Michael Jackson: The Early Years pics

Michael Jackson: The Early Years

In this October 4, 1977, file photo, Diana Ross, center, as Dorothy, Michael Jackson, right, as Scarecrow, and Nipsey Russell as Tinman perform during filming of the musical The Wiz in New York. Ted Ross, portraying the Lion, is partly hidden behind Russell.

Michael Jackson: The Early Years

In this 1984 file picture, Michael Jackson poses on stage during the Jacksons' Victory Tour. Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles at the age of 50 on Thursday, June 25, 2009.

Michael Jackson: The Early Years

In this February 26, 1986, file picture, Grammy winners Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie pose together backstage at the Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles. 

Michael Jackson: The Early Years

In this February 28, 1984, file picture, Michael Jackson holds his awards as he stands with Quincy Jones at the Grammy Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. 

Michael Jackson: The Early Years

In this February 29, 1984, file photo, pop superstar Michael Jackson, right, is joined by his sisters, from left, Maureen "Rebie", Janet and LaToya on stage during the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, as he receives an award for Best Male Pop Vocal. Jackson received a total of eight Grammy awards, a new record.

Michael Jackson: Black, white and shades of grey

EARLY CAREER

The seventh of nine children of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958, and began his career performing with his brothers. His professional debut with the Jackson 5 came at age 11. In 1963, after several years of training, The Jackson 5 begin to perform in public. On December 14, 1969, The Jackson 5 appeared on theThe Ed Sullivan Show, but it was only in 1970 that their first album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 hit the No. 1 spot.

GOING SOLO

In 1972, while still singing with the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson put out his first solo album, Got to Be There, but it was in 1979 that his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall, was released. He became the first solo artist to place four singles from the same record in the top 10.

ELECTRIFYING VIEWERS

In 1982, his album Thriller won a record eight Grammys and became the world's biggest selling record of all time. Alongwith the title track, it included the songs Billie Jean and Beat It, which became worldwide hits. A year later, Jackson electrified the 50 million viewers of the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, a television special, by singing and dancing to Billie Jean while wearing a black fedora, one white glove, and pants that ended above his ankles.

HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE

The following year, the singer was filming a Pepsi-Cola commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles when he suffered second-degree burns after pyrotechnics set his hair on fire before a full house. The singer settled out of court and established the Michael Jackson Burn Center with his $1.5 million award.

VICTORY WAS HIS

In 1984, the pop king performed his final tour with the Jackson 5 to support the album Victory. The one major hit from the recording was Michael's duet with Mick Jagger, State of Shock. In 1985, he co-wrote and sang - along with nearly every pop star known at the time - We Are the World, on behalf of USA for Africa.

THE BAD ERA

Even as his popularity graph began to decline, Michael did his magic again and 1987 saw the release of the album Bad. The album produced five No. 1 singles and sold at least 22 million copies worldwide. At around the same time, work had started on the construction of Neverland, a ranch for children - to give them the kind of childhood he never had.

BLACK OR WHITE?

Around this time, a considerable difference had started showing in his skin colour and it was then that he made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show claiming that he was suffereing from a condition called vitiligo and not - as opposed to popular rumour - bleaching his skin a shade lighter. On the show, he also claimed that he was abused by his father as a child.

FINDING NEVERLAND

Soon after, in 1991, the album Dangerous hit the stands, skyrocketing to No.1 position and selling more than 20 million copies worldwide. In 1993, the allegations of the pop star abusing 13-year-old Jordy Chandler at Neverland were brought forward by the Chandler family. No evidence was ever found against him and the case was settled by an "incredulous" Jackson for $22 million.

MARRIAGE, RELATIONSHIPS

In 2001, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. In August 1994, he married Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley but the marriage didn't last long. In 1996 they split and Michael Jackson married a nurse, Debbie Rowe. They had two children - son Prince Michael Jackson in 1997, and daughter Paris Michael Jackson, in 1998. The marriage ended in 1999.

ECCENTRIC AND ERRATIC

The star lost some of his sheen and the reception to his 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I was mixed. In 2001, when Invincible hit the stands, he was fast becoming known for his eccentric and erratic behaviour. In 2002 he dangled his third child, Prince Michael II - who he had via a surrogate mother - from a third-floor hotel balcony in Berlin.

THE SCANDALS THAT RUINED HIM

In 2005, he found himself in the dock again with allegations of abusing a boy named Gavin Arvizo. His downfall came when the police - then investigating Jordy Chandler's reports of genital blotches - photographed his private parts. The scandals effectively destroyed the pop legend even though he was found not guilty on 10 counts of child molestation on June 13, 2005

FINAL CURTAIN CALL

In 2009, in a bid to resurrect his career, he announced a 50-date residency at O2 which were to be his first live shows for 12 years. The concert was never to be as the King of Pop breathed his last on June 26, 2009 following a cardiac arrest.

The King of Pop through the years pics

IN THE BEGINNING

King of Pop Michael Jackson's appearance and face have been topics of controversy for many years.

This picture of Michael performing at the Mill Run Playhouse in June of 1974 shows him in his earliest look sans any plastic surgeries or skin disorder.

DARK KNIGHT

His versatility wasn't just subjected to his music and dance styles, he was also known for his fashion style. The red jackets, white socks and the sequined glove are some trademark MJ accessories. 

In this picture of Michael in 1984 - the year he got burnt while shooting for a Pepsi commercial - was after which his appearance started to rapidly change.

A LIGHTER SHADE

By 1993 Michael's skin colour had lightened, which started a row of controversy in the media circuit. MJ never admitted to lightening his skin colour to turn from black to white. He claimed he had a skin disorder, vitiligo, due to which his colour lightened.

BLACK OR WHITE?

This picture of MJ in 1996 shows his the drastic changes in his appearance. His nose seemed slimmer and his skin colour had completely transformed from black to white.

WHITE LIE?

Though there were always speculations of him having gone under several plastic surgeries, Michael only admitted to two, one being on his nose, which he said was done so he could breathe better and hit higher notes. This picture of his from the year 2000 shows the changes.

PLASTIC KING

While testifying at a trial in Santa Maria Superior Court in 2002 - in which he was accused of cancelling concert appearances costing the promoter several million dollars - he came to court wearing a band-aid on his nose, sparking off more controversial rumours regarding his face.

A CHANGED MAN

MJ's mugshot in this 2003 picture in Santa Barbara showed definite changes not just on his nose but also his cheek bones and chin. As ever, he denied having any plastic surgeries done on any other part of his face except his nose.

FACE THE FACT

Many said speculated that Michael wanted to turn white from black. However, MJ in an interview had said he took pride in being a black man. This picture of Michael was taken in 2005 outside the Santa Barbara County courthouse where he was acquitted on ten counts of child-molestation.

THE LAST LOOK

This is the one of the last images of Michael Jackson, during a news conference at the O2 Arena in London March 5, 2009, where he announced his comeback concerts 'This Is It',wearing his signature dark glasses and an ensemble fit for a king.

TAKE A BOW

This is the final picture of Micheal Jackson during rehearsals for his comeback concerts on June 23, 2009 - two days before he died. Jackson looked frail towards the end of his life but was still full of energy while on stage.