Beloved singer, entertainer, and songwriter Michael Jackson and his unfortunate passing in June of 2009 shocked the globe, with fans across various nations still mourning the loss of the “King of Pop.” With his brand still strong and his legacy largely intact, Jackson was as enigmatic as he was talented. The King of Pop would have turned 62 on August 29. Below, we list 5 things that casual fans may not have known about Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson’s the most-awarded artist of all time
With 23 Guinness World Records, 40 Billboard Awards, 13 Grammys, and 26 American Music Awards, Michael Jackson has won more awards than any other musical artist. Jackson has also received congressional honors for his humanitarian outreach efforts.
He’s the highest-earning deceased artist
Besting the vaunted Rock and Roll artist Elvis Presley and former Beatles member singer-songwriter John Lennon, Michael Jackson has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in a new category for Highest-Earning Deceased Artist, gaining the top honor. In the first year after his passing in 2009, Jackson’s estate raked in a reported $1 billion.
Michael Jackson owns having the biggest recording contract ever
Nine months after his passing, the estate of Michael Jackson signed a deal with Sony Records that gives the company access to a vast vault of unreleased recordings for a whopping $250 million. Ten albums are expected to be released by 2017, including the recent soundtrack to the tour documentary “This Is It.”
“Billie Jean” was the first video from A Black artist to air on MTV
“Billie Jean” was the second single from Michael Jackson’s sixth solo album, “Thriller.” Produced by Jackson and the legendary Quincy Jones, the track got the video treatment and sparked off a revolution of sorts. Fans nationwide would seek to imitate Jackson’s hairstyle and dance moves and the clip is considered largely responsible for putting MTV into the mainstream conversation.
Michael Jackson was married to the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley, who is the daughter of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, and also a singer and songwriter, was once the wife of Michael Jackson. She also appeared in one of his songs’ video “You Are Not Alone”. They both fell in love as Jackson increasingly began to turn towards her for emotional support and she was able to persuade him to go to rehabilitation to recover from his drug abuse. According to Presley, after their divorce, they spent almost four years on and off trying to reconcile.
