Michael J. Jackson

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/45138687@N02/4147328762/)

When Katherine Jackson gave birth to her son, Michael, did she ever imagine that he would one day be known as the King of Pop? Michael Joseph Jackson was born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson of Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958. Besides Michael, the Jacksons' shared their small, rundown home with their 8 other children. Home life was not easy for Michael; he dealt with both verbal and physical abuse from his father, as well as living in poverty. Despite these struggles as well as others, Michael moved past them in order to make an incredible impact on the world.

In order to make some money, Joseph formed The Jacksons band which included his 4 oldest sons. Michael longed to join the group but was not allowed. After he sang at his kindergarten Christmas recital, his father finally let Michael be part of the group. After Michael joined the band, the group's name was changed to the Jackson 5. Each day after school the boys spent hours upon hours practicing their songs and perfecting their dance moves. Michael stood out from his brothers because of his unique dancing skills and impressive vocals. He was made lead singer of the Jackson 5. The group played around the area and was soon discovered by executives from Motown. Many hit songs were produced from the band of brothers. After a long and successful run with the Jackson 5, Michael made the decision to start his solo career.

From that choice, a whole new chapter of Michael's life began that truly made a difference in the lives of many. Songs written and performed by Jackson such as "Will You Be There," and "Man In the Mirror" became inspirational for a lot of people. During the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984, Michael suffered severe burns to the back of his head due to a pyrotechnical accident. As soon as he recovered, he donated $1.5 million to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California. With this money, the Michael Jackson Burn Center was opened in honor of him. Later that year an award was given to Michael because of his generous donations to charities that supported people who were overcoming drug and alcohol abuse.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/45138687@N02/4146565759/in/photostream/)

For the next 2 decades, Michael spent his time creating more music, releasing additional hit albums, and touring around the world. More importantly, Mr. Jackson took the proceeds from his success and invested it in multiple charities. It has been reported that Michael gave over $300 billion in donations. During this time he also began showing his support for improving the world by creating and performing the songs "Heal the World," "Earth Song," and "We are the World." Another important accomplishment reached by Michael during this time was breaking down racial barriers on television. He did this by becoming the first African American artist to show a music video on MTV.

In 1994, Michael married his first wife, Lisa Marie Presley, but the marriage only lasted for two years. His second marriage which was to Debbie Rowe began in 1996. Unfortunately, the couple divorced in 1999.

During the last decade, Michael had been living at his various homes with his three children. In 2009, an announcement was made that Michael Jackson would be performing a final tour called "This is It" in London. Before he could embark on his tour, Michael collapsed and died suddenly of cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles. His death tragically occurred when he was only 50 years old.

Michael Joseph Jackson is my hero. Though it may not be well known, he contributed so much to the world and was an extraordinary humanitarian. From supporting charities to fighting to make our world a better place, Michael has no doubt impacted countless lives. By overcoming the challenges life threw in his path, Mr. Jackson proved that anything is possible if you work towards your dreams and never give up. Without Michael Jackson's inspirational existence, imagine how deprived so many lives would be.