No doubt Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. This is not a title that he gave himself. It was given to him by his millions of fans around the world and by his peers, among whom he has no equal. How did he get the title, you ask? He came by it the old fashioned way. He earn it! No other performer in history has generated the massive sales that he has. No other performer in history has received as many awards and accolades as he has. No other performer in history draws the kind of excitement and mass hysteria that he does. And no other performer in history has done so much in the way of humanitarian efforts than he has. There has never been one like him before, and there will never be one like him again. He is in a class all by himself.

Michael became a superstar at an age when most other children are learning things like the alphabet and how to count to 20. Born on August 29, 1958 he was the seventh child in a family of nine. Michael and his older brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon) were thrust into the spotlight when their father, Joseph Jackson, a steel mill worker in Gary, Indiana, formed a singing group out of his sons and called them The Jackson 5. Even though Michael was the youngest, it became immediately obvious that he had something special. Armed with a magical voice mature beyond its tender years and a crowd-charming charisma that rivaled any seasoned entertainer, little Michael lead his brothers from winning local talent contests to a recording contract with Motown Records in the late 1960's. The group quickly began turning out hit after hit for their new record label and remained a hit-making machine throughout the '70's. During their time at Motown, Michael also began a successful solo recording career that would run parallel to his work with his brothers.

In 1976, the Jacksons left Motown and signed with Epic Records where they continued to crank out one hit after another.

In 1978 Michael ventured into film when he starred opposite Diana Ross in The Wiz, an African-American remake of the Wizard of Oz. The film itself was unexceptional but it did put Michael on a collision course with destiny because it introduced him to legendary producer Quincy Jones who arranged the film's score.

Michael and Quincy collaborated on his next solo project, 'Off The Wall.' And with that album Michael was immediately transformed from a cute little kid act into an adult superstar. The album was released in 1979 to critical praise for its crossover blending of soul and rock and its non-stop boogie grove. With the help of number one hits "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You", the album sold 10 million copies and went multiplatinum. It's hard to believe that any artist could top a success like that.

But in 1982, that's just what Michael did with the release of a monster of an album called 'Thriller.' 'Thriller' broke all kinds of records. To date, it has sold more than 108 million copies worldwide (that's more than any other album before it or since). The album spawned a record six top ten singles and spent a record breaking 37 weeks at number one. It remains the best selling album of all time. That year Michael also won an unprecedented eight Grammy Awards - 7 for 'Thriller' and 1 for 'E.T.-The Storybook Album.' Much of Thriller's success was due, in part, to a new thing called music videos. Hits like "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Thriller" came alive before our very eyes when paired with a cool story line and Michael's amazing dancing ability. Michael's short films not only helped pioneer the video medium but also broke MTV's color barrier in the process. 'Thriller' made Michael Jackson an American pop icon.

The whole world were shocke at his death. It ‘s a great loss to mankind. He has passed away, however his undenying influence reigns supreme. Jackson was a worldwide phenomenon who broke race, gender, culture and age barriers, and was regarded as arguably the greatest entertainer in any genre. In mourning Michael Jackson, we should learn from his noble quality of the contribution of music to the people all over the world. Michael Jackson has forever left us. We should turn our grief into strength and keep him within our hearts.

May you rest in peace, Michael Jackson!

Eternal glory to Michael Jackson!