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Hey, my name is Emma and this is my blog. I love lacrosse and baseball. I love those spoof motivational posters. I'm in seventh grade. I'm bad at prank calling people. I like to sing and I love Broadway. During Spring Break my cousin and I watched these ninja competitions in Japanese but they had subtitles so it was okay. I like food. In the battle between you and the world, bet on the world.

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A Final Farewell to the King of Pop

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Contributed by: Emma Carroll on 7/31/2009

Though Michael Jackson's death is far beyond yesterday's news, his legacy is undying, as is his music. We salute the man who debuted and immortalized the moonwalk and lived a life far beyond what any of us had imagined.

Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. His debut came in 1964 as a member of The Jackson 5. Together with his four brothers, Jackson exploded on to the music scene with hit singles such as "ABC", "The Love You Save", "I Want You Back", and "I'll Be There", all reaching the top of American charts. His childhood outside of music was marked by abuse from his father, which he spoke openly about with Oprah Winfrey in a 1993 interview. He also wrote about it in his 1988 autobiography, Moon Walk. Michael admitted that the strict discipline of his father was a large part of his success.

That success, intially launched by The Jackson 5, was massive. His solo career began in 1971, and his album 1982 album Thriller became and still is the best-selling album of all time. Four of his other albums, Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995) were also among the best selling. Classics like Billie Jean, Beat It, and the ever-iconic Thriller stemmed from his albums.

Music videos with his immensely popular dance moves only further immortalized the self declared King of Pop. His music videos exploded onto the scene with moves like the robot and the moonwalk , which were overnight successes.

Jackson was far from stopping, however. Dubbed the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", the double-inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sold and estimated 750 million records. He accumulated thirteen Grammys and thirteen of his singles reached number one on the charts.

Jackson donated millions of dollars to 39 charities, and after suffering second degree burns in a Pesi Cola commercial, Jackson donated the $1.5 million outside of court settlement to Brotman Medical Center in California. In 1985, Jackson teamed up with Lionel Richie to write the charity single "We Are the World" to aid the poor in Africa and the U.S. Through nearly 20 million copies sold, millions of dollars were donated to famine relief. The sales made it one of the best-singles of all time and won several Grammys. In 1992, hefounded the"Heal the World Foundation" which sent millions of dollars worldwide to help children threatened by disease and conflict.

With fame comes scandal, and Jackson was fresh meat for the paparazzi. Jackson claimed to be diagnosed with vitiligo, a disease the cause the skin to lighten. Speculations flew about the structure of his face, with rumors that he had had multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, cheekbone surgery, and thinned lips. An attachment to a chimpanzee called Bubbles and several other scandals gave Jackson the nickname "Wacko Jacko."

He was awarded the "Living Legend Award" by the Grammy Awards and performed at Super Bowl XXVII, viewed by 135 million Americans. His fame far from fading, he was hounded by sexual abuse allegations and was tainted by accusations that he was a child pedophile. Then in 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, which the media speculated was done to elevate his image. The couple married in secrecy andremained friendly after their divorce less than two years later.

Jackson married again shortly after in 1996 to a dermatology nurse by the name of Deborah Jeanne Rowe. The couple had two children, Prince and Paris, which Rowe gave full custody of to Jackson during their 1999 divorce, remaining friendly. Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born in 2002. Jackson recieved immense critcism for extending him over the fourth story balcony of a Berlin hotel. He called it "a terrible mistake" and later apologized.

Despite pedophile accusations and other paparazzi claims, it was Jackson's music and spectacular dance moves that live on. An artist of great success, fabulous music, and incredible influence, Jackson died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, right before his highly anticipated "This Is It" tour. Michael has left behind a legacy of epic proportions and will never be forgotten.

"And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance."
-Michael Jackson

Sources:
Wikipedia and thinkexist.com

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