Timeline

Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Birth: 29 August 1958
Place of birth: Gary, Indiana, USA
Death: 25 June 2009
Place of death: Los Angeles, California, USA

Family

Children: Michael Joseph Jr “Prince” (15/02/1997), Paris-Michael Katherine (03/04/1998), Prince Michael Jackson II “Blanket” (21/02/2002)
Father: Joseph Walter “Joe” Jackson
Mother: Katherine Esther Scruse
Brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Brandon (Marlon’s twin brother, who died shortly after birth), Randy
Sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, Janet

The Jackson Five

Formerly: “The Jackson Brothers” (a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine)
1964: Michael and brother Marlon join
Name change to “The Jackson Five”
1966: Win a major talent show performing Motown hits
1966/68: Tour through the midwest (often in Chitlin’ Circuit clubs)
1967: Several records with Steeltown
1968: Signed with Motown Records (CEO: Berry Gordy); Songs mostly written & produced by “The Corporation”, and later “Hal Davis” and “Gamble and Huff”
1970: Jackson family moves to LA, California
1971: Animated TV Show “The Jackson 5ive”
Jackson family moves into mansion called “Hayvenhurst”
1972: Michael’s first solo album: “Got to be there” and second solo album: “Ben”
1973: Michael’s third solo album: “Music and me”
1975: Michael’s last Motown solo album: “Forever, Michael”
The Jackson 5 leave Motown and change to CBS

CBS/ Epic

1975: Name change to “The Jacksons”
1976/84: Six more albums with Michael as lead singer
1978: Michael appears as the scarecrow in the musical “The Wiz”
On the set he meets Quincy Jones who produces Michael’s next solo album “Off The Wall”

Solo Career (Epic/ Sony)

1979: Album “Off The Wall” (Songwriters include Michael Jackson, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney)
Accident – Michael breaks his nose, (two rhinoplasties)
1980: Tour – “Destiny Tour“
Michael wins three “American Music Awards” and the “Billboard Music Award”
1982: Album “Thriller” (best-selling album of all time)
1983: “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” television special with The Jackson Five, Michael debuts the “Moonwalk”
1984: Pepsi Cola sponsorship incl. two tv-commercials.
Accident whilst filming one of the ads, Michael burns his scalp (donates $1.5 million to “Brotman Medical Center”)
Michael visits the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities
Michael wins eight “Grammy Awards”
Tour – “Victory Tour” (donates $5 million to charity)
1985: Single “We Are The World” (written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie)
Purchased the ATV Music “Beatles” catalog for $47.5 million
1986: Captain EO by Francis Ford Coppola for Disney
Rumors about Michael sleeping in hyperbaric oxygen chamber
Chimpanzee “Bubbles”
Rumors about Michael buying the bones of Joseph Merrick, the “Elephant Man”
1987: Album “Bad”
Tour – “Bad World Tour”
Michel leaves the “Jehovah’s Witnesses”
1988: Jackson’s first autobiography “Moon Walk”
Movie: “Moonwalker” (with Joseph Frank “Joe” Pesci)
Documentary: “Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues”
Michael builds “Neverland Ranch” near Santa Ynez, California (value in 2003 approximately $100 million)
1989: “Soul Train Heritage Award”, presented by Elizabeth Taylor who calls him “King of Pop” for the first time
Appears at the White House special “Artist of the Decade ” presented by George H. W. Bush
All profits from “Man In The Mirror” single go to charity
Annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts is estimated at $125 million for this year alone
1991: Michael renews his contract with Sony for $65 million
Album “Dangerous”
1992: Founding of his charity organization “Heal the World Foundation”
Tour – “Dangerous World Tour” (67 concerts in 4.5 months), all profits go to “Heal the World Foundation”
Michael sells the broadcasting rights for the tour to HBO (Time Warner) for $20 million
Pleads with the Clinton Administration at “Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Gala” to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research
Visits Africa, is crowned “King Sani”
Performs at “Super Bowl XXVII”
Grammy Awards “Living Legend Award”

First allegations 

1993: Interview with Oprah Winfrey in February, his second television interview since 1979
Child abuse allegation by Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler
La Toya accuses Michael of being a pedophile
25-minute strip-search at his ranch
1994: Settles with the Chandlers out of court for $22 million, Michael was never charged, the state suspends its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence

Marriage

1994: May 26, marries Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley (they first met in 1975)
1995: Merging of Michael’s ATV Music catalog with Sony’s publishing division creating “Sony/ATV Music Publishing”, with Michael keeping half-ownership
Album “HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I” (Best selling double album of all time)
Michael is rushed to hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance
1996: January 18, Michael and Lisa Marie Presley divorce
Tour – “HIStory World Tour” (82 concerts in almost 12 months)
November 15, marries Deborah Jeanne “Debbie” Rowe in Sydney, Australia (they first met in the mid-80’s)
Annual income $35 million
1997: Birth of Michael’s first child, Michael Joseph Jr (”Prince”)
Album “Blood on the dancefloor” (Best selling remix album of all time)
Annual income $20 million
1998: Birth of Michael’s second child Paris-Michael Katherine
1999: October 8, Michael and Debbie Rowe divorce
Michael is involved in a number of charitable events including: Luciano Pavarotti’s benefit concert in Modena, Italy,
“Michael Jackson & Friends” benefit concerts in Germany and Korea (including Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti), with the profits going to the “Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund”, the Red Cross and UNESCO

Sony dispute

2001: Dispute with Sony about upcoming album “Invincible”
Just before its release Jackson informs the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he is leaving Sony
All singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the “Invincible” album are canceled
30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden (alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984)
Album “Invincible” is release
Michael helps organize the “United We Stand: What More Can I Give” benefit concert for victims of the 9/11 attack
2002: Birth of Michael’s third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (”Blanket”)
Michael calls Mottola a “devil” and a “racist”
Michael holds “Blanket” out of a window in his hotel in Berlin and causes criticism in the media

Second allegations

2003: Interview “Living with Michael Jackson” by Martin Bashir
Gavin Arvizo, 13, accuses Michael of molestation
Michael becomes dependent on “Pethidine” (Demerol) in the two years between charges and trial
2005: Trial: “People v. Jackson” in Santa Maria, California (lasts 5 months)
June 13: Jackson is acquitted on all counts
After the trial, he relocates to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.

Final Years

2006: Reports of financial problems become more frequent
Shifts his loans from “Bank of America” to “Fortress Investments”
Refinancing deal with Sony (details unknown, rumors about 25% of his share on the music catalog)
Annual income $75 million (music catalog alone)
World Music Award: “Diamond Award” (over 100 million sold albums)
Moves back to the U.S. (James Brown’s death)
Shares joint custody of his first two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe
2007: Michael and Sony buy “Famous Music LLC” from Viacom
Release of “Thriller 25″ marking 25 years of Thriller
“Fortress Investments” sells Michael’s debts to “ Colony Capital LLC”
Sells “Neverland Ranch” to “Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC” (Joint venture between Michael and Colony Capital LLC)
This brings Jackson out of debt
2008: Enters negotiations with “Julien’s Auction House” to display and auction a large collection of memorabilia. Auction is later canceled at Jackson’s request
2009: Holds a press conference in March announcing comeback tour “This Is It” at the “O2 Arena” in London (10 concerts in 9 months, increases to 50 concerts later)
Rehearses in Los Angeles under the direction of choreographer/director Kenny Ortega

Death

June 25, 2009: Michael collapses at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles
Attempts at resuscitating him by his personal physician Dr Conrad Murray are unsuccessful
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics receive a 911 call at 12:22 p.m, arrive three minutes later at Jackson’s location
Transfer to “Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center”, arrives at 1:13 p.m
He is pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m local time
July 7, 2009: Memorial at the “Staples Center” in Los Angeles
Sep 3, 2009: Buried at “Forest Lawn Memorial Park” in Glendale, California

 

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