuse, which resulted in a trial and acquittal in 2005.
In accordance with Joseph Jackson’s strict rules, the children were kept locked in their house while he worked the night shift. However, the children would regularly sneak out of the house to their neighbors’ homes, where they practiced singing and playing music. The older Jackson brothers would sometimes play Joseph’s prized guitar without his permission while he was at work. Eventually, Joseph found out about their musical abilities and decided to capitalize upon it, in order to leave Gary for California.
The Wiz and Off The Wall.
In 1978, Michael co-starred in The Wiz as the Scarecrow, with former labelmate Diana Ross as Dorothy. The musical film’s songs were arranged and produced by famed producer Quincy Jones, who found a rapport with Jackson. After Jackson signed a solo contract with Epic in 1978, he began work on his first of several albums with Jones.
Michael Jackson’s 1979 album Off the Wall was a worldwide hit, and spawned the number-one hit singles and music videos «Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough» and «Rock With You». The ballad «She’s Out Of My Life» also reached the top ten in 1980. With that accomplishment, Jackson became the first solo artist to have four Top 10 hit singles in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from a single album. The album went on to sell over seven million copies in America, establishing Jackson as a musical force without his brothers.
In the 1980s, Jackson released a progression of solo albums of slickly-produced synthesizer-heavy pop. In what was perhaps the «Golden Age» of the video clip, some of Jackson’s videos were virtually short films with detailed plots, special effects, and featuring Jackson’s distinctive dance style.
His Thriller album, released in 1982, produced seven top-ten hit singles, broke sales records, and became the best selling album in music history. The «Billie Jean» music video, released to promote Thriller, became the first video by a black artist to be aired on MTV. The seven-minute «Thriller» music video / short film became the world’s best selling home video at the time (packaged with the featurette The Making of Michael Jackson’s «Thriller»), and is considered by many music industry critics to be one of the greatest music videos of all time and a large step forward in artistic quality for music videos. The album’s third major single, «Beat It», was another #1 pop hit in the U.S., accompanied by a popular «West Side Story» inspired music video. The videos for «Billie Jean», «Thriller» and «Beat It» frequently place highly on MTV and VH1 countdowns of notable classic videos, and receive airplay on MTV2 to this day.
While performing «Billie Jean» during the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special on television on May 16, 1983, Jackson publicly performed his moonwalk dance for the first time. In January 1984, at the American Music Awards, Jackson was nominated for nine awards, and won a record eight. At the Grammy Awards in February, Jackson was nominated for twelve awards, and won a record-breaking eight: seven for Thriller and one for his narrative on The E.T. Storybook. In May, Thriller was certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the best selling popular music album of all time. The same year, he was also awarded the H. Claude Hodson Medal of Freedom at the NAACP Image Awards, honored at the White House by President Ronald Reagan with the Presidential Special Achievement Award, and was awarded a star in November on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. By 2005, Thriller had been certified twenty-seven times platinum in the U.S.
Jackson became a spokesman for Pepsi at the height of Thriller’s popularity. In a famous incident, his hair was accidentally set on fire on January 27, 1984, while singing «Billie Jean» during a Pepsi commercial shoot in Los Angeles. He received hospital treatment for second degree burns to his scalp after his hair caught on fire due to an error involving the shoot’s special effects. (A fireworks display erupted behind Jackson, showering him in sparks.).
We Are the World» and Captain Eo.
Inspired by Band Aid, Michael Jackson was instrumental in organizing the recording of the single «We Are the World», which he co-wrote with former Motown labelmate, Lionel Richie. The single was released in 1985 to raise money for USA for Africa, a charity working to raise awareness about and give aid to impoverished families in Africa».We Are the World» featured forty-four different vocalists, including Jackson, Ritchie, Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, and sold 7 million copies in the United States, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.
In 1987, Jackson released the album Bad, and began his first solo world tour, performing to sold-out audiences across the world. The Bad world tour broke all existing attendance records. Jackson would later break the Bad world tour attendance records with the Dangerous world tour, and top those records with those for the HIStory world tour. The following year, Jackson released a film entitled Moonwalker, and an autobiography, entitled Moon Walk.
Bad was another multi-platinum success for Jackson, although it was not as successful as «Thriller» had been. Its first five singles and music videos, «I Just Can’t Stop Loving You», «Bad», «The Way You Make Me Feel», «Man in the Mirror», and «Leave Me Alone» provided Jackson with another string of hits, and made him the first artist to generate five number one singles off of one album. The other two singles, «Another Part of Me» and «Smooth Criminal» kept Jackson on the charts throughout the year as he toured.
Michael Jackson continued to engage in door-to-door evangelizing as a Jehovah’s Witness after becoming famous, but in disguise. His career and flamboyant lifestyle led to friction with congregation elders. At one point, his sister, LaToya, was shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses, and in 1987, he formally left the religion.
Jackson’s most famous home is his 2,600 acre (eleven square-kilometer) Neverland Ranch in Santa Ynez, California, which he purchased in 1988. It is named after the magical kingdom, Neverland, from the children’s story, «Peter Pan». Jackson, a huge Disney fan, built an amusement park on the ranch, and frequently welcomes sick and poor children there to visit and sponsors charity drives for children. Jackson’s relationships with children, both his own and others, have been controversial: his sleepover parties at Neverland have received widespread critical media coverage, especially after he revealed that he sometimes slept in the same bed with several unrelated children.
He claims that he likes to be surrounded by children because of their sense of innocence, which he feels he lost too soon. His song «Childhood» included the lyric, «It’s been my fate to compensate, for the childhood I’ve never known». Jackson is fond of animals: he owns a private zoo at Neverland, and was often seen with a chimpanzee named Bubbles and a snake called Muscles in the 1980s. Jackson claims that Neverland has inspired much of his work, having once told an interviewer that he liked climbing trees to write songs like «Will You Be There» and «Heal the World».
Jackson is noted for his humanitarian efforts, and has often used his music, including the all-star single «We Are the World» (1985), «Man in the Mirror» (1987), «Heal the World» (1992), «Earth Song» (1995), «Cry» (2001), and «What More Can I Give» (2003) to support and promote various causes. The «Heal the World» foundation was created by Jackson in 1992, with assistance from former President Jimmy Carter. Jackson was considering a tour of Africa in May or June 2004 to raise money to fight AIDS; Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Senegal were among the countries he had planned to visit.
Over the years, Michael Jackson maintained a number of high-profile celebrity friendships with entertainers such as Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Macaulay Culkin, Emmanuel Lewis, Chris Tucker, and others. Jackson is also the godfather of Lionel Richie’s adopted daughter, Nicole Richie and of Barry Gibb’s son Michael Gibb.
Michael Jackson was hospitalized Wednesday, 6 December 1995, suffering from dehydration and low blood pressure after he collapsed on stage during rehearsals at the Beacon Theater in New York. New York Emergency Medical Service received a call at 4:51 p.m. from a security guard at the theater saying Jackson was not breathing, but when they arrived minutes later he was awake. Emergency workers determined that Jackson was suffering from exhaustion, dehydration and dangerously low blood pressure. He was released from hospital on Tuesday, 12 December 1995.
Since his trial ended, Jackson has been staying in Bahrain with Shaikh Abdullah Ben Hamed Al Khalifa, the Prince of Bahrain. He recently visited Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with an eye to buying property in one of the country’s new developments. Jackson has been touring Dubai with UAE champion rally driver Mohammad Ben Sulayem.
Ben Sulayem remarked that the star was normal and down-to-earth: «Definitely the guy is a normal human being like us. I think he’s more normal than most people. We know all about his music and his incredible career, but not many people realise what a genuinely nice person he is. He’s very pleasant to be with. He’s a gentleman». Jackson also took time off with fans, chatting with them and posing for photographs during his visit to Dubai».He is still in Dubai for a few more days. He wants to see more of the city. And we would like him to come back when the temperature is more reasonable», Ben Sulayem told the press.
Jackson’s marriages and children.
In 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley; the marriage was severely criticized by the media and lasted less than two years. Despite some comments questioning the validity of this union, Presley has always maintained that they both shared a normal couple’s life during their time together. The separation date on divorce papers was indicated with Sunday, 10 December 1995. A day when Jackson was still hospitalized after suffering dehydration during rehearsals for his «One Night Only» special at New York’s Beacon Theater.
In 1996, Jackson married Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he had a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (who publicly goes by the name «Prince»), and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. They were divorced in 1999. Rowe later said that she wanted Jackson to have the children as a «gift», which she had offered even while Jackson was married to Presley. Rowe had given up her parental rights to the children, but as of 2005, a family court case is under way regarding visitation. The godparents of these two children are Macaulay Culkin and Elizabeth Taylor.
Around February 2002, Jackson had another son, Michael Joseph Jackson III, called both «Prince Michael II» and «Blanket», apparently with a surrogate mother whose identity has not been disclosed. In late 2002, Jackson stirred up controversy while staying at the Adlon hotel in Berlin, by briefly suspending him over the edge of a balcony so that fans could see him. Jackson defended his actions, saying that he held the child very tightly. Jackson’s children are veiled or masked when they appear in public with him, which he describes as a security measure. Rowe said it was her idea from the beginning.
After the children were seen in Martin Bashir’s Living with Michael Jackson documetary special, many in the press and the public questioned whether Prince and Paris were actually Jackson’s children, as they had no noticeable African features about them. Jackson explained that his own father is African-American, but has blue eyes, and that some of the Jackson family ancestors are Caucasian, and even Indian. However, during the interviews for the same special, Jackson revealed that «Blanket’s» mother was black.
There had been rumors that Jackson was having children by various women. One woman claimed that she was giving birth to quadruplets fathered by Jackson, a claim later proven to be false. Jackson had suffered the same problem two decades earlier with a woman claiming Michael was a father of one of her fraternal twins, a story from which his memorable hit «Billie Jean» was derived.
Although Jackson’s skin color was that of an African American for the entire duration of his youth, his skin has lightened gradually since 1982, and is today a pale melanin devoid color. Jackson has attributed his changing skin color to vitiligo, a skin disease in which the body develops antibodies against its own melanin, a body pigment, resulting in light patches and an eventual loss of all pigment. The public finally got to know of Jackson’s condition when he first revealed it in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993. Several members of the media refused to believe Jackson has vitiligo and believe that Jackson bleaches his skin, an allegation which Jackson denies. Jackson’s family members backed up his claim, with Joseph Jackson stating that his own father (Michael Jackson’s grandfather) had also suffered from vitiligo. During court depositions in 1994, both Jackson’s dermatologist and his nurse (later his wife) confirmed the diagnosis.
After going to a hospital, Jackson claims he finally received the news when his doctor diagnosed him with the disease in 1981. Ever since then, Jackson has regularly worn long-sleeved shirts and pants under an umbrella while in public to hide from the sun, which he says he’s allergic to because of his condition.
Jackson’s use of plastic surgery has caused increased concerns of a possible cartilage and nose collapse. Surgeons interviewed for various tabloid articles agree that Jackson’s nose structure could easily collapse during an altercation.
In 2000, Jackson reportedly had his collapsed nose corrected by a new plastic surgeon, who used cartilage taken from one of his ears to rebuild the nose’s structure. This tabloid report was never confirmed.
