On August 29, 1958, Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. Michael was eight of ten children raised by working-class African-American parents Joe and Katherine Jackson. Michael started his musical career as one of the lead vocals for a music band founded by his father, Joe. Together with Michael's four other brothers Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon they became known as the Jackson 5. They were dubbed as the "cutting-edge example of black crossover artists" who appealed to different types of audiences ranging from pop, soul, funk, rhythm and blue, rock to disco.
It wasn't until 1971 that Michael Jackson began his musical solo career with the American record label, Motown Records. His first single titled "Got to Be There" written by Elliot Willensky was released on October 7, 1971. Eight years later, in 1979 Michael Jackson's fifth solo album titled "Off the Wall" released thru Epic Records propelled him to become one of music's iconic artists in the next three decades as the American "King of Pop". Michael Jackson's influence in music, dance, fashion, and philanthropic causes earned him numerous awards including 13 Grammy awards, as well as Grammy's Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards and numerous other music awards from American Music Awards and Songwriters Hall of Fame to the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Succesful Entertainer of All Time".