Dubbed the "King of Pop", Michael Jackson is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres. Through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves, such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot. He is the most awarded individual music artist in history.
In 2009, while preparing for a series of comeback concerts, "This Is It", Jackson died from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician Conrad Murray, who was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter.
Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 400 million records worldwide. He had 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era) and was the first artist to have a top-ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades. His honors include 15 Grammy Awards, 6 Brit Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and 39 Guinness World Records, including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time". Jackson's inductions include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice), Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Dance Hall of Fame (the only recording artist to be inducted), and Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
Ice-T, Spike Lee, Lenny Kravitz, Jeffrey Daniel, Savion Glover, Jeanne White-Ginder (mother of AIDS-stricken Ryan White), Carson Daly, and Clive Davis commented on Jackson's music and its influence on their lives and the world. When Jackson passed away, Shefik was employed as Technical Producer at TIME, and he aided in the production of a Jackson tribute video.
Production: Shefik
Last Updated: April 22, 2023
